by Mouse
ShaoShu's eyes brightened. “It just sort of happened, sir. We were talking, and then your mother came by, and—”
“My mother?” Tonglong interrupted. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, sir. She knew that I knew you.”
Tonglong's eyebrows rose up. “I don't believe I've mentioned you in any of my communications, and I certainly haven't seen her yet in Shanghai.”
“Maybe she just assumed I knew of you because you are famous, sir.”
“I doubt it,” Tonglong said, rubbing the powder burn on the side of his face. “She has been exchanging information with someone. Remember the other day I told you that I might have a job for you in Shanghai?”
“Yes, sir.”
Tonglong pulled a small pistol from the folds of his robe. “When you return to the fight club, I would like you to switch this with the pistol Lei carries beneath his pant leg.”
“Huh?”
“No questions,” Tonglong said. “Figure out a way to do it before he enters the pit arena tonight.”
ShaoShu turned the pistol over in his hands. It looked normal to him, but he doubted it was. He noticed Tonglong absentmindedly feeling for the necklace he no longer wore. “This is about your key, isn't it, sir?”
Tonglong lowered his hand. “No questions.”
ShaoShu nodded. “I understand.”
“Do you?”
ShaoShu thought for a moment. “Maybe not, but if this is about your key, you picked the right person.”
“I know I did,” Tonglong said, watching the ball of cat hair glide across the floor. “I always pick the right person. Now go do as you're told.”
CHAPTER
22
AnGangseh sat in the back corner of Lei's fight club preparation room, nearly invisible with her black hood pulled over her head. Xie had returned to the Emperor, and she had very little time before she would be expected to return, too. Lei had better be on time.
Moments later, Lei rushed into the room and closed the door. He looked around, and AnGangseh stepped out of the shadows.
“Do you have it?” she asked.
“Yes,” Lei replied. “Do you have the money?”
“Of course.” AnGangseh set a bag on the floor and took a step back. “Go on, look.”
Lei walked toward the bag and reached for it, then hesitated.
“It's not full of sssnakes, if that's what you're worried about,” AnGangseh said. “Out of respect for your family, I wouldn't do that. Your father was a famous sssellout. He helped me many times.” She smirked.
“Like father, like son,” Lei said with a chuckle. He opened the bag and removed a tael of silver. “This has the Emperor's personal seal!”
“Of course. Where else would I have been able to obtain the amount we agreed upon? Just melt them down into sssilver bars, and no one will know where it came from. Now give me what's mine.”
Lei reached into one of the holsters across his chest and removed Tonglong's key, admiring the entwined dragons that wrapped over and around the key's unique teeth. He tossed it to AnGangseh.
AnGangseh caught it and retied the dangling cord around her neck, then slipped the ornate key into the folds of her robe.
“I've never seen a key like that before,” Lei said. “What is it for?”
“You wouldn't believe me if I told you,” AnGangseh replied.
“You got it from HaiZhe, didn't you?”
“I received it before you were even born. How it came into my possession is none of your business.”
“Well, you never thanked me for killing him, you know. That is one loose end you won't have to tie up.”
“Thank you,” AnGangseh said in a sarcastic tone.
“What are you going to do with the key?”
AnGangseh paused, considering her reply. “You are ssstill on my payroll, yes?”
“Yes,” Lei said. “And as long as you keep paying me as well as you have been, I will continue to do your bidding, even after I win the fight club championship and climb higher up the Emperor's ranks.”
AnGangseh nodded. “I was going to give the key to my sssecond husband, Mong, but he was not interested in ultimate power. He would rather lead a group of misfit bandits and their ssso-called ‘Resistance’ and waste time with our ssson, Ssseh. Instead, I entrusted whereabouts of the key to my firstborn, Tonglong. However, once you informed me that he had retrieved it, I began to have regrets. You could sssay that it is the key to the Forbidden City, and being the Emperor's mother no longer appeals to me. I would rather keep the key for myself and use it to become the current Emperor's wife.”
“Well, good luck with that,” Lei said. “I look forward to my next payment. You should leave now. I have to start preparing for my fight.”
“It is sssuch a pleasure working with sssomeone as shallow as you,” AnGangseh hissed, and she slipped out of the room.
CHAPTER
23
“Are you ready?” ShaoShu asked.
“I am always ready,” Golden Dragon replied. “Let's go.”
ShaoShu followed Golden Dragon through a maze of fight club tunnels on their way to the pit arena for the championship fight. Golden Dragon now knew everything ShaoShu knew, and Golden Dragon seemed more determined than ever to be victorious tonight.
As they walked, ShaoShu thought about Lei's numerous pistols. He had tried to tell Golden Dragon about his assignment to switch one of them for the pistol he had hidden in the folds of his robe, but Golden Dragon did not want to hear about it. He had said that he would not win by cheating. ShaoShu didn't exactly consider what he was supposed to do cheating, considering the ridiculous number of other pistols Lei would be carrying, but Golden Dragon would not listen.
As they neared the pit arena entrance, ShaoShu heard the arena announcer keeping the crowd excited.
“Ladies and gentlemen! We hope you've been enjoying yourselves tonight at the world-famous Shanghai Fight Club! So far this evening, you've seen amazing feats of courage and extraordinary exhibitions of will—but you have not seen anything yet. Finally, the event you've all been waiting for, the highly anticipated Fight Club Grand Championship! This bout will feature …”
ShaoShu tried his best to ignore it.
They arrived at the pit arena entrance and were stopped by a powerful-looking guard. The guard nodded respectfully to Golden Dragon and said, “Present your weapons, please.”
Golden Dragon held up his hands.
“Very funny. Where are you hiding them?”
“I'm not hiding anything,” Golden Dragon said. He spread his robe wide to expose nothing but skin and untied his sash to show that its underside did not contain any secret compartments.
“Look,” the guard said. “It doesn't matter what weapons you bring, Golden Dragon. Nothing is off-limits in there. I just need to know what you have for crowd-security reasons. You can't expect me to believe that you are going to fight Lei, of all people, using only your bare hands.”
“I can't control what you believe and what you don't believe,” Golden Dragon said, “but I am only going to use my bare hands. Probably my arms, legs, and feet, too. No weapons.”
“It's your funeral, then,” the guard said. “I'll give you a moment to say goodbye to your ring boy. If you need anything, just let me know.” He walked far down the tunnel and leaned against the wall.
“What should I tell Hok?” ShaoShu asked with a sigh.
“Hok?” Golden Dragon said. “You sound like you are saying goodbye. Do not worry so. Whatever will be, will be.”
“How can you be so calm at a time like this?”
“Why shouldn't I be calm?”
“Because you're going bare-handed into a fight with a man who will be carrying six or seven loaded pistols, that's why!”
“Is that all?” Golden Dragon said. “I was told he carried more.”
“You're crazy.”
Golden Dragon smiled. “Perhaps you are the one who is crazy. You should learn to relax your
mind. Focus your worries away. Chase a shadow sometime.”
“Chase a shadow?”
“Take a chance on the unknown. My Dragon-style kung fu sifu used to call it ‘chasing the shadow.’ “
“I will try to remember that.”
“Good,” Golden Dragon said with a bow. “Now, I believe it is time.”
ShaoShu returned the bow and watched as the guard walked back over to them. He bowed to Golden Dragon and opened the door as the announcer cried, “Here he is, ladies and gentlemen, Golden DRAGON!”
Golden Dragon entered the pit arena to enthu siastic applause. He bowed to the crowd, and Shao Shu heard someone behind him down the tunnel shout, “Enjoy this moment, Dragon, for it will be your last!”
ShaoShu turned to see Lei approaching, and he suddenly remembered what he still needed to do. As the guard began to close the pit arena door, ShaoShu said, “Wait, sir! Let me have just one more look.”
“Hurry up,” the guard grumbled.
ShaoShu poked his head into the pit arena and quickly snatched a handful of dirt from the ground. He took one last look at Golden Dragon, then pulled his head back inside the tunnel. The guard closed the door, and ShaoShu shoved his dirt-filled hand between his sash and his robe, next to the mouse's pouch.
“Fancy seeing you here,” Lei said.
ShaoShu turned around, and Lei stepped up to him.
“I'm sorry,” ShaoShu replied nervously. “I would have helped you if you asked.”
Lei raised his hand as if to hit ShaoShu, but the guard intervened.
“Lei,” the guard said. “You're about to go on. I need to see what you're packing tonight.”
Lei scoffed and pulled open his robe to reveal six loaded pistols in their holsters across his chest.
“Anything else?” the guard asked.
“No,” Lei replied.
ShaoShu's eyes widened. Was Lei lying? There was only one way to find out.
As Lei began to pull the folds of his robe back over his pistols, ShaoShu bent down and pulled his hand out of his sash. He shoved his face into his dirt-filled palm and inhaled deeply, unleashing a violent dirty sneeze all over the lower portion of Lei's right pant leg.
Lei recoiled in disgust, but ShaoShu had already taken hold of Lei's pant cuff and begun to wipe the snot from it. Lei stumbled, and as he attempted to right himself, ShaoShu leaned forward to block his view. He grabbed Tonglong's pistol from the folds of his robe and made the switch. Lei had indeed been lying.
By the time Lei regained his balance, ShaoShu was back to wiping snot. Lei and the guard were none the wiser.
Lei kicked ShaoShu in the ribs, and ShaoShu whimpered loudly. He rolled away, acting far more injured than he actually was. He knew the more distractions Lei had, the better.
Lei began to curse at him, and the guard said, “You're up, Lei.” The guard opened the pit arena door, and ShaoShu heard the announcer say, “Everyone … let's make some noise for THUNDER!”
The crowd yelled even louder for Lei than they had for Golden Dragon. Lei entered the pit arena and flashed his guns to the crowd. Their roar grew deafening.
The guard shut the door and shook his head, rubbing his ears. “I hate when he does that. It gives me a headache every time.”
The guard turned his face to the small barred window in the pit arena door.
ShaoShu looked around and realized that that window offered the only view into the pit arena. There was no way he could wait through the entire match without seeing at least some of it. What if Golden Dragon needed his help? Wasn't that part of a ring boy's job?
“Excuse me,” ShaoShu said to the guard. “May I take a look?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I said so.”
“But I am Golden Dragon's ring boy. I need to watch to see if he needs anything.”
The guard chuckled. “He won't be needing anything where he's going.”
ShaoShu pouted. “Will you help him if something bad happens?”
“Nope. Not my job.”
“Whose job is it?”
“Don't know, don't care. Now be quiet. The fight is about to start.”
ShaoShu had had enough. He was worried for Golden Dragon. Without giving it any more thought, he leaped onto the guard's back, wrapping his legs around the man's midsection like he'd seen Golden Dragon do.
“What the—” the guard began to say, but his words were cut short by ShaoShu's right arm digging into his throat. ShaoShu grabbed his own right wrist with his left hand and leaned back hard.
Unfortunately, for some reason the big man didn't go down. Instead, he thrashed and swung his arms wildly at ShaoShu, and ShaoShu thought he was going to get his head knocked off. He shifted his arms several different ways, but that merely made the guard more angry. ShaoShu gave the big man's neck one last squeeze, and the guard twisted around, trying to buck ShaoShu from his back. In the process, the guard tripped over his own feet and fell flat on his face, his left temple striking the stone floor with tremendous force. The man went limp.
ShaoShu climbed off the big man's back and looked down. The guard was still breathing, and a lump was quickly forming on his head, but he wasn't bleeding. He would be fine.
ShaoShu swiped the guard's ring of keys, shoved them in a pouch next to his mouse, and climbed onto the man's chubby behind. Standing there on his tiptoes, he found that he could just see through the barred window into the pit arena.
A gong sounded, and the fight began.
CHAPTER
24
The fight started with Golden Dragon and Lei circling one another, sizing each other up. This went on for some time, and ShaoShu began to grow anxious.
He glanced into the crowd and saw the Emperor's box directly across from him at the very edge of the pit arena. In the box sat the Emperor dressed in yellow, with AnGangseh at his side. On the Emperor's other side was Xie, and next to Xie was a very large man who was the spitting image of Xie, only older. ShaoShu had once heard Tonglong and Lei saying that the Emperor's bodyguard was the son of the Western Warlord, so ShaoShu guessed that's who the man was. On AnGangseh's other side sat Tonglong, now the Southern Warlord, and next to him was a frail-looking man. ShaoShu guessed that he was the Eastern Warlord.
Some of the crowd members began to boo the lack of action in the pit arena, and ShaoShu looked over to see Lei flash his guns again. The crowd began to chant:
“THUN-DER! THUN-DER! THUN-DER!”
Lei set his jaw and pulled out a pistol. Without warning, he fired a shot at Golden Dragon.
BANG!
ShaoShu saw the whole thing as if in slow motion, and he could hardly believe his eyes. Lei pulled the trigger, and in the momentary pause between the spark of the flint, the powder igniting, and the lead ball blasting forward, Golden Dragon dropped flat to the ground and the lead ball passed harmlessly over him.
The crowd went wild.
Without missing a beat, Golden Dragon leaped to his feet and sprang at Lei as he pulled out a second pistol. Golden Dragon grabbed the pistol with both hands, wrenching it out of Lei's grasp, and fired it into the compacted dirt floor.
BANG!
Golden Dragon threw the spent pistol down and in the blink of an eye managed to snatch a third pistol from one of Lei's holsters before Lei could back away.
The crowd cheered madly.
Golden Dragon began to stalk Lei with the unfired pistol in his hand, but Lei did nothing but retreat. The crowd began to heckle and taunt Lei for running away. They wanted to see him stand and fight.
“Let's do this like real men,” Golden Dragon hissed.
BANG!
Golden Dragon fired the third pistol into the floor and threw it down.
“Real men! Real men!” someone shouted, and the crowd started chanting:
“GOL-DEN! DRA-GON! GOL-DEN! DRA-GON!”
ShaoShu saw Lei's face harden. He spat and pulled two pistols from the folds of his robe, holding one in each
hand.
Golden Dragon edged toward Lei, who fired a quick shot with his right-hand pistol.
BANG!
Golden Dragon spun to his own right side, dodging the lead ball. However, in the same instant, Lei fired his left-hand pistol.
BANG!
This shot struck Golden Dragon in the upper portion of his left arm. He cried out in pain, and the crowd fell silent.
Ignoring his wound, Golden Dragon rushed across the pit to Lei, fast as lightning. He pinned Lei's arms to his sides in a powerful chest-to-chest bear hug. Lei hadn't even had time to retrieve another pistol.
The crowd roared with approval.
ShaoShu watched as Lei dropped his spent pistols and let his legs fall out from under him, pulling Golden Dragon down with his dead weight. Golden Dragon compensated by arching his back and heaving Lei upright again, but the damage was done.
Lei had managed to retrieve the hidden pistol from under his right pant leg with his right hand and grab something else with his left hand from beneath his left pant leg. Lei's left wrist flicked forward along Golden Dragon's right thigh, and Golden Dragon howled, releasing his hold on Lei.
Golden Dragon took several steps back, and ShaoShu saw a long line of red running down Golden Dragon's leg. He looked over at Lei and saw that he was holding a knife in his left hand. The pistol was still in Lei's right hand, down by his waist.
The crowd turned deathly silent.
Golden Dragon glared at Lei, then rushed forward again.
“NO!” ShaoShu shouted. But it was too late. He watched in horror as Lei fired the pistol from his hip.
KA-BOOM!
The pistol exploded in Lei's hand with an immense blast of flames and smoke and a terrific thunder that echoed throughout the fight club.
Eager shouts of “What happened? What happened?” began to rain down from the crowd.
As the smoke cleared, ShaoShu saw Golden Dragon standing over Lei. Most of Lei's right side was gone. He was undoubtedly dead.
The crowd erupted into a frenzy. They began chanting again:
“GOL-DEN! DRA-GON! GOL-DEN! DRA-GON!”
