The situation was more powerful than individual wills. Since Zhang Guohui had reneged on his word, Zhang Weixiong and the others had no choice. Moreover, both they and Zhang Jiacong, who was at home, believed that money was not the most important thing at this moment. As long as Zhang Guohui handled the matter well, everything that had just happened was merely to prevent him from getting greedy too easily.
After Zhang Guohui left, Zhang Weixiong took Chen Jin to a photo studio on the street to take pictures. The next afternoon, they handed over the photos and documents to Zhang Guohui, and then waited for the deal to be finalized in half a month. It was not possible to give money to such a person at this moment, as he was not very trustworthy.
Zhang Weixiong had to go back to school the next afternoon, while Chen Jin continued to live a secluded life. Having offended He Zhong, although Zhang Jiacong and Zhang Weixiong said He Zhong was unlikely to come to Rongshu Village to harm him, it was still not good to be too conspicuous. Moreover, in Rongshu Village, many people knew he was an illegal immigrant. Although there was no rejection, there was always a sense of distance, making it difficult for Chen Jin to become close with them in a short time.
He still had a lot to learn and did not worry about being bored or lonely. His Cantonese was getting more proficient, and it was not easy to detect unless listened to carefully. However, the difficulty of controlling voice and expressions was far beyond his imagination and could not be mastered in just ten days or half a month.
With deep effort, even an iron pestle can be ground to a needle. Chen Jin, a very diligent person, fueled by hope, was even more motivated. Some days, to practice his voice, he even lived on a fishing boat, so as not to disturb the Zhang family or the neighbors at night.
Fortunately, he had the methods of practicing those skills imprinted in his mind. Coupled with his experience in singing and acting, he could feel a positive change over the days, although small, it was enough to be exciting.
In addition to helping the Zhang family with fishing, he spent every day studying hard. Zhang Jiacong, seeing Chen Jin so diligent and honest, became more and more satisfied. However, Zhang Weihao hoped that Chen Jin would go out and play with him more. Although Chen Jin was honest, he also liked to have fun.
Time flew, and half a month quickly passed. On Friday, Zhang Weixiong came back again. He wasn't just talking previously; this time he even bought a guitar for Chen Jin.
Casually handing the guitar to Chen Jin, Zhang Weixiong said, "Ah Jin, I've invested a lot in you. You have to work hard for me!" Zhang Weixiong himself had a guitar, but it was old and worn out after six or seven years. He had feelings for it, so he simply bought a new one for Chen Jin, especially since Chen Jin had given him five thousand yuan before.
Men, especially those born in the 70s and 80s, always had a thing for guitars during high school or college, whether it was for wooing girls or for pretension.
Chen Jin, a flamboyant person who aspired to be a big name in the entertainment industry, was proficient with the guitar. He played a few chords and joked, "I didn't promise you anything. What does your investment have to do with me?"
Seeing Chen Jin's skilled finger movements and strumming, Zhang Weixiong's eyes lit up and he slapped Chen Jin on the back. "Ha, you really hid your skills well. You already knew how to play this thing, huh?"
Chen Jin shrugged. "What's the use of knowing this? Does it have anything to do with singing or acting?" Zhang Weixiong replied with a grin, "Of course it does. With your handsome face and a guitar, you'll be incredibly charming on stage."
Chen Jin thought Zhang Weixiong's idea stemmed from his own obsession with guitars. He didn't intend to expose him but teased, "Then why didn't you buy me a piano? That would suit my temperament even better."
Some say that guitar players are wanderers, while piano players are princes - one represents unrestrained freedom, the other noble elegance. Chen Jin agreed with this. The value of these two instruments also reflected this point: a guitar could be had for a few hundred yuan and still be of decent quality, while even a mediocre piano would cost tens of thousands, with the more expensive ones costing hundreds of thousands.
Zhang Weixiong, aware of the value difference between the two instruments, exclaimed, "A piano? You really dare to ask for that, I don't even have one." After saying that, he patted Chen Jin on the shoulder and headed towards his room. "Come on, let's see your guitar skills."
Chen Jin wanted to test his singing skills, which he had been practicing for the past half month. He followed Zhang Weixiong, touching the guitar strings lightly, feeling a familiar sensation. In that moment, he felt a deeper understanding of the guitar, a kind of enlightenment.
Zhang Weixiong's room had three guitar books. He casually tossed one to Chen Jin, who wasn't picky. He knew a few songs from a different era, but it would be too surprising to play them now. Besides, those songs were mostly in Mandarin, which Hong Kong people at the time barely understood, let alone spoke.
Although previously unfamiliar with Cantonese songs, Chen Jin had listened to current and classic Cantonese songs during these days. He quickly found Leslie Cheung's "The Wind Continues to Blow" in the music book. This was Leslie Cheung's song from 1983, the song that made him famous, known in every street and alley.
This was also one of Chen Jin's most familiar songs. He used to sing it, but his Cantonese was not very good. Now, with improved Cantonese, it came naturally to him. As someone who often performed in various venues, he wasn't shy about singing in front of Zhang Weixiong and his brother.
He immediately got into the mood, skillfully pressing the strings with his left hand and delicately strumming with his right. The beautiful sound of the guitar flowed out, followed by Chen Jin's magnetic and sexy baritone. Although Chen Jin's singing level wasn't very high before, his voice or tone was quite good.
But the most important part of singing is controlling breath and vocal technique; tone is secondary as long as it's not a harsh voice. For example, Jacky Cheung's voice isn't considered great, but he is a singing legend. Fei Yuqing, recognized in the music industry for having the most pleasant, pure, and perfect tone, doesn't have as much fame, album sales, or concert success as Jacky Cheung.
Chen Jin's singing level had improved, but it was still not outstanding, certainly not comparable to Leslie Cheung's original. However, to Zhang Weixiong, it was already impressive. After Chen Jin finished singing, Zhang Weixiong excitedly jumped up, patting Chen Jin on the shoulder. "Good job, Ah Jin! With your skills, we're sure to win the championship in the Southern District, at least make it to the top sixteen. With more practice, and your handsome face, reaching the top eight or even the top four is very possible."
Zhang Weihao added, "Yeah, not bad, definitely better than my little brother's level."
Zhang Weixiong was unhappy when he heard this and started squabbling with Zhang Weihao, "Big brother, you just have to make fun of me, right?" After the fuss, he turned to Chen Jin and said, "Ah Jin, as long as you work hard, you will surely become famous."
Becoming famous overnight is not so easy. Even if one is handsome and sings well, in the competitive entertainment industry, many external conditions are needed for success. Chen Jin knew this well. He only had a good foundation at the moment; everything else, in this unfamiliar environment, had to start from scratch.
The next day, they arranged to meet with Zhang Guohui again, but not at Zhang Ji's place. Recently, the struggle between Zhang Guohui and He Zhong had become more intense. It was not just that Zhang Guohui dared not meet there, Chen Jin and the others also did not want to cause more trouble. It was also not suitable to meet at the Zhangs' home, to avoid idle gossip. In the end, they decided to meet at the harbor of the fishing village, which was usually quiet in the afternoon.
Zhang Guohui arrived with a bruised face, adding to his already scarred appearance, looking quite fierce. It seemed he had been having a "good" time recently.
Seeing his condition, Zhang Weixiong didn't waste words, not wanting to provoke this fierce character. At least for now, they still needed his help, "Brother Hui, thanks for your help. I heard the stuff is ready, we've come to pick it up."
Zhang Guohui ignored him and glared at Chen Jin, "Smuggler, have you thought about what I told you last time?" Chen Jin knew what he was planning and smiled, shaking his head, "Thanks for your appreciation, Brother Hui, but I'm just a simple guy who likes a quiet life..."
Zhang Guohui sneered, "So, you're rejecting me!" His tone was unmistakably threatening. He had probably suffered recently and was planning to forcibly recruit more people, especially after witnessing Chen Jin's impressive strength.
Zhang Weixiong intervened, "Brother Hui, you're not planning to force Ah Jin into your gang, are you? He's someone my dad wants to keep for fishing." This was also a warning; in Rongshu Village, although Zhang Guohui was arrogant, he had to be careful about whom he provoked. Zhang Jiacong was not someone he could easily mess with, especially under the current circumstances.
"Kid, are you threatening me with your old man?" Zhang Guohui kicked out, which Zhang Weixiong dodged with a laugh, still focusing on Chen Jin, unwilling to give up and started to threaten and tempt him, "Ah Jin, I'm telling you, joining me is way better than fishing. You can drink and eat meat as much as you want, have beautiful women at your disposal, and I guarantee no one will dare to question your identity. But if you keep fishing, not only will you have no future, but He Zhong and the police might come after you, and Village Chief Zhang might not be able to protect you then..."
"Thank you for your appreciation, Brother Hui!" Chen Jin saw that this guy was relentless. To avoid making things worse by outright refusing, he thought for a moment and replied, "Let me think about it, Brother Hui. Uncle Cong is getting old and needs my help for a while..."
This was a delaying tactic, to put off the matter and give Zhang Guohui hope, avoiding an immediate fallout and possibly losing the ID card.
Zhang Guohui couldn't force Chen Jin, considering Zhang Jiacong's influence. He believed that if Chen Jin loosened up, he could persuade him later or even create trouble for Chen Jin, making him come to Zhang Guohui willingly. After all, Chen Jin was like a rootless duckweed.
"Where's the money?" As the conversation reached this point, Zhang Guohui stretched out his hand. Zhang Weixiong, with a grin, retorted, "Brother Hui, shouldn't you show us the goods first, as per the rules?"
Not wanting to escalate things, Zhang Guohui just grunted, "Kid, my stuff is always reputable." He took out a brand-new ID card from his pocket and tossed it to Chen Jin. Chen Jin could easily catch it, but to avoid drawing more attention from Zhang Guohui, he pretended to fumble, eventually letting the ID card fall to the ground.
The ground was dry. Chen Jin picked up the ID card and saw it seemed alright. Hong Kong ID cards at the time were similar to China's first-generation ID cards, made of two plastic sheets stuck together, not like the ones after 1997 with obvious anti-counterfeit marks.
Chen Jin, male, born on November 12, 1970, 10 Wanchai Street, Rongshu Bay, Lamma Island... The information was simple. The address at Rongshu Bay, Wanchai Street, was chosen to avoid implicating the Zhang family. If anything happened, they could claim they found Chen Jin with this ID card and, since he was an orphan, it wouldn't raise suspicions.
Moreover, Rongshu Bay was predominantly inhabited by immigrants, and Chen Jin was rescued by Zhang Jiacong from the waters near Lamma Island. It was hard for them to imagine the possibility of a smuggler.
Zhang Weixiong took the fake ID from Chen Jin and compared it with his own real one. He was impressed, "Goodness, this looks exactly like the real thing!"
"Of course, it's the same technique," Zhang Guohui bragged, but then deliberately struck Chen Jin, "No matter how good, it's still fake. If the police call the main station, you're still doomed."
Chen Jin and Zhang Weixiong, being smart, ignored him. The latter took out eight banknotes from his pocket and handed them to Zhang Guohui, joking, "Brother Hui, business must be good, you've earned a lot this month, huh!"
Zhang Guohui raised his hand to hit Zhang Weixiong, cursing, "Kid, are you itching for a beating?" Obviously, Chen Jin was the only smuggler on Lamma Island, so Zhang Guohui couldn't have had much business in this trade.
With a fake ID card in hand, Chen Jin was already much more secure. Not just for him, but the Zhang family also breathed a sigh of relief. Having an ID, fake or not, was a good thing for both Chen Jin and the Zhang family.