Rebirth: Fan Debiao rises from the Liaobei land

Victoria's kitchen.

Wu Derong, wearing an apron, stood by the stove. "Alright, alright, you can go home once this pork knuckle is stewed." As he spoke, he handed over a red envelope. "Happy New Year, see you on the eighth day of the new year."

The head chef chuckled: "Thank you, Mr. Wu."

The five people in the kitchen packed up and left one after another. Wu Derong carried the stewed pork knuckle, braised ribs, and mixed cold dishes up to the third floor one by one.

"Let's drink right here!" Wu Derong placed the dishes on the coffee table.

Fan Debiao laughed and said, "Sure, I'll be the first to drink in Boss Wu's office! I'll take care of the cooking next time; I used to be the executive chef at Guiying Flavor Restaurant."

"I remember now, you even flipped the ladle." Wu Derong sat down and opened a bottle of baijiu. "I first met you at Guiying Restaurant."

Fan Debiao smiled but didn't reply.

On the afternoon of Lunar New Year's Eve, the streets were almost deserted. Occasionally, there would be one or two muffled firecracker explosions.

Wu Derong poured two glasses of baijiu, picked one up, and said, "Debiao, what's the first sip for?"

"Respect..." Fan Debiao thought for a moment, "...respect for the living."

"OK."

The two touched each other and took a big gulp.

Before he could even touch the food, Fan Debiao's phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID and answered.

"Uncle..." The voice on the other end was soft and sticky, like someone had a piece of candy in their mouth, "Oh, Uncle, where are you?"

Fan Debiao's lips twitched slightly: "Xiao Cui, your uncle is outside."

"Then come to my house for the New Year!" Ma Xiaocui blurted out, her voice trembling. "Aunt Yufen has cooked all the vegetables until they're really hard, all that's missing is you... Oh, Uncle, please come!"

The last sentence was drawn out, sounding like a coquettish pout or a playful tantrum.

Fan Debiao paused for two seconds: "Xiaocui, your uncle has friends here and can't go. You and your dad and Aunt Yufen have a good New Year, and please give Aunt Yufen your regards."

"Oh dear—Uncle, you're really not coming?"

"I really won't go. My uncle will come to visit you after the New Year."

After hanging up the phone, Wu Derong picked up a piece of pork rib and asked, "Ma Xiaocui? Why aren't you going?"

Fan Debiao picked up his wine glass: "Forget it, they'll be uncomfortable if we go. I get angry just looking at Commander Ma."

Wu Derong laughed: "That's true. Your brother-in-law and you are worlds apart."

No sooner had he finished speaking than his phone rang again.

Fan Debiao glanced at the screen, paused for a moment, and then answered the call.

"Fan Debiao!" The voice on the other end was so loud that Wu Derong could hear it. "Are you home alone by yourself?"

Fan Debiao held his phone further away: "Guiying, Happy New Year."

"Okay, I just finished braising the pig's trotters." The sound of the pot lid being lifted came from Guiying's side. "The pork hock is ready too, where's it? I'll bring you some."

Fan Debiao glanced at Wu Derong: "No need to see me off, I have food here."

"Got a meal? With whom?"

"Victoria, Mr. Wu, over here."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone, then Guiying laughed: "Well done, Fan Debiao, you've hooked up with a big boss. Okay, I won't deliver it to you then. Come pick it up at my shop on the sixth day of the new year; I've saved it for you."

Guiying hung up after she finished speaking.

Fan Debiao put down his phone and noticed Wu Derong staring at him with a meaningful look in his eyes.

"Who is it?" Wu Derong asked knowingly.

"Guiying."

"That one..." Wu Derong thought for a moment, "Guiying who runs a restaurant? The one who's short and speaks in a rough, blunt way?"

"Um."

Wu Derong opened his mouth, hesitated for a long time, and finally managed to say, "That woman... is a real man."

Fan Debiao burst out laughing and spat out a mouthful of wine.

Wu Derong laughed, raising his glass: "Well done, Debiao, you still have women interested. What, is she interested in you?"

"That's not true."

"Nonsense." Wu Derong put down his wine glass. "They were worried about whether you'd eaten on New Year's Eve, and they even made braised pig's trotters to bring you some. You call that nothing happened?"

Fan Debiao remained silent.

Wu Derong leaned back in his chair and looked at him: "Debiao, let's have a heart-to-heart talk."

"Even a dog could see how much Awei feels about you," Wu Derong lit a cigarette.

Fan Debiao put down his wine glass.

"Don't give me that act," Wu Derong flicked his cigarette ash. "I just don't understand. Awei is beautiful and capable, and she's completely devoted to you. What are you pretending for?"

Just as Fan Debiao was about to speak, his phone rang again.

The screen was lit up, and the caller ID showed: Awei.

Wu Derong glanced at it and chuckled: "Well, speak of the devil and he appears."

Fan Debiao answered the phone, but before he could speak, the other end spoke first.

"Brother Biao," Awei said softly, "Have you... eaten yet?"

"We've started eating." Fan Debiao's throat was a little tight.

"Oh..." Avi paused, "Are you eating by yourself?"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"Brother Biao," Awei said again, "I made dumplings, some with celery filling and some with three kinds of seafood filling. If you don't mind, I can bring some over to you?"

Fan Debiao glanced at Wu Derong, who was looking down and picking up food, pretending not to hear.

The sound of firecrackers outside the window intensified.

Fan Debiao spoke, his voice a little hoarse: "Awei, you come here."

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

"I'm in Victoria, spending the New Year with Mr. Wu," Fan Debiao said. "You should come too."

"...Okay." Avi said softly, "I'll get ready and be there in twenty minutes."

He hung up the phone. Wu Derong looked up, a forced smile playing on his lips: "That settles it."

Fan Debiao ignored him, got up and went to the tea table to find a clean cup, which he placed next to himself.

At 2 PM, Awei arrived.

She was wearing a red sweater, her hair was down, and she was carrying a thermos. Upon entering the house, she nodded to Wu Derong and said, "Mr. Wu, Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year! Happy New Year!" Wu Derong quickly stood up. "Please sit down, it must be cold outside, right?"

"It's alright, I took a taxi here." Awei opened the thermos and took out the dumplings. The celery dumplings were neatly arranged, and the three-delicacy dumplings had thin, translucent wrappers.

"These dumplings are wrapped so neatly," Wu Derong praised.

Avi smiled and said, "My mom helped me wrap it."

Fan Debiao didn't say anything, picked up a dumpling, and ate it with his head down.

Wu Derong busied himself adding chopsticks and bowls, making the already crowded coffee table even more cramped. He moved the cold dishes to the side to make room for the dumplings.

"Come on, try Awei's cooking." Wu Derong picked up a dumpling, took a bite, and said, "Mmm! The filling is so good, it tastes just like home."

Avi smiled, pursing her lips.

The sound of firecrackers outside grew louder and louder.

Wu Derong raised his glass: "Come on, Awei's here, let's have another drink. Dexing Communications, may 2003 bring you ever-improving success!"

The three clinked glasses.

Just as Fan Debiao put down his cup, his phone rang again. This time it was Gangzi.

"Brother Biao!" Gangzi's voice boomed from the other end. "Dinner's ready at my house. Come over for dinner, there are no outsiders here!"

Fan Debiao laughed: "Brother, if you're free, come to Victoria." Fan Debiao said, "Mr. Wu is here, and Awei is here too."

"Alright!" Gangzi replied without hesitation, "I'll be there in twenty minutes!"

After hanging up the phone, Wu Derong laughed and scolded, "Well, that's great. We're both single and we've managed to put together a table for the New Year."

Awei smiled and refilled Fan Debiao's glass.

Gangzi arrived at 2:40 PM.

Gangzi sat down and first punished himself with a drink: "I'm late, I'm late! My mom insisted I eat a couple of bites before leaving. Happy New Year, Brother Biao, Boss Wu, Awei!"

The four clinked glasses as firecrackers went off outside the window.

It was 4:30 in the afternoon, and it was getting dark.

The sound of firecrackers outside the window grew louder and louder, and fireworks began to rise into the sky in the distance.

Wu Derong leaned back on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and looked out the window: "There's been a lot of firecracker noise this year."

Gangzi lit a cigarette too: "This time last year, I was still squatting behind the fence. Listening to the explosions outside through the iron bars, I thought my life was ruined."

No one responded.

He flicked his cigarette ash off his steel bullet, grinned, and said, "This year has been pretty good. I can sit here, drink and eat meat, and work with Brother Biao. I'm content."

Fan Debiao glanced at him, said nothing, and downed the wine in his glass.

Awei gently took Fan Debiao's glass and poured him some wine.

"Drink less," she said softly.

Fan Debiao nodded.

Wu Derong stubbed out his cigarette, leaned back, and sighed, "Debiao, I'm quite curious sometimes."

"What are you curious about?"

"You," Wu Derong looked at him, "this time last year, you were still the Minister of Security for Victoria, always wearing a skull costume and wandering around the lobby, talking in a cryptic way. This year, you're like a completely different person."

Fan Debiao remained silent.

"It's not that things weren't good before," Wu Derong waved his hand. "We had our own spirit back then. Now... how should I put it, we're more stable. We do everything methodically and can see several steps ahead. It's like playing chess; while others only move one step at a time, you can see ten steps ahead."

Gangzi nodded: "Yes, my brother Biao is now incredibly decisive and ruthless in handling matters."

Fan Debiao was silent for a while, then picked up his wine glass and put it down again.

"In this life," he began, his voice lower than usual, "there are some things you have to figure out. Once you figure them out, your way of living will be different."

Fan Debiao looked out the window as fireworks exploded one after another, their reflections flickering on his face.

"I used to only think about myself," he said. "I wanted to earn more money, live a better life, and have something to be proud of. But then I realized that living like that was meaningless. No matter how much you earn, you'll still be alone during the New Year."

He paused for a moment: "You need someone to be with you. You need to make sure they're doing well before you can truly understand life."

The room was quiet for a few seconds.

Gangzi raised his glass: "Brother Biao, I won't say anything more. This glass is for you, I'll drink it."

He tilted his head back and downed the wine.

Wu Derong also raised his glass: "Debiao, because of what you said, we're brothers for life."

The two clinked glasses.

Avi lowered her head, her eyelashes casting a small shadow under the light.

The Spring Festival Gala started at 7 p.m.

The television was bustling with activity, featuring a continuous stream of song and dance performances. Most of the dishes on the coffee table were already gone, and the dumplings were almost empty.

Gangzi and Wu Derong played a drinking game. If Gangzi lost, he would drink; if he won, he would drink too. Both of them got carried away.

Fan Debiao leaned back on the sofa, watching TV with a smile on his lips.

Avi sat next to him, peeling an orange in her hand.

"Brother Biao," she said softly, "eat an orange."

Fan Debiao took it, broke it in half, and handed it back.

Zhao Benshan appeared on TV, and the audience erupted in applause.

"Hey, this show!" Gangzi pointed at the TV. "I heard Zhao Benshan's skit this year is really funny!"

On TV, Fan Wei's character was clutching his chest, saying, "My heart is ice-cold!"

Gangzi slapped his thigh: "Oh my god, isn't that Brother Biao?!"

Wu Derong laughed so hard he slapped the coffee table: "Absolutely! Debiao, look at Lao Fan, doesn't he look just like you?"

Fan Debiao stared at the TV without saying a word, but the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile.

Awei laughed and said softly, "No. Our Brother Biao is more handsome than him."

Gangzi started to grumble: "Hey, Wei, there's a hidden meaning in what you're saying!"

Awei blushed instantly and lowered her head to peel the orange.

Fan Debiao raised his glass: "Let's drink."

At 11:50, the countdown to the Spring Festival Gala began.

On TV, the hosts were chanting "ten, nine, eight..." in unison, while outside the window, the sound of firecrackers was deafening, making it impossible to hear anything clearly.

Gangzi and Wu Derong also stood up and went to the window to watch the fireworks.

Only Fan Debiao and Awei remained on the sofa.

As Awei watched TV, she whispered, "Brother Biao, Happy New Year."

Fan Debiao turned his head and looked at her.

The countdown on TV reached "three, two, one".

Outside the window, a barrage of fireworks erupted, illuminating half the sky.

Fan Debiao spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but Awei heard him clearly.

"Avi".

Avi turned her head and looked at him.

Fan Debiao said, "Let's be together."

Awei didn't say anything, but her eyes slowly reddened.

Fan Debiao reached out and took her hand.

Awei's hand was a little cold, and it trembled slightly in his palm before slowly clenching.

Fireworks were still exploding outside the window, and clusters of light shone in, illuminating the two people's faces in shifting light and shadow.

Fan Debiao stood up and pulled Awei to the window.

Seeing the two of them approaching, Wu Derong's lips curled up slightly, and he stepped aside.

Fireworks exploded in the night sky, and colorful lights fell down like a colorful snowfall.

Awei leaned on Fan Debiao's shoulder and whispered, "Brother Biao, I really didn't expect this."

"Didn't you think of anything?"

"I never thought I'd meet someone like you in this lifetime."

Fan Debiao didn't say anything, but simply held her hand tighter.

Outside the window, another cluster of fireworks shot into the sky, blooming into a giant golden chrysanthemum in mid-air.

Awei smiled, tears still glistening in the corners of her eyes: "Brother Biao, Happy New Year."

Fan Debiao lowered his head and looked into her eyes.

"Happy New Year."

One o'clock in the morning.

Gangzi, his face flushed and neck red from drinking, slumped onto the sofa and fell asleep. Wu Derong covered him with a blanket, then leaned against the other side, his eyes half-closed.

Avi tidied up the coffee table and wiped it with a damp towel.

Fan Debiao stood by the window, watching the gradually quieting Kaiyuan City outside.

Awei walked over and stood next to him.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" she asked softly.

"I'm not sleepy," Fan Debiao said. "If you're sleepy, go to sleep first."

"I'm not sleepy either."

The two of them stood there, watching the scattered fireworks outside the window, neither of them saying a word.

After a while, Awei said, "Brother Biao, let's work hard in 2003."

Fan Debiao nodded.

"Um."

Awei rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Outside the window, the lights of Kaiyuan City gradually went out, and all was quiet.