Chapter 007: Bai Jie

At noon, they returned to the station to eat in the canteen. The meal consisted of two vegetable dishes and a soup, with very little oil, yet several of them ate heartily. The canteen was crowded with many low-ranking officers. The officials never ate there since the canteen didn’t provide special meals; they couldn’t bear eating the same poor-quality food as the patrolmen.

Li Haibo and his three companions recognized many familiar faces—old officers from the Zhabei precinct as well as newly recruited members from the Green Gang. After a round of cigarettes, their camaraderie grew even stronger. Once finished eating, they resumed patrolling. At the end of their shift, the group gathered to divide the earnings.

Hou Yong and two others each received fifty cents. Li Haibo, as the eldest brother, got a bit more—sixty cents. Holding the coins between his fingers, Li Haibo frowned slightly. “Only this much? Eighteen yuan a month isn’t enough to get by!”

Hou Yong shrugged nonchalantly, stuffing the money into his pocket. “Brother Bo, this is just the beginning. There’ll be plenty of chances to make more. At least we’re police now; lots of people will be vying to curry favor with us.”

Yang Chun pushed up his glasses and chimed in, “Exactly, Brother Bo. We can establish our authority in this area first. Which small vendor would dare to defy us?”

Xiong Kui’s eyes darted about eagerly. “Brother Bo! I know of a ready-made business, practically tailor-made for us. It just depends on whether we have the guts to take it on.”

Li Haibo raised an eyebrow. “What business? Don’t start with those unreliable schemes.”

Xiong Kui chuckled, stroking the dark hair on a mole on his hand. “Brother Bo, look, we’re all police now. Many people want to get good citizen certificates. We can help connect them, earn some ‘tea money’ on the side. That’s no small sum.”

Hearing this, Li Haibo frowned deeply. “Getting a good citizen certificate isn’t a joke. It’s a troublesome process. You need the neighborhood leader’s signature, then a stamp from the security bureau, and finally a steel seal from the archives department. For old Shanghai residents, it’s easier since there are registration files, but for outsiders, it’s even more complicated—they need new files created and kept on record. It’s not easy.”

Yang Chun listened but dismissed the concerns with a smirk. “Brother Bo, precisely because it’s difficult, the money’s better. I’ve looked into it; some steps we can handle ourselves. For example, the signature—we’re police officers, so we can sign ourselves. No need to find the neighborhood leader. That way, the whole profit goes into our pockets. What a deal!”

Li Haibo shot Yang Chun a sharp glare and scolded, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! It’s not that simple. Unless it’s a well-known neighbor, we absolutely can’t sign for others. If one of the people we help turns out to be an anti-Japanese agitator, we’re done for. This is a matter of life and death. What’s the point of making money if we lose our heads?”

Hou Yong scratched his head and considered before saying, “Alright, Brother Bo, let’s just sign as guarantors for neighbors we know, and for strangers, follow the rules and get the neighborhood leader’s signature. It means less profit, but it’s safer.”

Li Haibo shook his head decisively. “We won’t make a single cent off the neighbors’ money.”

Xiong Kui looked puzzled, eyes wide. “Why? Brother Bo, that’s money handed to us on a silver platter.”

Li Haibo glared at him. “Don’t you get it? Those are neighbors who watched us grow up, like family. How can we take their money? Ask the thieves—would they pick the pockets of their neighbors?”

Hou Yong straightened up and declared loudly, “Of course not! Brother Bo’s right. Even rabbits don’t eat the grass near their nests. We can’t exploit our neighbors.”

Yang Chun wasn’t quite convinced and muttered quietly, “Brother Bo, what if we just take a little, really just a token ‘tea money,’ as a courtesy?”

Li Haibo pondered for a moment and nodded slightly. “Alright, you decide the limits. Xiong Kui, you’re smooth-talking—go make the connections and get this business running soon! But be sharp, and don’t stir up any damn trouble.”

They parted ways after dividing the money.

...

“Hey! Haibo, you’re a policeman now? Look at you, looking so sharp in that uniform!”

“Haibo’s made it! Don’t forget to look after the neighbors!”

“Haibo’s been righteous since he was a kid...”

...

As Li Haibo neared his home, he spotted a familiar figure approaching—Bai Jie, a childhood playmate. Girls really do change with age; she had grown even more beautiful. Li Haibo put on a broad smile and ran forward to greet her. “Little Bai, long time no see!”

Unexpectedly, Bai Jie rolled her eyes, spat, and said, “Bah, you traitorous dog!”

Li Haibo froze, staring at her retreating back, and cursed, “That damn girl, has she been brainwashed?”

He strode into the house, indifferent. “Mama! I’m home!”

“Brother! Work tiring?” Xiaohua bounced out from the inner room.

“You’re such a good girl!” Li Haibo smiled.

“Xiaohua’s good at home. Brother, buy me some candy!”

Li Haibo pulled out a few copper coins and waved his hand generously. “Here you go, flower!”

“Thank you, brother!” Xiaohua took the coins gleefully and ran out.

“Oh dear! Why are you giving her money?” Li’s mother came out from the kitchen, slapping her thigh anxiously.

“It’s just a few coins, no big deal,” Li Haibo replied casually.

“I’m worried she’s too young and might be tricked,” Li’s mother frowned.

“Don’t worry, Mama. She’s just going to buy candy at the alley entrance. It’s all neighbors—nothing will happen.”

“You’re spoiling her!” Li’s mother scolded.

Then Li Haibo suddenly recalled Bai Jie at the door and asked, “Mama! I just saw Bai Jie outside. Why did she look at me like I was her enemy?”

“Well, maybe because you’re in a police uniform! That girl is pitiful. She graduated from school and joined Mary Hospital as a nurse. Her family lived near Bazi Bridge, right? When the Japanese attacked Shanghai, that area became a war zone. A Japanese shell hit her home; her parents and young brother died instantly, leaving her all alone. Little Bo, I’m telling you, even though you work at the police station, don’t help the damn Japanese do cruel things!”

“Don’t worry, Mama! You know what kind of person I am.”

“No! You have to go with me to pray to the Bodhisattva!”

“Ah, no!”

“You have to swear to the Bodhisattva!”

“I…”

...