The Growth Story of Chenxi Boy

As soon as the school bell rang, A-Dong slung his schoolbag over his shoulder and dragged his strategist into the convenience store at the alley entrance.

"Ah Dong, are you really going to smoke?" The strategist clutched the crumpled 15 yuan note, his voice trembling. "My dad'll break my legs if he finds out."

A-Dong glanced at him and said, "This stuff is growth, it's redemption, it's a sign that you've grown up! What's there to be afraid of? A man who doesn't smoke is like someone who's lived 1 years less. Look at those junior high students who are always at the club, they walk around with a swagger while smoking. We'll be big shots on this street someday too."

"Boss, give me a pack of Red Wave, yes, that one. I've heard it's good, I'll try it today."

Ah Dong happily unwrapped the cigarettes, mimicking the middle schoolers, pulled out two, handed one to the strategist, and put the other in his own mouth, jokingly saying, "Hmm, do I look handsome? Do I look like a real man?" "Light me a cigarette, this pack's on me."

He then handed the lighter to the strategist. The strategist pressed the lighter and leaned closer to A-Dong. A-Dong took a deep drag, coughing violently from the smoke, but stubbornly swallowed the cigarette, smiling with narrowed eyes: "See that? Now that's what you call style."

The two men squatted against the wall at the alley entrance, smoke billowing around them. A-Dong stared at the smoke, lost in thought. Just as they were puffing away, a voice came from behind: "Hey, you two. Are you elementary school kids? Elementary school kids smoking here? Trying to get involved in the underworld?"

Seeing that the person was older than them, Ah Dong and the strategist didn't dare to speak much. They put out their cigarettes and stood there like two children who had made a mistake.

The newcomer glanced at them with a sidelong look, then raised his chin and said, "What are you looking at? Don't you have any manners? Can't you even offer me a cigarette?"

"Oh, oh, oh."

Ah Dong quickly took out a cigarette from his pocket and handed it to him.

"One? No, don't you know any better? You're only giving me one? Give it to me."

After saying that, he snatched the whole pack of cigarettes away: "Listen up, you two want to get involved in the underworld, right? From now on, follow me. You can ask around to find out my name. My name is Shang Hongyu. Buy me ten packs of cigarettes every month." He said this with an arrogant and domineering tone that left no room for argument.

"Why should I? I'm not involved in organized crime," the strategist said angrily.

"Oh my, you're pretty arrogant, haven't you ever been beaten before?" He had barely finished speaking when he stepped forward, raised his fist, and prepared to hit the strategist on the head.

Ah Dong quickly jumped in to stop him: "Hey, bro, don't mind him. He's just a kid. I'll follow you. I want to be a part of the underworld."

"Hmm, not bad, you'll be working for me from now on. As for you? Get the hell out of here, and don't let me see you again. Every time I see you, I'll beat you up. You're still glaring at me? You're not happy about it? Come at me for the truth. Think it's unfair? You'll have to take the bullying. These are the rules."

The strategist gritted his teeth, clutching his empty pocket, tears welling in his eyes. In the end, he clenched his fists and ran away without looking back.

A-Dong stood there, watching Shang Hongyu put the bag of Honglang cigarettes into his pocket, then patted his face: "Not bad, sensible. Bring fifty yuan as a 'tribute' tomorrow at this time, or you're not leaving."

"Brother Yu, I...I don't have any money." A-Dong's face turned pale, and all his arrogance from before vanished.

"No money?" Shang Hongyu sneered, grabbing his collar. "If you don't have money, then figure out a way! Steal it or borrow it, if you don't see any money by tomorrow, I'll shatter your 'big brother dream'."

He shoved Adong against the wall, turned and whistled as he walked away, leaving Adong slumped on the ground, staring at the empty alley, feeling both panic and resentment.

That evening, a dejected A-Dong returned home and called his advisor, telling him about being asked for money.

The strategist sighed, "Sigh, we can't afford to offend him. Why don't we talk to the teacher?"

"Tell the teacher? That would be so embarrassing!"

"How about we ask Xu Yi? Does he know that person? Maybe he can put in a good word for us?"

"Forget it, he's not involved in gangsters. We'll just drag him into this. And if he finds out we smoke, I bet he'll yell at us."

"What can we do then? It's all your fault for learning to smoke and hang out with the underworld!" the strategist said reproachfully.

After thinking for a moment, A-Dong replied, "Never mind, I'll go ask my grandma for another 50 yuan later. That's all I can do for now. Besides, I've heard from other people that he does have some influence, so having him back will make things easier for me in the future."

"Are you crazy? You really want to get involved in the underworld?"

"Hey, mind your own business. I'll go my own way, and when I'm successful, I'll protect you."

After saying that, A-Dong hung up the phone and went to find his grandma to collect gold coins.

The next day, A Dong slapped the money in front of Shang Hongyu. Shang Hongyu held the money and patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction: "Okay, from now on you're my little brother. No one on this street will dare to mess with you."

Ah Dong smiled ingratiatingly, but in his heart he was thinking: When I become successful, I will get back this fifty yuan with interest sooner or later.

He didn't go to the strategist; he just felt that he had finally become "someone with a big brother protecting him," and he walked with his chin up as if he had really become a big shot on the street.

A week later, Shang Hongyu blocked the alley entrance again, reaching out for "next month's cigarette money": "Ten packs of Red Wave cigarettes, one hundred dollars, give it to me tomorrow."

A Dong's smile froze. He searched his pockets but couldn't even scrape together five yuan.

"No money?" Shang Hongyu's face darkened. "Looks like you're still itching for a beating after I didn't hit you last time?"

When the fist landed on A-Dong, he remembered the look in the strategist's eyes when he ran away that day, but it was too late—the wind at the alley entrance carried the smell of smoke, blowing away his pitiful "big brother dream" completely.