Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 2020complete | Page 158

“This leads thee to the end of the quest,
to find a pirate’s treasure nest.
Thou will have to be brave,
to enter the dark cave.
From pirate to navy commander of a dynasty,
he once ruled the South China Sea.”
It did not take long for Tom to figure out that their next stop would be the cave of Cheung Po
Tsai, who
was an infamous pirate in the 18th century.
The next day, the brothers were on the ferry to Cheung Chau island, Hong Kong. Little did they
know that Serpent had been tracking their every move and following them throughout the journey.
When the boys arrived, they began hiking to the cave. The cave was pitch-dark. Tom put his
hand on the wall to feel his way around. He felt a stone jutting out and twisted it. Suddenly, the rock wall
slid open, revealing a secret room. Tom and Tim had to shield their eyes from the glistening coins, gold and
rubies. The boys looked at each other, speechless.
“Well, well, well. You boys led me to the treasure. I cannot believe that my plan worked.” The
boys spun around. “Who are you?”
Serpent replied, “ I am Serpent. My ancestors were enemies of Cheung Po Tsai. They knew that
he had a secret treasure stash. They found a clue to the whereabouts of the treasure. But, for many years, no
one has been able to solve the puzzle. Not long ago, I found out how talented you are at solving ciphers, so
I sent you the card with the clue. Then, all I had to do was tail you as you crack the codes. Now you mean
nothing to me. I shall kill you right where you are standing and no one will ever know. Well, maybe your
bodies will be discovered by some nosy tourists many years later.” Serpent chuckled sinisterly.
Desperately, the twins tried to escape, but the door they had entered from closed. From his coat,
Serpent pulled out a dagger that glistened in the dark. He rushed towards Tim. Tim kicked Serpent as hard
as he could and then released a barrage of punches onto Serpent’s face. He then pinned Serpent to the floor
by twisting Serpent’s arm. After that, he snatched the dagger from Serpent’s hand and stabbed him in his
thigh. Serpent howled in pain. Tom’s mouth hung open in admiration. “Stop standing there like a dummy.
Call the Police,” heaved Tim as he sat on Serpent to pin him down.
Back in their hotel, Tom and Tim were lounging on
beach chairs by the poolside. “What an adventure! It is good that Serpent is now behind bars and all the
treasure is in the custody of the police. It’s amazing how well-connected the cities in the Greater Bay Area
are. We travelled by the high-speed rail, crossed the longest sea crossing bridge on Earth and we’ll be flying
back to Guangzhou tomorrow,” Tom reflected.
“Well, like what Dad always says, there’re lots of opportunities in the Greater Bay Area. It’s kind of
like our quest. It’s up to us to discover the treasures within.” Sipping fruit punches served by Bob, the boys
dreamed about their bright future and smiled.