Chapter 47: Then We’re Not Panicking Anymore
The dragged-in Hou Dadan spotted Cao Weida’s icy-cold expression at first glance, sensing trouble in his heart. Before he could speak, Cao Weida swiftly drew his pistol, flicked off the safety, and fired a shot into his thigh.
Bang~
“Ah!!” Hou Dadan let out a miserable howl, his soul nearly scared out of him. He couldn’t figure out for the life of him why he’d provoked this King of Hell again, when he’d already been behaving himself.
The still-smoking gun barrel was shoved into his mouth, followed by Cao Weida’s icy voice: “Dare shout again, and this old man will blow your head off!”
The howl cut off abruptly. Hou Dadan’s pupils contracted, trembling all over in fear, a urge to urinate surging up, which he forcibly held back.
It wasn’t that he had too much courage; he was afraid that if he pissed himself and angered this King of Hell, he’d get shot dead on the spot—that would be the end!
“I ask, you answer. One lie, and this old man will make your brains splatter. Got it?”
“Woo woo woo.” Hou Dadan nodded vigorously, not daring to say a word of disagreement. With the gun barrel in his mouth, he couldn’t speak anyway.
“Besides this house, do you have anywhere else?”
“Yes, yes, yes. I also bought the small courtyard next door, where all the brothers live with me.”
“You didn’t pay homage to the dock or make tribute, yet you opened a gambling house right under my nose. You didn’t take me seriously. Now, do I catch your eye?”
“Boss, old boss, you’re my own grandpa! I have tribute, definitely tribute!” With his life in their hands, ready to be crushed anytime, Hou Dadan’s heart and liver were splitting. “There’s a hole I dug under the bed in the main room of the courtyard— all my savings are stashed there.”
“Your savings?”
“No, no, no, I misspoke. It’s what you dropped on the road a couple days ago and I picked up. I’m so damn deserving of death. I’m no damn thing. I’ve seen the light now and will definitely return it to you!”
Cao Weida signaled with his eyes, and Little Ear nodded knowingly, rushing out quickly.
After a while, Little Ear returned, carrying one big and one small bag, and whispered a couple sentences in Cao Weida’s ear.
Cao Weida smiled in satisfaction. “Well done. Keep the small one; let the brothers split the rest.”
To make the horse run, you gotta let the horse graze. Cao Weida wasn’t stingy.
Little Ear didn’t stand on ceremony either, grinning from ear to ear as he set down the small bag and handed the bigger one to Lian Hu nearby. “Go, share it with the brothers.”
“Thanks, Big Brother Cao!” Lian Hu was a bit simple-minded and stubborn, but not stupid—he knew how to say the right words.
Feeling the hard contents of the bag improved Cao Weida’s mood a bit.
“Not bad, you’ve got some sense. Your life is spared for now.”
Hou Dadan squeezed out a smile uglier than crying: “Thanks, old boss, for sparing my life. Thanks, old boss, for sparing my life.”
“No problem, who are we to each other?” Cao Weida smiled slyly and beckoned to Little Ear. “Find a place to lock him up. Don’t let him run.”
“Ah?!” Hou Dadan was shocked. “Old boss, you can’t do this. I’ve already handed over all the money.”
“Yeah, so your life is spared.” Cao Weida spread his hands, looking puzzled at Little Ear. “Did I ever say I’d let him go?”
Little Ear shook his head firmly: “Of course not. I heard it clear as day.”
“See? This old man keeps his word.” Cao Weida grinned without smiling, lifting his chin. “Take him down. Just don’t let him die.”
Little Ear got it and immediately waved for someone to drag him away.
“Old boss, old boss, you can’t do this, you can’t!”
Cao Weida showed no pity, just watching coldly as the figure was dragged out.
Scum who harms his own countrymen deserves a hundred deaths!
He was keeping him not out of mercy, but to make use of the waste.
Little Ear sidled up. “Big Brother Cao, it’s inconvenient for you to carry it. I’ll personally deliver it to your home later.”
Cao Weida didn’t answer right away. He opened the small bag and counted: twenty-six gold bars total.
Tsk, damn rich!
They say antiques thrive in prosperity, gold in chaos. Now in chaotic times, gold bar prices kept rising.
In the early War of Resistance, one gold bar could redeem about 30-40 silver dollars, but by 1944, one gold bar fetched 100 silver dollars on the black market.
Twenty-six gold bars here—even at a discount, worth over two thousand silver dollars.
For an ordinary person, that was a fortune!
You know, two sets of single-entry courtyards cost him only 2300 silver dollars.
He took out six gold bars and stuffed them into Little Ear’s hand amid his puzzled look.
“Big Brother Cao, you…”
Before Little Ear could refuse in a fluster, Cao Weida pressed his shoulder. “Take it. We’re all making money together. I don’t eat alone.”
Little Ear felt a warmth surging in his chest. He might strut around all day, but he knew his place— in the eyes of big shots, he was just a bug to boss around!
He didn’t know if Cao Weida counted as a big shot, but with his connection to Ono Shiota, he was a huge figure to him.
He could tell Cao Weida truly treated him like a person!
“Alright, Big Brother Cao, I won’t be polite then. From now on, we’re in it together!” He carefully tucked the gold bars into his pocket.
“That’s right. Between brothers, no need for all that. Share the fortune, share the hardship.”
“Mm!” Little Ear grinned. “Big Brother Cao, about Hou Dadan… should we treat his wound?”
“Get the bullet out and put some anti-inflammatory herbs on it. Whether he pulls through is up to his fate!” Anti-inflammatory drugs were precious these days; he wouldn’t waste them on scum like that.
If he dies, oh well. If not, perfect for making use of the waste!
“Got it.”
“Oh right, Little Ear, let me ask you— any thought of wearing black leather?”
“You mean…”
“Nothing much. I just got promoted to patrol captain, got a few reserved spots. If you want one, I’ll fix you up an identity. If not, no big deal.”
Every patrol captain promotion comes with spots for cronies. By practice, a few reserved spots are given, though usually need bribes to the bureau chief.
Cao Weida had done Xu Hancheng such a big favor—no need for bribes, and he even got two extra spots.
Cao Weida didn’t care much about the spots. For his own people, only Duomen qualified, but he was already a patrol captain.
Little Ear counted as half. No others.
Of course, not taking free benefits wasn’t his style.
No cost anyway—maybe even sell a favor.
“Big Brother Cao, if I join the police station, I’ll be under you, right?”
“Of course. My reserved spot means under me.”
“Then it’s settled. I’m in!” Little Ear agreed right away. He wasn’t too keen on being a patrolman—most spots were short-staffed, low status, and cursed behind backs.
Little Ear was used to freedom; no interest in suffering.
But under Cao Weida, it was different. With the uniform, he could help Big Brother Cao more easily.
“Good. Tomorrow then. Come with me to the police station to report. I’ll handle your onboarding. You can ask your brothers too—if any want to wear black leather, they can come. I have five spots total.”
Promoted to patrol captain, he was temporarily leading Sang Liuji’s team, but he didn’t micromanage—just set the direction.
Once Sang Liuji took the fall properly, he’d get rid of him. Then Sang Liuji’s team would truly be his.
If Little Ear wanted black leather, he’d have his own trusted man. Perfect.
After these days together, Little Ear’s character had earned his approval.
The future world belongs to the Communist Party. Once they take power, gangster organizations will face devastating blows. This was him paving a way out for Little Ear in advance.
And this way out was something Little Ear had earned himself.
Little Ear and the enforcers herded the rest toward the police station in a grand procession. No place to hold so many.
At the police station, Duomen ran over from afar, surprised. “Cao’er, what’s this?”
“A slippery eel from across the river. No homage to the dock, no tribute, opened a gambling house in our jurisdiction. I caught him.”
Leaning in, he lowered his voice: “And damn selling opium! These damn bastards are inhuman. I locked their boss up privately. Might be useful later.”
“Not human indeed. Selling that stuff—aren’t they afraid of no descendants?!” Duomen’s values were upright, and he knew opium’s harm well. Hearing they sold it, he cursed in anger too.
“But Cao’er, sure you got everyone? No loose ends.”
“Relax. They were taken down before they knew what hit them.”
“Alright, I’ll report to the bureau chief first. Chat later.”
“Go. Yeah, better report to the bureau chief.”
Xu Hancheng was in a good mood now, the big stone off his chest. Humming off-key opera, sipping tea, smoking—utterly relaxed.
Knock knock knock~
“Come in.”
Door opened, seeing Cao Weida, Xu Hancheng beamed and welcomed him. “Hey, Cao’er! Come, sit. Have some tea—this is pre-rain Longjing tea, fresh stock!”
“Bureau Chief, no rush. I’m here to report a situation.”
“What situation?”
“Bring it in.”
Little Ear carried in the bag full of money, set it down, and tactfully left.
“This is…?”
“Bureau Chief, in my jurisdiction, we arrested a gang of thugs from Tianjin. These punks were lawless, running a black casino! Caught them red-handed today—not just tons of gambling funds, but a batch of opium too!”
Xu Hancheng’s heart skipped. He said hurriedly, “Cao’er, these guys…”
“Don’t worry, bureau chief. They just arrived—no one knows them.”
Like that? Then no need to panic.
