Life of Bāo - Chapter 8
May 13, 2023
Baō and Dang Li are now connected like a frayed rope ready to release. Li had such a good plan too. Like most criminal plans, they seemed good at the time. What could go wrong? Bāo and Li are about to discover just how wrong plans can go. If you have a weak stomach, now is the time to look away. Begin reading Chapter 8, and you have my permission to close your eyes when needed. Enjoy.
Chapter 8
May 13, 2023
Ong Jin was the Dragon Head of the Red Dragons, an arm of the Sun Yee On, the most powerful triad in mainland China. He is one of the leaders of the New Righteousness and Peace Commercial and Industrial Guild, also known as the Sun Yee On, a secret society. Jin questioned the person on the other end of the phone, "You haven't received it yet? I know you are disappointed. Yes, I know it is a stain on our guild. I will speak to the Straw Sandal today." Jin gently rested the handset in the phone cradle. His elbows eased to his mahogany desk. He closed his eyes and contemplated the situation. Jin, a small wiry man, was elected leader and, as such, could be removed from leadership by vote. The White Paper Fan, code 415, an internal rival, already called for a vote last year. Not delivering the package to a rival guild could mean war.
Triads are highly structured criminal organizations in which the hierarchy defines rank, code, and job descriptions. Jin, the Dragon Head, is the number one rank with code 489. He sat across the desk from Sheng Yao, the Incense Master of the Red Dragons, code 432. Jin trusted Yao, who ranked number two and was possibly the only member Jin trusted. The Incense Master oversees Triad rituals, initiation ceremonies, and promotion. Yao performed other tasks as needed.
“Yao, we have a serious problem that must be handled discreetly and quickly.”
Yao asked curiously, “What is the concern?"
"We paid for a shipment of drugs with an ancient Wei dynasty gold bracelet worth ¥1.4 million. That gold bracelet did not reach the Amur Leopards."
Yao grimaced, “That is a serious problem." He took a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and inhaled deeply. Smoke slowly released from his nostrils like a dragon as he questioned, “Who was the Straw Sandal?”
“Dang Li, a most trusted messenger, I might add.” Jin stood, turned, and his fingers touched a Song dynasty sword mounted on the wall. “We have maybe 72 hours to recover the gold bracelet. If it is not recovered by then, we need ¥1.4 million to prevent a triad war." He looked directly at Yao, “Trusted friend, find Li and bring him here today so we can express our displeasure. We will impress upon him the desire to return our property."
Yao stood. He was a massive man and one foot taller than Jin. He wore black boots, black dress pants, and a tailored white shirt that fit snuggly around his muscular frame. His forearms were as large as most people's thighs. Hidden under the white fabric of the shirt his right forearm displayed a circular red dragon tattoo, the same as all members of Red Dragons. Unlike most members, below the tattoo on his right forearm were eight small tattooed knives. Each inked knife represented a human soul taken. At 35, he was the youngest ever to hold the rank of Incense Master. He extended his massive hand, shook Jin’s hand, and affirmed, “Consider it done." Then, in a display of loyalty, they both made a fist with both hands and crossed their forearms in front of them. Yao turned and walked to the large black lacquered doors, manned and opened by two men, soldiers whose code was 49, the lowest ranking members.
***
The Straw Sandal, Dang Li sat, with the lights out, in a leather chair. He slammed the bottle of Baiju on the table, stood, and began to pace back and forth. I cannot believe this. How could this have happened? I'm sitting on a bus, not being obvious. It was my chance. My chance at freedom. That boy doesn't know what he has done. They're going to catch me. They are going to kill me. He kept repeating, What am I going to do?
The door to his apartment suddenly burst open, and parts of the door frame flew across the room. Li stood frozen, as if his shoes were nailed to the floor, and looked at Yao, whose body filled the door frame. Li knew that it was pointless to run.
With a polite voice, Yao said, “Good afternoon, Li, I hope I'm not interrupting anything. Am I?"
Li barely uttered, “No, I don't have it. Please believe me. It was stolen.”
Yao walked to the middle of the room, took the bottle of Baiju from the table, looked at the label, and said, “Jiang Xiaobia, really?”
"It's all I could afford."
"Still gambling, Li, or is it drugs?"
"Please don't hurt me,” Li pleaded.
“Oh, I am not here to hurt you. I am here to deliver you."
"Deliver me?"
"The Dragon Head would like to meet with you."
"I don't have it. It was stolen.”
Calmly, Yao said, “I don't care. Let's go.”
***
Bāo agreed to meet Yan in a seldom-used storeroom at the back of the school library. Bāo said, “Are you still mad?”
"Yes, the Director said I was foolish to be with you, a known troublemaker. He said I can still start my job, but I should not be seeing you.” Yan reached for his hand, took it, and said, “You know how much I care about you. But, your impulsiveness almost cost us dearly. Maybe it would be best if I didn't hang out with you. You'll only get me in trouble.”
Bāo lowered his head, “Yan, I –. Please don't say that. You're my only true friend.”
Yan cut him off and hugged him tightly. “I know that you are a good person inside. We will just lay low for a bit. All of this will blow over." Then she remembered, reached into her purse, and pulled out the gold bracelet. And she inquired, “Where did you get this? It must be worth a fortune.”
Bāo took it, held it in his hands, and said, “I will change, I promise.” How am I going to tell her? Should I lie? I can’t lie about this. “There is something I must tell you and also something I do not understand?"
"What? About me? About the bracelet?”
He lifted the gold bracelet and studied it in the light. “No, not about you. I wish I didn’t have to tell her. He took her hand, looked into her eyes, and said, “I stole this from a man on the bus. I thought I was not detected, but the man spotted me after I got off the bus. I ran as fast as possible and thought I was in the clear. I saw you waiting for me.” GuiIty, he admitted, “I hugged you and dropped the gold bracelet in your purse.”
Yan pulled her hand away and angrily said, “So that is how it found its way into my purse. What if the police found it on me? Did you ever think of that? Let me answer for you. No, you didn’t think!”
Bāo pleaded, “Please Yan. I’m sorry. Please let me finish.” Just say it. Oh, why didn’t I get off of that bus? “Something happened yesterday that I can't figure out. As the people’s police arrived, I saw the man in the leather jacket I stole this from standing across the street.”
"Why didn't he come over?"
"That's what I don't understand. Was this already stolen, so then how could he claim it? Or was he afraid that the people’s police would recognize him? We left in the police vehicle, and the man across the street was mad enough to smash his cell phone on the sidewalk.” Bāo placed the gold bracelet in his pocket and held Yan’s hand. “I am afraid."
Yan touched his shoulder, “Of what?"
"Whatever this is.” I can’t tell Yan that the man may be a member of the Red Dragons or that I suspect I saw the same man at Bid Eddie’s. “That man in the leather jacket did everything he could to catch me.”
Yan reassured him, “He doesn't know who you are, and this is a very big city."
She doesn’t know the streets. My actions put both of us in danger. I have to tell her of the danger. “If he or whoever this belongs to tries hard enough, it won't be long before they find me or go to the people’s police."
"But he didn't want the people’s police to see him."
“He didn’t want the people’s police to see him because some in the department are not good. Someone with inside connections will discover that the people’s police brought me here. It won't take long.” Bāo was nervous and ran his hands through his long black hair. “Little sister, I have to leave."
"No! When?"
“After midnight.”
"Will I see you again? I am angry, but I can't lose you, Bāo. I just can't." Tears rolled down her cheeks. They reached for each other and hugged. Bāo hugged her tightly as she cried." Don't cry, Yan. You will never lose me. I will find you. I promise.”
***
Yao escorted Li into the loading dock office, which was sparsely furnished. Two-foot soldiers guarded the door. Li recognized Jin, the Dragon Head, sitting in a chair at the back of the room. There were two metal chairs in the center of the room. To the side of the chairs was a 4-foot metal table. On the table was an assortment of metal tools, handsaws, knives, and a rope. One chair was empty, and in the other was a man tied to the chair. His legs were tied to the chair legs, and his arms were tied at the wrists and elbow behind the chair. The man's head was bloody, and his mouth gagged with cloth and rope. His head rested on his chest. A knife was sticking out of the man's thigh. The man was not conscious.
Jin said from the back of the room, “It is nice of you to come, Mr. Dang. Please sit down in the chair."
Li, unable to move, hesitated.
"Would you like Mr. Sheng to help you sit, Mr. Dang.”
Li shook his head no and sat in the empty chair.
"Would you like some water, Mr. Dang?”
Li shook his head no.
"I can't hear you, Mr. Dang. I need to hear you."
Li answered, “No, thank you."
"If you change your mind, please let us know. Mr. Sheng, can you please give our other guest some water?"
“Yes,” Yao replied. He took a bucket from the floor, went to the front of the room, and filled it. He then walked over to the man tied to the chair and threw the water in the bucket at him. The man immediately screamed in pain and took fast, labored breaths loudly through the gag.
Jin stood and walked directly in front of Li. “You might wonder why our other guest is here, Mr. Dang.” He pointed to the man and said, “This ungrateful man stole from the Red Dragons. Now, he needs to pay us back. That's fair, isn't it, Mr. Dang?
Li nodded his head in agreement.
"Again, I can't hear you, Mr. Dang. Speak up. Do I need to ask Mr. Sheng to help you speak?"
Yao grabs a pair of pliers off the table.
"No, please. I didn't take the gold bracelet."
"There will be plenty of time for that, Mr. Dang. For now, isn't it fair that someone who stole from us should pay us back?”
"Yes."
"I am happy that we understand each other. Now, you were saying that you didn't take it. So Mr. Dang, if you didn't take it, then who did?"
"A boy”
Jin screamed, “A boy!” He stood and walked to the front of the room and paced the floor before Li. “You're telling me a mere boy took the gold bracelet you were on your way to deliver to the Amur Leopards. Is that what you're trying to tell me, Mr. Dang?”
“Yes, it was a boy."
"Who is the boy, Mr. Dang?"
"I don't know. Really, I don't."
"Does Mr. Sheng need to help you remember?"
“No, please.”
"Tell me what happened, Mr. Dang."
"I was delivering gold bracelet to the Amur Leopards. I traveled by bus to meet their Straw Sandal at a designated spot. The boy stole it from me. I soon realized what had happened. I chased the boy for blocks. I caught up with him at the mobile phone store across from Starbucks. You know the one. He was with the people’s police, and a girl was with him.”
"You did the right thing by not approaching at that time. Then what happened, Mr. Dang?”
Li looked over at the man in the other chair. The man had passed out again, and Li knew he had to think quickly. “The people’s police put a girl and the boy in the back of the car and drove off.” Li begged, “Please give me a chance to find the boy.”
“What do you think, Mr. Sheng? Should we let Mr. Dang try to make up for his mistake?"
Yao grabbed an electric drill off the table and switched it on. A loud noise, like a dentist's drill, filled the room. Li sobbed. Yao shut off the drill and nodded to the Dragon Head.
"Very well, Mr. Dang, you have 48 hours to retrieve the gold bracelet, or you will sit where this poor fellow is now. Are we in agreement?"
Li eagerly said," Yes, thank you. I will find it."
Jin motioned for the foot soldiers at the door to escort Mr. Dang out of the room. Jin turned to Yao and said, “Follow him and reach out to our contacts at the people’s police station to find out where the boy was taken. There must be a report somewhere."
As Li left the room, he heard the sound of the electric drill and then a bloodcurdling scream. In fear, his legs buckled, and he leaned against the wall to avoid falling over.