Ten Day Ultimatum

I walked into Chongge's office, still confused.

"A'Jin, sit." He lit a cigarette, dismissed the people around, then opened a drawer and threw a stack of cash onto the table.

"Chongge... what is this?"

"Boss Rong is in Guangdong. I'll give you the address. Go find him." Chonggesaid casually.

"What?" I was a bit confused. "Didn't you say the whole gang is on the hunt for Boss Rong? So you actually knew where he was?"

"Yes." Chonggenodded. "The hunt for him is just a cover I put out."

"But why?"

"A'Jin, I know Boss Tong's intentions. Rather than wanting that two million, he would rather take you under his wings. You could easily earn him another two million. But if I spill where Boss Rong's at, well, by the code, Boss Tong's gonna have to off him. Problem is, how's he gonna bring you in after that?"

"So this news must stay with me for now. What happens next, you'll have to figure out once you see Boss Rong."

"Chongge, you say Boss Tong wants to take me in, but I'm still Boss Rong's person…"

"A'Jin, the conflict is between two big shots, you're just following orders. Boss Tong wouldn't fail to understand that." Chonggeexhaled a puff of smoke, his expression a little sorrowful. "But you've disappointed him."

My expression suddenly dimmed.

"Chongge, I'm a simple man, stubborn and set in my ways. As long as Boss Rong is my godfather, he'll always be my godfather. Now that he's on the run, it's only right that I go take care of him."

"You might regret it." Chonggesaid through gritted teeth. "Some people talk a good game, but behind the scenes, they'll have you doing life-threatening tasks. Others may seem noncompliant to reason, but they genuinely value you as a talent and want to take you under their wings..."

I may be simple, but I'm not foolish.

How could Boss Rong want my life?

He made me train in boxing, telling me to keep going even if my bones were broken—that was to toughen me up.

He made me fight over thirty people by myself—that was to test me.

He made me and Ninezaidraw lots to sub in for him at the clinks—that was just to test my loyalty.

I worship GuanYi Gor, so I understand these principles.

"Chongge, please thank Boss Tong for me." I interrupted his words, stood up, and took the stack of cash on the table. "I'll figure out a way to repay him for this travel fee."

Seeing that I was unyielding, Chonggefinally lost his temper. "You motherfuckingngaang geng[1] fool... Just go! You'd better die in Guangdong!" He turned his back in his swivel chair, angrily waving his hand. "Get the hell outta my sight."

Before I left, I stopped and turned around to ask, "Chongge, why does Boss Tong think so highly of me?'"

I watched Chongge's silhouette, still exhaling smoke in slow, deliberate puffs. He pondered for a long time before finally speaking in a faint voice, "Because in this era, it's hard to find someone with such a pure {jianghuspirit[2]} like yours. You know where to draw the line between gratitude and grudge, and although you're not doing good deeds, you're trying to be a good person. You remind me of us in our younger days."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace, tossing it to me without even looking back.

I caught it and looked it over—it was a small bronze plaque with the character {Tong(通)} engraved in the center.

"If, after you've finished your task, you want to return to the gang, this thing can help you. Now scram."

I tucked the bronze plaque into my jacket pocket and bowed deeply to Chongge.

There are many people in this world who have done me favors. After I repay the favor to Boss Rong, I will come back to repay Boss Tong and Chongge.

...

The next day, I arrived in Guangzhou City (northwest of Hong Kong). According to the information Chonggegave me, Boss Rong was staying in a relatively upscale apartment. Knowing that he was doing well put my mind at ease.

In the evening, I knocked on Boss Rong's door.

There was a long pause before any sound came from inside, and the door slowly opened to reveal him.

Boss Rong was the same as before—no change at all compared to four years ago.

"A'Jin…?" He froze for a moment, then his face lit up with joy, but he quickly suppressed it. In the span of a single second, his expression shifted three times, revealing a profoundly conflicted state of mind.

Boss Rong motioned for me to come in. The apartment's décor was simple, just the basic furnishings one would need.

There was another person inside. I had thought it would be Ninezai, but instead, it was a woman.

"Rongge… this is?" the woman asked.

"Jing Lan, this is A'Jin," Boss Rong replied, then glanced at me. "A'Jin, this is my wife."

I lowered my head slightly and addressed her, "Da sao[3]."

Boss Rong waved his hand, signaling for the woman to leave for now. As she walked away, she kept casting suspicious glances at me, and I met her gaze head-on, unyielding.

I had grown up by Boss Rong's side and never remembered having ada sao.

"Boss Rong, where's Ninezai?" I scanned the room, feeling that it couldn't fit three people.

"A'Jin…" Boss Rong pulled out a cigarette. "A'Nine is dead."

My pupils trembled slightly, hoping that I had misheard. "What did you just say? What happened to Ninezai?"

"We were escaping to Guangdong when Fatty Tong's men killed A'Nine," Rong ge sighed deeply, lowering his head in frustration.

What?

Nine zai was killed by Boss Tong's men?

I felt my heart skip a beat, as though something important had been abruptly lost. Countless fragments flashed through my mind, but they scattered like fireworks exploding in the air—every time I reached out to grasp them, they scorched me with searing pain.

I remembered when I was eleven, Ninezailaughed thoughtlessly and said to me, "A'Jin, you have the strength, and I have the brains. Let's follow Boss Rong together!"

But now, the {fist} has returned yet I no longer have my {brain}. Boss Rong and Boss Tong gave me completely contradictory stories, and with just my own wits, I couldn't figure out what had really happened.

"When did this happen?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"About ten days ago," Boss Rong shook his head. "A'Jin, I'm sorry to A'Nine, and I'm sorry to you. When you got out yesterday, I couldn't go to see you."

I slowly sat down, my mind feeling blank.

What exactly is going on?Everything felt strange, but I couldn't put my finger on what the problem was.

Had Boss Rong lied to me… or was it Boss Tong?

At times like this… if it were Ninezai, what would he have done?

I'm just too stupid.

"A'Jin, the clinks must have been rough on you…," Boss Rong said, "Rest here with me today."

"Today?" I shook my head. "Not just today, Boss Rong. I want to stay with you… and keep following you."

"Stay with me?"

I nodded. "Yes, just like over ten years ago," I said. "You're my benefactor. I still haven't repaid you for all you've done."

Boss Rong paused slightly, the ash from his cigarette falling to the ground. "A'Jin, don't think too much. Let's go downstairs and grab something to eat," he said, standing up and putting on his coat.

I followed him out the door.

We ordered beer at a street-side stall. Boss Rong was silent, and so was I.

He ordered a dish of roasted bear paws, something I'd never even seen before. Watching him devour it hungrily, I thought, 'It must taste really good, right?'

Yes, it must be really good.

And since Boss Rong had eaten it, it was like I had eaten it too.

After downing a few bottles of beer, a sense of heaviness settled in my chest.

I missed Ninezai, he was a brother to me. Never did I expect that after four years in the clinks, I wouldn't even get to see him one last time.

Thinking of this, I opened a bottle of beer and poured it out onto the ground.

This is for you, my brother.

Seeing my expression, Boss Rong shook his head helplessly, then stood up to pay the bill. He seemed to want to say something, but couldn't find the words.

After a long pause, his eyes fell on the sign of a nearby videotape store. He thought for a moment, then said, "A'Jin, I know you're not into prostitutes or drugs, but how about we catch a movie? It'll help clear your mind."

It was a dirty foreigner's film, called {The Terminator}.

I had never seen a film like that in my life.

But soon I realized it was because I didn't have any money to watch movies.

Though that didn't stop me from liking {The Terminator}.

Were the movies all based on real stories?

It was so shocking, so intense, that I nearly forgot about what happened to Ninezai. Even after the movie ended, and the screen went black with voices spoken in English, I still remained in my seat, reluctant to leave.

If Ninezaicould see this, how great would that be? He was so smart, he could have definitely told me how these robots were made.

They were machines, yet they were willing to let people film them.

But sadly, Ninezaiwould never see this movie.

"A'Jin, I want to abandon the life of an outlaw." The sound of Boss Rong's voice came from beside me.

"What?" I turned to look at him.

"I'm getting old, I'm not suited to continue down this path," Boss Rong shook his head. "You should go."

"Go...?" I blinked. "Boss Rong, where do you want me to go?"

"Don't walk this path anymore, anywhere is fine." He gave a bitter smile and said, "This world is very big, do you still remember?Vast is the world, narrowed by the petty-minded."

How could I not remember?

Those words were carved on my back.