That same September, the city suddenly launched a crackdown on gang crime and corruption.
I got wind of it and started sorting out my cash, but since my businesses were relatively clean, I flew under the radar. Boss Liu, though, got locked up over his gray-area dealings.
In March 2005, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
I pulled a lot of strings back then, managing to get a message to him in jail: "Brother Liu, everything with the businesses is fine. When you get out, they'll all still be yours."
I meant it, truly.
But I never got to see him walk free.
In July 2005, word came from the prison: Boss Liu had been stabbed to death. But with the other eleven men in his cell all denying involvement, the prison couldn't pin it on anyone. In the end, they just handed out disciplinary records to everyone in the cell and brushed the case aside.
I was stunned when I heard.
I dug for answers, and a contact—who'd been in and out of prison four times—told me Boss Liu had been moved to a new cell, likely after someone bribed their way to make it happen.
I knew there was more to it. I didn't think twice, shoving a pile of cash at the contact. "Find out… dig until you get to the bottom of this."
The contact hesitated, warning me, "This might not lead anywhere. And even if it does, are you sure you'll dare to go after who you find?"
"Just find out first. We'll deal with the rest later."
He took the money and started poking around.
Boss Liu was a loyal man, but he had plenty of enemies. I had no clue who'd killed him, and I couldn't find out. Still, I owed him for all he'd done for me—I had to repay that debt.
But tracking this down felt hopeless. Maybe no amount of digging would uncover the truth. So I wondered: What else could I do for him?
Boss Liu had no wife, only a few mistresses, and they'd all latched onto new patrons once he was locked up. After asking around, I finally learned he had a younger brother, Liu Feng, who'd been jailed a few years back and was set to be released soon.
To honor Boss Liu, I resolved to look after his brother.
On the day Liu Feng was released, I took some men to meet him at the prison gate and told him everything that had happened. He'd known about Boss Liu's death in jail, but he hadn't expected me to show up.
I offered to hand over all the businesses to him to run, but Liu Feng declined, saying he knew nothing about managing them—only how to do "underworld work." Besides, he said, he didn't need much money now that he was out.
So I bought him an apartment to settle him down. Later, when he saw my car, he said he wanted to be my driver.
I was reluctant at first—he was Boss Liu's brother; how could he chauffeur me? But Liu Feng insisted, "Eating without working? I'd just become a burden. If I'm going to stick with you, I need something to do."
He had a point.
And so Liu Feng became my driver.