The Mob Boss

Toward evening, Lin Rui was in the little church's kitchen making steam-pot chicken.

He had a Country Z stomach. White-people food like steaks and burgers, heavy on oil, salt, and sugar, was fine once in a while, but eating it every meal was downright deadly.

With no other choice, he had to rely on his own hands to keep himself well fed and clothed.

He had bought the steam pot at an "Asian supermarket." As for the chicken, he had made a special trip to Manhattan's Chinatown that morning while operating his food truck to get it freshly slaughtered. It was fresh.

As the aroma of chicken drifted out of the steam pot, thudding footsteps sounded outside the little church. Lin Rui did not need to look. The sound alone told him Molly was back.

The "little delinquent" blew into the kitchen like a gust of wind, her school uniform jacket hanging open, her backpack swinging behind her, her cheeks flushed from running.

She rushed into the kitchen, panting, and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Leon! All my classmates are saying-you're the newest mob boss in the Bronx!"

Lin Rui was holding a spoon, scooping broth from the steam pot. He blew on it, intending to check the seasoning. Hearing something so outrageous killed his desire to taste the broth. He turned toward Molly, utterly speechless.

Who the fuck is spreading rumors about me without a shred of proof? Sure, I killed a few depraved scumbags, but how the hell did that make me a mob boss?!

Toby, built like a mountain of flesh, followed her inside, his dark face showing suspicion, fear, and lingering dread.

The Black kid seemed to be going back over his past dealings with Lin Rui, wondering whether he had offended him somehow and whether he should apologize in time to avoid dying in a twisted, miserable state himself.

But seeing Lin Rui in an apron at the stove, his head lowered as he sipped broth, that picture of a domestic man greatly diluted the "mob boss's" ferocious air.

Behind Toby came Mrs. Anderson. The mature career woman was much calmer and took the initiative to defend Lin Rui. "Molly, you mustn't casually spread unverified information. It can cause people a great deal of trouble.

"If Leon really were the killer, the police would certainly have called him in for questioning by now. They wouldn't let him stay here making dinner in peace."

Lin Rui was practically moved to tears. Yes, yes, yes, don't go spouting nonsense without evidence. Sure, I really did kill them, but you'll never get anything on me.

Before nightfall, the aroma of steam-pot chicken had thoroughly conquered the little church's dining room.

Everyone gathered around the dining table, but instead of digging in right away, they enthusiastically discussed the bizarre major case that had "shocked" the entire Bronx.

The old pastor, Essen Borg, was also very interested in the case and volunteered an explanation. "I heard the news this morning. There was an extremely strange case involving several deaths in a villa over on Seventh Street.

"Officer Kane, who's handling the case, is on good terms with me. He shared quite a bit of information.

"Apparently, the scene was absolutely horrifying. The four deceased had clearly suffered some extremely brutal form of torture. Every bone and joint in their bodies was broken."

Information about the scene straight from the police was indeed more compelling.

Everyone sat around the dining table, staring unblinkingly at the old pastor as he spoke. So much so that no one touched the steam-pot chicken Lin Rui had so painstakingly prepared. Only he was using his chopsticks to shovel it into his mouth.

Molly was the most impatient. "Was there evidence at the scene showing that Leon did it?" she asked loudly.

Lin Rui, who had his head down eating chicken, had no choice but to look up. "Why would anyone think I did it?" he asked indignantly.

"Because quite a few people attended last night's party and spread word of what happened there. Apparently, before George was killed, he was planning to kill you first.

"They also said..." Molly turned toward Toby. "They also said he wanted to kill Toby and me too, as revenge."

Toby's dark face grew even darker, while Mrs. Anderson immediately crossed herself, thanking God for protecting her daughter and sending that villainous little thug to hell ahead of time.

Molly continued, "George used to throw his weight around, and nobody could do anything about him. Only Leon managed to break three of his ribs with a single blow from a stick not long ago and put him in the hospital.

"Everyone knew George would definitely take revenge. They were all guessing when Leon's luck would run out. Now that George has died so horribly, Leon is the prime suspect."

Lin Rui cursed inwardly. Am I that obvious? Since when did Forty Block have so many master detectives? Every last one of them is convinced it was me. Where's the justice in that?

Fortunately, the old pastor shook his head and continued sharing the information from the police. "The circumstances are even stranger than outsiders suspect, but Leon can basically be ruled out as a suspect.

"The police found a handheld video camera at the scene. Someone present had been filming during the party, and the footage captured the entire sequence leading up to the deaths of George and the others.

"Their deaths were very likely caused by taking some kind of illicit drug, which disrupted their nerves and limbs until they ultimately died through self-mutilation in an extremely gruesome fashion.

"But Officer Kane also said there are far too many baffling aspects to this case. Even the self-mutilation captured on camera defies current scientific understanding."

The table fell silent for a few seconds...

Then Toby ventured timidly, "So that means we still can't completely rule out the possibility of Leon doing it, or clear him of suspicion? Like, what if he has some kind of superpower?"

Lin Rui shot Toby a fierce glare. "Why would you think I have superpowers?"

"Because my mother thinks you do." Toby recounted Mrs. Jones's assessment. "She said you must have some kind of magic to turn my thinking around in such a short time.

"My father agreed with her. He said you might be a powerful wizard with some kind of mysterious power from the East."

Those words had surely been family jokes and banter after a meal, nothing to take seriously. Yet Lin Rui's face twitched as he listened.

Because Toby continued, "I think you have some kind of superpower too, because every time I see you, I feel scared."

"Yes, yes, yes! I think Leon must have superpowers too, because my heart started racing the very first time I saw him." Molly wholeheartedly agreed with that assessment, gnawing on a chicken drumstick beside him and nodding repeatedly.

Too drained to argue, Lin Rui could only brazen it out. "Fine, I admit it. I have superpowers. I can kill people from a distance. I used special methods to punish the neighborhood's gang thugs and give them the end they deserved."

At that, the whole table burst into laughter.

Nobody took up the subject.

Nobody took him seriously.

With that, the topic passed, and dinner ended hastily.

After dinner, Mrs. Anderson was going to drive away, and Molly saw her mother out of the little church.

There was a full moon that night. Moonlight fell across Molly's face, making her usually rebellious gaze look especially soft.

Her half-shaved hairstyle had been shaved off completely and replaced with a playful short wig. Her hoodie had given way to a clean dress. She looked as though someone had gently washed her all over, rinsing away that layer of street-bred hostility.

"What is it?" Her mother's stare made Molly uneasy, and she instinctively touched her face. "Is there something on my face?"

Mrs. Anderson smiled with her lips pressed together, her voice as low as a whisper, yet carrying a rare trace of tenderness. "Actually... I think Leon has superpowers too."

Molly froze. "Mom? You believe that too?"

Her mother reached out and gently stroked her hair, her fingertips carrying a mother's distinctive warmth. "How else could he have changed you?"

Molly pouted, her voice dropping as though she were talking to herself. "I think it's strange too... I haven't known him for long, but all of a sudden, so many of my old ideas seem ridiculous."

She looked up at the night sky, tiny flecks of light reflected in her eyes beneath the streetlamp. "I wanted to join a gang because I thought people roaming the streets were so free, with nothing holding them back, living such exciting lives."

"But living with Leon now... feels even more exciting." She laughed and whispered slyly:

"Mom, you know what? The person making up stories at school about Leon being a 'mob boss' was me!"

"Huh... you?!"