Chapter Four: Old Liu the Third

“How? How could this be?” Nanquan, whose eyes were as large as ox bells, staggered back several steps after the collision. His pupils dilated in shock, and a sudden surge of pain swept through his body. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he threw his head back and let out a piercing wail.

“Ah!!”

Everything had happened so quickly. Even Ding Li hadn’t expected that his hurried counter would actually shatter the arm of a professional fighter. Of course, Ding Li quickly realized the truth—although he had only responded impulsively, the force of impact is always mutual. That Nanquan suffered such an injury was not entirely surprising. Still, the result exceeded Ding Li’s expectations.

Laiwu had fallen, and both Nanquan and Beitui were crippled. The Xunzhou Gang—the long-standing power at the Guangzhou harbor—was now wavering, ready to be toppled by Ding Li at any moment. As the saying goes, when a great tree falls, the monkeys scatter. The hired thugs and laborers, usually well fed and paid by Laiwu, scattered in a panic, leaving behind only a few loyal yet half-injured confidants. They leaned on one another, enduring the agony of their wounds, and huddled with the battered Laiwu, their eyes filled with terror as they gazed at the harbinger of death who had descended upon the docks, awaiting his final judgment.

“Laiwu! You’ve thrown your weight around for long enough, but how dare you meddle in the Zhang Trading House’s territory? Are you looking for more to gain here?”

Amid the chaos, no one noticed the sudden arrival of a new group. At the sound of this voice, everyone turned to see a burly middle-aged man with the presence of a wealthy magnate, flanked by a sizeable entourage.

“Brother Li, that’s Third Master Liu, head of the Chaozhou Gang!” Seeing Ding Li glance back in confusion, Gouzi hurried forward and whispered, “Third Master Liu is actually Laiwu’s uncle! Laiwu’s dominance here isn’t just because he has men from Xunzhou—he’s been relying on Third Master Liu and the Chaozhou Gang as his backing!”

“The Chaozhou Gang?!” Ding Li was taken aback. He hadn’t expected that the infamous Chaozhou Gang, known widely in later generations, already had roots here in the Tang Dynasty. And from Gouzi’s words, it sounded like the Chaozhou Gang was a much greater power, with the Xunzhou Gang merely a small branch under its banner.

“That’s right, Brother Li! And behind the Chaozhou Gang stands the Cao Trading House!” Gouzi nodded vigorously, casting a wary glance at the stern-faced Third Master Liu, then continued, “The Cao Trading House is actually the business of Magistrate Cao—the official in charge of maritime affairs in Guangzhou—managed by a close relative. Their business isn’t just here at Guangzhou harbor; even at Fuxu Port in the South Sea, the Cao Trading House is active. Naturally, the Chaozhou Gang’s main strength is concentrated there!”

“Oh!” Ding Li nodded, gradually understanding, but then turned back to ask, “Gouzi, what did Third Master Liu mean by the Zhang Trading House?”

“What?” Gouzi was momentarily stunned, then remembered that ever since Brother Li had fallen gravely ill a few months ago, his memory seemed spotty, as if he were a different person. Shaking his head, Gouzi patiently explained, “Brother Li, the Zhang Trading House is renowned throughout Guangzhou. Even the Cao Trading House avoids provoking them. It’s said they have ties to the Military Governor of Lingnan East Circuit. The ground we’re standing on is their turf—the safest among the harbors. What happened today is very unusual.”

Ding Li nodded in agreement. After months as a laborer here, he had indeed encountered few troubles, unlike the constant stories of turf wars and job disputes elsewhere—mostly among locals, while outsiders remained relatively untroubled.

As he pondered, Ding Li—blessed with the sharp instincts of an elite special forces soldier—suddenly sensed that this conflict was more complicated than it looked. Yet with his current scant intelligence, even the most basic dockside gossip that every laborer would know was missing from his memory.

“Hey! You there—Ding Li! Third Master wants a word with you! Stop playing deaf and get over here!”

His thoughts were interrupted by an obnoxious voice. Ding Li looked up to see a man with a brutish face and bulging muscles barely contained by his shirt. His fists were as formidable as Nanquan’s—clearly another professional thug.

“What’s there to discuss? Pay up and compensate my brothers first!” Ding Li shook his head, unimpressed by the man’s brawn, and replied coolly.

“You blind fool!” Roared the strongman, eyes wide with fury as he strode toward Ding Li. But Third Master Liu stopped him with a jade cane inlaid with tiger’s-eye gemstones. Having just listened to Laiwu’s tale of woe, and knowing full well the skills of Nanquan and Beitui, Third Master Liu wasn’t about to let his men get beaten senseless for nothing. Still, he was confident that Ding Li could not escape his grasp—he had dozens of armed professionals and even hired killers at his command.

“Ding Li, well done! The courage of youth is awe-inspiring indeed!” Third Master Liu regarded Ding Li with a complicated expression—part admiration, part regret. Ding Li, however, was unmoved by such praise. As one of the youngest elite special forces operatives in the Celestial Empire, he had received commendations from the highest leaders more than once. The flattery of a local gang boss meant nothing to him.

“Boy, you have two choices. Pick one.” Third Master Liu quickly composed himself, his tone becoming almost commanding. Glancing at Laiwu, he said coldly, “No matter the reason, you beat Laiwu. Privately, Laiwu is my nephew. Publicly, the Xunzhou Gang is under our protection. What’s done is done. Either you charge ahead, let my men kill you, and feed your body to the fish, or you join our Chaozhou Gang. Then this becomes a family matter: you apologize to Laiwu, serve him tea, and I’ll guarantee your safety—”

“I don’t like multiple-choice questions,” Ding Li interrupted impatiently before Third Master Liu could finish. Shaking his head, he turned to Xiao Li, sighed, and addressed Third Master Liu with respect but firmness: “Third Master Liu, as our elder, I ask you—my brother was attacked, yet I’m expected to apologize to his assailant? I am a man who stands tall and upright—why should I admit fault? Where is justice? Where is conscience?”

“You!” Third Master Liu could not recall the last time anyone had dared interrupt him. He seethed with anger, but after a long, silent gaze at Ding Li, he inhaled deeply. Sitting atop the Chaozhou Gang, he could not engage in legal or moral debates with an outsider.

“If that’s how you want it, then—” Third Master Liu’s eyes flashed with murderous intent as he weighed the pros and cons. Though he admired Ding Li, the man was not one of his own, and regret was swiftly replaced by cold resolve.

“Stop!” Before Third Master Liu could give the order, a clear and powerful voice rang out. Everyone turned to see several dozen young men of different skin colors and hairstyles, wielding various weapons, rushing to the scene. Among them were many holding solid iron crowbars and even a few brandishing gleaming machetes.

“Sayyid Gad?” Ding Li frowned. The blue-eyed, blond-haired foreigner was no stranger to him—memory fragments told him that they had once been close friends. Yet, in the past months, their relationship had made little progress, certainly not as strong as his ties with Gouzi and the others.

“Third Master Liu! Brother Li is a friend of us foreigners!” Sayyid Gad’s muscular, bronzed torso radiated power. Even in front of Third Master Liu, he showed not a hint of fear. He shot Ding Li a meaningful glance and declared, “Brother Li, my life is yours! If anyone wants to harm you today, they’ll have to step over my dead body first!”

Ding Li was taken aback. This was not the first time Sayyid Gad had pledged such loyalty, and Ding Li had searched his memory for the reason. Other than recalling how, when his family was prosperous years ago, they had provided rice to Sayyid Gad’s family during a disaster, Ding Li could not fathom what immense debt of gratitude he was owed.

Of course, Ding Li himself had never truly experienced those events, and thus could not appreciate how a little rice could mean the difference between life and death for a whole family.

“Sayyid Gad! You dare meddle in this? Are you tired of living on the docks? Do you want to be fish food too?” The unexpected intervention left Third Master Liu deeply embarrassed. His face darkened, and he snorted dismissively at the group of foreigners, contempt curling on his lips.

“Third Master Liu, you can’t say that! My life isn’t worth much, and I don’t care for it!” Sayyid Gad met the threat with a broad, fearless grin, his white teeth flashing in the sunlight. Confident, he replied in fluent Tang dialect, “But my reputation here on the docks isn’t as grand as yours! This is Zhang Trading House territory—if word gets out that you tried to muscle in for a profit, I doubt things will go well for you!”

At this, Third Master Liu hesitated. The current situation was completely unexpected. He had thought, with Laiwu, Nanquan, and Beitui, he could assert his dominance, only to have his plans backfire. Now, Sayyid Gad had appeared, clearly familiar with the local powers.

Moreover, Third Master Liu was wary of the group of foreign youths Sayyid Gad had brought. They fought with no quarter, and the Tang Dynasty had special protections for foreign residents in Guangzhou. Even if trouble broke out, not even his powerful backer, the Maritime Commissioner, could enter the foreign district to make arrests—especially since the district’s patron was the bitter rival of his own master, the Military Governor of Lingnan East.

This was a matter of international relations between the Tang and the foreigners—a problem for those in power above. No matter what he did, Third Master Liu was in a difficult position.

So thought Third Master Liu.