Chapter 111 (1/2)

Unrestrained Anger

The next day, Long Bing went to deal with the information she’d been given and Xia Lei went touring around Jing-Du with Xia Xue like he’d wanted. The siblings first went to the Great Wall and then to the Forbidden City in the afternoon.

“Big Brother, that’s the emperor’s throne. Imposing, isn’t it?” Xia Xue pointed to the throne in the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Xia Lei looked at the throne and laughed, “It’s just a wooden chair. Not as comfortable as a sofa.”

“That’s the symbol of the emperor’s power! Over 600 years of Ming and Qing dynasties, countless people have lost their heads and bled rivers, all to sit in this chair!” Xia Xue looked like she was about to give Xia Lei a history lecture.

Strangely, Xia Lei suddenly thought of the compa.s.s he had repaired.

That compa.s.s was an artefact from the time of Yongle, a product of the same time period as the Forbidden City.

‘The Forbidden City was built by Zhu Di, emperor of the Ming dynasty. The compa.s.s was also engraved with Yongle’s words. Based on the technology and production capabilities of that time, it had to take someone with the power of the emperor’s rank to complete such a miraculous piece of work. If that compa.s.s was designed personally by Zhu Di, then what did he use it for?’ Thoughts about the compa.s.s flooded Xia Lei’s mind and he let his imagination roam.

“I’m going to the loo for a bit. Wait for me here, okay, Big Brother?” said Xia Xue.

“Yeah, go.” Xia Lei nodded and watched Xia Xue walk off. He was still thinking about the compa.s.s, his thoughts fuelled by simple curiosity. He’d never seen it again after Long Bing had taken it away when he was done repairing it, and n.o.body talked to him about the compa.s.s either.

It seemed like Zhu Di would be the one who would know the most about the compa.s.s. Xia Lei could not solve the puzzle no matter how much he thought about it and he concluded his thoughts with a self-depreciating smile.

Ring ring ring, ring ring ring…

His phone suddenly rang - it was Chi Jing Qiu.

Xia Lei walked out of the Palace of Heavenly Purity and took the call, “What’s up, Jing-Qiu?”

“Are you done thinking about the job?” Chi Jing-Qiu went straight to the point, “My client is losing patience. What’s wrong? Is the money too little, or what?”

Xia Lei had already guessed what she’d say when he saw her number and he had an answer prepared, “Is your client in a rush? Sorry, I’ve been busy of late. You know how it is - my company’s just starting, the supermarket was just opened… How about you ask him to get someone else?”

“Xia Lei!” Chi Jing-Qiu got angry, “Would I have come to you if someone else could do it?”

Xia Lei laughed, “Then why is he losing patience? Let him wait some more. We’ll talk after I’m done with my stuff.”

“You…” Chi Jing-Qiu went for the soft approach and her voice became cloyingly sweet, “Big Brother Lei, my sweetie Big Brother Lei, pretty please help me? We’re old cla.s.smates, aren’t we? Help me this once?”

“Of course I’ll help - did I say that I wouldn’t? I’d have rejected the offer long ago if I wasn’t going to help,” said Xia Lei.

“Then tell me what I have to do for you to help me.”

“Actually…”

Before Xia Lei could say his excuse, Chi Jing-Qiu cut him short, “You want me to sleep with you? No problem. I’ll come to your home tonight and scrub myself squeaky clean for you to f.u.c.k me. I’ll treat you like a G.o.d. Would you like that?”

Only a woman like Chi Jing-Qiu could say something like this.

Furthermore, what she said was not in jest. She would do it if Xia Lei gave her the nod - wash herself clean, jump through all the hoops for him and treat him like a G.o.d. Xia Lei did not dare to agree to something like that.

“Okay, Big Brother Lei? Just say the word. I’ll do anything. You can play with my body however you want. Yes?” Chi Jing-Qiu spoke in a cutesy voice which could turn bones to jelly.

“Let’s not joke around like this. I’m in Jing-Du now. We’ll talk when I get back.” Xia Lei couldn’t take much more of her teasing.

“You’re in Jing-Du? What are you doing in Jing-Du?” Chi Jing-Qiu’s voice returned to normal immediately.

“Well, I went to China Industrial Group to do something. They have a new purchase order for me,” said Xia Lei.

“I see… Okay, we’ll talk when you get back. I’ll tell you that I made my order before China Industrial Group so you have to finish mine first,” said Chi Jing-Qiu.

Xia Lei laughed, “Yeah, yeah, I’ll finish your job first. Okay, that’s that. I’ll contact you later. Bye.”

Xia Lei hung up before Chi Jing-Qiu could say more.

Chi JIng-Qiu’s voice kept ringing in Xia Lei’s head even after he’d hung up. He quietly thought over the earlier conversation and doubts surfaced, ‘Chi Jing-Qiu’s reaction was quite normal. Does it mean that she’s not afraid that I’d discover what those parts are being used for? Or was this just a normal transaction and I’m being too paranoid? What is Gu Ke-Wen’s role in all of this?’

He had a string of questions but the answers were deeply hidden and difficult to uncover.

“Big Brother.” Xia Xue’s voice brought him out of his thoughts.

Xia Lei lifted his head to look at Xia Xue and froze.

Xia Xue had a red slap-mark on her cheek and tears in her eyes.

“Let’s go back, Big Brother. There’s nothing nice to see in this place.” Xia Xue did not look Xia Lei in the eye and urged him to leave.

Xia Lei thundered, “Why do you have a slap-mark on your face? Who hit you? Tell me. What’s going on?”

“N, no… nothing,” said Xia Xue nervously, “Don’t ask, Big Brother. Let’s leave.”

Xia Lei clamped down on his anger, “Tell me. It’s okay, I just want to know what happened.”

“Just now… Wuuuh…” Xia Xue seemed to recall the humiliation she had suffered and tears rolled down her face, her words swallowed by blubbering.

At that moment, three 18, 19-year-old girls and four young men in their twenties walked over. One of the girls suddenly pointed at Xia Xue and said, “She’s there! That little s.l.u.t!”

Xia Lei looked at where the voice had come from. The three girls were scantily dressed and heavily made up; they were obviously female hooligans. The four young men were also garishly dressed and every one of them had tattoos and piercings. Xia Lei seemed to have guessed something when he saw this group of youths and his face darkened immediately.

Xia Xue pulled at Xia Lei’s hand, frightened. “Big Brother, we, we should go,” she said anxiously.