Chapter 7: Thirteen Spices Tiger
"Jiang Zhicheng?" Zhao Weiming asked, "Do you know him?" But he already knew the answer from Zhang Nianzu's expression.
Zhang Nianzu picked up the paper and looked at it over and over again. He held it under the lamp and observed it for a long time. He said in frustration, "I spent so much time to get this thing?"
In the end, the two of them checked all the people they knew, and not only did they not know Jiang Zhicheng, they didn't even know anyone with the last name Jiang...
Old Wu came in to get the engine oil.
Zhao Weiming asked casually out of boredom: "Old Wu, do you know Jiang Zhicheng?"
"Jiang Zhicheng?" Old Wu was stunned for a moment, then blurted out, "Old Jiang?"
Zhao Weiming laughed and said, "God damn it, Chiang Kai-shek, you speak as if you really know him."
Old Wu said: "I really don't know him, but I know him."
"Ah?" Zhang Nianzu and Zhao Weiming looked at each other. Old Wu was an honest man who never spoke nonsense. His words meant that he really knew...
Old Wu said to himself: "Who doesn't know Jiang Zhicheng recently?"
Zhao Weiming quickly pulled Old Wu to a chair and asked nervously, "What's going on? Who is this Old Jiang?"
"Lao Jiang, a legendary figure who single-handedly defeated No. 19 of the Black Panther Gang and was stabbed more than a hundred times—" Lao Wu said in disbelief, "You don't even know him, so why don't you listen to the drivers' chats?" No one can compare to Lao Wu in this regard. Lao Wu loves to chat with drivers who come to get their cars repaired. He has good skills and is a kind person. You can quote your own price when you come to get your car repaired. If you have money and want to use good ones, of course there is no problem. If you want to make do with it temporarily, he has a way. For a part, if there is a price difference between domestic and imported ones but the effect is the same, Lao Wu will also tell you frankly. Lao Wu has many repeat customers. If it weren't for his orders on this street, other repair shops would not be able to get business. However, even if his peers encounter difficult problems and ask Lao Wu to come over to take a look, he will not refuse, so Lao Wu has a very high prestige on this street, and naturally he has the most and fastest gossip.
After hearing this opening statement, the two young men were shocked: "There is such an awesome person?"
Zhao Weiming quickly asked: "Is Lao Jiang dead or alive now?"
Old Wu said slowly, "If he died, he would not be a legend anymore. He was alive and well, and was just discharged from the hospital a few days ago."
Zhang Nianzu and Zhao Weiming exchanged surprised looks again, and Zhang Nianzu went straight to the point: "Where can I find him?"
Old Wu said, "You all know Dick Slow Rock, he's the manager there."
Zhao Weiming said: "Damn, I've been to that place before, but it's not interesting. There's nothing exciting about it if there's no girls. It's an outdated bar that only old-fashioned people go to."
Old Wu said, "Why are you looking for Old Jiang? He is a popular figure in the underworld now, don't cause trouble for no reason."
Zhao Weiming asked, "A famous person in the underworld?"
Old Wu said: "Do you think an innocent citizen would be stabbed more than a hundred times?" Old Wu began to educate them.
Jiang Zhicheng is a member of the local gang Thirteen Spices, a traditional society with a long history. Because of the name, people often think that Thirteen Spices started out as a condiment seller. Some unfriendly people from other factions also say that it was actually a stall run by thirteen underworld gangs in the Republic of China. Before liberation, they did make a living by running brothels. In recent years, they have been declining and can barely make ends meet. The Dick Slow Rock Bar managed by Lao Jiang is indeed a clean place as Zhao Weiming saw. It has been operating quietly for so many years, and Jiang Zhicheng has gradually become Lao Jiang. People who don't know his background don't know that the manager here is also a member of the society.
The Black Panther Gang was a new and prosperous gang in the city, involved in prostitution, gambling and drugs, and had tense relations with all the old gangs. Among the 19 people who had a gunfight with Jiang Zhicheng, several were small leaders of the Black Panther Gang, and several were the gang's top thugs. For some reason they went to Lao Jiang's bar to drink that day, and everything was peaceful at first. The gunfight was a sudden incident.
Zhao Weiming said: "It seems that the Black Panther Gang wanted to annex Lao Jiang's territory, so the two families started fighting."
Zhang Nianzu said: "This is the only explanation for now." He was familiar with the name of the Black Panther Gang. After all, the locals had heard of it to some extent.
Old Wu said: "After this incident, all the major gangs worshipped Jiang Zhicheng as a god. The Black Panther Gang also said that they would never cause trouble on his territory again. Now Dick Slow Rock Bar has become a gathering place for various gangs in the city. People who come and go are all gangsters. Some come to admire Jiang's heroic figure, some want to appear neutral in the negotiations, and most of them are there to communicate with their idols like fans chasing stars."
Zhang Nianzu laughed and said, "Interesting, there are stars in this industry."
Zhao Weiming's heart moved, and he said, "That's right. It seems that Grandpa is also a man of this kind. So if you want to find Grandpa, you should find Lao Jiang first. There's nothing wrong with that."
Zhang Nianzu said: "The water is too deep, can you hold it?"
Zhao Weiming said angrily, "I have to bear it even if I can't. If I can't find my grandfather, what will I do with all my debts?"
Zhang Nianzu said: "Since you didn't give up halfway for the first time in so many years, I will help you again!"
Old Wu said worriedly, "Are you really going? This evil star is a master who can defeat 19 enemies at once! His nickname is now the Thirteen Spices Tiger."
Zhao Weiming smiled and said, "We are not looking for a fight with him."
Zhang Nianzu curled his lips: "The Thirteen Spices Tiger has a strong mouth!"
…
The two decided to go to Dick's Slow Rock Bar first.
On the way, Zhao Weiming asked Zhang Nianzu: "How did he defeat 19 people by himself?"
Zhang Nianzu said: "If it wasn't Old Wu who said this, I would have retorted immediately. I believe that if ten people were beaten away, nineteen would be defeated, but one..." and he shook his head.
Zhao Weiming asked, "Could it be that all nineteen of them were drunk?"
Zhang Nianzu said: "He was originally going there to grab territory, and he was carrying a knife. Would he get drunk before taking action?"
The more they talked, the more they felt they had hit a dead end, so they simply changed the topic.
When passing by a bank, Zhao Weiming asked Zhang Nianzu to stop the car. He went in and came out shortly after with a thick newspaper package.
"Where have you been?" Zhang Nianzu asked.
Zhao Weiming threw the paper bag on the seat and said with a grin, "I took out the last 20,000 yuan I had. We're going to ask someone for such important information, so we have to bring some gifts."
Zhang Nianzu was speechless. Zhao Weiming was a scheming person most of the time, but he would occasionally show sincerity. This time, he had invested a lot of money.
When the lights came on, two people walked into Dick's Slow Rock Bar.
It was still early, and there was no music playing in the venue. Only the laser lights were slowly casting dynamic circular spots. The venue was spacious, about the size of a small theater. In the center was a dance floor, and outside the circular corridor were booths where people could drink. There were no private rooms. The decoration here was in the style of the beginning of the century, and the business model was also very diverse. It was neither a nightclub nor a KTV. It was a bit noisy to call it a bar, but young people would not go to such a place to dance. Zhang Nianzu could feel the deep twilight atmosphere of this place and the deep nostalgia . No wonder Zhao Weiming said it was outdated.
When a waiter came to greet people, Zhao Weiming asked them in a very gangster way: "Is your boss here?"
The waiter said, "You are asking about our manager Jiang, right?" He pointed at the bar, "That's it."
Zhang Nianzu and Zhao Weiming looked towards the bar together, and saw a middle-aged man with a round head and a big belly standing there. He was a little bald, and bandages could be seen on his chest and arms through his clothes. He had a friendly look on his face. Whenever someone came over to say hello to him, he would try to listen and smile before the other person even came up to him. He was the typical middle-aged bar owner who would neither fail completely nor be too successful.
Zhao Weiming said disappointedly: "Is this the famous Thirteen Spices Tiger?"
