Fate

by Zhou HaoHui

  *

  Brother Hua’s odd behaviour had already attracted the attention of the officers and bodyguards in the car park and they’d formed a loose semicircle around the vehicle. Han scanned their surprised faces through the side and rearview mirrors. He smirked, taking comfort in the knowledge that they couldn’t see him through the car’s tinted windows.

  ‘Don’t come any closer! I’m being held hostage! Han is in here and he has a gun!’ Brother Hua reached for the window control and the driver’s-side window rolled down slightly. ‘Everyone, stay five metres back!’ he yelled.

  Pei hurried over and he and his officers surrounded the car while keeping their distance. Despite their shock, they all had their weapons carefully drawn.

  ‘Very good,’ Han said darkly. ‘If you’d had that much tact to start with, things would never have gone this far.’

  Pei’s voice boomed into the car. ‘Han, put down your weapon and get out of the vehicle with your hands up! This is your only option. As a former police officer, you know we won’t listen to your demands, no matter how many hostages you take.’

  Han twisted in his seat. The movement aggravated the wound between his ribs, causing him to gasp involuntarily.

  ‘Seems like more than a flesh wound,’ Brother Hua said, snickering. ‘I guess my men weren’t as useless as I thought.’

  ‘You double-crossed me,’ Han spat. ‘Anyone who betrays me has to pay the price.’

  ‘Feeling all superior now, are we? I’m sure you could teach me a thing or two about botched double-crosses. You murdered Mayor Deng and that’s more than enough reason for me to kill you. I just haven’t got round to it yet.’

  ‘So don’t blame me for showing you no mercy. I’ve plenty of reasons for wanting to kill you too.’ Han pressed the icy barrel more firmly against Hua’s head.

  Hua was undaunted. ‘You haven’t shot me yet, which means you want to negotiate. So go ahead and tell me your conditions.’

  ‘You call this is a negotiation?’ Han sneered. ‘You must think I’m an idiot. I haven’t shot you yet because I want your death to be as drawn out and painful as possible. I’m going to give you some time to remember your family, to remember the things you treasure. I’ll only let you leave this world once you’re begging me to let you stay.’

  His words stopped Brother Hua cold. ‘That’s your goal? You’ve given up trying to run, and now that the police have you surrounded, you just want to make me suffer before I die?’

  ‘That’s right,’ Han said through his teeth. ‘That’s what you get for fucking with me.’

  Brother Hua grimaced. ‘We’re not the same at all. I’ve killed people, but only as a way of solving problems. I’ve never revelled in it.’

  ‘Too bad. This is my style.’ Han sneered again. He was almost giddy.

  Brother Hua sighed and fell silent.

  They both saw flickers of movement in the mirrors. The police were dispersing the crowd that had gathered around the car.

  Han knew he didn’t have much time. He extended his index finger along the side of the gun. ‘I hope you’re finished reminiscing,’ he growled.

  ‘And have you?’ Brother Hua asked quietly.

  Han scowled. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘It seems to me that you’ve forgotten all about your wife and son. But I haven’t. I’ve been looking out for them these last few days.’

  Hua’s tone was neutral, even gentle, but Captain Han’s blood boiled at his hostage’s words. He jabbed the gun barrel into Hua’s temple. ‘You’d better be lying to me, you son of a bitch.’

  Brother Hua’s smirk sent shivers down Han’s spine.

  ‘Dongdong’s a smart kid. It’s too bad he isn’t old enough to look after himself. I’ve had a few of my men keeping an eye on him – from a distance, of course.’ An audible chill came into Hua’s voice. ‘But if I die, there won’t be anyone to tell them to hold back. I can’t guarantee they’ll continue to have your son’s best interests at heart.’

  Han felt a sudden tightening in his chest, as if a fist had struck him directly in the heart. His hand began to tremble. With a deep breath, he swallowed his pain. ‘What’s your game here?’ he said.

  ‘As I told you, I don’t enjoy hurting people. Personally speaking, I have no desire for your son to come to harm. But sometimes measures need to be taken in order to achieve the required outcome. Here’s my game: I want you to make a choice. It’s like flipping a coin, except you’re completely responsible for the results.’

  All colour drained from Han’s face. A moment later, he thumbed the window control. With the window fully open, he yelled out, ‘I want to discuss my conditions!’

  *

  Outside the vehicle, Pei stepped closer to his disgraced former colleague. ‘I’m here. Let’s hear what you’re thinking, Han.’

  ‘No,’ came the answer. ‘Lieutenant Yin’s the only person I’ll talk to. Tell him to get in the car.’

  Pei scowled, but before he could think of a response, Lieutenant Yin approached.

  ‘Let me do this, Captain.’

  Pei hesitated. Was it a trap? Something about the look in Yin’s eyes told him otherwise. Yin and Han had worked closely together for years. They had a connection. But there was something there – a will to fight.

  ‘Go ahead,’ he finally said. He patted the younger officer on the shoulder and lowered his voice. ‘Be ready to use your firearm. I’m authorising you to use whatever methods are necessary to resolve the situation.’

  Lieutenant Yin’s face paled as he registered his captain’s meaning. ‘Yes, sir,’ he replied solemnly. He walked to the car, and the ring of officers looked on.

  *

  Lieutenant Yin leant in through the open window.

  Han nodded towards the passenger seat in front of him. ‘Get in,’ he said.

  The door handle clicked and Yin lowered himself onto the seat. His right arm was bent away from his chest at an odd angle.

  Han tutted impatiently. ‘Take your gun out, Lieutenant. No need to be coy.’

  Yin pressed his lips together. He raised his gun and aimed it at his former superior’s head. ‘I’m sorry, Captain. Your best option is to put down your weapon and leave the car with me. Don’t make things difficult.’

  Han glared at him. ‘This is your job. What’s there to be sorry about? I should be the one apologising. You do what you have to do.’

  Yin’s mouth froze in surprise.

  ‘I know I must have made things difficult for all of you after my last escape. Today I’ll make things easy. Go ahead and shoot me.’

  ‘No,’ Yin said. ‘I don’t want to do that. I just want to bring you in.’

  ‘What’s the use of that?’ Han said. ‘Only by shooting me now can you make up for your mistakes from last time. I’m the one who made you what you are today. Try to show a little respect!’

  Yin shook his head. ‘Put down the gun. Don’t make me do this.’

  Brother Hua let out a long, melodramatic sigh. ‘Looks like your old buddy’s having second thoughts, Han.’

  Han huffed angrily through his nose. ‘A cop needs to be resolute, Lieutenant Yin. It’s the only way you’ll ever succeed. If I hadn’t—’

  His words caught in his throat like a fishbone. He was about to mention the incident at Mount Twin Deer Park all those years ago. If he hadn’t been so resolute about covering up his accidental murder of his police partner, Zhou Ming, back then, he wouldn’t have been promoted to captain. But if he had come clean, Eumenides never would have been able to blackmail him into accidentally killing Mayor Deng.

  The seeds of that cursed day had been planted long ago. He shuddered, as if trying to tear himself free of his memories, then leant forward and looked at Lieutenant Yin with pleading eyes.

  ‘When you were my assistant, did I ever fail to follow through after saying I would do something?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Then listen to me. In a moment, I’m going to count to three. If
you don’t pull the trigger by then, I’m going to shoot Brother Hua, open this door and run. I’ll be shot dead and Hua’s men will go after my son.’

  ‘No! You can’t do that!’

  ‘As long as you understand…’ Han said, glaring one last time at Lieutenant Yin. ‘One…’

  ‘No!’ Lieutenant Yin roared.

  Han ignored him. ‘Two…’

  A thick blue vein bulged along Lieutenant Yin’s jaw. His gun trembled.

  ‘Three.’

  A deafening blast filled the car.

  *

  Every available officer sprinted towards the vehicle. Pei led the way and immediately pressed himself against the rear right door so he could peer through the open window.

  Brother Hua sat up in the driver’s seat and used his right sleeve to wipe some of the blood from his face. Lieutenant Yin was sitting next to him, still frozen in his shooter’s pose, his face emotionless. His eyes were focused on Han, who lay slumped across the back seat, blood pooling from the wound in his forehead.

  ‘That was his final lesson for you,’ Brother Hua said softly.

  Several seconds passed before Lieutenant Yin reacted. He turned to Hua, dazed. ‘What did you say?’

  ‘You listen to your emotions too much. In this regard, at least, you have a lot to learn from your late mentor.’

  Hua stepped out of the car. The air in the garage was smoky, but to him it felt fresh and life-enhancing. He took a deep breath.

  *

  6 November, 1:13 a.m.

  Interrogation room, criminal police headquarters

  ‘I’ve already told you everything I’m required to. Can I go now?’ Brother Hua asked, glancing at his watch.

  Pei sat across from him in silence, fixing the former bodyguard with a razor-sharp stare.

  Brother Hua wasn’t intimidated. He leant back in his chair and yawned. He may have been physically exhausted, but mentally he seemed more relaxed than ever.

  Pei tossed a copy of Hua’s testimony down in front of him. He pointed to the dotted line at the bottom. ‘Sign here, please.’

  Brother Hua smiled. ‘I’m not a cultured man. My handwriting’s too sloppy. A fingerprint will do just as well.’ He opened the inkpad at the corner of the table and pressed his left thumb against it, rolling it against the pad with practised ease. Exhaling calmly, he pressed his thumb over the dotted line, leaving behind a bright red print.

  Without another word, Brother Hua got up and walked out of the room. Two bodyguards were waiting for him at the door and they handed him a padded coat. He seemed to come to life as he put it on, full of new confidence; he even seemed taller.

  To Pei, Brother Hua suddenly looked quite unlike the loyal bodyguard he’d first met just days earlier, when the investigation had begun. From behind, he was actually indistinguishable from Mayor Deng. And why not? The man had just seized complete control of the Longyu Corporation.

  17

  A PACT

  9 a.m.

  Conference room, criminal police headquarters

  Lieutenant Yin sprinted into the meeting with the energy of an  exploding bomb.

  ‘Vice President Meng’s widow just called our switchboard! She said she has a tape that proves Brother Hua was behind the conspiracy to kill her husband and Vice President Lin!’

  ‘Oh?’ Pei stirred in his seat. ‘Tell her to wait for an officer to come and collect the evidence. On no account is she to leave the house. Notify the nearest police station and have them send someone over. Let’s go!’

  ‘Yes, Captain.’

  Within minutes, Captain Pei and Ms Mu were in the police SUV with Lieutenant Yin at the wheel. Five minutes into the drive, Yin’s mobile phone rang a second time. He kept one hand on the wheel as he answered it.

  ‘The emergency response team from the Eastern Suburbs station are already at the scene,’ he said, handing the phone to Pei. ‘I’ll let you talk to them.’

  Pei pressed the phone to his ear. ‘This is Captain Pei from the criminal police.’

  ‘Where are you now, Captain Pei?’

  ‘We’re on our way. We should be there in twenty minutes.’

  ‘Have you sent anyone else over?’

  ‘There’s no one else to send,’ Pei said. He frowned. ‘Why? What’s wrong?’

  ‘Mrs Meng tells us that the police have already been to her home. She says they took the tape with them.’

  Pei inhaled sharply. ‘They weren’t our officers – they’re fraudsters! You need to track them down immediately!’

  Lieutenant Yin leant on the accelerator and the engine roared. Thirteen minutes later they screeched into Jingan Gardens Villas and Vice President Meng’s home loomed into view.

  Having spoken with the officers outside the house, they were even more confused. The officers had arrested the two men who’d posed as policemen, but, after some prodding, the imposters claimed that someone else had stolen the tape from them immediately afterwards.

  ‘I need to see the security footage,’ Pei said.

  *

  The housing development’s security office was lit with blinding fluorescent bulbs. The smell of damp, day-old tea leaves filled the room. As Pei watched the footage, hope fluttered in his chest when he saw that the two fraudsters had been caught on camera.

  At 9:35 a.m., two people wearing police uniforms stepped out of a white Volkswagen parked about thirty metres from Vice President Meng’s home. They walked over to the house and knocked. Mrs Meng opened the door and after a brief conversation allowed them inside. At 9:40 a.m. the men left in a hurry. One of them was hastily stuffing something into his pocket. As they walked towards their car, they were followed by a third male figure.

  ‘Is that him?’ Lieutenant Yin muttered. Although the man’s hat and clothing obscured his features, his gait was hauntingly familiar.

  In the footage, the third man swiftly knocked out the other two. He searched their pockets, extracted a single item and strode off.

  ‘Should we go after him?’ one of the officers asked Pei.

  ‘We can forget about retrieving the tape,’ Pei replied glumly. ‘We’ll have more luck talking to Mrs Meng. Maybe she made a copy.’

  His instincts, however, told him that she almost certainly wouldn’t have had the presence of mind to make a backup. His thoughts had anyway already turned to other matters. Eumenides must have known that his actions would be caught on camera. So why had he intentionally provoked both Brother Hua and the police?

  *

  11 a.m.

  Mount Tianzi Villas

  Mayor Deng’s family home was located in the middle of Chengdu’s most luxurious private housing development. The complex had four swimming pools and twelve tennis courts. On the third floor of the house, the spirit of its deceased owner lingered still. A woman dressed in plain clothing was sitting on the sofa with a young boy next to her. The two of them were staring at the man on the end of the sofa in great confusion.

  Brother Hua was perched on the edge of his seat and sitting up very straight. No matter how much power and prestige he gained, he would always remember his place within the household. He owed Mayor Deng that much.

  ‘You look tired. Have you been getting enough sleep?’ Mrs Deng said. She sounded genuinely concerned, as though addressing a beloved family member.

  ‘I’ve been busy, Mrs Deng. But it’s all done now, finally,’ Hua replied respectfully. Using both hands, he politely set down several printed documents on the coffee table in front of her.

  ‘What are these?’ she asked, flipping through the papers.

  ‘Documents for the transfer of share ownership. I’ve purchased all of Vice President Lin’s and Vice President Meng’s shares. All of the assets of the Longyu Corporation are now in the names of you and your son.’

  Mrs Deng smiled graciously, but her forehead remained furrowed. ‘I have no idea how to run a business, much less one as large as my husband’s. And Deng Jian is so young. These assets could be put to much bet
ter use elsewhere.’

  ‘There’s no need for you to worry about that. I’ll hire the very best people to look after the company’s day-to-day operations. All you have to do is make sure your son pays attention in school. Once he’s completed his education, he’ll be ready to take his place at Longyu.’ Seeing that she still looked concerned, he added, ‘And don’t worry. I’ll take care of those people. As long as I have breath in my body, the Longyu Corporation will always be run by a Deng!’

  Mrs Deng inhaled deeply, then turned and patted her son on the shoulder. ‘You’d better go upstairs and start studying,’ she said gently. ‘I’m going to talk to Brother Hua for a few more minutes. I’ll be up soon.’

  The boy nodded and obediently headed off. Brother Hua stood up and bowed slightly as he watched him leave.

  ‘Please sit down,’ Mrs Deng said. ‘You’re family. There’s no need for such formalities.’

  ‘Of course,’ Hua replied, but he only sat down again once the boy had left his sight.

  Mrs Deng leafed through the documents again, this time reading them line by line. Several minutes later, she set the stack of papers back down on the table and looked at Brother Hua for a moment.

  ‘Tell me the truth. How did Vice President Lin and Vice President Meng die?’

  Hua stared at his feet in silence. He had no right to lie to his employer. An appropriate explanation was necessary. Finally, he looked up at her. His voice was low and solemn. ‘They wanted to take something that didn’t belong to them. They died for that reason.’

  She sighed. ‘There are probably some questions I’m safer off not asking. Mayor Deng had a saying: “It’s better for a sheep not to know the ways of the wolf.” I put my trust in him, and I didn’t need to know any more. But over time I’ve learnt that every action has its consequences…’