Faust

Xiao

As my eyes adapted to the light. I can see that I'm in a medium size room. Unlike most of the places in jiu lou, this space doesn't have wooden floors but barebone concrete ones with some cracks and dried blood on them. The bright LED light tubes are placed where the ceiling meets wall, hold in place by nails and duct tape.

A square is drawn in white chalk in the middle. The brown of dried blood fills that square. A couple of black sandbags are suspended on the ceiling (looks unstable). Lots of human outlines with different heights and body types on the wall, also drawn with chalk. A bunch of tangled-up jump ropes and boxing tapes pilled up at the corner of the room.

"Personal gym? Love the industrial style." I ask jokingly.
"It's Nan's. Others also use it when they want to......dissolve some conflicts between one and another." She walks towards the square in the middle of the room where she stops at the northwest corner. Her right foot moves a step forward, but the left stays still. She looks down at the little corner of the 5m x 5m square. Then she turns her head and looks at me. Surprisingly there was no hatred or murderous intent in her eyes, just......calmly and cautiously judging me.

Of all the places you can do this, you picked where I'm most accustomed to.

"If you want a second round you can come at me anytime, anywhere you want after I'm done here." She looks me in the eyes but doesn't answers me. "But if you really want to settle this now........" I slowly exhale and start thinking about how many steps it takes to get in her range.
She closes her eyes again, just when I'm fully prepared for a tough fight. She turns around and carries on walking towards the door at the end of the north wall.

"If there is a second round it will end with your death.......but you're right. Missy's work is the priority." I keep a safe distance while following her.
"Anytime. But you know, I preferred dealing with disputes with my words instead of violence," When violence is not a safer option. "How about we show each other some of the 'trust and honesty between colleagues' that Nan won't shut up about?" She lets out another one of those exhales that sounds like short laughter. Opening the door by the wall which leads to a dimly lit narrow hallway.
"After all, what did you guys put it? 'Heqi Shengcai'?" She turns her head slightly and side-eyes me.
"Are you Chinese or a Malaysian?" That's the most normal tone I've heard when she's talking to me.
"Neither, I'm a Faustian born and bred." Xiao turns left at the end of the hallway.
"Have you.......lived in paio jie before?"

Don't make me laugh.

"Never. But I used to sneak in opium dens when I was younger, learned a bit of Mandarin there." Typical story. No one will suspect that.
"You know a lot for someone who wasn't formally educated in Chinese." Not a compliment, just stating the fact. But it's an improvement nonetheless. I let out a hum. We take another left turn at the end. How big is this place?

"And you? Piao jie oriented? You don't look like one of those imbecile dream chasers." She laughs a real laugh. It sounds......hearty, normal laughter from a young girl........the striking contrast is killing me. After that comes a moment of silence before she answers me.
".......no. I'm a Faustian too." At the end of the dim hallway is another door.
"Born here," as she pushes the handle bright light fills the dark hallway, casting a long and narrow shadow behind me.
"Live here," Xiao pushes the door open and holds it in place. I step forward to hold it for her, as she let go of her right hand our eyes meet again. Hers are brown. Same as mine. But lighter. "Di......"

           Die as how the fuck we want!

"Die as how the fuck we want." She frowns at my words. "We can't choose where we were born, we can't choose how we live." I put on a grin and walk into the light. "But we can damn well choose how we go."