Chapter Fifty-Eight: A Conversation

“You’re finally here,” Lu Kun said with a smile to the newcomer.

“It’s been so long since I last saw Da Ya and Er Ya. I’ve really missed them, so I thought I’d drop by for a visit,” Shitou replied with a hearty laugh, his centipede-shaped scar on his left forehead lending his face a slightly menacing look.

“The two kids are still at school right now. There’s a while yet before they’re done for the day,” Lu Kun replied, giving his newspaper a shake. He patted the rocking chair beside him, inviting Shitou to sit down and relax.

The chair gave a soft creak as Shitou settled in.

“You really live a comfortable life—almost like a god!” Shitou exclaimed, full of admiration.

“Ah, you could have this life too, once you get yourself a wife,” Lu Kun replied, feeling secretly pleased but acting nonchalant.

“Oh, come on! I can’t compare to you now. At this rate, your kids will be in middle school before I even manage to find a wife,” Shitou said, smacking his forehead in mock frustration.

“Well, if you do manage to win her over, you’ll have struck it rich. You could live off your father-in-law for a lifetime,” Lu Kun teased, raising his eyebrows.

He wasn’t wrong. With Gao Weiliang’s power and influence in Gui A County, if Shitou married his daughter, he’d genuinely have nothing to worry about.

But for now, Shitou still lacked that key stepping stone. Getting into Gao Weiliang’s household wouldn’t be easy. Not to mention, Shitou’s less-than-spotless past would be a major obstacle. If he tried to propose now, he’d probably get thrown out by Gao Weiliang and end up spending three to five years behind bars. Shitou had enough skeletons in his closet that Gao Weiliang could crush him without effort.

But that wasn’t what Lu Kun wanted to talk about today. After the pleasantries, it was time to get down to business.

“Shitou, you haven’t been going to Huakun Supermarket much lately, have you?” Lu Kun put on a serious face.

Shitou was allowed to skip work at the Huakun Supermarket branches, a privilege Lu Kun had granted. Besides his title as head of security, Shitou also served as a special consultant to the chain.

“What’s happened? Did something go wrong?” Years of camaraderie helped Shitou spot the underlying meaning at once. His eyes snapped open as he sat up.

Lu Kun nodded slightly, considering his words carefully.

“If there’s something, just say it. There’s nothing between us that can’t be said,” Shitou said, nudging Lu Kun’s arm.

“Alright, I’ll be blunt,” Lu Kun decided, realizing it was best to lay everything out.

Most of the men under Shitou’s command had been placed as security guards in the Huakun Supermarket branches. They could be useful if managed well, but otherwise, they were trouble. These fellows were former street thugs—unruly and used to their freedom. Even if they settled down for a time, they’d soon lapse into their old ways. Rule-breaking had become a frequent problem.

Many people had reported these issues to Lu Kun, but because of his relationship with Shitou, he’d kept things quiet, intending to discuss it frankly when the time was right.

Not only were these men failing to do their jobs, they were also causing damage. If they were thirsty or hungry, they’d help themselves to whatever they wanted from the store. The more principled ones would at least have the cashier keep a tally and settle up at the end of the month, but the rest simply took things. As for security duties, their usefulness was limited to intimidating local troublemakers with bravado and muscle.

Lu Kun had already dealt with a few troublemakers, but the others fell back into their old ways as soon as things cooled down.

He was now determined to fire all these disruptive, incompetent men. He couldn’t let a few bad apples spoil the whole barrel. This was the last malignant growth left within the Huakun system. Remove them, bring in fresh blood, and the company could flourish.

He’d even found replacements. In recent years, many demobilized soldiers and veterans had yet to be placed in new jobs, with some even working as laborers at docks and stations. These veterans were physically fit, disciplined, obedient, and reliable—no comparison to the current lot.

Hiring these thugs for the security department was always a stopgap measure, just to get things rolling. If they proved useful, they’d stay; if not, he’d swap them out. Now that Huakun Supermarket had stabilized, it was time to clear them out.

When Lu Kun finished, Shitou listened in silence, his brow deeply furrowed. “Fire all of them?”

He hesitated.

Lu Kun understood. While those men weren’t exactly upstanding citizens, they did have a sense of loyalty—especially since they’d followed Shitou from the countryside to the city, hoping to make a name for themselves. Forcing them to pack up and leave now seemed heartless.

“There’s no need to fire everyone. Those who’ve performed well and want to stay can keep their jobs. Your six top men, as well as Ergou and Gou Dan, can remain. As for the rest, give them a bit more severance and send them home,” Lu Kun said.

Shitou looked dejected, but Lu Kun didn’t dwell on it. When it was time to act, swift action was best; hesitate, and chaos would follow.

He’d considered giving Shitou money to set up a security company and spin off his men, but after looking into the registration requirements, it was clear that was impossible. The rules were far too strict. Besides, if these men couldn’t even follow the supermarket’s rules, expecting them to adhere to the stricter regulations of a security company was pure fantasy. If anything went wrong, Shitou would end up shouldering the blame.

“Don’t overthink it. No matter how many times you pull those guys up, it’s useless if they’re not cut out for it,” Lu Kun said, patting Shitou’s shoulder in comfort.

He spoke from experience. Those men strutted around like kings, as if the supermarket couldn’t run without them—completely delusional.

…

“Uncle Shitou, you’re here!” The moment Er Ya came home and saw Shitou, she ran over, eager for affection.

“Hello, Uncle Shitou!” During the past half year, Da Ya had shot up in height and now carried herself like a young lady, unlike the easily excitable Er Ya.

“Good, good. I was just asking your father when you girls would be home. Come, see what Uncle brought you,” Shitou’s face brightened at once.

“Wow, what a beautiful melodica…”

…