Chapter 3: Mr. Lee Part 2
Contrast to what Chris had expected, Mr. Lee was not of Asian descent. Between the strands of white hair was a reminiscent of a handsome American man and the wrinkles on his face depicted his old age and wisdom. His attire - a bluish Hawaiian shirt for top and cream cargo shorts for the bottom - gave out a sense of relaxation. He was clasping a cane with both hands; one that has a ruby colored gem on top. He seemed like a man who would be listed among the Forbes 400, Chris thought.
As Chris remained awed on the back seat, Mr. Lee handed him a small booklet of paper to read.
“This is…” But his eyes widened with surprise and fear as he read the contents. His birthday, his birthplace, his medical records, his job records, his school records, information about his parents, the names of all the women he slept with - everything about himself.
“Jasmine Reeds…” murmured Chris as his eyes came across her file. What the hell? This was done in a course of a single night? He could hardly believe it, but he held the evidence in his hands. There was no other explanation.
“I hope showing you that could lessen the things I need to explain, Mr. Collins,” said the old man in a matter-of-fact tone.
A line of sweat broke out on his brow, but Chris was determined to keep his wits about him.
“What do you want from me?” Chris asked, looking past the windshield of the car. He noticed two more black cars ahead of them, which he guessed to be part of this man’s cronies. The woman who introduced herself as Kera was also watching him with care, as if saying she would not hesitate to shoot the moment he turned hostile.
“No need to be so tense.” Mr. Lee placed a hand on his shoulder then squeezed.
Fuck it, Chris thought, this old man was right. Now that he somehow attracted these dangerous entities, panicking wouldn’t do him any good and he certainly didn’t have the means to escape.
“So, to what do I owe this honorable visit, Mr. Lee?”
“Sense of humor? Good, I like that,” Mr. Lee said in amusement, stroking his chin. He cocked his head on his side of the car; to which Chris followed his line of sight and saw a young couple passed by. “You see, you have a way with words, Mr. Collins; a way of pulling others into the scene. I flew over a thousand miles just to meet you.”
“Just because of my essay?”
“Yes, just because of your essay. It made this old man wonder: what inspired you to write?”
That was it? Just because of the long essay he wrote about his life? No freaking way. If it wasn't for the situation, he would've ignored him and moved on.
“Well,” Chris smiled wryly as he remembered. “My first rival in love were literature’s hopeless romantics. And I was told that if I want to recapture her heart, then I need to learn who I’m competing with.”
“So books was her first love, eh?” asked Mr. Lee with interest.
“Jasmine simply loved books,” replied Chris. “I remember her place was crammed with them.” The image of her massive bookshelf came back to haunt him. He’d gotten rid of that big baggage, but kept all of the books in his place. “However it wasn’t me, it wasn’t Shakespeare, or the other romantic heroes that won her heart, but a man with a medical degree instead.”
“Do you want to take her back then?” Mr. Lee tapped his cane on the carpet as he asked.
“You misunderstand me, Mr. Lee,” Chris said. “Yes, each and everyday I think of her. Yes, I miss those times when we were together. Yes, I wish I could’ve given her more. Yes, I wish could listen to her rambling about her favorite books over and over again - but, it’s over. She’s happily married now, and I do not want to be the cause of anything that will make her feel sad. It will slay me.”
“Good, good. You’re exactly the type of man I need.” The old man nodded in satisfaction then turned to face him. “Mr. Collins, if you work for me, I can give you all the money you want in this world. And this includes power, cars, clothes, women - you can have all of this, so much that you would get tired of it.”
Only an idiot would dive on those honey coated words, however Chris was a guy who had nothing to lose other than his miserable life. “Sounds too good to be true.” Chris hunched forward and folded his hands against his mouth. “Why me, though? Don’t you have a family member you could trust to do your dirty work?”
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Mr. Lee spanked his thigh as he laughed out of the blue. “Money is a dangerous thing, Mr. Collins,” he said, obviously amused. “It’s not something you could trust your family with.”
“Alright, fair enough. What do I have to do?” asked Chris.
“Mr. Collins, let me ask you one more time. Do you believe in the existence of Magic?”
That silly advertisement flashed in Chris’s head. “Well, as a writer, I’ve always kept an open mind.”
“I see. What if I told you; that I have built an empire in a netherworld fantasy?”
Chris had an urge to laugh, but narrowed his eyes instead. “Such a world exist?”
“Yes. A world fundamentally different from where we came from.”
That had gotten his interest. “You still haven’t told me what you need me to do, Mr. Lee.”
The old man beside him took a deep breath. “As you may have already guessed, numbers is not what I need in this line of work. What I need are men that I could trust.”
“That still doesn’t change the fact that you could buy trust with money.”
“Yes, but what I want is genuine trust, Mr. Collins. However if we do this, there is no turning back. Partners we will be, but the moment you betray me, I’m afraid I’m gonna have to erase your existence.”
His ominous words circled inside Chris’s mind. “Meaning?”
“Meaning that you, and anyone you’ve had close connections with, will disappear.” As Mr. Lee said this, the air had stilled between them two; a type of oppressive air that threatened to choke Chris.
Chris averted his gaze from the pair of amber eyes eating his soul. “How is that any different from buying my trust? This is not a negotiation, Mr. Lee. You’re threatening me to obey you instead.”
“Of course not,” Mr. Lee said as he leaned back. “I consider myself a benevolent man, Mr. Collins.”
“But that’s not what I’m seeing. What I’m seeing is a tyrant.”
“You wound me. Can you not simply trust this old man?”
“No. And you keep feeding me these information I’m afraid I would wound up dead either way.”
“You’re a smart, Mr. Collins. I’m sure you know what’s good for you.”
“Then leave Jasmine Reeds out of this, and you can have all the trust you want from me.”
All of a sudden, Mr. Lee turned silent, giving Chris that extra leeway to relax. Conversing with him was just too taxing. He must've loved his control in all things. That, Chris thought, was probably the secret to his success.
After a moment, Mr. Lee offered his hand to him. “Very well, Mr. Collins. I’ll agree to your conditions.”
Could he trust his words? No, there was no arguing that this man could do anything he wanted with or without his consent. The fact that he was willing to compromise was enough for Chris to trust him in the meantime.
“Alright, I’m in your care, Mr. Lee.” Chris smiled and accepted the handshake.
“So, are you ready to leave your old life behind?”
His smile widened. “What is there for me to leave behind?”
“Good.” Mr. Lee brought out a black credit card with Chris’s name on it. “We’ll enter the gate in a week. For now, go out and have some fun. You deserve it.”
“How do I contact you?” asked Chris as he took the card from his hand. He blinked and stared at the card. It really was his. Did he predicted his answer before even coming here, or did he considered pressing his way if negotiations failed? Whatever, Chris was at least glad at the decision he made.
“You don’t have to. Agent Kera will come pick you up.” He nodded to the woman outside, and she responded by opening the door on Chris’s side.
Chris got out of the car, still bewildered at what just transpired. “So, in a week then?”
“Indeed. I’ll see you in a week, Mr. Collins,” was the last he said to him, his amber eyes crinkling at the corner.
The brunette got into the Benz, start the engine of their European car, and drove away. Four black cars followed as they left, and in less than ten seconds, they were gone.
Chris shook his head as he thought about their meeting. How did he survive talking with such an influential man? Nevertheless it happened, and soon everything he knew about life would change. Again.