Chapter 16: Wine, Women, And Song
Chen Wujun took Sister Sha Jiu’s mobile phone to one side to make a telephone call, the man leading the way slightly bent over and asked Sister Sha Jiu:
“Sister Sha Jiu, you think highly of him?”
This young man was only sixteen years old, and he looked somewhat ordinary.
Although he had some kung fu, which of He Tu’s junior brothers hadn’t practiced kung fu?
“After all, he’s my junior brother, and I really do think highly of him. Extremely bold, dares to think and act! And his luck isn’t bad!”
“In one or two years, I might have another great general under me!” Sister Sha Jiu said with a squinting smile.
She had so much business, she always needed someone to help her manage it, and if this young man could grow up, he might become a good helper.
Just like she said, what was most important now?
Talent!
From the same school, following her at just over ten years old, she could use him with peace of mind in the future.
Moments later, Chen Wujun came back with the telephone and put it on the coffee table.
“Let me introduce, this is Brother Ji Xiang! If you can’t find me in the future, come to him for anything!” Sister Sha Jiu turned her head to look at the man who had led the way.
“Brother Ji Xiang!” Chen Wujun immediately greeted him politely.
Brother Ji Xiang smiled at him: “You’re Sister Sha Jiu’s junior brother, come to me if you need anything in the future!”
“Go call A Hao and the others!” Sister Sha Jiu instructed Brother Ji Xiang.
Brother Ji Xiang went to make a telephone call, Chen Wujun asked: “Senior Sister, the human head stake you mentioned earlier?”
This was what he cared about most, he really needed someone to practice kung fu with him right now.
“You’re my junior brother, with over ten thousand people in the Walled City, whoever you don’t like, just use him as a stake!” Sister Sha Jiu grinned, her face showing a bit of wickedness.
“Of course, if your kung fu isn’t up to par and you go hit someone but get hit instead, I won’t stand up for you.”
“Understood!” Chen Wujun nodded.
The essence of the Walled City was the most brutal survival of the fittest, to find someone to practice punching on, just pick anyone to hit.
With so many people in the Walled City, there would always be suitable ones.
If he had money in the future, he could hire someone to practice punching with him, but since he had no money now, he’d use the simplest and most direct way.
And with Sister Sha Jiu backing him, even if he used others as human head stakes, they wouldn’t dare retaliate against him.
Of course, if he got hit by others, that meant his kung fu wasn’t up to par.
Moments later, two men and one woman came in.
Both men were full of muscle, A Hao had short hair and looked neat and sharp, Hua Zai Rong had quite a handsome appearance with spirited eyes.
The woman was about the same height as Chen Wujun, wearing a black short dress, with very long hair, lips red like fire, an even hotter figure, and her eyes seemed to speak when she looked at people.
“Sister Sha Jiu!”
“A Hao, Hua Zai Rong, Sister Kai Lun!”
“This is my new younger brother! Follow along and learn how to do things from now on!”
Sister Sha Jiu didn’t mention their senior brother junior sister relationship, which made A Hao and the other two look at Chen Wujun in surprise, unable to figure out his background.
“Hao Ge, Rong Ge, Sister Kai Lun!” Chen Wujun stood up and greeted them obediently, feeling a bit strange in his heart, a few days ago he had killed a Hao Ge, and now here was another Hao Ge.
“You can call me Jun Zai!”
“Alright, everyone’s here, let’s go eat. After eating, I’ll take you to broaden your experience!” Sister Sha Jiu stood up with a squinting smile, patted his shoulder as she walked past Chen Wujun.
Only then did Chen Wujun realize that Sister Sha Jiu was actually half a head taller than him, at least over 1.8 meters, even 1.85 meters.
The group went to a hot pot restaurant on Carpa Da Road outside the Walled City to eat.
It was Chen Wujun’s first time coming to a place like this.
Although he had eaten hot pot before, it was always at home.
This hot pot restaurant was quite upscale, he even saw a pair of long chopsticks and a pair of short chopsticks at each person’s seat.
Seeing the others using short chopsticks, he also put the long chopsticks aside.
As for the dishes served, he had hardly seen any of them before, only knowing that the presentation was exquisite and they looked expensive.
Throughout the meal, Chen Wujun didn’t talk much, mostly observing Sister Sha Jiu, Brother Ji Xiang, A Hao, Hua Zai Rong, and Sister Kai Lun.
After the meal, Brother Ji Xiang glanced at the bill, directly took out 1000 bucks and threw it to the waiter: “No need for change!”
Chen Wujun was a bit stunned, this one meal was enough for his family to eat for a month.
“Brother Ji Xiang, this one meal is 1000 bucks?”
On the way back, Chen Wujun asked quietly.
“What 1000 bucks? 2000 bucks! That bottle of Penfolds Bin 707 that Sister Sha Jiu ordered was 800 bucks alone! But when we come out to eat, there’s no such thing as no discount?” Brother Ji Xiang laughed heartily and patted his shoulder.
Sister Sha Jiu had ordered a bottle of red wine, Chen Wujun had even drunk a glass, not expecting that one glass to cost over a hundred.
Chen Wujun nodded thoughtfully.
He got it again.
Back at the Walled City, A Hao and Hua Zai Rong went off to tend to their own business.
Sister Sha Jiu brought Brother Ji Xiang, Sister Kai Lun, and Chen Wujun into that shop with the red curtains from before.
Now it was completely different from the quiet of the evening, a blasting song was playing in the shop.
On the T-stage at the front, a few women wearing only shorts were dancing, under the dim red lights sat five or six tables of guests.
At one of the tables, a woman with a very hot figure and looks was dancing around a steel pipe.
Chen Wujun couldn’t help but look a few more times.
Besides magazines and classmate’s home VCRs, he hadn’t seen this so vividly.
“Like it? Pick which one you like, and she’ll dance just for you!” Sister Sha Jiu noticed Chen Wujun’s gaze, patted his shoulder and laughed heartily.
The people sitting next to the big stage up front were all casual guests, or guests without much money.
Besides that, you could also order someone to dance at your table, with more interaction and much higher prices.
“Never seen it before, so a bit curious. No need for a special dance, thanks Sister Sha Jiu!” Chen Wujun laughed after looking a few more times.
Although it was his first time seeing a scene like this, he knew he couldn’t act timid.
“If you like watching, there’ll be plenty of chances in the future! You can come every day! But you have to cozy up to Sister Kai Lun well!”
“The most popular spots in the entire Walled City, with the best-figured and prettiest girls, are all managed by Sister Kai Lun!”
“Tell sister what kind you like, and she’ll arrange one for you later!” Sister Kai Lun teased.
Although she hadn’t figured out Chen Wujun’s background, since Sister Sha Jiu had specially taken him to eat and introduced her group to him, she knew he was an important person.
A person as slick as her would naturally try to get on good terms.
“Then they’ll earn, wait till I think it over and tell Sister Kai Lun!” Chen Wujun smiled with a bit of a young boy’s shyness.
……
At ten o’clock in the evening, Chen Wujun finally said goodbye to Sister Sha Jiu and walked on the still lively Long Jin Road late at night.
Many all-night shops were still open, along with various gamblers, pleasure-seekers, and pedestrians off the night shift.
Chen Wujun took a deep breath, looked at the cheap electronic watch on his wrist, knowing he couldn’t go to the rooftop to practice martial arts tonight.
“Senior Sister recruited me because she sees my potential, I absolutely cannot slack on kung fu!”
“And even without Senior Sister recruiting me, as long as I practice my kung fu well, sooner or later I’ll have a place in this Walled City!”
“Kung fu is the foundation of standing tall!”
“Tomorrow I need to get up early to make up for tonight’s practice.”
“I need to adjust my martial arts practice time from now on.”
Chen Wujun had it clear in his mind, tonight had indeed broadened his horizons, he’d seen the feasting and revelry he’d never seen before, but he knew clearly what was most important.
At the same time, he had a clearer idea about his future.
“Practice martial arts on one side, and follow Senior Sister to learn how to do things on the other!”
“Then wait for a suitable opportunity!”
“But going to the martial arts school during the day, and following Senior Sister to do things at night… often coming home in the middle of the night! Parents will definitely notice.”
“Better to rent a house outside, and say I’m living at the martial arts school!”
Chen Wujun also knew he couldn’t keep hiding it from his parents forever, the Walled City was so big, he couldn’t hide it, it would be discovered sooner or later.
But his father Chen Hanliang always told him to be a good person, and here he had turned around and joined He Tu.
He wanted to wait until he had stood firm on his feet first.
……
The next morning at four o’clock, Chen Wujun crawled out of bed, rummaged some leftover rice from the refrigerator, and ate it cold.
Wearing shorts, vest, and slippers, he took a flashlight up to the rooftop.
At this time, the sky over the Walled City was deep blue, with only faint light, not even the outlines of distant high-rises visible.
Chen Wujun came to the corner where he practiced punching every day, and saw several beer bottles and snack bags scattered on the ground again.
He kicked all the trash aside, put the flashlight on the ground, first did a set of punches in place to warm up his body, then hands on the guard wall and got up.
It was his first time here at this hour, he looked down below, although there were no lights, he could see more clearly than at night.
The dizziness from looking down from the height was even stronger.
Chen Wujun took a deep breath, steadied his mind, first stood charge stance, twenty minutes later switched to golden rooster stance, the sun hadn’t risen yet but the sky was starting to get dimly bright.
When he finished golden rooster stance and was ready to practice punching, the sky was already turning white, he could even see pedestrians below like ants.
Chen Wujun withdrew his gaze, focused his mind to the utmost, and slowly moved his body.
Every step had to be careful, every movement had to pay attention to his balance.
One slip, and it was eternal damnation.
After finishing two sets of punches, Chen Wujun was drenched like he’d been pulled from water.
Clear footprints were left on the guard wall, especially the toe positions very distinct.
Putting on slippers and going back home, Chen Wujun changed clothes and went downstairs, not far before seeing a man with dark circles under his eyes walking over from afar.
It was the father of the little girl Shufen downstairs.
Looked like he had just come back from the casino.
Chen Wujun thought of what Sister Sha Jiu said yesterday, to bring out kung fu, just hitting dead stakes wasn’t enough, he needed to hit live stakes.
As the two were about to pass each other, Chen Wujun suddenly stepped half a step to the side, nearly tripping Shufen’s dad.
Before the other could get angry, Chen Wujun said angrily: “Are you blind? So much road, and you bump into me? Looking for trouble?”
Shufen’s dad was first stunned, then filled with rage.
Losing at the casino was one thing, wanting to go home and sleep, and now troubled by a kid.
“You little brat you…”
Chen Wujun directly slapped him across the face.
Smack!
The other was completely dazed, when he came to, his chest was filled with fury, and he threw a fist at Chen Wujun.
“Just waiting for this!” Chen Wujun’s eyes lit up, left hand up to block, deflecting the opponent’s fist, then quickly chopped down toward his crotch.
In an instant, the opponent’s body stiffened.
Then his body twisted, double fists heavily smashing into the opponent’s chest, the opponent staggered back, about to fall.
Chen Wujun’s body quickly followed, an elbow smashing into the opponent’s chest.
The opponent flew back, clutching his chest, face full of pain, unable to catch his breath.
Chen Wujun walked to his side, stomped a foot on his belly.
Then strode away.
While walking, he recalled the feeling of hitting the opponent’s body: “Hitting a person is completely different from hitting a dead stake! After all, a person isn’t wood, they’ll have all kinds of reactions.”
“I didn’t even use the strength of the five bows of the body earlier, I practiced it well, but in the fight I immediately forgot, and the opponent was just an ordinary person. Senior Sister was right, to practice kung fu you need to use people as stakes to hone it!”
“This is how horse stance is used, counterattack the instant of defense, chop block, smash fist…”
“Some things I didn’t quite understand before, now I get it instantly!”
Finally signed the contract, lots of brothers asking why no announcement in the old book… wait till around 100k words to announce.
Word count is low now, come and it’s book-fattening, data won’t show.
Begging for follow reads and monthly tickets!
For new book rushing the charts and traffic packs, follow reads, monthly tickets, comments are all very important.
