The entire floor had flown right out of the building. Zhang Laifu saw it with crystal clarity: there was nothing above or below, yet the windows of the neighboring rooms to the left and right were still there.
A single floor flying through the sky?
What kind of principle was this based on?
The floor banked sharply to the right in midair, throwing Zhang Laifu off balance. He steadied himself and peered through the window, catching a faint glimpse of the office building in the distance.
The skyscraper still stood where it was. Missing an entire floor seemed to have had virtually no effect on its overall structure.
No wonder when Zhang Laifu counted, it had thirty-two stories, yet Lao Yu and Lao Zheng insisted there were thirty-one.
They hadn't been talking nonsense; they had counted earlier when another floor had flown away.
"What on earth is going on?" Zhang Laifu turned around to ask Lao Song. "Why is a building flying in the sky..."
Before he could finish, the room jolted violently, knocking him to the floor.
"Laifu, get back to your position," Lao Song said, helping Zhang Laifu up and guiding him back to the bed. With deep earnestness, he added, "Laifu, you've done acting before. Even if you're not a professional actor, surely you've seen the most basic special effects. When actors film scenes in a car, do you think they really shoot in a car on the road? It's all done on a set with a green screen, filming inside a prop vehicle. Isn't the scenery outside the windows always special effects? What's there to make such a fuss about?"
Zhang Laifu pointed outside the window. "You're telling me this is special effects?"
"Of course! You think it could be real?" Lao Song shook his head, as if lamenting Zhang Laifu's sheer ignorance.
Zhang Laifu shook his head vigorously. "Those effects are added in post-production. But I'm seeing this with my own two eyes."
"Even what you see with your own eyes isn't real!" Lao Song pointed out the window. "Those are electronic display screens outside. Doing special effects this way makes them look far more convincing, helping the actors get into character. You ought to be getting into character too. Hurry up, lie down on the bed and sleep..."
Even as he spoke, pitch-black darkness engulfed the view beyond the floor-to-ceiling window.
Lao Song carried on explaining: "That's the visual effect of a train passing through a tunnel."
Hooch-chuff, hooch-chuff...
The sound of churning steam was unmistakable.
"That's the auditory effect of the train picking up speed."
Clatter-clank!
The room lurched again.
Lao Song explained, "That's a motion effect—cough, cough, cough!"
A wave of dense smoke drifted into the room, choking Lao Song into a coughing fit.
Zhang Laifu asked, "And what kind of special effect is this smoke?"
"This is... cough, cough... an olfactory effect simulating the train in motion. Honestly, these effects department folks—such heavy smoke, aren't they worried about triggering the smoke alarm?"
There was a smoke alarm in here too?
Zhang Laifu gave it serious thought. "What's the point of an olfactory effect? Can the audience smell it?"
"Don't you see me coughing?" Lao Song shut the floor-to-ceiling window. "It's an aid to help actors immerse themselves in their performance."
Though the window was closed, the draft seeping through the cracks remained bitingly cold.
Zhang Laifu wrapped the quilt tighter around himself and glanced at Lao Song. "Then this wind must be a tactile effect?"
"Right. All special effects. Everything is to enhance the performance." Lao Song lay down on his bed as well, facing the window.
Lao Song was a peculiar man—peculiar in the way he resembled a wad of soft cotton.
He always came across as warm and approachable. Even though Zhang Laifu was being kidnapped by him, it was almost impossible to feel afraid of him.
Zhang Laifu gripped his phone. He had drafted more than a dozen text messages, but with no signal whatsoever, not a single one had gone through.
If messages couldn't get out, could a person?
Lao Zheng was in the outer room, and Lao Song was in the inner room.
He was stuck inside a flying building on principles unknown.
Relying solely on himself made escaping next to impossible; he had to find a way to call for help.
Suddenly, a landscape hanging scroll on the wall lit up, startling Zhang Laifu.
"That's just a television," Lao Song said. "No need to be nervous."
"That's a TV?"
It was disguised remarkably well.
If cell phones had no signal, why did the TV have one? Could there be another signal source here?
"It's our company's closed-circuit television," Lao Song remarked, seemingly reading Zhang Laifu's mind.
The landscape on the scroll vanished, replaced by a pretty young woman dressed in a railway uniform. Wearing a gentle smile, she announced:
"Dear passengers, welcome aboard Train 1168. Passengers already on board, please do not wander around or leave your carriage at will. The train attendants are solely responsible for sanitation and station arrival reminders; they will not disturb passengers at any other time. We wish you a pleasant journey."
The beautiful woman smiled softly and vanished.
The painted brushwork of mountains and waters quickly resurfaced on the scroll.
Zhang Laifu turned to Lao Song. "Was that an attendant just now? Is this a train? A train that's a single floor of a building?"
Lao Song replied, "What train? You're still in our company's building. That broadcast just now was a work cue for us. When that prompt appears, it means shooting is about to begin. Everyone needs to get into character right this instant."
Zhang Laifu looked all around. "Where are the cameras set up?"
Lao Song shook his head. "Our company is an industry leader. We're not like those fly-by-night outfits; we don't use their outdated equipment. There are plenty of hidden recording devices throughout this carriage capable of capturing every angle without blind spots. That leaves plenty of footage for post-production editing. You don't need to worry about camera angles. All you need to do is stay in character."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the strumming notes of a pipa drifted in from outside the window.
Zhang Laifu knew nothing about pipa music, but the melody was so exquisite that it made his ears tingle and his limbs grow feather-light, until his entire being felt as though it were floating away.
...
"Dear passengers, we will soon be arriving at Baiduanjiang Station. Passengers alighting here, please collect your personal belongings and prepare to disembark."
Zhang Laifu opened his eyes groggily. To his surprise, he had slept straight through to the evening.
The hanging scroll on the wall remained lit, and Zhang Laifu could still see the attendant's smiling face.
Just this one smiling face? Where did Lao Song go?
Zhang Laifu sat up and realized Lao Song was no longer in the room.
The curtains were drawn, with streaks of light repeatedly sweeping past outside the window.
Judging from how frequently the lights flashed by, the train was slowing down.
Zhang Laifu walked over to the window. After waiting a moment, the train attendant on the scroll delivered the next announcement: "Baiduanjiang Station. We have arrived."
We're at the station!
Was this station also built out of stacked trains?
Zhang Laifu pulled open the window, intending to check how high the train was off the ground. If it was five stories or lower, he planned to jump.
Whoosh!
A blistering wave of heat rushed in, and Zhang Laifu slammed the window shut.
He touched his face and wiped away a smudge of black soot from his brow.
A good chunk of his hair had been singed as well. Zhang Laifu truly hadn't expected the temperature outside to be so scorching.
The window was out of the question; he would have to use the door.
Pushing open the wooden door, he peered into the outer room. Lao Yu and Lao Zheng were fast asleep, their snores rising in a steady rhythm.
Quiet as a shadow, Zhang Laifu slipped through the outer room and out into the corridor.
There were several people in the hallway carrying luggage toward the emergency exit doors.
This had to be the proper way off the train. As long as he followed them...
"Laifu, where are you off to?" Lao Yu asked from behind, watching Zhang Laifu with a smile.
Zhang Laifu replied calmly, "To the restroom."
"I'll go with you." Lao Yu escorted Zhang Laifu to the far end of the corridor. Zhang Laifu looked around and noticed a wall-mounted ladder.
"What's that for?" Zhang Laifu pointed at the ladder.
Lao Yu glanced at it. "A ladder, obviously. What's so strange about that? It goes upstairs."
"Upstairs?" Zhang Laifu didn't quite understand. A single floor flying through the sky—how could there be an upstairs?
Lao Yu urged him along. "What are you daydreaming about? Did you really take this for a train? You're still in our company's building. This is our film set!"
Zhang Laifu peered upward along the ladder. Light shone from above.
Lao Yu gave Zhang Laifu a tug. "Stop staring around. Upstairs is another set. Don't go disturbing their shoot."
Zhang Laifu continued glancing about. Since passengers were getting on and off right now, he might have a chance to meet a train attendant.
Lao Yu suddenly remarked, "Here comes the attendant."
"She's here?" Zhang Laifu did his best to conceal his excitement, scanning his surroundings with an ostensibly calm gaze.
Before boarding, Zhang Laifu had tried to approach the uniformed staff, but the bandits had blocked him.
Those uniformed people were likely station staff. Since this gang was afraid of station staff, they were bound to fear the train crew as well.
Lao Yu said she was here, but where was she?
A tile on the restroom wall suddenly illuminated, and the attendant appeared.
The uniformed woman showed up on the wall display, smiling as she spoke in a sweet voice: "Dear passengers, welcome aboard Train 1168. Passengers already on board, please do not wander around or leave your carriage at will. The train attendants are solely responsible for sanitation and station arrival reminders; they will not disturb passengers at any other time. We wish you a pleasant journey."
Lao Yu pointed at the wall. "See that? That's the reminder that filming is starting again. Hurry back to the room."
The picture vanished. The grayish-white tile was completely back to normal, leaving not a trace behind.
Zhang Laifu touched the tile and asked Lao Yu, "How was our company's building built in the first place?"
Lao Yu chuckled. "If I told you it was grown out of a bowl, would you believe me?"
"A bowl? Grown out of it?" Zhang Laifu wondered if Lao Yu was also trying to sing some pingtan ballad. "I'm a civil engineering major. I have a higher education. Why can't I make any sense of what you're saying? What do you mean, 'grown out of a bowl'? How could a building possibly be grown?"
Lao Yu brushed him off perfunctorily: "It's called science—the science of myriad births and transformations."
"What is myriad births and transformations?"
Lao Yu wasn't like Lao Song; he had no patience for explanations. "If you need to piss, piss. If not, get back to sleep. Didn't I tell you shooting has already started?"
Zhang Laifu stepped into a stall. When he came out, he looked over and found that the ladder leading upstairs had vanished.
Lao Yu prodded again, "Done pissing? Then let's move!"
Zhang Laifu followed Lao Yu back to the room. Lao Zheng handed Zhang Laifu a boxed meal.
"Hungry, Laifu? Have something to eat. Train food isn't half bad."
Zhang Laifu was taken aback. "Why is a film crew eating train meals?"
"It's a prop. Hurry up and eat."
Zhang Laifu was genuinely starving. The boxed meal was surprisingly hearty, with both meat and vegetables. Just as he was about to dig in, Lao Yu spoke up: "I heard you opening the window earlier. You've got to watch out for your safety on set. Last time, a newcomer about your age jumped straight into shooting a train-jumping scene as soon as he joined the company. Ended up getting sucked under the wheels and crushed into eighteen pieces."
Zhang Laifu was startled. "Really eighteen pieces?"
Lao Yu grinned. "I counted. I can divine and calculate, and I count especially fast. I don't miscount building floors, and I don't miscount corpses. Exactly eighteen pieces."
Zhang Laifu lowered his head and ate, saying nothing more.
The two returned to the outer room and each lay on their beds. Lao Zheng let out a soft sigh. "Even after coming all this way, this captive still isn't behaving."
Lao Yu exhaled a cloud of smoke. "If the Second Master hadn't stopped me, I would've snapped his legs already!"
"If you break his legs, how's he going to walk? You planning on carrying him all the way back on your back?" Lao Zheng pointed at the ceiling. "Did the Second Master go upstairs?"
Lao Yu nodded. "Just went up."
"Did the captive see the Second Master going up?"
Lao Yu didn't care much. "What if he did? He wouldn't understand it anyway! I'm not worried about the captive right now; I'm worried about what the Second Master is up to."
Lao Zheng chuckled. "The Second Master must have a solid plan. Coming to an outside province this time—wasn't it to open the bowl for the Chief?"
"Open the bowl?" Lao Yu scoffed. "You motherfucker, trying to fool even me? If it were just to open the bowl for the Chief, would the Second Master go to all this trouble?"
Lao Zheng lowered his voice. "I heard that the Second Master primarily came here to buy himself a good bowl."
Lao Yu shook his head slightly. "I'm afraid it's not just to buy a bowl either. The Second Master took such a huge risk because he's here to do something big."
Lao Zheng was startled. "Buying a bowl isn't big enough?"
Lao Yu dropped his voice to a whisper: "There's something even bigger than buying a bowl. I heard a big shot under Military Governor Wu is boarding the train tonight at Baiduanjiang. The Second Master might be aiming for him."
"Military Governor Wu!" Lao Zheng shuddered. "If the Chief finds out about this..."
Lao Yu glared at Lao Zheng, signaling him to keep his mouth shut. "Under no circumstances can the Chief find out, or not one of us will make it out alive."
The more Lao Zheng thought about it, the more frightened he became. "Things that aren't our business, we'd better not think about. Keeping an eye on that captive is better than anything."
"Why keep an eye on him? What can a fool like him even pull off?"
"What if he tries to jump off the train again?"
Lao Yu sneered, "Let him jump! This is Baiduanjiang. Who dares climb out a window? Jump out and he'll be burned to a crisp!"
Lao Zheng was still uneasy. "If he really gets burned to death, how will we answer to the Second Master?"
"Don't worry, he doesn't have the guts. Even with the window open, he wouldn't dare go out. I can keep an eye on him with half an eye open..." Lao Yu twitched his nose, catching a strange smell.
"Where is that fire coming from...?"
Lao Zheng looked toward the green-painted door. "The inner room! Smoke is pouring out of the inner room!"
Lao Yu kicked open the door to find Song Yongchang's bundle ablaze, flames rolling upward and dense smoke billowing toward the ceiling.
His face turned paper-white on the spot. Lao Zheng rushed into the room, grabbing clothes to beat out the flames.
Lao Yu's face darkened from white to black, his eyes glinting with a chilly light as he glared at Zhang Laifu. "Did you set this fire?"
Zhang Laifu shook his head and quickly explained, "I didn't mean to start a fire. I just wanted to test the special effects outside the window to see how hot it was out there."
Lao Yu looked at Lao Song's luggage, which was already nearly half-burned. "You tested the temperature with his luggage?"
"How is this luggage? It's a prop! You have to stay in character!"
"Does being a prop mean you can just test with it willy-nilly?"
Zhang Laifu looked genuinely astonished. "If I didn't test with a prop, what else was I supposed to use? Go out and test it myself? Don't you people have any concept of safety?"
He was telling the truth: he had wanted to jump the train, and having a sense of safety, he had used Lao Song's luggage first to test the temperature. The conclusion of the test was that jumping was impossible.
"Well, you're not safe now. Do you know why they call me Yu the Diviner?" Lao Yu rolled up his sleeves. "Let me calculate whether a bloody catastrophe is in your cards!"
Lao Zheng stepped forward to hold Lao Yu back. "Don't be rash. Wait for the Second Master to come back and deal with him..."
"No need to wait for the Second Master! This punk needs a beating!"
Lao Yu marched toward Zhang Laifu. Zhang Laifu watched him with a calm face.
He wasn't afraid, because the smoke alarm in the carriage had started blaring.
Zhang Laifu had burned Lao Song's luggage precisely for this moment!
Just as Lao Yu reached Zhang Laifu, someone knocked on the door outside.
"Who is it?" Lao Zheng called out.
An aged voice drifted in from the doorway: "Train attendant. Open up!"
The attendant is here!
Zhang Laifu grinned!
After expending so much effort and taking such huge risks, he had finally managed to summon the attendant!
Lao Yu and Lao Zheng walked into the outer room, closed the inner room's door, and called out, "Come in!"
The attendant was an old woman carrying a trash bag. She asked Lao Zheng and Lao Yu, "The smoke alarm went off. What's the situation?"
Lao Yu kept silent, while Lao Zheng chuckled affably. "We felt a bit stuffy earlier and opened the window. Some smoke and soot drifted in."
The old woman wasn't angry; she merely nagged, "Is this your first time taking the train? Once we reach Baiduanjiang, you cannot open the windows."
Lao Zheng nodded repeatedly. "We'll be careful next time."
The old woman asked again, "Any trash that needs cleaning up?"
Just as Lao Zheng handed over the empty meal box, Zhang Laifu pushed open the door and stepped out of the inner room.
He was brimming with excitement. He had things to say!
This old woman clearly lacked any combat capability. He couldn't speak too directly, lest Lao Zheng and Lao Yu be cornered into desperation.
Yet considering her age, if he spoke too subtly, she probably wouldn't understand.
He had to strike just the right balance.
Zhang Laifu had prepared extensively; as long as he judged his words right, he would definitely be rescued.
His immediate goal was to leave the room right alongside the old woman.
While Zhang Laifu was weighing his words, the old woman looked at Zhang Laifu, then at Lao Zheng and Lao Yu.
Noticing the intense tension in the room, the old woman sensed that these men might have something they were keeping quiet about.
Wearing a kindly smile, she asked another question: "Any corpses that need cleaning up?"
Zhang Laifu stared at the attendant, speechless for a long time.
Sensing that Zhang Laifu might harbor doubts, the attendant offered a brief introduction to their services: "Our disposal process is completely reliable. Vital organs are purchased at current market rates."
Lao Zheng and Lao Yu looked at Zhang Laifu together.
Seeing that no one had spoken, the attendant specifically added, "There was a young girl next door who was just handled by us. The organ salvage payment has already cleared."
The young girl next door...
Meng Xuanxuan?
Lao Yu deliberately asked the attendant, "Why was that girl disposed of?"
The attendant sounded rather regretful: "Everyone was in the same carriage, but for some reason a fight broke out. It was a horrific brawl. By the time we rushed over, the corpse was already broken into eighteen pieces."
Lao Zheng chuckled. "You can still dispose of one crushed into eighteen pieces?"
The attendant gave an easy smile. "Eighteen pieces is nothing. We can clean up far worse mess than that. It's just that some good parts couldn't be recovered. If you don't believe me, have a look."
She dragged the trash bag from behind her to the front of the group and opened it, introducing the contents piece by piece: "The vital organs have already been taken. This is what's left."
The three cricked their necks forward, staring in unison.
It truly was Meng Xuanxuan.
Lao Yu turned to Zhang Laifu. "Count them yourself. Exactly eighteen pieces!"
Zhang Laifu nodded repeatedly. "Old Yu, you count remarkably fast. Not a single piece missing!"
The attendant tied the bag back up. "So, do you have any corpses to dispose of or not?"
Lao Yu asked Zhang Laifu, "You've got plenty of good parts on you. Care to have them disposed of?"
"I've got a bit of trash here. Sorry to trouble you to dispose of it." Zhang Laifu handed his meal box to the old woman and turned back into the inner room.
The train attendants and station staff didn't seem to be the same at all.
Lao Zheng smiled at the attendant. "No corpses here for the time being."
Once the attendant departed, Lao Yu glared at the green door. "Shouldn't we give him a proper thrashing? Otherwise, who knows what ridiculous stunt he'll pull next!"
"Look at his scrawny frame—you think he can survive a thrashing from you?" Lao Zheng pointed at the ceiling again. "The Second Master is tending to serious business right now. We must not cause any trouble for him."
...
Lao Song had arrived on the second level of the train. After passing through two carriages, he spotted two guards outside the door of the third carriage.
Stepping forward, he removed his felt hat, pressed it to his chest, and bowed to the guards.
"May I trouble you gentlemen to pass word: Song Yongchang requests an audience with Standard Commandant Wang."
One guard entered the carriage and reappeared shortly after, inviting Song Yongchang inside.
A standard commandant was the commander of a standard in the military, equivalent in rank to a regimental commander.
This Standard Commandant Wang was named Wang Jixuan, a subordinate of Wu Jingyao, the newly appointed military governor of southern Wansheng Prefecture. Wang conducted himself with great propriety and strict adherence to protocol. Seeing these two guards tonight, Song Yongchang felt they were distinctly cut from a different cloth than those of other factions.
This carriage was the luxury suite of Train 1168, complete with a parlor, bedroom, wine cellar, and tearoom.
Standard Commandant Wang possessed an upright posture and wore round-rimmed spectacles on his full cheeks, his thick black hair neatly combed back. Had he not been clad in military uniform, he would have looked more like a schoolteacher.
Changing the tea leaves and replenishing the hot water, Standard Commandant Wang invited Song Yongchang to sit by the tea table.
"Second Master Song, what a coincidence. I've only just boarded the train and here I run into you."
Song Yongchang spoke the truth outright: "Standard Commandant Wang, it is no coincidence. I went to great lengths just to catch this train of yours."
Standard Commandant Wang feigned surprise. "You were in such a hurry to find me?"
Song Yongchang did not beat around the bush: "There are two pressing matters I must trouble you with: first, my desire to pledge allegiance; second, my fondness for treasures."
Standard Commandant Wang pondered for a moment and nodded slightly. "Mr. Song's wish to pledge allegiance—I am aware of this matter. I will report it to Military Governor Wu. As for how the Governor chooses to arrange things, that is beyond my authority. But you also mentioned a fondness for treasures. Where does that come from?"
The water boiled, and Standard Commandant Wang brewed the first steep of tea.
The first infusion was not drunk, used instead to rinse the leaves and wash the cups.
Taking advantage of the rinse, Song Yongchang said, "Commandant, I heard that on your trip to this outside province, you purchased a fine item for Military Governor Wu."
The teacup had already been rinsed, but upon hearing those words, Standard Commandant Wang let it steep a little longer in the hot water. "From whom did you obtain this information? Inquiring into crucial military affairs—do you know what crime that is?"
Song Yongchang apologized profusely: "Please appease your anger, Commandant. I truly desire this treasure."
"You even want the treasure?" Standard Commandant Wang laughed abruptly. "Are you expecting me to ask Military Governor Wu on your behalf whether he'd be willing to part with it for you?"
Those words sent a chill down one's spine, but Song Yongchang knew where he stood.
If Standard Commandant Wang truly intended to turn hostile, he would have called the guards long ago.
Song Yongchang beamed with smiles. "Commandant, I heard that you brought back more than one treasure from this outside province."
At that, Standard Commandant Wang looked up at Song Yongchang. "How is it that you know everything? Aren't you knowing far too much?"
He gently tapped the table with his tea tweezers, as if this time he genuinely meant to summon the guards.
Song Yongchang hurried to explain: "Commandant, I truly mean no harm! I heard that you had to pay out of your own pocket for this matter, so I came specifically to ask."
Standard Commandant Wang traced a circle around the rim of the teacup with the tweezers.
Ding.
The tone was crisp and pleasing to the ear.
Standard Commandant Wang was in high spirits.
Setting the tweezers aside, he lifted the teapot, brewed the second steep, poured a cup, and pushed it toward Song Yongchang.
With this cup of tea, Song Yongchang felt considerably reassured. He eased back into his seat, raised the cup, and drank it in one gulp.
Standard Commandant Wang raised his teacup and took a sip. "My visit to the outside province this time was to buy a bowl for the Governor. That out-of-province seller had no regard for business ethics. We had agreed on a price beforehand, but when it came time to do the deal, he went back on his word. I thought he was trying to jack up the price on the spot, but later learned he wanted to bundle his goods. He had two bowls in his possession: selling the big bowl required taking the small bowl along with it. Only by purchasing both bowls together would he agree to part with the goods. As you know, whatever the Governor desires, I must bring it back no matter the cost. So having no choice, I advanced my own money and bought that small bowl as well."
At this point, Standard Commandant Wang poured another cup of tea for Song Yongchang.
This cup carried heavy weight.
Song Yongchang took the cup and said, "That crooked merchant is utterly detestable. You disregard personal gain or loss out of pure loyalty and righteousness, Commandant Wang; I admire you from the bottom of my heart."
"Brother Song flatters me. I am merely doing my duty. I owe my current position entirely to Military Governor Wu's patronage; serving the Governor naturally demands my utmost devotion. I have always kept my hands clean of corruption, and purchasing this extra small bowl cost me fifty thousand silver dollars, completely emptying my pockets. Once I take them back, if the Governor wants both bowls, I might recover some of my principal. If the Governor only wants one, I'll have to swallow the loss myself."
As he spoke, Standard Commandant Wang brought out a white fedora.
The hat was crafted from exceptionally exquisite materials, made of premium rabbit felt with fine, smooth fur. The crown was tall and softly rounded, the brim pressed stiff and crisp, and wrapped around the outside was a grosgrain ribbon of deep, steady color with neat, even stitching. At a glance, it could almost be called an item of superior quality.
Yet upon closer inspection, numerous flaws came to light.
One edge of the brim wasn't pressed completely smooth, and the stitching along the inner sweatband showed slight unevenness—signs of a craftsman rushing to finish without proper final tailoring. Though crafted by a master, it bore telltale marks of haste everywhere; it certainly wasn't worth fifty thousand silver dollars. But it was easily worth twenty thousand, which still made it a fine object.
This was a bowl—the extra "small bowl" that Standard Commandant Wang had bought!
"How could I let you suffer such a loss!" Song Yongchang pulled a check from his breast pocket. "Please sell this small bowl to me."
Standard Commandant Wang glanced at the figure and pushed the check back. "I spent fifty thousand to buy that bowl. What do you mean by offering a hundred thousand?"
Song Yongchang slid the check back in front of Standard Commandant Wang once more. "This bowl is well worth the value. That you were able to buy it for fifty thousand was out of respect for your prestige. If anyone else went, even two hundred thousand might not have bought it. For me to buy it from you for a hundred thousand is already a generous favor on your part. In the end, I'm the one getting the bargain."
"You are being far too modest. I cannot take a profit from you." Standard Commandant Wang made to push it back again.
Song Yongchang stopped him. "Fifty thousand covers your cost. As for the remaining fifty thousand, there is another matter I must trouble you with. I genuinely desire to join Military Governor Wu's banner, but I lack an introduction. I must ask you to put in a good word for me, Commandant."
The kettle lid rattled; the water was boiling.
Standard Commandant Wang brewed the third steep. "Lao Song, we will surely be serving Military Governor Wu together in the future. You mustn't remain so formal."
The deal was struck.
Song Yongchang was thrilled, steaming with excitement just like that kettle of boiling water.
Standard Commandant Wang accepted the check and handed the fedora to Song Yongchang. "Brother Song, since you have the heart to forsake the shadows for the light, Military Governor Wu certainly won't turn you away. However, in what capacity you enter our ranks is something that requires careful consideration."
"Commandant, I am not picky about titles. So long as I can serve Military Governor Wu, I am thoroughly content!"
Standard Commandant Wang stared at Song Yongchang for a moment. "Brother Song, given your status and strength, I believe making you a mere battalion commander would be squandering your talent. You ought to be just like me—at least a standard commandant."
Song Yongchang waved his hands repeatedly. "You flatter me too much. How could I have the ability to sit on equal footing with you? To find a post under your command would be a blessing accumulated across lifetimes."
Standard Commandant Wang waved a hand. "I said we're brothers-in-arms now, so why remain so polite? Let me put it bluntly: Military Governor Wu detests bandits above all else. If you wish to see the Governor, you cannot go empty-handed. You must present a grand gift."
Song Yongchang nodded continuously. "I will keep that in mind. This grand gift, I will certainly deliver."
Holding his teacup, Standard Commandant Wang blew across the scalding liquid and asked, "How do you intend to deliver it?"
His question left Song Yongchang unsure of how to reply.
He could hardly proclaim his treacherous plot to turn against his bandit chief in grand, dignified terms.
Standard Commandant Wang drank the tea, then continued, "I heard that the third son of the Lin clan, Lin Shaocong, has gone missing. Do you think there's any chance Hunlong Stronghold was behind it?"
"Surely not!" Song Yongchang shook his head immediately. "I haven't even heard of this."
Standard Commandant Wang smiled. "You haven't heard of it? Then let us speak hypothetically. Suppose it was indeed done by Hunlong Stronghold. Do you think the Lin clan would go to war with Hunlong Stronghold over it?"
"I still think they wouldn't. The third son of the Lin family is a fool who is completely disregarded by his clan." Song Yongchang lifted the teapot to refill Wang's cup, tiny beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead.
Standard Commandant Wang sighed. "No matter how disregarded he is, he remains a member of the Lin clan and, in the end, represents their face. The Lin clan has been entrenched at Heishakou for years, serving as stewards personally appointed by Marshal Shen. They have manpower, money, and status. If a war truly broke out with Hunlong Stronghold, who do you think would stand a better chance of winning?"
Song Yongchang presented the teacup to Standard Commandant Wang. "I still feel... they won't fight."
Taking the teacup, Standard Commandant Wang looked at Song Yongchang. "I'm merely speaking hypothetically. If they truly did fight, who do you think would profit?"
Holding the tea in his hand, Standard Commandant Wang kept his eyes fixed on Song Yongchang.
Song Yongchang knew he could conceal it no longer. He stood up and replied with utmost deference, "If that day truly comes, I will have to rely on your guidance and care, Commandant."
"No need to be so polite. Suppressing bandits is a soldier's duty, and we are on the same side! The five marshals of Wansheng Prefecture have stripped everything clean; how much gravy is left for the twenty-eight military governors? Governor Wu is eager for talents like you!" Standard Commandant Wang pulled Song Yongchang back to his seat and continued sipping tea.
...
Returning to his room, Zheng Pipa immediately reported the situation: "Second Master, that captive went mad for some reason and burned your luggage."
Song Yongchang looked at the charred luggage on the floor and sternly reprimanded Zhang Laifu: "Laifu, you must maintain professional actor's discipline. Cherish your props!"
He doesn't care!
He actually doesn't care at all!
Song Yongchang truly didn't care, because his important possessions were carried on his person.
Once he had dismissed Lao Yu and Lao Zheng, Lao Song looked at Zhang Laifu. "Laifu, it's time to sleep. Get into character immediately."
"All right." Zhang Laifu lay on the bed, pulled the quilt over himself, and pondered his next move.
If I can't turn to the train attendant, what other option do I have?
Thump! Ding-ding-ding!
A rhythmic plucking and snapping sound echoed by his ears. Zhang Laifu thought Lao Song was painting, but then he noticed his quilt rapidly puffing up.
Bang!
The quilt burst open.
The cotton batting inside slithered onto Zhang Laifu strand by strand, like living threads.
Zhang Laifu tried to get up. He tried several times, but his waist and legs wouldn't bend; he couldn't sit up at all.
He tried to brace himself with his arms, but the moment he moved them, the fine cotton fibers dug deep into his flesh, drawing blood.
Gripped by agonizing pain, Zhang Laifu tried to cry out, but his throat felt as though stuffed with something, unable to make a sound.
Lao Song stood beside the bed, looking down at Zhang Laifu. "Laifu, twenty thousand a month—don't you want such a good job? I rather appreciated you. I originally wanted you to act with ease and comfort, but you have no regard for rules. From now on, don't speak unless you have lines, and don't move unless it's in your scene. Do you understand what an actor's discipline means now?"
Chapter 3