Chapter 4: The Genius Xu Ke

Draw a life-or-death lot? Xiao Ran, whose face paled slightly, was surprised. He had thought such a practice, which he had seen many times in movies, was purely fictional—never expecting it to be real. Drawing a life-or-death lot was a method used by gangs to assign deadly missions. Xiao Ran also never imagined that Koushui Biao would even qualify to participate in this!
After hearing Koushui Biao’s explanation, Xiao Ran finally understood. A few days ago, the boss of Xin Yi An in Yuen Long was killed. The three original leaders immediately started arguing over who would take over the territory—this was what usually happened in such situations. It wasn’t until the leader of Xin An ordered that whoever could capture the killer would become the new boss that the three sides reluctantly stopped fighting.
So, the three leaders ordered their subordinates to draw a life-or-death lot. Originally, this had nothing to do with Koushui Biao, but since he performed very well in the boxing gym and could fight multiple opponents at once, acting like a top-notch thug, the gym owner recommended him. Koushui Biao immediately broke into a wry smile.
Xiao Ran resisted the urge to laugh. He remembered watching a movie titled “Jianghu” in his dreams, which contained a quite interesting line: “Previously, no one wanted to do this, but now everyone rushes to do it—one step leads to fame, the next to death.”
He quickly stopped laughing because he realized this was a very important matter—one that could determine a person’s life. Even though Biao had nothing to do with his real self, he, who always prided himself on being indifferent, still couldn’t bear to see this happen.
Shouguo Qiang, who had remained silent until then, spoke solemnly, “It would be better if we all hadn’t joined the gang like Aran. But it’s too late to regret now.”
“If I don’t join the gang, what am I supposed to do?” Koushui Biao glared at Shouguo Qiang and thumped his chest. “A guy like me, with little education, what else can I do but work hard? Only by joining the gang!”
Xiao Ran fell silent. Koushui Biao made a valid point. Joining the gang carried risks, but it was also the only shortcut to success. For people like them with no education, there were few other options besides doing heavy labor.
At that moment, he felt sympathy for this guy. Finally, Rong Xiaoyi, who had been watching, spoke anxiously, “Aran, among us, you and A Qiang are the smartest. Please think of a way to help him.”
“Don’t worry. It’s not that easy to draw the death lot!” After pondering for a while, Xiao Ran decided to help Biao, but first he needed to ask clearly, “Are you determined to stay in the gang? Tell me first, and then I’ll figure out how to help you!”
Although Biao seemed simple-minded, he wasn’t stupid. Anyone would panic in such a situation. He stared at Rong Xiaoyi, Shouguo Qiang, and Xiao Ran, gritted his teeth, and made up his mind, “I’ve decided!”
“Good!” Xiao Ran nodded gravely. Now, Biao would have no way back. After thinking for another moment, he asked, “Since you’re determined to stay in the gang, our paths will diverge. We’ll have to see each other less often. Do you have any objections?”

Biao was clearly struggling to understand this, while Aqiang and Rong Xiaoyi figured it out with just a quick thought. Xiao Ran shook his head and explained to Biao, “I think you’ll understand later!”
Fortunately, the mature demeanor Xiao Ran displayed while saying this went unnoticed by the three of them, not even by him himself. He waved at Biao to come into the room to talk, but stopped Aqiang and Rong Xiaoyi from following.
Once in the bedroom, Biao sat down on the bed edge and asked doubtfully, “Aran, what’s there that can’t be said in front of them?”
“Biao, do you want to harm me, Aqiang, and Xiaoyi?” Xiao Ran smiled lightly, appearing relaxed. He had learned this smile from sales pitches, and it had helped him close many deals, making him seem friendly and harmless. Though it should have been a solemn moment, Xiao Ran preferred to keep things light.
Biao remained silent, shaking his head back and forth. Xiao Ran stared into his eyes as if trying to see through him, before finally saying, “If you join the underworld, you’ll definitely make enemies. No one knows if those enemies might come after us. But that’s not the most important thing. I’m currently doing something you can’t even imagine. If it succeeds, we’ll stand out greatly. By then, with my status, I definitely can’t be known to people from the underworld. Do you understand?”
Rather than saying Xiao Ran was scheming, it was more accurate to say he was recalling what had happened in past Miss Hong Kong pageant selections. Every time, some unsavory secrets about candidates who seemed likely to win would surface, forcing them to withdraw from the competition. This experience taught him that it’s best to be honest, or at least cover up more carefully.
Biao was stunned, his confused eyes flickering as he looked at this friend who seemed both familiar and strange. He couldn’t help but ask, “I understand what you mean, but Aran, what big thing are you actually planning?”
Xiao Ran smiled in satisfaction. After all, Biao wasn’t stupid; otherwise, he would have given up on this matter right away. With a strange smile, he turned to look at the sky outside the window and said calmly, “I’m doing this for your safety. I want to tell you how to handle certain situations. The chance of drawing the death lot is extremely low, but just to be cautious, I’ll tell you now!”
“If you draw the death lot, you must hide well before taking action. It’s best to go to a place so hidden that neither I nor Aqiang will know about it.” Naturally, Xiao Ran had no such experience; he was just trying to recall scenes from gangster movies he had dreamed about.
“No matter what you do, after killing your target, you must turn yourself in.” This statement shocked Biao greatly. After thinking for a moment, Xiao Ran realized this might affect Biao’s reputation, so he added, “Don’t turn yourself in openly. Instead, pretend to be caught by the police. You can call the police before carrying out the mission or think of other ways.”

“Anyway, the advice I can give you is that if caught by the police, you’ll face a maximum sentence of ten years. If you behave well, you might be released in a few years. By then, with this achievement of yours, the gang will surely treat you well.” Xiao Ran suddenly felt his actions were absurd—teaching someone to engage in criminal activities. “If you run away, their men might come after you for revenge, and you might never be able to return to Hong Kong! Do you understand?”
Ai Biao’s eyes gradually lit up; he thought Xiao Ran’s plan was great. Of course, how it would actually be carried out was up to him. After some thought, he said, “But the risk is very high!”
“Also, if you really want to make a name for yourself in the gang, go back and tell your boss right away that you’ll take on this task.” Xiao Ran laughed heartily, not at all like someone teaching crime. “Your boss will surely appreciate your courage, and there will be plenty of opportunities for you to rise!”
At this point, Xiao Ran’s tone and expression were filled with emotion: “As the saying goes, one step leads to greatness, one step to death. It’s up to you to choose which path to take!”
“One step to greatness, one step to death…” Ai Biao repeated Xiao Ran’s stolen lines, his hesitation gradually turning into determination. Suddenly, he put an arm around Xiao Ran’s shoulder and said fiercely, “A Ran, if I really make it, you can make me do anything in the future!”
“Why say that?” Xiao Ran’s reply stunned Ai Biao for a moment, but he laughed when he heard the next sentence: “We’re good brothers, right?”
Good brothers? Xiao Ran didn’t think so. He hadn’t even half a real friend in this world, let alone brothers. Since Ai Biao had come to him with a problem related to his safety, if Xiao Ran didn’t help within his ability, he would feel guilty himself.
After seeing Ai Biao off, only Rong Xiaoyi and A Qiang were left in shock. After some thought, A Qiang finally made up his mind: “Xiaoyi, A Ran, I want to find a job and save some money to start a business! What do you think?”
Xiao Ran unconsciously shrugged his left shoulder and tilted his head slightly to that side, smiling and saying, “A Qiang, that’s great. I support you.”
A Qiang also left, leaving only the beautiful girl Rong Xiaoyi. She seemed to remember Xiao Ran’s earlier gesture and glared at him, saying, “A Ran, there’s something I need to make clear—I’m not interested in you. Stop thinking nonsense!”
Xiao Ran smiled gently: “Xiaoyi, I never said I liked you. We’re best friends, right?”
Rong Xiaoyi let out a sigh of relief. She had grown up with Xiao Ran since childhood; they were childhood friends. It was only later, when her father’s business succeeded, that they moved out of the public housing estate, but their friendship remained strong, so they often spent time together. That’s why she was afraid that Xiao Ran might like her. A look of relief appeared on her face, but it quickly turned somber as she said in a low voice, “But now you have your own things to do, and so do Ai Biao and A Qiang. I’ll have no friends left!”
“Friends don’t have to see each other every day, right?” Xiao Ran forced a smile, trying to get the girl to leave soon. “Otherwise, the neighbor and I would be the best friends in the world! Go back first. We can meet up again when we have time!”

Finally getting those guys gone, Xiao Ran stretched. It wasn’t that Xiao Ran was heartless; he simply had no connection with these three people, so naturally, he felt no emotions toward them. Besides, he was afraid that they might notice something unusual about him right now.
Ugh! Just as he was about to start working, he realized he still had to use primitive methods to record the script. After cursing under his breath, he picked up the old-fashioned microphone and asked, “Who’s calling?”
“I’m looking for Xiao Ran…”
“That’s me!” Xiao Ran was puzzled. He definitely hadn’t heard this voice before, and he had only had a phone for less than half a year for business purposes—how could anyone be calling him?
“I’m Xu Ke. I’m very interested in the script you sent me. I’d like to invite you to my company tomorrow at 11 o’clock to discuss it!”
Xu Ke? Xiao Ran felt as if he’d been shocked by electricity. One of his favorite directors was calling him personally? Xu Ke, hailed as Hong Kong’s most unpredictable and talented genius, was coming after him! He felt as excited and thrilled as on his first love—though the comparison was terrible, that’s exactly how Xiao Ran felt.
That night, Xiao Ran couldn’t sleep at all, as his energy was entirely focused on reviewing Xu Ke’s works and thinking carefully about what to say tomorrow!