No. 89 Shadows of Paradise Embrace in Sorrow
If not for Pai Ge’s own words, I would never have believed that Lu Yibing, a girl younger than myself, possessed such a remarkable past.
Her father, a real estate tycoon in Upper Capital City, had faced financial ruin and threats from the underworld. Desperate, he had sent his five-year-old daughter to live with a reclusive master in the mountains, entrusting his son, Lu Kai, to a trusted foreigner who took him abroad.
The master was a former university friend of Lu Yibing’s father, known for his eccentric personality and his mastery of a unique martial art he called “Divine Flame,” a style that even seasoned special forces soldiers admired.
He had retreated into the mountains with the young Lu Yibing, teaching her his skills and forcing her to adapt to the harsh realities of wilderness survival.
Drinking muddy water, eating raw meat—those were mere inconveniences. During storms and natural disasters, when shelter was scarce, she had endured nights exposed to the elements, battling wild animals, insects, and the relentless forces of nature.
The young girl had cried countless tears, faced death countless times.
Those experiences had shaped her into the quiet, reserved girl she was today, her childhood trauma leaving an indelible mark on her psyche. Having grown accustomed to eating raw meat, she now craved sweets, seeking solace in the sugary embrace of candy.
But that wasn’t the only reason her story resonated with me.
As she adjusted her hat, her familiar gesture triggered a memory from my future.
Lu Yibing was only fourteen. Pai Ge had instructed me to call her “older sister” out of respect.
But in a few years, around 2017, when she was fifteen, she would become a national singing sensation.
Her music was a blend of death metal and rock, her lyrics dark and poetic, her voice a powerful, haunting contralto that defied her youthful appearance. She possessed a natural talent for music, a raw energy that captivated audiences. By 2020, under the stage name “Bing Ling,” she would have amassed millions of fans worldwide.
And now, this future queen of music stood beside me, clinging to my arm like a lovestruck girlfriend.
Pai Ge had returned to his family’s affairs, following Wild Dog’s advice to eliminate the dissent within the Pai family before their enemies could exploit their weakness.
“Are we… almost there?”
We had been walking for almost an hour, following Lu Yibing’s directions through the labyrinthine streets of Jiangnan District. She had remained silent throughout the journey, her only communication a contented smile and a tight grip on my arm. We attracted curious stares from passersby.
After all, it wasn’t every day you saw two girls walking hand in hand, their body language suggesting a romantic intimacy.
“Over there…”
She pointed towards a row of dilapidated houses, her grip tightening.
Her voice was childish, tinged with a hint of tsundere arrogance, reminding me of a famous Japanese voice actress.
Rie Kugimiya.
“That’s the Jiangnan Association’s headquarters?”
I stared at the shabby buildings, their crumbling facades a testament to the city’s neglect. The intersection leading to their territory lacked even a functioning traffic light, the surrounding greenery withered and dust-covered. This was hardly a haven for the wealthy and powerful.
This area, known as “Little Chicken Village,” was one of the most neglected parts of Jiangnan District, home to low-income families and elderly residents, many of whom still clung to their rural roots, their backyards transformed into small vegetable gardens, their livelihoods dependent on the meager income their children sent home.
What was Pai Ge’s purpose in sending me here with Lu Yibing?
“Bing, what brings you here?”
Several young men, their faces surprisingly clean-cut despite their surroundings, greeted us as we approached the village entrance.
I followed Lu Yibing towards them.
“Who’s this?” one of them asked, gesturing towards me.
“My boyfriend,” Lu Yibing replied without hesitation.
“Huh?”
The young men stared at us, their jaws slack, echoing my own bewilderment. “But she’s… a girl…”
Lu Yibing ignored their confusion, tightening her grip on my arm as if asserting her ownership.
“You’re… aren’t you…”
One of the boys, his demeanor more streetwise than the others, studied me intently. “Yi Yao?”
I was surprised that anyone here recognized me.
“Remember that party? We had a drink together.”
His words triggered a memory. “Oh, it’s you.”
Months ago, during my first encounter with the Jiangnan Association, when my conflict with Xiaodie had escalated into a confrontation with Huang Qinghao, this boy had offered me a glass of “vodka,” which turned out to be a sweet, non-alcoholic beverage. He had effectively defused the situation.
“Thanks for that,” I said, offering him a grateful smile. “What’s your name?”
“No need to be so formal, sis. Call me Lan Ge.”
His surname triggered a memory, a phantom image from another life. “Lan Ge.”
“Haha, Yi Yao, what brings you to our humble abode?”
“Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. Pai Ge said you might need some help.”
“You know Lan Ge?” the other boys asked, their curiosity piqued.
“Yeah, he’s one of us.” Lan Ge grinned, clapping me on the shoulder. “Let me introduce you. This is Hao Gui, this is A Mei, and this is A Ming. This is Yi Yao, a tough girl from the Black Dragon Society. Don’t let her appearance fool you. The three of you combined wouldn’t stand a chance against her.”
“Nice to meet you.”
I smiled and nodded at each of them, anticipating future interactions.
“Whoa, seriously?”
“Lan Ge, she looks so fragile. Isn’t she underage?”
“Don’t you trust me? She’s a sixteen-year-old national taekwondo champion. She was even on TV. She could take you down with one hand tied behind her back.”
“Damn, respect.”
“Haha, relax, guys. She’s one of us now. She’s tough but fair. Right, Yi Yao?”
I giggled, covering my mouth with my hand.
My gesture seemed to captivate Lan Ge. He stared at me, mesmerized, then cleared his throat. “Um… Yi Yao, come inside. It’s dusty out here.”
His invitation triggered a flicker of suspicion, but Lu Yibing seemed unfazed, her casual demeanor suggesting she was used to their unconventional ways. I followed them, my curiosity outweighing my apprehension.
“After the mayor’s incident, this area became even more lawless. We’ve been trying to maintain order,” Lan Ge explained, his voice filled with pride.
“What kind of… incidents?” I asked, my gaze sweeping across the desolate landscape.
The lack of businesses, the deserted streets, the sense of isolation—it was an unsettling environment. If something happened, no one would hear our screams.
“There are a lot of… well, let’s just say they’re desperate people. They’ll do anything for money. They often rob passersby,” he said, his expression hardening.
He lit a cigarette, his movements practiced, his demeanor more streetwise than his clean-cut appearance suggested.
“There are also a lot of children here, elementary school students. No one wants to open a shop here, so they have to walk for over two hours to get to school. They often go hungry, and recently, there have been cases of children being kidnapped. The locals have complained countless times, but nothing has changed.”
“Since I live here, the boss assigned me and my brothers to patrol the area, to provide breakfast for the children, to escort them to school, and to drive away any troublemakers.”
What? Since when were gangsters running a charity?
“We were short on funds initially, so the boss told us to rob other gangs. We’ve made a lot of enemies. We’re just trying to survive. Many of our brothers have left out of fear. I don’t know how much longer we can hold on.”
I was starting to understand why the Jiangnan Association was falling apart.
This was a dog-eat-dog world, especially in the underworld.
Huang Tianhai’s departure should have been a signal to lie low, to consolidate their power. Instead, they had chosen to be heroes, to protect the weak.
My true thoughts, however, remained unspoken. All I could manage was a heartfelt, “Thank you for your service.”
The Jiangnan Association was an anomaly in the world of organized crime.
“Grandma, I’m home!”
Lan Ge led us into a small house, calling out in a dialect I didn’t understand. An elderly woman, her face etched with wrinkles, emerged from a back room, her frail body supported by a cane.
Lu Yibing, her usual aloofness replaced by a warm smile, rushed to her side, guiding her towards a wheelchair with practiced ease.
“Her son went to work in another city and had an accident. The insurance company paid a large sum, but she has a heart condition. We didn’t want to worry her, so we sent the money anonymously, telling her that her son was too busy to come home. She’s still waiting for him to return.”
He spoke to the elderly woman, and she responded with a series of questions, her voice trembling with concern.
“Just tell her something reassuring. The doctor said she doesn’t have much time left,” Lan Ge said, his voice heavy with sadness.
“Okay…” I forced a cheerful smile and gestured towards the elderly woman. “Your son is doing well. He’s working hard, making a lot of money. And he has a beautiful girlfriend.”
Lan Ge translated my words, his expression somber.
“Oh… oh…”
A faint smile touched the elderly woman’s wrinkled face.
She spoke to us again, her voice barely a whisper, then struggled to her feet.
“She wants to make you something to eat,” Lan Ge explained, watching as Lu Yibing helped her into the kitchen. He sighed, settling down on the sofa. “That’s the situation here, Yi Yao. I heard your Black Dragon Society is being targeted by those other gangs. Do you have any plans?”
Leave a Reply