NB Chapter78

I had always thought I possessed some measure of experience when it came to dealing with Ah Hai. Yet, on the way to Maplewood Bay, I tried to strike up a conversation with him several times, only for him to respond with such brevity that his words were almost nonexistent.

Sitting in the back, I peered at Ah Hai’s features through the rearview mirror and asked, “Where are we going?”

He replied, “No. 21, Maplewood Bay.”

I asked again, “Will it just be the two of us there?”

He turned the steering wheel, making a turn, and answered, “Yes.”

I leaned forward slightly. “I guess there’s no way you’re letting me go then.”

He tilted his head to check the side mirror. “Yes.”

“What if I grab the steering wheel?” I reached out and gripped his seat.

Ah Hai fell silent. He suddenly veered toward the roadside and slammed on the brakes, causing my head to collide with the back of his seat.

Clutching my forehead, I groaned, “What was that for?”

“To prevent you from grabbing the wheel, I’m stopping the car first.” Ah Hai hurriedly turned off the engine and turned to look at me. “Mr. Yu, if you grab the steering wheel, the best-case scenario is that we both walk away fine. The median result is that we get injured; regardless of the severity, we’d end up in the hospital. Beyond that, either you die, I die, or we both die.”

The Ah Hai I first knew had already been working by Zhang Mingsheng’s side for nearly two years; he had grown accustomed to life in Hong Kong and followed Zhang Mingsheng’s every word. But the man before me now seemed to be suppressing a faint sense of impatience. His sudden, cold presentation of these predictions left me momentarily speechless.

Seeing that I remained silent, he turned back, started the car, hit the turn signal, and slowly pulled back onto the road.

Amidst the rhythmic clicking of the turn signal, Ah Hai spoke once more, “If one of us must die, I hope it is me; that way, I won’t have to fear dying without a whole body to bury. Mr. Yu, I hope you won’t make things difficult for me.”

Hearing this, I was left speechless. I sank back and leaned into the seat.

With my arms crossed and my cast-bound leg stretched out awkwardly, I began to plot silently. Glancing around the interior, I suddenly realized that the car Ah Hai was driving didn’t belong to Zhang Mingsheng. A strand of bodhi prayer beads dangled from the rearview mirror beside a Buddhist amulet. That wasn’t Zhang Mingsheng’s style.

Zhang Mingsheng had only a single protective pendant made of green jade, which he always wore. Later, when Keke was frightened upon entering the old mansion and wouldn’t stop crying, Zhang Mingsheng had yanked it off on the spot and put it on her. Keke stopped crying immediately.

In Hong Kong, where tradition and modernity constantly intersect, Feng Shui continues to thrive, and stories of gods and spirits have never truly disappeared.

The people on the streets looked polished and radiant, the storefronts grand and dazzling. Neon signs blazed so brightly they were almost impossible to look at directly, let alone the ever-shifting 3D advertisements splashed across the towering skyscrapers. Movie stars wore dazzling smiles while animated characters bounced across the screens, so lifelike it seemed they could leap out at any moment.

At times, standing in the city’s busiest districts and looking up, it genuinely feels as though you’ve stepped into some far-off future. In that world, science seems capable of explaining and creating everything, and humanity, through its own ingenuity, has kindled a brilliance powerful enough to rival the sun.

But lower your gaze, and everyone is still made of ordinary flesh and blood. Drift with the wind into their homes, and even those who claim the least faith in gods or buddhas have probably reposted a “good fortune” message online before. Share for prosperity; after all, there’s no harm in trying.

I am not devout, nor am I dismissive. Zhang Mingsheng’s attitude toward such things was one of nonchalance; he would utilize them if they were useful.

But Ah Hai was different.

Ah Hai possessed a simple, primal faith in nature; an influence, perhaps, of his hometown.

I thought about it, leaned back, and looked at the back of Ah Hai’s buzz cut, speaking at a leisurely pace, “A fortune teller once told me I’d face a streak of bad luck this year; specifically, that I’d be swept away by water. Your name just happens to be ‘Hai’, so it seems the man really did know what he was talking about.”

Ah Hai said nothing.

I tilted my head to look at him, then leaned back again, staring up at the closed sunroof as I continued, “But then, he also said that since my name is Fuchao, I’m supposedly meant to soothe the tides and turn misfortune into fortune. I thought it over and figured what he meant was that you and I could probably be friends, looking out for each other and lending a hand when needed.”

He still ignored me.

I drew a deep breath, reminding myself not to lose heart. If this route led nowhere, then there was only one option left. Gnawing lightly at my nails, I hesitated for a long while before finally speaking up, “I heard you were sent here by Zhang Mingsheng’s aunt. Mrs. Tang holds a lot of power and has no children of her own; why would she suddenly send you and Ah Shan to Hong Kong? What happened? Did you offend your mistress?”

Ther was snother sudden brake. This time I was completely unprepared; I nearly toppled over, and the jolt pulled at my injured leg. I cried out, grimacing in pain, “Are you trying to murder me? I’m telling you, if anything happens to me, you can forget about ever going back to Mrs. Tang. I’ll demand Zhang Mingsheng give you to me, and I’ll have you pushing my wheelchair and doing chores for me every single day.”

“What do you want?” Ah Hai finally spoke. “I cannot let you go.”

“I want to make a phone call.”

“Mr. Zhang gave instructions. You may only call your juniors, and I must be present.”

“What is there to talk about with them? They’re just kids,” I said, sensing a breakthrough and leaning in eagerly. “Do you know Pang Azhu? I’m one of hers; I’ve got two territories under me. Once my leg is healed and this is all settled, I’m flying straight to Southeast Asia.”

This, at least, was the truth.

After asking Sister Azhu for help so many times, it was inevitable that I’d have to resign and go risk my life for her in Southeast Asia for a while.

“Aren’t you a cop?” Ah Hai asked, sounding puzzled.

“How much do you think a cop makes in a month? I have a whole family to support; it’s not enough to get by,” I said while watching Ah Hai’s profile. “You must know some of the inside story. What Zhang Mingsheng is doing is dangerous. If something happens to him, how will you answer Mrs. Tang? I can help him.”

I still remember Ah Hai’s complex. He and Ah Shan had fled first under Mr. Tang’s orders, leaving Mr. Tang to face death alone. The current situation was a mirror image of that past.

“I won’t let you go.” Ah Hai said, his brow furrowing.

Good lad, I thought. No wonder your salary is so high.

But I knew I had already begun to sway him.

Just as I was about to press my advantage, I heard him say, “Mr. Zhang made this decision for you because he doesn’t want you to lose your life for nothing.”

It was just like how Mr. Tang had ordered him and Ah Shan to leave quickly back then, it was to preserve their lives.

I fell silent for a few seconds before asking, “If you were me, would you be able to live with a clear conscience?”

“No,” Ah Hai replied, looking out the window. “But I would live well. I would try very hard to live.”

I followed his gaze to the outside; we were in a secluded spot with the wind whistling through the air. I asked, “If you had the chance to save someone you wanted to save, even if the probability was only one in a billion, would you turn back?”

Ah Hai lowered his head.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, “I would.”

“Then so will I, but I won’t make things difficult for you,” I said before sitting up straight. “I only want to make one phone call.”

Ah Hai looked up to meet my eyes in the mirror.

When I finally had my phone in hand, Ah Hai stepped out of the car. He shut the door, pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and began to smoke slowly.

He smoked short, thick cigarettes wrapped in coarse paper; the cheap kind. Though still very young, he carried himself with the air of an old man.

Watching his lonely silhouette, I let out a sigh.

Using his trauma to manipulate him felt despicable.

But I couldn’t afford to repent now. I scrolled through my contacts to find Sister Azhu’s number and dialed it directly.

After roughly ten seconds, the ringing cut off suddenly, giving way to women’s laughter and chatter, interspersed with the sharp clatter of objects being dragged and knocking against each other.

Sister Azhu was at the mahjong table.

“Hello, Officer? What is it? Are you coming to arrest me?” Sister Azhu shouted over the noise.

As soon as she spoke, a burst of laughter erupted at the other end.

“Playing mahjong during the day… you’re in high spirits, Sister Azhu.” I said, mentally drafting my request as the dull thud of discarded tiles reached my ears.

“Don’t be so glib at such a young age. Hey, hey; it’s her turn! You already drew a tile. Honestly, having such a bad memory and still insisting on gambling…” She was talking to both sides at once, busy as could be.

“Zhang Mingsheng is going to handle things himself. I can’t stop him.”

“That’s good news. Mutual destruction, my favorite thing to watch.” Sister Azhu’s voice sounded lazy as if she had just finished a cigarette.

“I won’t watch him go to his death. I hope you can help me, Sister Azhu.”

“And who are you exactly, Officer? What do you want me to help with? I might consider helping you collect the bodies; I know a cemetery with pretty good Feng Shui.” she joked, seemingly for the benefit of those around her.

I suddenly didn’t know what to say.

What was I supposed to do? Ask Sister Azhu to send people to kill Zhang Yaonian outright? She hadn’t made it this far alone easily; there was no way she would risk everything on a whim.

“I…”

“If you have nothing else to say, I’m hanging up.”

Ah Hai’s cigarette was almost finished.

I glanced at him, turned back, and spoke with a sense of desperate abandon, “I want to ask you to help me tail a few people. Just follow them… that’s all. Contact me when necessary. I don’t need your boys to actually step in and fight.”

“Again, why should I help you?”

“Because for the cost of very little manpower and effort, you can avenge your sister,” I said solemnly. “A victory without shedding a drop of your own blood.”

“That’s it?” The noise on her end gradually quieted down, leaving only the sound of footsteps.

“After this is over, I will come to you, Sister Azhu. I’ll put my life on the line for you. The business in Southeast Asia is treacherous; your stepson is a total waste, and you’ve always been reluctant to let your stepdaughter get her hands dirty with these things. You need someone… someone whose death wouldn’t matter but who just might actually survive.” My hand trembled slightly as I pulled a cigarette from my breast pocket.

“Can you really do it?”

“I can submit my resignation to the police station immediately and change my identity.”

“I wasn’t talking about that.”

“What then?”

“Zhang Mingsheng could have easily waited Zhang Yaonian out for a few more years, just outlived the old man. He’s so young, and Zhang Yaonian is so old. Why must he risk his life all of a sudden?”

I fell silent.

“I heard that a few years ago, Mingsheng was in a car accident; it looked like suicide, but he was saved by someone surname… surname Zhan,” Sister Azhu’s voice was much lower now. “He was rescued and lived in peace for a few years, yet now that he understands the danger, he still intends to go ahead. He’s essentially courting death, turning against Zhang Yaonian is just a convenient pretext.”

“……”

“I thought that because he took a liking to you, he’d want to live a good life,” Sister Azhu said. “Looking at it now, it seems more like a final surge before the end.”

By some twist of fate, Sister Azhu had hit the mark.

Those eight years really were Zhang Mingsheng’s final surge.

She continued, “When a madman pits himself against another madman, why do you insist on interfering? Either one of them could easily kill you…”

“Sister Azhu,” I interrupted her, “I’m not afraid of dying; I’m afraid of living a muddled, meaningless life. And the reason I don’t want to die is because I want to see if I have a chance at a better life. Zhang Mingsheng… he deserves a chance at a better life too.”

Now it was Sister Azhu’s turn to be silent.

I heard a click; it was the sound of a lighter.

“What do you want to do?”

“When a madman pits himself against another madman, the best outcome is for both sides to suffer and for the sane man to reap the rewards,” I said. “But Zhang Mingsheng isn’t the only madman in this world.”

“Sister Azhu, I already have a suspicion. I need you to help me confirm who the other madman is.”

Unlock the complete translation HERE!