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墨書 Inktalez
Qin Dali and his group of five arrived at a small town at the foot of Yin-Yang Mountain under the cover of night. They swaggered into a tavern, acting like a bunch of unruly soldiers. The tavern Boss, having seen few customers, casually asked if it was their first time there. Unexpectedly, Qin Dali glared and shouted, "What the hell is with all your nonsense? So what if it's our first time? Don't you want this business? You're really asking for a beating! Just get the food out and leave me alone so I don't have to look at you!"
The Boss was clearly someone who was used to being scolded; he didn't get angry at Qin Dali's outburst. Instead, he smiled broadly and said, "Yes, yes, you're right, Brother Soldier. Are you all from the Seventy-Ninth Regiment?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Dali felt a stir in his heart and pretended to be angry, saying, "Why are you so annoying? What does it matter whether we're from the Seventy-Ninth Regiment? Hurry up and serve the food!" However, as soon as he finished speaking, Qin Dali turned back to his fellow brothers and said, "This guy has a good eye, hahaha..." With this remark, he indirectly admitted that they were indeed from the Seventy-Ninth Regiment, and his companions quickly joined in laughter.
Just as the Boss was about to leave, he paused upon hearing their banter and proudly said, "You guys don't often come to my tavern. No bragging here, but I may not have many skills, but I can read people well. The moment you all walked in, I could tell you were different from the usual crowd from the Sixty-Fourth Regiment. You carry an air of righteousness about you. Unlike those guys from the Sixty-Fourth Regiment, who indulge in all sorts of vices in town. They may wear uniforms too, but that doesn't hide their scoundrel nature; they're just thugs in military attire!"
Hearing this from the tavern Boss, Qin Dali and his companions exchanged knowing smiles, thinking it was worth their trip tonight. He then pulled out a pack of local cigarettes he had just bought from a nearby shop and tossed one to the tavern Boss, saying with a grin, "Hey, you're quite knowledgeable for a tavern Boss. Your surname is Wan, right? Then I'll call you Wan Boss. We really want to hear what you have to say about how those scoundrels from the Sixty-Fourth Regiment behave in town. Come on, sit down and talk with us."
The tavern Boss had never received such treatment from soldiers before. Seeing how friendly these Brother Soldiers were made him feel flattered and surprised. He quickly accepted the cigarette from Qin Dali with both hands and shouted into the back room, "Cuihua! Hurry up! Bring two pounds of beef for these Brother Soldiers and two plates of kidney! I'm chatting with them!" After calling out, a middle-aged woman came out from the back room and shot a fierce glare at Wan Boss before angrily heading to the kitchen.
Wan Boss then pulled up a stool to sit beside Qin Dali and lit his cigarette while saying, "You guys have no idea; those guys from the Sixty-Fourth Regiment are like wolves!" He glanced cautiously outside to ensure no one was listening before continuing, "They indulge in all sorts of vices. You know how it is; when they run out of money at the end of the month after spending lavishly, instead of staying put in their camp where they get three meals a day for free like you do, they come down here to waste money on drinks and women. And when they're broke afterward—what do they do? Those guys are clever; they figured out how to handle it—"
"What do they do?" asked Qin Dali and his companions in unison.
"You wouldn't believe it! Hahaha..." Wan Boss laughed. "Those scoundrels learned this trick somewhere—they write IOUs! When they're out of cash, they just give an IOU saying they'll pay back once they receive their military pay. But when payday comes around, they're off somewhere else! And if you try to collect from them? They'll get angry and pull out their guns! Who wouldn't be scared? Those guys can be deadly! We're just small business owners; how can we handle that kind of trouble? Don't you agree with me on this one?"
"Yeah, that's outrageous!" agreed Qin Dali and his companions. "But next time you just don't serve them!"
"Oh dear! You guys don't understand how tough it is for us small business owners," Wan Boss continued. "They're soldiers! If they come into my place and slam their guns on the table, do I dare not serve them? What's more important—money or life? Besides, everyone in town relies on your two regiments for their livelihood; if I don't do business with you guys, I'll starve! And even those girls in the flesh trade—they also take IOUs from those scoundrels! Next time they come in, I still have to greet them with a smile; otherwise not only will they refuse to pay but they'll also force themselves on me! It's all just part of doing business; whether it's cooperating or being forced into it—it's going to happen anyway. Why make myself miserable over it? Those girls are quite open-minded; they say it's just like dealing with a few pesky little fish swimming around. Look at how they think about it—what else can we do? Just hope for better luck and run into fewer of those kinds of people."
"Hahaha..." Hearing Wan Boss say this made Qin Dali and his companions burst into laughter: "Damn! Those kids from the Sixty-Fourth Regiment are making us soldiers lose face! Doesn't that damn Leader rein them in at all? Letting them run wild against ordinary folks."
"Forget it," Boss Wan cursed as soon as he heard Qin Dali's words. "That Hong Xiaoyi? It's all because of the rotten foundation above that the lower beams are crooked. Hong Xiaoyi is nothing but a scoundrel, indulging in drinking, gambling, and all sorts of vices. If not, how could his subordinates be just like him? Unlike your Seventy-Ninth Regiment's Leader Sun Gang, whose troops behave well. They hardly cause any trouble, and even when it comes to normal purchases, they do things properly. So, I feel close to your Brother Soldiers." At this point, Boss Wan seemed to intentionally show off his closeness to Qin Dali and waved his hand generously, saying, "Tonight's drinks are on me for a few Brother Soldiers! ... But," he lowered his voice and added, "don't let my Cuihua know."
"Sure, sure," Qin Dali quickly replied. "We should stick to the rules. If we drink for free, wouldn't that make us just like those guys from the Sixty-Fourth Regiment?"
"Who the hell is talking behind our backs about the Sixty-Fourth Regiment?" Before Qin Dali could finish his sentence, a sarcastic voice interrupted him. Boss Wan was startled by this voice and nearly fell off his stool, his face turning pale. However, being a seasoned businessman, he quickly composed himself and turned around with a flattering smile, saying, "Oh, it's Squad Leader Xiong! What brings you here today? You and your Brother Soldiers, please take a seat; I'll bring you some dishes right away!"
A total of six soldiers entered, dressed in military uniforms and wearing big leather boots. The leader had a large belt with a holstered pistol at his waist. He stood boldly in front of Qin Dali's table, tapping his foot while glaring at them. Seeing Boss Wan fawning over him, the leader spat on the ground and arrogantly asked Boss Wan, "Old man, who are these people? How dare they talk bad about our Sixty-Fourth Regiment? Tell me what you've heard!"
"N-nothing," Boss Wan realized that these men probably hadn't heard what he had just said but only caught the last words from Qin Dali. His heart eased slightly but he still pretended to be terrified as he stammered in response: "These Brother Soldiers are also from your mountain; they're from the Seventy-Ninth Regiment. Just now... they didn't say anything."
With a loud slap, the leader struck Boss Wan across the face so hard that the small man spun around on the spot, his left cheek immediately swelling up. The leader continued to curse: "Get lost! Old man! I don't have time for you today; we'll settle your account another day!"
Hearing this made Boss Wan too scared to say anything further; he quickly covered his swollen cheek and hurried into the kitchen. The leader then turned to Qin Dali and arrogantly said, "So it was you talking just now?"
"Uh... brother, please don't misunderstand. We're from the Seventy-Ninth Regiment; we really didn't say anything," Qin Dali quickly stood up and smiled.
"Who the hell is your brother? Don't try to get close to me!" the leader shouted angrily. "I've never had any dealings with your Seventy-Ninth Regiment! Don't try to change the subject; I asked you if it was you speaking just now?"
"Yes, it was me speaking just now," Qin Dali answered honestly.
"Then tell me what you said just now," seeing Qin Dali's honest response made the leader think he had frightened him into submission, so he became even more arrogant and contemptuous. "Do you dare repeat what you said earlier?"
"I... I don't dare," Qin Dali replied tremblingly.
"Hahaha... coward!" a group of people laughed, "With such little ambition, you dare to speak ill of the Sixty-Fourth Regiment behind their backs? Hmm... how about this, Bear Elder, I see your attitude is decent enough, so slap yourself. Once you satisfy Bear Elder with your slaps today, we'll let you off the hook!"
With a sudden movement, several brothers beside Qin Dali stood up. These Taiwan Soldiers were simply going too far, demanding the Camp Commander to slap himself. This was an utter humiliation for Beng Hu Camp. When had the brothers of Beng Hu Camp ever shown weakness to anyone?
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