Chapter 2

MinYao's building shone under the sun. For organized crime, they were too well off, buying away any hindrances and bribing away officials, MinYao thrived throughout C City. Inside the buildings, First Young Master waited for his right-hand man, Chen Dulan. He had gained influence within three years of joining.

"You called me, sir." Chen Dulan looked up from his bowed position.

Yao Jianguo looked down. The boy was younger than this own little brother, but a lot more mature and composed. He never smiled, A-Fang used to complain about Chen Dulan's poker face when they were younger. It hasn't gotten better.

"Yes, there's something I'll need you to do." He played with the paperweight on his desk, "You'll have to go where Madam Yao is staying. I'll give you the details later."

"But- I need to be here. I need to protect the safe and- I need to fight with my underlings- I can't leave them all. If it's a small errand, anyone can run it?" He knitted his brows with confusion. Typical Chen Dulan.

"It's not a small errand actually. You'll be put in A-Fang's highschool, he's being targeted by smaller gangs, I need him to graduate highschool without worries."

"I can't leave MinYao's base, I haven't left in years." There was something bitter in those words, but Yao Jianguo didn't care for it. Chen Dulan was known to hold grudges.

"You also can't defy orders, Chen Dulan. Protecting the Second Young Master is a very important task. Surely you don't think MinYao would collapse without you for a few months?" Yao Jianguo walked closer leaving only centimeters between their faces. "You know better than to argue with me, right?"

"Yes." He averted his eyes uncomfortably. "I'll- I'll go."

He stared again. This boy was his right-hand-man. Shy of seventeen. And he knew that Chen Dulan feared him too much. For whatever reason, they had almost grown up together, and yet there were no feelings between them.

"Sir... I just have to protect Second Young Master, right? Then I can return, right?"

"Are you so eager to return when you haven't even left? A-Fang's temperament hasn't gotten better yet. If he says something mean, don't take it to heart. He... he only wants our family to be together." Though that's only wishful thinking. "The reason I am sending you specifically, is because Father believes you would protect him just like the first time you both had met. He saw a fire in your eyes, he talks about it a lot. Boss has so much faith in you, he was impressed to see a 10-year-old blocking against a knife attack. Don't make him regret his trust in you... Azure." He had cooed.

"Rest assured. I will do anything necessary." Chen Dulan bowed again.

He walked out of the room with a tense feeling.

Chen Dulan got used to the fact that if he didn't live with the main Yao family, he would have no money or food. Growing up, he had always stayed in the Boss's mansion or in MinYao's buildings, depending on the situation. He was always put in one of the local schools and his attendance was mostly null. Now in this small town, living in Madam Yao's mansion was not an option, he only had to accompany Young Master in school.

So where the hell would he live?

Young Master's school form showed no dormitory service. Would he work part-time? Well, other than school, he really didn't have anything else to do all day. But managing school and a job, and being with Young Master all day was kind of a lot. He'd have to get at least average grades to not look suspicious, and if no one was sent from MinYao to get him admission, meant he'd have to deal with the teachers too. He had spent so many years outside of school, how would he even catch up with the studies?

Chen Dulan would never complain though, anything was better than murder.

First, he assured the men under him about his mission. They were all older than him, but by years of experience and by position in the group, they were still his underlings. He was never much of a talker, he spoke in few words and more meaning.

These mannerisms didn't make him any less of street rat though. MinYao would only have him, till he could prove his worth. With nowhere else to be, Chen Dulan found his worth under Yao Jianguo's commands. He would follow any of his orders to his death.