Reservoir Dogs chapter 44

Chen Jin

Coming out of the bathroom, there was a bruise on his neck.

The room was empty, as if Jiang Chengyuan had already left.

Now looking back, Xiao Zhou realized how absurd the argument in the bathroom was. He vaguely regretted not controlling himself, because of impulsiveness, he messed up again. Although it was not actually anger towards Jiang Chengyuan, rather, it was a wake-up call for himself. He had been too immersed and dependent on everything at present, which made him somewhat panicked, and ironically, he felt a destructive impulse.

Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window at sunrise, he did not sleep all night and his eyes were pale gray. He looked at the rising sun, the brilliant and bright light generously scattered, awakening the sleeping city. He exhaled a breath, and the window was covered with mist.

Regret now was futile, and he had to prepare for the worst. Perhaps soon he would be notified by the Clemency Court to sever their relationship, returning to prison. Xiao Zhou thought no alpha could tolerate the kind of confrontation and provocation he had just engaged in. He had squandered all his previous efforts. Although Jiang Chengyuan had only advised him to think it over, without issuing any expulsion ultimatum, Xiao Zhou couldn’t rely on luck. Time was not on his side.

He changed into a high-necked shirt to conceal the neck bruise, grabbed his phone, and left. He took a taxi straight home.

There were several text messages on his phone, the last one indicating a substantial deduction, far exceeding the previous ten or twenty thousand yuan deductions, completely emptying his account balance.

He knocked on the door upstairs. Liu Xia was cooking breakfast. She looked surprised and delighted to see him and asked why he had come suddenly. She seemed awkward when mentioning Xiao Ping, saying he had found some work and needed to work night shifts, often not at home.

Liu Xia served Xiao Zhou a bowl of porridge with homemade pickled vegetables and meat, a familiar taste. He listened silently, not mentioning the 200,000 yuan Xiao Ping had asked for. Liu Xia clearly didn’t know about it, and there was no need to worry her further.

He mentally noted another debt, knowing that this money also belonged to Jiang Chengyuan.

Knowing the address of the Internet café, Xiao Zhou went straight there. Inside, the small Internet café was filled with smoke and the smell of instant noodles. The bright white signboard hadn’t been turned off yet. Pushing aside the dirty plastic sheet at the entrance, he entered to find several people sprawled around, their faces pale from staying up all night in front of blue and green computer screens.

Xiao Zhou turned towards the counter, tapped on the table, and a greasy, sleepy head emerged from behind. “Two yuan per hour, are you a member? How many computers?”

Realizing he wasn’t the person he was looking for, Xiao Zhou frowned and looked around the Internet café. “Is Xiao Ping here?”

The fat man finally looked up, squinting in the dim light to recognize him. “Are you looking for him? What’s up?”

Xiao Zhou didn’t hide it. “I’m his brother.”

“His brother?” The fat man chuckled. “He’s got plenty of ‘brothers’ around here. Anyone who can lend him money could be his ‘brother.’ If you’re here to collect money from him, no need to play games. He just switched shifts and left. I don’t know where he went, probably home.”

Xiao Zhou reached into his pocket and pulled out a note, handing it over. “Does he have any places he frequents?”

The thick hand grasped the red note and deftly slid it away. The fat man’s demeanor softened noticeably. “His most frequent places are internet cafes and casinos. If he’s not here or at home, you’ll find him at the gambling table. But it’s too early now; the flower snake’s place only opens in the evening, so he definitely won’t be there.”

“The flower snake?”

The fat man stared at him for a moment, then grabbed a nearby notepad and quickly wrote down an address. “Here it is. But they only open at night, so going now won’t help.”

Xiao Zhou took the address and asked again, “Is Flower Snake’s real name Liu Neng?”

The fat man pondered for a moment, looking puzzled. “Seems like it, nobody calls him that though.”

Xiao Zhou nodded, turned, and lifted the plastic curtain as he walked out.

Xiao Ping’s opponent in the money transfer was named Liu Neng, according to the internet cafe owner; he owed gambling debts. Perhaps the 200,000 yuan wasn’t enough to fill this hole. Xiao Ping might have been trying to make a big gamble. He withdrew small amounts of tens of thousands at first, perhaps to recoup his losses, but the large sums later transferred indicated he might have lost big, leaving him empty-handed. Alternatively, maybe the 200,000 yuan was sufficient, but the gambler’s desire never satisfied, always seeking more, leading to a snowball effect where debts grew larger than before.

Xiao Zhou recalled earlier in the alley, where Xiao Ping clashed with debt collectors while holding Xiao Yun. In conversations, it had indeed been mentioned that Xiao Ping also owed money. Xiao Zhou hadn’t thought much of it then, all his attention consumed by Xu Cuiping.

With Xu Cuiping’s gambling addiction and Xiao Ping’s unemployment and declining family situation, the temptation could easily have stirred greed, leading him to try his luck.

Xiao Zhou’s expression darkened. He had previously asked Sun Xu to help investigate the identity of Liu Neng, who aside from being a prominent property developer, was involved in shady business dealings. He had worried that Xiao Ping might indeed be connected to him.

People addicted to gambling were like bottomless pits; once they were hooked, they could throw away fortunes without a second thought. After experiencing the fleeting thrill of sudden wealth, they often harbored fantasies of striking it rich again, unable to endure the mundane realities of everyday life. Xiao Zhou knew well the destructive nature of gambling addiction from his time in prison, where almost all offenders had some level of gambling problem.

One of the worst cases he knew used to be in the timber business, renowned for his exquisite woodwork. At the height of his success, he amassed billions worth of timber in his warehouses. But after falling into gambling, he mortgaged off all his factories and shops. His wife wanted a divorce, and in despair, he even attempted to cut off his own thumb. Fortunately, he was rushed to the hospital in time and saved, but he had to sell off his assets to barely clear his debts. His wife stayed with him, and they tried to rebuild their lives together.

Yet, within just a couple of years, he was caught again at a casino in Macau, this time attempting suicide by cutting off his thumb once more. His wife didn’t even flinch. The thumb, with its telltale signs of surgical reattachment, was lost for good this time, leaving him unable to practice his skilled craftsmanship. Later, he was arrested for fraud, but even then, he showed little remorse, only thinking about how to make a comeback in the gambling world once he was out. Whenever he talked about his past glory, he would invariably mention his gambling wins, sometimes winning hundreds of thousands in a single hand. One night, luck turned against him, a simple tremor of his hand causing him to bet on the wrong hand and lose tens of thousands. From then on, fortune no longer favored him. If his hand hadn’t shaken, perhaps the factories and shops he had mortgaged might have flourished again by now.

Xiao Zhou knew all too well the vicious nature of such gamblers and their irrational optimism.

Standing in front of the address provided by the fat man, he saw a rundown arcade, its doors secured with iron chains. Modern gambling dens were discreet, often disguised as legitimate businesses. Getting into such places usually required connections; it wasn’t easy to gain entry.

He retraced his steps back to the main road. There weren’t many people or cars around. He pondered where Xiao Ping might be heading now. If he had just finished his shift, he probably wouldn’t go in there.

Lost in these thoughts, he suddenly felt a heavy bump on his shoulder, almost knocking him over.

The person who bumped into him didn’t even pause, rushing forward without a second glance. All Xiao Zhou could see was a small, agile figure in a loose jacket, pushing through with hands and elbows, shouting, “Move aside! Move aside!”

Rubbing his shoulder, Xiao Zhou stood up straight. Soon after, a woman caught up, out of breath, pointing at the person ahead and shouting, “Stop the thief! He stole my bag!”

Glancing ahead, Xiao Zhou saw the thief disappearing around a street corner. Without hesitation, he started chasing after him.

It was clear the thief knew the streets well, having roamed them for years. Despite Xiao Zhou’s speed, his unfamiliarity with the area put him at a disadvantage. The twisting alleys almost led him to lose the thief from sight.

The woman who had lost her bag was nowhere to be seen, and the two righteous individuals chasing with rolling pins, also lost track of the person. Only Xiao Zhou was still in hot pursuit.

The road straight ahead was tightly guarded, but taking a detour over the wall and through narrow paths blocked by various obstacles would increase the distance a bit.

Whether it was because the thief had run for too long and was dizzy, or for some other reason, he finally ran into a dead end.

Xiao Zhou chased after him and found that at the end was a locked iron gate. The thief in a black jacket stood below, somewhat at a loss. After hesitating for a moment, he seemed determined and began to climb up using both hands and feet.

At the top of the iron gate were rows of spikes with very small gaps, extremely dense. It looked impossible to climb over safely; a slight mistake could cause injury, and with bad luck, even a serious one.

It was just a theft; if the amount was not large, he would only be detained for a few days. Why risk his life?

Xiao Zhou was alarmed and hurriedly shouted, “Be careful! You can’t climb over that. It’s not worth risking your life just for a theft.”

He grabbed the hem of the thief’s jacket, but the thief kicked at his face without looking back. Xiao Zhou narrowly dodged, becoming furious. After chasing the thief all the way and almost being kicked again, he grabbed the thief’s ankle instead and pulled him down with force.

The thief was small in stature, frail in limbs, far from Xiao Zhou’s strength. Astonishingly, Xiao Zhou managed to pull him down from the iron gate, and the thief fell heavily on his back.

The stolen handbag scattered on the ground, its contents spilled everywhere.

Xiao Zhou jumped down from the iron gate and picked up the scattered items.

“Ge, don’t take me to the police station. If I go, I’m done.” Xiao Zhou turned around. The thief’s hood covered his face as he knelt on the ground, holding onto Xiao Zhou’s pant leg, pleading, “Seriously, spare me this time. It’s my first offense.”

Xiao Zhou was impatient. “If you knew it would end like this, why steal? Weren’t you afraid when you did it?”

His voice choked up. “I’m different, really. I’m not lying to you. If I get caught, I’ll be executed.” The thief raised his head, tears and snot covering his thin face, but not hiding his handsome features.

Xiao Zhou froze at the sight of this face. “Xiao Bian?”

Xiao Bian was his former cellmate.

Initially shocked, then pleasantly surprised, Xiao Bian clung to Xiao Zhou’s pant leg, trembling visibly but visibly relieved.

“You…” Xiao Zhou frowned at him for a moment before bending down to help him up. “Why would you do this?”

Having fallen twice while escaping, Xiao Bian’s leg was now injured, forcing him to lean on Xiao Zhou’s arm. Perhaps encountering Xiao Zhou in this situation made him uneasy. Xiao Bian sounded awkward as he explained, “You got out not long ago, and so did I. It’s just that I had some bad luck, ran into some problems along the way.” He lowered his eyes, unwilling to elaborate further.

Xiao Zhou kept a serious expression, unsure how to react, noticing his empty braid. “Why did you cut off your braids?”

Xiao Bian instinctively touched his head and pretended to smile casually. “Keeping them was too much trouble, so I cut them off.”

“Weren’t they something your grandmother wanted you to keep?”

Xiao Bian avoided eye contact. “Forget it. Those are just superstitions from the older generation. There’s nothing to believe in anyway. I just cut them off.”

Xiao Zhou found it even more strange. When Xiao Bian first entered the prison, someone tried to intimidate him by targeting his braids, but he countered with a towel soaked in water, threatening to choke the person.

As they spoke, the owner of the stolen bag arrived with the police, chasing after them. However, this alley was very hidden, and they couldn’t find the way in a short time, so they could only hear the noise from the outside.

Xiao Bian’s face changed abruptly and he grabbed Xiao Zhou’s hand tightly, pleading, “Zhou Ge, please help me. I can’t go to prison. You know, I committed murder before.  If I get caught again and commit another crime during parole, I will be dead.”

For prisoners released on parole from the Clemency Court, committing another crime during parole would result in severe punishment, potentially reverting to the original death penalty ruling for someone like Xiao Bian, who was spared from it after reducing their sentence in prison.

Xiao Zhou suddenly understood the stakes. Despite Xiao Bian’s theft, it wasn’t something punishable by death. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded, “I’ll go out and return the bag. Don’t do this again.”

Xiao Bian was very grateful. “No, Ge, I was confused this time. I won’t do it again.”

Xiao Zhou frowned, still feeling uneasy. He couldn’t help but worry about letting Xiao Bian go like this, especially after finally being paroled. Knowing the serious consequences of being caught again, why would he dare to do this?

With these thoughts in mind, he grabbed Xiao Bian’s wrist as he was about to leave. “Give me an address. I’ll come find you after I’ve sorted this out. You need to explain this situation again.”

Xiao Bian was startled for a moment, then nodded. “Alright.” He fumbled in his pocket, took out pen and paper, quickly wrote down an address and phone number, and handed it to him. “Contact me using this. I’ll treat you to a meal later.”

Xiao Zhou took the paper.

“Oh, Ge, when you ask around, remember to use my real name. I’m Chen Jin. You won’t forget, right?” Chen Jin grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, his dark eyes shining brightly.

As if revisiting the days they supported each other in the past, Xiao Zhou finally softened his tone. “I won’t forget.”

The sound of police searching nearby was getting closer. Xiao Zhou said, “I’ll lead them away first. You stay here for a while. Wait until it’s quiet before you come out.”

Chen Jin nodded, “I hear you.”

Xiao Zhou turned around and walked towards the entrance of the alley.

Watching Xiao Zhou’s figure disappear, Chen Jin’s face gradually darkened. The surrounding buildings were being renovated, with a lot of construction debris and junk piled up here. He walked over to that pile of things, picked up a handy steel rod, and then crouched behind the wall, watching Xiao Zhou’s movements. Seeing Xiao Zhou walk over, return the bag to its owner, then talk to the police and get taken away without once pointing or looking in his direction.

He waited until everyone had left, the fading sound of police cars before he could finally relax. He tossed away the steel rod, rubbed his sore knees from crouching, pulled the hoodie’s hood over his face again, hands in his pockets, and limped out of the alley.

TN:

I have to clarify this as it somewhat affects the translation. Xiao Bian, who later reveals his real name is Chen Jin, was called little braids by his cellmate. In pinyin little braids is 小辫子 directly translated to Xiao Bianzi hence all the time i’ve been using Xiao Bian it was actually little braids. Kindly take note of that 🙂