Hong Kong

N

The young man in the immense solitude of his castle could not even see the baby. He hated to hear her cry; she was the product of the sin that was lived in the castle. The services on their own looked for a wet nurse to nurse her.

A whole year went by like that. Until one day she decided. Inflexible he went to the room where the girl was. He picked her up and took her with him.

His servants saw him walking; they guessed what he intended to do and one of them, closing the way, knelt before the young master.

-- Take my life, sir. He exchanged it for her. There is also her blood ... her sister's blood in the girl.

And so they all knelt before him, offering their lives for that of the girl.

He took the horse and headed for the meadow.

Let fate decide!

A whole day on horseback and descended into the middle of the distant prairie.

The girl was crying from hunger and thirst. He left her abandoned in the middle of the meadow.

He mounted his horse and rode away. A great distance he traveled. Until he stopped his gallop and giving a shriek of despair, he turned his back and galloped back.

It was midnight. And in the darkness he barely saw her.

The girl was almost dead of cold and hunger.

Without thinking with his dagger he cut her and gave her blood to drink.

It was to save her. He had no other choice. He gave another desperate cry in the darkness and plunged the dagger into the ground.

It sank and when he pulled it out, a different glow permeated it. A greenish color indicated to him that a gold deposit was there.

He had to mark the area. It was no man's land. It would belong to whoever claimed it. A great fortune had been made by trying to murder his sister's daughter.

I

In the morning the servants saw him arrive.

He was pale and haggard.

He handed the girl to the servants and said nothing. Silent and sullen; feeling a miserable fool, he remained without food all day.

In the middle of the night he went to his private library and searched for texts: acupuncture, medicines, combat strategies, construction techniques, mathematics, until he found something that caught his attention. Until he found something that caught his attention. A series of tablets wrapped in untanned leather.... He read them...

II.

23 years before Kathy Hung initiated her internship in the hospital of Kowlong ....

. Midnight... The nuns of St. Mary Immaculate orphanage woke up in bewilderment.... 8 very loud knocks on the front door..... The frightened old caretaker went to check and found the typical .... A little girl in a wicker basket... Another girl abandoned by a dancer or a girl with money who didn't know how to count the non-fertile days or forgot her pill....

III

Melissa started her shift and on her electric scooter she moved through her assigned area near the hospital... As she assumed, the detectives pretended to investigate. No one would waste time with that.

There were several "snitches" in their patrol area. Someone must have seen or heard something.

-- I saw old Lang's triad park the other afternoon in the hospital parking lot. This isn't their zone," an illegal bookie told her, when she stopped him on the sidewalk and started pulling out bundles and bundles of cash with no backing.

It wasn't much. But she had nothing to lose by finding out.

-- So old Lang's triad. And where do these idiots hang out?

-- They're seen around Yau Tsim Mong and are sometimes bodyguards at brothels owned by subsidiaries of the Sun Yee On triad," the bookie told her, annoyed at being stuck against a wall, checked by a uniformed policewoman.

She said nothing. She had a something...Yau Tsim Mong was Kathy Hung's latest residence information.

IV.

Melissa finished her shift... She heard a rumor that a lot of motorcycles and vehicles would be decommissioned.... Some were in good condition and it was customary for police officers who were starting out to buy some of the vehicles at auction.... That's why he checked his savings... And that same night he had a Honda 750... He had hit it hard... But for 4,000 Hong Kong dollars she would put it to use as she thought... Excited, feeling part of "something" she headed to Kathy Hung's last address....

It was a poorly lit alleyway... Few people walking hurriedly to their homes... Rodo slowly... I knew how to look for... A Bmw, a Jaguar, a Cadillac or a bunch of morons in black flux, with dark glasses walking at night.

He saw the Toyota Camry, parked in a dark side street. Several motorcycles... He listened... He saw a Bmw X5... And two people inside. A man and a woman... Undercover agents.

-- Hi, guys-- he said-- I'm an agent. I'm off duty. I need to ask any operative "Old Lang" a few questions.

-- What's the point? The man said, "You're damaging an entire operation.

- Oh, come on. Even the cat knows you're cops. I'm on an investigation involving Kowlong Hospital.

-- I think you're too young for that.

She showed them her badge.

-- Please! From traffic and highway patrol," said the woman accompanying the man dismissively.

-- Are you going to help me?

--- Wait for us in an hour at the restaurant "La pluma de Oro".

-- Is it safe?

-- Nothing in Hong Kong is safe.

V

Within the hour, a young man was sitting in a room, blindfolded and tied up.

-- Is he from "Old Lang"?

The woman nodded in annoyance.

-- What were you doing in the hospital in Kowlong? It's not your area and you take care of your wounded privately," asked Melissa.

The man did not answer. The policeman grabbed his little finger and pulled it all the way back, and the man gave a yelp.

--You have nine left," he said in her ear.

Melissa looked at him in disgust and the policeman lifted his shoulders.

-- I'm just curious. I just want to know what they went to... If it's not important, tell me and I'll believe you.

Without waiting for an answer; the policeman took the other pinky and broke it too. He did it for pure pleasure.

-- You have eight left.

-- I don't know anything. It's the truth... "The ice cream daddy" went to the hospital to take a "Big Horse".

-- What's a "Big Horse"? Melissa asked.

-- Daughter. You have a lot to learn," said the woman, looking at her with mockery, "A "Big Horse" is someone very important from another area, independent and powerful.

-- It's strange," said the three policemen at the same time, and the policeman said, "That's all. He doesn't know more. He has no hierarchy to find out more.

-- What are you going to do with him," Melissa asked.

-- Routine procedures," said the policeman, directing her to leave.

A while later, moving along the air highway; Melissa was more than sure that something was... Something was going on... As part of the silent things of the different Hong Kong types that existed and coexisted in the place.

-t-

VI

-- What did we come here to do?" Kathy asked Qing Liang.

The man did not answer. He was looking all around. He seemed to be looking for something or someone. He kept silent. Three days they wandered around the meadow. Finally they returned. A meaningless walk. A journey to nowhere.

-- You are my guests," said the Count to Thomas and Mei To, "accept my hospitality.

-- I am kidn*pped," Kathy said as best she could in Thomas' ear, when they arrived at the large stable and Mei To gawked at the imposing castle, "And from now on you are too.

-- I came to rescue you," Thomas informed her.

-- And how will we get back?

-- I have no idea.

-- I've never seen such a big hotel-restaurant before," said Mei To in admiration as she entered the castle.

The Count with a gesture invited them to enter.

-- It looks like the castle of The Golden Flower," continued Mei To, looking at everything carefully.

-- That was a stage set," said Thomas, looking at everything.

-- When I arrived, for days I had the impression of getting Zhang Ziyi in the Rebel Princess at any moment. -- Kathy agreed.

-- I like you very much to see you dressed like this," said Thomas not to waste time.

IX

Melissa started her shift at 6:00 p.m. It was Saturday and the end of the month. It was Saturday and the end of the month. It was Saturday and the end of the month, which meant a lot of activity.

-- It's going to be tough," said the young woman, adjusting her uniform.

By 10 p.m. she had already assisted an elderly woman who had been run over, ticketed 15 drivers, participated in three traffic stops and decided it was time for a juice.

She parked the motorcycle and entered a small store.

A man came in and sat down in front of her.

-- If you want to eat a good "Tiger Mouthful" rice roll, I can point you to a very traditional restaurant.

-- I have credit here.

-- Here is an invitation," said the man, leaving her a 100 Hong Kong dollar bill with a picture.

She looked at the picture.

And an address.

-- Oh, man. Ugly, ugly," she said, throwing the bill in the trash can.

An hour later she arrived at the restaurant. Saturday and totally empty. She saw a beautiful young woman dressed in black.

-- An emissary," Melissa whispered, "this is getting good.

-- Here is the best pork and vegetable baozi in all of Hong Kong," said the woman.

-- I've already had dinner. And I'm actually in the middle of a very busy night.

-- But she came... She's asking around.

-- Just a couple of fellow police officers.

--She wants to know.

-- Why are 14K people interested in what a traffic cop is asking about?

-- Maybe because we have a common interest.

--And that is?

-You'll find out. -But first we need proof...

*

Melissa got up from the table and said to the woman.

-- I think our conversation is over.

-- The man who appears alone in the video is called Hang Hing. He's the one who r***d the teenage girl who jumps with the nurse. You have an interest in him. So do we.

Melissa had a horrendous Saturday at the end of the month in Hong Kong... Exhausted at 7 a.m. Sunday morning, sleepy-eyed, she rode a near-empty subway home.... She walked distractedly and a closed Mercedes Benz Sprinter stopped next to her.... It was a security failure... Total... 10 minutes later she was moving around blindfolded, and despite her sleepiness and tiredness, she was trying to guess where she was being taken to...

After a while the van stopped, they pushed her out and off she went.

She was in the new territories. She saw the Maybach Suv coming and it stopped next to her.

The rear window rolled down and a sleek, slender old man was sitting there.

-- Hello Melissa. We see you've been sticking your pretty little nose in a lot of places. You don't really know what you're looking for.

-- That's right. What am I looking for?

-- What you're looking for is in Tai Shang Po.

-- And where is that?

-- There's google maps, it's a good way to start.

-- They told me about a General Hang Hing and they gave me information about a major crime he committed. I want to question him.

The man was silent. Finally he asked him.

-- What do you hope to gain from this?

-- I am the law and you are the crime.

-- We've always had our status quo. I like you. I'm sorry I'm not 20 years younger. I'd buy you dinner.

-- If the food is good, I'll take it.

The old man smiled.

-- We'll talk again," he said, the glass went up and Melissa memorized the plate.

Her hands were shaking. She was on the road and watching her way home from rural Hong Kong.

-- What the hell am I getting myself into? she said to herself in fear. She was starting to get really scared...really scared....

III

General Hang Hing smiled with satisfaction at the beginning of the harvesting of the crop. He had fed the peasants well, the women were treated with respect. All the peasants expected to be returned to their homes at the end of the harvest. It was evident that new planting would be done and labor would be needed, and the deal given did not indicate any danger on the horizon.

-- How much longer?

-- In just five days everything will be ready...

-- Well... Well...That girl..." Hang Hing pointed out.

The assistant nodded.

--Well bathed and perfumed," Hang Hing said.

--Yes, my lord.

IV

Four months before General Hang Hing was watching the harvesting of the crop from his horse. ....

....-- My lord Qiang Ling; we come to report that all the people of the Purple Rice Valley have disappeared. We informed the viceroy in Xian and he did not even bother to investigate.

-- The viceroy is too old now. He's not in the mood for such things.

-- That's why we asked him to investigate.

-- In my capacity as prefect of the 10th district, I will investigate.

-- Thank you, my lord.

Qiang Ling went to the village. One of the poorest outside his domain. Neither were Hang Hing's vassals.

He checked the village. Signs of fighting were everywhere. Broken utensils. Horses and donkeys grazing everywhere. Even burning ovens, bedrooms in disarray. Not a single person.

-- I don't want to think badly. But it smells to me like Hang Hing's in on it.

V

Now, as Qiang Ling recalled that day, trying to guess his rival's next move...

The group of peasants received their pay. It was not much. Nor was it insufficient. They marched silently in line towards their village... Some stopped their march and they all started to look around... A troop of Huns appeared at full gallop, brandishing long swords and another group appeared cutting off the retreat. The peasants, their women and children disbanded; but they were unable to flee. Then a heavy silence descended over the prairie.

VI.

Qiang Ling observed in the distance the movement of a flock of birds of prey....

-- It is not good... Let's hope it's not an outbreak of black plague in one of the villages--for a moment he stood silently watching the distance.

-- Damn it," he said in understanding, hurrying toward the stables.

Two hours later Qiang Ling arrived at the sector of the meadow, full of corpses. The count walked among the corpses.

-- My lord. Here is a living person.

The count rushed to where his warriors surrounded the wounded.

The count arrived and immediately realized that the wounded man would have at most ten minutes to live, +++because of the atrocious wounds+.

-- Who were they? Was Hang Hing among the attackers?

-- They were foreigners. They were Hun barbarians.

-- How is it possible?. Were they warriors in disguise?

-- No, my lord," said the wounded man, vomiting blood, "they spoke...they spoke...they spoke...they spoke...they spoke...they spoke...

The wounded man died, without finishing the information.

--