Life of Bāo - Chapter 9 & 10
May 14, 2023
Welcome to Chapter 9. Bāo now has a new plan—run and hide. Our story continues with Chapter 10, which has the Red Dragons Incence Master, Sheng Yao, and Straw Sandal, Dang Li, hunting separately. Li has more at stake—his life. Hide and seek is just a game— except when it’s not. Enjoy.
Chapter 9
Early hours of May 14, 2023
It was 1 a.m., and everyone was asleep at the orphanage. Bāo placed the gold bracelet at the bottom of his backpack and packed as many clothes as possible. He understood that he needed to change his appearance and convinced Yan she needed to change hers, too. They met in a basement bathroom as planned.
"Do you want to go first?” Bāo said as he handed the scissors to Yan.
Yan asked, "Do we have to do this?"
"Yes, sorry, but someone will come looking for me and maybe you. We cannot risk being discovered."
After they both finished, they looked very different. The long hair was gone for both of them. Bāo’s hair was styled just above the top of his ear. Yan observed, "It makes you look like a choir boy."
"Very funny,” Bāo replied.
Yan looked at herself in the mirror. Gone was her long black hair streaked with red. Her hair now spiked all over, two inches in length.
Bāo asked, "What will you tell the Director Yan?"
"I'll tell him it's a requirement for my new job at Wu’s Teahouse."
Reaching for each other, they hugged, neither wanting to let go. Both wished they could turn the clock back and undo the event that brought them to this moment. Bāo stepped back, slung the backpack over his shoulder, and walked out a side door. He looked back at the orphanage. I came here as a baby. I’ve always claimed to hate it, but it’s the only home I have ever known. Then he recalled someone asking him, “What was it like to be an orphan?” He recalled his reply. If I scraped my knee, had a nightmare, or lost my favorite toy, no mother would come to hug me. No one walked me to school on my first day, came to the school play, or comforted me when I was sick—no family birthdays, vacations, or grandparents.
Bāo turned and stepped forward into the night. Behind him, the safety of the routine remained. Before him, self-discoveries waited. He walked alone into the night and thought of Yan as he walked. The slightest upturn at the corners of his mouth appeared for no one to see. I do love Yan.
Chapter 10
On the morning of May 14, 2023
Has an unseen entity guided me? How else did my car seat end up balanced on a tree limb after the earthquake? Bāo’s teachers and caregivers at the orphanage repeated the story many times. He always thought that if there was a God, which is hard to think about in communist China, the unseen God guided him. He knew there was only one God. How can people think that there was more than one God? I do not understand the one, so how could I understand the many? On the first full day away from the orphanage, never to return, Bāo worried. Where am I going to sleep? What am I going to eat? I need a plan. He saw a circular building across the street from the park bench. He crossed the busy street and followed a paved walkway. While on the walkway, he realized the building was not circular but a semi-circle in a tree-filled courtyard. He stopped and looked 360° in all directions. There are so many trees. Evergreen and deciduous trees. What is this place? He observed people standing around a marquee, and as he walked closer, he could see a map and below were gold letters 金沙遗址博物馆, Jinsha Site Museum.
I know what this is. They talked about it in school. There was a field trip. I didn’t go. I must have skipped school that day. He walked closer to the marquee and read. The Jinsha Site was founded in 2001. It is 5 square kilometers and dates from the 12th to 7th centuries B.C. It was the capital of the ancient Shu Kingdom. He looked to his right at a map of the grounds. It labeled the building structures. A “you are here” label and a red circular dot identified the building in front of him as Relics Hall. With his eyes, he followed the path back to where he entered the site. I entered through the east gate. Then he read the words, which made him smile: Exhibition Hall cafeteria. His eyes followed the path to the building near the north gate. He followed the path to the Exhibition Hall. Many people entered and exited the building.
The hours were stenciled on the glass doors. He read, Open 8 AM, Closed 6 PM, Admission – Free, Cafeteria Hours 8 AM-5 PM. He couldn't believe his luck. He walked in and stopped at the information desk. There, he picked up a museum map outlining three floors above ground level, each color-coded in red, blue, and yellow. The ground floor was colored green. He looked carefully and saw the outline of a cafeteria. I’m hungry. He began to walk in the direction of the cafeteria.
"Young man," a woman called at him as he walked away. “Young man, would you like to check your backpack?"
Bāo, always able to think fast on his feet, said, “No, thank you. I like to sketch, and my sketching supplies are in my backpack.”
“That's nice.” The woman responded, “Enjoy your day at the museum.”
“Thank you.”
Bāo had some money with him, but it wouldn't last long. He was hungry and bought inexpensive noodles and four small pork dumplings. He sat at a small table against the back wall, ate quickly, and studied the museum map. On the first floor, at either end of the building, was an outline box with four parallel lines drawn inside. They were labeled stairway to the basement. After lunch, he found an east stairwell with a small placard above the door. This doesn’t look like a public area. He waited patiently and, after a short time, saw no one. He opened the door and walked down the stairs. At the bottom, he entered the dark hallway. After taking two steps down the hallway, the lights overhead went on. Not all the lights went on, just the ones overhead, where he stood. As he walked further, more lights came on. An occasional door appeared on each side of the hallway. All the doors were locked.
He stood before one door labeled ‘Archive Room.’ Unlike the other doors, the access door to this room required badge access. The placard on the door cautioned, ‘Room temperature and humidity are controlled. An alarm will sound if the door is open for over two minutes.’ Bāo stood and waited. The lights went off after two minutes of no movement. Bāo whispered aloud, “Perfect,” before returning to the stairwell.
Bāo explored the first floor. He watched a young man, who wore a black polo embroidered with the museum logo, as he spoke to a tour group. “As you get closer, you can see an intricately carved bone hairpin. What I like about this piece is that it was an everyday item used by a woman during the Shu dynasty. We don't know about her hairstyle, but we do know that objects of personal adornment were buried with the loved one. These objects were intended for the afterlife. Please follow me this way.”
Bāo followed at a distance from the group. He saw the docent badge attached to the young man's belt with a simple clip. Bāo walked near the docent, who leaned over a glass case and explained the symbols carved on a bronze ritual vessel to the group. It took less than two seconds for him to release the badge clipped to the docent’s belt and place it in his pocket. He leaned over the case to look at the bronze ritual vessel.
Bāo walked down the East stairwell as the museum closed. He used the badge to enter the Archive Room. The room was dark. He expected that, like the hallway, the automatic lights would turn on. He located the overhead light switch on the right-hand side of the door. He flipped the switch and was immediately amazed by the rows and rows of stainless steel shelves, which glimmered like the surface of a still lake reflecting the sun's rays. Artifacts of bronze, wood, jade, and clay waited patiently for their turn to be displayed in the museum cases on the floors above.
Bāo knew that he couldn't stay in the museum during the day. He would need to leave the museum early in the morning and return before it closed. He also knew that he could scavenge food from the cafeteria at night. Now, he had a place to sleep and a place to eat. If I can find a job, then this will only be temporary. He switched off the lights and opened the door. Before he stepped into the hallway, he looked in both directions for light. He saw none and stepped into the hallway. Within five minutes, he stood outside the building. I should explore. If I run, I will know where to go and hide.
***
Dang Li woke up early the next morning nauseated. His head pounded like a large base drum in a cheap bar. He stumbled to the bathroom and puked in the toilet. I should never have drunk that entire bottle of Jacor Black. He lay on the white tiled bathroom floor, thankful for the cold tiles as they cooled his naked skin. After an hour, he sat up, stood, raised his hand, and placed it on the wall to support his body, which shook uncontrollably. He lowered his hand and said aloud, “I have to find that boy.” I have already wasted twelve hours. He dressed in a room that spun around him. He placed his hand on the sink counter to stop the spin. He lay down on the bed, where he spent the remainder of the day.
***
Sheng Yao stood at the street corner and waited for his people’s police contact to arrive. Yao wore a blue business suit and tie. With his massive body frame, his attempt with attire to blend in with the Chengdu morning businessmen was difficult. The only place where he wouldn't stand out would be in a mixed martial arts training center. Even there, he would be the biggest person in the room.
The people’s police car stopped at the corner. Like a taxi driver, the officer got out and opened the back door for Yao. He bowed slightly, honoring the Incense Master of Sun Yee On, Red Dragons. The triad retained paid informants in all areas of public service. They drove for a few blocks. Yao broke the silence and asked, "What did you discover?"
The people’s police officer raised his eyes to the rearview mirror and said, "Officer Wang was called to a disturbance near a mobile phone store yesterday." The officer looked briefly in the rearview mirror again and then looked away quickly, not wanting to make eye contact with Yao. He continued, “A boy and a girl, teenagers, but who knows these days, were taken into custody.”
Yao replied, “What were they charged with?”
“Nothing, but the officer determined that they were runaways. Officer Wang drove them back to an orphanage. You may know the one I'm talking about, Chengdu Children's Welfare Institute."
“Yes, I know where that is. Anything else?"
"That's all I was able to find out."
"Drop me off at the next corner."
They stopped at the next corner. The officer was about to leave, but Yao stopped him, saying, "Don't get out." He handed the officer ¥3,000 and exited the car. Yao walked into a teahouse and called Jin. “I am following up on our little thief. I should have more within the next couple of hours."
Jin said authoritatively, “When you find him, don't hurt him. We need to secure the gold bracelet first, and then we can dispose of him at our leisure.” Jin ended the call abruptly without any further discussion.
***
Yao arrived at the orphanage late in the morning. He parked his Mercedes-Benz GT in the assistant director's parking spot. A diminutive secretary ushered him into the director's office.
The Director bowed and paused for introduction, "Please have a seat, Mr. –?"
Yao sat down. “You may call me Mr. Sheng. The police brought a boy to this facility yesterday. He was a runaway.”
"It is not the institute's policy to give any information about our residence. I hope you will understand, Mr. Sheng.”
Trying to temper his anger, Yao said, "It's warm here. Would you mind if I take off my jacket?"
"By all means, please be comfortable, Mr. Sheng.”
Yao removed his jacket and revealed an underarm holster and pistol. He placed his jacket over the back of the chair. He wore a short-sleeved dress shirt and tie. He reached into his pocket, removed a large sum of Yuan bound with a red rubber band, and placed it on the desk.
The Director asked, “Who did you say you work for, Mr. Sheng.”
Yao used his right hand to remove the gun from the holster and placed it next to banded Yuan, then said calmly, “I didn’t."
The director's eyes widened, and his heart beat faster as he looked at the tattooed red dragon on Mr. Sheng’s right forearm. He barely got the words out of his mouth as he whispered, “The boy is not here, Mr. Sheng. We discovered that he ran away last night."
"Do I need to check?"
“This is what I can tell you, and remain faithful to Institutes’ guidelines. His name is Bāo. I am afraid that's all I can say." The Director wiped the sweat that formed on his forehead.
Yao stood, picked up his gun, holstered it, and put on his coat. “I hope, for your sake, this is all the information I need.”
The director stood, bowed, and said, “Thank you, Mr. Sheng.”
Yao looked down at the banded Yuan on the desk and said, “Consider it a donation to the orphanage. I'll show myself out."
The Director sat and slumped in his chair.
***
The Archive Room was dark. He lifted his hand in front of him and could not see it. It must be at least 9 PM. He stood and reached his left hand out until he touched a metal shelf. He kept contact with the shelf as he walked and counted twenty steps. He reached out his right hand as he dropped his left hand to his side. He stepped forward, counted one, two, three, four, five, and then stopped. His right hand touched a wall. He turned right and kept his left hand on the wall as he stepped forward thirty-five steps. He raised his right hand and touched the wall directly before him, then he felt for the door to the right. Here you are. He reached for the end of the door frame. Then he ran his hand up and down the wall until he found the light switch. Got it. He closed his eyes and turned on the switch. I hope these elaborate precautions keep me safe.
He opened his eyes slowly to adjust to the light and saw a familiar sight. Rows of metal shelving, each 6 feet in height, and each shelving unit was made of six shelves filled with the history of China, or so it seemed to Bāo. He paced the distance. Each row was parallel to the next, and each extended 100 feet.
Artifacts filled the shelves, including pottery cooking vessels from the Xia dynasty (2000 to 1600 BC), jewelry, and elaborate tools from the Shang dynasty (1600 to 1050 BC). Since Chengdu was the capital at one moment in history, most artifacts were from the Shu dynasty. Shang and Zhou were the dynasties during the bronze age of China. The Zhou dynasty's artifacts included various-sized bronze bells and wine goblets. Among the artifacts from the Wei dynasty (386 - 535 AD), a crossbow particularly fascinated Bāo because he had only learned of them from Chinese history. Thousands of artifacts slept silently like ghosts in a haunted cave, waiting to be awakened to tell their stories, and they each had one. The metal cabinets lined the back wall and were packed with 8 x 5 cards that told the story of each artifacts’ place in the chain of Chinese history.