Chapter One: Leisurely Me and My Secretive Father

Those two months after graduating from university were perhaps the busiest I’d ever been. I hardly had a single idle day—busy finding people to help me with my thesis, endless farewell parties, settling four years’ worth of debts, breaking up with my girlfriend… In fact, I probably accomplished more in those two months than I did in all four years of college.

Though I was the sort of student who wasted his degree, reflecting on everything that happened in those four years, I truly felt as if it had all been a dream.

“Hey, Young Master Yuan, what’s this performance? Pretending to be all deep and philosophical?” The voice belonged to my best friend at university, Tan Wei—everyone called him Old Tan. He spotted me smoking alone out on the balcony and came over to tease me.

“You don’t know anything. This is called artistic temperament. No wonder you haven’t managed to find a girlfriend before graduation.” Old Tan and I had the kind of relationship where we could say anything to each other; when we met, it was routine to start by cursing each other’s ancestors just for fun.

“Don’t talk nonsense. Hey, listen, your old man called last night.”

“My dad? Why didn’t he call my cell?”

Old Tan grinned, “Call your cell? You were out having fun last night, you think you’d hear your phone?”

That’s when it hit me. Last night, I was with my girlfriend. The breakups among college couples are always much the same, and though it wasn’t quite what Old Tan imagined, I really did spend the whole night holding her and staring into space. In that moment, I genuinely felt like forsaking the world for love, so I’d switched off my phone.

Old Tan didn’t bother with my messy affairs, but went on to tell me that my dad had arrived in Beijing a couple of days ago and was coming to visit me at school tomorrow.

Mentioning my dad—well, that’s a tale that could last three days and nights.

My only memory of my mom is from when I was five, back in our old home in Sichuan. He took me out to buy candied hawthorn sticks, but her appearance is completely blurred now. After that, it was always my dad, two uncles, and an aunt taking care of me.

My dad, though, is a strange man. He spends most of the year out and about, never saying what he’s up to. He never leaves for more than a month at a time, but his stays at home are always brief—never more than a week before he’s off again. Whenever I asked my uncles or aunt why my dad was so busy or what exactly he did, they always gave the same answer: he was doing business all over the country, earning money so I could live well. By fifth grade, I’d stopped believing that, but habit became second nature, and gradually, I stopped trying to figure out what business my dad was really in.

One thing was undeniable: my dad did make a lot of money, and he spent it all on his son. In middle school, he sent me to Beijing, bought me an apartment on the Third Ring Road. By now, the properties he’s registered under my name number seven or eight, scattered across Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Sometimes I wondered how my dad, with his shabby clothes, managed to get so much money.

Yet, I always sensed that when I was around, my dad was particularly secretive about his work. Once, he brought a colleague to Beijing to see me. During a meal at a hotel, his colleague waited until my dad went to the restroom, then took a small box from his pocket. It was palm-sized, exquisitely red, with black stripes, and somehow gave off a peculiar feeling that I couldn’t quite describe. The man wanted to give it to me as a gift, and though I was puzzled, I feigned politeness and declined. Just then my dad returned, and the moment he saw the box, his face flushed.

“Changhe, what are you doing?”

His colleague chuckled, “First time meeting, just wanted to give the young master a present.”

“You idiot!” My dad snatched the box away and slapped the man. Seeing the fury in his eyes, even I felt afraid; the man didn’t dare utter a word. In twenty-three years, it was the first time my dad lost his temper in front of me.

That incident left a deep impression, but I understood that everything my dad did was for my sake. Whether out of unwillingness or fear, I never tried to investigate his affairs again.

Every time my dad visited me in Beijing, he’d insist on taking me out to eat all the delicacies the city had to offer. Now, with my graduation, I guessed there’d be no shortage of Maotai between us.

When we met the next day, my dad looked just the same as ever: old work pants, a ten-year-old suit, sturdy leather shoes. Yet, his vigor was unmatched. Each time I saw his straight posture and those sharp, owl-like eyes, I felt there was something extraordinary about him.

Sure enough, after a few words, he wanted me to accompany him to the Beijing Grand Hotel. That place was our regular spot in the city—we went there seven or eight times a year. At first, the staff were reluctant to let us in because of his appearance, but a few red bills solved that easily. Eventually, the lobby manager started calling him “Brother Yuan,” probably thinking he was some country bumpkin nouveau riche.

In the private room, after some food and drink, my dad suddenly looked at me with a cheerful smile. I asked what he was up to, but he didn’t say; eventually, his gaze made me uneasy.

“Hey, old man, what’s up... what’s going on?”

He laughed, “Living ten years in Beijing and your hometown dialect is all mixed up? That’s good, you shouldn’t go back to that place anymore.”

“What’s wrong with going back? I was planning to return after graduation to pay respects at grandpa’s grave.” After all these years, I genuinely wanted to visit our old home in Sichuan, but I knew, whether it was me used to the comforts of Beijing or my dad’s wishes, it was unlikely either of us would ever live there again.

“Your grandpa loved you most. It’s proper to pay your respects. Well… given that your second and third uncles and your aunt won’t make it back this year, after graduation, you should go for a visit. We can go to the grave together.”

“Great!” I said, instantly excited. “I was just talking with Old Tan about traveling to Sichuan—now I can bring him to the old home, let him see what real mountains and rivers look like.”

“Haha, good, that kid’s temper is much like yours; the two of you going back together…”

Just then, my dad suddenly paused, his nose twitching as if he’d caught a strange scent. I only smelled the food and drink on the table—no sign of any gas leak.

“Dad, what’s wrong?”

His face grew dark. “Nothing, you stay here, I need to use the restroom.”

I didn’t pay much attention, watching him get up and leave. As he opened the door, a young man appeared outside.

He was clearly not a hotel staff member, about my age. What struck me most was a feeling of familiarity, as if I’d seen him before, but couldn’t recall where.

He winked at me as if greeting, then turned serious, looking at my dad.

“What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you not to come in?” My dad’s voice was deliberately low; from the tone, this guy was probably another of his men.

“Uncle Earth Dog is here, right across the hall.” The young man raised four fingers, hinting at something.

“Hmph, no wonder there’s a strange smell.” My dad muttered, “Damn it, what do they want from me?”

The young man smiled, “I think it’s strange they even know you’re here.”

“Enough.” My dad signaled to him, then turned to me. “Yuan Jie, wait here. I’ll be back soon.” With that, he strode out, and the young man gave me a peculiar smile before leaving. That smile triggered that sense of familiarity in my mind again.

From their conversation, it seemed this Earth Dog wasn’t on my dad’s side; I sensed trouble. And I couldn’t figure out what smell my dad had noticed. Was Earth Dog some sewer worker with a stench about him?

I really didn’t want to dig into my dad’s business anymore, but for some reason, curiosity got the better of me. Any other time, I might have stayed put, but half a bottle of Maotai had loosened my resolve. Using the wine as an excuse, I wandered over to the private room across the hall.

The door was closed, with a female server standing nearby. I pretended to stand at the doorway texting, pressing my ear to the door to listen inside.

“Brother Yuan, you must help us with this matter. We’re all in the same game—you can rest assured, I won’t let you suffer.” A man was speaking inside, his voice loud and clear, using the Sichuan dialect.

Then my dad spoke. “Earth Dog, some things are best made clear. The path you walk is not the same as mine—I’m afraid I can’t help with this. And after decades of friendship, let me warn you: what you’re after, it’s not to be touched. I, Yuan Liu, am not lucky enough to mess with such things. Don’t bring it up again.”

The first speaker must have been Earth Dog. After my dad finished, he burst out laughing. Then an old woman’s voice came from inside, “Sixth Master Yuan, don’t say that. There’s always room for negotiation. We’ve come all the way to Beijing—surely you see our sincerity.”

Her accent was southern; I thought to myself, my dad’s business really did stretch across the country.

“Enough with the nonsense. Since Earth Dog invited you all, I guess I’m unnecessary here. Erwa, let’s go.” My dad seemed ready to leave.

I heard the sound of chairs scraping, when suddenly the southern-accented old woman spoke again, “Don’t rush, Sixth Master Yuan. I said, since we’re here in Beijing, it shows our sincerity. Why not let your precious son waiting at the door come in? We’d like to talk to Young Master Yuan about your past.”

My heart skipped a beat. Before I could react, the door swung open. A tall, burly man stared at me coldly, gesturing for me to enter.

I was at a loss, while my dad’s face twitched, barely containing his anger, his eyes darting across the faces of the others.

There were seven people in the room. Aside from my dad and his colleague, five remained. One, with a full beard and dressed impeccably, stood up to play peacemaker; his voice was unmistakably Earth Dog. Two others, like the man who opened the door, were big and burly—probably bodyguards. The last sat in the back: a child of twelve or thirteen. Yet his smile was strangely sinister, his manner and gaze far beyond his apparent age.

Odd—there was no old woman here. Where had that voice come from?

As I puzzled over this, the child seemed to sense my thoughts. He opened his mouth and spoke, “Young Master Yuan, first meeting, have a drink with us.” The voice was unmistakably the old woman’s.

I was stunned, unable to handle such a bizarre and awkward scene. For a full minute, the room was silent. Then my dad turned, “I’ll agree to your request. But… Old Dog, you know who I am. There’s no need for more words, right?”

“Oh, haha, good enough. With your promise, we’ll all prosper. How could I…”

My dad couldn’t stand Earth Dog’s rambling, and, together with his colleague, pulled me away from the hotel. I was full of questions, but the deep helplessness etched on my dad’s face stopped me from asking.

In the taxi, I suddenly felt guilty. All these years, my dad had gone to great lengths to keep me from knowing his affairs—for my sake. Thinking back, it was clear the group had used me to pressure my dad into doing something he didn’t want. I realized I was a burden to him.

“Dad, actually you…”

Before I could finish, my dad waved me off. “This has nothing to do with you. That bunch came looking for trouble. Whether you were eavesdropping or not, the result would be the same. Hmph, a small matter, it’ll be sorted soon.” He smiled, but it wasn’t as natural as before, his gaze quickly drifting elsewhere.

I’d wanted to say he didn’t need to hide things from me anymore—I wasn’t a child, and even if his business was shady, I wouldn’t judge him. But I never said it.

Beijing is bright and bustling day and night, with wealthy and powerful people from all over the country gathered here, opportunities everywhere. As long as you have an apartment and a stable job, you can live comfortably for life. That’s what my dad planned for me. But looking at his profile, then at the towering buildings lining the road, the prosperity before my eyes suddenly felt unreal. And when my dad stared at those skyscrapers in a daze beside me, I sensed something was about to happen.

I didn’t know why I felt this way, but when I finally learned the truth, it would no longer matter whether I knew or not.