DBTHDCAR Chapter 13

Ning Xiaobei looked at this group of delinquent teens, all fifteen or sixteen years old, insisting on putting on adult expressions. They were all lean and skinny, walking with a sway to seem intimidating.

The four boys had long hair, bangs like curtains hanging over their eyes, making it unclear how they saw where they were going. The two girls were strikingly different: one had hair like a spilled paint palette — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet all mixed together; the other had short hair that revealed the scalp, chewing gum with a defiant look.

They were dressed as if they had walked straight out of a gangster movie, somewhat reminiscent of Fan Xia’s outfit on the first day of school.

‘Every single one of them, not learning properly, ending up in the station…what a waste of their parents’ efforts.’¹不学好，进了局子，爹妈白养 – “Not learning properly, end up in the police station, parents raise them in vain.” Chinese idiom/expression conveying wasted upbringing due to delinquent behavior.

The thirty-something man sighed deeply in his heart.

He remembered that in recent years, even back in high school, the area around several schools in downtown Shanghai wasn’t very safe. Young troublemakers would claim territory, and fights were once rampant.

By the time he was in high school, the school had even organized a small team of young male teachers to maintain order, patrolling near the school after classes.

“Boss, if they try to hit you later, just run. Don’t worry about me.”

Fan Xia looked tense, holding Ning Xiaobei protectively behind him.

He didn’t recognize these kids, but they clearly looked like people of the underworld.

Even though Ning Xiaobei was his boss, he had never involved himself in gang affairs. These kids must have heard about him back in his old elementary school. They were here to pick a fight on purpose.

“Fan Xia, you watch too many movies.”

Ning Xiaobei said, a row of black lines sliding down by his head, dragging him back from his overactive imagination.

“What do you want with us?”

Ning Xiaobei stepped forward, hands in his pockets, tilting his head to look at the ringleader, the kid with a tuft of yellow hair on top, giving off a faint “Shamate²Shamate (杀马特) – a flashy, punk-like hairstyle trend among Chinese youth in the 2000s.” vibe.

“You’re Ning Xiaobei from Fourth Primary, right? Heard your family’s loaded, so we want to borrow some pocket money. Can we?”

The yellow-tuft hair kid smiled slyly, oozing swagger.

Hearing this, Ning Xiaobei immediately formulated a plan. He took half a step back and glanced around.

Not far, behind a utility pole, the corner of a sneaker peeked out.

“You’re friends with Ma Jiaqi?”

Ning Xiaobei gave a slight laugh, lifting the corner of his eyes to look at him sideways.

Ma Jiaqi was Ma Zhiguo’s son, just recently promoted to middle school. Rumor had it he had been a bad kid since childhood. These must be the kids he brought along. His parents hadn’t managed to get subsidized housing and failed at causing trouble in the factory, so he was trying to reclaim some authority by picking on Ning Xiaobei.

What a bunch of little devils.

Ning Xiaobei cursed under his breath, his grin turning increasingly fierce.

“I don’t know any Ma Jiaqi or Ma Something-Else,” he said.

The yellow-tuft hair kid craned his neck.

Even though this elementary schooler was easily a head shorter than him, he inexplicably felt a surge of pressure.

“You don’t need to play dumb with me. Me, a rich kid? If you really wanted to claim territory, you should be coming after the big shot next to me.”

Ning Xiaobei first pointed at Fan Xia, then spun around and shouted toward the utility pole.

“Ma Jiaqi, come out! I see you! The one wearing Nike shoes, come on out!”

“Come out, come out… why are you yelling?”

Ma Jiaqi hadn’t expected to be caught so openly and reluctantly stepped forward.

“You took my family’s house, so I’m gonna teach you a lesson. Yellow Hair, enough talk, go hit them,” Ma Jiaqi said, throwing caution to the wind.

“Assault is illegal. Robbery is illegal. Don’t go around doing things randomly. I’m not afraid of you,” Ning Xiaobei said, lifting his chin and shouting sternly.

Seeing them raise their fists and close in, Fan Xia broke out in a cold sweat.

“Heh, if you’re gonna hit me, go ahead. What can you do?”

The yellow-tuft hair kid said arrogantly.

Even though his voice was loud and sharp, he wasn’t really confident inside.

Usually, the kids they bullied were the type who wouldn’t dare fight back; honest, timid ones who wouldn’t even tell their families if money got stolen.

But this Ning Xiaobei was stubborn and tricky; hard to deal with.

“What can I do? Either you beat me to death today, or as long as I’ve got a breath in me, I’ll crawl all the way to the police station and have you arrested. You’re not eighteen yet, but over fourteen, right? Old enough to face the law and even spend time in jail.”

Ning Xiaobei said this, threw his backpack to the ground, picked up a brick from the corner, and smiled at yellow-tuft hair.

“Don’t believe me? Come try it.”

“You… are crazy! Who wants to fight you? Let’s go!”

The yellow-tuft hair, all bark and no bite, got scared and kept backing up. He and his gang ran off without looking back.

“Hey…”

Seeing the others run off, none left behind, Ma Jiaqi was the one breaking out in a cold sweat this time.

These guys were the troublemakers he had paid a hundred yuan to bring; teenagers from middle school who usually acted all tough and fearless. Yet Ning Xiaobei had sent them packing with just a few words.

“They’re gone. Want to try next?”

Ning Xiaobei let out a wicked little laugh, turned around, tiptoed, and circled Ma Jiaqi.

The Ma family really was rich, raising their son plump and well-fed. Ma Jiaqi was tall and broad, decked out in designer sportswear, looking the part. But as the Shanghai saying goes, he “grew in body but not in brain,” a bit thick-headed.

“Ning Xiaobei, you dare hit me? I’ll go home and tell my dad and mom. They’ll wreck your Jiande Lane! My mom, my aunt, my third aunt will come to your house every day and make trouble! Hit me then, hit me, hit me!”

Ma Jiaqi glared at the thick red brick in Ning Xiaobei’s hand and puffed up his neck as he shouted.

“Boss, now it’s two against one. We can definitely beat this fat kid.”

Fan Xia snapped out of it and walked over, fanning the flames.

Exciting! Now this feels like a real jianghu moment!

“Fan Xia, I told you already, hitting people is illegal. Why won’t you listen?”

Ning Xiaobei shook his head in frustration, literally “hating iron for not becoming steel.”

“Besides, people like them only remember the beating, not the lesson. Hitting them is useless, and we might even get punished by the school.”

“So what? Just let him go?”

Fan Xia said angrily.

“Not quite.”

The mischievous little uncle raised his eyebrows at the chubby kid, deciding to teach this rotten family a lesson.

Ning Xiaobei said this as he lifted the brick and pressed it into Ma Jiaqi’s hands.

Ma Jiaqi stared at him in confusion.

Before anyone could react, Ning Xiaobei grabbed Ma Jiaqi’s arm and pressed the brick against his own head.

Ma Jiaqi froze, utterly confused.

Fan Xia, standing nearby, couldn’t figure out what he was trying to do either.

“Ma Jiaqi, get ready for a stint at a reform school. You’re done for.”

Just then, police officers came rushing from the alley toward them. Ning Xiaobei lifted his head and gave a faint smile.

………………

When Ning Jianguo got the call and rushed to the police station near the school, he found his son and Fan Xia sitting at a desk, doing homework quietly; perfectly behaved.

One of the officers, whose own child happened to be in fifth grade, curiously picked up Ning Xiaobei’s workbook. He saw that every answer was correct, neat, and tidy, and couldn’t help but praise him.

“What a good kid.”

Even now, and thirty years later, adults still treat academic achievement as proof of good character. Compared to the rough-looking gangsters in the other room, these two kids were clearly the ones being bullied.

“Xiao Bei, Dad’s here.”

Ning Jianguo stepped forward and wrapped his arm around Ning Xiaobei’s shoulders.

“What happened? The call said someone hit you? Where are you hurt? Tell me quickly.”

“Sir, please don’t worry. Your son was almost hurt, but luckily the patrolling officers arrived in time. He wasn’t injured.”

The officer in charge came out of the next room, followed by a line of people.

At the front was a disheveled Ma Jiaqi, and behind him, like a line of crabs, came the rest of the delinquent teenagers.

Ma Jiaqi looked up and saw Ning Xiaobei, half-smiling, hiding in Ning Jianguo’s arms. His hair stood on end as he instinctively shrank behind the officer.

“All of them were bullying just you?”

Seeing this, Ning Jianguo immediately understood the whole situation.

Ning Jianguo realized: his son had run into some little hooligans, and the ringleader was none other than Ma Zhiguo’s kid!

“Who says my son hit anyone? How could my son ever hit someone?”

At that moment, Liu Meifang and her husband Ma Zhiguo rushed in.

Before the officers could explain, Liu Meifang began wailing and crying loudly.

“My little Qi Qi! He was born under four jin³4 jin = 2 kg, grew up looking like a bean sprout! He’s weak, timid… how could he possibly hit someone? It’s all slander!”

Ning Xiaobei leaned against Ning Jianguo and looked at this bean sprout in front of him, at least 150 jin⁴150 jin = 90 kg of kid, and had nothing to say.

“Officer, have a cigarette.”

Ma Zhiguo, being a businessman, pulled a pack of “Soft Zhonghua” cigarettes from his pocket and passed them around the office. When no one paid attention, he awkwardly shoved the pack back into his pocket.

“Ning Jianguo, it’s you again! Why are you framing my son? You took our house and now you’re picking on a child too?”

Liu Meifang shouted, realizing no one was listening, and stormed in front of Ning Jianguo, ready to play the “victim” card.

“Ma’am, please get the facts straight. Your son, along with these delinquent youths, tried to rob a schoolmate. We have eyewitnesses and physical evidence. Whether he actually hit anyone still needs confirmation, but no one is slandering your son.”

The officer who had just seen Ning Xiaobei’s homework said, frowning.

“Nonsense! My son is the most honest kid! Delinquents, my foot…I think Ning Xiaobei is the real delinquent!”

Liu Meifang shouted, eyes wide.

“Auntie, your son gave me a hundred yuan and told us to wait outside the Fourth Primary School to block Ning Xiaobei. Here’s the money he gave me, I haven’t even spent it yet.”

From the moment he entered the police station, Yellow Hair had behaved like a little duck. He pointed to the money under a glass cup.

“Officer, we never planned to really rob him. Ma Jiaqi just wanted us to scare him a bit. Who knew he’d be so strong that we got scared instead… Officer, we really didn’t commit robbery. Please let us go.”

“Wait until your teachers and parents arrive. For now, squat over there.”

The officer pointed toward the wall.

Yellow Hair led the group to the wall, crouching with his hands on his head. Every move was smooth and practiced; clearly, he knew what he was doing.

Even the shrewish Liu Meifang had nothing to say after that.

“What are you thinking? Even if you want to get back at your parents… you shouldn’t hit Xiao Bei. Fighting can get you into serious legal trouble.”

“Mom, I admit I asked Yellow Hair to scare him. But I never intended to throw the brick, it was handed to me by him. If you don’t believe me, ask the person next to me.”

Ma Jiaqi pointed to Fan Xia.

Fan Xia opened his mouth, looked at Ma Jiaqi’s expectant face, then glanced around the room.

Ning Xiaobei looked at him with a righteous expression, his delicate eyes glittering like twin mercury beads.

Suddenly, Fan Xia remembered the 《The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber》novel he had just read a few days ago. For some reason, he now understood Zhang Wuji’s feelings toward the female demon Zhao Min at Green Willow Manor.

“I don’t know…”

Fan Xia lowered his head.

“There were so many of them, I was scared to death. I kept my head down and didn’t see anything.”

“Bullshit! You clearly saw everything just now. You’re covering for him! You’re helping him frame me!”

Ma Jiaqi shouted in fury.

“So your point is that my son and Xiao Bei, two fifth graders, knew in advance that you were sending people to rob them, and then they turned it around on you? How old do you think they are? That’s impossible! It’s you! Those little hooligans even admitted it, it was your orders.”

Ning Jianguo could no longer contain his anger and stood up with a sharp motion.

“I’ve been patient with your family all along, but you keep pushing. Listen clearly: the Ning family owes you nothing. Ma Zhiguo, tomorrow I’m going to report you to the party secretary for bribing the director, faking illness for years, and cheating medical insurance and wages.”

“And you, Liu Meifang…you planning to bring all your aunts and female relatives to my house to make trouble? My mother has chronic heart disease; if she gets upset, she could faint. If anything happens to her because of you, I, Ning Jianguo, am putting this on record today. No matter how many people you bring, I can make them enter the alley standing upright and leave sideways!”

“Hey, hey, comrade! What nonsense are you talking? Calm down, this is a police station. Saying things like that, it shows no respect for us officers!”

A nearby officer quickly stepped forward to intervene.

“Dad, don’t do this. Forget it, forget it. He didn’t hit me. Don’t be angry.”

Having lived two lives, Ning Xiaobei had never seen Ning Jianguo so furious. He quickly stretched out his arms and hugged his father’s waist tightly.

“Classmate, you said, he didn’t hit you. Are you sure you won’t pursue it?”

The officer could tell that the two families already knew each other and wanted to settle things quietly. Hearing the question, he hurriedly looked at Ning Xiaobei.

Ning Xiaobei glanced at the Ma family of three and nodded firmly. “Yes, he didn’t hit me. Officer, I won’t pursue it.”

The effect was already achieved. As the saying goes, *“Do not chase a defeated enemy”. There was no need to really push Ma Jiaqi into a corner.

Ning Jianguo didn’t realize this, thinking Ning Xiaobei was enduring humiliation for the sake of others, and hugged his son protectively.

Fan Xia sat nearby, letting out a long sigh.

His palms were sweaty and sticky.

Once they left the police station, both sides parted in silence, going their separate ways.

The Ma family of three, all bluster with no backbone, had received a full lesson today at the police station.

Ma Zhiguo, hearing that Ning Jianguo planned to report him at the factory tomorrow, was so scared he could barely keep upright, walking with his head down. His wife, Liu Meifang, looked like a defeated rooster, drooping and silent.

As for Ma Jiaqi, he still had the expression of someone who had seen a ghost.

Ning Xiaobei, outwardly proper and polite, was inwardly full of mischief. He was a true rogue! Even scarier than the red-browed, green-eyed villains of stories.

“Qi Qi…”

Liu Meifang patted her son’s shoulder, still shaken, and said, “Next time you see the Ning family, just walk around them. Their family… they’re crazy, you know? Really scary.”

Ma Jiaqi nodded repeatedly.

What happened today would probably stay with him for life.

“So scary… really so scary…”

Not only Ma Jiaqi would never forget, but Fan Xia as well.

That night, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and finally sat up.

He ripped down the《Young and Dangerous》poster above his bed, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it in the trash.

Chen Haonan, Shan Ji…they were nothing.

Ning Xiaobei hadn’t even gone to Causeway Bay yet; who knows who the true king of Causeway Bay would be!

……………… 

Author’s Note:

We resolutely oppose all forms of school bullying and firmly protect the legal rights of minors! Maintaining campus safety starts with each of us!

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• 1
  不学好，进了局子，爹妈白养 – “Not learning properly, end up in the police station, parents raise them in vain.” Chinese idiom/expression conveying wasted upbringing due to delinquent behavior.
• 2
  Shamate (杀马特) – a flashy, punk-like hairstyle trend among Chinese youth in the 2000s.
• 3
  4 jin = 2 kg
• 4
  150 jin = 90 kg