Is There Something I Can Say?

"Are we really moving to Causeway Bay?" That morning, Kong Sang lingered instead of rushing to the shop, lying against Gu Sheng's chest as she asked.

"Will you fucking quit it? You've been yammering nonstop since dawn. I'm trying to sleep." Gu Sheng pushed Kong Sang aside, rolled over, and went back to sleep.

"Do you want me to come clothes shopping with you?" Kong Sang wrapped her arms around him from behind again.

"Get lost. Go to the shop already." Gu Sheng kicked out several times, but Kong Sang clung to him like glue.

He slept until noon before getting up.

GS sat on the sofa with a cigarette between his lips, feeling that this was the proper sleep schedule for a gangster.

What decent person got up at seven in the morning?

"Big-Eyed Hua, you still haven't found Stammering Girl? You can't even handle something this simple. What the hell do I keep you around for?"

"Brother S, she seems to have gone to look after Chan Ho-nam. She hasn't shown her face lately." Big-Eyed Hua felt rather wronged. Was he supposed to send people to Chan Ho-nam's home to find Stammering Girl?

Gu Sheng hung up and glanced at the videotape on the table. With footage that explosive, watching it without Stammering Girl would be no fun.

"I should buy a few suits. Tonight's a celebration, so of course I need to look sharp." Gu Sheng sprawled on the sofa, thought for a moment, then called Big-Eyed Hua again.

"What's Ann been doing lately?"

"Helping out at Bik Ham's shop every day. Lately, I've been telling the guys to get their cars fixed there." Big-Eyed Hua had handled this little matter perfectly well.

"Have Ah Tung bring her downstairs to wait for me."

Ann was helping out at Bik Ham's shop. Since that day, Gu Sheng hadn't contacted her again.

That left her both relieved and a little hurt.

She was relieved because she didn't know how to face Gu Sheng, who had barged into her life so brazenly and unreasonably.

She was hurt because she felt like a toy.

Still, once things got busy at the shop, she didn't have much time to dwell on any of it.

"Thanks, Sister Ann." As a van drove out, the driver made sure to call out to Ann.

Quite a few gangsters had been coming in for repairs lately. At first, she hadn't been used to being addressed that way, but after a few days, she had grown somewhat accustomed to it.

"Sister Ann, Brother Sheng sent me to take you to see him." Ah Tung appeared in front of Ann.

Ann froze for a moment at those words before standing up. "Let me tell my brother."

"Sister Ann, you'd better change first. Brother Sheng definitely won't like you dressing so plainly," Ah Tung kindly reminded her.

Ann was wearing her usual clothes: jeans and a T-shirt that cost only a few dozen dollars.

Ah Tung was certain that if Ann went to see Brother Sheng dressed like that, she would probably get an earful.

Ann bit her lip, went inside to tell Bik Ham she was going out, then went home to change.

Ah Tung hadn't guessed wrong. In fact, even after Ann changed, she still got an earful.

"Are you going begging dressed like that? I gave you over ten grand, and this is what you bought?" Gu Sheng got into the car and couldn't hold his tongue when he saw Ann's white dress.

"It cost over two hundred..." Ann said quietly, feeling even more wronged.

Over two hundred was already expensive, wasn't it?

An ordinary worker earned less than two thousand dollars a month.

"Over ten grand... over two hundred...? Fuck, are you saving it for your dowry?" Gu Sheng scoffed.

"Forget it. We'll buy more in a bit."

"Brother Sheng, where to?" Ah Tung asked.

"Causeway Bay."

Over an hour later, Gu Sheng stood in a men's clothing store wearing a flashy red suit.

"How does it look?"

"Brother Sheng, are you entering a beauty pageant, dressed that sharp?" Ah Tung laughed.

"I'm moving up. Of course I need to look festive." Gu Sheng checked himself in the mirror, looking quite pleased, then turned to Ann. "What do you think?"

"It's all right..." Ann looked at Gu Sheng and thought, That suit really is ridiculously flashy.

"What do you mean, all right? If it's good, say it's good. If it's bad, say it's bad. Honestly, you have no taste." Gu Sheng waved a hand and stopped asking her opinion.

He had the assistant wrap up the suit, then took Ann into a women's clothing store.

"I remember this place having decent clothes... this one, this one, and this one. Have her try them all." Gu Sheng casually pointed out a few pieces that looked fairly good.

He had only just visited this shop with Kong Sang a few days earlier.

Ann checked the tags. Each piece cost one or two thousand dollars, leaving her secretly astonished.

Still, she obediently tried them on for Gu Sheng.

"Now that's more like it. Wear this one and wrap up the others." Gu Sheng looked her over. It was quite decent, and much easier on the eyes.

After leaving the women's clothing store, Gu Sheng dragged Ann around a lingerie shop, then came out looking dissatisfied.

He felt he ought to find a designer to make a few dozen sets specially.

At lunch, it was just the two of them. Gu Sheng sent Ah Tung off to book a hotel room.

"I'll have someone find you a place nearby. Move here, and stop going to your brother's shop," Gu Sheng said bluntly.

"Huh?" Ann was a little startled.

"What do you mean, huh? Wherever I am, that's where you should be. Otherwise, how can you come whenever I call?"

"Can I still go back to Yuen Long normally?" Ann asked nervously.

"When there's nothing going on, go back if you want. But when I call, you need to show up. I'll have someone find you a piano class, a flower arranging class, and a baking class. You think being arm candy is that easy?"

That evening, GS arrived at the Main Hall with Silly Fook and Ah Tung.

"LS, looking sharp today!" Brother Kei greeted GS warmly when he saw him. GS had sent plenty of money his way.

"Nothing lifts your spirits like good news!" GS declared, brimming with confidence in his flashy red suit.

"Wearing that much red, anyone who didn't know better would think you'd been hacked bloody." Big B came in through the doorway and snorted when he heard them.

"If that day ever comes for you, Brother B, I'll be sure to light some incense for you. Then I'll set off firecrackers to celebrate." GS showed him no respect at all, his words dripping with sarcasm.

"Fuck, you little bastard! Who do you think you are?" someone behind Big B cursed.

"Oh, isn't this King Boxer Yung? When did you get out of hospital? Brother Xin got beaten to death right in front of you, yet you're still alive. Makes me wonder if you were their mole."

"You son of a bitch, what the hell are you talking about?"

King Boxer Yung nearly ground his teeth to pieces. If they hadn't been in the Hongxing Main Hall, he would have taught that bastard a lesson right then.

"Wow, lively in here." Hon Ping, Dinosaur, and Thirteen Sisters walked in.

"Go sit down," Big B told King Boxer Yung.

"Dragging out trash like that to keep up appearances? You really must be out of men." GS snorted derisively without naming anyone. Big B gritted his teeth at the words but couldn't lash out.

Before long, the bosses from the various districts arrived one after another and exchanged greetings.

Then Teem-Kwan came in, sat at the head of the table, and spoke. "We're here today for one thing."

"Uncle Hing is retiring, and someone needs to take his seat. Back when Brother Sang sat here, he said whoever dealt with Funeral Biu would get that position."

"Big B sent his men, and they ended up dead or wounded... truly unfortunate. LS went over and sorted it out in a day, so the seat goes to LS. Any objections?" Teem-Kwan looked around at the others.

"Since nobody objects, LS is now the Causeway Bay Boss." Teem-Kwan applauded.

Uncle Hing gave an almost imperceptible sigh, then stood up and told GS, "LS, this seat is yours."

"Uncle Hing, don't worry. I've always respected you more than anyone. Even if you're stepping down, you're still an elder of the society. Whatever happens in Causeway Bay from now on, I'll take care of it for you." GS stood and took Uncle Hing's arm to support him.

Uncle Hing tugged at his arm but couldn't pull it free.

"You bastard, don't forget what you're supposed to do." Uncle Hing glared at him.

"Don't worry." GS nodded at him, then rested one hand on the back of the chair. "Now that I'm a boss, I can have my say, right?"

"Of course." Teem-Kwan shrugged.

Everyone looked at GS, expecting some polite remarks, the usual lines about the society.

Instead, GS walked straight up to King Boxer Yung, stared down at him for three seconds, then lashed out with a kick.

Crash! King Boxer Yung slammed into the wall and dropped to the floor, curling into a ball.

Prince's gaze shifted, and he studied GS closely.

Known as the Hongxing War God, Prince also specialized in Muay Thai. He could tell at a glance that GS was no slouch at it.

"LS, what the hell are you doing?" Big B slapped the table and rose to his feet.

"When I was a foot soldier, I wouldn't have dared point at a boss's nose and call him a bastard. People need to know their place. Brother B, teach your men some manners."

"You only just became a boss. You weren't one when you walked in earlier!" Big B glared at GS.

"Oh, sorry. I got so excited, I forgot." GS slapped his forehead and laughed.

He turned, walked up to King Boxer Yung, and said without a shred of sincerity, "Sorry, sorry. My mistake. Don't worry, I'll cover every cent of your medical bills. Double, even."

"You've only just got the seat, and you're already this arrogant. A petty bastard drunk on success," Big B cursed.

"I apologized, and I'm paying his medical bills. What else do you want, Brother B? It was only one kick. Surely you don't expect me to pay with my life?" GS spread his hands.

Then he pulled out the chair and sat down.

"King Boxer Yung's ribs are broken," the underling checking on him reported, looking up.

"I didn't realize he was that fragile... why call himself King Boxer Yung? He can't even take one kick. He should change his name to Glass Yung." GS scoffed.

"Ah Tung, withdraw thirty thousand later for Ah Yong's treatment. Remember to buy him a fruit basket so he can build his strength back up."

Big B looked as though he wanted to kill him.