Futile Devices Scans

The sedan sped out of the parking garage and onto the main road. All three men in the car were absorbed in heavy thoughts of their own, and for a long while no one spoke.

Several minutes later, Xie Jia Hua pulled over and turned toward Lu Guang Ming. “I’m going to the station, not home. Get out and find a taxi.”

Lu Guang Ming nodded and got out without arguing. But he had not gone far before Xie Jia Hua caught up from behind and grabbed him. Lu Guang Ming turned and looked genuinely surprised.

“Something else, Inspector Xie?”

Xie Jia Hua hesitated for a moment before speaking. “I recently uncovered some things from twenty years ago, and I finally understand why you’ve been following me around all this time. Your father died in a bank robbery twenty years ago. My father was his partner at the time. You suspect my father of corruption and bribery. Is that because you think my father had something to do with your father’s death? I don’t get along with him, but I grew up watching him work cases tirelessly and take his duties seriously. I have never seen him bend the law for personal reasons. I believe in his character. What happened twenty years ago may not be what you think.”

Lu Guang Ming’s expression changed and anger appeared between his brows. “My father has been dead for twenty years! Brother Jacky has been dead for ten! Just because you choose to believe your father, are they supposed to have died for nothing?!”

Xie Jia Hua’s face changed as well. “What do you mean? Are you saying Jacky’s death had something to do with him?”

Lu Guang Ming sneered. “You never suspected it?”

Xie Jia Hua felt as though he had been struck by lightning. Fragments of old memories flashed through his mind, leaving him cold from head to toe.

“Impossible. Impossible…” He shook his head and murmured, then stared at Lu Guang Ming in disbelief. “You called him Brother Jacky? You really knew Jacky?”

Lu Guang Ming jerked his arm free and stormed away, only to have Xie Jia Hua grab him again.

“I’ll investigate this. I swear I will!” Xie Jia Hua said urgently. “But don’t act on your own! He’s the Deputy Commissioner of Police. You can’t move against someone like him!”

Lu Guang Ming struggled again, but Xie Jia Hua held him tightly. “I’m saying this for your own good! Do you understand?”

Lu Guang Ming finally tore himself free. “I don’t need your concern, Inspector Xie!”

…

Qin Hao sat inside the sedan with mixed emotions as he watched Xie Jia Hua return covering his face. Xie Jia Hua’s father had slapped his left cheek earlier, but now it was his right cheek that was red and swollen.

Xie Jia Hua climbed back into the driver’s seat with a frown. From behind him, Qin Hao asked, “Are you all right?”

“What?”

“The corner of your mouth. It’s bleeding.”

Xie Jia Hua tilted down the rearview mirror, wiped the corner of his mouth while looking into it, then cautiously touched his swollen cheek and winced.

“What happened?” Qin Hao asked.

“Nothing.” Xie Jia Hua sighed. “I hit him once before. He just returned the favor.”

“Have you slept with him?”

Xie Jia Hua froze.

“I thought you didn’t like men,” Qin Hao continued.

Xie Jia Hua pushed the rearview mirror back into place. “It isn’t what you think. He and I aren’t lovers.”

“But you care about him.”

Xie Jia Hua did not answer. Did he care about Lu Guang Ming? Even he did not know.

“If I’d known earlier that you liked men…” Qin Hao said.

Xie Jia Hua remained silent. After a while, he said, “A’Hao, you are the younger brother I cherish most. That will never change.”

“Mm. I know.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right. I understand.”

…

That evening at Xiao Qi Hall headquarters, He Chu San stood beside the floor-to-ceiling windows, his expression cold as he spoke on the phone. The words coming from his mouth were respectful and deferential, entirely at odds with his face. As he looked out at the neon-lit night over Victoria Harbour, he traced several characters idly on the glass with one finger.

“As long as you’re satisfied, Brother Qiao. It’s my honor. All right. We’ll speak again.”

He ended the call. A knock immediately sounded outside.

“Come in.”

Kevin shut the door behind himself, approached, and reported quietly, “Mr. He, Boss Xiao Ma took men and broke into the village house where you’re currently staying. At the same time, he sent another group to your apartment.”

“Was anyone hurt?”

“Nothing serious. Just superficial injuries. As you instructed, everyone pretended to resist for a while and then let them inside.”

“Did he find anything?”

“No. But he left word that if you don’t hand over the Boss, he’ll make you regret it.”

He Chu San smiled to himself. “Brother Xiao Ma, Brother Xiao Ma… loyal to the bone. Liu Yi is lucky to have a brother like him. I’m almost jealous. Never mind. In a few days, I’ll give his Boss back to him.”

Kevin suddenly grew nervous. “Mr. He, are we really going ahead with the ‘operation’ in a few days?”

“Why? Is something not ready?”

“No, no. It’s just… Mr. He, it’s too dangerous. Do you really have to do it?”

He Chu San patted the worried Kevin reassuringly on the shoulder. “Don’t be nervous. Everything will be fine. But before that, there’s something else I should’ve done a long time ago…”

He thought of his father, whom he had been “giving time” for more than half a month since being caught in his relationship, and his own face turned troubled. He sighed and rubbed his temples. “Once I leave, I may not be able to come home for a long time. I should settle things with the family before I go. Get the car ready. I’m going home to see Dad tonight.”

…

Twenty minutes later, He Chu San entered the sedan surrounded by bodyguards. The Acting Hall Master’s impressive convoy headed toward Kowloon City. Our wise, composed, promising young Acting Hall Master sat majestically upright in the back seat, both hands resting neatly on his knees and his face resolute and solemn, looking as grave as Jing Ke setting out for the Yi River.

Elio’s Notes: Jing Ke was an assassin from ancient China who set out to kill the King of Qin. The phrase “the Yi River runs cold” comes from the famous farewell before his mission and evokes someone setting off with grim resolve, knowing they may not return.

The car stopped beneath the tenement building where Father He lived. Kevin got out of the passenger seat and respectfully opened the rear door.

Nothing happened inside for a long time.

Kevin bent down and looked in. “Mr. He?”

“Wait. Give me another minute.”

Kevin straightened and used his eyes to send away the bodyguards who were curiously craning their necks.

The car remained quiet for another while before Hall Master He finally said, “Kevin, how about buying me a bottle of liquor?”

Kevin bent down again and advised quietly, “Mr. He, you have to face it sooner or later.”

“I understand the principle,” Hall Master He said, “but my legs are weak and my stomach hurts.”

“Then perhaps we should go back tonight?”

“No, no. We’re already here.”

More rustling and procrastinating came from inside before one long leg finally emerged, followed by a faintly trembling hand. “Help me.”

Kevin helped He Chu San out of the car and escorted him as far as the stairwell. He Chu San waved for him not to follow any farther. Pale-faced, he held onto the banister and instructed Kevin, “Take everyone farther away. Dad makes a lot of noise when he hits people. Don’t let them hear.”

“Yes, Mr. He. Take care of yourself.” Kevin gave him a concerned look and retreated.

He Chu San clung to the banister and slowly dragged himself upstairs. As he went, even he found the whole thing funny. Why was he so afraid of Dad? It wasn’t as though Dad could beat him to death. He wasn’t even afraid of dying—well, no, he was still somewhat afraid of that—so why was Dad this terrifying?

Perhaps he was afraid because he knew his father was uncompromising to the point that he could not tolerate even the smallest stain on a person’s conduct. Perhaps because Father He was kind and simple, upright and self-disciplined, always holding propriety, righteousness, integrity, and personal decency close to his heart. Perhaps because He Chu San knew exactly how much sweat and effort Father He had spent over all these years raising him cleanly and honestly in a place crawling with vice and filth. Or perhaps simply because he knew he had broken his father’s heart.

He had never hurt Father He before. His rebellious phase had simply arrived extraordinarily late, building up over all those years until a single blow left his father badly wounded. He Chu San was miserable too. He could not bear to hurt him, but neither could he betray his own heart. There was no other path available to him. He loved Xia Liu Yi and he loved Dad. He could not lose either of them. He needed his father’s acceptance and blessing.

After that long journey through his own thoughts, He Chu San finally reached the front door. He drew a deep breath and knocked. Every second of waiting felt unbearably long until at last Xin Xin’s astonished face appeared behind the door.

He stepped inside and found Dad sitting in the living room, smoking and watching television. In that instant, He Chu San unexpectedly relaxed. Now that the moment had finally arrived, he found himself at peace.

Father He had spent more than half a month smoking gloomily and waiting for him, and did not seem remotely surprised by his arrival. He stood with his pipe in hand and looked coldly at his son. Mother Wu, who had been mending a piece of clothing, hurriedly stood as well.

In front of the entire family, He Chu San dropped to his knees before his father. He looked up steadily, his voice trembling slightly with nerves. “Dad, I have something I need to tell you.”

…

Kevin stood by the roadside, gazing from a distance at the third-floor window of the tenement building. Warm yellow light remained on inside. No figures crossed it, nor did its brightness change. From this distance, he could hear nothing coming from within.

The night wind rustled through the roadside trees. A scrap of paper in the center of the street was lifted and dropped by a tiny whirlwind, lifted and dropped again. In a corner of the street, a little stray dog pattered into view, poked its head out to stare curiously at Kevin for a few moments, then pattered away again.

Kevin lit a cigarette and smoked while staring fixedly at the window.

The moon shifted across the starry sky as the night deepened. Kevin lowered his head, stamped his foot, and crushed what must have been the countless cigarette butt beneath his shoe. When he looked up again, he saw He Chu San walking out of the tenement building. He signaled the bodyguards to remain where they were and hurried forward alone.

“Mr. He!”

He Chu San looked exhausted but relieved, with several faint red marks visible on his face. Kevin moved forward to support him, but He Chu San waved him off.

“Mr. He, are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Only got slapped once.”

“How is your father?”

“I said everything I needed to say. Give him some time. Have people protect them discreetly. If things become dangerous in the future, get them out immediately.”

“Yes. Don’t worry, Mr. He. I’ll protect them.” Kevin looked at him firmly.

The night wind swept through the street and lifted the young man’s bangs, exposing a face that looked slightly pale from the cold. He Chu San looked at him, then lowered his eyes to the pile of cigarette butts on the ground. “You waited here the entire time? Why didn’t you wait in the car?”

Kevin lowered his gaze. “It was nothing. I was worried about you… worried you might need me to take care of something.”

He Chu San studied the shy, awkward smile on Kevin’s face and felt a moment of surprise. He was exceptionally perceptive and sensitive, and in an instant he caught the tiny, unusual feeling the younger man was hiding. Hadn’t He Chu San himself once walked down exactly the same road?

“Kevin,” he said gently. “You…”

For the first time, Kevin took a step backward and interrupted him. “Mr. He, please don’t misunderstand. You saved both my mother and me back then. I’ve always been extremely grateful and hoped I might see you again someday. I never imagined I really would. Then you took me away from Master Qiao, taught me to do proper work and walk the right road, to earn money honestly to support my family instead of being a gangster. You even told me your entire plan and trusted me completely. I—I don’t know how I could ever repay you, even if I gave you my life. I don’t have any other intentions. I only want to do everything I can to help you. I’m your personal assistant. Waiting outside for you is something I should be doing anyway.”

The words came out in such a rapid rush that He Chu San had no reply. Looking at Kevin’s utterly earnest face, it almost seemed as though He Chu San truly had imagined too much.

He did not pursue it. Feelings that absolutely should not exist were better cut off completely and left unexplored. “I’m sorry. I misunderstood.”

“No. It wasn’t your fault, Mr. He. It’s cold tonight. Please get in the car.”

“All right.”

…

Several days later.

Xiao Ma rested his head against the car window with a cigarette hanging from his mouth, staring blankly ahead while compulsively cracking his knuckles one after another.

Several months earlier, he and Jade Guanyin had fallen from a cliff. By sheer luck, they had caught on an ancient tree. Xiao Ma carried the badly injured Jade Guanyin out of the forest, only for Ksitigarbha King—who had also miraculously survived—to catch up and attempt to ambush them. Xiao Ma ultimately killed him, but at the cost of taking a slash from shoulder to waist. Both he and Jade Guanyin were too badly injured to continue, so they received treatment at the home of one of Jade Guanyin’s friends and survived the crisis. Afterward, they moved into the countryside to hide and recover, spending their days arguing, fighting, and living idly until news of the disaster at Xiao Qi Hall finally reached them.

The moment Xiao Ma learned that Cui Dong Dong was dead and Xia Liu Yi missing, he hurried back to Hong Kong. In the ten days since his return, he had been investigating He Chu San constantly. He had no evidence, but he knew the recent chain of events had something to do with the brat. From the very first day he met He Chu San, Xiao Ma had seen that the kid was inwardly devious. Worse yet were the looks He Chu San secretly gave the Boss, which had always made Xiao Ma’s heart tremble—they looked downright greedy, as though He Chu San wanted to possess the Boss completely! The brat looked harmless but had a black heart. How could a mere investment consultant ever satisfy an appetite like that? So this was what he really wanted: Xiao Qi Hall’s Dragon Head position, and to hide the Boss away like some pampered beauty for himself!

The thought made Xiao Ma grind his teeth. The little bastard had not only usurped power, he had humiliated the Boss like this and even gotten Boss Dong Dong killed! Absolutely unforgivable!

Xiao Ma ground his teeth fiercely and crushed the cigarette, whose ash had already grown several inches long, against the car window. Ash scattered over his trousers, but he paid no attention.

“How long has he been inside?” he asked with a frown.

“Five hours,” Tiger Head replied from the driver’s seat.

“Damn it!” Xiao Ma cursed. “He went in at six in the morning and stayed five hours, came out once in the afternoon, came back at night, and now he’s been inside another five hours. It’s already one in the damn morning! Is this bastard printing counterfeit money in there?!”

“That bastard does nothing but work,” Tiger Head said. At Xiao Ma’s instruction, he had been following He Chu San for an entire week. “He goes to the gym every other day or so. Other than that, he met Master Qiao twice.”

“That old bastard,” Xiao Ma cursed Master Qiao. “Nothing good ever happens once he gets involved. I should’ve persuaded the Boss to finish him off years ago! Who’s going to buy something to eat? I’m starving! You guys hungry?”

The two bodyguards in the back seat hurriedly nodded. “Hungry, hungry!”

“Then why the hell are you still sitting there?!”

The two bodyguards scrambled out of the car and soon returned carrying several cups of instant noodles. The carload of grown men began noisily slurping away. Halfway through eating, one bodyguard suddenly cried, “Mmph! Mmph!” around a mouthful of noodles, cheeks bulging as he stared out the window.

Xiao Ma looked up and immediately slapped Tiger Head, who was wolfing down his food. “Stop eating! He’s coming out!”

As he spoke, He Chu San’s convoy emerged from the underground parking garage. Now that he was Acting Hall Master, he lacked none of the appropriate security. Three escort vehicles surrounded his car, while his personal bodyguards were all enormous foreigners hired from an international security company—each built like a bear, broad-shouldered and thick-bodied. Even Xiao Ma and Tiger Head’s muscular frames looked almost petite beside them. Tiger Head had originally wanted to kidnap He Chu San outright and beat the Boss’s location out of him, but after following him for days, he had been completely unable to find an opening.

Xiao Ma’s vehicle was disguised as an ordinary taxi and followed the convoy at a leisurely distance. The convoy made no stops or detours and drove directly back to Xia Liu Yi’s village house in Kowloon City.

“He comes back here every day?” Xiao Ma asked as he looked around.

“Yeah. He hasn’t gone back to the apartment in Tsim Sha Tsui once,” Tiger Head said.

“Strange…” Xiao Ma rubbed the stubble on his chin and frowned in thought. A week earlier, he had taken men into this village house and turned it upside down without finding anything. Xia Liu Yi was not hidden in He Chu San’s rented apartment in Tsim Sha Tsui either. Where the hell had the brat hidden the Boss? And why would he abandon his own apartment and insist on living alone in the Boss’s village house?

“He never leaves this place at night?” Xiao Ma asked suspiciously.

“No,” Tiger Head said. “I have people watching the front door with binoculars every night. Once he enters, he stays inside until the next day.”

“What about the back door?”

“This courtyard has a back door?” Tiger Head asked in surprise. “I checked the first day. It doesn’t!”

“The house has a back door!” Xiao Ma smacked him across the head. “Why would the courtyard need one?! The bastard has arms and legs. Can’t he climb over the damn wall himself?!”

Tiger Head covered his head in realization. “Oh. Right!”

Xiao Ma jabbed him hard in the forehead, frustrated beyond words, and suddenly understood the grief and despair the Boss must once have felt while beating Xiao Ma’s backside with a stick. “Use your brain! Put more people behind the courtyard!”

…

Inside the village house, burly foreign bodyguards surrounded the building in layers. Even two guards stood rigidly in the corner of the living room. He Chu San, dressed in a suit, stood in the kitchen. It was already two in the morning, yet he wore an apron and had his hands covered in flour as he unhurriedly kneaded dough.

Kevin entered carrying a brick phone. “Mr. He, everything has been arranged.”

He Chu San was tilting his head in concentration while pinching a bun closed. He answered with a distracted “Mm.” “What about Boss Xiao Ma?”

Kevin hesitated. He Chu San raised his eyes toward him, leaving Kevin no choice but to confess. “Boss Xiao Ma sent people to watch the back of the courtyard tonight.”

He Chu San lowered his head and continued pinching the bun. “It’s about time. Then we’ll do it tomorrow.”

“Mr. He.” Kevin stepped closer, still unwilling to stop trying to persuade him. “Do you really have to do this? Master Qiao already believes you. When I saw him yesterday, he told me you’d made him a great deal of money. He thinks you’re ‘very useful.’”

He Chu San tore off a second piece of dough, rolled it flat, and carefully filled it with minced pork while patiently explaining, “Thinking I’m useful and trusting me completely are two different things. The U.S. dollars I asked him to pass on may not even have reached the Old Shopkeeper yet. It isn’t because he dares pocket the Old Shopkeeper’s money. He simply doesn’t dare recommend me lightly. He’s afraid I have some other intention and that introducing me carries too much risk. Only when he has leverage over me and my life in his hands, only when he becomes my sole source of protection, will he finally feel secure.”

“But… what if he refuses to act tomorrow? Who can guarantee your safety?”

He Chu San shook his head. “He will act. I can make money and launder money for him. He won’t bear to lose his Little Fortune-Bringer.”

Kevin opened his mouth helplessly and prepared to argue again. He Chu San looked up and smiled at him, his tone leaving no room for disagreement. “Relax. I can handle it. Look at this instead. Not bad, is it? First time I’ve ever made one.”

Kevin looked at the plump, round bun. His worry did not ease, but he could only nod appreciatively. He Chu San held up the bun and inspected it himself for a while, looking quite pleased. “All right. Go get some sleep. You’ll have plenty to do tomorrow.”

“Aren’t you going to rest, Mr. He?”

He Chu San lowered his head and began shaping a third bun, a smile tugging at his lips. “I’m making my husband a meal. I’ve kept him locked up for more than ten days. I should coax him a little, shouldn’t I?”

…

The stars shifted and the moon sank. The first light of dawn appeared at the window. Freshly showered and changed, He Chu San stood before the bathroom mirror and combed his bangs back with hair gel. The mirror reflected a mature, handsome face, morning light shining in calm, steady eyes.

He returned to the kitchen and ladled the pot of mushroom and tender chicken congee into a large bowl. With great care, he sprinkled chopped scallions, cilantro, and pork rind over the top, drizzled on a little sesame oil, and placed the bowl inside a food carrier. Then he opened the steamer and removed several large pork buns that had finished steaming at the same time.

He carried the food box into the living room. Kevin rose from the sofa and followed. He Chu San looked back and exchanged a glance with him. Kevin’s eyes were full of worry. He Chu San patted his shoulder.

“Don’t worry. Do what you’re supposed to do and give it your best. That’s enough.”

“I will. Please take care of yourself, Mr. He.”

He Chu San nodded and quickly left through the back door. He placed the food carrier on top of the courtyard wall, climbed over as usual, and flicked a glance toward the location where Xiao Ma’s men were watching.

He deliberately took a path where their lookouts would be able to spot him and walked toward the village house next door.

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