Chapter 23

Xie Wendong was the first to speak: “You must be Ma Wu, right?!”
Ma Wu chuckled and said, “Young man, you’re indeed smart. But you’re much younger than I thought!”
Xie Wendong smiled and replied, “Yeah! Many people say that about me, but in the end, they never think I’m young.”
Ma Wu stared at Xie Wendong for a while before saying coldly, “I guess the Chinese police have no one else left, sending a kid like you as an undercover agent!”
Xie Wendong sneered, knowing the other party was trying to trick him. He stayed silent, waiting for Ma Wu to continue. Sure enough, Ma Wu added, “They sent five undercover agents to catch me before. Do you know what happened to those five?”
“I’m not interested in that!”
“But I am. I cut off their heads and stuck them on trees. As for their bodies…” Ma Wu pointed at the wolf dogs beside him and said, “They’re in their stomachs, haha! Kid, you’re the sixth today!”
“Haha!” Xie Wendong laughed loudly, then said coldly, “Ma Wu, once you’re done acting, let’s talk business. I’m not here to fight you. There’s no need for you to scare me with these tricks. If I were afraid, I wouldn’t have come!”
Ma Wu smiled sinisterly and said, “Good, as expected—a dog trained by the police. You’ve got guts, kid!” Then he waved at his men and ordered, “Kill him! Follow the old rules!”
The man knocked down by Xie Wendong got up, spat out blood along with two front teeth, and strode up to Xie Wendong without saying a word before delivering a fierce punch to his stomach.

Xie Wendong gritted his teeth in pain and bent over to sit on the ground. Five men approached and pressed Xie Wendong flat on the ground in a supine position. One of them pulled out a two-foot-long machete from a box nearby and raised it above Wendong’s neck, ready to strike.

At that moment, Ma Wu stretched out his hand to stop the man’s next move and turned to look at a thin man with glasses beside him. The thin man with glasses gave him a slight smile and shook his head. Ma Wu understood what he meant. He shouted, “Kid, are you really not a police officer?”

Earlier, Xie Wendong had thought he was really going to die. As he fell to the ground, the faces of his loved ones flashed through his mind one after another. But he had no regrets about the path he had chosen, as it brought him happiness he had never experienced before. All he felt was unwillingness. But now, hearing Ma Wu’s words, he realized Ma Wu was testing him. Angered, Xie Wendong mentally cursed Ma Wu’s entire family line.

“Nonsense! If I were a police officer, I’d be the first to have you arrested!”

Ma Wu laughed heartily, waved his hand to tell his men to back off, stood up from the chair, and came over to Xie Wendong. He said, “Brother, don’t blame me. I’m doing this to be cautious. Only by doing this can I still be alive today. I apologize for what happened just now. Ma Wu apologizes to you!” After saying that, Ma Wu slapped himself in the face twice.

Xie Wendong got up from the ground, brushed off the dirt on his clothes, and thought that Ma Wu really knew how to treat people—typical of someone who gives a sweet treat after hitting someone. Unwilling to argue with him, Xie Wendong calmed himself down and said, “Ma Wu, shouldn’t we talk about serious matters?”

Ma Wu nodded and said, “Right! Someone, bring a chair for Brother Dong!” One of his men then brought a chair and placed it behind Xie Wendong. Without hesitation, Xie Wendong sat down on it and looked at Ma Wu, saying, “Your boss really has a unique way of treating guests! Tell me your price.”

Ma Wu said, “I’m sure brother already knows the market price. My price is similar to the market rate, but I guarantee its purity is far higher than what’s available on the market!”

Xie Wendong asked, “Tell me your price then!”

Ma Wu thought for a moment and said, “250!” Xie Wendong knew he meant 250 yuan per gram. He shook his head and said, “Ma Wu, I’m here sincerely to do business this time, but you show no sincerity at all!”

Ma Wu lowered his head and after a while said, “How about 200? Is that cheap enough? Such a price makes it hard to find even ordinary goods on the market.”

Xie Wendong smiled inwardly. Based on the price San Eye had told him, Ma Wu’s offer was indeed very cheap. But right now, not many people were looking to buy from Ma Wu, so he should seize this opportunity. Still, thinking this way, Xie Wendong shook his head again. “No. I came all this way to make big money. It seems you still don’t have sincerity!” With that, he stood up, ready to leave.

Ma Wu panicked and shouted, “Brother, don’t rush! We can negotiate the price slowly.” Then, gritting his teeth, he said, “How about this—fixed price, 200. That’s already the lowest I can go!” He stared at Xie Wendong without blinking.

Xie Wendong remained silent and shook his head again. Ma Wu also stood up, swallowed hard, and said, “Then tell me how much you’re willing to pay! My price is unmatched in the world. You have to let me make some profit at least!”

Xie Wendong chuckled and said, “Okay, you want me to say it, right? One sentence—180!”

“What? Are you joking? 180? Just sell it to me for 180!” Ma Wu was so anxious he almost stepped on the chair. In fact, Xie Wendong had guessed correctly—Ma Wu did have goods, but nowhere to sell them. His customer base had been nearly wiped out during the first police raid. He had been raided several more times since then, and now that someone finally wanted to do business with him, Ma Wu wasn’t going to let it slip away easily.

Xie Wendong looked into Ma Wu’s eyes and said, “That’s the best price I can offer. If it suits you, sell it. If not, I’ll look for someone else. But one thing—I need this supply on a long-term basis, not just for this one deal.”

Ma Wu rubbed his fat hands and said to Xie Wendong, “Wait a moment, let me think!” He paced back and forth in the small warehouse, quickly weighing the pros and cons. His subordinates watched him intently; they hadn’t had any money to spend in days.

Finally, Ma Wu stamped his foot and asked Xie Wendong, “How much can you take this time?”

Xie Wendong thought for a moment and said, “I want 20 jin!” Both Ma Wu and his men were stunned—20 jin wasn’t a small amount. Ma Wu sized up Xie Wendong again and said, “20 jin? Can you even eat that much?”

Xie Wendong smiled. “Whether I can eat it or not is my concern. As long as you agree to my price, I’ll take 20 jin this time. Maybe more in the future!”

Ma Wu laughed heartily. “Great! You’re really straightforward, brother. Then I won’t dawdle! I’ll go with your price. Haha!” Although Xie Wendong’s price was extremely low, Ma Wu would still make a profit, just less.

Xie Wendong said, “There’s another rule: you deliver the goods, and payment is made upon delivery. You shouldn’t object to that, right?!”
Ma Wu pointed at Xie Wendong and laughed, “Of course not! Your young brother is really shrewd! Haha, don’t leave tonight—let your elder brother treat you well!” Then he asked his men, “Kill a few chickens tonight, get some wine and meat. Your brother and I need to get closer! We’ll need to work closely together in the future!”
One of Ma Wu’s men nodded cheerfully and ran outside. Xie Wendong said, “Ma Wu, no need to go to such lengths. I do want to eat, but nothing too fancy—just something simple.”
Ma Wu waved his hand. “You’re a guest. It’s only natural to treat you well on your first visit. Also, stop calling me Ma Wu—it sounds rude. I’m a few years older than you. Call me Fifth Brother—it won’t hurt you at all!”
Xie Wendong thought it made sense. Since he’d be in frequent contact with Ma Wu, it wouldn’t be good to keep using an informal nickname. He politely said, “Then fine, I’ll take the honor. Fifth Brother!”
Ma Wu was so happy he could barely close his mouth. He kept saying it was great and took Xie Wendong’s hand, saying he now had another great young brother. Xie Wendong thought to himself: Just now he wanted to kill me, but now we’re brothers. This Ma Wu is truly extraordinary—I need to be careful around him.
Xie Wendong chatted “enthusiastically” with Ma Wu, mostly about trivial matters. Ma Wu told Xie Wendong about his past achievements—how glorious and powerful he used to be, and how he declined later on. Eventually, Xie Wendong almost fell asleep listening. Seeing Xie Wendong’s lack of interest, Ma Wu sneered, “Young brother, I have a surprise for you tonight! Haha!” Then he laughed heartily.
Xie Wendong was puzzled and asked, “What surprise?”
Ma Wu narrowed his eyes and said, “Don’t worry, brother. You’ll know when the time comes!”
Xie Wendong pursed his lips and stayed silent, wondering what kind of surprise this slick old fellow could have in store. Around 7 p.m., Ma Wu’s men prepared the food. They brought in a large round table and placed it in the middle. Ma Wu invited Xie Wendong to sit down, poured a glass of Lao Bai Gan for him, filled his own glass, and said, “Brother, since this is our first meeting, if there’s anything lacking in my hospitality, please don’t take it to heart. Let your elder brother drink three glasses first as an apology to you!”
After saying that, Ma Wu drank three glasses in a row. Then he poured another glass and said, “Brother, let’s drink this one together. For a smooth cooperation in the future!”

Xie Wendong nodded and said, “I’ll have to trouble Fifth Brother from now on! Let’s drink!” “Let’s drink! Come on, everyone, raise our glasses and drink together!” Xie Wendong drank with everyone else. He had never drunk baijiu before; after one drink, he felt his throat burning, so he quickly ate a few bites of food. Ma Wu could tell from Xie Wendong’s appearance that he couldn’t drink, so he stopped urging him and continued drinking with his subordinates. It was clear that Ma Wu was really happy today—having secured a client like Xie Wendong meant he would have money to spend from now on. Naturally, he drank a few more drinks.

While eating, Xie Wendong asked, “Fifth Brother, when will the goods arrive in City J?”

Ma Wu thought for a moment and said, “If you need them urgently, I can deliver them within three days!”

Xie Wendong nodded and said, “Okay, I’ll wait for your news. Once I get back, I’ll buy a mobile phone and give you my number. Call me when the goods arrive.”

Ma Wu smiled and said, “Brother, how come you don’t even have a mobile phone? Do you need Fifth Brother to get you one?”

Xie Wendong smiled, knowing he was being polite. Seeing how poor Ma Wu seemed, he still offered to give him a phone. But he said, “Fifth Brother, if you want to give me one, wait until we’re closer friends. I’d really feel awkward accepting anything from you now!”

Ma Wu was amused by this response—it preserved his face and gave him an out. “Alright, with such words from a brother, I consider you my friend. Since Fifth Brother is happy today, brother, drink another glass with me!” Xie Wendong had no choice but to drink another glass with Ma Wu. After a while, the alcohol took effect, and Xie Wendong felt a slight dizziness. No matter how Ma Wu urged him, he refused to drink any more.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, everyone had eaten almost enough. Ma Wu stood up unsteadily and said, “Lao Ma, go find my brother a big, clean room!” Lao Ma replied and headed outside.

Ma Wu took Xie Wendong’s hand and said slurredly, “Brother, I’ve had a bit too much today. It’s mainly because I’m happy! Brother, have you been with women before? My brother has some here. Come, I’ll take you to pick one!” With that, Ma Wu pulled Xie Wendong toward a small black door inside, ignoring whether the latter agreed or not. When they reached the door, Ma Wu called out loudly, “Lao Ma! Lao Ma!”

Xie Wendong laughed and said, “Weren’t you just sending Lao Ma away?”

Ma Wu slapped his head. “Look at my memory! Okay, brother, you’re not drunk—your memory is better than mine!” He turned around and called out loudly, “Lao Qi, where are you?” As soon as he finished speaking, the person Ma Wu called Lao Qi rushed over and said, “Fifth Brother, want to try something new this time?”

Ma Wu Yi slapped him on the head and cursed, “Taste your mother’s punishment! Find that girl and have her sleep with my brother!”