Chapter 129: When the People Are United, Their Hearts Are One

The longer the wait, the more agonizing it becomes, and the more pent-up frustration needs to be released. It felt as if everyone had lent out a brother, unsure if he would ever return. But now, everyone was here!

There are only so many ways for a man to vent, and drinking is one of the most direct.

"Waiter! Bring us larger mugs!"

The glasses were filled to the brim. The men at the table turned their gazes toward Xiao Cheng in unison, their faces glowing with excitement, waiting for him to speak.

"Gentlemen..." Xiao Cheng was just as moved. He stood up with his glass, his hand trembling slightly. "We've waited a long time, but it wasn't in vain. Now, we are all here!"

"We're all here!"

It was a simple sentence, but without having gone through that long, agonizing wait, one could never truly grasp the pride behind it!

When the people are all here, it means their hearts are all together.

"I, Wen Xiaocheng, don't have many friends. My classmates at school shunned me because I’m the son of a murderer, keeping their distance. So, I had no choice but to settle for you lot—this pack of scoundrels, these motley misfits. I had to become brothers with you trash... damn it, not a single decent one among you!"

The men, insulted as a pack of scoundrels and motley misfits, weren't angry in the slightest; instead, they grinned, flashing their teeth.

"From today on, we are brothers!"

"We are brothers!"

Without that agonizing, day-stretching wait, without the torment of feeling like your heart was being seared, one could never understand the weight of the word "brother." Except for Kang Long, the others had witnessed Xiao Cheng’s demeanor during those hours. Even though nearly two hours had passed beyond the agreed time, Xiao Cheng hadn't made a single phone call; he had waited with unwavering resolve. That was trust in his brothers!

Fortunately, Kang Long had not betrayed that trust.

No one asked where Kang Long had been for those two hours. The seven men present shared a tacit understanding. In truth, Xiao Cheng had been waiting for everyone—for some, it was a second; for others, a few minutes. Kang Long had taken longer, but he had arrived nonetheless!

The group isn't complete, the food isn't served!

Now that everyone was here, it was time to drink to their hearts' content! No one leaves until they're drunk!

Having tipped the staff, they could finally eat with peace of mind. The various stir-fries at this restaurant were mediocre, but the roasted lamb chops were excellent. No sooner had Luo Han finished saying the chops were good than Da Gang shouted, "Waiter! Bring us two more orders of those lamb chops!"

Hearing this, Kang Long slapped his thigh. "Damn it, I’m so used to being poor that when I saw only one chop left on the plate, I felt bad about taking it. Only now do I realize—hell, if you want more, just order another rack! Waiter! Bring three! I want to hold the platter and gnaw on them!"

Beside him, Nezha and Yanghuo shot him looks of disdain. "Look at you!"

Kang Long, unbothered by the judgment, retorted, "What? You got a problem? I've got money now, boys! I cleared thirty-five thousand today!"

"Who said you earned thirty-five thousand?"

The table fell silent. Everyone turned their eyes toward Xiao Cheng.

When Xiao Cheng had first approached them for this job, he had stipulated that they weren't to ask why, but promised them ten percent of the haul. Was there a change in plans?

"You earned one hundred thousand," Xiao Cheng said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the other five brothers’ eyes lit up, all waiting for the rest of the sentence.

"That's right, you all earned one hundred thousand!"

The six men who had entered the casino cheered in unison. Only Wang Yang, sitting beside Xiao Cheng, wore a look of grievance.

"Brother Cheng..."

"Yeah?"

"Boss, Brother..."

"Yeah? I hear you. What is it, 'Ocean Thief'?"

"What about me?"

"What about you?"

The other six stopped eating, watching in anticipation as the 'Ocean Thief' made a fool of himself.

"My... my share... the money..." The Ocean Thief made a gesture of counting cash, his eyes full of expectation.

"Oh, you mean the gas money? Man, I almost forgot! Gas money, plus your wages for today's hard work!" Xiao Cheng reached into his pocket, pulled out two hundred yuan, and slapped it into Wang Yang’s hand. "Take it, don't be shy!"

The other six found it hilarious and joined in to tease him. Dajiang said, "Look how generous Brother Cheng is, dropping two hundred just like that! I took a taxi all the way around Dongfeng Town and it only cost fifteen!"

Nezha added, "Take it, Ocean Thief. It’s plenty. Didn't you see he only tipped the waiter a hundred?"

Wang Yang knew they were just messing with him. He took the two hundred, held it up to the light to check the watermark, then carefully folded it and tucked it into his pocket. "It's fine. These two hundred are just the capital. Didn't you guys only have a little over a thousand in your pockets when you went to see Old Wai?" He lit a cigarette—this time without passing it around—took a deep drag, and continued, "Do I look like the kind of guy who’s short on cash?"

"What a man!"

"Ocean Thief, I didn't realize! You’ve got guts!"

Xiao Cheng laughed, too. "Indeed! Since you treat money like dirt, should I just give your hundred thousand directly to Tiger Lord?"

"Don't! Don't do that! Brother, I knew you wouldn't forget me!" The Ocean Thief immediately switched to a fawning expression. "My own brother! Don't listen to my bragging—I'm so damn poor I’m about to sell my house! Hurry up and hand over the money so I can quench my thirst. I don't even have the money to tip authors when I read novels anymore!"

Xiao Cheng nodded. "Tipping authors for their novels is a contribution to our nation's cultural industry—that must be supported! Don't worry, we're all eating at the same table; your bowl won't be missing. Come on, you tycoons, shall we have a toast?"

"Let's go!"

Glasses clinked against the table with a loud thud, beer splashing everywhere. They gulped down the icy brew, washing away the pent-up frustration along with their belches.

Smoking, drinking, and bragging—men at a dinner table can seem annoying, lost in their own boisterous, hazy world. It’s hard to understand from the outside why they would fly into a rage over trivial matters, or why they would roar with laughter over a couple of words. Only by being one of them—by being a fool with them, crying, laughing, fighting, and getting drunk together—can one truly understand.

After two rounds, everyone was about thirty percent drunk. But this was a victory feast; when drinking with true friends, a thousand cups are never enough. They were in high spirits, happily discussing how they would spend their hundred thousand. Aside from Nezha, who came from a better background, the others rarely had four-figure disposable incomes. Once the topic turned to money, they were all electrified.

Kang Long slammed the table. "We’ve got to go to the spa! Dynasty Bathhouse! I’m calling two girls for myself..."

"To play cards with you?" Nezha dismantled him.

The spa proposal was met with majority approval, and the conversation quickly veered into indescribable territory. Xiao Cheng hurriedly changed the subject: "Now that you've got this hundred thousand, have you thought about doing anything with it?"

The question brought the conversation back to reality. One by one, they began to think seriously.

Da Gang spoke first. "Xiao Cheng, I’ve really been thinking about that chess club idea you mentioned. I even went to the provincial capital to look into it; it’s a viable plan. I’m thinking of using the money to get it off the ground."

Yanghuo and Dajiang, the core members of their little band of petty scammers, both expressed their support. "Brother Gang, don't do it alone. Count me in!"

Xiao Cheng nodded and turned his gaze to Nezha.

"Me? I just want to slap this hundred thousand onto my dad’s face and tell him, 'I earned this!'"

No wonder they called him Nezha; he really was at odds with his father.

Each of them had different ideas—some wanted to start businesses, others dreamed of fulfilling their own wishes. After asking around, Luo Han, who had been quiet, finally looked at Wen Xiaocheng and asked, "Boss, what are your plans?"

Xiao Cheng smiled. "The people at this table are all here, but the people at my family's table are not. I want to use this money to get my dad out."

***

I, Old Knife, don't have many friends either. Mainstream writers think my values are skewed, and I look down on those hacks who cheat readers with cheap tropes. So, I had no choice but to settle for you lot—this pack of scoundrels, these motley misfits. I had to become brothers with you lot who don't write long reviews and don't tip—I can endure the lack of tips, but don't you dare stop voting, or we can't be brothers anymore!