The Street Friends Association has a large number of people, and together with the Cow Horse Association, which believes in "working as a cow or a horse, no matter how bitter it is, it is still sweet", and the "Peace Association", which even wants to coexist peacefully with a knife on its neck, they are also known as the three outrageous guilds around Stone City.
These three major guilds have no leaders and no organizational structure. Anyone can join as long as they agree with their ideas. Generally speaking, the Street Club is a haven for homeless people and a resting place for the frustrated. It is more normal than the other two outrageous guilds.
At the risk of the explosion of the simple stove, Zhu Shengzhi, in disguise, took care of the formation of the "relic" and finally waited for a synthetic tofu meal from his fifth uncle.
"It's delicious! Everything you eat is delicious when you're hungry!"
Zhu Shengzhi, who eats delicacies from the mountains and seas every day, has an uncertain fate after escaping from death. Synthetic tofu, which usually seems to be poor, has become a delicacy.
The mouth was gurgling, inhaling and chewing at the same time, and the juice was flowing out. It really turned into a fat pig fighting for food in the trough.
Uncle Wu asked in a dumbfounded voice: "Don't eat in such a hurry, be careful of burns. We don't have money to see a doctor."
After finishing the synthetic tofu, Zhu Shengzhi wiped his mouth and began to observe his surroundings.
As night falls completely, flimsy shacks built with broken synthetic boards and plastics are vaguely visible in the darkness, resisting the gradually cooler weather after autumn.
Scattered LED lights can barely illuminate a small area. Surrounded by the aperture of LED lights, the poor sat together, built a bonfire with collected phlogiston cinders, and shared the hard-earned leftovers of the day.
The messy paths that could hardly be called "streets" were filled with dirty water stains and emitted an unpleasant smell. From a distance, Zhu Shengzhi smelled a dirty smell, but at this time, with mud on his body and face, he didn't necessarily smell much better than others.
Simple furniture is placed in front of the few shacks. Sofas and folding chairs abandoned by the rich have become places for rest and gatherings for residents of this slum. There is a large sofa in front of Uncle Wu's shack.
Zhu Shengzhi rolled his eyes. He compared the furnishings in the shack and judged that Uncle Wu had a certain status in the street friends' association. He was at least a person who could speak in this slum.
"Fifth Uncle, Fifth Uncle," Zhu Shengzhi immediately put his big face close to his, "My younger brother is called 'Zhi Duoxing', Fifth Uncle, just call me 'Xiao Zhi'. If I eat the Fifth Uncle's food, I will be the Fifth Uncle's. As long as Uncle Wu is of use to me, Xiaozhi, I will never give up!"
Uncle Wu touched his beard that was stained with oil smoke: "You look quite smart. My back pain has come back again. Since you want to help, just wait for these relics to cool down and take them to the shanty town. At the north entrance, give it to the consignee and bring the money back."
Zhu Shengzhi had some doubts. Did Uncle Wu want to deliberately test his loyalty? Otherwise, why would you send yourself, who had just met by chance, to carry out such an important task and also handle money?
Wow, this old immortal! The slums must be full of his people. If I dare to abscond with money, his people will definitely catch me on the spot, castrate me and throw my kidneys into the canal!
"It's easy to say! It's easy to say! I will definitely complete the task!" Zhu Shengzhi was suspicious in his heart, but still smiled on the surface.
"Well..." Uncle Wu looked at Zhu Shengzhi carefully for a while, "Your face is too dirty. Did you fall? It's all mud. This will affect the first impression of the recipient."
Under the instructions of his fifth uncle, Zhu Shengzhi washed his face in an empty bucket. In order not to be recognized for removing sludge, Zhu Shengzhi started to practice facial expressions. Normally, he would have a crooked mouth and squinty eyes, like the product of an incest marriage.
Uncle Wu didn't comment on Zhu Shengzhi's face, he just stared at his bald head and his eyes lit up:
"Wonderful! It's really wonderful! I have a cassock in my collection that just matches your bald head. You put it on and go deliver the goods. The recipient is a Buddhist. After meeting you, he might give you more money!"
Zhu Shengzhi's mouth became even more crooked: "The other party is a Buddhist, and he deliberately buys fake relics like ours?"
Fifth Uncle: "The deeper I study Buddhism, the more I understand that there are no real relics in this world! Stop talking nonsense, let me put 6 scars on your head first..."
"Ahhhh! Hot! Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot..."
Uncle Wu directly used an iron rod heated in the stove to touch Zhu Shengzhi's scar. The pain was so painful that Zhu Shengzhi could not speak coherently and did not dare to resist.
It was simply torture! Fifth Uncle, you look so kind and kind, why are you so cruel! I understand, you must be a smiling tiger. How can you survive in such a gloomy slum with only hypocrisy? You must be a cruel villain type!
Ten minutes later, Zhu Shengzhi put on a full set of monk robes and went to the meeting place with a brand-new look on his six newly permed ring scars.
As the night breeze passed through the northern streets of the shanty town, Zhu Shengzhi felt that there were countless curious eyes looking at him along the way, but because he was the fifth uncle's son, no one asked any questions.
The poor wore shabby clothes, with ragged cuffs and holes in their trouser legs revealing their despicable living conditions. Their eyes reveal helplessness and decadence, but also hide perseverance and accusations of unfair fate.
Zhu Shengzhi just wanted to escape from this place as soon as possible and return to his comfort zone without danger. But at this moment, he had to accept the protection of his fifth uncle, because Nian would be chasing him and there was a traitor in the Shengzhi group.
The slum was not as big as expected. Zhu Shengzhi soon arrived at the north entrance of the shanty town and saw the consignee who had been waiting for a long time.
Zhu Shengzhi was startled by the other party's appearance.
The recipient was wrapped in a black robe, barely showing any skin. Both his hands and feet were covered tightly by black gloves and black leather boots. Even the top of his head was covered by a black wide-brimmed hat, leaving absolutely no trace exposed.
Most disturbing of all is his panoramic black mask - constructed of black metal and scratch-resistant glass that completely conceals his face. On the other side of the mask, there is a complex airflow system that ensures smooth breathing through airflow circulation. There is also a sound wave lifting device to prevent the leakage of characteristic sounds and only sporadic mechanical breathing sounds are revealed.
Zhu Shengzhi suspected that the other party had a noble status and was probably from the inner city - hell, aren't you my lover No. 7? Lover No. 7 also practices Buddhism and likes relics very much. Do you want to buy them directly from the place of production without any middlemen making a difference?
However, the consignee didn't seem to recognize Zhu Shengzhi, at least he didn't recognize the monk who wore cassocks, had a ring scar, and had a crooked mouth and eyes.
There was no evaluation of the quality of the relics or Zhu Shengzhi's appearance. The consignee paid the money and delivered the goods, and left quickly. Zhu Shengzhi didn't know whether it was too much or too little.
After successfully completing the task, Zhu Shengzhi happily put the roll of banknotes into his cassock, turned around and planned to go back.
"Stop!"
The sudden voice from behind almost made Zhu Shengzhi pull up his pants pockets. He turned around and saw that the person who spoke was not the consignee who had left just now, but a disheveled gangster-like figure who had appeared at an unknown time.
Zhu Shengzhi felt a little relieved. This was probably not a minion of the Nian Society, but a small thief extorting money at the entrance to the slum.
"Amitabha..." Zhu Shengzhi, who was carrying money in his cassock, clasped his palms together towards the other party, "The poor monk was so angry in his belly that he was about to go back to defecate. What do you want the donor to do?"
"Don't pretend to be a monk!" The gangster came up and slapped Zhu Shengzhi twice, making Zhu Shengzhi's eyes flash with stars.
"Hand over the money you just received! This is the territory of the Shengzhi Group. Even if money falls from the sky, the Shengzhi Group must have a share!"
A hint of murderous intent flashed in Zhu Shengzhi's eyes: "Are you from the Shengzhi Group? Why haven't I seen you before..."
"Nonsense! How can you, a garbage man like you from the neighborhood association, meet the noble and noble heroes of the Shengzhi Group? The entire 5th and 6th districts are covered by our Boss Zhu. Please take out your money as soon as possible!"
Zhu Shengzhi regretted extremely that he had not been strict with the lower class members and even allowed them to bully the market and extort women and children. Now he is being bullied.
However, times are forcing it, and now is not the time to reveal his identity. What's more, a low-level member like the other party would probably not recognize Zhu Shengzhi even if he saw him without disguise. After all, now that the Shengzhi Group is being attacked by the Nian Society, this guy has no sense of crisis at all.
"This, this money is not mine... I gave it to you and I can't explain it when I go back... Don't look at the monk's face to look at the Buddha's face..."
Zhu Shengzhi wanted to ask for mercy, but the other party was unable to get in, so he kicked Zhu Shengzhi in the chest again, causing him to fall in the dust, wailing and unable to get up for a long time.
"You, don't go too far...what's your name?"
The little hooligan just regarded Zhu Shengzhi's words as a barking dog. He rode on Zhu Shengzhi's waist, opened his cassock and snatched away the roll of banknotes. Before leaving, he spit in Zhu Shengzhi's face.
Zhu Shengzhi was an intellectual with weak fighting ability, so he suffered great humiliation for nothing.
It's over... The money given by the consignee was taken away. How should I explain to Uncle Wu? Uncle Wu will definitely dismantle my organs and sell them for money! But now Nian will be searching for me outside. If I escape from the slum now, won't I be sending myself to death?
After much deliberation, I had no choice but to take out a few large bills hidden in my trouser pocket, treat them as given by the consignee, and give them to Uncle Wu for delivery.
As a result, when Uncle Wu saw the few banknotes rolled into a roll and Zhu Shengzhi's bruised face, he smiled with enlightenment:
"Xiao Zhi, why don't you offend someone outside and hide in the street club incognito? People who receive goods don't need banknotes of this denomination... Forget it, I accepted the money, and I'll keep it for you. Keep it, so as not to be snatched away again. Don’t think too much, if you can’t survive outside, the street friends’ association can help you live a human life.”
"People here more or less have some secrets from the past that they don't want to mention. Just relax, as long as you completely abandon your past identity and dignity, you will definitely become a qualified street friend!"
Zhu Shengzhi was so moved that he almost shed tears - although Uncle Wu's words were not pleasant to hear, his subordinates could still offer words of comfort when they lost their payment for goods. This kind of leader who is different from me, even I want to have!
