Substitute Driver's Notes

Chapter 23 Who Doesn't Follow the Rules of the Jianghu?

Many people believe that martial arts practitioners live deep in the mountains and forests, never meeting their fellow disciples until they have achieved a certain level of skill before emerging from the mountains, and that fellow disciples only get to know each other after exchanging pleasantries.

That's not actually the case. Li Wei's grandfather had many fellow disciples who studied martial arts together, and they were very close-knit.

The eldest brother of that generation went out to inquire about current affairs, and when he met Marshal Liu, he bowed down and became the old man's bodyguard. Later, he stayed in the army to develop his career.

Old Marshal Liu was quite fond of this simple-minded man. Although he was often scolded by the old marshal for his lack of shrewdness, he would still carefully guide and teach him afterwards.

Li Wei's grandfather was also persuaded by him to join the team. Later, after the victory, Old Li Gang refused to listen to advice and insisted on going home to farm.

Later, during the turmoil, this person suffered a bit, and Old Li would occasionally bring him some food.

Once his family's name was cleared, Old Li stopped paying attention to them.

Later, when he and his descendants returned to their hometown, they met Li Meng, a fellow disciple, and the two families began to interact.

Li Wei once accompanied his father to visit this senior fellow disciple who had fought abroad many times.

Later, this senior uncle returned to his hometown and took more than a dozen fellow soldiers he found agreeable as his disciples to practice martial arts.

When he was a child, Li Wei visited his fellow students many times to exchange skills with them.

The eldest brother, the son of that senior brother, believed that the order of senior disciples should be re-established. According to the time of entry, Li Wei was the second senior brother.

This senior apprentice left Li Wei a number, claiming that he could help him solve any problems.

During the phone call, Li Wei exaggerated Brother Long's threat, portraying him as a local tyrant who might have a gun, and saying that if his senior brother was afraid, then so be it.

Upon hearing this, the eldest disciple patted his chest and swore that he would definitely come in three days. He instructed Li Wei to arrange for Brother Long and the others to meet by the Yi River, saying that if they couldn't win, they could jump into the river and escape, and that at least twenty fellow disciples would come.

Emboldened, Li Wei arranged to meet with Brother Long three days later. At 10 p.m., he claimed that his fellow disciples were going to teach Brother Long a lesson. The two jointly declared that this time they would resolve the matter according to the rules of the underworld.

Three days passed quickly. On the dimly lit riverbank of the Yi River, Li Wei stopped his motorcycle far away and took off the handle of his pickaxe.

Panting, I carried the pickaxe handle and walked toward the riverbank, where my senior brother had lit a bonfire.

Then, Li Wei stared blankly at his three fellow disciples sitting by the fire eating roasted meat.

"Eldest brother, third brother, fourth brother, let's go before they arrive! I'd be sorry if we got hurt later, since that would be a disservice to our eldest brother."

The third junior brother laughed and said, "Second senior brother, it's not your fault that you got hurt. It's because we're not skilled enough."

Li Wei quickly stopped him: "Don't call me Second Brother. Do you know why I haven't liked going to play with you guys since Journey to the West started airing? It's because I don't like being called Second Brother. It always feels like you're insulting me."

Ignoring the three men's burst of laughter, Li Wei continued, "Who knows how many of them there are? I wouldn't be worried if at least ten of you came, but just the four of us? I should have told you I'd find someone else. I only asked you because I was worried that ordinary people couldn't handle it, but it's just the three of you. Isn't this just sending them to their deaths?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" The eldest brother pulled out a firework and mimicked a movie line: "One arrow pierces the clouds, and a thousand armies come to meet you."

The other two junior brothers nodded repeatedly, suppressing their laughter: "Yes, yes, don't worry, second senior brother, the eldest senior brother is right, the eldest senior brother was prepared."

Speechless, Li Wei slammed down the pickaxe handle: "I'm never going to bother you guys again. Movies are a killer! We're good guys, not the villainous Axe Gang."

While chatting and laughing and eating barbecue, by the light of the streetlights on the riverbank, we saw an Audi that looked like it had been through 38 years of use, leading four Wuling vans, swaying and wobbling towards the campfire.

Li Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Hmm! If the four of us join forces, we should be able to handle it easily.

They disassembled the pickaxe handle and handed it over. The four men stood in a row, looking at the heavily loaded bread cart.

Li Wei muttered, "Is that cement they're hauling? Aren't they afraid of getting a tire blowout?"

The car stopped about twenty steps from the riverbank.

Three people got out of the Audi, one of whom opened the trunk and took out a pickaxe handle.

Then the bread truck started taking people out.

Li Wei stared in horror, his mouth gradually widening. As the pickaxe handles were removed one by one, the low-set trunk of the Audi slowly rose, and the people from the van got out.

Li Wei nervously swallowed: "Senior Brother, let's split up and run! Otherwise we're doomed. We're surrounded. Should we jump into the river, swim to the other side, and then run?"

The eldest disciple glared at Li Wei: "You ran away without even saying a few polite words? Coward, I'm going to expel you from the sect."

"Does this have anything to do with being a coward? Tell me, how do you fight these people? Oh right, didn't you say that one arrow piercing the clouds can summon a thousand armies? Fire the arrow!"

The third junior brother, like a gorilla, rhythmically patted his chest, demonstrating against the chaotic, slowly approaching crowd.

The fourth brother laughed and said, "Second brother, don't be afraid. Eldest brother will find someone to rescue us."

Veins bulged on Li Wei's forehead as he gripped the pickaxe handle tightly, gritting his teeth: "Damn it, I'll risk it all! If I survive this, I'll sever all ties with you. Senior Brother is so unreliable, how can he be so treacherous?"

Brother Long emerged from the Audi, wearing a trench coat, sunglasses, and a cigarette dangling from his mouth, swaggering towards the crowd with an air of arrogance.

He tripped over a stone while going down the riverbank, angrily took off his sunglasses, and stormed over.

Seeing the four men standing in a row, Brother Long rubbed his eyes, looked left and right, and angrily pointed at Li Wei: "Are you kidding me? We've been arranging this for days and you only showed up as four people? Are you out of your mind?! I guess I'm just unlucky to be afraid of an old guy like you having any connections. Sigh! You guys are all getting on in years and have to earn money to support your families, who dares to risk their lives? I'll be magnanimous, you four kneel down and apologize to me, and I'll forgive you. Otherwise, I'll just beat you to death, tie you to stones, and throw you into the river."

The eldest brother looked at Brother Long with amusement, his voice low and deep: "I don't believe you would dare to kill someone again?"

Brother Long laughed loudly: "These days, who in the underworld doesn't have a life on their hands? Let me tell you, I'm the one in charge."

The senior apprentice looked at him in surprise: "Are all young people these days this awesome?"

Brother Long laughed wildly: "Fine, right? If you're convinced, kneel down, apologize to Brother Long, and pay me some money. Hey? You idiot, why are you patting your chest like that?"

Li Wei looked at the group helplessly, took out a lighter and handed it to his senior brother: "Hurry up and light it! Didn't you say there were people around? If we start fighting, we won't have time."

The third junior brother stopped patting his chest and looked at the eldest senior brother: "It's obvious he doesn't look like he's ever killed anyone. We've really embarrassed ourselves this time. Using Morse code to communicate is going to make us a laughingstock."

The eldest brother angrily said, "Who knew that the second junior brother would be so unreliable? He talked as if he knew everything. I thought he was going to make a big show of things, bragging and setting things up in the provincial government for days. In the end, he came here to waste his time with a bunch of hooligans."

Brother Long looked at him, bewildered: "Are you stupid? If you don't want to be beaten to death, kneel down."

The eldest brother frowned and roared at the collar, "Close the net!"

Li Wei watched in surprise as police cars drove up in the distance, and a helicopter buzzed overhead as a beam of light descended from the sky, illuminating the riverbank.

Subsequently, the river embankment road was surrounded from three sides.

Then, several more speedboats came along the river.

Accompanied by the loudspeaker's shouts of "Don't move, cover your head and squat down," the thugs behaved themselves, none of them resisting or running away, all throwing down their pickaxe handles and squatting down with their heads covered.

Brother Long looked around in horror, pointing at Li Wei with a trembling voice: "You...you...don't follow the rules of the underworld."

Li Wei offered a bewildered and powerless explanation: "It wasn't me, I don't know what happened."

The eldest brother took two steps forward, kicked Brother Long to the ground, and glared at Li Wei: "Rules of the Jianghu? Because of you two idiots, I've lost face so badly, and you still talk about rules?"

Turning around, he extended his hand to Li Wei: "Second junior brother, let's get to know each other again. I am Liu Zhongguo, deputy captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade of the Provincial Public Security Department."

The third junior brother came over and clasped his hands in greeting: "Second senior brother, it's been more than ten years. This is Lin Lei, the head of the major crime squad of the provincial department."

Li Wei plopped down on the beach, staring blankly at the thugs who were voluntarily handcuffing him. He shook his head repeatedly, "I don't know you guys. What will people in the underworld say about me if this gets out?"