Chapter 20: Entering the Game

They flushed the “heroin” down the saltwater toilet in the washroom behind the Zhonghua Hall.

   The people outside, unable to see inside, gathered around, whispering to each other. They all murmured quietly that Fei Qiang had suffered a major loss this time.  

   Gradually, the crowd dispersed. Exiting the restroom, and bypassing the martial arts hall, they saw that Li Baozai’s corpse had already been taken away by people from the North District. An elderly man was cleaning up, scrubbing away the bloodstains on the floor.  

   Liang Kefeng and Cheng Yaojin followed Brother Xiao, moving in the opposite direction of the dispersing crowd, heading inward.  

   Brother Xiao turned back and quietly instructed them, “Later, go along with what Master Ku says, understood?”  

   They both nodded.  

Entering a small office, they saw Master Ku standing by the window, smoking a pipe, with a middle-aged man beside him talking to him.  

The window was tightly shut, with the curtains half drawn, filling the office with a smoky aroma.  

The middle-aged man had a scar on his forehead and an unfriendly look in his eyes.

Seeing them enter, the man greeted Brother Xiao before excusing himself and leaving.  

“Sit down,” Master Ku said, gesturing to a brown leather sofa nearby.  

Once all three of them were seated, Master Ku sat opposite them and smiled, asking, “How come I never knew you had such an exceptional cousin and cousin-in-law, Brother Xiao?”  

Brother Xiao responded calmly, “They just came over from the mainland, haven’t even got their IDs yet. Ah Jin is working odd jobs at Qinglong in the North District, and today Ah Feng joined the Twin Dragon Guild as a finance assistant.”  

Master Ku must have already known this information before they came in. He looked over at Liang Kefeng. “I heard you seized a gun barehanded tonight, held Fei Qiang

hostage, and forced him to comply. That kind of courage and boldness is not something just anyone can achieve!”  

Liang Kefeng knew Master Ku wasn’t truly praising her. There might be some admiration, but surely there was also a sense of caution. She deflected, “Most of the people from the other guilds wanted Fei Qiang to comply; otherwise, I might have already been killed in the scramble.”  

“Indeed. There’s animosity between the guilds for various reasons, and you seized the opportunity.”  

 “I had no choice; they wrongly accused my brother and me of murder.”  

Brother Xiao explained on their behalf, “It’s possible that Fei Qiang was protecting Li Baozai over a kilo of heroin and didn’t want anyone searching his room. This time it was by chance; as soon as the rumors of Li Baozai’s murder surfaced, Uncle Zhongzhi requested the investigation team to search his room. Fei Qiang refused, and both sides were locked in a standoff at the doorway, preventing Fei Qiang’s men from moving the heroin.”  

Master Ku pondered for a moment, “Fei Qiang has lost a lot this time, and you two humiliated him publicly. He probably won’t let it slide, but don’t worry too much—I’ll find a way to keep him at bay.”

Liang Kefeng understood that Master Ku was doing her a favor.  

Brother Xiao quickly reminded the siblings, “Hurry and thank Master Ku. In Sifang City with Master Ku’s protection, there’s nothing better.”  

Cheng Yaojin quickly said, “We, the siblings, are very grateful for Master Ku’s care.”  

“What did you two do on the mainland?” Master Ku asked Cheng Yaojin.  

Liang Kefeng and Cheng Yaojin had discussed their background in detail beforehand, so Cheng Yaojin responded calmly, “My sister and I grew up in a martial arts school. My father was the instructor, and later I took over. Though my sister studied accounting, she would also come by to help me out.”  

   “No wonder, that fits. Ah Jin, doing odd jobs at Qinglong is a waste of your talents. Would you consider working with me?” Master Ku offered.  

   Cheng Yaojin glanced at Liang Kefeng, then smiled with mild surprise. “I’d be delighted. After all, I’m only doing odd jobs at Qinglong, and I’m registered as a resident in the Central District, which technically puts me under your jurisdiction. I could come over at any time.”  

   Master Ku nodded approvingly, “But I can’t openly poach Fei Qiang’s people. So, it’s best if you stay at Qinglong, find a way to get registered with them, understand? If not, don’t worry—your cousin can guide you.”  

   Master Ku’s words were ambiguous, implying that Cheng Yaojin should stay at Qinglong and bide his time, eventually becoming an inside man.  

   Cheng Yaojin nodded enthusiastically, indicating he understood.  

   Master Ku tapped his pipe on the table and turned to Liang Kefeng, “Ah Feng, what do you think of Fei Qiang?”  

   Liang Kefeng feigned ignorance and shook her head. “I don’t really know him.”  

   “He runs an opium den underground, and many people have issues with him,” Master Ku explained. “An opium den is a place where people go to smoke opium.”  

   He was testing her attitude toward drug dealers.  

   “Whether he runs an opium den or not has nothing to do with me,” Liang Kefeng replied, gauging Master Ku’s thoughts. Only by answering this way could she satisfy him.  

   Sure enough, Master Ku displayed his most contented smile of the night. “That’s the right attitude. Mind your own business. Understand?”  

   The implication was that even if Liang Kefeng had accidentally witnessed his men swapping out the drugs earlier, she should act as though she hadn’t seen or known about it.  

   Liang Kefeng caught on, replying, “I’m nearsighted, especially in dim lighting.”  

   Appreciating her tact, Master Ku smiled. “Accounting is no easy job, and you know martial arts too—a promising talent! Work hard in the guild. One day, maybe you and your cousin can become my right-hand team.”  

   “Thank you, Master Ku. I’ll do my best,” Liang Kefeng replied, sounding every bit the model employee.  

   Master Ku walked to his desk, picked up a dark red tin of chocolates, and handed it to Liang Kefeng. “European chocolates. Girls love them, and you can’t buy them in Harbor City. I brought back only two boxes from Germany; this one’s for you.”  

   With only two boxes and one given to her, his high regard was evident. Master Ku knew well how to win people over.  

   Liang Kefeng smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Master Ku.”  

   “You two may go. Brother Xiao, stay behind.”  

   As Cheng Yaojin and Liang Kefeng left, Master Ku dropped his smile. Setting his pipe aside, he quietly instructed, “Those two aren’t simple; they’re deep. You can’t tell what’s true or false with them.”  

   Brother Xiao replied softly, “From what I’ve observed in my time with them, they’re honest and unassuming, not ones to stir up trouble. Especially Ah Feng—even if she witnessed the drug swap earlier, she wouldn’t spread it around. This girl knows how to keep her mouth shut.”  

   Master Ku cast a thoughtful glance at Brother Xiao. “The more one can keep secrets, the more complex they are. But for now, it’s enough to keep them stable. If not… we may have to take care of them. Dead people are the best at keeping secrets.”  

   “I’ll keep a close watch and make sure they don’t slip up,” Brother Xiao assured him.  

   “You can’t afford to go soft at the crucial moment.”  

   “Rest assured, Master Ku, I know my limits.”  

   “Outwardly, continue to say they’re your cousins. I’ll pretend not to know. The Twin Dragon Guild has been stale for too long; Sifang City is like a stagnant pool. Maybe they’ll be the catalyst we need to shake things up—perhaps even help us finally… eliminate Fei Qiang.”  

   Watching the tightly shut window, Master Ku’s greatest wish in recent days was Fei Qiang’s elimination.  

   Outside, Liang Kefeng peeked through the gap in the curtain, reading their lips and getting a sense of their conversation. When they shifted topics, she quickly pulled back and slipped away.

They walked a few steps outside and met up with Cheng Yaojin, who was on lookout. Together, they headed toward the Sacred Heart building.

On the way, Liang Kefeng briefly shared with Cheng Yaojin the conversation she had overheard through the window.

Cheng Yaojin analyzed, “So, does this mean that Brother Xiao was actually looking out for us?”

Liang Kefeng shrugged slightly, “Not sure, but we definitely can’t let our guard down. By the way, did you bring a gun with you today? Where did you hide it?”

In the afternoon, Cheng Yaojin resisted Liu Changan’s attempt to arrest him because he was carrying a gun and needed to escape to stash it somewhere.

“I hid it under the altar at the Tianhou Temple,” he replied. “I’ll find an opportunity to retrieve it later. Where’s your gun and knife? I looked all over your room when I escaped this afternoon, but couldn’t find them.”

“They’re outside the window,” she replied.

Cheng Yaojin had an epiphany, realizing they must be hidden under the bougainvillea vines outside the window.

—

“They’re back! They’re back!” Zhutuo Wei spotted them from a distance and shouted into the house.

Uncle Hao, Aunt Hao, and Sister Man rushed to the door to check, while Ah Huan ran out to greet them, eyes full of admiration. “Sister Feng, I heard you did something big today! That was so cool!”

Liang Kefeng laughed, “I didn’t have a choice.”

“What’s that in your hand?”

“Uncle Ku sent this European chocolate. I don’t like it much—do you want it?”

Ah Huan happily accepted it and quickly hid it in her clothes to keep her mom from confiscating it.

“This is so strange,” Ah Huan whispered to Liang Kefeng. “How did the gold chain end up in Li Baozai’s room? That’s so weird!”

Liang Kefeng replied cryptically, “Maybe we guessed wrong before. Perhaps it wasn’t Zhutuo Wei who hid it—it was Li Baozai.”

“Why would Li Baozai hide a gold chain in Aunt Liu’s vegetable patch? Unless…” Ah Huan leaned close to Liang Kefeng’s ear, “Unless Zhutuo Wei and Li Baozai are partners. And only Zhutuo Wei could have stolen the barber’s razor, right?”

The logic looped back perfectly!

Liang Kefeng shushed her, “Don’t make random guesses.”

“Got it. I’m only telling you. I won’t say a word to anyone else.”

As they reached the door, Zhutuo Wei patted Cheng Yaojin on the shoulder, “So, did they hit you?”

“No, they didn’t get the chance.”

“Who would have thought the one who killed Brother Dan was Li Baozai! The other day, he came to search the place, acting all arrogant. Turns out he was just guilty.” Zhutuo Wei saw Liang Kefeng come in and greeted her with a grin. “Ah Feng, you’re a hero now! Taking a gun with your bare hands, pointing it right at Fei Qiang’s forehead and saying, ‘Let my brother go, or I’ll blow your head off!’ Is that true? I heard Fei Qiang nearly wet himself!”

Rumors sure did have a way of exaggerating things.

Before Liang Kefeng could explain, Aunt Hao interjected with a laugh, “Serves them right for bullying people! I’ve always said, when women get serious, we’re no worse than men!”

Uncle Hao teased his wife, “What does this have to do with you women? It’s Ah Feng who’s impressive!”

“How could it not? Ah Huan even wants Ah Feng as her mentor.”

Ah Huan nodded enthusiastically, “Yes, starting next weekend, Sister Feng is going to teach me self-defense.”

Sister Man chimed in, “I heard Ah Feng knew some martial arts before, but I thought it was just showy stuff. Turns out she’s really good! If it were me with a bunch of men pointing guns, my legs would’ve gone weak.”

Liang Kefeng, not wanting to boast, admitted modestly, “They were fighting among themselves. I didn’t expect it either. I gave a slight tug, and the gun came loose. Nobody came to restrain me, and Brother Ma Liu even helped to control them.”

Zhutuo Wei slapped his thigh in admiration, “I heard the scene was amazing! Too bad I missed it!”

Aunt Liu, sounding like she had a prophet’s script, said, “I knew Ah Feng’s face showed promise; she can turn misfortune into blessing. This is just the beginning; good luck will follow.”

Aunt Hao laughed, “Ah Feng, thank Aunt Liu for her kind words.”

Everyone was lively, and Sister Man curiously asked, “How come I heard people saying Brother Xiao is your cousin?”

Liang Kefeng thought, considering Brother Xiao’s relationship with Sister Man, she probably knew they weren’t actually related.

Since Sister Man was playing dumb, Liang Kefeng decided not to call her out. But the story that Brother Xiao wasn’t really her cousin wouldn’t hold up with the tenants of North Corner building. She replied honestly, “I wish Brother Xiao really was our cousin.”

Aunt Hao explained on Liang Kefeng’s behalf, “At noon, I went to ask Brother Xiao to help Ah Feng. He wanted to do a good deed by vouching for Ah Feng at the union, but it backfired. Now, everyone thinks Ah Feng is Brother Xiao’s cousin.”

Zhutuo Wei, quick-minded, shushed everyone, lowering his voice, “I heard Fei Qiang isn’t holding Ah Feng responsible for threatening him partly because of Brother Xiao. Everyone, please don’t go spreading rumors. Loose talk could get Ah Feng in trouble.”

Everyone nodded seriously, affirming, “Understood. We won’t say a word.”

Aunt Hao specifically warned, “Barber, you love to chat while cutting hair. Keep your mouth shut.”

“Jeez! Do you think I’d be careless?”

Aunt Hao then said, “Are you all hungry? I saved some rice and vegetables for you, kept warm in the pot. I’ll bring it out.”

Soon after, Brother Xiao came back. As the three of them ate, the others watched TV nearby, chatting with them.

Brother Xiao instructed, “From now on, let’s all stick to the story that Ah Jin and Ah Feng are my cousins. I’m counting on everyone.”

“We know, we know. I just reminded them all,” Zhutuo Wei said, making a zipping motion across his mouth. “Nobody’s lips are tighter than ours. Don’t worry, Brother Xiao.”

Brother Xiao placed a gun on the table and said, “If anyone spills the secret, don’t blame my gun for not recognizing people.”

Everyone fell silent, afraid to speak.

The tenants of North Corner building were all somewhat wary of Brother Xiao. It was rare for him to ask them for a favor so seriously, underscoring how crucial it was. At a time like this, who would dare refuse?

After dinner, Brother Xiao called the siblings to his room.

Brother Xiao’s room was quite spacious and neat, the bed perfectly made and the desk spotless, as refined as he was.

“Tomorrow, I’ll take you to apologize to Fei Qiang and return the gun to give him an easy way out.”

Liang Kefeng wasn’t particularly interested in keeping Fei Qiang’s guns. She glanced at Cheng Yaojin, who understood her intent and said, “Brother Xiao, we’ll follow your lead.”

“Although today’s events took an unexpected turn, the outcome was good. Ah Feng…” Brother Xiao looked at Liang Kefeng, his gaze unusually soft, “Your actions today surprised me. No matter the reason, don’t go charging in alone in the future—it’s dangerous.”

Brother Xiao patted her arm gently, his tone exceptionally gentle, as if she truly were his cousin.

Cheng Yaojin felt conflicted, unsure if Brother Xiao’s concern was genuine or feigned.

Liang Kefeng returned his warm smile with one of her own. “Got it. Thank you, Brother Xiao.”

On the surface, it looked like she was heeding his advice.

Brother Xiao pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s been a long day. You should both get some rest. And leave the guns here.”

The siblings placed the guns on the table.

on the table.

*

Leaving Brother Xiao’s room and passing by Sister Man’s room, Liang Kefeng noticed Xiao Taozi sitting on a small stool by the doorway, eating something.

Liang Kefeng called out to her, “Xiao Taozi.”

“Big Sister Feng!” Xiao Taozi jumped up from her stool, “Here, have some chocolate!”

“Thank you, Xiao Taozi, you keep it for yourself.” Liang Kefeng bent down to take a closer look and realized that Xiao Taozi was holding a box of European-style chocolates, identical to the one that Grandpa Ku had given her.

Xiao Taozi insisted, pressing one into her hand. “Sister, you have to try one.”

Liang Kefeng squatted down and patted Xiao Taozi’s head. “Alright, thank you, Xiao Taozi. Who gave you this chocolate? It smells amazing.”

Xiao Taozi replied, “Mom just went out and brought it back.”

What a coincidence!

According to Grandpa Ku, this particular German chocolate wasn’t available in Hong Kong…

Liang Kefeng glanced into Xiao Taozi’s room and saw that Sister Man wasn’t there. She quietly asked, “Is this delicious chocolate a gift for your mom from someone else?”

Xiao Taozi shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe it is.”

“Xiao Taozi, come down for a bath!” Sister Man’s voice called from downstairs.

Liang Kefeng stood up. “Hurry up, I’ll close your door for you.”

Xiao Taozi went back inside to place the chocolate on the table.

Liang Kefeng put the small stool back into the room, taking a look around. The room that Sister Man and her daughter shared was decorated warmly and comfortably, even with a touch of charm. Soft yellow floral wallpaper adorned the walls, a few poetic decorative paintings hung up, lace-covered tables, a princess-style iron bed, and a white mosquito net…

It didn’t quite fit in with the surroundings and didn’t align with Sister Man’s modest job selling snack cakes.

Her background probably wasn’t as humble as it seemed.

It made little sense for a mother to bring her daughter to live in this chaotic neighborhood unless…

A noise from the stairway broke her train of thought. Liang Kefeng quickly closed the door and returned to her own room.

Switching on the light, she noticed the mess left from someone searching through her things. She suddenly remembered that she hadn’t retrieved her medicine.

But perhaps it was better to leave it; medicine that had been tampered with might not be safe. Her wound was nearly healed anyway, and once her hair grew back, she wouldn’t need to wear this wig anymore.

She tidied up the room and sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought.

Today’s events had unfolded completely unexpectedly. She was quite grateful to Fang Fang for pulling her into this game; she had used every possible advantage to make sure that from now on, the people in the Shuanglong Hall would remember her.

Now that she was in, the real game would begin, and she liked the direction this was going.

Out of habit, she turned off the light before opening the window to let in some fresh air.

A plane passed overhead, and as she looked up, it seemed as if she could almost touch it, the way it spread its wings like a giant bird, hovering above her.

Following its path, she noticed something odd: on about the sixth floor of Taihua Building in the north, a window facing North Corner Building suddenly went dark as her gaze swept past it.

No, it wasn’t normal light; it was a very dim, weak night light.

It was only just past eight in the evening, too early for anyone to be sleeping.

Keeping the light so dim would be inconvenient for regular use—unless it was intentional.

Cautious by nature, she paid close attention to her surroundings. She could confirm that there hadn’t been such a faint night light there before yesterday.

Something was off.

Hiding behind the curtain, she kept watching outside but couldn’t see anything conclusive. She then opened another window shielded by vines, reaching under the bougainvillea to retrieve her wrapped-up gun before pulling the curtain closed.

Standing behind the curtain, she stayed still, watching the opposite side. After about ten minutes, the faint night light came on again, and a shadow moved by the window.

She vaguely saw what looked like a telescope and the outline of a sniper rifle.

Who could it be?

Someone had brought a sniper rifle—this person wanted her dead.

They were probably observing her through a night-vision scope, which explained why they’d turned off the dim light as soon as she’d opened her window.

Liang Kefeng considered several possibilities, but none could prevent her from responding immediately.

She promptly turned on the room light.

It was time to throw up a smoke screen and make the observer think she was still inside.

*

Liang Kefeng went to inform Cheng Yaojin of the situation, and together they quickly devised a plan.

Cheng Yaojin, under the pretense of going downstairs to bathe, gathered some hemp ropes used for drying clothes and a basket rope used by Sister Man to carry snacks.

They waited until after eleven, then Liang Kefeng turned off the light and pretended to be asleep to put the observer at ease.

The front door of North Corner Building was under surveillance from the scope, so they couldn’t leave that way.

Instead, they chose the window in Cheng Yaojin’s room.

There was still the sound of the TV coming from downstairs; Brother Xiao and the barber were watching TV and hadn’t gone to bed yet.

Liang Kefeng could climb down using the drainpipe with some support, but Cheng Yaojin needed the rope.

Cheng Yaojin’s room had two windows, one facing a wall. From there, they could descend undetected.

From Cheng Yaojin’s bedroom, it was only a three-floor climb down to the third floor of Sacred Heart Building.

The third floor of Sacred Heart was a textile factory, empty at this hour. They slipped into the factory corridor through the window and headed down the north staircase.

Once outside, they moved along the walls, with Cheng Yaojin leading and Liang Kefeng following closely behind.

They climbed up Dinghua Building, crossed the sky bridge to the target building—Taihua’s sixth floor.

Liang Kefeng watched as Cheng Yaojin took the stairs, with only dim lighting from distant sources to guide him.

Crossing the sky bridge from the fourth floor, they entered Taihua, only to see a faint flashlight beam rounding the corner below.

Cheng Yaojin paused, and they instinctively hid behind the iron door frame of the bridge.

The light grew brighter, and the footsteps drew closer. Voices drifted up, becoming clearer as they approached.

“That woman must be the one you’re looking for. She looks just like the photo, and she’s from the mainland, with impressive martial skills.”

“It’s too dark to confirm with the telescope. I want to see her myself.”

“Tomorrow, I’ll find a chance for you to see her secretly. I knew she wasn’t ordinary, but I didn’t expect her to be the one who killed your brother!”

“The higher-ups gave strict orders. We’re not allowed to seek revenge! This can’t get out; Anzi, you have to keep this secret.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”

The two men climbed up to the fourth floor and continued toward the fifth.

One of the voices sounded familiar. If she guessed correctly, it belonged to Liu Chang’an, a subordinate of Fei Qiang from the northern district and a former opponent of Cheng Yaojin’s.

The other, logically, was likely Baimao’s older brother.

When Baimao died, he’d said his brothers would avenge him.

According to Cheng Yaojin, Baimao’s eldest brother was known as Chaopi, and his second brother was named Nan Feng.

Chaopi had been shot in the thigh by Liang Kefeng; he wouldn’t recover quickly, and the voice didn’t match his.

So this time, it must be Baimao’s second brother, Nan Feng.

Something slid across the top of her foot, and Liang Kefeng’s hair stood on end as a rat darted past, scurrying toward the stairwell.

“Who’s there?” The two men stopped in their tracks, alerted by the noise.

Liang Kefeng held her dagger tightly, staying silent and still behind the door.

The two men, who had already gone up to the fifth floor, started coming back down the stairs!

Their footsteps grew louder as they approached, the man in front holding a flashlight and stepping closer and closer to the door Liang Kefeng was hiding behind. Just as he reached out to grab the door handle, Liang Kefeng mustered all her strength and shoved the door forward, slamming it directly into his forehead.