Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 1-2 | Page 602

Four days later, the train drew into Moscow. During these four days, Xuan Lang, who was very religious
and very good at fighting, and a monk from the neighbouring compartment, had talked about nothing but
religion. Xuan Lang had agreed to visit the monk’s monastery in Moscow with an ulterior motive. The
monk thought he was luring Xuan Lang to his death, but the truth was vice-versa.
On their way to the monastery, the monk and Xuan Lang had to change buses. Walking in the dark to the
next bus stop, Xuan Lang pushed the monk down onto the road just as a lorry was about to pass. The
monk’s life ended under the lorry’s wheels as Xuan Lang ran back up the road, hailed a taxi and went to the
station with trains going to St. Petersburg.
The detectives from Beijing were now just one evil man away from possibly saving the world from nuclear
destruction.
The next day, Monkey King and the team arrived in Russia’s old, imperial capital. They immediately went
to the ornately decorated church from which the scriptures had been stolen.
Once there, they asked to meet the cardinal in charge. They had heard good things about him and had
decided to take him into their confidence. They explained the whole situation and the cardinal, to their
surprise, confirmed that he also knew the secret of the scriptures.
The five men realised that they had to eliminate the fourth thief and the cardinal came up with a plan.
They waited and waited, and sure enough that afternoon the remaining thief entered the church, having
followed the detectives from the train station.
Monkey King engaged the thief in conversation and led him to a circular side chapel. High up in the
gallery, the cardinal loosened a rope and the chapel’s chandelier came crashing down, killing the thief
instantly. The world was saved.
Fast forward 18 months and the scriptures had still not been found. In fact, they never would be, but it did
not matter: the only five people in the world who knew what they contained were the four human-interest
detectives and the devout cardinal.
Later that year, all five men were awarded a special Nobel Peace Prize. Only they and the Nobel Peace
Committee knew the reason why. Yet as Monkey King said in his acceptance speech, even if we don’t
know why, sometimes we have to put the interests of others and society ahead of ourselves.