A Favor

"Tonight at 10, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong Museum of Art? Is Xiahou Wu going to challenge a master of 'kicks'?"

Yang Chu set down his phone, a faint excitement in his eyes.

After watching the match between Xiahou Wu and Shark Yan last time, he had learned a great deal. He had not only copied and learned some deadly moves from their fighting techniques, but had also gained a deeper understanding of how the human body generated force.

It was still early, though, and Yang Chu had no plans to head to Tsim Sha Tsui just yet. He did not want to waste time. For now, he needed to read more books and have a talk with Xu Xi.

He got up, cleared the dining table, took his keys, and went straight out.

He did not take a cab. He walked, as usual. As his understanding of the human body deepened, even walking became a way to exercise his muscles and ligaments and improve his cardiopulmonary function.

He made his way through the lively, bustling streets, and after about an hour on foot, he reached the area near Po On Road.

Hong Kong Island was not particularly large, but with its dense clusters of buildings and huge population, walking just a few blocks could easily give the illusion of having traveled a long way.

After entering the Municipal Building, Yang Chu stepped into the library. From a distance, he saw a slender woman in the staff area, stamping her feet and waving her arms as she sobbed.

"Tracy, so you got your heart broken. It's nothing to be scared of. There are plenty of good men out there. Take your pick."

"Exactly. Rich men have no conscience. Like they say, marry a decent man."

Three middle-aged men in their forties and fifties stood around her, softly trying to console her.

Yang Chu recognized them, of course. They all worked at the library. The oldest, who wore gold-rimmed glasses, was the director of the Po On Road Public Library.

But aside from Xu Xi, Yang Chu had only ever exchanged a few brief greetings with them.

As the old director in gold-rimmed glasses walked past him with a pack of tissues, Yang Chu casually asked, "Did she get her heart broken?"

"Yeah. Happens several times a month."

The director sounded rather helpless. He glanced at Yang Chu. "You're here to read again?"

"Yeah." Yang Chu nodded and glanced around the library. "Is Xu Xi not here today?"

"He called to say he'd be a little late. Seems he has something to take care of."

The director hurriedly finished speaking, then ran back over to the slender woman.

Yang Chu had no interest in watching three men comfort a woman. Since Xu Xi had not arrived yet, there was no rush. He headed for the rows of bookshelves in the reading area.

Exercise Anatomy, Exercise Physiology, Anatomical Atlas of the Human Fascial System, Sports Nutrition, Anatomy Trains, Human Development, Practical Orthopedics, Orthopedic Surgery... Yang Chu pulled down every book he thought might be useful and rapidly flipped through them.

Just as Yang Chu settled into reading, the director in the nearby staff area picked up some tissues and continued consoling the slender woman named Tracy.

"Tracy, you need to be practical and find an ordinary man. They say there's always grass within ten steps. Don't set your sights so far away. Look a little closer, too."

"Exactly, exactly." The other two staff members quickly chimed in, striking proud, chest-out poses as they spoke.

"You mean you two?" Tracy stopped sobbing and pointed at the three old men surrounding her.

"Of course not." The director nudged the two men still posing and hastily waved his hands. "I mean Xu Xi... Oh, right. Xu Xi isn't here."

As he spoke, the director turned and pointed toward Yang Chu in the reading area. "That one. The one who comes here to read all the time. He'd be a good choice."

"Eww—" Tracy shook her head at once. "He's like that black lump of charcoal. Seems like he's not interested in anyone except Xu Xi. And Xu Xi, too... The two of them..."

As she trailed off, the corners of the slender woman's mouth drooped and she stuck out her tongue.

"Hehehe..." The others, including the director, snickered quietly along with her.

Meanwhile, at an outdoor café not far from Bo'an Road Library, Xu Xi looked at Chen Guibin, who sat opposite him with his head bowed and both hands clutching his hair. Xu Xi wore his usual slightly bashful smile. "Hey, you dragged me out first thing in the morning. Don't tell me work's stressing you out so much that you want me to play chess with you. I don't have as much freedom at work as you do."

Chen Guibin vigorously rubbed his hair, then suddenly lifted his head. His bloodshot eyes fixed on Xu Xi for a while before he finally let out a long breath. "Thank goodness. Thank goodness."

"What's wrong? Do I have a flower on my face?" Xu Xi asked with a smile.

"Nothing. I just suddenly realized there are too many people in this world who aren't what they seem."

Chen Guibin shook his head, then patted his forehead. Looking at Xu Xi again, he suddenly asked, "How much do you know about Yang Chu?"

"Not much." Xu Xi's smile faded a little. Seeming to notice Chen Guibin's rather intimidating gaze, he added, "Same as you and me. I've never looked into anyone's past."

"He's a murderer!"

Chen Guibin grew agitated. His voice had risen a little, drawing the attention of the other café patrons, so he lowered it again. "I have evidence that he's killed at least two people. No, possibly three. He's dangerous."

"Is that so?"

At the mention of Yang Chu, a smile returned to Xu Xi's face. He pointed at the chessboard on the table. "Want to play or not?"

"I'm not joking!"

Seeing Xu Xi's expression, as if he had not heard a word, Chen Guibin grew agitated again. "Yang Chu is definitely a martial arts expert, and an extremely formidable one. Did you see that news about the 'Butcher Driver'? He was probably the one who killed him. There are other cases tied to him, too... Come on, do you understand?"

"You're saying he killed the 'Butcher Driver'? So he's that mysterious vigilante from the TV and newspapers?"

Xu Xi paused with a chess piece in his hand and spoke rather casually. "Then he's a good person, right? Are you going to arrest him?"

"There isn't enough evidence yet, and I don't want to alert him. Sigh, forget whether he's good or bad for now."

Xu Xi's focus was so far off the mark that Chen Guibin grew even more frustrated and helpless. "The point is, he's dangerous. He has people's lives on his hands. He's not simple. I can't read him. Xu Xi, this world is dangerous. You could get hurt like this. You need to learn to protect..."

"Protect what..."

Xu Xi had not noticed anything strange about Chen Guibin. Hearing his voice trail off, he looked up and picked up where the other man had left off. But as soon as he looked up, he saw Chen Guibin staring at him strangely.

"What's wrong?" Xu Xi asked, puzzled.

Chen Guibin stared fixedly at Xu Xi. After a long moment, he suddenly sat in his chair, his shoulders shaking as he laughed and shook his head. "So it really is true. Everyone has one."

"Everyone has what?" Xu Xi grew even more confused.

But Chen Guibin had already stood up. He took a long look at Xu Xi—or rather, at the black-clad man wearing a black mask who stood behind him—and drew a quiet breath. "I have to get back to the police station. Where are you going?"

"Me?"

Xu Xi stood up too. He had a vague sense that Chen Guibin's attitude toward him had suddenly shifted in some subtle way.

Still, he smiled bashfully and gathered up the chess pieces from the table. "I'm going back to work at the library, of course. And, well, to return a favor."