Song Tianyao, Whom Yan Hung Couldn't Figure Out (continued)

Seeing the girl stop playing the pipa at just the right moment, Song Tianyao took ten dollars from his wallet and sent her away. Only then did he pour Chu Xiaoxin another cup of tea, which had long since gone cold. Rubbing his eyes, he asked Chu Xiaoxin:

"Young Master Shun, how did it go?"

Chu Xiaoxin said to Song Tianyao, "As you said, I gave him two thousand dollars for medical expenses and offered Cheung Wing-kam a drink. I told him it was a misunderstanding, and that if I'd known that cop was his godson, I'd never have laid a hand on him. When you sent someone to pass that message to me, I couldn't believe two thousand dollars would settle things with Cheung Wing-kam. I didn't expect it to be true. My old man probably doesn't even know about this. It's just a shame about A-Hung. The fellow ran around dealing with my business last night without clearing it with his superior, and he had his men help me stand up to Cheung Wing-kam at the Lichi nightclub. So at lunch today, he took the initiative and offered to put his uniform back on as an apology. Cheung Wing-kam didn't dare take it out on me, so he sent A-Hung and this brother called A Wai straight off to Sha Tau Kok to guard the reservoirs."

No wonder Yan Hung looked so grim. Once sent to guard the reservoirs in Sha Tau Kok, a man without connections could serve until retirement and still never get out. It was already the harshest post in the Hong Kong Police Force. The men sent there were either the police academy graduates with the worst marks, who had offended their instructors, or those who had offended their superiors so badly on the job that, unable to strip them of their uniforms, their superiors had sent them to guard the reservoirs in Sha Tau Kok instead.

Yan Hung fell into the second category. Although Yiu Muk had retired, he still had face. Besides, since Yan Hung had offered to give up his detective sergeant's post and put his uniform back on, Cheung Wing-kam could hardly burn every bridge and drive him out of the Police Force. After all, Yan Hung's detective sergeant post was enough to compensate his godson.

"A-Hung, I was right to make a friend of you. You're a loyal man. If it weren't for you this time, Dad would probably have cursed me till my head was drenched in dog's blood. Tonight I'll treat you and Brother A Wai here to dinner at the Taibai Seafood Restaurant. As for guarding the reservoirs, when I get the chance, I'll introduce you to a few uncles who know Liu Fu and find a way to get you transferred back." Chu Xiaoxin turned to Yan Hung as he spoke.

A bitter taste rose in Yan Hung's mouth. Chu Xiaoxin's words were utterly heartless. He had risked his future to shoulder this burden for him, only to get "when I get the chance" in return. But he also knew that a rich young master like Chu Xiaoxin, born with a golden spoon in his mouth, couldn't imagine the difference between wearing a uniform and working in plain clothes, or between Sha Tau Kok and Yau Ma Tei. Nor could Yan Hung explain it to Chu Xiaoxin outright, so he could only put on a carefree smile.

"Young Master Shun, I'm one of the Chiu Chow people too. With your word, I'd still do the same thing even if it happened again."

But in his heart he said, A next time? I'll be far away in Sha Tau Kok, wearing a uniform. Who would still give me face? I'm afraid even some of my old subordinates would be strutting about with their noses in the air when they saw me.

"Young Master Shun, Chairman Chu had Uncle Yan pass along a message this morning. You're to go home for soup at seven tonight," Song Tianyao told Chu Xiaoxin. "I'm afraid treating Brother Hung and A Wai is out of the question."

"My Dad knows about last night?" On hearing Song Tianyao's words, Chu Xiaoxin's first thought was that his father, Chu Yaozong, already knew he had offended Cheung Wing-kam the night before.

Song Tianyao smiled at Chu Xiaoxin and, without batting an eye, gave him another reason to dislike Chan Ah-sap. "Of course he knows. Brother Ten, the head of Chao Yong Yi, just met Uncle Yan this morning. How could he not tell Chairman Chu about something so important?"

"Chan Ah-sap, that bastard! Whenever I ask him to do something, he grumbles and makes excuses, but he never falls behind anyone when it comes to kissing Dad's arse! I'll deal with him sooner or later!" Hearing that Chan Ah-sap had told his father, Chu Xiaoxin ground his teeth as he spoke.

Beside them, Yan Hung looked at Song Tianyao, scarcely believing those words had come from his mouth. Song Tianyao had set him up, but that could at least be explained as acting for Chu Xiaoxin's sake. Yet if these words, which would offend Chan Ah-sap, got out, they would do nothing but make Chan Ah-sap unhappy with Song Tianyao.

Wasn't Song Tianyao afraid that a jianghu Big Brother like Chan Ah-sap would turn ruthless? Or that one day, if he fell from favor, Chan Ah-sap would find a chance to take revenge? Now that he had secured his position as Chu Xiaoxin's secretary, he should have been cultivating good relations with jianghu men like Chan Ah-sap, who served the Chu Family. That way, he would have a say at the docks, his position as secretary of the Likang Trading Company would be secure, and he could draw support from both sides to expand his connections.

"Young Master Shun has no time tonight, so why don't I stand in for him and treat Brother Hung and A Wai at Tai Pak to show our thanks? And Brother Hung is with Fuyixing. Since he's done Young Master Shun such a great favor, shouldn't we invite Fuyixing's Big Brother as well?" Song Tianyao looked at Chu Xiaoxin, speaking in a seemingly casual tone.

Chu Xiaoxin didn't think much of it. He knew perfectly well that Yan Hung was a Fuyixing Red Pole, but he knew little about jianghu societies. Now that Song Tianyao had brought it up, he simply nodded. "A-Yao, you've thought of everything. Yes, we should invite A-Hung's Big Brother. Otherwise, now that A-Hung's back in uniform, I'm afraid some people will look down on him through dog's eyes. Help me tell A-Hung's Big Brother that although A-Hung is wearing the Uniformed Branch uniform for now, if anyone gives him trouble or makes him lose face, I'll certainly help."

"Young Master Shun, could I get an advance on my wages? In just one night, I've nearly spent the three or four thousand dollars in my wallet." Song Tianyao picked up his shrunken wallet and waved it at Chu Xiaoxin with a wry smile. "I can't very well help Brother Hung make a good showing with just the few hundred dollars left in here, can I? If you won't lend it to me, I'll go home and get my own, and tell my mother my new boss is a miser."

"When I said at the Taibai Seafood Restaurant last night that you spent money like water, I wasn't wrong, was I? You're even more free-handed than I am, tipping everyone you see. Now you know how hard it is to be out of money, eh?" Amused by Song Tianyao's tone, Chu Xiaoxin took out his own wallet. It was about as thick as Song Tianyao's, except that the Hong Kong dollars inside were all in denominations of one thousand and five hundred. The largest bills in Song Tianyao's wallet, meanwhile, were only hundreds.

He casually took out three thousand Hong Kong dollars and handed them to Song Tianyao. "Look after A-Hung for me. He helped me today. I can't let him lose face on top of feeling miserable about going back into the Uniformed Branch."

"I guarantee his Big Brother will put him on an altar and worship him like a bodhisattva," Song Tianyao said to Chu Xiaoxin with certainty.