Chapter 015: It Was No Coincidence

The living room in the North Building was small; after setting up the dining table, there was barely enough space for people to sit, and even turning around was difficult.

When Ah Dan came in, Liang Kefeng shifted his gaze back and, acting nonchalant, continued to eat without any reaction.

Aunt Hao’s attitude toward Ah Dan was obviously much warmer than towards Brother Facai. She stood up and greeted, “Brother Dan, have you eaten? Sit down and join us.”

Uncle Hao added, “Brother Dan, sit and have a drink.”

“No, I only had lunch a bit after four.”

Judging by appearances, Zhutou Wei seemed familiar with Ah Dan and turned, joking, “Brother Dan, looks like you’ve been eating well over the New Year. You’ve gained some weight in just a few days.”

Ah Dan gave Zhutou Wei a pat on the shoulder. “Aunt Liu, Happy New Year!”

Clearly, Aunt Liu was the most respected person at the table.

Aunt Liu looked at Ah Dan thoughtfully, “Happy New Year!”

“Where’s Brother Xiao? Isn’t he here? Uncle Zhongzhi sent me to find him.” Ah Dan glanced around, but not seeing the person he was looking for, his gaze finally landed on Liang Kefeng.

He had noticed her as soon as he came in.

“Brother Xiao isn’t here,” Uncle Hao said, looking over at Ah Wei. “Zhutou Wei, could it be that Brother Ku called Brother Xiao away?”

Zhutou Wei replied, “Possibly. They seemed to have something going on today, probably still at the union.”

Ah Dan’s gaze remained fixed on Liang Kefeng, and Aunt Hao quickly introduced, “New tenants, the siblings Jin and Feng. This is Brother Dan from Shangbailong.”

Cheng Yaojin greeted, “Brother Dan,” while Liang Kefeng merely smiled and nodded.

Ah Dan stared at Liang Kefeng. “Huh! This young lady looks familiar, like I’ve seen her somewhere before.”

Cheng Yaojin, unaware that Ah Dan had met Liang Kefeng, glanced at Ah Dan cautiously and instinctively tightened his grip on his chopsticks.

Liang Kefeng, however, had already decided that even if Ah Dan recognized her, she would firmly deny it.

That night on the staircase, the lighting was dim, and as long as she maintained she didn’t know him, she was confident Ah Dan, even if suspicious, couldn’t be certain she was Liang Kefeng.

Aunt Hao and Uncle Hao exchanged amused glances, thinking Ah Dan was just trying to get acquainted with a pretty girl.

After all, Ah Feng was indeed a rare beauty.

The young girl Ah Huan added another shocking comment, “Zhutou Wei thought so too. Is it true that you men can’t walk straight when you see a pretty girl?”

“Ah Huan!” Aunt Hao scolded her, “Watch your mouth.”

Ah Dan didn’t mind, laughing, “She’s beautiful, so she’s hard to forget. I really feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before. Let me think.”

Liang Kefeng simply smiled, ignoring him.

Realizing he was getting nowhere, Ah Dan said, “You all continue eating. Aunt Liu, I’ll head out.”

Aunt Liu, who had been watching Ah Dan, unexpectedly commented, “Ah Dan, your brow looks dark. Be careful when traveling at night.”

Ah Dan paused awkwardly. Being told he had a dark brow during New Year’s wasn’t the best omen, and he was a bit displeased. “I’ve been staying up all night playing cards, haven’t slept well.”

Liang Kefeng kept her head down, eating. It seemed Aunt Liu was a mystic, or to put it bluntly, a respected fortune-teller.

After Ah Dan left, no one took Aunt Liu’s words to heart, and everyone continued eating and chatting.

Aunt Hao asked the siblings, “Where do you two work?”

Cheng Yaojin replied, “We haven’t started looking for jobs yet.”

Uncle Hao said, “In a place like Hong Kong, as long as you’re willing to work hard, there’s always food on the table. Many places start hiring after the New Year.”

“We were thinking the same.”

“Ah Wei, isn’t your factory hiring?” Aunt Hao asked her son, Ah Wei.

Although Ah Wei was sitting at the table eating, he was engrossed in a martial arts novel and seemed oblivious to the conversation.

Aunt Hao called him again, “Ah Wei!”

“What?” Ah Wei raised his head, confused.

“Isn’t your candy factory hiring?”

Ah Wei returned to his book, “The workshop is hiring female workers, and our office is also looking for a clerk.”

Uncle Hao tapped him on the head, “Eat your meal first.”

Aunt Hao then asked Liang Kefeng, “Ah Feng, do you know how to read? Can you use a typewriter?”

Liang Kefeng wasn’t familiar with this era’s typewriters but knew it wouldn’t be hard to learn. “Yes, I can use a typewriter.”

“Ah Wei, ask Manager Wang tomorrow if there’s a suitable position for Ah Feng.”

Ah Wei mumbled in agreement.

Before fully understanding the situation, Liang Kefeng wasn’t in a rush to find a job, but she also didn’t want to seem unmotivated, in case it raised suspicion.

Zhutou Wei asked Cheng Yaojin, “And you, Ah Jin? Are you planning to look for work outside or stay in the city?”

Cheng Yaojin, who was busy eating, glanced at Liang Kefeng before replying, “I’ll start looking within Sifang City.”

Zhutou Wei laughed, “Jobs in the city don’t pay as well as those outside, but it’s convenient for living. I can help you find one. But, let me be clear—if I or Ah Wei help you find a job, if it works out, a little tip is expected. It’s cheaper than going to an agency.”

Aunt Hao also chuckled, “That’s right. Better to ask family than outsiders. Family doesn’t cheat family, right?”

“No problem,” Cheng Yaojin said, getting up to serve himself more rice.

It was his third bowl, each heaping full.

Aunt Hao’s mouth twitched slightly in sympathy. “Ah Jin, you’ve got a hearty appetite, huh? Each of us only has two bowls max, and here you are with three.”

Cheng Yaojin looked simpleminded, and with thick skin, he pretended not to hear.

Liang Kefeng stifled a laugh. Aunt Hao was warm and down-to-earth but also a bit stingy. She said, “Aunt Hao, I usually only have one bowl, so even if my brother has three, that’s two on average. We haven’t exceeded the average.”

“…” Aunt Hao, who usually overlooked things, was surprised by the girl’s quick thinking.

Zhutou Wei defended Liang Kefeng, “Aunt Hao, are you some kind of accountant? I only eat two bowls, my grandma just one—does that mean you owe us for a bowl?”

“Dream on! You say one more word, and I’ll have you pay your meal share right now. You haven’t paid a cent, and here you are wanting a refund! Daydreaming! If it weren’t for Aunt Liu Aunt, I’d have kicked you out already.”

Zhutou Wei wisely fell silent.

Sister Man, who sold pudding next door, had been quiet all along. She gave her daughter a piece of duck and smiled, “Aunt Hao may talk tough, but she’s soft-hearted.”

Aunt Hao proudly replied, “I have a saintly heart.”

Ah Huan, not missing a beat, teased, “If you’re saintly, then I must be the Buddha himself.”

Aunt Hao glared at her daughter, “You heartless thing! You’re so ungrateful! You’re so smart—why don’t you go be a lawyer?”

Ah Huan stuck out her tongue, putting down her bowl. “I’m full.”

—

After dinner, Liang Kefeng went upstairs to continue organizing her room. Cheng Yaojin came by to ask what was going on with Ah Dan.

Liang Kefeng briefly recounted her history with Ah Dan.

Cheng Yaojin, concerned, said, “So, this Ah Dan is like a ticking time bomb. We need to figure out how to get some self-defense weapons.”

“Buying directly from the Shuanglong Hall people will reveal our identities. Buying on the black market, we “We’re still unfamiliar with the situation here, so there’s some risk involved. I just thought of a way we can bring in the gun and knife I stashed at the mahjong parlor,” Liang Kefeng said.

“What’s the plan?”

Liang Kefeng explained her idea in detail to Cheng Yaojin.

Cheng Yaojin thought it was worth a shot. “I’ll go out tomorrow and have Uncle Kun prepare everything.”

Liang Kefeng added, “When you’re downstairs later, check the bathroom to see if there are any razor blades for shaving.”

“I checked already—there aren’t any in the bathroom. The barber probably has some. I can buy one from him.”

“Don’t buy it.”

Cheng Yaojin immediately understood: don’t buy, just steal.

At nine, they went to bed. Liang Kefeng lay on her side, wrapped in a somewhat thin blanket.

When she had gone to pick up her ID card at the Admiralty Barracks earlier that day, she hadn’t expected the day to be such a rollercoaster.

After setting foot in the Sifang City, her main impression was that it was indeed a good place to build a foundation. She had chosen the right place.

The Sifang City had no government, no police, and various small gangs competing for control, yet with no leader in charge.

It was like a murky pond with tumultuous waves, where you never knew whether there was a catfish or a dragon lurking below. But if you cast a wide enough net, you might just come out on top.

Rather than facing Uncle Tian’s hunt head-on outside, it was better to “bide her time and grow” here.

Once she settled on this plan, she felt an overwhelming calm. As for Ah Dan, he might be a variable, but it didn’t change her decision.

*

Waking up early, Liang Kefeng didn’t turn on the light. Outside, the sky was only beginning to brighten. Opening the window, she was greeted by the crisp smell of morning dew.

There was also a faint hint of incense in the air.

It wasn’t coming from the temple downstairs. Across the yard near the vegetable patch, a small red flame flickered in the dim light. Upon closer inspection, it was Aunt Liu, kneeling devoutly with incense sticks, facing the temple.

Liang Kefeng glanced at her watch—6:30.

She changed clothes, washed up quickly, and headed to the first-floor kitchen to see if breakfast was ready.

By the kitchen door was a bamboo basket filled with freshly steamed rice cakes from Sister Man, and Auntie Hao was making stir-fried noodles. When she saw Liang Kefeng enter, she smiled and said, “Good morning, Ah Feng! The noodles will be ready soon. You can have some porridge in the meantime.”

“Good morning, Auntie Hao!” Liang Kefeng took out a hundred-yuan bill and handed it over. “This is our meal fee for the month. We don’t have much money on hand, so here’s a hundred for now. When I find a job, I’ll give you the other eighty.”

“Oh, there’s no rush!” Auntie Hao said, even as she took the money. “Did your brother wake up?”

“He did. He’s going to visit a relative after breakfast.”

“The noodles will be ready soon,” Auntie Hao said, stirring the noodles. “Are you going too?”

As she headed to the cupboard, Liang Kefeng said, “No, I’ll stay here and look around the town to see if anyone’s hiring.”

Auntie Hao advised, “As a young woman, it’s best to stay close by. Don’t go wandering down unfamiliar alleys.”

“Don’t worry; I know some basic self-defense,” Liang Kefeng replied, not planning to hide her martial arts background. Some things were hard to keep hidden, and she didn’t intend to try.

Auntie Hao didn’t think her “fancy moves” could be that effective. “It’s different here. There are many addicts around, and if they smoke too much opium, they’ll lose control. No matter how strong you are, it’s hard for a girl to fend off a man.”

As Liang Kefeng rinsed a few bowls, she asked, “Isn’t drug use banned in the town?”

“That’s the rule, but no one’s enforcing it. You wouldn’t believe how people sneak around, especially Fei Qiang in the northern district. I heard he even built a hidden den underground where outsiders can come to smoke. How much can they really make from our sanitation fees? Selling drugs is much more profitable. Even if the big bosses don’t deal, their underlings are doing it on the sly. Like Ah Dan yesterday…”

Auntie Hao caught herself, realizing she was saying too much. She shifted topics, “Anyway, be careful. Bring me that large metal tray by the sink.”

Liang Kefeng handed her the tray. “Brother Dan must make a lot of money dealing drugs, right?”

Auntie Hao scoffed. “He sure does. Did you see that gold chain around his neck? It’s thicker than my thumb.”

Feigning concern, Liang Kefeng asked, “I noticed Brother Wei seems close to Brother Dan. He wouldn’t be involved too, would he?”

Auntie Hao laughed, reassuring her, “Zhutou Wei wouldn’t dare. Aunt Liu keeps a close eye on him. Don’t worry. No one in our Northern Corner building uses drugs, and certainly no one sells it. Everyone here lives honestly.”

Sister Man chimed in with a smile, “Our Central District is the most well-behaved.”

With that, she picked up a basket of rice cakes and left.

When the noodles were done, Liang Kefeng served porridge for the early risers.

Auntie Hao reminded her, “No need to dish out porridge for Ah Man and her daughter. She always makes separate porridge with meat or dried scallops for breakfast. Theirs is the best here.”

Liang Kefeng was surprised. “Sister Man is well off?”

Auntie Hao lowered her voice. “Her ex-husband pays a generous alimony.”

The implication was clear: Ah Man had no place to go after her divorce and had moved in with her daughter.

Most of the residents were still asleep, so it was just the two siblings, Aunt Liu, the barber, and Auntie Hao and her husband having breakfast.

The barber grumbled, “Someone took my pack of razor blades. I can’t find it anywhere.”

Uncle Hao said, “Razor blades are cheap. Who would take yours? Maybe you dropped it when you were out cutting hair.”

Cheng Yaojin quickly changed the subject, “Hey, Barber, my hair’s getting a bit long. Could you trim it for me later?”

“Sure thing. I’m not setting up shop this morning. Fewer people get haircuts during New Year’s.”

Liang Kefeng served Aunt Liu a bowl of porridge, saying, “Aunt Liu, here’s your breakfast.”

Aunt Liu smiled and praised, “Ah Feng is such a sweet girl.”

For someone who could be ruthlessly decisive in critical moments, Liang Kefeng was now focused on playing the “sweet, well-mannered girl” role.

Auntie Hao added, “If my Ah Huan were half as well-behaved as Ah Feng! Look, it’s already seven, and she still won’t get up.”

“It’s the winter holiday; let her sleep in,” Uncle Hao, the doting father, said.

“You spoil her too much.”

With her head of silver hair, Aunt Liu sipped her porridge, her eyes twinkling as she looked between Liang Kefeng and Cheng Yaojin. “I have to say, you two don’t look much like siblings.”

Cheng Yaojin hesitated, a bit embarrassed. “I take after my dad, and she takes after her mom…” He caught himself and quickly corrected, “She takes after my mom…”

Liang Kefeng couldn’t help but laugh. “We looked alike when we were kids. We just grew up and started looking different.”

Auntie Hao laughed. “They say girls change a lot when they grow up.”

Aunt Liu added, “I see a major calamity around the age of twenty in Ah Feng’s fortune. It could be an illness or some other misfortune. You should be careful; this calamity is no small matter. If you get through it, you’ll have smooth sailing ahead and even great fortune. And Ah-Jin, with such a sister, you’ll prosper as well.”

Liang Kefeng looked at Aunt Liu with new respect. This was the original’s fortune, and hadn’t she indeed faced her final calamity and passed away at twenty?

Intrigued, Auntie Hao asked, “Really? I always thought Ah Feng’s face gave off a comforting feeling. Aunt Liu, is there a way to avoid this calamity?”

Cheng Yaojin, eager to protect his boss, asked as well, “Can it be averted?”

Aunt Liu pursed her lips and said, “I’ll go to the Tianhou Temple and burn incense for three days to get you a charm. Feng, wear it when you go out; it’ll help ward off bad luck.”

Liang Kefeng had no reason to refuse Aunt Liu’s kindness, so she quickly thanked her, “Thank you, Aunt Liu.”

“No need to thank me.”

—

For the next two days, Liang Kefeng went out whenever she had a chance. She would help the elderly in the alley carry things upstairs, check out job postings, make notes, and compile information. She even made a habit of checking out bustling places just to see what was going on.

She hadn’t found any information on the Wu siblings or figured out where they might be hiding, but she had gotten a thorough understanding of the Sifang City. The entire walled city was divided into five zones: East, South, West, North, and Center. The East belonged to Upper White Dragon, the West to Lower White Dragon, the North to Upper Green Dragon, the South to Lower Green Dragon, and the Center was under the control of Boss Ku.

Each of the four subzone leaders and Boss Ku had one vote each. If any three voted together, they could select a new leader. But for years now, the five of them had failed to reach a consensus, so no new leader was chosen. Without a new leader, each district governed itself and ran its own illicit activities, and as long as there was no open conflict, no one could do anything about it.

Among these five, the one Liang Kefeng was closest to was Boss Ku. She was staying in the Central District, which was Boss Ku’s turf, and the two factories under Sacred Heart Building were his enterprises. Even her neighbor on the second floor, Brother Xiao, was one of Boss Ku’s trusted aides. But Brother Xiao had been very busy lately; she had only seen him once, and people with his kind of status were usually very wary, so she didn’t plan on approaching him directly.

She’d need to find another way to get Brother Xiao’s attention.

As for the candy factory job, there had been some progress—Ah Wei said she could interview in a couple of days. Liang Kefeng weighed her options and decided to try a strategic approach.

One day, she secretly went to Liang’s Mahjong Hall to learn how to use a typewriter. Uncle Kun had brought over the typewriter from the finance office of the main store for her to practice on. The old-fashioned typewriter was surprisingly easy to use, with a mechanical keyboard that felt great under her fingers. Within half an hour, she had the basics down.

Uncle Kun brought her a plate of cake. “Young Miss, as instructed by Cheng Yaojin, I bought two sacks of big yams. We hollowed out three large ones and stuffed them with guns and knives, then sealed them back up.”

While eating the cake, Liang Kefeng said, “Tomorrow, find two laborers who aren’t associated with us to bring them in through the North Gate.”

She had observed that the guard named Fei Qiang secretly ran a stall near the North Gate and attracted various customers, making that entrance less secure than the others.

“The address?”

She wrote down the address and handed it to Uncle Kun. “Have them deliver it around the time people are leaving work. That time is always crowded and chaotic in the Northern District.”

“Got it. I’ll arrange it. Do you want to carry extra money for protection?”

Liang Kefeng shook her head, “No need. I haven’t even spent the thousand I have on me. Carrying too much would be risky.”

Leaving through the back door of the mahjong hall, she once again avoided the East Gate and re-entered the walled city through the South Gate.

Back at North Corner Building, she was going up to the second floor when she ran into Ah Dan again at the stairwell. She didn’t greet him, just stepped aside to let him go down first. Ah Dan, cigarette in hand and humming a tune, looked quite pleased with himself. He glanced at her before hurrying downstairs.

Holding her breath in mild disgust, she disliked the greasy smell clinging to him.

“Hey!” Ah Dan suddenly called out to her.

Liang Kefeng paused and looked back.

“Yes, that’s the angle!” Ah Dan shook his greasy hair, as if in thought. “I’m sure I’ve seen you before… but where?”

Lost in thought, he furrowed his brow.

“You’ve got the wrong person,” she replied, uninterested, and turned to go upstairs.

Back in her room, she took out the razor blade stolen by Cheng Yaojin from under her bed and tucked it carefully into her rolled-up sleeve.

Knock, knock, knock!

A few seconds later, there was a knock at her door.

Standing beside the doorframe, she rested her hand lightly on the doorknob.

“Feng! Are you back?”

It was Cheng Yaojin’s voice.

Relieved, she quickly opened the door. Cheng Yaojin stood outside, and the door of Brother Xiao’s room across the hall was also open, with no sign of Ah Dan; evidently, he hadn’t followed her up.

Cheng Yaojin, having gone to the interview with Zhutou Wei, had found a job as a runner for Upper Green Dragon in the Northern District.

He stepped inside and closed the door. “As a runner, I’ll be delivering things between districts, which will give me more chances to track down the Wu siblings.”

Liang Kefeng expressed her concern, “Will you run into anyone you know?”

“I shaved my beard. People who aren’t close won’t recognize me, and few in Wan’an know me. Besides, the three major gangs generally don’t show up here openly.”

Liang Kefeng said, “Finding the Wu siblings is one goal, but if you get the chance, try to get close to the people in the district. For now, we can only stay here, so we might as well see if there are any opportunities worth exploring.”

Cheng Yaojin didn’t quite understand her plan. As the owner of the Liang Mahjong Hall with Liu locations, she had no shortage of money. Why would she come here to risk mixing with these people?

But she was the boss, and he was just an employee following orders.

Besides, he could tell his boss was someone exceptional.

What worried Liang Kefeng the most now was Ah Dan, who seemed like a ticking time bomb. She’d have to find a way to defuse it.

That night, she “accidentally” ran into Ah Dan in the Eastern District. It wasn’t exactly an accident, as she had actively sought him out, finding out his address and wandering around the area until she bumped into him.

When she turned into the small alley near his place, she saw him standing by a staircase, smoking, as though he were waiting for someone.

Ah Dan had sharp eyes and immediately recognized her. “Hey, pretty girl, out this late?”

She smiled politely, “Brother Dan. I… I just went out to buy some malt candy. Do you want some?”

She held out the malt candy to him. Ah Dan, after putting out his cigarette with a stomp, took a piece without hesitation and started chewing.

He stared at her face, grinning, “I was just going to look for you.”

Feigning ignorance, she replied, “Looking for me? For what?”

“I finally remembered who you are.”

Liang Kefeng focused on him as he grinned smugly, “You’re Liang Yaozu’s daughter, aren’t you?”

“What?”

“Still playing dumb? I called my cousin, who said you’ve got a mole by your left ear. You see this mole? Maybe spend some money to get it removed?”

She continued feigning ignorance, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Munching on the sticky malt candy that was tough to chew, Ah Dan replied, “Hey, what are you here for? Who are you trying to get close to? You’re not an undercover cop for the Organized Crime Unit, are you?”

He had a vivid imagination, but Liang Kefeng just smiled silently.

“I heard the OC Unit is planning to put a ten-thousand-dollar bounty on getting a mole in here to lure out the drug manufacturers and dealers in the walled city and catch them all in one go.”

That plan didn’t sound half bad.

Liang Kefeng nodded, “Thanks for telling me about the police’s plans.”

“So, you admit it?”

“Admit what?”

Ah Dan smirked, “If I hand you over to Fei Qiang, what do you think he’ll do to you?”

Fei Qiang was a gang leader in North District’s Upper Green Dragon, running a drug den. It was said that he was the most ruthless among the bosses.

Liang Kefeng looked sideways at Ah Dan, waiting for him to continue.

Ah Dan enunciated each word slowly, “He’ll chop off your hands and feet, bit by bit, torturing you to death. Scared yet?”

“What do you want?” Her voice trembled slightly, as if she were afraid.

“What do I want?” Ah Dan looked her up and down, relieved to see her fear.

“Be with me. Be my woman, and Uncle will take care of you. Together, we’ll take down Fei Qiang. Two birds with one stone. You get the police’s reward of a hundred grand, and I take over Fei Qiang’s den. A perfect alliance.”

Liang Kefeng smirked. “You have quite the imagination.”

“Not interested? Maybe you think I offered you too much just now, and it doesn’t appeal to you?” Ah Dan sneered, glancing at the staircase where footsteps and voices were drawing near. From the sound of it, at least four or five people were coming down from the fourth floor.

Liang Kefeng silently counted the seconds; there wasn’t much time left.

“Well, how about this? Once my boys get here, young and strong, they’ll show you a good time, give you a taste of what it’s like to be loved by a man…” His words trailed off as he suddenly froze, eyes widening.

In that moment, Liang Kefeng had swiftly and precisely made a quick, subtle swipe across his neck.

He didn’t even see the weapon!

Within seconds, pain set in, and blood sprayed from his carotid artery.

His throat had also been cut—he couldn’t make a sound!

Ah Dan hadn’t expected this delicate-looking woman, with just one smooth swipe… She moved so fast he was caught completely off guard.

He clutched his neck tightly, but the gushing blood was impossible to stop.

Only pain.

Dizzy, he staggered and collapsed.

As he fell, Liang Kefeng grabbed the gold chain from his neck, then leaned down and whispered, “The old lady told you your brow looked dark, and warned you to be careful. Why didn’t you listen?”