Bad Boy: Liu Yong of Tiexi

They say the snow in Tiexi District is dirty, coal dust mixed with poverty.

I was seventeen, with just two yuan in my pocket. I smashed Li Gang’s head with a brick, and smashed open a path for myself. From that day on, everyone in Tiexi knew one thing: there was a kid named Liu Yong who wasn’t afraid to die.

Later, I got a knife, a gun, and godparents who served as my shield. The shopping malls on Zhong Street were mine. Shenyang’s cigarette routes were mine. Anyone who stood in my way got dealt with.

I spoke with my fists. I didn’t care about reason, only rules.

If you think this is made up, come on, I’ll show you Northeast China in the 1990s. I’ll show you what it means to eat your own kind.

My name is Liu Yong. Come in and hear me out.