Feng Ya's Predicament (4): A "Chance Encounter" on the Street
San Mateo, afternoon.
The sun was still shining brightly, and the streets were lined with typical, slightly worn Spain -style buildings typical of California, their red-tiled roofs gleaming warmly in the sunlight. The roadside trees were tall palm trees, their leaves swaying gently in the breeze, casting dappled shadows.
The air was filled with a dry warmth, mixed with car exhaust and the smell of fried food wafting from a fast food restaurant in the distance.
Feng Ya walked alone on the sidewalk leading to the downtown commercial street. She wore a simple beige cotton dress with a thin knitted cardigan over it. Her face was bare of makeup, with dark circles under her eyes and chapped lips. She looked much more haggard than her actual age. In her hand, she clutched a paper folder with a real estate agency logo, containing information on several apartments she had been searching for online and scheduled to view that day.
Moving—leaving this nightmarish neighborhood, leaving behind the painful "Fortune-Filled Building" restaurant, leaving behind the relentless harassment from Deshawn and Malik's gang—was the only way out she and her husband Chen Hao could think of in their near despair. Despite the difficult road ahead and the countless practical problems that needed to be solved, they had no other choice. Chen Hao was using his lunch break to look at another property near the company. The two split up, hoping to find a suitable place to stay as soon as possible, even if it was only temporary.
Feng Ya kept her head down, walking hurriedly, her eyes scanning her surroundings warily. Ever since the incident at the restaurant, she had become extremely insecure, always feeling like someone was watching her when she walked on the street, and any slight movement would make her heart pound. She didn't even dare to take side streets, only daring to walk along the relatively busy main roads with lots of people and cars.
Just then--
"Squeak--!"
A screeching sound of brakes suddenly erupted beside her! Not one, but three or four! A line of identical black Cadillac Escalade SUVs, like steel behemoths, swerved abruptly from the traffic with lightning speed, precisely and in a semi-encircling formation, screeching to a halt directly in front of and to her side. The tires screeched against the pavement, almost completely blocking her from moving forward or sideways!
Caught off guard, Feng Ya screamed in fright and instinctively staggered back two steps, almost falling. Her heart pounded, her face turned deathly pale, and the first thought that flashed through her mind was— Deshawn and his gang! They're here again! This time they're even more direct, blocking her with their car!
Fear, like an icy tide, instantly overwhelmed her. She wanted to turn and run away, but her legs were weak, her body stiff, and she could barely move.
"Splash--"
The passenger and rear doors of the SUV directly in front opened almost simultaneously. Three white men, dressed in sharp dark suits, wearing sunglasses, with stern faces and upright postures, got out of the car swiftly and steadily. They were completely different from Deshawn's gang of thugs; they exuded a well-trained, unquestionable, and chilling professionalism and a sense of oppression.
After they got out of the car, they didn't approach immediately. Instead, they formed a loose triangular formation like three iron Iron Tower, subtly surrounding Feng Ya in the middle. The leader was a man who looked to be in his thirties, with a very short buzz cut, a stern face, and a jawline as sharp as a knife. He took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of sharp, eagle-like, emotionless gray eyes, which calmly fell on Feng Ya's terrified face.
He took two steps forward, stopping about three meters away from Feng Ya. This distance was neither suspiciously far nor overly intimidatingly close. He spoke, his voice steady, deep, and metallic, in clear and fluent Chinese:
"Hello. Is this Feng Ya?"
Feng Ya was struck dumb, her whole body trembling! The other party could speak Chinese?! And even knew her name?! This... this was definitely not something Deshawn's gang could possess! Who were they?! Police? ICE? Or... something even more terrifying?!
Overwhelmed by terror, she could barely think straight. Instinctively, she recoiled, her back pressed against the cold glass window of the shop behind her. Her voice trembled and distorted with extreme fear. "Who... who are you?! I don't know you!"
As she spoke, she frantically searched for any possible escape route out of the corner of her eye, but she was blocked by cars and people in all directions, like a small animal trapped in a cage.
"Our boss wants to see you." The crew-cut man didn't answer her question, but simply repeated his previous statement, his tone still calm but carrying an undeniable air of authority.
The boss? Wants to see me? Countless terrifying guesses flashed through Feng Ya's mind—loan sharks? Human traffickers? Or... the even more terrifying gang behind Deshawn and his men? Had she inadvertently offended some powerful figure?!
"Who is your boss?! I don't know him! I'm not going!" Feng Ya shook her head desperately, her voice trembling with tears, clutching the folder tightly to her chest as if it were her only shield. "Don't come any closer! I'll call the police if you come any closer!"
She reached into her bag for her phone, her fingers trembling so badly she could barely hold it.
The crew-cut man watched her movements without intervening, simply standing there silently, his face still expressionless. But the confident and all-encompassing aura emanating from him made Feng Ya's attempt to take out her phone seem futile and laughable. She knew that if the other party truly intended to harm her, she wouldn't even be able to dial the police.
Just then--
Click.
The rear door of the SUV in the very center was pushed open from the inside.
A gleaming black Oxford shoe with a square toe landed firmly on the sidewalk. Immediately after, a long leg stepped out, clad in impeccably tailored midnight blue trousers. Then, a tall, distinguished young Asia man in a matching expensive suit stepped calmly out of the car.
The afternoon sun shone on him, outlining his sharp shoulders and thick black hair with a faint golden edge. He wore sunglasses, obscuring his eyes, but his jawline was sharp and defined, and the corners of his mouth seemed to hold a very faint, almost imperceptible curve. He stopped, casually straightening the perfectly wrinkle-free cuffs of his suit jacket with a natural and elegant movement, as if he were simply stepping out of an ordinary van to attend a trivial meeting.
The moment he appeared, the three men in black became noticeably more solemn and respectful, bowing slightly and making way for him.
Feng Ya stared blankly at the young man who stepped out of the car, a man completely different from the "gangster boss" or "fierce" image she had imagined. Her mind went blank for a moment. This person... didn't seem like a bad guy? At least, not like Deshawn. His demeanor was even... somewhat familiar? It seemed like she'd seen him somewhere before?
The young man took off his sunglasses, revealing a handsome, youthful face, but with a deep and calm gaze that seemed out of place for someone his age. His gaze fell on Feng Ya's face, scrutinizing her carefully for a few seconds, as if with a hint of recollection and confirmation.
Then, the faint smile on his face widened, transforming into a clear, warm smile, radiating familiarity and the gentleness of an elder. He spoke, his voice clear and bright, in extremely standard Mandarin, even with a slight accent:
"It's me, my dear niece."
My... eldest niece?
This address was like a Key, suddenly unlocking a long-forgotten corner of Feng Ya's memory! Her eyes widened, staring intently at the young face before her, desperately searching and comparing in her mind...
The wedding... her father's funeral... the young man in the black suit, with an outstanding presence, standing silently in the corner, only offering incense before her father's coffin, patting her on the shoulder, and saying, "Please accept my condolences, you can contact me if you need anything in the future"... and then there was the mysterious guest at her own wedding, who attended as her father's "close friend," gave a generous gift, but didn't exchange many pleasantries, only nodding to her and Chen Hao and saying, "I wish you happiness"...
Fragments of memory gradually pieced together. It was him! It was that "friend" her father had almost never mentioned, but who seemed very unusual! Uncle Lin...? Yes, it was Uncle Lin! Her father called him "Little Lin" and told her to call him "Uncle Lin"!
"Uncle Lin...?" Feng Ya called out tentatively, her voice still trembling, but the fear in her voice had turned into immense astonishment and bewilderment.
Lin Feng's smile deepened. He nodded, took two steps forward, and stopped a little over a meter away from Feng Ya —a distance that conveyed closeness without making her feel violated. He looked Feng Ya up and down, his gaze lingering for a moment on her haggard face, the dark circles under her eyes, and the folder clutched tightly to her chest. A barely perceptible, knowing glint flashed in his eyes.
Then, he extended his hand, making an extremely natural, elder-like, inviting gesture, his tone gentle yet carrying an undeniable and reassuring strength:
"Let's go, niece. Let's have a chat."
Feng Ya looked at the "Uncle Lin" who had suddenly appeared before her, a man she remembered as mysterious and imposing. She looked at the three silent steel behemoths behind him and the three men in black, who stood like statues. Then she looked at his gentle yet undeniable smile, and at his calm, deep eyes that seemed to see right through her fear and helplessness...
Reason told her that this was strange, sudden, and... illogical. How could an "uncle" she hadn't seen for years, someone she barely knew in name only as a "father's old acquaintance," suddenly appear before her in this way, at this time? And with such a group of people who looked anything but ordinary?
But emotionally, the fear, grievances, loneliness, and helplessness that had accumulated over the past few days and almost crushed her were instantly overwhelmed by the familiar address, the gentle local accent, and the strange, calm aura of the other person that made people want to trust and rely on them. Like a flood breaking through a dam, it instantly washed away her last bit of defenses and doubts.
My father's friend... he's my father's friend...
Tears welled up without warning, blurring her vision. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but choked up and couldn't utter a sound. She just nodded subconsciously.
Then, under the curious, fearful, or indifferent gazes of passersby, Feng Ya, like a lost child who had been found, staggered and walked towards the black Cadillac with its door open, which resembled a mobile fortress.
Lin Feng stepped aside to let her get into the car first. Then, he nodded slightly to the three men in black. The three immediately understood and quickly got into the car. The door closed, and the engine emitted a deep, powerful roar.
The convoy restarted, as swiftly and quietly as it had arrived, with an undeniable momentum, merging into the traffic on the street and quickly disappearing around the corner.
Only a few stunned passersby and faint tire tracks on the sidewalk remained, proving that the brief but dramatic scene just now was not an illusion.
The sun was still warm, and the palm trees still swayed.
But on this seemingly ordinary California afternoon, Feng Ya's life trajectory quietly took a turn on a side road she had never imagined, full of unknowns and variables, because of a chance encounter on the street.