Life of Bāo - Chapters 6 & 7

May 11, 2023 (Morning and Early Afternoon)

A correction for Chapter 5: In the last Chapter, Bāo and Yan were ages 13 and 14, respectively. A friend and subscriber brought this to my attention. Thank you.

Now that we are up to date, it’s time to meet Big Eddie and Dang Li (the leather-jacketed bus rider). Have you ever been to a pawnshop? Step into Big Eddie’s and meet the man behind the counter in Chapter 6. Then, walk next to Li, the Red Dragon Straw Sandal, and try to follow his great plan in Chapter 7. Enjoy.

Chapter 6

May 11, 2023

The Sichuan provincial capital attracts many visitors. They want to see the sites: Anshun Veranda Bridge, a main attraction crossing the Jinjiang River, and Chengdu Research, the base for Giant Panda breeding. Attractions draw tourists, and tourists bring money, and money makes me happy. Living in an orphanage does not come with luxuries and does not make me happy.

Bāo stood on the street watching the tourists walk to the Anshun Veranda Bridge. He read the placard at the entrance. Constructed in 1746 by Lingan Hongdui. It was destroyed by a flood in 1947. That must've been a very big flood. He continued reading. The bridge was reconstructed in 2003. Lucky for me. The restaurant inside attracts locals and tourists, and I love tourists. They are such easy marks, unaware of their surroundings and careless with their things. Skipping school from the orphanage is profitable.

Crowds are his favorite. The bumping and jostling for position in line to see an attraction afforded many opportunities. He watched a family of five at an outside table: mother, father, and three rambunctious boys. They looked like Americans in their travel clothes, backpacks, cameras, and shopping bags, but he wasn't one to judge. She just put her phone on the table. The father placed his wallet on the table, then turned and scolded, "What did I just tell you about hitting your brother?” Bāo stood right beside the table. Another customer walked very close to him, trying to get by. A phantom bump and Bāo was leaning into the table with the learned "Excuse me" with a distinct foreign accent. My English is nearly perfect, but why not give them a show?

He quickly walked between tables and looked for the nearest restroom. He slid the phone between his sock and ankle, Just in case I got caught. Once in the restroom, he retrieved the wallet and quickly rifled through and removed the money. American twenty dollar bills. My lucky day. These credit cards are useless to me. I can imagine myself at an ice cream shop. Why 'Yes, I’m Mr. Kowalski. What, you don't believe me? He smiled to himself at the thought of it. He took out all the credit cards and put them in a zipper pocket of his cargo shorts. I may be able to sell them to not-so-reputable people.

He tossed the wallet in the trash and walked out of the bathroom. I'll be done for the day with a couple more picks like this. Who needs that 9-to-5 day? He watched Young Chinese in business attire running here and there. Where are they running to, a cubicle? Not for me. I am too smart for that.

On this sunny day, there were numerous tourists. It's a good day to be outside, unlike those saps at the orphanage, studying hard for what? He opened the door and walked into Big Eddie’s pawnshop. He enjoyed browsing the glass cabinets, sometimes recognizing items he had sold. This is like the supermarket for thieves. From behind the counter, he heard Big Eddie, a middle-aged Chinese man who had one too many dumplings. Bāo smiled at the thought.

"What do you have for me?” Big Eddie asked.

Bāo reached into his pockets and, one by one, placed items on the counter: three watches, Bahama Jim sunglasses (he already “owned” a pair), a camera wide-angle lens, and an antique Game Boy.

Big Eddie picked up the camera lens, “How did you get this in your pocket?"

Bāo replied, “This hoodie has big pockets. You gotta love the fashion."

Then Big Eddie burped and picked up the Game Boy." I haven't seen one of these for years.”

Bāo was quick to respond, “I know, right? That's gotta be worth some bucks."

Big Eddie asked, "Do you want to pawn or sell the stuff?”

It would be funny to say I want to pawn, but Big Eddie wouldn't find humor. “The usual, Sell.”

"I'll give you ¥200.”

Bāo quickly countered, “It must be worth ¥1400."

“¥210"

"Why do I even come in here?”  The other pawn shop is on the other side of town.

Big Eddie smiled, "For the good conversation?" Big Eddie laughed at his joke, his belly jiggling like a bowl of Jell-O.

It is worth closer to ¥1700. Okay, but next time, I need a better deal. I need yuan. I can’t go into stores with US dollars. That would be suspicious. There is no way I am giving up these credit cards today. Then he took $60 from his pocket and placed it on the counter.

"I'll exchange it for ¥200.”

"It's worth two times that,” Bāo said angrily. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. He had learned over the years of transactions that it didn't pay to get Big Eddie mad. Oh, I forgot the ring. I can get those earrings for Yan if I play my cards right. "I almost forgot this.” He removed a gold ring from his pocket.  “Let me trade the ring for those earrings with the small jade insets.”

"Oh, now you're in finance, Mr. I found it. What does that sign on the door say, pawn or savings and loan? Now ¥180. Take it or leave it.” Big Eddie counted out ¥385 on the counter. “That’s for all of it. But, since you are such a good customer, you have a deal for the ring for the earrings.”

Bāo put it in his pocket, knowing the items were worth more. The front door opened. Two well-dressed men in designer suits and Italian shoes walked in. Rolex watches, ¥72,000, and the Vaurnet Glacier sunglasses, at least ¥5,000 a pair. Bāo pretended to look at watches in the glass case near the front of the store. Who are these guys? Big Eddie looks nervous.

One said aloud, “Big Eddie, how's our favorite pawn store owner?"

I haven’t seen this before Big Eddie’s turning red. Is he breathing? Take a breath, Eddie.

Big Eddy said with a wavering voice, "I made my payment earlier this week, guys."

"The boss thinks you're holding back on us. Mr. Ong doesn't want to be disrespected. Are you disrespecting us, Big Eddy? Disrespecting Mr. Ong?"

"No, no, never. I would never do that."

One of the men removed his sunglasses. In a very calm voice, he asked, “How many fingers do you need to eat a dumpling, Eddie?"

The other man said, “Li, How do you do that? You remain so calm.”

Big Eddie answered, "What?"

"How many? Is it three to hold the chopstick or two to pick up the dumpling with your two fingers?”

"I need all my fingers."

The other man laughed as he pinched two fingers together.

"Okay! Okay!" Eddie reached under the counter to open the register, emptied it, and made a pile on the counter.

"Do you have an envelope, Big Eddie?"

Big Eddie quickly gathered the money off the counter and placed it in an envelope.

The man placed his sunglasses back on, removed a few yuan from the envelope, and threw it on the counter. “You need to have change for your customers, right?” Both men laughed as they exited, saying, "Mr. Ong likes you, Eddie."

Bāo watched Big Eddie slump in his chair. He rested his forehead on the glass counter. Without saying a word, Bāo exited to the busy street. Now, that is one guy I never want to get angry.

Chapter 7

The Afternoon of May 11, 2023

Dang Li parted ways with his coworker. It’s a job. I don’t have any hard feelings toward Big Eddie. I rather like the big fellow. Li was a soldier for the Red Dragons, an offshoot of the Sun Yee On, the largest triad in the world. God, I hate this shit. He worked for the Red Dragons as a runner at the young age of 15.  At the age of seventeen, he was promoted to soldier.

He thought about his threat to Big Eddie, the one part of the job he hated the most, but he was good at it. He could say the most threatening, vile things with a straight face. His fellow soldiers made fun of it, ‘We are going to use your eyeball like an olive in a martini, or how will you keep those glasses on without ears,’ then they would all laugh. ‘You say it in such a calm voice. You're the best.’ Idiots.

Now is my chance to get out.  I did all I could to be a Straw Sandal. His goal was to become the youngest Straw Sandal in Red Dragons. He wanted the promotion desperately. He wanted the promotion desperately and would do anything to get it, and he did. He set up his last partner from the Red Dragons for theft. They sliced his neck with a straight razor, which gave him a twinge of guilt. Then he cut the fuel line to the next in line. The partner, a friend, drove away in a trail of gas that leaked from the car. Li tossed a lit cigarette to the ground and watched a trail of flames follow the car. When the car stopped at the impoundment gate, it rapidly caught fire, and within seconds, the car exploded and rose five feet in the air. He felt remorse as he removed the screwdriver from his pocket, which he had used to break the indoor car handle on the driver’s side of the vehicle. He dropped the screwdriver in a sewer as he walked away.

Now is my chance to escape. He removed the boarding pass from his shirt pocket. He read the itinerary for the third time that morning. Departure: Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU); 8:00 p.m. Arrival: San Francisco International Airport (SFO); 4:00 p.m. A 20-hour flight, and I am a free man. He placed the boarding pass in his coat pocket and tapped the pocket twice. Tomorrow was the scheduled delivery day with the  Amur Leopards, the second-largest triad. The location drop was a predetermined warehouse. He removed the gold bracelet from his coat pocket. This must be worth millions in the US market. That was his plan. Steal the golden bracelet before delivery, board a bus that made its last stop at the airport, and catch a plane for San Francisco. The gold bracelet would go to the highest bidder at an auction, and he could remain anonymous.  I’ll buy a mansion in Thailand and blend into the population. I’ll change my appearance and start a business. Maybe buy a car dealership.