Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 2020 | Page 36

Fiction – Group 3
securing the building. There were valuable items in there, that most certainly could not be
left unprotected. As he walked down the decrepit street he felt something break inside of him.
He remembered the days where he would sit on the sun-warmed steps, sipping bitter beer and
laughing with old friends. Memories of the days where these streets brimmed with life and
vibrancy hung in his head like a thick mist, clouding his every thought. Since The Greater
Bay Area, the life and soul of his home had been sucked out by the greed of politicians. He
could feel the joy dripping out of the streets one day at a time, painting his world in the most
dismal shades of grey.
The heat of the midday sun glared down at the hard concrete, Gang Feng patiently
studied some small scraps of shrivelled plants, desperately squeezing into the cracks in the
bricks on the pavement. He moved his attention to some discarded pieces of newspaper,
ripped into shreds left decompose on the lonely road. Gang Feng looked up. A regular
customer had arrived for their weekly purchase. Her eyes were glassy and bloodshot, with
eyelids hanging so low that you could barely see into her eyes. Her cheeks were as pale as the
ghostly light of the moon, and were gaunt and hollow as if she was terribly sick. Gang Feng
didn’t want to know her name. If he did, he might feel even worse for what he was about to
do. Neither Gang Feng nor his client needed to say a word. She gave him a slight nod, and he
extended his hand, opening his palm. Solemnly, she placed a crinkled note into his hand. It
was slightly ripped, but he accepted it. He reached into his coat pocket, and retrieved a small
plastic bag; containing a fine white powder that glistened in the light. Her eyes were fixated
onto it, watching its every movement. Gang Feng looked away as he handed her the bag. He
turned to look at her, and nodded sadly before looking back down at the pavement.
The hours drifted by, and by the end of Heng He’s lunch meeting, he had secured a
whole group of new “investors” for his casino. Feeling rather content with his work for the
day, he started to walk back to the start of his shift at the Velvet Petal. The early evening sky
was a maroon blanket, draped over the earth, threaded with burnt orange clouds. The moon
was still hiding in the last fragment of daytime, but would soon cast its ghostly shadow over
the bay. He arrived before the wooden door of The Velvet Petal, to see the door unlocked.
Fear struck his mind like a sharp needle, but his nerves relaxed when he heard the voice of
Gang Feng, boasting loudly to his friends about how much money he had made in a deal
today. Heng He walked through the door.
“Get the games ready!” Shouted Heng He. “I’ve just brought in some rich investors,
let’s show them that they’ve made a good choice.” Everyone nodded obediently, but stayed
standing and resumed their chatting as soon as Heng He went into the back room.
The room fell completely silent, before a loud bang of something heavy hitting the floor.
Suddenly, Heng He leapt from his seat and rushed to see what had happened, but stopped
dead in his tracks. The wooden door lay in splinters on the floor, and behind it stood a
woman dressed in black. Her hair was as dark as a raven’s feathers, and was cut into a curved
fringe that covered her eyes like a mask. Her thin lips were pursed into a scowl. Seared into
her right arm was a symbol, a symbol of the most dangerous type of person. A blackjack
playing card. She walked calmly into the casino, followed by two men. Their sheer size of
them caused everyone in the room to stumble backwards. They too had the blackjack symbol
burned into their skin, to be there for the rest of time.
“So this is where all my clients have been going.” She said, with amusement in her voice.
“I blame The Greater Bay Area myself, but we’re going to need to take this place. Everyone
knows us Macanese are the ones who run casinos, but maybe you guys can run a dumpling
shop! I’ve heard they are popular around here.” She sneered. “Now get out.”
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