The two Kings stood in front of the roller door in a short, dark alley, checking out the two Kam Shan Black Jacket gangsters guarding it.
The craggy asphalt ground and weathered brick walls were damp, while water leaked relentlessly from an overhead pipe, creating a persistent patter against the brickwork. The acidic stench of decaying garbage clung stubbornly to the air, assaulting Shing’s senses as he instinctively pressed his fingers to his nose. His gaze lifted to the gaping void between the two flanking groundscrapers of the alley they stood in, where a web of tangled wires, makeshift clothing lines, and a myriad of discarded remnants wove a mesh of haphazard obstacles.
Yutai stepped forward and approached the two Kam Shan Black Jacket guards from a distance. Adorned in intimidating black jackets, their attire was a show of class and force — the jackets hung heavily over their torsos, while their legs disappeared into dark wide-legged cargo pants, and white joggers to top it all off. Yutai had to admit they looked stylish and classy.
But no one can outclass a King, he thought.
‘We’re here on behalf of General Denzhen, seeking an audience with Lady Feng Tong,’ Yutai announced.
The two guards stood taller and their eyes gleamed with alertness. The guard on the right cleared his throat, his voice a gravelly whisper in the dim light. ‘The Aunt, yes, she’s been expecting someone from Yu for a while now. We’ll escort you to her.’After an exchange of nods, one of the guards turned and tapped on an intercom on the wall. Leaning in, he murmured a coded message and the metallic gate began its slow ascent.
By Yutai’s side, Shing shuffled closer, both men waiting in anticipation as the gate cracked and groaned, finally stopping at the top with a thump.
Their escort waved them forward and led the pair into a darkness that was promptly dispelled by a narrow stairwell with an ominous red glow to their right, a solitary black rail bolted on the left side of the wall. At the top was the source of the glow, a red neon light for the character ‘Hell’ above an open door, a common and ironically affectionate nickname for the lowest depths of Kowloon. The gentle, pulsating beat of West-Kow House music drifted out from behind the door.
The door revealed a club-like scene with a dance floor, DJ booth, and bar, but the scene was still except for a few gang members whispering at the bar, their voices mixing with the background music. Flashing lights coloured the empty space, suggesting a lively night ahead. Near the dance floor, four stripper poles stood on a raised stage, reaching towards the ceiling.
The guard guided them across the floor, up the DJ booth on stage, and past large speakers playing music. They both felt the air pumping out of the speakers and quickly followed the guard as he pulled back a curtain at the rear of the stage, revealing another closed door. Walking through it, they found themselves in a dimly lit corridor, shuffling awkwardly to fit side by side in the narrow space. Yutai whispered to Shing, ‘Tong is referred to as Aunt here. Show some respect, alright?’
‘Absolutely not,’ Shing shot back.
‘What? Why?’ Yutai asked, struggling to keep a straight face.‘I spent almost half that rail ride fantasising about undressing her, now you want me to call her my aunty?’Yutai snorted. ‘It’s a title, not literal, Shing! And no one’s said she’s your aunt.’‘I’m still not doing it,’ Shing said through clenched teeth as they prepared to meet the infamous Aunt Tong.
As the door at the corridor’s end swung open, Yutai, Shing, and their escort stepped into the beating heart of Tong Feng’s domain. Her gangsters, the law enforcers of District Kam Shan, decked out in variations of the signature black jackets — some cut in the style of bomber jackets, others hoodies — filled the expansive central room. The space was dominated by a grand spiral staircase, stretching to the higher levels. Scattered doors saw Black Jackets walking in and out, while clusters of sofas and tables created cosy enclaves where gang members convened for meals and jovial chatter.
A peek into an open door revealed a busy firing range, the sharp pops of gunfire merging with the hearty laughter and animated conversations reverberating through the room. Their escort guided them through the activity, veering right through another door that revealed a lengthy, descending staircase. The descent suggested that their destination — Aunt Tong’s den — was buried even deeper below ground.
The narrow staircase, with its yellowing, peeling walls, led downward through jagged, uneven steps. As they descended, the air thickened into an intoxicating mix of alcohol, dama, and shuiyan smoke, triggering a sudden yearning in Yutai to smoke shuiyan himself. He made a mental note to pay a visit to The Crescent and rent out a shuiyan table after his job here was done.
At the bottom was a closed metal door which opened in response to their escort’s double knock. Both Yutai and Shing walked slowly into a room with a very low ceiling, almost hitting their caps as they entered. Their escort turned around and silently left through the door they arrived in.
The room was a testament to the march of time, the worn browned concrete flooring revealing centuries of use. Dated bulbs hung precariously from the ceiling, their feeble glow illuminating the exposed pipes and antiquated fans that churned the heavy, damp air, a replica of the humid atmosphere in the streets above.Shing fought to keep an expression of disgust off his face.
Yutai caught Shing’s scrunched nose and elbowed him with a sharp whisper. ‘Cut that out! We’re in the home of someone important!’
‘How can any self-respecting lady ever choose to live in this…ancient dump…’ Shing said to himself, forcing a neutral expression.
Scattered near the sides of the den were higher-ranking Black Jackets, sporting coloured ribbons on their sleeves. The source of the shuiyan and dama smoke were the people in here, passing pipes to one another as they huffed and puffed, their attention now on Shing and Yutai, standing at the centre of the den.
At the far end of the room, a long dining table stretched sideways, where the venerable Lady Tong Feng sat. Yutai paused to study her features. Shing wasn’t at all wrong about her appearance. Her face barely revealed any signs of age, save for laugh lines and a solitary forehead crease. With her high cheekbones, hair swept back into an elegant bun, and those deep, dark eyes — was she really the century-old Tong people spoke of?
Looming behind her, a figure of imposing stature commanded the room’s attention without uttering a word. His broad shoulders dwarfed his head, giving him a formidable presence. Bandages, wrapped tightly around his fists and wrists, marked him as the legendary Iridium-Fisted Terror, Shou Feng. This behemoth, with his shaved head, watched intently over the table’s proceedings. There two men of noble bearing sat opposite each other, their dark silk hanfu’s complemented by expensive satin trousers—their value out of the common Kowlooni’s reach.
Shing and Yutai stood at the room’s centre, garnering frowns from several of the Black Jackets stationed around. It appeared they had intruded upon a significant luncheon, yet their arrival seemed to stir no interruption in the ongoing conversations at the table. So they waited, hands clasped behind them, as Lady Tong Feng continued her meeting.
****
‘…You scheming rodents have got smarts, I’ll give you that. Inflating your district’s water bills four times higher, only to pocket the extra money…with how the dam has been acting up recently, almost all your tracks were covered. You two must have had quite a good run. Though, all good things must eventually come to an end, isn’t that right, Lord Jud? Lord Datsi?’
Holding court from the heart of the expansive dining table, Lady Feng pivoted her gaze towards the two men without moving her head.
‘Aunt, there has been a profound misunder —’ the man on the left started.
‘SILENCE! Don’t you DARE interrupt your aunt!’A mute void engulfed the table after her thunderous outburst.
Yutai watched, transfixed, as the youthful yet formidable Aunty of Kam Shan held her fierce gaze, only for it to dissipate as swiftly as it had appeared into a cold smile.
Clearing her throat, the Aunt grabbed her chopsticks from the side of her plate and began quietly eating, placing a small ball of rice and meat into her mouth, chewing quietly as the other two stared at her with fear blazing from their eyes.
As she savoured the final bite, Aunt Tong urged, ‘Well, eat! I didn’t cook you criminals delicious meals only to watch it go cold!’
The two of them cautiously grabbed their respective chopsticks and began partaking in the meal, eating tiny portions of the food on their plates — not once taking their eyes off their hostess.
The Aunt put down her own chopsticks and cleared her throat. ‘Okay that’s enough. I have some questions to ask you and I hate it when people eat while I’m talking to them.’
The two men, still carefully chewing their food, placed their chopsticks down and swallowed the last morsels down their throat.
‘I must ask…Lord Jud, Datsi, even though you two hold dominion over two of my most significant sub-districts, I am grossly aware one of you possess a wit sharper than the other. O Lord,’ The Aunt said all of a sudden, closing her eyes as if in prayer ,‘I see the irony of this setting in which you have placed me in…forgive me that I could not be as merciful as your son…’ she trailed off before addressing them sharply once more, ‘You two rodents want some cha? Oh of course you do. KAANG! Bring us some cha!’
From the back of the room, a Black Jacket gangster ran out the door and upstairs.
‘Now, while we wait for the cha, I want to give myself one last chance to exercise mercy. Whose bright idea was to come up with this scheme? To pilfer 12 million Hongs right under my nose?’
Lord Datsi thrust a trembling finger across the table at Lord Jud, whose eyes widened in sheer terror at the sudden accusation.
‘Him! It-it was him!’ Datsi cried out, voice cracking under strain, ‘Jud approached me first! Said he knew of a way to amass a fortune without getting caught!’
‘D-datsi…A-a-aunt- ’ Lord Jud stumbled over his words,his eyes darting between the Aunt and Lord Datsi, colour leeching from his face.
‘Oh, shut your bumbling mouth, Jud. He’s just called you the smarter Lord. Take it as a compliment.’
The sound of a door opening came from behind Yutai, and the Black Jacket gangster who left to fetch the tea returned, moving past Yutai and Shing with a beautiful ceramic teapot in hand. He walked around the wide long table, around Lord Jud’s chair, and placed it in front of the Aunt. For a moment, the blue and white teapot captivated everyone’s attention.
‘Brilliant. It’s cha time!’ the Aunt announced with flourish, ‘Lord Jud, do come forward and pour your companion and yourself a steaming cup.’
Lord Jud just sat there, doing an excellent impression of a statue.
‘Dear Lord…’ Aunt Tong’s voice dipped, ‘if you make me repeat myself again, I might feel compelled to —’
Jud sprang from his seat, cutting her off before she could detail any further threats. Aunt Tong’s expression morphed into one of her signature inscrutable smiles as he approached.
As Lord Jud reached for the teapot, Aunt Tong’s hand fastened around his wrist with an unexpected gentleness, her long, red nails clicking softly. She drew him closer with a subtle gesture, and he cautiously leaned in. What she whispered into his ear drained all colour from his face. She smiled and nodded as she whispered away, as if she was exchanging trivial gossip, sending the poor lord deeper in his petrification.
The Aunt finally let go of Lord Jud’s wrist and pulled her head back, readjusting her poise. Her gaze drifted to other lord, still seated. Lord Datsi’s eyes, full of concern and curiosity, darted between Aunt Tong and Lord Jud, now visibly shaken.
‘Dear Jud, why don’t share our little secret with Lord Datsi? I think he has every right to know, don’t you? You two are partners in crime after all, no?’
His eyes glistening with tears, Jud spoke to Datsi in a quivering voice. ‘T-the Aunt has g-given me a- a ch-choice; there’s a poison in the cha-’
‘Aw, boo! Boo! You’ll kill all three of us with boredom before anything else does!’ Tong remarked sarcastically. ‘My dear Lord Datsi, this here is what’s called an assassin’s teapot. There are two chambers holding two liquids, and depending on how Lord Jud decides its tilt when pouring it, one or the other shall come out; delicious jade cha, or a deadly poison. Now, as Jud was the architect behind the tomfoolery that led you here today, he has two options: offer himself redemption by suicide, or he can choose to double down on his greed…cling onto his worthless life and his tainted legacy, choosing that you die instead. Of course, he will have to sleep at night knowing he doubly screwed you over. Though, considering how swiftly you pointed the finger at him, perhaps he won’t feel too bad.’
Datsi’s face was a mask of shock.
‘Come now, Lord Jud, go pour yourself and your friend some cha,’ The arctic tone in the Aunt’s voice chilled the room.
Lord Jud’s approach to the other end of the table was a spectacle of dread and silent pleas, both lords locking eyes with one another. Lord Datsi’s eyes, now wide with terror, sought Jud’s in a silent, desperate appeal.
Jud now loomed beside him, the teapot in hand — an unexpected executioner’s weapon. Sweat dripped down his forehead and to his chin, landing next to Datsi’s plate full of food. Datsi stared intently at the spout of the teapot as Jud’s hesitation stretched into eternity, wondering which liquid would fall out. Then, with a decisive motion, Jud tilted the teapot, its hot contents a mystery as they flowed into Datsi’s cup. Lord Jud slowly returned to his own seat and poured himself tea without hesitation before sitting back down.
‘After the lovely beverages, it will be the last time one of you will ever see me again. So let it be known that after you are sent to Sheoul, that of lakes of fire forever remind you of the price of betraying your Aunt! Now, in the name of God almighty, let us drink. Cheers to everyone else in this room living long, fulfilling lives!’
Both lords slowly raised the tea to their lips. Datsi, seeking any clue in the aroma of his tea, found none. But the truth was revealed not through scent but through action, when Jud’s cup clinked back on his saucer. He licked his wet lips, and that was when Datsi realised with horrified eyes the decision Jud had made. Datsi dreadfully stared his hot cup, now aware what was in it waiting for him.
‘That’s hardly fair, darling, you robbed us of a good show. You were meant to drink it the same time as Jud,’ The Aunt looked at Lord Datsi with disappointment as he sat silently in despair, now fully aware he had been sentenced to death by his former friend. As the Aunt watched Datsi silently sit still and unable to drink, paralysed with inaction, her face contorted with impatience and anger;
‘THAT IS THE LAST TIME YOU WILL CHEAT ME, DATSI. DRINK YOUR CHA OR SHOU WILL SHOVE PORCELAIN SHARDS DOWN YOUR THROAT.’
The Aunt, with her beady eyes raging with the tempest of a storm, nodded to the hulking man behind her. At her signal, Shou Feng advanced. His presence was like a rabid dog on a leash, and now standing behind Datsi, he could feel the full weight of the Aunt’s terror bearing down on his back.
Aunt Tong’s stern gaze bore into Datsi, offering one final, merciless opportunity for compliance — a last chance to meet his end on his own terms.
Datsi took a steadying breath while he fought off fearful tears. He seized the cup and tilted his head back to gulp down the scalding liquid in a desperate bid to hasten the inevitable. The bodily reactions were instantaneous; his throat felt like it was collapsing in on itself as his airways sealed shut like a vacuum seal. His hands clawed at his throat in a futile attempt to draw breath, even going as far as trying to shove his fingers down in his mouth to force-open a passage for air. His face turned blood-red, veins bulging with the strain of his silent struggle for survival. Snot and tears lined his face in vertical streaks, eyes jutting out their socket, and then, his head collapsed square in his warm meal. He continued sputtering as his head lay slumped sideways, taking in Yutai and Shing’s horrified expressions.
The ensuing silence didn’t last long as the Aunt stood up from her seat and walked towards Jud, who desperately avoided looking at the man he had sentenced to death. The Aunt sat at the corner of the table before him, her legs crossed over another, the same unnerving smile on her face.
‘Is it fair to allow you to leave my den unscathed, your honours and titles untouched, while poor Datsi bore the brunt of your malice and deceit? What, then, shall be your recompense?’
Lord Jud, in a desperate bid to salvage his fate, began sobbing and pleading. ‘Please, Aunt, I beg you for mercy, for forgiveness! Please oh please —’
Yutai and Shing both winced in shock as the Aunt, amidst Lord Jud’s pleas, grabbed his flapping tongue, pinching the tip and drawing it outwards. Jud’s eyes, wide with dread, could only watch as she examined the pale muscle stretched before her, still wet and warm from the tea. The Aunt calmly spoke, ‘Perhaps this will teach you to make better use of your tongue.’
With her elongated red nail, she traced the underside of his tongue, caressing it with its pointed tip. Then, without forewarning, she pushed her nail into its underside, her long nail impaling through to the top of his tongue. Lord Jud could only offer muffled shouts as he stared cross-eyed at his tongue, watching her slowly pull her finger towards herself, tearing his tongue wider… he squirmed and shut his eyes, clenching the edges of the table as his body shuddered.
‘Datsi had to put up with a fair bit of pain too…so perhaps…’
With the look of childlike curiosity on her face, the Aunt twisted her finger like a screw, watching saliva, blood and fleshy fibres of tongue dig under the sides of her long, painted nail.
Finally, she retracted her sharp nail from the underside of his tongue and wiped it on the table cloth, blood streaking its whiteness. Lord Jud muffled his cry as he covered his mouth with clutched hands, rocking side by side in pain from the brutal torture.
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‘Guards, escort Lord Jud outside. He has much to reflect on tonight. Perhaps that’ll teach him something about loyalty. And return Datsi’s body to his family; let them know all his titles and riches now belong to his wife.’
****
As Black Jackets shoved the disoriented lord out of the room, carrying Datsi’s lifeless body, Yutai and Shing cast uneasy glances at one another, still waiting for the Aunt to acknowledge them. Yet she simply went to back to her seat across the table and whistled an uncaring tune.
‘Greetings, Aunt Tong. We are here on behalf of General Denzhen,’ Yutai spoke up, her recent display of cruelty still fresh in his mind.
Aunt Tong turned her head towards the two Kingmaker painfully slow.
‘Oh, lovely! What are your two names, gentlemen?’ Tong’s voice, despite its assertive undertone, had a delicate feminine quality which bore no hint of her old age.
‘My name is Yutai; this is my —’
‘Shing. I mean, not his Shing,’ Shing interrupted, ‘I’m just Shing, at your service.’
Tong Feng appraised them from head to foot and then propped her head back ever so slightly on her chair and smiled.
‘What handsome men you two are! My name is Tong Feng, but you can call me Aunty Tong if you so desire. Makes me feel young to be called an aunt. Even my great-grandchildren have taken to it! Anyway, what news does little Denzhen bring?’
Yutai cleared his throat. ‘He says that Emperor Puyin has approved of the project in Kam Shan. And we are to be at your service while your men prepare for construction.’
Tong smiled and looked around at the others in the room. Yutai noted it was a little unnerving, her eyes a lot wider than you’d expect when someone smiled. The black balls of her eyes were barely contained within her eyelids.‘That’s wonderful news…Yutai is it? I am absolutely delighted to hear of this!’
Tong started clapping really fast, and then abruptly stopped.
‘And how is the Emperor going, hmmm? Is my cute little wrinkled munchkin holding up okay?’
Shing laughed and Yutai side-eyed him.‘Emperor Puyin is doing fine, Aunt,’ Yutai said. ‘If you don’t mind me asking, how can we get a head start on this project?’
‘Slow down, young one! You both must be famished. Let’s find you something to eat first.’
‘No no, it’s okay Aunty. We are quite full; we had dinner before coming. Shing and I thank you for the offer,’ Yutai said, with a gentle bow of his head.
‘Actually, I’m quite hungry, Tong,’ Shing said, rubbing his belly over his trench coat.
Yutai closed his eyes in embarrassment and sighed in frustration. Shing was still adamant on not calling her aunt.
Shouldn’t have brought this fool, Yutai thought to himself.
‘Perfect! KAANG! Bring some of tonight’s special from the mess in a to-go box. Bring two actually; Yutai is feeling a little too polite tonight.’ Tong winked at him.
‘In the meantime, let’s have a chat.’
A Black Jacket from one of the back sofas stood up and left the room to do Tong’s bidding.
‘So tell me, have those secretive little schoolgirls told you much about what I’m building here?’
‘Nothing at all,’ Yutai confessed. ‘But we’ve got our theories.’
‘Marvellous! I’m quite partial to a well-crafted theory. Let’s take a walk and discuss this further. Afterwards, I might require a small favour from you both; no big deal for strong men such as yourselves.’ She turned her head to the side, addressing her son behind her, ‘Shou, stay here and watch over the club until I return. Make sure no one falls behind on patrol duty.’ Shou’s gaze remained fixed on the two Kingmakers with distrust, and subtly nodded.
Tong rose gracefully to her feet, revealing an exquisite, light blue silk qipao adorned with delicate white floral patterns wrapped tightly around her small waist and shapely hips. Yutai’s eyes widened. He still couldn’t believe she was about the same age as when his great grandmother passed away.
Instead of striding a few steps ahead, like their escort earlier, she came to a halt right between them. Tong then jutted both her elbows out and held them aloft, signalling for them to take her arms.
‘Well come on then! Don’t be shy! The streets of Kam Shan are dangerous after the lanterns have dimmed. Besides…’ her voice dropped to a whisper, the corners of her lip curled into a cheeky smile. ‘There have been concerning reports of rodent attacks late at night, incidents doubling by the day. These aren’t the ones you shoo away, no, they’re different. Like the vermin that roam East Kowlooni sewers. Perhaps even larger, more aggressive. I would feel a lot safer with two handsome Kings by my side.’
Both King’s frowned and Yutai gingerly linked his arm with Tong’s. She responded with a gentle squeeze, drawing him closer. Shing followed suit, albeit awkwardly, his face flush with embarrassment as Tong’s swift tug drew him to her side. Then she strutted out of the room, her steps crossing elegantly like a catwalk model. As she confidently led them up the stairs to the main floor, her heels softly clacking on the short steps, Yutai caught the scent of her sweet perfume—a musk that combined luxury with femininity.
‘Now, what theories have you gentlemen cooked up about our project?’ Tong’s voice bubbled with anticipation.
Shing mustered the courage to reply, much to Yutai’s relief, ‘W-we…uh…thought it may involve the food p-production here in Kam Shan. We’ve heard of the great farming machines of algae and fungus.’
‘Oh, have you? What about you, Yutai? Did you arrive at the same conclusion?’
‘Y-yes, Aunty. I mean, Aunt.’
‘My, aren’t you two sharp!’ Aunt Tong praised the two of them. As they walked through the curtains of the top-level dance floor, Yutai noticed that the whispering Black Jackets by the bar had left. The Aunt continued, ‘Yes, you’re on the right path. The Zhaisheng will primarily upgrade our agricultural sectors, but, it’s not merely that. There is something else, something far more concerning. Have either of you heard of Chuan Wan Dam?’
The Kings exchanged a look before nodding in unison.
‘It’s the lifeblood of Kowloon, our only source of water,’ Shing answered. ‘The dam is somewhere inside No Man’s Land, and flows out through Kam Shan.’
‘What a learned man you are!’ Tong beamed. ‘Indeed, because water flows into Kowloon from its Western end. The Yaozhi family has historically entrusted Kam Shan with overseeing its distribution. It’s also why we facilitate all the algae processing farms in Kowloon. As you mentioned, the dam itself extends into the perils of No Man’s Land, thus limiting our ability for regular checks. No Man’s Paranoia is no joking matter, I tell you. Quite recently, we’ve had urgent cause to investigate the dam, for you see, the water pressures for our farms have fallen unusually low. Mind you, we haven’t had to visit the dam in many hundreds of annui-cycles.’
The three had walked through the dance floor, down it’s steps, and reached the roller gate of the main entrance that began its slow ascent, releasing a gust of stagnant, cool air. ‘So, I sent a team of experts into the depths of No Man’s Land. Of course they’d get nowhere without the Ditu, so one of your generals sent us a Kingmaker acting as their guide. Once they made it to the ancient dam, my team made a dire discovery,’ Tong continued. ‘The low water pressure originated from a blockage far beyond the dam, a matter out of my teams’ hands. The Ditu lacked maps beyond Chuan Wan Dam, you see, preventing further exploration. But what truly alarmed my researchers was the condition of Chuan Wan Dam itself: in its centuries-long isolation since the last check-up, it had become critically damaged. Barely any regulation sensors were functioning, gears almost completely fused from corrosion. We were lucky a separate issue brought this to our attention. Before it was too late.’
As the roller door finally heaved up all the way, they stepped out into the dark alleyway, mirroring Tong’s stride to avoid tripping her. The guards outside bowed to the Aunt as she walked past them.
‘Too late? What do you mean?’ Yutai asked.
‘All the mechanisms I named prevent the mass of water behind the dam from inundating Kowloon entirely,’ Tong continued, her tone ominous. ‘Our researchers began calculating when the water may breach the dam. The situation took a turn as heated debates broke out among them. No consensus could be reached about when the dam comes crashing down. One group estimated the dam would fail in about 120 annui-cycles, while another believed we had less than five. Am I making sense to you two?’Both Kings nodded simultaneously. Yutai couldn’t deny what he was hearing sounded incredibly troubling. He looked at Shing’s face, unreadable and neutral, but listening intently.
‘After my team returned, I had quite a bit on my hands. I dispatched ten researchers, and only eight returned. Since then, one has gone completely insane, three vowed to never work for me again, and one has been killed. I requested aid from the Emperor, but he has been quite unhelpful. They’ve informed me that the King who accompanied my team collected enough data for the Kingmakers to work on a fix themselves. Yet here I am, dealing with unexplained disappearances and a murder unaccounted for, all the while I’m sitting next to a ticking time bomb of a dam…that’s why I reached out to the Emperor’s younger brother, a much more reasonable man.’
Navigating the tight alleys at ground level was akin to a precarious ballet of constant vigilance. Their path snaked and twisted, rising and dipping with uneven stairs everywhere. Hazards lurked at every turn: jutting construction rods, low-hanging shop signs, tripwire-like pipes strewn across the walkway, and capricious electrical lines swinging from above. As they passed a shopkeeper pulling down his shutters, his gaze lingered on the two Kings escorting Tong. The flickering neon sign above his shop dulled as he retreated into the backroom.
‘Aunt,’ Yutai ventured. ‘What exactly do you need from us both?’
Tong’s eyes sparkled with mischief. ‘Oh, you’ll find out soon enough. Are either of you skilled in investigation? Ah, what a silly question, of course you are. I recall the notorious woman-butcher of Kam Shan, who terrorised the streets of West Kowloon. No girl was safe. It’s no wonder it took a Kingmaker to track him down and finally kill him. The legends that surround your people…the very thought makes me feel alive.’
Yutai began to feel a tinge of frustration at Tong’s roundabout way of saying a simple thing, while Shing used his free right arm to scratch the back of his head, almost tipping over his cap.
‘And how is that related to us?’ Shing asked.
‘The woman-butcher was brought to justice long before either of us were born,’ Yutai added. ‘If you want us to go running around solving unfinished murder cases, we don’t have the resources, time or even the particular training needed.’
‘Light…this small talk was a mistake,’ the Aunt muttered under her breath. ‘I merely shared a thought that crossed my mind, a testament to my respect and admiration for you Kings. I had assumed all of you were as talented as that Kingmaker, but judging by your reaction…’
‘Then what is the favour?’ Yutai pressed.
‘You’ll see….oh a left here, and we’ll be at the algae farms.’
The trio veered off into a side alley, the first deviation from the main street. They paused at the entrance to a building, where a Black Jacket stood at attention with a large rifle in hand.
‘We welcome you, Aunt,’ The guard greeted her with a deep bow.
‘Has anyone disturbed the scene? I found two handsome Kings who were kind enough to volunteer to help.’
No, we didn’t, Yutai quipped in his mind.
The guard swung open the double doors, and they ascended the steps beyond. On the way up, Yutai noticed a trail of dry blood under his feet, leading to the first level. He glanced at Shing who gave him a brisk nod; he had noticed the blood, too. It led through an open door on the first floor, revealing the inside of an enormous, empty warehouse, with a ceiling at least six stories high. Raw materials—metal beams, gears, and enormous batteries—were scattered haphazardly across the floor. It was still early in the pre-construction phase for the farms. This would be the first site for the Emperor’s Zhaisheng in the West.
Black Jacket gangsters were milling around the warehouse making calls, some shouting into their communicators, while others huddled at the centre of the warehouse, engrossed in something. Yutai made a sound in his throat and jerked his head to draw Shing’s attention; the streaks of blood led to the small crowd of Black Jackets. Lights flashed intermittently from the crowd — some snapped photos, while others just gawked. At what, Yutai could not yet see.
As they approached the commotion, Yutai felt Tong’s grip become firmer and tighter, as if she was now holding them for a genuine need of protection. Whatever they were approaching was clearly unsettling her.
The Black Jackets quickly bowed to Tong as they passed, but she acknowledged none of them, instead locking her gaze on the small crowd ahead.‘…murder…’ ‘… It was the Yang…’ ‘…Kingmakers are here now…’
Yutai heard these words float in the air, part of the myriad telephone conversations going on around them.
Upon reaching the crowd, the Black Jackets parted, granting passage to the trio. Tong released her hold on the Kingmakers as they came upon the gory spectacle where the dried trail of blood ended.
A body, violently mutilated, its entrails spilling out, the head barely hanging on by a thread of tendon, fingers chopped, toenails gouged out. The corpse was still clothed in a lab coat and plain black trousers, yet the bloodied garments were somehow in a better state than the body that wore it.
Yutai averted his eyes, a wave of nausea sweeping over him. However, Shing stood resolute, absorbing the grim scene before him. It looked as though a monster had had its sadistic fun with the corpse.
‘That was Dr Chinh, found just a few hours ago, right here,’ Tong spoke with regret and sadness. ‘He was to be the lead engineer for the new farms, a champion for the Zhaisheng in Kam Shan. He was also the research lead at Chuan Wan Dam. We haven’t even had the chance to notify his family yet.’
‘Have you got any idea who could have done this? Yang?’ Shing asked, his gaze unwavering.
‘That’s what scares me, Shing. If it’s the Yang, then they are privy to extremely sensitive information — identities of my most important researchers and scientists, pioneers of the Emperor’s Zhaisheng, and how to get to them. They would know of the great farms being built here. They may also be privy to the dam’s neglected state, and that it may destroy us all within an unknown number of cycles. If they even dared make this public…with enough evidence —’
‘They will undo everything,’ Yutai remarked ominously.
‘You said if it’s the Yang,’ Shing added. ‘Who else do you suspect?’
Again, the Aunt paused, her lips pursed in a tight line. ‘Most of my team believes the supernatural chase them, haunted from their time in No Man’s Land. I’ve had them all checked for No Man’s Paranoia — apart from one researcher, no one else seems to have it, yet they’re all convinced something stalks them.’
Shing scoffed, barely hiding his scepticism. ‘Well, then obviously, that’s not what —’
The Aunt snapped instantly, ‘—Do not “obviously” me, King! If you believe Kowloon only deals in the obvious, then even my most daft Black Jacket is brighter than you!’
Shing stared at Tong, his silence heavy with indignation. Though he said nothing, his stunned expression tightened into a slight scowl that failed to say anything else.
Yutai sensed the tension between the two and spoke up quickly and calmly. ‘If it really is the Yang, I don’t know what you want us to do, Aunt. They elude even us Kings. We’ve barely made any arrests, apart from a few during Operation Searchlight, all of whom are no longer alive.’‘Yutai, my dear,’ Tong’s voice held a note of frustration, ‘I don’t need you to dismantle the Western Yang cells, nor do I need you to necessarily solve this murder and find the culprit. Dr Chinh was a protected man, and if you can find out how such a prestigious and accomplished researcher like him came to be slain and dropped off in the middle of Kam Shan, my district will be indebted to you both. I have at least five other researchers of almost equal importance now terrified for their lives. All I ask is that there is no repeat of this.’ Her wide-eyed plea and slumped shoulders were a stark contrast to the indomitable sass and surety that Yutai had come to associate with her.
He drew in a steadying breath, bracing himself to finally confront the grisly sight of the poor doctor once again. ‘The rest of the team certainly isn’t safe,’ Yutai said, now fully accepting this assignment.
Tong pivoted towards Yutai. ‘We’ve already arranged protection for the team,’ she assured him.
‘Good,’ Yutai commented, his eyes tracing the trail of blood streaking across the warehouse from the entrance to the spot where Dr Chinh lay. Black Jacket gangsters were carefully stepping over it. ‘Any ideas when he was last seen alive?’
As Tong focused her attention on Yutai, Shing crouched down in front of the slain corpse, his gaze narrowing on the wounds of the body.
‘I last saw him personally two cycles ago. He approached me to appeal his doctorate being stripped away by Kam Shan University. Apparently, he had said unkind things about Dr Jode and her capabilities, breaking Kam Shan University’s honour code. It was something I couldn’t do much about.’
‘Who’s Dr Jode?’ Yutai asked.
‘A colleague that went with him to the expedition into Chuan Wan Dam. She was a vocal critic of his research while there.’
‘And does Dr Chinh live here in Kam Shan?’ Yutai asked.
‘His permanent residence is in Kam Dong, a sub-district not too far from here. But, with the arrival of the Zhaisheng, he had been staying at his old university quarters. He spent many of his nights locked up there, away from his wife.’
Yutai gave a silent response as his brain started piecing together the clues, his mind shifting gears into detective mode, scrutinising every titbits of information he was receiving.
Shing murmured as he rummaged through the doctors coat. ‘I’ve found the majority of the doctor’s possessions – wallet, ID cards, even some Hong notes he’d been carrying. His lab card, however, is missing. You’d expect…-’ Shing’s hand, half-buried in the doctor’s inner coat pocket, took out a ring full of keys.- ‘…a researcher of Dr Chinh’s stature would invariably have his lab key on his keyring.’
The lab card was indeed conspicuously absent from the jingling cluster of keys Shing held up above his shoulders, showing Yutai and Tong. A couple of Black Jackets who were silently listening leaned to the side to look at the key ring, too.
‘Then perhaps a visit to his university quarters may have answers. I don’t have the slightest clue where his lab card could be,’ she assured Shing.
Yutai’s brow furrowed in contemplation of Shing’s peculiar find, interjecting. ‘That sounds like a good idea. A victim’s dwelling is the best place to start any mystery. Let’s try and piece together a timeline. What cycle are we on?’
‘13th Rovi,’ Shing replied curtly. ‘But his internal temperatures tell me his heart stopped beating on the 12th. Perhaps late that cycle.’
‘So, Aunt Tong sees him on the 11th to discuss his expedition. He dies some 42 hours later.’
Right then, a Black Jacket gangster walked over to the Aunt and tapped on her shoulder, holding two boxes of hot food.
‘Not me, you fool; give it to the Kingmakers,’ the Aunt snapped.
‘Yes, Aunty, sorry,’ the gangster replied quickly.
The man bowed and handed them their boxes of food with a pair of chopsticks taped to its lid. After seeing the body, Yutai had lost what little of an appetite he had, but Shing immediately cracked open the lid to eat. Yutai planned to give his box to Shing after they were out of sight. Both Kings thanked the Aunt, and Shing started gobbling down his food- rice with curried algae and roasted mushrooms. Yutai couldn’t take his eyes off the body and wondered how Shing could compartmentalise the food he was eating after having just rummaged through someone’s intestines; even his hands were still bloody.
Yutai looked up at Tong. ‘Aunty, could you also provide us with the contact details of someone close to him? A colleague or family member with who you think he would have seen or spoken to before he died? If it’s family, I prefer you break the news of his death first before giving me the phone.’
Tong nodded and turned around to yell out to someone from the back, ‘Kaang! Get me the doctor’s wife, what was her name…Ah Lam! Get her on the line. Now!’
Nodding, a Black Jacket from the back whipped out his communication device out and keyed in a number code.
Soon enough, Tong was handed the communication device, and she began to break the dreadful news. Yutai caught the faint echo of wailing on the other end of the line – a chilling reminder of the grief he’d been spared from delivering.
Shing was still eating, while Yutai reflected on the facts of the murder. A rushed murder clearly with the brutal intention of intimidating Aunt Tong. A targeted strike on the Emperor’s Zhaisheng — while the Yang were running around trying to convince everyone that we need to return to the surface. The motives lined up well, every lead pointed towards their handiwork. The hard part would be figuring out how they did it all.
‘…here, please talk to one of the Kings,’ he heard Tong say. With a tap on his shoulder, the communication device was handed to him. Yutai rubbed it gently against his trench coat to clean it, took out his left cochlear implant, and placed it in his ear.
He expected sobbing…and sobbing there was.
‘Hello, ma’am, I would like to extend my condolences —’
‘I don’t care about finding his murderer! I just want him back! I want to release his body into the Memorial Pipes, as was his wish!’
‘Ma’am, I understand your pain, and we will do everything possible to return his body once we —’
‘NO! No after…I want him back, now!’
‘Please try to understand, ma’am. This murder is much larger than your husband. He died because he was a part of an important project that would’ve improved the lives of many. He would want this.’
‘Don’t you dare speak on behalf of my husband! I do not care for his selfless virtues if they’re why he was killed. He should never have worked for that bitch! She failed to protect him!’
Yutai wished Tong had better prepared the widow before transferring the call as he was untrained in consoling a grieving spouse. Her cries had now transformed into venom towards whoever was listening. Gritting his teeth, Yutai focused on what he needed, and nothing more.
‘I truly am sorry. But the body cannot be returned until we solve this issue. As a Kingmaker, his murder represents a threat to Kowloon, and if you don’t cooperate, not floating him down the Memorial Pipes will be the least of your worries.’
A deep, shaky breath resonated over the line as the doctor’s widow regained her composure.
‘Understood. Please tell me what is it you wanted to know.’
‘Thank you. Did your husband contact you after the 11th, two cycles ago?’
There was a brief moment of silence until she spoke once more.
‘Uh, no. He’s on semester period, so he’s away from home. But his work with that bitch has made him unbelievable busy. He normally calls me every dimming, anyways…yet the last three cycles, he stopped calling or answering any of my calls…’
Her words disintegrated into sobs. Yutai knew he could offer no solace - she needed time. As her cries echoed in his ear, the call ended. He handed Tong the device.
‘Get anything useful?’ Tong asked.
‘He ceased contact with his wife after his last meeting with you.’
Shing finally stood up after his long inspection of the corpse. ‘You know what that means, Tong?’
She looked at Shing with a raised brow.
‘That means you have a lot to tell us about your last meeting with the doctor. Now, I don’t want you to extrapolate insult from this, but if we’re going to do this right, everyone is a suspect. That means you and your incredibly bright Black Jackets, too.’
Shing’s tone was sharp and direct; Yutai could tell it was his way of getting back at the Aunt for her earlier comment.
But the Aunt did not brush over his comment. Her gaze zeroed in on Shing, almost as if about to pounce. She eyed him cap to boot. ‘That Kingmaker coat of yours has done well to protect your confidence. Be careful when that protection runs out, Shing.’ The Aunt paused briefly and cracked a smile. ‘Well, if it means both of you will quit your excuses, then interrogate away, oh lord inquisitor.’
Yutai took control of the conversation again, not wanting a squabble to break out. ‘That won’t be necessary. Or at least, not yet. Let’s visit his quarters, then we can plan our moves from there.
Aunt, may we prevail upon you for a Black Jacket escort?’