Beginning with the Ubume Bird
Chapter 650 - Chapter 650 Chapter 36 Past Causes

Chapter 650: Chapter 36 Past Causes Chapter 650: Chapter 36 Past Causes Judy, woken up by the ringtone of her phone, slowly opened her eyes, the sharp pain of a hangover assaulting her not-quite-clear mind in waves.

Lying in bed, Judy grumbled a curse, flipped open her phone, and squinted as she pressed the connect button.

“Hello~”

Zhan Guzai, dressed in suit and tie, adjusted his tie and spoke softly, “Judy, are you at the company?”

While gently massaging her temples with the heel of her hand, Judy replied, “No, what’s up?”

Zhan Guzai was taken aback, “You asked me to come to the company this afternoon. You said to give Sheng Ji the import business from a Dutch milk powder company. I arrived at the company at four, waited for you for over three hours.”

“That so?” Judy fumbled for a lighter in her drawer, lit up a cigarette, and ran her fingers through her tousled hair, “Seems like I did. Sorry for making you wait so long. Here’s what, go to the eighth floor and look for Andy. Have her take you to see the Dutchman. I’ve already greased the wheels, just bring the contract and the money. Anything else?”

“Uh, no.”

“Okay, bye.”

“Hey, wait, Judy, you sound very congested, are you catching a cold?”

Judy stepped off the bed, kicked aside a wine bottle, exhaled a puff of smoke and retorted irritably, “What’s it to you?”

After hanging up the phone, a string of missed calls appeared on the screen, all from the same phone number with the note.

Lousy.

Judy felt a surge of unnameable anger and happened to catch sight of the Victory-Defying Coin on her chest. On impulse, she took off the Copper Coin and quickly walked to the window, tossing the Victory-Defying Coin tied with a red string out of the window.

As she watched the small red Copper Coin fall in an arc into the depths of the flowerbed, Judy felt a brief moment of satisfaction, but then quickly found herself still annoyed.

Hiding in the corner of the courtyard, Yang Zichu stroked his chin. He glanced at the Victory-Defying Coin lying in the dirt, then looked up at the window, his eyes rolling around.

Inside the villa, Judy, with her hair down, went downstairs, “Mrs. Li, why hasn’t anyone cleaned my room?”

“It’s because you wouldn’t open the door for Mrs. Li, nor did you let us come in.”

Li answered.

“Is that so?”

Judy blinked.

“Um, then never mind. Oh, I dropped an amulet into the flower bed, could you have someone look for it?”

Judy picked up a water glass, only to discover the Victory-Defying Coin she thought she had thrown into the flower bed at the bottom of the glass.

“Isn’t it in your hand? Could you have remembered wrongly?”

Li came over with a coffee.

Judy examined it closely and even found a bit of dirt on the Copper Coin.

“No, I’m sure I threw it away.”

Suddenly, Judy laughed. She put the Copper Coin back in her pocket, slipped on her slippers, and returned to her bedroom. Thirty minutes later, a well-dressed Judy hummed a tune as she walked downstairs.

“Li, come with me.”

“Where to?”

“Chinatown.”

“What did you say? Say that again?”

Li’s face was full of confusion–others might not know, but Li knew the weight that man held in her heart, not so easily forgotten.

“You just met me today? Are men such a novelty? Don’t be polite with me, I know your taste. When the time comes, I’ll find you a young, tender little brother, my treat. Let’s go! Right now!”

Before Li could say anything more, Judy was already pulling her out the front door.

Five minutes later, Yang Zichu watched the sports car drive away, dumbfounded, then suddenly slapped his thigh, “How can I let this happen?”

——————————–

The steam swirled around the copper hot pot, the meatballs bobbing up and down. Zhan Guzai, in front of the liquor table, was sweating profusely as he undid two buttons of his shirt. He raised his beer glass, offering a toast to everyone.

“Sheng Ji couldn’t have come this far without all of your hard work; this one’s for you all!”

Glasses clinked together, splashing droplets into the air.

A short hooligan with two prominent buckteeth asked impatiently, “Brother Zhan Guzai, how much can we make from this job?”

Zhan Guzai cracked a smile, making a gesture with his finger, “At least seven digits.”

“Wow, then we might as well buy a piece of land and get into real estate, how about that?”

“I say we should make movies. Brother Zhan Guzai, you have no idea how lucrative movies are–small investment, fast turnover. Just shoot a few risque films and sell them to Southeast Asia, even Hollywood could make a fortune.”

Everyone was discussing excitedly, all except for Zhan Guzai, who leaned against the wall in silence.

Anyone who was anyone in Hong Kong’s gangs could see that the days of fighting and killing were gone with the wind. To survive and make money, the gang had to transform and “clean up.” Sheng Ji was quick to follow Huamao, and it paid off.

“Does that mean we can date movie stars?”

“Cut it out, Du Yanbing. Even if there were any movie stars, they wouldn’t go for you. Obviously, Brother Zhan Guzai would be first in line, right Brother Zhan Guzai?”

“Brother Zhan Guzai won’t even bother with you. Everyone knows he’s hopelessly devoted to Chairman Yang of Huamao. Even if the goddess Zhou YongQi were to stand naked before him, he wouldn’t bat an eyelid.”

“Wow, speaking of which, Huamao has assets worth over a hundred billion. If Brother Zhan Guzai really ended up with Chairman Yang, wouldn’t he be set for life?”

Zhan Guzai gave the speaker a sidelong glance, “Can’t fill your mouth even with a cow’s tongue, can I? You always talk too much?”

The man replied with a sunny smile, “I’m a chatterbox.”

Zhan Guzai’s chopsticks stirred in the oil dish, “Besides, why would Chairman Yang ever fall for a nobody like me?”

“No, Brother Zhan Guzai, I heard that Chairman Yang used to spend lavishly on men. Only later, for some reason, she changed her ways. Actually, ever since Sheng Ji got involved with Huamao, there’ve been rumors on the street…”

Right then, his pager started beeping urgently.

Zhan Guzai put the pager to his ear, “Hello?”

“Brother Zhan Guzai, someone’s here for the merchandise. It’s the refrigerated truck you personally delivered last month.”

“Is it Wutou Qing?”

Zhan Guzai popped a piece of beef into his mouth.

“No, it’s a man wearing a mask. He says his name is Wenle.”

“Oh, I remember him. Hand him the phone.”

Zhan Guzai narrowed his eyes, and, soon enough, Wenle’s voice came through the phone.

“Brother Zhan Guzai, I’ve brought the rest of the money. I’m going to take the refrigerated truck now.”

“Why didn’t Wutou Qing come.”

“He’s laying low. You know the cops are breathing down our necks.”

“Couldn’t he at least give me a call?”

“No way, he’s out at sea, nowhere to call you from.”

“What a pain. So you take the truck, and what if Wutou Qing comes looking for me later?”

“Of course he won’t. Also, I’ve doubled the remaining payment for you.”

Zhan Guzai’s mouth twitched into a smile, “If you had been this sensible last time, I wouldn’t have had to call you an idiot. Alright! I’ll be right there.”

He wiped his mouth with a napkin and called out to the group at the table, “Everyone full? Finish up and let’s go get paid.”

After finishing, he pulled out his wallet, slapped a few large bills on the table, “Boss, check please!”

In the phone booth, Wenle, wearing a mask and sunglasses, returned the receiver to Ji Chai with a smile, “Second time.”

Ji Chai was a skinny Baldie with colorful tattoos all over his bald head and scruffy beard reaching down to his neck. Hearing Wenle mutter to himself, Ji Chai asked with a puzzled look, “What was that about a second time?”

“Nothing.”

“My boss has given his word, so it’s all good. We’re all friends here. Your refrigerated truck is locked up beneath the Golden Mall. The keys are with my boss; you can get them when he arrives. The mall is right across the street; I’ll take you there now.”

Ji Chai gave a shout, and Wenle followed him wordlessly. A man in a rush came from the other side of the street, looking up and trying to make out something when he carelessly bumped into Ji Chai.

“Don’t you have eyes when you walk?”

Ji Chai opened his mouth to curse when the man unexpectedly pulled out a five-hundred-dollar brown Hong Kong bill, “Excuse me, how do I get to Chinatown?”