Chapter Five - (1)

In the blink of an eye, it was already mid-April. Typically this is the time for sun-filled skies, heavy showers, and the sweet smell of lavender when we have spring on our doorstep charming us. However this year was peculiar. The temperature was still hovering at the lower end of the thermostat; the clouds hung low and gray without rain; and a fog, pale as a specter, blanketed the deathly pallor of the nights. As the days dragged eerily with little or no change, it felt like the month of the Hungry Ghost Festival when spirits and other unearthly creatures come out of their realm to visit our world.

Despite the bleak weather, Suet-foong and I had the times of our lives. Besides, she disliked the heat; it always gave her migraine headaches, she complained. We were now staying in another hotel in Hangzhou. This quaint, sleepy town was a total contrast to the hustle and bustle of Shanghai. With its many forests, historical sites, and the picturesque West Lake that looked like a shining pearl - legend had it that the lake was a heavenly jewel fallen to Earth - surrounded by rolling green mountains, this land of intoxicating beauty had inspired poets and painters, Suet-foong included. Just like her, I loved the place a great deal. Although it was my first time at the West Lake, I seemed to have come upon it somewhere in my dreams; a misty expanse of water and clouds where lotus leaves blended harmoniously with the slender, graceful willow branches.

One afternoon, we were sitting in one of the pavilions at the lake. She had just completed drawing another picture - it was her zillionth piece - of the breathtaking landscape. I had brought along a flask of coffee, helping myself to a few cups as I watched her produce a masterful work of art from her vision that revealed nature's mystical beauty. It was around this time that we began teasing one another: she called me a crappy liquidator and I said she could not draw. Yeah, that is the fun and joy of being romantically attached to the right person.

"Do you think it was luck that brought us together, Ake?" said Suet-foong dreamily as she put the rolled art paper inside the tube-like container. "It was either the railway station or the bund on my drawing list that night. If I had chosen the latter, I would not have met you."

"I don't believe in luck, Sugarplum," I replied. It was also then that I used this term of endearment to address her. She reciprocated by continuing to call me "Dumdum", saying it rhymed with "Sugarplum". God, she was cheeky ... but lovable all the same. "It is fate, you know, 'what will be, will be', that kind of thing. There is no escaping from the jaws of destiny. So whether you like it or not, you are stuck with me, a killer for hire. Regret knowing me now?" I smirked.

"I do."

I smirked no more. "You ... you do?" My voice was almost like a whisper.

"Yeah, why didn't you come into my life earlier?"

The smirk returned; I looked like an idiot with my on-off-on smirking. Instinctively I kissed her forehead.

"Hey, I don't like it," she said.

"You don't like what?"

"I don't like you kissing my forehead."

"Oh, I am sorry."

"Kiss my lips, you dumdum."

To be continued ...

Chapter Four - (7 & final part)

The following morning we slept in late and woke to the sound of Ah Tong knocking the door to bring the newspaper and our breakfast - two bowls of chicken porridge, fried dough, and hard-boiled eggs - which we ate at the table in our pajamas. At the same time I browsed through the paper; there were no further updates on Song Jiao-ren. I was a bit disappointed. The no news is good news proverb certainly did not apply to me here. I was also surprised at myself. In all my previous assignments I would just do my job, not giving a hoot about who my victims were, and move on. But this Song Jiao-ren character was different; I was keen to know more about him, feel for him even. Did the Almighty grant me the cruel privilege of being a human at last?

Perhaps Lau Beng could make some sense out of this conspiracy, as Suet-foong called it, and enlighten me when I got back. I may be good with the gun, but I am a bit of a greenhorn when it comes to politics. Anyway I could not care less about all this political wrangling - it was very wearisome to me. What I wanted now was to enjoy my month-long vacation; I had not taken a decent break in ages.

"A penny for your thoughts," said Suet-foong when she saw me looking pensive.

"I was thinking of Lau Beng," I replied. "He's my sifu. You remember the old goat, don't you?"

She smiled sweetly before drinking her cup of tea. "Yes, you told me all about him when we were having our dinner near my studio the other night," she replied, wiping her mouth with her serviette. "He's a former gun trafficker who took you under his wing and trained you to become a hit-man or a liquidator as you like to be known - you say it sounds more sophisticated. He's long-winded, but he has a heart of gold, and he's a surrogate father to you." She paused. "Goodness me, you call your sifu 'old goat' ... directly at him?"

"Err, no ... only when his back is turned."

She chuckled. "I've got a name for my father too."

"Really?" I asked. This was getting to be amusing, I thought. "And you tell him straight to his face?"

"Of course, I'm not chicken-hearted like you."

"Wow! I admire your guts! What do you call him, eh? Old cow? Limp-dick? Useless codger?"

"No. I call him Pa."

Chapter Four - (6)

"Interesting," said Suet-foong when I showed her the article. She had just come out of the bathroom wearing a pair of striped pajamas. She smelled of carnations.

"Yes, indeed it is."

"You know what is even more interesting?"

My curiosity was piqued. "No. What?"

She passed me back the newspaper and pointed at the spot where the name of the reporter was printed. "It was Chen Yi-seng who filed in the story. He was the dead man we saw back in the woods!"

"You're quick-sighted as a cat! I was so engrossed with the false reporting that I didn't notice his name."

"I see a conspiracy of the highest level," she opined, snuggling happily under the covers of her bed. She was her turn to sound like Sherlock Holmes. "I see someone hiring Chen Yi-seng to concoct a fictional tale and killing him afterward so that the truth would not be be revealed."

"Your point is well taken," I said, reading the news once more. "But why is he doing this?"

"I see this mastermind to be a very slick, cunning person. I see this as an attempt to lure you out in the open to be killed as well."

"A commendable perception. I applaud to that. And I've a strong hunch this mastermind is none other than President Yuan. How do you see it?"

There was no reply.

"I said how do you see it?"

No reply again. I tore myself away from the paper and looked at her. She was already snoring like a trooper.

"I see a sleeping beauty," I chortled.

To be continued ...

Chapter Four - (5)

As soon as we stepped inside, Suet-foong was held spellbound by the lobby's glitzy chandeliers and polished marble floors. It was a classy sight for my wealth-challenged girlfriend. I had to drag her to the reception desk where an elderly chubby man with a cheery-looking face greeted us. "Good morning, sir and ma'am. Welcome to Traveler's Palace. My name's Old Lai. I am the manager here. How can I be of service to you two?"

"A twin-bedded room preferably with a bath and stabling for our horses, if you please," I replied, filling out the registration form.

"That would be six dollars per night, sir."

"Fine, we will take it."

Old Lai nodded and rang the hand bell. But no one came. He rang again. Still, there was not a soul in sight. "Ah Tong! Ah Tong!" he finally shouted. "Where are you, you tone-deaf slowpoke?"

"Coming, boss, coming!" responded a thin young lad who came rushing out of seemingly nowhere. Upon seeing Suet-foong and me, he stopped short and gave us a shy smile.

"There are a couple of horses that need to be stabled," said Old Lai in a commanding voice. "Find a place for them. Move it on the double!"

Ah Tong shot off faster than a speeding bullet.

Turning his attention back to us, the manager said, "Sorry about that, sir. Ah Tong can be a bit inattentive at times, but he is a good worker. Now, where were we? Ah, yes, your room; we've got one with a bath in the south wing on the first floor that would suit you both just fine. Please follow me."

He led us to a passage and along the way we bypassed a restaurant-cum-bar. I took a quick peek inside and saw a big gathering of mostly men, many of them drinking, laughing, and singing a merry song. Suet-foong and I stopped for a moment or two listening to the many joyful voices joining in the chorus before catching up with Old Lai.

Finally we reached our room. Old Lai opened the door, switched on the lights, and passed me the room key. It was spacious and clean. There were two big beds, a cupboard, and a round table with a couple of wooden chairs. The bathroom was at the back. "I hope you will find your stay here comfortable," he said. "Would you like a drink or some food perhaps?"

"Yes, we'd like to have our dinner in the room if it is possible," I replied. "I don't fancy the crowd in your restaurant. What's in the menu?"

"That can be arranged, no problem at all. As for the menu, we are having stewed pork, fried chicken, and steamed fish tonight."

"Sounds good; we'd like to place an order for all of them, and a pot of your best wine. Please make it quick. We are famished!"

"Thank you, sir," the manager said with a smile. "Ah Tong will bring the food and wine to you in no time at all. Now if you would excuse me, I must be moving along. It's a tough job running here and there and I'm not getting any younger. Unfortunately, I can't do much about it. There is no one else to man the desk and the kitchen. We are terribly short of staff here at the moment. But don't you worry about a thing; I can assure you that our services are still topnotch. Have a pleasant evening."

Off he went, leaving us rather impressed with him. Despite up to his neck in his work, he was quite chatty and full of hospitality.

After the appetizing meal, I sat by the window sipping my cup of wine and getting ready to go through the complimentary paper; I did not have the chance to read the news before I left the house this morning. Suet-foong was having a shower. The waxing moon was slowly climbing above the hill; a thick smoky mist came drifting before my eyes, blurring the trees and the houses. It was a cold night.

When I saw the front-page headline, my jaws dropped a good three inches. It screamed "SONG JIAO-REN'S KILLER CAUGHT!" in big bold letters. According to the report, the killer was an ex-soldier named Shek-yau who held a grudge against Song. I frowned; there was not an ounce of truth in it. This poor guy was made a scapegoat for the police's failure to nab the real assassin: yours truly. On the other hand I felt quite relieved; it meant I was no more on the radar of Song's people.

To be continued ...

Chapter Four - (4)

"W ... What's wrong?" I spluttered. "You scared the shit out of me!"

"Look over there," she said, pointing to my left. "There is a leg sticking out of the thicket and there is blood on the ground!"

"My God, you are right!" I replied, peering at the spot where she had indicated. Quickly recollecting myself, I drew my gun from my shoulder holster. "Stay where you are. I'll go and investigate."

I ran toward the body and saw a man lying face down. His blood-stained jacket was riddled with bullets. I knelt beside him, turning him over. He was not breathing. Young, short, and narrow-shouldered, his hair was closely cropped, and he got a mole below the right side of his nose. By my reckoning he had been dead for at least a day. I went through his pockets. There was a wallet containing some money and a press card.

"Is he still alive?" she asked in a nervous tone.

"Nope, this guy's deader than a doornail."

"Any idea as to who he was?"

"His name was Chen Yi-seng," I replied, looking at the press card. "I believe he was a reporter."

I got up and snooped around the area. When I was satisfied that the coast was clear, I replaced my gun. Thereafter I ran back to Suet-foong's side. "This is not a classic case of highway robbery," I said, rubbing my chin.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Elementary, my dear Suet-foong, elementary," I answered, sounding like Sherlock Holmes. "There was no sign of a struggle. His money was intact. I suspect he was killed by someone he knew in another place and his body dumped here to be eaten by wild animals."

She made a face. "That's a sickening thing to do!"

"So what else is new? Come on ... let's get back to our horses. All of a sudden the forest does not look that enchanting anymore."

We rode off silently into the evening, galloping downhill and up again, until at last we noticed lights glittering some distance ahead. Down the house-lined stony road and about fifteen miles from the city of Hangzhou, there was a hotel. I was delighted; I did not intend to go further as it has been a tiring day. Suet-foong went along with me when I suggested that we put up a night here; she was bushed too.

It was dark and stars sprinkled the night sky like lucid snowflakes of silver when we drew up outside the hotel named Travelers' Palace, a huge, grand double-story brick Victorian building with a wide arch leading to the courtyard. In the middle of the arch, reached by a flight of stairs, we saw a big open doorway; bright light was streaming out of it.

After unloading our stuff, we left our horses standing in the yard. As we climbed up the steps, I turned to Suet-foong and said, "I shall be using the name of David Li to book two rooms for us at the reception. Please remember not to mention my real name in public as I want to keep a low profile."

"Okay, brother," she nodded. "But make it one room with two beds; saves cost. This place looks expensive."

I was touched by her thoughtfulness. "Very well then, but aren't you worried that I might rape you tonight?" I said, grinning devilishly at her.

"Nah ... my little sister has come."

I was befuddled. "Huh? What? I don't get you."

"I am having my period, Dumdum!"

"Oh, lucky me," I deadpanned.

To be continued ...

Chapter Four - (3)

Sitting on the soft green grass beside the bank, we ate our lunch of dumplings that Suet-foong had packed for the journey. Then, feeling a compelling desire to revive her deadened feet, she took off her boots and paddled them in the cool greenish-hued water. Looking cheerful, she shut her eyes while listening to the therapeutic sound of the rushing stream. As for me, I went to a huge willow-tree nearby and sat down with my back to its trunk. The yellow and green leaves were fluttering against the bright sky, dazzling me. Soon I found myself yawning like a cavern; sleep came instantly after that.

Forty-five minutes later, I woke up. Upon noticing Suet-foong was not at the place where I left her, I sprang to my feet and rushed to the bank; I thought she had tumbled into the stream while dozing off! To my relief, I found her sitting on top of a big rock not far from my right. She was drawing something on her sketch block. I nipped over to her side and saw that she had just completed depicting a picture of the forest and its surroundings that stood before us. It was a beautiful piece but then again in my eyes, all of her artwork always gave great aesthetic pleasure.

"Hello, Rip van Winkle," she said, glancing at me, "so you are finally awaken."

"Sorry to keep you waiting," I replied, scratching my head. "I can't understand it ... this sudden drowsiness of mine. It had never happened before. Perhaps the sun and cool air cast a spell on me to fall fast asleep."

"No problem. I used the time to explore this place. Its charm and beauty have given me the inspiration to come up with this sketch." She came down from the rock and passed me the drawing to have a look. "Do you like it?"

"Yes, the picture is lovely," I said, smiling, "just like you."

"Of course, I am mighty well painted too."

"You know, you are rather vain."

"Hey, don't act surprised. I learned it from you."

Aw ... shucks.

There was a moss-veiled path about thirty paces from us that led to the floor of the teak-brown forest, and Suet-foong suggested we took a closer look at it before we moved on. I agreed; it appeared inviting. As soon as we entered inside, we saw that the time-chiseled trees with their rustling foliage were skyscrapers high. The grass was crispy beneath our feet. Berries lay ripening under the leafy dome of the forest. Rabbits were scuttling away from us up ahead. I felt like we were in a woody heaven.

Suddenly,Suet-foong let out a bloodcurdling scream.

To be continued ...

Chapter Four - (2)

The land, steep and imposing, dwarfed the four of us as we snaked through the wilderness. At times it seemed like one misty dreamscape with its endless vista of canyons, trees, and snow peaks. On top of that, the air smelled like a breath mint.

For many hours we rode our steeds in a canter with me leading the way. It was like we were flying with our four-legged companions lending us the wings we lacked. I felt so free - there is nothing else like it in this world. I looked over my shoulder and saw the wind playing with Suet-foong's silky long hair that glowed in the morning sun as it trailed behind her. At the same time I was ogling at her breasts; due to her horse's rocky movement, they were bouncing like jumping jacks.

"What are you doing?" she asked, pulling up beside me.

"Riding, what else?"

"Don't lie! You are looking at my boobs!"

I blushed. "Okay, okay, so I did. Sorry."

"No need to apologize," she said with a smile. "So, do you find them irresistible?"

"Not really."

"Can I believe you?"

"No," I replied, unleashing a face-splitting grin at her.

When we finally reached a stream that brawled across bars of blue pebbles, the sun had climbed to the noon. We decided to take a short timeout here. We had to. My feet had fallen asleep and my ass grew numb sitting on the hard saddle. So much so that I walked like I was having a serious case of hemorrhoids. Suet-foong did not fare any better; she was waddling like a duck.

To be continued ...