Polluted Jianghu: 新年少鹏

You chase him through the crowd, the nameless Maoist. He slips you at every turn, disappearing for minutes in the churn before reappearing. He winds his way through the endless stairs and dips in and out of miniature malls and halls of glass. "Sir, I-" No, that's not how you address him. "Comrade, excuse-"

He ignores you. But since he obviously seems to know where he's going, as opposed to you, you follow him the best you can.

The world floats by you. Nothing is quite real but the red sun incarnate in a slightly shabby suit and a suitcase, slipping in and out of the figures that might as well be mist. You find him, again and again, until disappears along a seam of wall, which at first is quite solid. There's a trick, there has to be. He couldn't have gone anywhere else. You tap your knuckles against it. Yep. Hollow. So there's a seam, even if you can't tell where it is just yet.

You know, it's just plywood and plastic, a bit in your head whispers. How hard could it be? Embrace it, c'mon, do it.

Well, you won't. Because you're standing in a busy aisle and you're pretty sure that kicking down the walls of someone's establishment is a faux pas even if they are the human embodiment of a tick.

Okay yes but when has that stopped you ever? Become the property destruction!

It is tempting, you admit. But you've (kinda) grown out of that now. You've become (not that much) calmer. Or maybe that's just the vodka buzz. Or the whole thing with Yuexia.

God, that thing. Fuck. You don't want to think about it anymore so you stopped, instead bending down to tap against the fake wood. You are aware people are staring but fuck them.

Bleary eyes study the grain. There's a seam here, almost invisible, but when you press your eye to it it appears. It swings open with a little bit of force and you stumble into a dark room, where0

Click.

"Don't move, fascist."

Rude.

"Name. Purpose. Turn around." The gun barrel presses against the back of your head, then disappears.

You turn. "Li Peng-"

"The reactionary general?" Something between skepticism and dialectics powered rage colors his tone."

"Fuck, man, it's me. The crackhead in the Zhenyan van. Remember?"

He thinks, the squat revolver, loaded with heavy bullets built to kill martial artists of your caliber, dropping for a moment. You could kick it out of his grip but you let it pass by. "I do," he eventually says. "You found your name. Congratulations, comrade." Really warms your heart, this does. "Is this a social visit?"

"Could you put down the gun?"

"I remain ever vigilant against reactionary depredations." The hammer clicks. "Purpose. Now."

"I saw you in the crowd and it's been such a long time since I've seen you and I have a lot of questions I'd like to ask like who's the Manchurian what are the Snakeheads who am I and I have some answers to them but I still want to know more about the world."

The maoist's revolutionary brain experiences irreconcilable contractions before settling on the obvious.

"You're drunk."

"Yep."

"Go back and forget you ever saw me." It was an ultimatum, good as any. "You lived in the world for two weeks already. "You can draw your own conclusions. Your eyes work, so go away."

"Please, comrade, I just-"

"Don't comrade me. If you hadn't noticed, I have a gun pointed at your head. I call that a pretty final argument."

This isn't working. You take a mental step back. What's his deal? Hong Erhu hadn't mentioned him, but he screams communist to the core. So, what's his angle here? Maybe a liaison with Si Fei, that could be it. He's on the edge, ruder. Maybe it's the shame that's doing it. That explains, you think as you watch a bead of sweat, reflecting the dim tracer lights, crawl down his forehead, why he wants you to piss off.

Okay. Now, what's going to be your angle of attack?

"You need to see Si Fei, right?"

His glare sharpens from cutting to monomolecular. Bingo. "Look, I need to see him too. We can do this together, right? Whatever you're planning, another body can help."

He's thinking it over. You have to back off now. Whatever happens next, he's gotta own it, 'cause if you push in then it's your idea, not his. "Fine," he abruptly says, stowing away the gun in his shabby coat. "Lie Beihong. Shake." He puts his hand out and you shake it.

You followed him, wherever he was going, up rickety stairs that were left behind by some contractor or the other. The briefcase shone a gunmetal grey in the faint lights of the pagoda. "So, uh, I notice that you have a case."

"Indeed I do." The lid thumped against the floor.

"Can I ask what you got in there?"

"Plastic explosives," he said without a change in tone. "I'm going to be blowing up the Colored Wolf Pagoda."

[]- Stay Cool: You were going to do this anyway. Just gotta get to Si Fei first.
[]- Throw Hands: Get the case away from the maniac.

A/N: Well, that was embarrassing.

Panic surges like waves in your mind. Mixed spiteful enjoyment (haha the rich motherfuckers are gonna die) with concern (fuck if this place blows Yuexia is never gonna get what she needs) and relief (oh thank god you don't have to do it yourself, it's a giant relief) batter at your psyche. Deep breathes. "Wow, you go hard," you say, peeking over Liu Beihong's shoulder. Yep, those are explosives. They even have a red display even though everyone from terrorists to intel ops link them to smartphones now.

"Yes. Take them and put one there." He points high up. In the tangled roost of struts. "Look for a bar marked s4. Rig them up one index finger length away from the mark."

"You sure about that?" You lift the satchel. Classic c4. "I never-"

"Follow my instructions, comrade. I have this all planned out."

That's that, then. You shrug, mouth your op at Lie's back and leap. Twice to stretch the muscles. On the third time you leap twenty meters high and catch a scaffold, the satchel dangling over empty air. And fuck, it's dark here. Where's the s4 bar? Did Lie see it this high up or… nah, has to be that he got a blueprint somewhere. "Three meters to your left!" He was fiddling with a handset radio. "Then straight up. That's where it is."

You are doubtful but you try it because you don't have any better options. And of course you're wrong, as always. "Anything more?" you ask when you land with a light thud. Yes, as it turns out. You repeated the process with him, groping along in the darkness while Lie Beihong walked like he knew every exposed cable, every discarded plastic cup, every loose bit of plastic or walling that you dance through half on instinct and also falling down every once in the while.

"That's it," Lie Beihong says. The briefcase makes a hollow thump as he throws it against the floor. "My collateral is set up. Let's talk to the boss."

"Aye, aye, comrade."

Butterflies in your stomach. Beating to get out. You want this to happen and you don't want this to happen at the same time.

"Si Fei," Lie Beihong says, no, dictates, into the headset. "This is Lie Beihong. I've rigged your precious tower to blow. Meet with us face to face or I'll press the detonator."

Static on the other end.

"Lie Beihong?" That voice croaks. It conjured images of liver spots and old man musk. "This is really quite unexpected."

"I gave you my terms, you old toad. What's it going to be?"

"I can't imagine that Ms. Hong will be quite satisfied with your actions." That startles you. Hong Erhu doesn't know? Is Lei a rogue?

"I don't give a shit about that traitor." Oh, that explains it. "You will let us in the fifth floor or I will detonate one of several explosives I have rigged up in your cancer. I reckon that once I go past three the tower will collapse."

"You drive a hard bargain. Us? May I speak to your other associate? I've wanted to meet Ming Jian, the man who equaled Metalhead and in one painkiller fueled haze, took down Kirisaki-rengou. And, if the word on the street is right, in the market for a history."

"Fuck that. You're stalling for time. Either we see you face to face or I start setting off the bombs. How'd that make your clientele feel?"

"I imagine that somewhere they would be quite happy for the excitement. Would you like a job here? The last pyrotechnical contractor took a sudden… leave."

Lei Beihong shut his eyes and breathed. His other hand dug out a detonator. On your part, you shut your mouth. This is just getting to the fun bit, and you can't get Si Fei's measure from the staticky voice alone. You squat down, waiting. "You're pulling out the detonator," the old thing hisses. "My friend, do not make rash decisions. Do you think you can leave? No, you cannot. The Four Freaks of the Pagoda will hunt you down."

"Keep making those threats. That is the only thing you can do now."

"And yet I cannot help but notice that you are also making threats, which is highly irregular for someone of your ideological backbone. And it drives me to curious madness."

There is fury, white hot, iron melting, spouse killing fury in Lie Beihong's eyes. You move, rising and taking the radio in your own arms. "Hello?" you ask lightly. "This is Ming Jian. You've got a pretty good selection of vodka here, you know."

"Ming Jian. You're far more polite than your compatriot. I hope the Pagoda is to your liking?"

Something tells you to look at Lie. It's the same instinct that yells at you when a blade touches your neck. Shit. Too friendly. "Not at all," you can say honestly. "I fucking hate it here and it's only the alcohol that makes it semi-tolorable. Hey, why won't you let me up to the fourth floor?"

"For that you really must come up and ask me personally."

"But you won't let us up."

"What a paradox."

You consider the headset. The plastic cracks in your grip. Huh. He really got to you. Lei Beihong patted your shoulder. "No luck?" He asks you. "Don't be worried. I expected this."

"Quite rude to not include me in this, isn't it?"

[1.2] {Wrathful Manifestation} What Are Hostages For? Seriously, fuck this guy. Trigger an explosive and see if he's still smiling.
[1.4] {Harmonious Society} Grit Down And Dream of Murder: Just smile through this conversation. You could convince him to let you up. Maybe try groveling?
[1.1] {Chase the Red Sun} Service Elevator: Si Fei probably has traps in the backrooms, but you can sneak through. Like that fish metaphor.