Chapter 41: The Qing Brothers

Tao’s Old Shop.

This establishment had been on this street for many years. The owner’s surname was Tao, and his ancestors were distillers by trade, which was why the homemade spirits here were quite exceptional.

In this part of Haicheng’s streets, the shop was well-known.

Most people came not for the notoriety of the food—which was fairly average and catered to common tastes—but for the spirits distilled on site: fiery, yet never overwhelming, beloved by many, especially the neighbors who had grown accustomed to it over the years.

The Qing brothers had grown up alongside Tao’s spirits, so it was only natural for them to choose Tao’s Old Shop as the venue for their dinner invitation.

The Qing brothers were both quite young—the elder just past thirty, the younger in his twenties. They had spent their youth running the streets.

Eventually, they made a modest name for themselves, opened a bathhouse, and gathered a group of small-time toughs under their wing.

Thus, the name “Shuangqing Society” was born. In truth, it was just one of countless petty gangs in Bingcheng.

Compared to major organizations like the Seven Stars Hall or the Russian Brotherhood, their Shuangqing Society was a mere trifle—hardly worth the notice of bigger players.

Still, they commanded several dozen men and were considered notable figures within Zhou Sen’s patrol district.

There were plenty of matters that Old Six Gu and his associates couldn’t handle without the Qing brothers’ involvement.

Just a few days prior, when Su Yun lost her purse, it was the younger Qing who personally led men to retrieve it from Big Abacus. He was, of course, terrified—how could he know he’d stolen from the eldest Miss Su? If Su Wenqing had found out, it would have been disastrous.

Big Abacus was desperate to avoid dragging himself down.

Usually, Old Six Gu would handle such affairs. The sudden invitation from Zhou Sen left the Qing brothers apprehensive. Though they strutted with bravado in public, they knew Zhou Sen could crush them with ease if he wished.

Old Six had mentioned that Officer Zhou—Young Master Zhou—was closely tied to Miss Su. No wonder he looked down on them, never giving them face. They had misread the situation; with such connections, why would he need to show them respect?

So, upon hearing that Zhou Sen and Old Six had arrived, the Qing brothers hurried out to greet them, their humble postures and ingratiating smiles as though they were welcoming their own father.

Zhou Sen merely nodded. Men like the Qing brothers, he knew, were like dogs—show them kindness, and they’d take an ell for an inch.

So, he kept his face stern throughout, while Old Six, being more familiar, greeted them with a smile.

Inside the private dining room—

“Zhou…”

“Call me Chief, or Officer Zhou,” Zhou Sen replied coolly, rejecting the underworld forms of address.

“Yes, Chief Zhou, please take a seat. We brothers are honored by your invitation. Truly, we are overwhelmed…” The elder Qing, uneducated and tongue-tied, promptly forgot the words he’d prepared.

Zhou Sen couldn’t keep a stern face forever. He took the main seat, and the others followed suit.

“Elder Qing, we’ve gotten along well these past two years. The patrol district has stayed peaceful, and you two deserve credit for that. Consider this meal my way of thanking you both,” Zhou Sen said, raising his glass.

“No, no, Chief Zhou, you give us too much credit.” The Qing brothers stood, glasses in hand.

“Sit, please. I’m not finished,” Zhou Sen continued, “After the New Year, I may no longer serve as Chief. I intend for Old Six to take over. As long as Old Six is here, you know what to do, yes?”

A jolt ran through Elder Qing. “Understood, Officer Zhou. From now on, we’ll follow Brother Old Six’s lead.”

“Good. I trust you.” Zhou Sen clinked glasses with the Qing brothers and drained his drink.

They both tossed back their drinks as well.

“Another thing—I expect no more sneaky business in my district. Last time, you were lucky it was me. Had it been someone else, you know what your fate would have been.”

“Understood,” Elder Qing replied, still shaken. “If Old Six hadn’t arrived in time, we would have made a grave mistake.”

“Don’t risk your future for petty gains. You never know when you’ll cross someone you can’t afford to offend—and by then, it’s too late for regret.”

“You’re right, Chief Zhou. We take your lesson to heart.”

“And another thing: if you take money, you’re responsible for keeping the peace. Don’t just collect and ignore the rest. If you want to last, mind your reputation. That way, everyone wins.” Zhou Sen nodded. “I have a small matter to discuss as well—”

“Understood. We’ll follow your lead, Chief Zhou—no, Officer Zhou.”

“No need for more words. Here’s to you both!” Zhou Sen raised his glass.

The meal passed in a cordial atmosphere, with the Qing brothers repeatedly toasting Zhou Sen and promising to obey his every command.

In the end, Zhou Sen had to be helped out of Tao’s Old Shop by Old Six—those Qing brothers could certainly hold their drink, and he was no match for them.

“Big brother, what’s Zhou Sen getting at? Does he expect us to work for him from now on?” The younger Qing watched Zhou Sen’s departing figure and asked his elder brother.

“We underestimated him before, little brother. Young Master Zhou is no ordinary man,” the elder replied, eyes bloodshot but mind clear.

“Big brother, what about that Blackie he wants us to find? Should we look for him?”

“Of course we search! And we do it thoroughly—turn Bingcheng upside down if we have to until we find him!” Elder Qing declared.

“Yes, big brother. I’ll see to it right away.”

A man like Zhou Sen seemed young but was shrewd beyond measure—nothing like the rumors of “Little Worm Zhou,” the weak and incompetent second-generation son.

Over the years, Elder Qing had learned one thing—without a patron, you’re rootless, always working for someone else’s benefit.

Still, finding a patron was harder than finding a wife…

Tonight’s dinner had indeed been Zhou Sen’s way of warning the Qing brothers, but also of gauging their intentions.

After all, he had too few reliable men under him. If he wanted to build a team quickly, he’d have to use extraordinary means.

The Japanese would not let him be—this much he’d already deduced. Unless he abandoned everything and left Bingcheng…

He would have to find a way to survive. As for the road ahead, he’d take it one step at a time. What could be more difficult than facing death itself?

He was, after all, just an obscure figure in history, not even a ripple in the vast river of time—what was there to be troubled about?

Let go of the restraints, and act!

Live a life of brilliance, even if, in the end, it’s only a faint echo—at least it would leave a mark in history.

Whether Old Six could take his place would depend on his standing with Akizama-no-suke; this was a good chance to test the waters.

…

“Old Six, why did you let the boss drink so much?” Ye Saner came over to help Zhou Sen onto a bed in the warehouse rest area.

“The Qing brothers kept toasting him, and the boss never refused. I tried to stop them, but couldn’t,” Old Six explained. He’d tried, but with no effect.

“What were the Qing brothers after, trying to get him drunk on purpose?”

“Not exactly, but they probably wanted to test his drinking capacity…” Old Six said sheepishly. He could guess their motives—the brothers were competitive types. If they couldn’t win elsewhere, they’d try to regain face through drinking.

“Did you hear about the two newcomers to the squad?”

“Yes, they went out with the boss on errands this morning,” Old Six replied casually. “I’ll go relieve Wuen. You look after the boss.”

“Alright, go.”

Zhou Sen slept for over two hours and sobered up. Tao’s spirits were indeed good—delicious, but even so, drinking too much would get to you.

“Wuen, fetch Susanna for me—I have questions for her.” Coming out, holding his head, Zhou Sen saw Wuen adding wood to the stove and asked, “Where’s Ye Saner?”

“He went out. Old Uncle Kui and Aunt Han are arguing again.”

“Still about those trivial squabbles?” Zhou Sen filled a water cup and drained it in one gulp.

“Yeah, neither side will give in. They’ve already argued three times this month; this is the fourth.” Wuen sighed. There was nothing he could do—only Ye Saner could handle such matters.

“Alright, go bring Miss Susanna here.”

Wuen agreed and dashed out. The Yuelai Hotel wasn’t far from the warehouse—a few minutes’ walk at most, no more than ten minutes round trip.

Including the time to fetch her, a quarter of an hour would suffice.

Zhou Sen washed his face and tidied himself up. It wouldn’t do to reek of alcohol when questioning someone.

Yet, he waited for nearly half an hour before Wuen finally led Susanna in.

“Please, have a seat, Miss Susanna,” Zhou Sen said.

“My apologies, Officer Zhou. When Wuen came to find me, I wasn’t at the hotel. I felt a bit stifled alone, so I went for a walk in the park,” Susanna explained apologetically.

Zhou Sen nodded. “No trouble at all. It’s normal to want some fresh air when you’re cooped up. Still, for your safety, you should be careful. I can’t be certain whether the person who killed Sheerkin might target you as well.”

“It’s been days now; I suppose it should be fine,” Susanna replied, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

“There hasn’t been anything suspicious lately, but caution is still wise—for your own safety,” Zhou Sen reminded her.

“Thank you, Officer Zhou.”

“Miss Susanna, I asked Wuen to bring you here because I have a few more questions.”

“Please ask.”

“Where were you and what were you doing on the night of the first of this month?” Zhou Sen inquired.

“I met Sheerkin at the Lucia Café on Station Street. We had coffee together, then he went back to work at the newspaper. I stayed a while longer, then left.”

“Where did you go after you left? The bank, or somewhere else?”

“I went back home, then to visit a friend who works at the bank,” Susanna replied.

“Why did you go to your friend’s? You had already taken two days off from the bank—why?”

“I wasn’t feeling well and went to see a doctor. The doctor advised me not to work, to rest in bed, and preferably not to live alone in case anything happened. So I went to stay with my friend; she could look after me.”

“Sheerkin was your boyfriend. You could have stayed at his place—he had a guest room and a maid who could care for you.”

“I didn’t want anyone to know about our relationship yet. His colleagues at the newspaper didn’t know we were seeing each other,” Susanna explained.

“What’s your friend’s name, and where does she live?”

“She’s called Grisha. She lives at No. 12, Market Street. She’s a bank cashier; we joined Dalbonk Bank together.”

“How did you learn of Sheerkin’s death?”

“I read about it in the newspaper—his obituary. Then I went to his house, where I met Aunt Feiya. She told me that you, Officer Zhou, were investigating his case, which is why I came to you for help and protection.”

“How much did you know about Sheerkin’s work?”

“I only knew he was a journalist and liked photography. I didn’t know much else. We didn’t cross paths at work, but in life we got along well. He enjoyed skiing, painting, and music—especially folk music.”

“Did you know Sheerkin was a member of the Russian Patriotic Alliance?”

Susanna’s gaze flickered, but she nodded. “He mentioned it. Many people like him joined that organization.”

“Did Sheerkin ever tell you the Alliance’s purpose or mission?”

“I think it was to help Russians who came from Soviet Russia to Bingcheng get through the review process and obtain temporary residency. I know that much, but nothing more.”

“Very well, Miss Susanna. Thank you for your cooperation. I’ll have Wuen escort you back to your hotel—please be careful and avoid going out unnecessarily,” Zhou Sen concluded.