Night of the Broken Gliph

“Still pretending, huh? Born with an innate heart chamber, it seems like you are extremely talented!” Chor Shing Chit sneered. “Do you know what having an innate chamber means? If you have an innate right arm chamber, it means that you have a stronger right arm.

“So if you’re born with an innate heart chamber, it means that your heart is particularly strong. But I remember you mentioning that you were born with a heart deficiency.”

“Mr Chor… Didn’t you say that the rock was faulty?” Just then, Lam Ming spoke up softly.  

“That was a lie!” Chor Shing Chit glared at him and then back at Chui Yim. “You will be in deep trouble if others know about your double innate chambers.

“Many powerful organizations will come for you, trying to get you no matter what. But if you choose any organization other than them, they would kill you to ensure the others don’t get a talented gliphist. 

“With that being said, never touch a chamber check rock again! We can help you once, but not twice.

“You too!” Chor Shing Chit turned to Lam Ming sternly. “If you spread this information, Chui Yim will be doomed! Do you understand?”

“Yes…” Lam Ming replied weakly. 

“Now it’s the time for you to pay the price for lying.” Chor Shing Chit glared at Chui Yim, anger written all across his face. “Run until you can’t.”

“You won’t give in until you see it for yourself, right?” Chui Yim stared at Chor Shing Chit. His stare gave Chor Shing Chit a bad feeling, but Chor Shing Chit decided to ignore him anyway. “Run, I’ll take back your class captain badge if you don’t,” he said coldly.

“Alright. I haven’t trained today. I still have some capacity.” 

“Capacity?” Lam Ming asked. But Chui Yim said nothing and did a simple stretch before starting his run. 

As soon as he started, Lam Ming jumped out of his skin. 

He’s so… fast!

Boom!

Even Chor Shing Chit was greatly astonished. This isn’t the speed a six-year-old should have! This was my fastest speed back when I was eighteen! 

Chui Yim dashed around the plaza, kickingdust up wherever he ran past. His footsteps were so deep that they echoed around the plaza.

After running for about ten minutes, Chui Yim fell to the ground suddenly. 

Seeing this, Chor Shing Chit ran towards Chui Yim hurriedly to find him lying on the ground as red as a cooked prawn, just like how it was every time he trained since the day he was born.

 Chor Shing Chit wanted to help Chui Yim up but was stopped by a shout. 

“Don’t touch me!”

When Chor Shing Chit’s hand landed on Chui Yim’s shoulder, a sizzling sound could be heard. He removed his hand immediately as if coming in contact with a piece of hot charcoal. The black cloth on his palms twisted under the heat. 

He’s scalding hot! What’s going on? 

Chui Yim seemed to be in deep pain. “I guess I’ve gotten weaker after skipping a few days of training…” He forced a chuckle and passed out on the spot. 

Chui Yim opened his eyes slowly. Any slight movement made his chest clench in pain.

Just like what he said previously, he had been busy lately, and thus he did less strenuous workouts. The pain he felt today was unbearable. 

“Big bro, stay still.” A voice rang across the room. It made Chui Yim look up, confused.

He turned around to see Lam Ming squatting in a corner of the room, staring at him worriedly. “Are you alright?”

“How did I get back?” Chui Yim shook his head, not answering the question.

Lam Ming heaved a sigh of relief to see Chui Yim sit up by himself. He turned his attention back to the thing in front of him. “Mr Chor carried you back after you cooled down.” 

“Hpmf! He’s the one who wanted to see it in the first place.” Chui Yim pouted and sniffed. 

“That smells good. What is it?” Chui Yim said and looked out of the window. It was pitch-dark outside. When they arrived at the plaza with Chor Shing Chit, it was only evening time. I haven’t eaten my dinner; no wonder I’m feeling so famished. 

Lam Ming looked up, smiling mysteriously. After some time, he stood up, holding a bowl with a broken edge in his hand. A mouth-watering scent wafted out from the bowl.

“What’s that?” Chui Yim asked, wiping the saliva off of his mouth.

“I heard that you told Mr Chor you have a weak heart, so I made pig heart porridge, but I don’t know if you’ll like it…” Lam Ming answered, but Chui Yim snatched the bowl and took a spoonful just as he was mumbling. 

“Lam Ming, you’re something else,” Chui Yim said after a few bites.

Hearing him, Lam Ming straightened his back. “Of course, my dream is to become a good g-chef!”

“G-chef?” Chui Yim asked while wolfing down his food.

When speaking of his dream, Lam Ming’s voice got progressively louder. His tiny eyes shone brightly. “Everything in this world is made of gliphs, like gliphic plants, gliphic beasts. The people who make things with ingredients that contain energliph are g-chefs.

“The food they make is called g-food, which is extremely helpful to gliphers and gliphists as g-food is prepared according to different cultivation styles. In other words, a g-chef can help a glipher and gliphist cultivate.

“Don’t you feel that it’s a blessing to be able to turn all the ingredients in this world to g-food?” 

“Yes! It’s a blessing! Lam Ming, I was wrong! You aren’t a jinx, but my saviour!” Chui Yim exclaimed. He felt like he was brimming with happiness, to the extent that he nearly shed tears of joy. 

I no longer have to be trapped in the hands of Chui Tin! 

Since Lam Ming makes such delicious food, I won’t need to worry about food for the rest of my schooling years! 

“Uh… Lam Ming, what is that smell?”

“Huh? Oh! The fire! I forgot about it!”

“Lam Ming! Your bed is on fire!”​​​​​​​

The next day, Lam Ming walked to class with Chui Yim.

“I say, Lam Ming. Don’t you have any decent clothes?”  

“Eh? What’s wrong with these?” 

“Nevermind, pretend that I said nothing….”

Chui Yim looked at Lam Ming’s messy hair and sighed. “What are your parents like?” 

“Parents?” Lam Ming smiled thinly; his monolid eyes made him look like a fox cub when he smiled or spoke. He wasn’t good looking, and he was skinnier than most his age. In fact, he looked almost malnourished. However, he was surprisingly well worth a second, closer look.

“I’ve never met my father. My mother raised me alone. She’s a g-chef who makes delicious food. I’ll bring you to meet her someday, when you’re free.” 

“Haha, sure.” Chui Yim smiled. It was rare to see Chui Yim smiling. 

Unexpectedly, I made a friend. Chui Yim thought to himself.