by Mi Lei
Lu Tianchang slammed the phone down. Still in shock, he began planning his response. It was time to pay Liang Sihai a little visit.
The village head picked up the phone again and began to dial. He stopped himself.
Liang Sihai was now obviously out to humiliate him, but why? It made no sense. Perhaps something terrible had happened. In any case, he would gain nothing by acting recklessly. No, for now it would be better to wait.
Lu Tianchang was not the only one feeling flustered and confused.
That night, the Changhong City Municipal Bureau imposed a media restriction on all news relating to the Wanbao Street raid. With the outside lines of communication secured, the Bureau began an internal investigation.
On the surface the operation was a success; two arrests had been made and another suspect had been killed resisting arrest. Jin Yongyu, however, remained at large. Worse yet, there was no way around the conclusion that someone from the inside had tipped off their targets and then aided in Jin Yongyu's escape.
As the Bureau's leadership frantically tried to uncover the source of the leak, the actual traitor was perhaps more confused than any of them.
At first Xiao Wang, too, had assumed that Liang Sihai's men had been responsible for rescuing Jin Yongyu; but then he learned that something far stranger was going on. None of Liang Sihai's men had made it to Wanbao Street in time and they had certainly not rescued Jin Yongyu.
When he informed his boss, Liang Sihai didn't like the implications one bit. Whoever had snatched Jin Yongyu was obviously up to no good. Why else had he not heard from them by now? Even so, there was little he could do about it. For now, Liang Sihai only ordered Xiao Wang to uncover the identity of their mysterious interloper. Then, he waited.
Xiao Wang attended the interrogation of the two men who had been arrested in the raid. One of them had seen the interloper and according to his testimony, they were dealing with a male of average build who had gone to great lengths to hide his face. His only distinguishing feature was his right hand which had been heavily bandaged.
Apparently, the interloper had come specifically for Jin Yongyu and no one else. When the hideout guard had tried to follow, the interloper had kicked him to the ground and left him to the cops.
As soon as the interrogation was over, Xiao Wang called Liang Sihai and told him everything he had heard.
Liang Sihai acknowledged the information with a detached, "Right." Then, he instructed Xiao Wang to continue keeping a close eye on the situation.
Behind Liang Sihai's calm facade, a storm was brewing.
Liang Sihai knew who had taken Jin Yongyu: Lu Dachun, the hapless son of the head of Lu Village. And that left no doubt in his mind that Lu Tianchang himself was personally responsible for all of the mess. Whatever the village head was up to, it was sure to be trouble.
Obviously, the 500,000 yuan had not been enough, so they had gone and snatched Jin Yongyu right from under the cops' noses. He had underestimated those country bumpkins.
Very few people had known about the hideout on Wanbao Street and Liang Sihai was confident that Lu Tianchang could not have found it on his own. That left one option: Jin Yongyu must have told Lu Tianchang. But why had those two formed an alliance? And what value did Jin Yongyu have for Lu Village?
That was when it hit him. Of all his remaining men, Jin Yongyu had been by his side the longest. He knew all there was to know about his entire operation.
A feeling of sheer terror began to grow in Liang Sihai's heart.
Never before had felt so afraid.
The doorbell rang.
Lu Tianchang didn't feel like getting up, so he told Lu Haiyan to get the door. His son's girlfriend was just helping Lu Dachun eat his porridge. Without a word or complaint, she put the bowl down and walked out to the courtyard to greet their visitor. Lu Tianchang kept half an ear on what was going on outside.
After a quick exchange of greetings, he heard: "Is he home?", followed by "Are you feeling better, Lu Haiyan?" and "Your face looks as good as new", and on and on.
It was his second sister-in-law. Lu Tianchang respectfully stood to greet her as she entered the home and then offered her a chair.
She sat down with a deep sigh. "How did this winter end up so cold? At least it's cozy in here. Anyway, I'm here to see my nephew."
With an inward sigh of his own, Lu Tianchang tried his best to keep this short. He knew exactly why she was there and it had nothing to do with his son's crippled hand.
Sure enough, after a bit of meaningless chatter, his second sister-in-law brought it up again. "Village Head, yesterday was supposed to be Distribution Day. Why did we not get our goods?" She did her best to sound pleasantly conversational. "You know how much your Second Elder Brother needs his drink and he just can't stand cheap booze. If we don't get new stuff soon, I'm going to have…problems at home."
Lu Tianchang could no longer recall how many times he had been pestered about the canceled Distribution Day. Looking his second sister-in-law straight in the eye, he said, "Business has not been good. And my second elder brother will just have to suck it up for a few more days. Maybe, we will just have to go back to farming—at least that way we'll have something."
"Unacceptable!" his second sister-in-law burst out. "Do you really expect us to pick up the pitchforks after all these years? When you told us to stay on this mountain and live the good life, we all listened. You can't just say that it's over..." She was flailing about for words now. "We won't allow it!"
"It is not my choice!" Lu Tianchang shouted back. "If they abandon us, what do you want me to do?"
"Who is taking our livelihoods? We'll make them pay!" She was staring directly at him. "In any case, it's your responsibility as village head to lead us and sort this out, and don't you say differently. We have become used to our lifestyle. We won't go back to digging in the mud."
"All right, all right, all right." He'd lost all patience with her. "I'll think of something." Right then he would have said anything to get her out the door.
"Hmm," she sullenly replied. "When you finally get our stuff, don't make my nephew hand it out. He needs to rest; I'll get it myself." She frowned and added, "And don't forget to get plenty to drink for your second elder brother."
Her point made, she got up and left. The moment Lu Tianchang finally heard the iron courtyard gate rattle shut, he let out a long sigh. The vice that seemed to be constricting his airway loosened.
It only lasted until he looked over to Lu Dachun; instantly all his anxieties returned.
Ever since he had lost his hand, Lu Dachun had been like this: Silent and barely ever out of bed. The only real conversation Lu Tianchang had had with his son had been right after the incident, when Lu Dachun had asked that he not punish Lu Haiyan. The most activity he had seen from his son since then was a few failed attempts to feed himself. With only his left hand, it always ended in a disheartening mess.
My hardy, athletic boy—always so full of life. Now reduced to the life of a bed-ridden cripple. And it is all Boss Liang's fault!
Then the humiliation of the 10-yuan bank card.
And worst of all: The bastard was going to throw the entire village back into the jaws of poverty!
Why, Liang Sihai, why?
Back at the Prajna Temple.
Liang Sihai had lost track of how often he had prostrated himself in pious devotion. Every time he bowed back down, he felt a little more of Lord Buddha's blessing descend upon him. He imagined himself growing ever and ever smaller; until he was so tiny that no punishment could reach him. At the same time, the Buddha statue before him grew, becoming ever and ever larger; until it was big enough to shelter him from all evil.
His supplication complete, Liang Sihai stood before the Buddha with folded hands.
But somehow the heavy sense of foreboding remained.
The monk holding vigil next to the statue began striking his bell over and over again. Today, Liang Sihai could hear nothing approving in its ring. It
was actually quite the opposite: The sound pierced his brain like a thousand steel needles.
As the bell's terrible tolling ended, Liang Sihai could hear the sound of shuffling shoes approach. It was Abbot Jingneng, a string of prayer beads in hand.
Liang Sihai hurriedly folded his hands and bowed to greet the monk. "Revered Master."
The abbot returned his greeting. "Benefactor Liang, we have not seen much of you lately."
"Yes, I was caught up in the world." Liang Sihai gave a signal to the man standing by his side. Immediately, his lieutenant handed Abbot Jingneng a black leather briefcase. "Five-hundred-thousand yuan; a token of my faith," Liang Sihai explained.
Abbot Jingneng humbly folded his hands and chanted, "Amitabha." He signaled one of his disciples to take the briefcase away. He turned back to Liang Sihai. "Benefactor Liang Sihai, you look tired and troubled. Is something worrying you?" he asked with a smile.
"You are very observant, Revered Master." Liang Sihai grimaced. "Recently, I have been experiencing some business troubles and there has been a bit of a disagreement with one of my affiliates. Can you guide me on the right path, Revered Master?"
Abbot Jingneng chuckled. "A humble monk can hardly offer business advice, but he could offer a few words, if Benefactor Liang would care to listen."
Liang Sihai again folded his hands and quickly replied, "Please speak, Revered Master."
"The Lotus Sutra tells us that the nature of the three worlds, from the lowest hell to the highest heaven, is suffering. It also tells us that in the six great divisions of the wheel of karma, no matter if one is a hungry ghost, human, or god, there is no true happiness. In our lives as humans, there are four kinds of karmic relationships that bind us to our fellow man: Returning favors out of gratitude, avenging slights against us, demanding that others repay their debts to us, and repaying our own debts."
Liang Sihai was listening intently.
"Now consider," the abbot continued, "that as ties grow ever more tangled, feelings of gratitude can turn to resentment, and eventually to a desire to take revenge for real and imagined slights. But a desire for revenge can never turn to gratitude. Pleasurable things can become bitter, but bitter things never become pleasurable." Abbot Jingneng paused, allowing what he had said to sink in. "Therefore, while we should not harbor enmity toward others, there is also no need to constantly seek out positive connections. If we overstretch ourselves, even the best connections can turn negative and harm us. Even the best fortunes can become a curse, and those who have sought our good graces can turn and cause us harm. Therefore, we should aim to avoid entanglements and let all things develop on their own. It is not wise to struggle against the inevitable."
The abbot's voice was soft and gentle, but his words filled Liang Sihai's heart with grim resolve. 'Those who have sought our good graces can turn and cause us harm.'
After a few moments of hesitation, he quietly asked, "Revered Master, what should I do?"
Abbot Jingneng raised the prayer beads to his chest and with a smile replied, "Adapt to the conditions, but do not change."
Liang Sihai was lost in thought as he left the Prajna Temple. As he walked out its gate, he stumbled and almost fell.
'Positive connections. Negative connections.'
'Feelings of gratitude can turn to resentment and eventually a desire to take revenge.'
'Adapt to the conditions, but do not change.'
'Those who have sought our good graces can turn and cause us harm…'
The village head had told Lu Dajiang to return as quickly as possible, but the man from Lu Village was in no hurry. His trip might not have turned out as planned, but he was still in the city. There was no way he was going to let the opportunity to enjoy Changhong City slip by him. More precisely, the opportunity to enjoy Changhong City's girls. Sure, back in the cave Lu Dachun had promised to take him on a tasting tour, but that was before the boy had completely lost it. The way things were going this might well be his last chance.
But first, he would satisfy his more immediate cravings. Lu Dajiang had arrived in Changhong City at dawn and it was already noon. Standing outside the bank, he could feel his stomach grumble. That morning he had dreamed of really pigging-out, but without the half-a-million yuan, he would have to be frugal if he still wanted to have a good time with the girls—and that he definitely wanted. Luckily, there was a braised meat on the bone place across the road that made his mouth water and that fit the bill.
Once inside, Lu Dajiang ordered a plate of braised pork spine, a plate of braised marrow and fried noodles together with some liquor. After cleaning the last bits off the plates, he let out a deep sigh. There just was nothing like city food. He called the waiter to pay his bill.
It came to a total of 78 yuan. A toothpick in mouth, Lu Dajiang leisurely reached for his wallet. Suddenly his eyes grew large and his lower lip began to twitch. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead as he frantically rummaged through his pockets.
His wallet was gone.
"I..." Lu Dajiang stammered. "I lost my money." He stared at the waiter with wide eyes. A part of him was convinced that if he just looked desperate enough, the waiter would tell him where his wallet had gone. It didn't work.
Instead, the man silently curled his lip and stared at Lu Dajiang with undisguised contempt.
"I really lost it!" Lu Dajiang protested as he went through his pockets over and over again. "If you don't believe me, you can—"
"Cut the crap! Pay up!" the waiter interrupted his pleas. "I know your type, damn freeloaders…"
Suddenly, someone slapped a hundred-yuan bill on the table. Lu Dajiang spun around to see a middle-aged man who had apparently arrived out of nowhere. With a tilt of the head, the mysterious newcomer signaled the waiter to take the money.
The waiter picked up the bill and left, but not without one last bewildered look. With the waiter gone, Lu Dajiang sighed ever so slightly. He knew that his problems were probably far from over. That man would want something in return, and whatever it was, he would probably not like it one bit.
"Eldest Brother, you are...?" Lu Dajiang eyed the man suspiciously.
His mysterious benefactor put a black briefcase and a cell phone on the table and then sat down across from him.
"You are Mr. Lu, Lu Dajiang?" the man asked.
"That's me." Lu Dajiang was now seriously confused. "How do you know who I am?"
"Hmm..." The man nodded, then quietly continued, "I am one of Boss Liang's men."
"Oh." Lu Dajiang nervously looked about the restaurant and out to the street. This revelation didn't explain much at all. "How did you know that I'd be here?"
"I was just at the bank." The man pointed back across the street. "The guard at the door saw you go here."
"The bank?" Lu Dajiang shouted. "So, where's the five-hundred thousand?"
"Keep it down, will you?" The man scowled at him. "That's why I'm here. We've had a few minor issues and it looks like the funds weren't transferred on time. That's why the boss told me to bring you the money in person."
"Oh, I see." Lu Dajiang felt a heavy weight lift off his shoulders. He would have his fun after all. "So where's the money? Give it to me."
"I don't have it on me. Please, follow me," the man told him.
"Well, then go, go!" Lu Dajiang jumped to his feet.
The man also stood up, but he was barely out of his chair when he clutched his stomach. "Ugh!" he exclaimed in pain.
"What's the matter?" Lu Dajiang nervously asked.
"My stomach. It's killing me," the man said stiltedly. "Sit down. I need the bathroom." With that, he hurried away.
Lu Dajiang let himself drop back in his seat to sip at his tea. The wait was excruciating. After several minutes, the man had still not returned. Suddenly, the cell phone he had left on the table rung. At first, Lu Dajiang was content to let it, but the ringing didn't stop and soon the restaurant's other patrons had all turned to see who was refusing to answer their phone.
/> Feeling ever more annoyed, Lu Dajiang snatched up the phone. He had no idea how to operate a cell phone and so he pressed its buttons pretty much at random, hoping that one of them would shut it up. It had never occurred to him that he might accidentally answer the call.
"Hello?" The voice on the other end of the line sounded far away. "Have you sorted it out?"
Lu Dajiang somewhat timidly lifted the phone to his ear. "Hello?"
"What are you waiting for?" The person on the other end of the line sounded breathless, "Have you found that Lu guy? Get a move on and find a way to get rid of him! The Boss is getting impatient!"
Lu Dajiang felt every hair on his body stand on end.
"Are you listening? The Boss was very clear; you have to get rid..."
On the verge of panic, Lu Dajiang threw the phone onto the table. It might as well have been a bomb. In fact, he would have preferred a bomb much better.
'Get rid… of the Lu guy...'
He spun around, expecting an assassin in every face and around every corner.
Run. He had to run before that man came back.
Lu Dajiang lurched to his feet. He was about to make his escape when he turned around one more time to grab the black briefcase the man had left on the table.
It was not like he had a choice. Without money, he would never be able to make it out of Changhong City before they caught him.
Liang Sihai was sitting in his leather chair. The ashtray on his desk was dangerously close to overflowing and the tea next to it had gone cold long ago. He barely seemed to notice any of this as he inhaled another lungful of smoke.
It had been days now, but the words of Abbot Jingneng still echoed in his mind. Had his reckoning come? All these years his business had run so smoothly. Sure, there had been rough waters, but he had never been in real danger. It had been as if some god somewhere had taken a liking to him. Now, he only felt cursed.
Liang Sihai's relationship with Lu Tianchang was very different from his dealings with the bureaucrats and officials he worked with to run his organization. They had status and positions to lose. Nothing short of mortal danger would make them risk that; especially, since they all understood that each one of them could bring down all the others. If and when they parted ways, it would be an amicable farewell. But Lu Tianchang was nothing like them. The man was vulgar. The best thing about vulgar people was that they only cared about money; the worst thing about vulgar people however, was that they only cared about money.