Feng Ya's Plight (Three): Harassment and Threats

The signboard of the "Fortune-Filled Building" Chinese restaurant was put back up after the vandalism incident, but the spiderweb-like cracks on the glass door were barely held together with transparent tape, resembling an ugly scar.

The restaurant was deserted. Occasionally, passersby would glance at them with curiosity or pity before hurrying away. The restaurant was empty except for Feng Ya, who sat behind the cashier, staring blankly at the occasional passing cars outside.

Her face had become much thinner, her eyes were sunken, and her eyes had lost their former sparkle, leaving only deep weariness, numbness, and a lingering fear.

A week has passed since the vandalism. The police investigation is stalled, the insurance company is haggling over compensation, and repairing the restaurant has nearly exhausted her last savings. Business is dismal; daily revenue barely covers utilities and other expenses. Her husband, Chen Hao, has contributed his own savings, but it's a drop in the bucket. The couple has begun arguing frequently about money, the restaurant's fate, and anxieties about the future. Their once harmonious family is now shrouded in gloom.

However, what kept Feng Ya up at night and filled her with fear, even more than her financial hardship, was the constant harassment and threats.

At first, it was the phone. Every day, at random times, the restaurant's landline would ring. When she answered, there would either be long silences, only heavy breathing; or vulgar, obscene insults and threats, using extremely offensive language, targeting her race and gender; sometimes, it was Deshawn or Malik's voice, laced with mockery and malice.

"Hey, Chink, the restaurant's still open?"

"I heard you called the police? Did it do any good? The police are on our side!"

"Aren't you lonely minding the shop alone at night? Do you want your brothers to come keep you company?"

Feng Ya was both angry and scared. Each time, she would immediately hang up and then unplug the phone line with trembling hands. But not long after, the phone line would be reconnected at some point and in some way, and the harassment would continue.

Then there's the restaurant. Sometimes, when she opens in the morning, she finds insulting words and ugly drawings spray-painted on the glass door. The doorknobs are smeared with disgusting slime or feces. The trash cans are overturned, and garbage is scattered everywhere at the entrance. Feng Ya has to arrive at the store early every day, nervously checking and cleaning, before she can start her day's business in fear.

What terrified her most was that they would come to her door directly.

The first time was one afternoon when the restaurant was empty. Deshawn and Malik, along with three or four other equally shady-looking young Black men, swaggered in. They occupied the largest table, didn't order anything, just talked and laughed loudly, and leered at the terrified Feng Ya, their words full of sexual innuendo and insults.

"Look at this Chink girl, her skin is so white, I wonder what it feels like to touch."

"I've heard that Asia women are very easygoing; they'll do anything for a little money."

"Hey boss, how about some 'special services' for us? We'll pay, we'll pay extra!"

Feng Ya was trembling with fear and hid in the back kitchen, too scared to come out. She secretly called the police on her phone. The police arrived relatively quickly, but as soon as they saw the police car, the people scattered and disappeared without a trace. When the police arrived, they found only an empty table and a pale-faced, still-shaken Feng Ya. They took a brief note, saying the same thing again, "We'll keep an eye on things," and then left.

Less than half an hour after the police left, the group reappeared like Ghost and continued their harassment. Feng Ya called the police again, and they dispersed again. This went on repeatedly, like a cat Rat, seemingly enjoying it immensely. The police gradually became impatient, their response time slowed down, and their tone became increasingly perfunctory.

Feng Ya's spirit was almost driven to the brink of collapse by this endless and unpredictable torment. She dared not leave the restaurant, fearing that they would do something even worse while she was away. But staying in the restaurant, she was constantly in fear of being broken into, insulted, and threatened. She couldn't eat or sleep, and her whole body quickly became haggard.

When Chen Hao learned of the situation, he was both shocked and furious. He tried to ask for leave early to come to the restaurant to be with Feng Ya. But one time, he had just left (he had an urgent meeting at the company to attend) when the group of people arrived and escalated their behavior. They even tried to physically assault her.

That day, Feng Ya was wiping the table when Deshawn sauntered over, reached out and touched her face, and said in a vulgar tone, "Hey, boss, all alone? Where's your useless husband? Want to play with some brothers? I guarantee they're better than your bookworm husband..."

Feng Ya recoiled as if burned, shouting sharply, "Get away! Don't touch me!"

"So what if I touch you?" Malik walked over, blocking her escape route, a sinister grin on his face. "What are you easy girls pretending to be innocent for? Don't you like this the most? Come on, let the older brothers see if you're really that 'capable'..."

As they spoke, the two men approached together, their filthy hands reaching for Feng Ya's body!

"Ah--!! Get away! Help!" Feng Ya screamed shrilly, grabbing the broom beside her and swinging it wildly, desperately struggling. But how could a woman's strength be a match for two strong, malicious men? The broom was easily taken away, she was forced into a corner, and it looked like she was about to be...

"Bang!"

The door of the restaurant was slammed open! Chen Hao rushed in panting, holding a black, heavy pistol in his hand! His eyes were red, and his face had a ferocious expression that Feng Ya had never seen before, a mixture of rage, fear and determination!

"Get the fuck away from my wife! NOW!" Chen Hao roared with all his might, his voice distorted with excitement, the gun barrel trembling violently, but still fixed on Deshawn and Malik!

Everyone was stunned.

Deshawn and Malik's lewd smiles froze instantly. Staring at the dark muzzle of the gun and Chen Hao's murderous eyes, their arrogance vanished in an instant, replaced by genuine fear. They knew that this usually refined and somewhat timid Asia man might actually pull the trigger!

"Hey bro, calm down! Calm down!" Deshawn raised his hands and slowly backed away. "It's a misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding! We were just joking..."

"Get out! Now! Right now! Or I'll shoot!" Chen Hao's voice was hoarse, his finger already on the trigger.

Malik's face also turned pale, and he slowly backed away. The other accomplices had already been frightened and hid outside the door when Chen Hao rushed in.

The two dared not say another word, scrambled out of the restaurant, jumped into a dilapidated car parked not far away, and roared away.

Chen Hao gripped the gun, standing still, his chest heaving violently. After several seconds, he seemed to collapse, leaning against the doorframe, the gun barrel drooping. Feng Ya then burst into tears, throwing herself into her husband's arms, her whole body trembling like a leaf in the wind.

This time, the police arrived quickly. Seeing the gun in Chen Hao's hand and hearing Feng Ya's tearful account of her ordeal (including the previous vandalism and harassment), the police finally became more serious. They confiscated Chen Hao's gun (he had a gun license, but this situation constituted "brandishing a firearm," which could lead to charges), took a detailed statement, and stated they would increase patrols in the area and attempt to track Deshawn and his accomplices based on the license plate number.

But both Feng Ya and Chen Hao knew that this didn't solve the fundamental problem. Those people were like a persistent, intractable disease, impossible to shake off and difficult to eradicate completely through the law. This time they were only scared off by chance, but what about next time? And the time after that? Chen Hao couldn't arrive in time every time; he also had a job and a family to support. And Feng Ya couldn't live under the threat of guns and extreme fear forever.

After this incident, Feng Ya completely broke down. She dared not go to the restaurant again, or even approach that neighborhood. Every time she closed her eyes, all she saw were the lewd faces of Deshawn and Malik and their dirty hands reaching out, the dark muzzles of guns, the endless ringing of the phone, and the graffiti on the door. She began to have nightmares, suffer from insomnia, lose her appetite, and her mental state was extremely poor.

Seeing his wife rapidly losing weight and her eyes becoming unfocused, Chen Hao felt a pang of heartache. He held Feng Ya in his arms, his voice hoarse but firm:

"Xiaoya, this restaurant... we're closing it down. We're moving, leaving this place, far away from these people. We'll move to another city, or at least, to another neighborhood, and start over. Okay?"

Feng Ya leaned against him, tears streaming down her face, and nodded vigorously. She had had enough, truly had enough. The United States Dream, the dream of starting a business and getting rich—none of it mattered anymore. All she wanted now was to leave this nightmarish place, find a safe place, and live quietly with her husband, even if it was a simple life.

However, in the United States, "moving," especially "escape" moves, is far more complex than simply packing luggage and finding a truck.

First, there's the question of how to deal with the mess at "Fortune-Filled Building." The lease still has over a year left, and early termination would incur hefty penalties. There's also the issue of dealing with the remaining equipment and inventory. More importantly, the harassment and potential "discrimination" allegations from Deshawn and Malik hang like two Damocles' swords over their heads. If they move out, and the two can't find Feng Ya, will they take their anger out on the landlord or continue harassing her through other means? If they do file a "discrimination" lawsuit, even if Feng Ya moves out, the legal battle will continue.

Secondly, there's the economic pressure. Opening the restaurant has already depleted most of their savings, and they still have some credit card debt. Fines, repairs, and potential early termination penalties will worsen their already strained financial situation. Moving to another city means Chen Hao will need to find a new job (his work visa is tied to his current employer, making it difficult to leave), Feng Ya will also need to readjust, with no income in the short term.

There's also housing. Their apartments are rented, and terminating the lease early is equally troublesome. In a new place, they need to find a new place, apply, pay a deposit and the first month's rent, which is another big expense.

What's even more troublesome is Chen Hao's work visa (H-1B) issue. If he has to leave his job because of the relocation, he must find a new employer willing to sponsor his work visa within a very short time, otherwise the visa will expire and they will have to leave the United States. The risks and uncertainties involved make the decision to "relocate" extremely difficult.

A series of real-world problems, like heavy chains, bound their steps, preventing them from escaping. Every step was fraught with difficulty, and every choice could bring new troubles.

Feng Ya and Chen Hao sat in the dimly lit living room, looking at the bills, lease agreement, and immigration documents spread out on the table. They were speechless, only feeling deep exhaustion and confusion.

Escape seems so close.

Yet it seems as if they are far away, at the ends of the earth.

Outside the window, the California night is gentle, dotted with starlight.

But the two people inside the room felt only an impenetrable darkness and an endless fear of the future.