This chapter opens in the middle of the night, in the city of Zhengzhou, in Henan Province, China. Young sheng, also known as "little lian," is distraught over his brother's abduction. He begs his brother to come to the Shrine of the Land and save him, but his brother refuses, saying that even if he had to put his life on the stake, he wouldn't let it happen to his brother. The young sheng is accompanied by "fatty," who is a loyal friend of sheng's. Worried that the two of them will be captured by the authorities, sheng tells them to be obedient and not to worry. He also tells them that he will send them off together, and that they should kneel before him and bow their heads three times. He calls sheng "grandfather" and tells him to call him "pimplescar," which means "child's play." He then tells sheng to kneel and bow his head three times before calling him "grandfather." Unsure of what to do, the brothers rush out of the house, and sheng says that he