"One more thing," I say as I walk to his desk. "I need to burn them."
"You sure you don't want to take a look first?" I stop my motions. And shrugs.
"Might as well."
Most of them are documents and records about the Qins recent activities. (Officially their legal stuff is done behind the name 'Qin Ye Limited') nothing too significant here, just about buying some buildings in the city center and rector street, a more interesting one is about they bought a mansion at Monclea.
Some notes with scribbled Chinese on them. Most of them are pretty boring just some requests made from their establishments. Although one of them is pretty interesting, it says
'There's a market for cut throat business, but none for losing business." Seems like not everyone is happy with the decision of stepping into the arms business.
Handwritten letters to presumably capos of different areas, also some transfer records which I riffle through.
Ivan stops me and points at one of the records. It's another transfer. 2.75m in total. Not a small number but not the most impressive amongst them either. Transferring from
Qin Ye.ltd to........what the hell?
"Ganesha. co? Is that some Thailand company?" Ivan smiles a victorious smile.
"Ha! And you consider yourself well-informed and connected." I give him the middle finger which makes his smile even bigger.
"It's a shell company resides at some fucking island no one heard of in the Pacific Ocean, but in reality, they're at the golden triangle. Specialize in security, riot control......"
"Mercenary Corp." I finish it for him.
"Made a name for themselves by committing genocide at a small fishing village in Burma. Consists of ex-military, killers of local drug kingpins, and generally all kinds of textbook-level human scum."
For fuck sake Qin Cuanhua is out of his mind.
"And how much service can one buy with this amount of money?" I point at the 2,750,000 on the records.
"More than enough to control the outcome of the war. But that's not the point. The point is he broke the rules." Ivan stares at the number intensely. "For as long as this city was built, all the gangsters, criminals, and mercs followed them. What happens in Faust stays in Faust. You don't get outside forces involved!"
"True, but I don't think this is enough to sanction him. And he's probably beyond caring for that." Ivan shakes his head. Opening a drawer he throws me a box of matches.
"Guessing you forgot to bring your lighter again." He grins ear to ear and sat back down on his chair. "Give her highness my regards, and tell her if she lied to me I will personally deliver her a gas mask and a can of CS gas."
***
As I set the envelope on fire. Watching it slowly be consumed by the flames at the back alley of Icebreaker. My thoughts drift to all the things that happened tonight. Before I even notice. The whole thing had turned into fire residue, the recorder melted few sparks ignited as the circuits can't withstand the heat. I watched all of them slowly become black debris. I stomp on them a few times to make sure it is impossible to comprehend what it was.
It's 20 past midnight. Nochnaya is still full of shimmering partygoers, I quickly leave Lesnaya and move to a less noisy parallel street. Heading east once again.
I didn't take rector street this time. The tension in that part is too high according to Ivan. And I'm not interested in getting into trouble at this moment.
Is weird that people used the phrase: 'I just want today to end.' Or 'Tomorrow will be better.' so often. Even though everyone knows those are bullshit. Today ends..... and what? What makes you think tomorrow will be better? Your problems or struggles wouldn't magically disappear when you see tomorrow's sunrise. I once get into an argument with Viviane about this. In her own words:
"You don't know what tomorrow holds for you. Could be better, could be worse. But since today sucks, what's wrong with hopping for a better tomorrow?"
I replied. "If you hope for a happier future but get slapped in the face with a giant metaphorical hand when it comes. Wouldn't that makes you feel shittier? "
The matter remains unsettled to date.......mainly because we got too drunk afterward. Despite all my previous points. I'll admit, as I'm slowly approaching Chinatown all that's on my mind is.
I can't fucking wait for today to end.
***
Say what you want about piao jie but at least it's not as noisy as Nochnaya at late night. (Except Glen Avenue.)
On my way here. I noticed most of the pedestrians have gone back to their homes, what's left on the streets are some ingenue-looking fellows, drunks, fat fucks in suits with chicks in both arms, tattooed folks wearing white tank tops and playing mahjong in shops with 'closed' sign, some teenagers in leather jackets who thought wearing sunglasses makes them look cool but forgot it's the middle of the night.
You can also find those types of people in Nochnaya, some dark alleys of the city center even in little Italy. They're the 'common' people in your life. They might be your employer, friends, classmates, someone that greets you politely when you pass by. But at night, they let themselves go. They're completely open to all the stresses in their boring life, and they paint the night with their favorite color so they can get on with what lies before them tomorrow.
Most of them take a look at me and quickly walk past. But as the goddamn Neon signs on both sides increased, and roads expand people on piao jie started staring at me. Most of them are wearing the iconic black suit and tie of the Qins. Some are talking with local teenagers, some keep looking around while carrying luggage. They walk in pairs or alone, some strides with a cocky attitude others walk like they're dead tired. These are what the 'common' people become when they cross that line.
Something happens which makes them fully devoted to this lifestyle. The first time they kill someone, got kicked out of their home and got nowhere else to go, get addicted to the adrenaline of danger, are in a dire need of money, or had enough of worrying about in a dire need of money.....Or it could just be they got unlucky in life.
I keep my head down so they can't see my eyes and walk in smaller steps but quicken my pace. Kept my hands close to my thighs and sway in the smallest motion possible. I make myself look small and unimportant, as harmless as it gets. People will see me as a pushover or some civilian that's hurrying their way back home. I did a fantastic job.
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After all, it's the first thing I learned in Euforia.
All the lanterns and lights are still on at Chen Xiang Jiu Lou, warm yellowish lights are coming out of some opened windows. The front door is open now but there's no sign of all those customers from earlier. The guard that lent me his lighter is still on the left side of the entrance. I see two new guards at the receptionist's desk instead of June, they're checking the guest list.......And there's another guy in a suit mopping the floor by the gate.
The Qins really do have the absolute advantage when it comes to manpower.
Without the crowd of people and the noises coming from inside the place looks borderline deserted. There are still a few guests on the higher floors chatting, the lanterns on top of them sway as the wind blows. I'm starting to suspect they're not just 'guests'.
I raise my line of sight to check if Qin Yan is still on her balcony, and she is. When she spots me too I swear I saw a smile bloom on her face before she walks back. I slow down my pace and lower my head once again to survey the environment. I'm almost entirely certain this whole thing with Ivan and she is unknown to most of the gang members. And I think it's best to keep it that way.
No sign of Nan, can't just walk straight in it will cause too much attention. Just when I was considering sneaking inside or giving Nan a call. Something at the corner of my eyes caught my attention. A small flicker. I turn my attention to its direction. There it is again. A small flicker at the alleyway next to the building where no light from lanterns or inside can touch. I slowly approach it. When I'm 10 meters from it the flicker sparks again, making the instigator's face visible. I can't help but grin as I sneak up next to her.
A damsel in distress.
***
Xiao tries the fourth time on her silver lighter but still no luck. She signs and tried one last time. She clutches the lighter with her purlicue tightly, a discomfort feeling grows under the black gloves on her calluses. Biting on the filter of the cigarette in her mouth slightly. The motion triggered the embarrassing moment from earlier, it plays on repeat in her mind.
Great, she thought. She came out to forget about that thing and now it's clouding her mind again. Her thumb press firmly on the spark wheel as she closes her eyes for a moment longer than a blink, something she hasn't done in a long time.
She's the personal bodyguard of Miss Qin. But before that, she was one of the many assassins of the Qin family. Though it is not her main focus to irradiate enemies of the family anymore, the old habit of keeping herself in an extremely concentrated state all the time stays. Which is also requested of her for Missy's plan to work.
Please work. Xiao prays mentally as her thumb flicks the wheel one more time. A spark lit up but extinguished as soon as it was made. She let out a sign, and just when she's about to try again a faint light appears in front of her out of nowhere, a warm flame on a match that lit up a small part of this alley. She turns her head expecting to see Nan Shi Pei. But instead, it is him.
For fuck sake's.
***
I shift my position a step to the left so she wouldn't be able to see me and keep on moving towards the alleyway in soft footsteps. Some gangsters or mercs like to dress themselves up like pimps after they got a bit of money to spare, I'm not saying that I'm a frugal person. But when it comes to shoes I always tend to wear simple sneakers with soft soles, easier to move around, and easier to sneak around.
I walk against the vertical wall of the alley. As I poke my head to take a look I see Xiao grasping her lighter tightly and......
Why the fuck is her eyes closed? Who does that in a dark alley? Doesn't matter. This is even better.
As I lean against the wall next to her and bring out the box of matches Ivan gave me. She suddenly opens her eyes and flicks the lighter. A small spark appears but still nothing. She lets out a hearable sign, I grin and drag the match across the striker strip. A small flame ignited between my index finger and thumb. Which illuminated my face and hers. Her makeup is still there, but she looks much more tired than the last time I saw her.
She stares at me with the same glare as before. She doesn't move close to the match stick.
"It's a gentleman's duty to lend a light to a lady in need. But it will be kind of awkward if the lady doesn't take it. So please, light the fucking cigarette, or else I'm going to throw it at your face again." The intent in her eyes is palpable, but after a second she gave up and tilts her head forward.
As I flick the match to the dark of the alley. She takes a long drag, so long that I think her lungs might give up before she puffs out the smoke. She's still glaring at me with that look.
"That's your problem, your eyes." I snap my fingers and point at them. "They're way too obvious. Not custom to fighting someone that can see you eh?"
She doesn't answer me. But leans against the wall in the same pose as mine. After another drag, she turns her head and sizes me up once again. I don't think she wants a rematch but I still put my right hand on my waist just in case.
"What does she sees in you? I don't understand." Her English is surprisingly good.
"Got me there." Another drag.
"She's hell-bound on having you as the one to do it. I've never seen her insist on these things." I don't even have to move my head to know she's still staring at me.
"Probably just because I know a bunch of Russikye and I look Asian." I turn my head to meet her gaze. She averted it and take another drag.
"Why are you still here? "
"I need a way in."
"The door is opened." I let out a dry laugh.
"Shouldn't this whole thing be a bit more......cloak and dagger?" She raises her eyebrow and signs afterward.
"Follow me." She said and flicks her cigarette in the same direction I throw the match stick.
As we slowly make our way deeper into the alleyway, moonlight occasionally finds its way to descend upon us through cables, iron canopies, and external unit air conditioners. It gave me a better look at her. She has a black suit draped on her shoulders, inside it's still the same cheongsam.
Her slim figure and muscle lines on her exposed legs all confirm she's no joke, especially the way she moves. She walks in a very well-calculated way, the distance between each step is exactly the same, and the time her feet are off the ground is reduced to a minimum. The embroidered shoes on her feet make her move in complete silence.
Her hands sway in small motions as she moves. Most people's hands look like a claw when they're relaxed or walking, but unlike others, her thumb curls inwards towards her palm and the other four fingers are closed right now. I'm not sure if is it because of me or if she's usually like this.
"Enjoying the view?" Her head tilts slightly to the left as she speaks in an annoyed tone......and a bit tiresome.
"I've seen better, but is still a good distraction on a long night like this."
"Bie San." She says calmly. Like rendering a judgment. I let out a groan.
"That fucking word again. What have I done to deserve such a statement?"
She turns her head back for a moment like she's confirming something, then she smiles a satisfied smile.
"When is the last time you take a look in the mirror? You look identical to all the other punks and thugs on the street."
I wonder if the guards would react to a gunshot in the alley......maybe two.
"Didn't your parents teach you it is rude to judge someone by their looks?"
"Then what were you doing 10 seconds ago?" She exhaled with a subtle trace of a laugh.
"I'm an orphan. No one taught me that." I shrug. She doesn't answer.
Show your scars like it's a badge of honor. The sound of her soothing voice rings in my mind before I banish them away.
At the end of the alley, she turns to the left and enters a small courtyard between houses and the jiu lou. Two green trash cans sit by the wall, the garbage bags make the lid remains half-opened. Rubbish and cigarette butts on the concrete ground. A couple of rats flee the place as soon as they hear us. The moon is clouded which makes the visibility not much better than in the alley.
I raise my head to look at this side of jiu lou. Behind the resplendent front of gold and red, the eyesore back of iron and brown at the back. Same as everything else in this city.
Unbearable when you first see the other side, grow numb to it after witnessing it every day, became a part of it before you noticed.
She bypasses the trash can, moving to its right. There's an unremarkable metal door with lots of posters and tape marks on its surface, just like everything other back d. She removes one of the posters which reveals a plastic lid and a handle. Pushing the lid up shows an electronic keypad. The stuff is ancient. No rings or response when Xiao pushes the buttons. The keypad is on the left side of the door with the trash cans next to it a small secure corner forms to block out prying eyes from all directions. With a clicking sound, the door is unlocked. Surprisingly there are no squeaky sounds when Xiao opens it, bright lights come from within. She does a beckoning sign toward me.
Another phrase that also reeks of bullshit for me is 'The first time is the hardest'. The second time tonight I'm entering this viper's nest, still as uneasy as the first time.
The light inside is so bright my eyes need a moment to adjust. Xiao sticks the poster back where it was and closes the door. A click signals that I'm locked in here again.