As my eyes adapted to the light. I can see that I'm in a medium size room. Unlike most of the places in jiu lou, this space doesn't have wooden floors but barebone concrete ones with some cracks and dried blood on them. The bright LED light tubes are placed where the ceiling meets wall, hold in place by nails and duct tape.
A square is drawn in white chalk in the middle. The brown of dried blood fills that square. A couple of black sandbags are suspended on the ceiling (looks unstable). Lots of human outlines with different heights and body types on the wall, also drawn with chalk. A bunch of tangled-up jump ropes and boxing tapes pilled up at the corner of the room.
"Personal gym? Love the industrial style." I ask jokingly.
"It's Nan's. Others also use it when they want to......dissolve some conflicts between one and another." She walks towards the square in the middle of the room where she stops at the northwest corner. Her right foot moves a step forward, but the left stays still. She looks down at the little corner of the 5m x 5m square. Then she turns her head and looks at me. Surprisingly there was no hatred or murderous intent in her eyes, just......calmly and cautiously judging me.
Of all the places you can do this, you picked where I'm most accustomed to.
"If you want a second round you can come at me anytime, anywhere you want after I'm done here." She looks me in the eyes but doesn't answers me. "But if you really want to settle this now........" I slowly exhale and start thinking about how many steps it takes to get in her range.
She closes her eyes again, just when I'm fully prepared for a tough fight. She turns around and carries on walking towards the door at the end of the north wall.
"If there is a second round it will end with your death.......but you're right. Missy's work is the priority." I keep a safe distance while following her.
"Anytime. But you know, I preferred dealing with disputes with my words instead of violence," When violence is not a safer option. "How about we show each other some of the 'trust and honesty between colleagues' that Nan won't shut up about?" She lets out another one of those exhales that sounds like short laughter. Opening the door by the wall which leads to a dimly lit narrow hallway.
"After all, what did you guys put it? 'Heqi Shengcai'?" She turns her head slightly and side-eyes me.
"Are you Chinese or a Malaysian?" That's the most normal tone I've heard when she's talking to me.
"Neither, I'm a Faustian born and bred." Xiao turns left at the end of the hallway.
"Have you.......lived in paio jie before?"
Don't make me laugh.
"Never. But I used to sneak in opium dens when I was younger, learned a bit of Mandarin there." Typical story. No one will suspect that.
"You know a lot for someone who wasn't formally educated in Chinese." Not a compliment, just stating the fact. But it's an improvement nonetheless. I let out a hum. We take another left turn at the end. How big is this place?
"And you? Piao jie oriented? You don't look like one of those imbecile dream chasers." She laughs a real laugh. It sounds......hearty, normal laughter from a young girl........the striking contrast is killing me. After that comes a moment of silence before she answers me.
".......no. I'm a Faustian too." At the end of the dim hallway is another door.
"Born here," as she pushes the handle bright light fills the dark hallway, casting a long and narrow shadow behind me.
"Live here," Xiao pushes the door open and holds it in place. I step forward to hold it for her, as she let go of her right hand our eyes meet again. Hers are brown. Same as mine. But lighter. "Di......"
Die as how the fuck we want!
"Die as how the fuck we want." She frowns at my words. "We can't choose where we were born, we can't choose how we live." I put on a grin and walk into the light. "But we can damn well choose how we go."
Door leads to the kitchen area, thankfully all the cooks are off duty. I see the double door to the break room up ahead. Just when I'm about to go across the stoves in the middle I heard the same laughter again.
I turn around and see Xiao leaning against the door we just went through. She tilts her head to the side and supports her head with her left hand, her smooth black hair falls on her shoulder. When I first saw her I thought she can be considered a beauty if not for her expression. Now with a smile on her face, it's safe to say she looks gorgeous.
"You're a strange person, Mr.Lee" Without the murderous intent and hatred. Her eyes now only show amusement.
"I'll take that as a compliment." I smile back. She raises her right foot and pushes against the door behind her, her body follows the reaction force. One step forward and she's in front of me again.
Street fight tactic.
"Out of pure curiosity, may I ask? Why isn't Nan waiting for me at the front?" I say as I follow her through the kitchen area. Even on wooden floors, her steps are still soundless.
"He's probably slacking......again." She signs. As we approach the break room again Xiao gestures for me to wait. I complied and step to the right so if there was anyone inside they wouldn't be able to see me directly. As she pushes open the left double door, the sound of laughter and chit-chat escapes. I estimate there are at least five people inside, both men and women. Xiao didn't bother shutting the door since it was a self-closing door. I take the opportunity.
The door hinge slowly drags it back. I shift my position from the right to the left as the door closes so I can see as much as possible.
Three men in suits and a woman in a black skirt are sitting at a folding table with a half-empty whiskey bottle in the middle, a bunch of glasses, and three plastic bags with what I presumed would be their dinner. The woman says something, and the others laugh but one of them only smiles. I recognize the two gunmen at the front door in those three. My condolences to the guy still out there.
Changing my position as the door narrows down my sight, I see Xiao making her way through the room. There are four men in black talking in a small circle, one of them is holding an ashtray, each of them has a cigarette between their index and middle fingers. The atmosphere among this group is clearly more serious. What's interesting is when Xiao passes, the gangsters tend to stop talking. Not sure if it's out of respect or other reasons.
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The door is about to be completely closed. I take another step to the left, getting my shoulder against the left side of the hallway wall. Xiao walks past the crowd, walking straight to the northeast corner. In this position, I can't see where she's heading. Just when I'm about to give up I saw the one holding ashtray turns around and starts walking toward the left side of the room. At the last millisecond, I see where Xiao is heading.
***
Xiao makes her way through the room, she can sense more than a couple of guys are watching her. Briefly consider staring back but decide not to. After she was reassigned to Qin Yan's wing, she basically goes wherever she goes. For the past few months, she's been spending a lot of time in this jiu lou. She can't fool herself, she misses the days when all she has to worry about is carrying out tasks. (Only for the simplicity of it)
Although she appreciates that Miss Qin often gives her a lot of time off. She doesn't know how to spend it.
She seldom sees her colleagues at her previous work. Sometimes she doesn't even see her bosses. Now as a bodyguard, she has to stay close to Missy even if she's off duty which gives her lots of opportunities to interact with other members of Qin. Problem is, Xiao is not a people person. She's not even a talkative person. Plus the fact that others knew what she have done before, and they knew what she is. Half of the members here are afraid of her, the other half avoid her.
And then. There's Nan with his goddamn smile. His reputation in the organization precedes him, he enters the core of the organization and become a consoler of the family a few years ago. He's the rising star of the Qin family and was assigned to Missy's wing about the same time she did. The two are the polar opposite of each other, more than once they argue about decisions and matters relating to Missy. But in a strange way, she's glad that Nan is there. Since he's the only one that dares to talk to her. But of course, she wouldn't admit.
Xiao thinks about if it's possible to clear the room or at least distract a part of them so the merc can get in. She starts surveying the room to see if there is......
And what is he doing now?
***
I extended my foot to stop the wooden door from closing and check the hallway behind me to make sure no one was there. Some sound of talking in the distance but none are close by.
I tilt my head and with the tip of my shoe blocking the door I see Xiao approaching Nan and June through the door gape.
June is clearly uneasy being in this room with a bunch of gangsters. Guess she's not affiliated, just a regular worker. Nan looks.....like Nan, a smirk on his face and without a care in the world. Both of their faces change dramatically when they see Xiao walking towards them.
The receptionist's face turns pale in an instant and lowers her head, and closes her mouth. And Nan looks exactly like how someone getting caught skipping work to flirt with co-workers would look. Awkwardly shrugging.
This is worth it even if I don't get any information.
Xiao says something while staring at Nan. June nods her head and quickly walks away from them.......and starts walking toward me.
Shit.
I consider walking back to the door me and Xiao came from but now I see there's a fucking electronic lock on this one too. The kitchen stoves are too short I will get spotted if I try to hide behind them. Can't rush back to the lobby someone might be there. Ah, fuck it.
I step away from the door and lean against the wall with my right legs behind my left. Take out my pack of cig.
Relaxed. Act like you belong here.
As June walks out of the door I forced myself to not look in her direction. She only realizes I'm here after she's right next to me. (She lowers her head the whole time)
Her right foot was about to step forward but after seeing me with smoke in my mouth it dashes back like there was lava around me. I hold on to laughter.
"M-Mr.Lee......I'm sorry but we're closed and......you really shouldn't be here. You might get in trouble." June looks back at the break room nervously.
God bless this woman and her good intentions.
"I know." I put a smoke in my mouth and bring out the matchbox.
"Sir......sorry but you can't smoke in here, and.....you should really go."
"I got some unfinished business here," I say as I drag the match stick across the striker strip.
"Mr.Lee please, just go or else......" I raise my eyebrow.
"Or else?" She shuts her mouth and looks back. I light my cigarette. She opens her mouth again but no words come out, she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. When she speaks again she sounds somewhat more in control of herself.
"Mr.Lee. If you don't leave right now, I'm going to inform securities inside." I take another puff.
Brave girl. Maybe I should dial it down a bit?
"Sir.......Miss Xiao is in there too." She says like it's some final warning.
"Who's Miss Xiao?" Let's see how she reacts.
"What.......she's the...
Just when June is about to explain it. The double door opens. Nan and Xiao walk out. When I turn back June is already gone. How does she move so fast?
"Mr.Lee." Nan nods at me, the grin is on his face as always. "Good to see you again."
"Likewise, now. I suppose we can't use the fright lift again?" Xiao raises her eyebrow and looks at Nan.
"We could but......." Nan gives me an awkward look. Xiao finished the sentence with a delightful sound.
"It's going to need your compliance."
***
Xiao twists my right arm to my back and pushes the double door open. I keep my head down so they can't see my face. Especially when we pass the two gunmen I met at the front door. I can tell most of them avert their eyes when they see Xiao. I hear one of the Qins murmur "sui xiao".
Nan follows behind, he's putting on a poker face just as we planned. Xiao puts a bit more pressure on my arm. I have to convince every single cell in me not to fight back. My right index finger twitches slightly. Nan pushes the elevator button and shouts in Chinese.
"Alright! Nothing to see here. Just a moron that needs......'re-education' on the basic rules of this place." I hear some laughter from my left. Xiao puts her right arm on my nape. I hunch my back. Jittering my head in a subtle motion, chatter my teeth, my mouth slightly agape to make it look like I'm either high or pissing myself.
After, a loud 'clank' I hear the sound of freight elevator door opening. Xiao pushes me in roughly, Nan follows inside and quickly pressed the 'close' button. As the door closes in front of me. Xiao releases me from her grip. My right bicep feels sore.
"Thought you were really going to dislocate my shoulder," I say to Xiao. Nan pushes the 'B2' button as we discussed, got to make it believable.
"The idea did cross my mind." Xiao puts her hands by her waist. As a concussion happens again the lift starts moving.
"What stops you?" I stretch my arm. She smiles in silence and shrugs.
"Future enjoyment." I grin at her response.
"Visionary eh?" She lets out a quick chuckle and shakes her head lightly.
"That tongue. Mr.Lee, it will be the end of you someday."
Nan pushes the 'close' button as soon as the fright elevator reaches the second floor underground. The door opens slowly as the smell of blood and smoke hits my nostrils. Few doors to the left on a hallway that looks like a horror movie set. Light tubes hanging on the ceiling, shining intermittently. Peeling white wall. Badly worn wooden floors. There's a painting on the wall but it's covered by a white rag.
The door slowly closes. Nan still got his grin on. Xiao looks bored. With a rumbling noise. We start moving up to the sixth floor again.