Chapter Five: Uncle Xiang

“That young man is absolutely right!”

Before Old Liu could reach his final decision, another voice rang out, weathered yet steady and powerful, instantly drawing everyone’s attention once more. This time, however, the reaction among the crowd was one of even greater astonishment—everyone except Ding Li, that is.

“Oh? A foreigner, is it? Not bad—so young and already thinking this way!” The newcomer’s figure was rather frail, leaning on a deep brown cane that seemed to suit his age. Yet, despite his slightly stooped posture, this elderly man exuded an imposing presence. Even Ding Li, who had seen his share of grand scenes, could not help but study the old man with newfound curiosity.

“So it’s Uncle Xiang himself! Forgive us for not coming out to greet you!” To Ding Li’s further suspicion, Old Liu’s demeanor shifted in an instant. He broke into a benevolent smile, hurried forward two steps, and offered a respectful salute with cupped hands—a gesture reserved for juniors addressing their elders. Smiling, Old Liu then asked, “Uncle Xiang, what brings you personally to the harbor today? If there’s anything to be done, our men can handle it. Please, do look after your health!”

“Liu San!” Uncle Xiang, after casting a measuring glance at Saiyigade, turned his gaze upon Ding Li and met his eyes. Only after several seconds did he look away, the corner of his mouth twitching imperceptibly, a cold glint flashing deep in his eyes. Even in front of all the dockworkers, he showed Old Liu not a shred of courtesy, his tone icy as he snorted, “Since when did you take an interest in the Zhang family’s harbor, Liu San? Are you short on cash these days? Or is Mr. Cao’s business flagging? Whatever the case, don’t forget: this is Zhang family territory. No one is to stir up trouble here!”

A few simple, stern words crashed down upon Old Liu and his men like a ton of bricks. Even the toughs behind Ding Li shivered from the cold hostility in Uncle Xiang’s voice, none daring to look his way. Only Ding Li himself wore the faintest trace of a smile, his curiosity about Uncle Xiang growing all the more.

“Uncle Xiang, you give me too much credit! I wouldn’t dare, nor would I ever cause trouble for Mr. Cao!” Old Liu had grown up on these docks, only rising to prominence after aligning himself with the Cao Trading Company. A lifetime of hardship had honed his mind to razor sharpness; though he was far from pleased by Uncle Xiang’s public rebuke, he kept his bearing as a respectful junior, his tone deferential.

Of course, most of his caution stemmed from the enforcers, armed for real violence, standing behind Uncle Xiang.

No sooner had Old Liu finished his polite words than he turned and redirected the conversation toward Ding Li, his voice taking on an unyielding edge: “Uncle Xiang, this lad isn’t part of your Zhang Trading Company, and just now he injured many of my men. If I walk away from this, I’ll lose all face with my brothers here on the docks. If you insist on interfering, are you not bending the rules?”

“That’s your affair—it has nothing to do with me or the Zhang Trading Company!” Uncle Xiang’s tone turned grim, and the tension among the crowd grew almost unbearable, the atmosphere taut as a drawn bow. Yet, after another glance at the unruffled Ding Li, Uncle Xiang weighed the pros and cons in Old Liu’s words and relented, if only slightly, though he firmly held his ground: “Liu San! The Zhang family has always prized harmony in business. Since I happened to witness this today, let me make myself clear:

“No matter who it is or what the matter, no one is to cause trouble on the Zhang family’s docks! The dignity of the Zhangs will not be challenged by anyone!” With a calm exhale, Uncle Xiang narrowed his eyes at Old Liu and asked quietly, “Liu San, did you hear me clearly?”

“Understood! I heard every word! We men of the Chaozhou Gang would never cause trouble on Zhang family turf!” Old Liu’s mind worked swiftly, instantly catching Uncle Xiang’s meaning. He hurriedly saluted Uncle Xiang, who was already turning away, eager to swear his loyalty on the spot.

Now, finally, even Ding Li and the others understood: Uncle Xiang’s appearance had changed little in practice. The dozens of armed toughs behind Old Liu were still very much present, and Ding Li could not be sure his own men could weather the storm.

As soon as Uncle Xiang turned to leave, Old Liu shot Ding Li a venomous glare. Gouzi, standing behind Ding Li, grew anxious and called out to Uncle Xiang’s retreating back, “Uncle Xiang! We may not be part of the Zhang Trading Company, but we’ve worked plenty for your shipments. If not merit, at least we’ve worked hard, haven’t we?”

“Gouzi! Shut up!” Ding Li knew Gouzi was trying to provoke Uncle Xiang into helping, but he also understood that with the old man’s experience, he would never risk getting involved for their sake. Annoyed by Gouzi’s outburst, Ding Li glared at him and rebuked in a low voice, “There’s no use pleading for help. The sky is only so high—if it falls, so be it. A true man stands tall; why must we beg?”

“Well said!” Uncle Xiang, who had taken only a few steps, paused and turned back, his face now gentle and neighborly, though he made no move to intervene. He shook his head with faint regret and sighed, “You’re young, far too young! What a pity…”

With that, Uncle Xiang turned away once more, leaving the dock surrounded by his men. Old Liu, left behind, flashed Ding Li a cold smile, baring two sharp, white canine teeth and flicking his crimson tongue. The muscles on his face twitched violently as he sneered, “Ding Li, and you little foreign brats too—if you’ve got the guts, stay on Zhang family docks forever! Sooner or later, I’ll have you all trussed up and fed to the fishes!”

“If you want a fight, fight—don’t bark like a dog! If I feared you, I wouldn’t be a man!” Saiyigade was not to be intimidated, especially after Old Liu insulted both him and Ding Li, his benefactor. Brandishing his machete, he cursed and made to charge, only to be stopped by a wave of Ding Li’s arm.

“Old Liu, don’t forget—you’re nothing but someone else’s guard dog!” Ding Li smiled faintly, unfazed by the threats. With a calm retort, he shook his head in pity, sighing, “Ah, that’s the difference between us. Behind you stand a pack of sycophants, more cowardly than you. Behind me stand brothers who will stand with me through anything. For that alone, you’ll always be nothing more than a watch dog.”

This was a deep cut—perfectly aimed. For a man like Old Liu, who fancied himself a big shot, there was nothing worse than being publicly belittled. Though he often called others dogs, deep down he was painfully aware of his role as Cao Trading Company’s watch dog—just a different breed, perhaps a mastiff.

“Hmph! Enjoy your arrogance while you can!” However angry he was, Old Liu remembered Uncle Xiang’s warning and forced himself to swallow the insult, though the seeds of hatred were sown in his heart. He pointed his tiger-headed, gem-encrusted cane at Ding Li, shot him a final venomous glare, and left with his men.

“Bah! So that’s all he is—a gutless coward!” Saiyigade spat in their direction, cursing, then turned to Ding Li with concern. “Brother Li, you alright? I was working over at the other dock when I heard that Lai Wu was causing trouble, so I rushed over with the others to help.”

“It’s nothing, just a few nobodies.” Ding Li smiled, shook his head, and patted Saiyigade’s shoulder in gratitude. “Saiyi, thank you. If you hadn’t shown up when you did, we might not have held out.”

“Come on, Brother Li! That’s what brothers are for!” Saiyigade thumped his chest with a laugh, then punched Ding Li’s solid chest playfully before turning to his fellow young foreigners. “Alright, everyone, back to work! If we’re late, we’ll be working into the night!”

Saiyigade’s timely help warmed Ding Li’s heart. Though he was close to Gouzi and the others, he always felt their paths in life were different. Saiyigade, though, was full of youthful passion and drive.

“Saiyi!” As Saiyigade walked off, Ding Li pulled the pouch of copper coins Boss Wang had given him from Gouzi’s belt and tossed it to Saiyigade with a hearty laugh. “Boss Wang says, have some tea—treat the brothers!”

“Thanks, Brother Li!” Saiyigade caught the pouch mid-turn, swung it in the air, and flashed a bright, youthful smile in the sunlight.

“B-Brother Li!” Gouzi, just realizing what had happened, tried to protest, but it was too late. His face twisted in dismay. “That was fifty copper coins!”

“It wasn’t yours, so why fret?” Ding Li grinned, shrugging it off as if money meant little to him.

“They helped us, didn’t they? We should thank them!” Still seeing Gouzi’s pained expression, Ding Li walked over, wrapped his strong arm around him in a tight squeeze, then pushed him away, laughing, “If you want to earn money, you have to give a little too! Enough—back to work!”

“Back to work, everyone—let’s get moving!”

The Wang brothers called out to the crowd to get busy, assigning someone to take the seriously wounded Xiao Li home early, with Boss Wang covering the medical expenses.

Standing at the edge of the dock, Ding Li lifted his face to the afternoon sun, a broad smile spreading across his lips and into his eyes, until his entire face radiated the exuberance of youth.

Yet behind that brilliant sunshine, a far greater and fiercer storm was gathering strength, quietly waiting to break.