Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4567 | Page 193

I stepped into the room shakily, bracing myself. The complete silence could almost pierce me like a spear. Nine
men sat at a long meeting table, the seat in the dead middle left empty. They couldn’t have possibly been waiting
for someone like me.
The servant stepped up beside me. “The tenth has arrived, sir. The meeting shall commence.”Almost in sync,
nine heads turned my way, one of which immediately shot up, and pointed a trembling finger at me.
“This cannot be! The previous tenth had not named an heir! Who is this imposter?” The man shouted in panic.
Another who looked older and wiser stood up as well, but facing the shouting man. “Guang-hong, calm
yourself. The heir is not named, but chosen. If he is indeed the tenth, such discourtesy on your part will not go
unpunished,” The older man warned, staring down at Guang-hong who sat back with a huff.
Then the older man turned to me. “It is honor to meet you, heir of the nine circles. Please present the circlet of
proof to affirm your identity as the real heir.” What circlet, I wanted to ask, but my hand reached for my wrist
subconsciously, and removed from it a gold circlet of a dragon. In disbelief, I held it up in amazement. For how
long had it been on my wrist?
Guang-hong widened his eyes, almost horrified as he patted down his trousers in panic. “H-how dare you steal
that, imposter! Hand it over immediately! That is not something you can sully with your dirty hands!”
Guang-hong cried out in desperation as he strided over to where I was, trying to snatch the circlet out of my
hands.
A sudden loud crack sank the room in complete silence again. Dazed, Guang-hong brought a hand to his
reddened cheek, and looked up at the older man who had struck him. “S-sir Xing-ke…” Xing-ke glared
coldly at the other man.
“How dare you raise a hand against the heir, Guang-hong?” Xing-ke caught hold of Guang-hong’s shirt collar
and bellowed. “ The spirits of the old city walls choose heir and the heir presented with the circlet of Shanghai.
Deny that this boy is the heir, and you reject your purpose as one of the nine circles, do you understand,
Guang-hong?” The smaller boy nodded frantically before Xing-ke released his grip.
I was oddly calm when I took my place in the last seat, holding myself in the same dignified manner when I
walked in the casino. It was almost second-nature. Xing-ke rapped the table once, “The nine circles of
Shanghai have assembled. The tenth has taken his place as heir. The meeting of the nine circles shall
commence.”
Xing-ke stood to speak, “It has been two decades since we gathered here, yet all of nine circles look just as
young as you did twenty years ago. The previous gathering was brought about by the dismantling of our
historical city walls. As of today, we gather again as of the invasion of the Japanese and Russians.” Rubbing my
sweaty hands against each other, I tried to understand every word when Xing-ke gave me a knowing look. “As
the nine circles that inherit the will of the old Shanghai city walls, we must protect our city from the dishonor of
being controlled by a foreign nation. I hereby call for support and troops that can help rebuild our prized walls
once again.”
Guang-hong snorted. “Have you gone senile, Xing-ke? Why should we shut out people who bring us money?
I say, let them all in,” The other men watched their own fingers intently without looking up. “Rebuilding the
walls is meaningless. Cooperating with the Russians is much more profitable.”
Xing-ke shot another glare at Guang-hong. “I’m not sure if you and your wallet have noticed, but the Russians
are feeding the people with opium under the table to make money that you’re hiding in your pocket right now!
Remember how the British and their opium held back our country!”