From the jiu lou to the icebreaker will take about 40 minutes on foot. Ivan is usually there at night counting dough and managing his club. I consider calling him first but decided not to since explaining the situation will take forever.
Whatever it is inside this package had one of the most powerful people in town's full attention.
I expect there will be obstacles on the way.
Currently I'm moving from the center to the edge of piao jie, within a crowd of people. I accommodate their pace, and the way they walk while keeping my head low, avoiding any eye contacts.
The familiar cold shiver down my spine happens again. The feeling of being watched lurking around my senses.
Carrying high-value cargo is a work I take little interest in. Cause it puts you in a defensive position, making you paranoid and therefore making you stand out from the others as an easy target.
The stakes are unknown, the job can go from a walk in the park to an unmarked van pulls up in front of you with four masked men armed with automatic rifles.
I'm using the windows of cars passing by my side to check if I'm being followed. So far I didn't notice anyone. But this method can only identify stalkers that are close to me, rookies. Those I can despatch easily. What I'm worry about is the ones that always keeps you in the corner of his eye, and only follows you every time you disappear from their line of sight. Those pros are hard to notice because you'll have to check your back a lot and if you do that, you might alert them.
Reaching the frontier of Chinatown, I decided to risk it. I detached from the crowd of people on the pavement and turned right into a watchmaker's.
The bell on the door rings as an old man raises his head from the counter.
"Welcome." He says unenthusiastically.
I look at the showcases by the counter. Browsing the items, looking for the cheapest product there......... the best I got is a bronze pocket watch which costs 299 dollars.
"I would like to purchase that," I tell the owner in Chinese.
He opens the glass showcase with a key and carefully takes it out, places it on the counter to check if there's any damage. I turn around waiting for both the owner and any possible stalkers. The only way to see the inside of the store is from the glass door at the front. The view from my perspective is very limited. All I can see is pedestrians walking.
"All is good, that will be 299."
"Sorry, could you clean it with alcohol or sensitizer? It’s a gift. I would like it to be in its best shape."
"Sure, but it will take a moment." Just what I was hoping for.
For the next 15 minutes, I stand silently by the wall, behind a wooden closet. Watching the front door.
Still nothing. Maybe there really isn't any follower?
One last try before I move on.
"Alright. I think whoever this is for will be pleased." The owner finished cleaning the watch.
"Uh. One more thing. Could you find me a box? A wooden box to go with it feels right." The owner lets out a silent sign.
"Sure. But that's 10 dollars more and I got to check the back."
"It's fine. And uh..... can I borrow the restroom too?"
"Go through there and turn left, remember to close the light when you're done." He didn't even look at me.
I watch him close the storage room door by the side before I move towards the back of the store.
Turning on the light reveals an incredible amount of furniture and antiques. And at the corner of the room, a rusty fireproof door sits.
Jackpot.
Because of the density of the buildings and populations in piao jie. Every one of them has at least one fire escape route that leads to the firewall between buildings.
Opening it took a bit of effort, but thankfully there was no alarm. I use a chair by the side to hold the door.
At the back alley by the firewall, I first make sure no one from the street sees me before Climbing up the exterior escape ladders. All the way to the third floor's roof. I crouch by the edge of the building and survey every single person on the street.
Most of them pass by the watchmaker's shop without a glance or even noticing it. No cars slowly driving through the neighborhood either. Just when I think is all clear.
I saw them.
The same two men in suits that followed me on my way to jiu lou now lean against the wall of one of the alleys across the street. Keeping the front of the watchmaker's store with the corner of their eyes.
You are a woman of little faith, Qin Yan.
Climbing down the ladders and returning to the counter. The owner comes out of the storage room at the same time
"This will be 309 dollars in total." He clearly had enough of me.
I pay him in cash. Grab the box and purposely hold it with my hand instead of hiding it in my jacket.
Let's see how far you'll go.
I'm reaching the line between Chinatown and nochnaya. Two Chinese in suits will definitely draw attention. Recently the mobs decided to clean the streets completely out of the Chinese, making sure there won't be any rats in their backyard.
This place at night is the worst place for any Asian faces to wander around. As mobs had encouraged local teenagers who wants to join them to harass and pick on the Chinese and report any activities back to them. Some call this straight-up racism while the mobs think this is a good way to fortify their control in this place.
Personally, I don't care, since it doesn't affect me much.
***
The border between noch and piao jie is........ delicate. It doesn't move much( any attempt will result in war) but defining it is hard because the lack of any landmarks, most people will consider 'Rector street' as an indication. The west end is nach, the east end is Chinatown. But the actual line between the two districts remains a fuzzy concept.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
I watched lanterns slowly turning into neon sighs, and the pedestrians next to me dressed more and more boldly. I'm on the border of two worlds now.
On one side, are middle-aged Chinese on their way home, on the other are groups of friends and lovers ready to party. Traditional values, rules, and schemes are next to nightclubs, young blood, and cold violence. Two worlds destined to collide with each other.
11 o'clock, this is when Nochnaya comes to live from its slumber. Clubs, bars, hookers in alleyways, dealers and gangsters talking under lamp posts. Nochnaya has the second-highest criminal rate in Faust, next to Desalos. This is a place where sins are sung and praised.
As the russikyes are recruiting soldiers for war, punks and small-time gangsters are eager to prove their loyalty and capabilities to their seniors. This results in the streets of noch filled with kids who think they're killers while in reality, they're just cannon folders. But nonetheless, I have to admit it suits nochnaya since this whole place it's the embodiment of what the criminal world looks like from an outsider's point of view.
Moving in noch itself is like playing minesweeper. The safe spots are the clubs and pubs, the underground gun shops disguised as normal stores, and buildings with penthouses that belongs to the mob. These places have some real members of the gang. They are battle-hardened men with clear mindsets. If you don't purposely fuck with them and you're not from piao jie, usually they would just ignore you. (unless they're having a bad day.)
The rest of noch, such as residential neighborhoods, parks, and public facilities are the hot spots. Because they are crawling with fucking monkeys who think they are someone just because they're packing iron. Those are the ones that will come for you, in groups most of the time. Calling themselves 'patrols' or 'the six'.(most of them aren't even qualified yet). They harassed citizens and Chinese in general, running errands, sailing some left overs from their bosses thinking that will count themselves as part of the organization.
Those are the rules for young blokes in plaid blazers and chicks in one-piece skirts trying to have a wild night here.
They don't apply to me.
***
Now let's see if they followed me this far. I make two right turns and enter a phone booth. Closing the door I bring out the wooden box, and quickly take out the pocket watch(I paid for it after all). I put the handset by my ear and dial a bunch of random numbers.
I turn around in a violent motion, checking left and right nervously like only now am I making sure no one's following me.
If I'm still in piao jie I would probably miss them, but in Nochnaya, two Chinese in full suits are way too easy to identify even though they're now wearing hats and lowering their heads. I can tell they know what they are doing, judging by the way they quickly step to their left and use others on the street to cover themselves.
These guys are experienced at this.
"The number you dialed in is not in service......"I cover my mouth like I'm talking,
while nodding from time to time to sell the act.
Hanging up the phone, I check my surroundings in an obvious motion again before placing the wooden box on top of the pay phone.
This should buy me some time.
I walk away from the booth and quickly disappear into one of the alleys. They were about 20 meters away. I take out my phone and speed-dial Ivan.
"........"
"........" I peeked at the phone booth and saw one of them entering it and slowly retrieving the box. Come on Ivan. Pick up!
"........"
"....Lee? Where the fuck have you...." A manly voice blurts out.
"Ivan. I'm gonna need a favor. Two guys on my tail."
"......Alive or dead?"
"I wouldn't be talking to you if I need them dead."
"Hmmm get them to the back of my club."
"Got it. I owe you one." Hanging up the phone I peek at the phone booth from the alley again and saw those two rushing towards my position in strides.
That definitely pisses them off.
I run through the rest of the alley and enter Lesnaya, the most bustling street in nochnaya. Where Ivan's club is two blocks away. The people on this street are either high or drunk or maybe both. A woman is giving a man oral pleasure in an alley by a sex shop, a skimpy-dressed woman is vomiting by the concrete wall. The place is filled with so many things coming from all directions which makes the stalkers disorganized for a moment before they catch up to me.
I can see the black and gold front of the 'Icebreaker' two buildings away.
I dash to the right and enter another alley, glancing back they gave up on maintaining their cover and start pushing away partygoers and running toward me.
That's right you dumb fucks.
I start running toward the end of the alley.
Focus on me.
Behind the alley is the back side of all the clubs and bars of lesnaya where only hobos and rats reside. And none of which will care what's about to happen.
10 seconds head start.
Just enough for me to arrive at the back of the icebreaker.
Two black doors on the back of the building, I can hear the music booming from the one leading to the club. The other one is made out of stainless steel and is currently half-opened.
Dealing with stalkers is easy, just identify them and pop their head on the next turn. But catching them and getting information out of them requires help.
When they rush out of the alleyway chasing me, but see two muscular Russians in leather jackets with a butch cut walking out of the door. They know it is too late, turning around immediately they try to run back to where they came from.
The two Russians move in sync. Lift up their jacket, pulls out a .45 with silencers on, arms extended. Two muffled bangs and some smoke in the air.
The two Chinese fell to the ground because their left kneecaps exploded. While on the ground and in extreme pain they still try to fight back by reaching out for their guns by the waist. But the killers were moving towards them while maintaining the same aiming position right after they fired. Before the Chinese are able to retaliate, the Russians had already descended upon them.
They drag the two unconscious Chinese back to me and throw them on the ground. One of them knocks on the stainless steel door.
The third Russian walks out. His about 30ish, 182 cm, black jacket, and a black turtle neck sweater. A golden upside-down cross necklace dangles as he walks. He's wearing a pair of derby shoes with cap-toe. He's got at least one silver or gold ring on each finger which makes it looks like he's wearing brass knuckles. Medium side part combed over with hair spray. His skin color is extremely white, almost as white as lev. His jawline looks too extreme and rough for public standards. Broad nose, clean shaven with small signs of a stubble beard forming.
He's got deep blue eyes that hide nothing at all, when others like me and nan try to lock emotions inside, this man does not. Anger, joy, hatred, disgust, and the never changing, unquenchable lust for fights and violence. If Nan it's a dormant volcano, he is a forever active one.
He glances at the hog-tied and bleeding Chinese. Then with a sullen voice, he speaks.
"Why is that chink still standing ?" He's looking directly at me.
The two killers look at each other, confused, not knowing what to do.
I took a step forward, they immediately point their gun at my face. The gun barrels of .45 are merely 20cm from me.
"Call me a chink one more time mocha loshad, see what happens." One of them cocks back the hammer.
"And what will you do?" He asks in an amused tone.
"I'll cut your fat fucking fingers off and make you swallow everything single ring on them." The other one cocks the hammer too.
One word, two trigger squeezes and I'll be dead. The two of them wait for their orders patiently.
"Hey, russkie! "
"........" I see a single drop of sweat drip down from one of the gunmen. They can feel it. The next time I speak they will have the order to kill me.
"I can see that fucking smile by your mouth." The both of us burst out laughing, the sound of our hysterical laughter even woke up a hobo nearby. He glances at the two Chinese on the ground and me then went back to sleep.
"You're still the craziest son of a bitch I know. Got zero decency for your life!"
"And you're still a racist fucking mao zi. It's good to see you, Ivan."
We speak between laughs and put our hands on each other's shoulders so we don't fall to our knees from laughter. The two hitman holster their guns and stand silently. Don't know how to think about this situation.
"Boys. This is Lee. The one Chinese that you can not kill." He says while patting my back.
"Lee. These boys are freshly trained new bodyguards of mine."
"They're good. Who trained them?"
"Mostly Igor, sometimes Katerina when she's in the mood." They shiver at that last name.
"Katerina eh? I'm sure they're more than capable in that case."
"Ha. You could teach them a thing or two you know. Hell. You can be a senior from the get-go, we need all the skilled players to prepare for war."
"Speaking of which." Ivan kicks one of the stalkers' gunshot wounds resulting in a muffled cry. "Even a blind man can see they're from piao jie. Did you piss off the Qins ?"
"Good question." I say as I pull out the wrinkled business card from nan. And dial his numbers. "I'm wondering the same thing."