by Mingmei Yip
Wang growled at the poor woman. “Shut up! You forget I told you to keep your mouth shut tonight? When I speak, you just listen!”
The girl looked stunned, then lowered her head to play with her handkerchief. The two other women dropped their heads even lower to stare at their dresses.
That’s why Rainbow Chang’s column never lacked for fresh material—the flow of juicy gossip can never be stopped. At least not permanently. But talking does stop when there’s a knife pressing on your throat or a gun pointing at your head. Better stop talking for a few minutes than be silent forever.
I faked a sweet smile. “Big Brother Wang, you know well that we came to collect Jinying’s father.”
Wang leaned close to me and lowered his voice. “Now cut the chatter. Where’s my seal?”
“I don’t have it.”
“Is this a joke? You want to stay alive?”
His two bodyguards looked alert. One even placed his hand on his holster, ready for action.
I knew well it was an empty threat, for even a gangster would not kill during his own birthday party. So I took my sweet time, just to enjoy the chance to torment my former boss.
“Big Brother Wang, besides the bulletproof Mercedes, which you haven’t seen yet, I’ve also prepared something very special for your birthday. You may be surprised that I am being so nice. But believe it or not, I do feel an obligation to you. After all, you rescued me from that horrible orphanage and made me into a famous singer.”
As always, Wang loved being flattered. “Ha! That’s my girl, even though I taught you not to have affection”—he cast Jinying a disgusted look—“let alone love.”
I didn’t respond to his sarcasm, but said, “The Mercedes is already outside as my big thank you. But I have something even more exciting for you.”
“What?”
“A magic show.”
“I don’t have time for this nonsense, just give me the seal, take that living corpse, and run for your life before I change my mind.”
“It’s magic, Big Brother Wang. Everyone needs magic in their life, especially on their birthdays. I’m giving you a bonus in exchange for Master Lung. Besides, this magic show will bring you endless blessings and good luck.”
All gangsters are superstitious and never refuse anything they are told is lucky.
He cast me a suspicious look. “Ha, what about if it’s not magic, but a trick?”
“But I’m not the magician, so how can I do the trick?”
He thought for a while, then, “All right, then let my men search the magician first.”
“But you can’t do that—”
“Why not?”
“Because they may wreck the props, then there’ll be no magic!”
Before he could respond, I added. “Trust me, Big Brother Wang. We will all be right next to you so you can kill us anytime if you think I am deceiving you. Also, please announce to your guests about the show. I’m sure you’ll gain much face by having this very special entertainment. Now I’ll call the magician.”
I took his silence as agreement.
At least for the moment, after so many years of obeying his instructions, he was now following mine. I went to make the magical phone call.
26
The Magic Show
Now the magician made his grand entrance wearing full regalia—tuxedo, tall hat, white gloves. Or rather, I should say “her” entrance because it was my friend Shadow dressed as a man. With the add-on mustache and long hair concealed under her top hat, she looked handsome and confident as a real man. First, Shadow went to bow respectfully to Big Brother Wang, then set up her props on the restaurant’s stage.
Without asking for permission, I quickly stepped up to the amplifier and announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, most of you have never seen me before. I am Big Brother Wang’s sister-in-law’s sister and am just back from the US, where I have been studying at Harvard. To show my admiration for Big Brother Wang’s accomplishments and to celebrate this important birthday, tonight I’ve brought him two very special gifts.”
A round of applause burst in the hall. I was relieved that no one seemed to have recognized me as the Heavenly Songbird Camilla. Fortunately for me, people are easily fooled by what they’re told to believe.
I went on. “I’ve invited a magician to give a wonderful, auspicious performance. I’ve also brought a car—a brand-new Mercedes salon car, which is parked right outside our restaurant. You can all go to admire it after the banquet.”
Quiet chatter could now be heard from the hall. I guessed people were wondering how a young woman they had never heard of had the money for such an expensive gift. They might even think the car had been paid by Wang, with me hired as part of the gift.
I spoke again, displaying a sweet smile. “Ladies and gentlemen, I won’t take up too much of your time. Now I’ll let our magician take over, and I hope you’ll all enjoy this special treat.”
I made a gesture toward Shadow and noticed that a few women’s eyes widened at the sight of my tall and handsome friend, even those of Wang’s youngest concubine.
When the applause died down, Shadow took a heavy object covered with a black drape from her bag and placed it on the table in front of her. She lifted the cloth to reveal a huge silvery carp swimming inside a big bowl.
In a deep voice, she proclaimed, “I bring this fish to wish great abundance to Big Brother Wang—may his wealth spill over more every year.”
Fish symbolize having more than enough because the word yu sounds just like the word for “have more.”
After we had a few moments to appreciate the sparkling fish, Shadow went on. “All right, I think my little darling needs a nap before she’s ready to entertain you again.”
People burst into laughter as the magician draped the black cloth back over the bowl.
Now a hush came over the audience, all eager for the magic.
Shadow smiled broadly. “Ladies and gentlemen, now I’d like to present this to Big Brother Wang for his special banquet!”
She pulled off the cloth. To everyone’s surprise, the fish was no longer swimming inside the bowl, but lying on a big plate, cooked.
This time the applause sounded like thunder.
“Wah, how did he do that?”
“Where’s the bowl?”
“Is that fish real?!”
“It must be. See? There’s steam coming out!”
Shadow carefully took the plate, walked to our table, and placed the dish down with the fish head facing Big Brother Wang—to show respect for his head status.
Wang looked stunned, entertained, and pleased at the same time. He nodded and said, “Good. Thank you for your magic.”
I said to the magician, “Sir, you’ve done your job to entertain Big Brother Wang, now you can leave.”
Shadow made a deep bow to my boss. “Big Brother Wang, please excuse me. I hope I can provide more entertainment to you in the future.”
Wang smiled happily to the handsome man. “Please sit down and enjoy our food and wine.”
“Big Brother Wang, I am sorry, but I have another engagement. I hope to be at your service in the future.”
“Of course. What’s your name?”
Shadow handed him a card that had been printed a few days ago, bearing Shadow’s latest fake name, Ed Yuan.
After Shadow’s departure, I turned to my boss. “Please, Big Brother Wang, taste the good-luck fish for bringing abundance to your household.”
He cast me an evil smile. “How do I know it’s not poisoned? Why don’t you go ahead first?”
“No problem,” I said.
I signaled Jinying with a nod and we both plunged our chopsticks into the fish and ate with gusto.
Probably seeing that we did not hesitate and were still very much alive, Lung picked up his chopsticks and began to propel chunks of fish into his mouth..
“Ha, this is the first time I’ve eaten a magic fish. Interesting. How did he do this?”
Ju
st then Jinying, who had been quiet the whole time, said to Wang, “Big Brother Wang, I believe my father has just soiled his pants, I need to take him to the bathroom right away before it…”
Wang cast a disgusted look at his once formidable, now pitiful, rival. “Ha! I bet your father never thought he’d end up in this miserable, revolting state, eh?” He waved his calloused hand. “Go quickly.” Then he asked a bodyguard to accompany the duo.
When Lung was accompanied by his son to the exit leading to the bathroom, I saw that he was paralyzed from the waist down and had been sitting on a wheelchair. Wang must have tortured him severely or starved him for months. Since he had been silent all evening, I suspected his rival had also drugged him. Wang motioned us to resume eating.
Then he said to me, with barely suppressed anger, “So, where’s my seal?”
I pointed to the fish. “That’s why I arranged the magic show, it’s inside the fish’s head. So you’ll be the head enjoying all your power and abundance.”
He immediately plunged his chopsticks and poked around. The head was now a complete mess, but the seal was nowhere to be found.
If stares could kill, then I’d be already dead from his angry, evil one.
He spoke in a heated whisper. “But there’s no seal inside the fish head!”
I could see that the women were casting questioning glances in our direction, no doubt dying to know what had been going on. But none would risk having their lips cut off to ask.
“It can’t be, Big Brother Wang. I did put it there, I swear!”
Before he could respond, I blurted out, “Oh, heaven, it must be the magician who stole it. Quick, Big Brother Wang, order your men to chase after him, he can’t have gotten very far!”
Immediately, Wang stood up, whispered something to his bodyguard, then hurried toward the entrance. Just then, a big man with a cap pulled low over his face stealthily made his way toward our table from a back entrance. Since all were watching the altercation with Wang and his men, I may have been the only one who noticed this stranger.
The intruder was carrying something wrapped in bright red paper like a gift, but its elongated shape made my spy’s mind think it could be a gun. Of course, Wang had countless enemies who would be overjoyed to see him dead, and this stranger might well be an assassin. I wondered if he had a friend on the restaurant staff or bribed someone to be allowed in.
Hoping not to be noticed, I stood up and began to walk quietly toward the wall where the bank of light switches was located. I’d prepared for this moment by coming here for dim sum two days earlier and was able to reconnoiter unnoticed among the noisy lunchtime crowd.
Just when I thought that everything was about to go according to my plan, the man with the red package quickly moved toward me. “Camilla, it’s going to be dangerous, leave right now.”
This man was Gao!
I whispered heatedly, “Gao, what are you doing here?”
“I’m here to revenge for Master Lung.”
“But you’ll get killed, Gao. Leave, please, I beg you. Master Lung is a walking dead man already!”
He thrust a piece of paper into my hand. “If I don’t make it, go to this address…”
“But, Gao—”
“I love you, Camilla. Leave now!”
After that, he hurried toward Wang, tearing the paper off the package, which indeed contained a gun.
I dashed over to slap down the master switch and, to create extra alarm, cried out, “Fire, fire!” as I knocked over the two longevity candles.
In an instant the hall was black, followed by sounds of utter chaos—women screaming, children crying, men yelling, dishes shattering. While most were milling around trying to escape, I suspected that some of the honorable guests had turned dishonorable—plundering the table piled high with expensive gifts. Or perhaps groping a few nearby breasts.
I could not tell where Gao was now. Before I had a chance to look for him, there was a loud gun shot, followed by another and another, then a whole fusillade. The guests were screaming and bumping into each other trying to get out. Fortunately, I was close to the back door, so I slid along next to the wall and went out into the night.
Fortunately, Jinying had followed our plan and was waiting in the bulletproof car, with his father propped up on the backseat. There were no police in sight. Perhaps it was assumed that the gunshots were celebratory firecrackers.
Jinying quickly engaged the clutch and the three of us sped away in the now pouring rain. Was the rain auspicious for me or inauspicious for Wang—I hoped it would be both.
But I didn’t dwell much on analyzing whether the rain was auspicious, because I was now preoccupied with Gao, his sudden appearance, but, I feared, his death by gunshot.
Tears rained down my eyes as I muttered, “Gao, will you be all right?”
Jinying turned to look at me. “You all right, Camilla? What did you just say?”
“I’m sad about your father.” This was the best excuse I could think of.
27
I Fare Thee Well
The next day, all newspapers reported how the gangster head’s heavenly party had turned hellish. The lead article by Rainbow Chang read:
Red Demons’ Head—Dead, Alive, in Between?
Last night was Big Brother Wang’s sixtieth birthday party, but might it also be the day he was sucked back into his mother’s womb?
I missed the party, but I’ve heard the rumors. But who knows which are true?
The climax of the entertainment was a magic trick in which a fish swimming in water instantly became one swimming in black bean sauce—to be enjoyed by Big Brother Wang himself. We might think this magician was the reappearance of our many-times disappearing Shadow. But it was a man—a new entrant on Shanghai’s stage?
However, the real climax came a few minutes later when all the lights went off, followed by gunshots and the frightened guests climbing over each other trying to get out. Some are now hospitalized. I also heard that the man of honor himself has food poisoning from the magic fish—will he now lose his magic? Another rumor has it that, despite all the birthday wishes for his longevity, he is already on his way for his interview with the King of Hell. Wang’s men know the answers, but they’re not talking.
So my question is: Did our Red Demons’ head really have food poisoning, or is he just being poisoned, plain and simple? But by whom?
Wang has many enemies who might have done the dastardly deed. Even some of his dearest friends may wish him an early “retirement” so they can take over the Red Demons’ number one position.
More to follow…
Rainbow Chang
Once again, I was amazed that Rainbow Chang had access to so much inside information. Because she was right—Big Brother Wang was poisoned—by me. I’d visited a notorious herbalist known to provide such things, though for a high price. In case the poison might spread to other parts of the fish, Jinying and I had taken an antidote before the meal.
To prevent the embarrassment—and danger—of Wang dropping dead right in front of us, the herbalist had concocted a poison that would not kill until seven days after it was ingested. So even though Wang was in hospital, and might think it was just the flu or some minor ailment, he was a doomed man.
But even if he didn’t die from my poison, I believed Wang would die of indignation because he had failed to get the seal, and thus all of his rival’s money. Worse, he’d been tricked by a woman, me, someone he’d taught the tricks that were used against him.
So, now I was waiting for the final news, good for me, bad for Wang.
The seal, of course, was never inside the fish’s head but in the hotel’s safe awaiting my return. Together, Shadow and I had planned the “magician has taken the seal, so go after him” episode to create the confusion we needed to make our escape. The inspiration came from the Chinese classic Thirty-Six Stratagems’ “Stir the water to catch the fish” and “Loot the house when it’s burning.” Lung had not really soiled h
imself; Jinying had made this up as an excuse to get him away from the table. The bodyguard who had gone with them had eaten the same fish and was doubled over vomiting.
Only one event was not in our plan—Gao’s unforeseen appearance. I still didn’t know: Had he fired the shots or had they been directed at him, or both? Had I saved him from execution, only for him to be gunned down by our enemies? This was the third time heaven had thrust Gao and I together, only to cruelly drive us apart. First at the execution ground, then in front of the American Consulate, and now. I knew my future would be with Jinying and our son, Jinjin, and I truly loved Jinying. Yet with Gao, I felt something I had never felt with anyone else, something I might never feel again.
However, I was not ready to accept this quite yet. I resolved that as soon as I had the chance, I would go to the address on the slip of paper Gao had given me. Even if we were not destined to be together, I hoped at least to say a proper good-bye.
Although things went according to plan, it wasn’t an entirely happy ending. Big Brother Wang was even more evil than I’d thought. Yes, this time he did keep his promise to hand Lung back to us. But what came back to us was but a living corpse. Wang must have applied tortures to Lung that no human could endure until his mind simply shut down.
Ironically, both gangster heads, once bitter rivals, would come to the same end.
This made me think of the poem “Lamenting Antiquity”:
Lamenting the beautiful women of yesterday,
And the wilting of the fragrant flowers.
One after another, the dynasties rise and fall…
Lamenting the endless wars between dragons and tigers,
So many lives wasted!
Sadly, I reflected that this applied not only to the two ruined gangster heads, but also myself. My twenty years had so far been a waste, but I hoped for a brighter future.
Two days later, Jinying’s father died, leaving him grief-stricken, despite his hatred of Lung’s way of life. Even though I’d shared his bed, I didn’t feel much about the old man’s passing. He’d been decent to me, but it had never been my choice to be with him. However, if I had not been his mistress, I’d never have met Jinying, nor had little Jinjin.