Chapter 20: Handsome Zhai Da
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Lu Benqing tapped the cigarette in his hand, inhaling the butt along with the sponge filter, casting a sidelong glance at the newcomers.
Three Japanese men.
A few local guides and translators buzzed around them, chattering incessantly in their birdlike language.
He couldn’t understand, but his mind automatically translated it as, "Boss! They’re right inside~"
Lu Benqing was quite familiar with the house bank here—or rather, he had lost a lot of money to them. Today, he had been tipped off that a few foreigners were coming.
The advance notice was clear: this was a setup to fleece the big spenders. If the foreigners showed interest in other tables, don’t refuse; everyone would share in the slaughter.
Lu Benqing had expected Western devils but was surprised to see little Japanese...
Seeing their kowtowing, it really rubbed him the wrong way...
But he was just a gambler, one who had lost all his savings, borrowed from relatives, and was even squeezing money from his daughter to feed his addiction. He harbored no national grudges—only thoughts of whether he could win a little from these Japanese.
As for whether they had fleeced the Japanese before, frankly, gamblers don’t ponder such questions.
They weren’t losing to the house but to their own cravings and fantasies of breaking even.
“Old Lu, in this dump, foreigners come to play?”
Lu Benqing crushed the cigarette underfoot. “New place, itchy hands, brought here by others, probably. When hungry, people can eat even shit.”
The man who asked shrank his neck, thinking, “That’s you. We’re not that ruthless…”
The Japanese were led inside, obviously to a separate game. Gamblers like Lu Benqing, who brought a few hundred yuan and played long-term, were essentially just part of the atmosphere.
Like the nightclub hostesses.
“Don’t mind the rest, deal the cards! Today, my luck’s blazing hot!”
This smoky, chaotic place returned to its usual scene.
A group of people inside, lost and unable to escape.
Until the righteous light, wielding the baton of justice, burst in.
“Don’t move! Hands on your head, squat down!”
“Squat down! Squat down!”
Police quickly took control; a few who tried to run were kicked down on the spot.
The three Japanese panicked, nearly soiling themselves, babbling in Japanese before being pressed to the ground.
In truth, Zhai Da had still underestimated the crackdown in 2008 in the province.
Granted, it wasn’t 2024 yet, and he felt the atmosphere wasn’t that good.
But without the causes in 2008, there would be no results in 2024.
At least in this province, some things were being seriously governed.
———
Zhai Da waited only a dozen minutes before seeing a stream of people being escorted out.
He pulled out a knockoff phone and snapped a blurry photo for the record—today’s mission was complete.
He wanted to witness the results in person to guard against the “leaks” and “collusion between cops and criminals” seen in TV dramas. If tonight was peaceful or if a bunch of police came but caught no one, he wouldn’t let Wu Yue claim the reward at the station.
Wu Yue’s life was still life.
Lu Wei also recognized her father, Lu Benqing, in the crowd, his large, emotionless eyes unreadable.
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Once all was calm and the street returned to silence, Zhai Da and Lu Wei emerged from the shadows.
Zhai Da clapped his hands. “Mission accomplished. Next up is the reward. I’ll handle it myself. Your share, I’ll find a way to get it to you later.”
Lu Wei shook her head, firm. “I don’t want money. It’s all yours.”
“No, you have to take it.”
Lu Wei wouldn’t accept the money, and he wasn’t at ease.
After all, her father was behind bars.
If you eat the monk Tang’s flesh, it’s best to do so alongside the Monkey King.
The tall, slender girl said nothing further but didn’t seem ready to accept quietly either.
Zhai Da glanced around. In this bird’s nest of a place, not a single car passed in ten minutes. To catch a taxi, they’d have to walk some distance.
So he led Lu Wei toward the side entrance used by Sanmao.
One ahead, one behind; one quick, one slow.
Zhai Da silently contemplated what came next, while Lu Wei watched the shadows at her feet.
Rows of street lamps cast narrow pools of light; shadows underfoot were chased by footsteps, then abandoned again.
Street lamps work like this—they cannot dispel the night but create overlapping patterns of light and dark, fooling people into feeling they are not truly in darkness.
Yet the world has roads of endless night, but no one can walk them forever together.
At a certain intersection, Zhai Da stopped.
Waiting for a taxi to arrive and take Lu Wei away.
It was nearly eleven o’clock; asking her to walk back was unreasonable.
Taking her home was out of the question—Ms. Yu was waiting there.
Lu Wei, noticing Zhai Da’s anxious glances around as if searching for a cab, suddenly said, “Let’s walk two more blocks.”
Zhai Da shook his head. “This spot is fine—lots of cars.”
Lu Wei said no more.
Suddenly, she realized that after tonight, some strong connection with Zhai Da might be over.
Just like two years ago...
Then what? Split the money? Say hi if they met on the street?
Lu Wei’s delicate hand stroked the back of the Snickers bar behind her back. After a whole evening, it was already warm...
Slightly melted.
“Screech—”
A taxi stopped before them.
But Zhai Da didn’t let Lu Wei get in immediately. Instead, through the front passenger window, he tried to bargain.
In this small town, taxis at midnight quoted prices rather than running meters. Also, since Lu Wei was going alone, the driver’s face had to be checked.
He sought those with tough, stern, middle-aged male faces.
Guaranteed to be a strict husband with children and a cat-loving man. If bald, that was a bonus for safety.
Finally, a flat fare of 20 yuan was agreed upon. Zhai Da, not as skilled as Ms. Yu and less familiar with the roads, paid upfront, took a photo of the license plate, and urged Lu Wei to hurry in. He was eager to get home.
Lu Wei was silent for a moment, then looked down and said, “Thank you. I’ll bring the fare to you next time.”
Zhai Da waved it off. “No need.”
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Lu Wei sat in the back seat, closed the door, and began to zone out.
Her attempts to build a small connection seemed to have failed...
Twice now.
Until a tap on the window startled her.
Rolling it down, Zhai Da passed her an old phone wrapped with its charging cable.
“Almost forgot this. I already saved my number inside. The SIM card has zero monthly fees, so calls are a bit pricey. You can go to the service center to change it when you have time.”
Lu Wei took the Nokia 3310 dumbly.
Zhai Da mimed making a call. “Once you get home safe, send me a message. If anything comes up, just use the phone to contact me.”
He added, “Remember to eat well—carrying you today even bruised my hands!”
Without waiting for her reply, Zhai Da patted the car door and told the driver to go.
The taxi, impatient, quickly pulled away, while the young man dashed off in the opposite direction.
Any later, and Ms. Yu would have exploded!
Lu Wei sat in the car, gripping the Snickers in one hand and the Nokia in the other.
Tentatively opening the phone, she flipped through the contacts...
She hadn’t never used a phone before, but for certain reasons... she had stopped.
There was only one contact saved.
The name read:
Zhai the Handsome Guy.
“Zhai Da... Zhai the Handsome Guy...”
The delicate curve of her lips couldn’t help but lift lightly.
This was probably the first time someone’s humor made her smile. For a moment, the taxi’s interior was filled with spring breeze.
The driver glanced back in the rearview mirror, thinking, “Such a beautiful girl...”
A pity, someone else could no longer see that face.
———
Zhai Da returned home, heart pounding with excitement. Ms. Yu was already applying a cucumber face mask and wasn’t up for talking, so she didn’t scold him for being late.
After a shower, as he lay back on the bed, his phone rang.
A message from “Malnutrition” appeared.
“I’m home.”
“Got it. Rest early.”
“Good night, Handsome Da.”
“Good night, smart little girl.”
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