Urban Martial Saint

The man’s thoughts weren’t on these topics, as he asked in a low voice, ”I... I’m asking, can the children really get enough food to eat there?”

”Oh, my apologies, I went off on a tangent,” the sales associate chuckled, ”But to answer your question, the standard of living at Boss Ye’s orphanage is even better than that of wealthy families nowadays. Do you know how much Boss Ye sets aside each month for the living expenses of those children?”

”How much?” The man quickly asked.

The sales associate raised a finger and said, ”This much!”

”One... ten thousand?” the man asked with a quiver in his voice.

”Too little!” the sales associate said, ”Can you think of a bigger number?”

”A hundred thousand?” The man’s voice was even more excited.

”Nonsense!” the sales associate said, ”One million! One million! There are a total of seven to eight hundred kids in that orphanage. Doing the math, that puts the living expenses for one child at over one thousand yuan a month. Plus, there are clothing allowances and other stuff, a lot each month. Those kids can do more than just eat their fill; they’re actually eating too well. Damn it, I work here and my monthly salary is just over two thousand, and over there, each child has over a thousand for living expenses a month, what do you think about that deal? Moreover, the orphanage has its own hospital, school, sports ground, library, cultural palace; it’s practically like an aristocratic school. All this is paid out of Boss Ye’s own pocket!”

Having said this, the sales associate let out a sigh and continued, ”I’ve heard some people say Boss Ye’s business is in the nightlife, suggesting the money he earns isn’t clean. Every time I hear these people talk, it really gets my goat. What do they mean his money isn’t clean? Bastard, are those factory owners’ earnings all that clean? I say, it doesn’t matter whether the money you make is clean or dirty, what really matters is how you spend it. Just on the merit of Boss Ye supporting so many children, you can’t say his money is dirty. Even if he had robbed to get that money, he would still be a great philanthropist. These days, how many people are willing to do good deeds? Unwilling to do good themselves, they slander those who do, such people are just a bunch of beasts!”

The sales associate was obviously someone who greatly admired Ye Qing, and once he got started, he couldn’t stop. Meanwhile, the man beside him was quite stirred up, his hands trembling nonstop as he whispered, ”All’s well now, all’s well...”

”All’s well what?” the sales associate asked in surprise, as he looked at the man and said, ”Right, why are you asking about all this? You’re not considering going to the orphanage, are you? Boss Ye’s orphanage only takes in children, and here you are, a grown man with the ability to work, you could do anything to earn your food. Even if you went to the orphanage, not to mention them not taking you in, you’d be thrown right out, and that would be truly shameful.”

The man shook his head and said nothing, just turned and slowly walked toward the end of the street.

Over here, the sales associate stared in astonishment as the man’s figure gradually disappeared at the end of the street, he couldn’t help saying, ”What a Strange Person.”

”Strange Person? What are you talking about?” The boss walked out from the back, spotted the retreating figure of the man, and curiously said, ”Eh, isn’t that... isn’t that Ding Jiang?”

”Ding Jiang, who’s that?” the sales associate wondered.

”Just a longtime resident from a nearby village,” the boss sighed, ”He used to be a regular around this town too, but half a year ago something happened to his family, his parents, wife, and daughter all passed away. Since then, I haven’t seen him for a long time, and I don’t know when he came back.”

”What happened? How did so many people die?” the sales associate asked with even greater surprise.

”Well, it’s a long story,” the boss waved his hand and said, ”Let’s go inside and talk.”

The salesperson seemed very curious, immediately closed the door, and entered the room. Inside, the boss had just finished tidying up and brewed a cup of tea. Sitting at the table, he took a big gulp and said, ”This matter, ah, it started with a major event at the school half a year ago.”

”A major event at the school half a year ago?” The salesperson was stunned for a moment, then said, ”Boss, are you talking about that incident where girls were violently forced into selling their virginity at the school?”

The boss nodded: ”Exactly, that’s the one!”

”So it’s that incident.” The salesperson said: ”That caused quite an uproar, I hadn’t arrived here at that time, but I had already heard about it from outside. It’s said that some senior girls at the school were hired by violent gangsters in society to find virgins for them, to provide services to some rich businessmen and officials, to achieve their goals. Apparently, many girls were seriously harmed by this incident. How was it resolved later on?”

”Alas, don’t get me started!” The boss sighed and said: ”The incident was so big, but the outcome was too simple. They arrested three punks, each sentenced to three years, but the mastermind behind it all and those officials weren’t touched at all. Moreover, those violent girls, because of their age, were not sentenced either. On the contrary, those victimized girls became disgraced, many developed mild schizophrenia, and more simply moved away, no longer living in this place. It will probably become an everlasting nightmare they can’t forget for the rest of their lives. Ah, those kids, the oldest was just sixteen.”

”In this day and age, money talks, it’s fucking dark!” The salesperson clenched his teeth and said: ”These beasts, aren’t they afraid of retribution?”

”Retribution my ass!” The boss said: ”Just like that Ding San earlier, his daughter was one of the victims. However, his daughter was quite resolute, and committed suicide by jumping into the river because of the incident. His family nearly fell apart because of his daughter’s death, and they kept lodging complaints everywhere to give their daughter some justice. But what was the result? Ding San was randomly charged and locked up. His wife, because of this incident, went to the city government to complain and was directly sent to a mental hospital, where she later hanged herself. His elderly parents at home, suspecting something wrong with their daughter-in-law’s death, asked for an investigation. And then? While the old couple was lodging complaints everywhere, they were run over by an unlicensed truck one night on their way home, both of them died. The whole family, now only leaves behind Ding San’s son, who is not even six years old. Everyone in the family is gone, and relatives and friends are afraid of retaliation; no one dares to care for the son. A six-year-old child begging on the streets for several months. Honestly, many are afraid, those heartless people, will they kill the child as well!”

Hearing this, the salesperson slammed his fist on the table, indignantly saying: ”Bastards, are they even human? Don’t the police care about this matter?”

”Young man, you’re still too naïve.” The boss sighed and said: ”You just mentioned it yourself, money talks. In this era, it’s a world for the rich. We, the poor, should just keep a low profile and not provoke conflicts with them!”

”I fucking can’t accept this!” The salesperson, grinding his teeth in anger, exclaimed: ”If this happened to me, I would rather risk my life to take a few of theirs!”

”Enough, don’t speak such extreme words.” The boss said: ”Why risk everything? There’s still a six-year-old child, what if you die, what will become of the child? I guess that’s what those people were thinking, Ding San wouldn’t dare to take a stand, that’s why they let him go.”

”That’s a possibility.” The salesperson nodded, and his expression suddenly changed; he remembered how Ding San had asked about the orphanage not long ago. And then, Ding San’s continuous murmuring of ”everything is fine now” as he was leaving.

What exactly did Ding San mean by that?

Ding San slowly made his way back to his empty house. On the living room table laid four portraits, those of his parents, wife, and daughter. His daughter, only fifteen this year, a blossoming young girl with always excellent grades. A family blessed with both a son and a daughter, obedient and sensible, familial harmony, had always been Ding San’s greatest pride. But now, all was gone.

Ding San still remembered the anguish when his daughter returned home and wept in his arms, the scars on her body that could never be erased, and the swollen body that was fished out from the water. His wife and parents crying until they fainted several times, the whole family collapsed because of this incident. While he went to file complaints, he was beaten by thugs and police officers, detained, and assaulted various times. And coming back home to see his son in tatters, squatting on the stoop, fighting with dogs for food. In the past half year, his life had undergone a radical transformation, and his heart became utterly disillusioned with this world.

”Murder and arson grant a golden girdle, constructing bridges and roads leaves no corpse!”

Ding San smirked bitterly, looking at his son sleeping soundly beside him, he slowly bent down, sat in front of the memorial tablets, and whispered, ”Dad, Mom, wife, Niuniu, I have found a good home for Beibei. It is an orphanage in Shenchuan City. But this orphanage is different from the ordinary ones; it’s run by a great philanthropist in Shenchuan City. This benefactor is genuinely kind to the children; Beibei will definitely have a good life there. From now on, we don’t have to worry about Beibei anymore. The life in the orphanage is good, much better than our home used to be, Beibei will surely thrive!”

”I don’t have the means to fight those powerful and connected people, dragging you all down to this state. But this is good, now at last, I can be free from worries!” Ding San reached under the memorial tablets and pulled out a shiny, sharpened pig-slaughter knife, softly saying: ”All I have left is this life, but if I can exchange it for one of theirs, I’ll break even. Killing one more, I’ll have earned one for you. Killing three, our family will break even. Any more than that, would be profit for us. Tomorrow, I’ll take Beibei to the Shenchuan City orphanage, make sure he’s well settled, and then I’ll come back to avenge you all. I ask for nothing else, just pray for me to take down as many as possible.”