Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4567 | Page 308

Room 18.
Can afford two or three women.
Either three or four people on the other side, including the target.
Plant given paper.
Target is cautious.
Probably only one woman.
Less mess.
Only a simple eradication method required.
“C-c-complim-m-mentary wine.” Zhengli stuttered.
“You sound new.” She said. “Well, come in.” Shuffle shuffle.
“But be very quiet. The customer is asleep.”
Perfect.
Click.
Zhengli pushed the door with great force, knocking the woman to the ground. Zhengli then was upon her,
using his weight to keep the struggling female down. He used his hands to hold her neck and cover her mouth
to keep the woman from screaming. She stopped thrashing after a few minutes, falling unconscious.
He stood up and stepped out of the door to start dragging her body out.
He heard a whoosh coming from above him and instinctively moved his head aside, grabbing his metal orbs
from his clothes. The attacker's fist slammed onto the woman's chest. He pushed the attacker down onto the
woman and bashed the attacker’s head with an orb. He quickly drew the smooth metallic ball back, the target
falling unconscious on top of the woman.
Lucky man. He had a hard head. He would wake up to a massive headache, but he would live.
Zhengli didn't know he was holding his breath. He slowly expelled the air he was holding. The sound of his
heartbeat exploded in his ears like drums getting a beating.
He cursed.
Babump.
He should have been more careful. This is not good for business. Too many risks. He put away his metal orbs
and quickly got to work.
Babump.
He dragged the target’s body back onto the bed and places a stray opium pipe into the unconscious man’s open
hand. Zhengli removed the Briton’s shoes and placed them at the bottom of the bed.
Babump.
Now the woman. He dragged her inside and propped her against the wall, planting an opium pipe into her hand
as well.
Babump.
He grabbed two opium pots and fills them with opium that was stored inside a secret compartment. He then
lights the two pipes, the burning drug beginning to produce smoke.
All of this takes exactly 3 minutes and 28 seconds.
Barely satisfactory work, at best.
Satisfied with his tampering, Zhengli resumed his work.
He took out the given paper from his garments. Curious, he unrolled it. After seeing the paper was full of words
and letters and a seal he did not know of, he gave up and placed it by the now-snoring Briton’s other hand.
Now to escape. Going back the same way would be risky, but it was the only option he had. If his tampering
destroyed any evidence of him being there, he would easily escape trial. And if questioned, the woman he ran
into would give a solid alibi.