Gilded Rust

Chapter 4 - Losing Face

Old Man Fong's headquarters were on the second floor of Kamdo, a popular Cantonese restaurant at the heart of the syndicate's territory. Although the original purpose of the establishment had been to act as a front for the organisation's operations, over time, the delicious authentic cuisine had drawn many locals. As a result, the place was rarely empty, adding to the illusion of legitimacy. A few years prior, it had even made it on a "must try" list for intrepid travellers on some internet listicle, but the whole thing had quickly been hushed, and to local anonymity, the restaurant had soon returned to the delight of the regulars who'd taken no joy in all the slum tourism and selfie-taking. As a teen, Yibo had spent many summers as a dishwasher there and had come to know the staff well. This wasn't to say he'd become close friends with any of them; in this rough neighbourhood, everyone kept their cards close to their chests. Nevertheless, even though he knew he'd always be welcome there, his pride had always prevented him from making the kitchen a refuge from his hectic life.

Yibo rode past the brightly lit façade of the restaurant and got off his bike at the entrance of a dark and narrow alley that ran the length of the building. As he walked, he carefully avoided the piles of detritus and pools of stagnant water that gave a rank smell. The back of the edifice was lit by a single dirt-covered light that didn't do much to pierce the pervasive darkness. Nevertheless, after propping his bicycle against the brick wall, Yibo glanced around quickly. Although the usual grimy plates were set on the ground near the kitchen's backdoor, they were empty, and there didn't seem to be any stray cats around. Usually, when he arrived later and closer to closing time, he would spend a moment petting the felines eating scraps, and sometimes, he would even exchange a few words with whoever had fed them that night. He sighed, momentarily disappointed, but quickly reminded himself that it was probably a blessing after the day he'd had; he'd already spoken more than his fill, and his small talk tank was thoroughly depleted.

The old metal staircase creaked under Yibo's feet as he slowly made his way up to the second-floor landing. At the top, he found himself standing in front of a thick, knobless grey door with a closed sliding peephole. He could still remember when he'd needed to knock in a specific pattern to get the person inside to let him; back then, he'd been too short to be seen from the open slit. However, those days were long gone, and there was now a security panel with a camera and a doorbell on the wall next to the entrance. He pressed the button, and as he did so, he noticed his fingers were still sticky from the sachima squares. Pushing the fresh memories of his encounter with his old teacher to the back of his mind, he wiped his hands on his trousers. As he did so, he felt a bulge in a pocket that should have been empty. However, before he could investigate further, the intercom crackled, and a gruff voice was heard.

"What do you want?"

"I'm here to feed the cats," replied Yibo with his unique code phrase.

A few seconds later, the familiar buzz of the electric lock echoed in the quiet alley, and the door opened. A beam of bright light spilled over the landing as Yibo stepped inside a small vestibule. He shaded his eyes and blinked a few times before finally seeing that the sentry was the usual thirty-something stout man. Although they knew each other by sight, they never talked, so Yibo, not knowing his name and unwilling to ask, had nicknamed him "Mr. Bored" since the man sported a permanent disinterested expression.

"Bag," said the sentry, holding out his hand.

Yibo, who knew the drill, had already been unshouldering his backpack. After taking his pay packet out of it, he passed it to him. He then stood still in a wide stance with his arms outstretched at his side for the usual pat down. This caused his left shoulder to smart; it was becoming clear that the higher he raised his arms, the more pain it caused.