Over the next seven or eight years, time flew by like a galloping horse. Li Jiu lived through storms, battles, knives, and bullets, weathering it all.

He was two years younger than Shi Anzhi, but by the time he arrived in that southern frontier city in the early 1980s, leading Xiao Shi and his men, he looked much older than Shi Anzhi.

At the time, Z City was practically a wasteland. Most of the capable and ambitious locals had fled openly or secretly over the years. In truth, Li Jiu had also planned to smuggle his trusted brothers and Shi Anzhi across the river to make a name for themselves abroad.

But in the end, when they stood by the boundary river, Shi Anzhi stopped.

He silently stared at the misty, distant world on the other side for a long time. Then, he turned back to look at the muddy mainland behind them, scattered with pigsties, cattle sheds, and horse stalls. He said to Li Jiu, “I don’t want to leave.”

Li Jiu, full of ambition, had one hand raised to shield his eyes as he gazed at the other side. A reliable acquaintance had sent him a letter, vividly describing the decadence of the capitalist world. Endless parties, extravagant wealth, and indulgent pleasures. The attached photos showed a world of pure hedonism and decay. Damn, it was exactly what he dreamed of.

Driven by that longing, he’d wrapped up a decade’s worth of operations in a mid-sized southern city, bringing money, guns, his sworn brothers, and his precious Xiao Shi. He was eager to storm into the capitalist world and liberate the so-called oppressive wealth and youthful bodies himself.

At this moment, he was just a step away from crossing over, but suddenly hearing Shi Anzhi’s words, he froze, thinking he had misheard. With a face full of confusion, he turned to look at him.

Shi Anzhi lowered his eyelids, thinking for a few seconds, then gently and sincerely met his gaze.

“This is my country. My dad, my mom, they’re all here. My ancestors, my roots, they’re here too. When my parents brought me back from France, they told me that I had a great homeland. Over the past hundred years, it’s been scarred and battered, but it’s a lion asleep, a dragon stranded… My dad said, our country hasn’t flown in a hundred years, but when it does, it will soar straight into the clouds. They wanted to give their youth and lives to it. He really did it… but he didn’t live to see it soar. I want to stay. I want to see that day for him.”

His voice was low and gentle. Li Jiu listened carefully, but afterward, he found himself confused and wondering, “What does that even mean?”

However, that didn’t stop him from catching the key point: his Xiao Shi didn’t want to leave, and he was serious, dead serious.

So, Li Jiu lowered his head and thought for a few minutes. Then, he turned to the group of brothers behind him, who had already rolled up their sleeves, ready to cross the river.

“I’m not going. For those who want to leave, I’ll give an extra ten percent for their journey, in addition to what they already have. I’m sorry to the brothers who came all the way with me for this, but we’ll meet again someday. May your futures be bright!”

The group of brothers were all stunned. After they snapped back to reality, they whispered to each other for a while, and in the end, they roughly split into two groups—three left and seven stayed. For those who stayed, Li Jiu gave each of them a generous red envelope. In the future, they became the core force of Jiu’an.

But that’s a story for another time.

That night, they had no choice but to sleep in a very simple little shack. Underneath them were piles of gold, jewelry, and cash, and just a wall away was a cattle pen. As the long “moo” echoed, Li Jiu held Shi Anzhi and got ready to sleep.

Xiao Shi couldn’t fall asleep. He slipped his arm under Li Jiu’s neck, turned, and kissed his forehead. His voice carried a rare hesitation and worry. “I broke your big plan with just a few words. Am I… being a bit selfish?”

Li Jiu, feeling extremely sleepy, groaned and found Xiao Shi’s lips, kissing him for a while. Xiao Shi had a pleasant mint scent. With his eyes closed, he mumbled, “What big plan… Jiu ge has no plan. Whatever happens, happens. It’s all the same wherever we are, as long as you’re with me…”

He fell asleep as he spoke.

Shi Anzi gradually smiled, and as he smiled, he lowered his head to kiss his Xiao Jiu over and over.

Yes, as long as you’re with me.

——

Li Jiu’s title in the underworld slowly changed from “Jiu ge” to “Jiu ye.”

This wasn’t about age, but about influence, strength, and power. When he claimed the title, he was barely thirty.

At thirty, Master Li Jiu was tall, commanding, and undeniably handsome. His network of followers was vast, and his influence spread like a web across the two twin cities in the south. Z City, the newer of the two, was a freshly developed hub built from the ground up. In contrast, G City was an ancient stronghold with deeply entrenched old powers. But daring, ruthless, and fearless as he was, Li Jiu had managed to carve out a small foothold in G City, forcing his way into its tightly woven hierarchy.

Li Jiu wasn’t into gambling or women, nor did he show much interest in men. For the various beauties sent his way by other factions, both male and female, he either politely refused or accepted only to send them to his nightclub, Dragon Phoenix Prosperity. In truth, he didn’t even care much about money. Whenever profits came in, his brothers always got the lion’s share. As their leader, Li Jiu was exceedingly generous with them but kept little for himself. This approach earned him loyalty and respect, cementing his position as a leader who truly cared for his people.

That same frugal Li Jiu suddenly found himself with a windfall at the end of the year. Planning to hand out red envelopes to his brothers, he was shocked when the group, usually as ravenous as wolves, shyly declined. One bold soul even suggested, “Master Jiu! It’s the New Year. Why don’t you spend a little on yourself and Shi ge?” Li Jiu thought it over and agreed. So, in a rare display of indulgence, he swept up Shi Anzhi and headed to the neighboring capitalist city for a shopping spree.

Over the years, Shi Anzhi had lived a peaceful, stable life. Li Jiu battled his way through the world outside but always cleaned himself up before coming home to see Shi Anzhi. Initially, Shi Anzhi had worried for Li Jiu’s safety, but as days turned into years, it seemed as though Li Jiu was untouchable, almost as if he were blessed with divine protection. The man had barely suffered a scratch. Eventually, Shi Anzhi let go of his fears. To him, his Xiao Jiu was invincible.

Li Jiu, for his part, didn’t want Shi Anzhi to know about the wounds he’d hidden or the risks he’d taken. There was no need for that, and he couldn’t bear to worry him.

Because of this, Shi Anzhi remained calm and elegant, his demeanor as gentle as water. His clothes and lifestyle were simple, but time had treated him kindly. He had grown into the adult version of the young master Li Jiu had always remembered—refined and graceful, like a gentleman of jade.

So there they were, Li Jiu, as rugged and rough as a bandit, and Shi Anzhi, cultured and composed, wandering down a luxury shopping street dotted with high-end brand logos.

Li Jiu didn’t care about the brand names and didn’t think clothes with higher price tags were anything special. They couldn’t stop bullets or blades. But he knew that a Buddha needs fine clothes, and people need to dress well too. So when buying things, he always chose the more expensive options, confident they were the right choice. He thought back to why he always spent so much on his brothers. It was because it was worth it.

He turned to look at Shi Anzhi’s fair, jade-like face and suddenly thought: Xiao Shi isn’t just a Buddha. He’s as noble and revered as a Bodhisattva.

Shi Anzhi didn’t know what Li Jiu was thinking. His gaze was fixed on the other side of the street, where an Hermes store stood. Suddenly, he remembered the scarf he had given Li Jiu when they were young.

“Xiao Jiu, whatever happened to that off-white scarf I gave you?”

Li Jiu froze for a moment. In his earlier years, without a permanent home and constantly on the move, he had no idea where that scarf went. He hesitated as he looked at Shi Anzhi’s face, almost stammering.

“That… um, I’ll… look for it?”

Shi Anzhi turned to look at him, his face showing a strange, somewhat wistful expression. He forced a smile at Li Jiu.

“After all these years, it’s probably lost. It’s fine, I just asked.”

Li Jiu felt a sinking feeling in his chest as he looked at his expression. Shi Anzhi rarely asked about anything, so that scarf must have meant a lot to him.

“Was it expensive?”

Shi Anzhi shook his head. “Not really… But it was a wedding gift my mom gave to my dad back then… Never mind, it’s all in the past.”

As he spoke, he glanced longingly at the orange-red logo across the street before pulling Li Jiu along.

Li Jiu carefully stared at the store across the street for a long while.

That day, they didn’t stay much longer. They quickly bought a few things and headed back to the mainland.

The next day, Li Jiu called in one of his trusted subordinates. He wrote down the brand name from memory and ordered, “Go to this store and buy everything. Scarves, clothes, shoes, anything. As long as Shi ge can use it, get it.”

The subordinate took a look at the brand name and was shocked. He cautiously spoke up.

“Master Jiu, this brand is really expensive. Do you want to buy that much? What if Shi ge doesn’t like it?”

“You don’t know anything. Go now.”

The subordinate quickly accepted the order and left. Li Jiu sat back in his large office chair, resting a finger on his chin, squinting as he slowly thought.

How could Shi Anzhi not like it? Li Jiu knew his eyes and body language too well. Even if he couldn’t directly ask what brand the scarf was, the way Shi Anzhi brought it up and the look he gave when he glanced at it made everything clear. If those few letters hadn’t stirred up memories, Li Jiu’s name would have been written backward.

When Shi Anzhi saw the two rooms stacked high with orange-red boxes, he was stunned. There was barely any room to stand. He had to shift two massive boxes just to make a small space. Turning to Li Jiu, he laughed helplessly and asked, “What’s all this for? Are you opening a store?”

Li Jiu chuckled and casually opened a small box, revealing a leather belt. He wrapped it around Shi Anzhi’s waist, playfully stealing a kiss on his neck. With a grin, he said, “I, Li Jiu, always distinguish between kindness and grudges… Alright, alright, I won’t say that again.”

He smiled at the glare Shi Anzhi gave him. “You give me one, and I’ll return a thousand.”

Shi Anzhi was both moved and amused. Turning to survey the room, which was now like a giant shopping mall, he felt a slight headache coming on.

“Did you spend all the money you got?”

Li Jiu nodded.

Shi Anzhi couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

“Even if your money comes easily, you can’t waste it like this.”

Li Jiu flashed a confident smile.

“Don’t worry, I’ll earn it back. Master Jiu will make sure you get everything you deserve.”

When Li Jiu spoke, it was always with certainty. If he said he’d carve out a world for Shi Anzhi, then he would truly make it happen.

In just a few short years, his influence had spread across Z City, and even in the neighboring G City, half of the territory was now under his control. Wealth flowed in like a tidal wave, and his power surged like a dragon in flight. The name “Master Li Jiu” struck fear into the hearts of the old guard as he ascended relentlessly, trampling over the remnants of their influence.

As his reputation and power grew, so did the respect and animosity he attracted. Among his enemies, none burned with more hatred than Huo Louhu, the veteran leader of G City’s old gangster, whose territory had been brutally seized during Li Jiu’s aggressive expansion.

Li Jiu’s rise marked the biggest failure of Huo Louhu’s decades-long career in the underworld. At first, he hadn’t taken Li Jiu seriously. What could a northerner with just a handful of men and guns possibly achieve? But after several encounters, Huo Louhu realized he had underestimated this fearless newcomer who charged in like a bull against a tiger. Determined to crush him, Huo Louhu personally set a trap, only to lose two of his top men in the process.

By this point, failing to take down Li Jiu wasn’t just a matter of pride, it was a stain on Huo Louhu’s name, one that could turn him into a laughingstock.

Li Jiu was ruthless, calculating, and seemingly without weaknesses. A man who cared neither for women nor wealth was almost untouchable. Yet Huo Louhu refused to believe that anyone could be completely invincible. After a period of observation, he uncovered something intriguing.

It turned out that Li Jiu did have a weakness: his name was Shi Anzhi.