Chapter 13

Yao Jianguo wouldn't ever accept it, but he had grown quite dependent on Chen Dulan. The boy was no more than an underling to him, someone useful to MinYao. He was clean with negotiations and could threaten his way out of many situations. He wasn't afraid to handle the most dangerous tasks and he was obedient.

As long as Yao Jianguo kept him by his side, Chen Dulan would agree to anything.

MinYao had another great ally, an elite assassin who went with the name 'Azure'. He had threatened the heads of 5 organization to kill them all off within 24 hours and no surprise to the Boss or Yao Jianguo, Azure had kept his promise. He had become an urban legend with misinformation about him swirling throughout C City, but people knew he was allies with MinYao. Azure only killed MinYao's enemies.

If they all knew that Azure was a sixteen year old, they'd all piss their pants.

Yao Jianguo dare not forget, while Chen Dulan was an asset to MinYao, if abused beyond tolerance, he could turn dangerous. Chen Dulan himself didn't know how scary he was to have as an enemy. Azure never made empty threats.

"Young Master, should I head out with squad C?"

Yao Jianguo was snapped out of his thoughts. "Yes, proceed with caution."

Chen Dulan was fun to order around though. The guy was oddly obedient, wouldn't even make a face at the worst demands, and would expect to be blamed for anything. Yao Jianguo didn't have his brother's childish temper, but behind the office's closed doors, only Chen Dulan had seen his rage. Bullets shot or kicks thrown, Chen Dulan took it all. One dare say he enjoyed it?

No, Chen Dulan hated it. But wasn't that just more interesting?

Their relationship was messed up, but so was the whole organized crime they called business. MinYao had never pretended to be a moral group.

'Chen Dulan you really... make me miss you.' Yao Jianguo snickered darkly.

‎

It was an odd time to receive a call, but the only one who could call Chen Dulan at such an hour could only be Yao Jianguo, the Young Master. The actual one.

"I hope I didn't disturb you." His voice echoed through the call and he was in a bad mood. Why? Wasn't Chen Dulan doing exactly as he had asked?

"You could never disturb me, Young Master. Thank you for calling." Chen Dulan had eaten the congee, feeling sparks of excitement before going to bed, and now he was receiving a call from his superior. Yao Jianguo's voice always put him back in his place, a replaceable thing and a killing machine. He wasn't a child, he never was.

"How is A-Fang? I haven't met him in a while, but he's agreed to stay in S Town till his graduation, which means you're settled there for another year."

"Won't you need me?"

"Still cocky, Chen Dulan? What did I say about MinYao? We can handle without-"

"Sir!" He was interrupted. "I- I want to be useful. Second Young Master... he doesn't need me, anyone can protect him but... I need to be useful... I feel so useless here." That was the desperation he liked in Chen Dulan's voice, the pleas and the helplessness. Yao Jianguo had complete power over his feelings, and wasn't that the most satisfying thing he had heard this entire week?

"Chen Dulan, you are useful." He cooed. "As long as you do as I say, you'll be useful. To MinYao, to Boss and to me. You're always useful to me. No one gets me like you do."

He could hear Chen Dulan's breath hitch over the phone. Perfect.

"A-Fang is the most important to us, you know that. As long as you're with him, I'll be reassured nothing happens to him. You can do so much, can't you? You are useful after all, perfectly useful. I can't replace you if you keep being useful." Sometimes Yao Jianguo felt like an asshole, because Chen Dulan was almost his brother's age, so he shouldn't enjoy tormenting such a young kid. But he could play with Chen Dulan's mind so easily, because the hurt child his father had picked up, got no chances to recover in MinYao. Chen Dulan was still the shadow of that weak pathetic child who wouldn't even eat without being assured of his worth.

"Azure will return when we need him. For now, do what you're told."

Do what you're told and don't think its unfair.