Chapter 38 Let's get a tattoo

Li Hanzhou paused in wiping his arm, and said calmly, "I took care of my godfather when he was injured before."

Fang Che felt a pang of anxiety when he thought of the deceased hall master, whom he had only heard about from others.

"Oh..." He didn't know what to say next.

Li Hanzhou didn't continue, gesturing for him to turn to the side: "Back."

Fang Che obediently turned around and showed him his back.

Apply a hot towel down the spine, past the shoulder blades and lower back.

Li Hanzhou's hand was steady, but when it brushed against Fang Che's lower back, Fang Che couldn't help but tremble slightly.

"itch?"

"Yes, a little," Fang Che honestly admitted. His body seemed unusually ticklish.

Li Hanzhou didn't say anything, but simply reduced the force of his blows.

After wiping the back, it's time to wipe the front.

Fang Che turned back again, this time more at ease, and even raised his arm to cooperate.

When he rubbed his lower abdomen, Fang Che felt awkward again.

Further down...

"I'll do it myself!" he said hastily, reaching for the towel with his right hand.

Li Hanzhou looked up at him, his eyes seeming to say, "How can you do it yourself with only one hand?"

But he didn't insist, and handed over the wrung-out towel, saying, "Be careful."

He then turned around, facing the wall, just like Ah Gui, giving him some space.

Fang Che breathed a sigh of relief and quickly wiped his thighs and private parts with a towel in his right hand.

It was awkward, but it was finally finished.

He threw the towel back into the basin, splashing some water.

"alright……"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Hanzhou turned around.

Their eyes met, and Fang Che felt inexplicably guilty.

Although he didn't understand the reason either.

Li Hanzhou's gaze shifted from his face to the white gauze wrapped around his left shoulder.

The edges of the gauze were stained with slightly yellow medicine, creating a stark contrast with the skin.

Li Hanzhou's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly.

"The gauze needs to be changed."

"Ah? Uncle Chen just changed it this morning..." Fang Che hadn't finished speaking when he saw Li Hanzhou take out iodine and clean gauze from the cloth bag. "Uncle Chen went to Kuiyong to check the dock this afternoon and told me to handle it."

Ah Gui had left the room and closed the door at some point.

There were only two people left in the room.

Fang Che sat on the edge of the bed, his bare upper body radiating the heat from his shower, the coolness causing a slight chill to run down his skin.

He watched as Li Hanzhou unscrewed the cap of the iodine bottle and used tweezers to pick up the cotton ball, his movements as practiced as if he had done it a thousand times.

"Brother Li, you're really good at this?" Fang Che tried to ease the tense atmosphere. "I thought you could only..."

"What can you only do?" Li Hanzhou looked up.

"All you do is fight and kill," Fang Che said softly, then quickly added, "I mean, you're so busy..."

"Busy?" Li Hanzhou had already walked up to him, looking down at him. "Is this knife on your shoulder a trivial matter?"

Fang Che choked.

Li Hanzhou didn't say anything more and sat down by his bedside.

The two were very close, so close that Fang Che could smell the faint scent of tobacco on him.

"Turn around."

Fang Che obediently turned around and showed him his injured left shoulder.

Li Hanzhou's fingers touched the edge of the gauze and began to untangle it, circle by circle.

The movement was very gentle, barely causing any pain to the wound, but Fang Che still tensed his back.

The gauze was peeled off layer by layer.

As the last layer of blood-stained dressing was removed, Fang Che heard a very soft gasp behind him...

It felt so light it was almost an illusion.

"What's wrong, Brother Li? Does the wound look ugly?" Fang Che wanted to turn around.

"Don't move." A hand pressed on his right shoulder, the pressure light, yet it immobilized him.

Li Hanzhou looked at the wound.

The twelve stitches meandered across the skin, with some redness and swelling at the edges, but they had begun to heal.

What drew his gaze, however, was not the wound itself, but the surrounding skin—

The collarbone line extends to the shoulder, and the skin is so white that you can see the pale blue veins.

The shape of the shoulder blades is clearly defined, the waistline is tapered, and the spine curves downwards, disappearing into the edge of the waistband.

This body is beautifully fragile.

The gruesome wound, like a crack on a perfect piece of porcelain, was glaring yet added a sense of brokenness.

Li Hanzhou raised his fingertips, stopping just before they touched the wound.

Does it hurt?

"It's okay, just itchy," Fang Che answered honestly. "Uncle Chen said it's a good thing I'm gaining weight and itchy. Brother Li, do I look particularly ugly? I won't look good in tank tops anymore..."

He muttered to himself, unaware of the undercurrent in the eyes of the person behind him.

Li Hanzhou's fingertips fell, gently stroking the intact skin beside the wound.

It has a cool and smooth feel.

Fang Che trembled slightly: "Brother Li?"

“Once the injury heals,” Li Hanzhou said, his fingers slowly tracing the edge of the wound, “there will be a scar here.”

“Of course! Twelve stitches!” Fang Che said with a hint of pride. “But a man isn’t normal without scars! I think scars are pretty cool!”

Li Hanzhou remained silent for a moment.

Just as Fang Che thought he was going to continue applying the medicine, he heard him say:

"I get tattoos."

"Huh?" Fang Che was taken aback.

“This scar,” Li Hanzhou’s fingertip paused at the end of the wound, his voice carrying a meaning that Fang Che couldn’t understand, “once it heals, I can tattoo a design to cover it up.”

Fang Che's eyes lit up instantly!

Tattoos! A staple of gangsters!

He whirled around, nearly bumping into Li Hanzhou's chin: "Really? Brother Li, you can do this too? That's amazing! What should I get tattooed? A dragon? A tiger? You can't just get Guan Yu tattooed anywhere... How about a dragon? But can my physique handle it? Or maybe an eagle?"

He was so excited that he kept talking nonstop, not noticing the way Li Hanzhou was looking at him...

It is as deep as the sea at night, hiding something that is about to break free.

"You like dragons?" Li Hanzhou asked, his fingers still resting on his shoulder.

"I love it! It's so cool!" Fang Che was immersed in the joy of "my future older brother tattooing me." "But does a dragon tattoo have to go from the shoulder to the back? Is my back wide enough? Will it look like an eel...?"

He chuckled at the scene he had imagined, his shoulders trembled slightly, and a sharp pain shot through his wound, causing him to hiss.

"Don't move." Li Hanzhou held him down and began applying the medicine.

The cool sensation of the iodine-soaked cotton ball touching the wound made Fang Che flinch.

But Li Hanzhou moved very gently, wiping, applying medicine, and wrapping it with clean gauze.

Throughout the process, Fang Che was still excitedly planning: "Actually, a tiger is not bad either, a tiger coming down from the mountain! But shouldn't the tiger be tattooed on its back... Brother Li, how's your skill? Who taught you?"

"I learned it myself." Li Hanzhou finished wrapping the last layer of gauze and tied a knot. "I liked to draw when I was a child, and later I studied tattoos."

He paused, then added, "My tattoos are only for my people."

There was a declaration in those words, but Fang Che didn't hear it.

"Then I'm definitely your man!" Fang Che patted his chest, but then grimaced at his wound. "We're like brothers! Once I'm healed, I'll get you to tattoo it! A dragon, even a small one will do!"

Looking into his excited eyes, and seeing his unguarded and completely trusting manner, Li Hanzhou felt the fire in his heart burn even brighter.

This piece of wood.

This piece of wood is so silly that you want to crush it, yet you also want to protect it tightly.

"Okay." Li Hanzhou stood up and tidied up the medicine bottles and gauze. "I'll wait until you're healed."

He walked to the door and looked back one last time.

Fang Che was looking down and touching his shoulder, humming "A Laughter in the Vast Sea" off-key, completely absorbed in the thought of "getting a tattoo."

Li Hanzhou's lips twitched slightly as he pushed open the door and left.

In the hallway outside, Ah Gui leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Seeing Li Hanzhou come out, he asked in a low voice, "How did it go?"

"The restoration is quite good." Li Hanzhou's tone regained its usual calmness. "Any new developments from Ma Wang's side?"

“I went to Yuen Long this afternoon and met a Thai businessman.” Ah Gui frowned. “That Thai man had several skilled men with him; it didn’t seem like he was doing ordinary business.”

"Thailand..." Li Hanzhou's eyes darkened. "What about Jiang Tianqi's side?"

I saw Lu Che yesterday.

Li Hanzhou paused in his steps.

Where?

"They talked for an hour in the Peninsula Hotel coffee shop, in a public place. Lu Che came out carrying a briefcase. The expression on Jiang Tianqi's face when he saw him off was as if they had reached an agreement."

Li Hanzhou didn't say anything and continued walking forward.

The sound of leather shoes clicking on the wooden floor was rhythmic.

At the end of the corridor, outside the window, the sky over Portland Street was gradually darkening.

The neon lights begin to illuminate the night; another night is about to begin.

“Lu Che…” Li Hanzhou said in a low voice, “is more interesting than I thought.”

"Brother Li, should we give him a warning?" A-Gui asked. "He's betting on both sides; he's too cunning."

“No rush.” Li Hanzhou looked out the window. “Let him continue. I want to see what he wants to get from Jiang Tianqi, and what he wants to get from me.”

He turned around and looked in the direction of Fang Che's room.

"Keep an eye on A-Che. Ma Wang and Jiang Tianqi won't let this go; they'll be even more ruthless next time."

"Understood." Ah Gui nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Fang Che told Xi Rong today that he wants to treat the children to a nice meal once he recovers to thank them for their help these past few days."

Li Hanzhou raised an eyebrow slightly: "Where did he get the money?"

“He said that’s the profit from ‘Chefeng Express’ this month.” Ah Gui’s expression was somewhat complicated. “He really made a name for himself with that pile of junk. He didn’t make much money, but he didn’t lose money either. Xi Rong helped him keep accounts, and there was a surplus of more than two thousand.”

A look of surprise flashed across Li Hanzhou's eyes, followed by a faint smile.

"Let him be."

"But those children..."

“Ah Gui,” Li Hanzhou interrupted him, “sometimes, the most inconspicuous people see the clearest things. Those kids running around in the streets, what they see and hear may not be less than what we do.”

Ah Gui paused for a moment, then realized what was happening.

Fang Che's seemingly childish "Chefeng Express" has unknowingly become one of the most well-informed eyes and ears on Portland Street.

“I understand,” Ah Gui said. “I will tell Xi Rong to have the children pay close attention to the unfamiliar faces under Ma Wang and Jiang Tianqi.”

Li Hanzhou nodded, and was about to leave when he remembered something:

"Is the tricycle issue settled?"

"It's all taken care of. Five used tricycles, repaired and repainted, will be delivered tomorrow." A rare smile appeared on Ah Gui's face. "When that kid sees them, he'll probably jump for joy."

"Don't let him jump, or the wound will reopen." After saying that, Li Hanzhou turned and walked towards the stairs. "I'm going to see Uncle Chen. There are arrangements to be made in Kuiyong."

"yes."

Li Hanzhou's figure disappeared around the corner of the stairs.

Ah Gui stood in the corridor for a while, and when he heard faint humming coming from Fang Che's room, he shook his head, but the corners of his mouth turned up.

"Silly boy," he said in a low voice, his tone no longer showing any contempt.

Inside the room, Fang Che was completely unaware of what was happening outside the door.

He's already planning the future of "Chefeng Express"!

With a tricycle, the business can be expanded to several streets in the surrounding area.

He even considered signing long-term waste disposal contracts with the neighbors, implementing a membership system, and charging monthly fees...

"This is what entrepreneurship is all about!" he exclaimed excitedly, slapping his thigh, only to aggravate his wound and wince in pain.

But the pain couldn't dampen his spirits.

He took out the pager that Li Hanzhou had given him; its black casing gleamed coldly in the dim light.

This is the first truly personal "modern device" he has acquired since coming into this world.

In Hong Kong in 1992, this thing wasn't cheap.

If the big shots wear one on their waist, their underlings will take a second look.

Fang Che clipped the pager to his waistband and looked at himself in the blurry mirror on the wall.

"Not bad, he looks alright." He muttered to himself, "It's just that his face is too pale, not fierce enough... Once his injury heals, he can go out every day and get a tan!"

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Brother Che, dinner's ready." Xi Rong came in carrying a tray with a bowl of fish porridge and a few side dishes. "Uncle Chen said you can only eat light food these days. We'll make chicken soup after the stitches are removed."

Fang Che looked at the bowl of porridge and grimaced, "Porridge again..."

"Uncle Chen said we have to eat!" Xi Rong put on a stern face and put down the tray. "Also, Brother Tie Niu told me to tell you that the tricycles will arrive tomorrow! Five of them!"

"Really?" Fang Che's eyes lit up. "What color?"

"It's red! The paint is done, it looks so bright!" Xi Rong's eyes also lit up. "The children were overjoyed when they found out, saying they'll never have to worry about not being able to run around to deliver things again."

Fang Che felt a warmth in his heart.

He recalled the brothers who worked with him on projects in his previous life, who also built up their businesses little by little in the same way.

Although the scenes are completely different, the feeling of "leading a group of people toward a better life" is exactly the same.

“Xi Rong,” he suddenly said seriously, “once this matter is settled, I will find a way to send you and the children to school.”

Xi Rong was stunned.

"Going to school?"

“Yes, we need to read and write.” Fang Che said seriously, “If you can’t read, you can only do manual labor your whole life. If ‘Chefeng Express’ is to grow, we need people who can do accounting, read contracts, and negotiate with people. You all need to learn.”

Xi Rong's eyes instantly reddened.

“Brother Che…”

"Why are you crying! This is a good thing!" Fang Che quickly said, "But don't tell anyone yet. Let me plan it out before discussing it with Brother Li. If he doesn't agree... I'll figure something out myself!"

Xi Rong nodded vigorously and wiped her eyes: "Brother Che, I will definitely study hard!"

"That's more like it." Fang Che smiled, picking up his bowl of porridge. "Eat! You need to be well-fed to have the energy to do your job!"

He gulped down his porridge, already planning the "Portland Street Compulsory Education Program" in his mind.