Book 1: Chapter 107


    After Uncle Two finished speaking, everyone gradually dispersed. Many people hugged me, but I didn''t react. All I could think was, <em>is this really necessary? I feel like a seriously ill patient.</em>


    I had just learned that I was sick even though I felt like I was in good health. I had no idea what I would face in the future.


    There were several famous crawfish shops on Hefang Street. Xiao Hua pretended to leave first and didn''te back until Poker-Face, Fatty, and I were sitting down in one of the crawfish shops. Poker-Face and Xiao Hua didn''t normally eat this kind of food, so they ate some cucumbers instead. Fatty and I quickly ate a mountain of crawfish before we calmed down.


    We were all quiet about what had happened just now, but the thing that was bothering me was that Uncle Two was always a man who avoided the important things. I wasnt sure if he had told me the real severity of my situation. What he had said just now could have big and small parts. He had obviously told me the small part, but didnt mention anything about the big part at all.


    This was his style.


    After drinking a few beers, the boundaries and depression in my heart disappeared and I started to rx and joke. Fatty kept saying I might be cured after eating Poker-Face meat. In the future, wed have to keep Little Brother''s bath water to use as soup stock to prolong our lives.


    I told Xiao Hua to say what he needed to say. I had been ordered to stay healthy now and I had to get up early to go to work tomorrow. I wasnt familiar with the new work unit, so I had to be on my best behavior.


    Xiao Hua looked at the beer in his cup. The seats here were very crowded and he always looked a little ufortable on such asions.


    "ck sses situation isnt looking good," Xiao Hua said. "Based on what my men said, he waspletely blind on his way to Mute Vige."


    "Completely blind?" I asked. "Didn''t he say that he could see a little no matter what?"


    "Completely blind." Xiao Hua took a sip of beer and continued, "What difference does it make to him even if hes notpletely blind? You guys are all spread out in different ces and Im the only one in Beijing. I already have so many things to deal with. We need toe up with a n on how to deal with this matter. Xiao Hua nced at me, "He made many enemies when he helped you before. If he really can''t see, hell be dead within a month."


    "Who the fuck dares to kill him?!" Fatty was furious. "Who, who the fuck are his enemies? If pushes to shove, Ill kill them all first! Spread the word, whoever dares to fucking touch ck sses will be my enemy. Ill send their whole family to heaven!"


    Xiao Hua was still looking at me, "Its easier to dodge a spear in the open than it is to avoid a stab in the dark."


    I pulled Fatty back down, "It wont work for us to say these words now." I then looked at Xiao Hua, who was still watching me, "What''s your n? Just say it. What do you need me to do?"


    Xiao Hua looked at his beer and said, "He needs a ce like Rain Vige. If he wont go, someone has to convince him somehow."


    I shook my head. When ck sses set his mind to do something, he did it very obviously. Even if he wanted to die, he would do it in an easy and uplicated manner. I knew I could never convince him. If ck sses really had such severe symptoms, then the best way was to hide his whereabouts before he got treatment or found a better solution.


    I already knew that what Xiao Hua was saying wasnt meant for me.


    It was very dangerous to enter the blind tomb without Poker-Face. That ce was probably the most dangerous tomb in the world and there wasnt any information on it at all.


    ck sses was now helping Uncle Two investigate Uncle Three, but he couldnt afford to put off his own affairs.


    Poker-Face had to participate in everything, yet I couldnt get involved at all.


    I was a little dazed and didnt pay attention to what Xiao Hua said after that. When I walked out of the crawfish shop, a wave of tiredness washed over me. For the first time, I felt that our era might soon pass.


    I knew that this day woulde eventually, but I never understood why so many people were unwilling to quit. I wasnt the nostalgic type, but now that this day hade, the curtain call felt so ufortable.


    I slept in Fatty''s hotel room and then drove back to Warehouse Eleven at eight the next morning.


    When I walked in the door, I saw Bai Haotian standing there holding a bunch of flowers. "Little Master Three, hello!"


    I nodded and looked at my job title. I was a director, but Bai Haotian had a manager''s badge on her chest. I didn''t know which one had the higher authority here.


    Bai Haotian kept talking, "Theres no social insurance (1), wages are paid in cash, theres a gas allowance, and you get one day off a week. Sound good?"


    ****


    TN Notes:


    (1) Chinas social insurance consists of five different types of insurance, plus one mandatory housing fund. The five insurances are pension, medical, unemployment, work-rted injury, and maternity. More info here.