Special District 9 Chapter 3: The Unreliable Li Fugui

Inside the restaurant.

After taking a seat, Old Cat ordered three plates of dishes, two meat and one vegetable, and a half a jin of the cheapest white wine.
(Half a jin = 0.25kg)

“You don’t need to save money on my behalf. Let’s order more,” Qin Yu dropped a few courteous words that he didn’t really mean.

“Forget it. You just arrived here, and you haven’t received any wages yet. Let’s go with this much for now.”

Even though Old Cat might be a little rash at times, it appeared that he wasn’t a bad person at heart. Rubbing his cold palms together, he turned to Qin Yu and asked, “I heard that you came from the Development District?”

“Un,” Qin Yu nodded.

“Life must be tough there?”

“There’s nothing exceptionally tough about it. It’s just a matter of adapting,” Qin Yu replied with a smile. “Once you get used to it, everywhere is pretty much the same.”

“I guess so.”

“…”

The three of them were all quite young, so there was no generation gap amongst them when they chatted with one another. Furthermore, Old Cat and Qin Yu had cheerful personalities and liked to joke around, so it didn’t take long for them to warm up to one another.

During their conversation, Qin Yu couldn’t help but notice that Qi Lin, be it his body language or his words, seemed to be fawning on Old Cat. He had assumed a very humble position before the latter.

After the food arrived, Qin Yu raised his cup and said, “Those who can sit down around the same table and share a meal are friends. It’s my first time around here, so let’s hang out more often and take care of one another.”

“There’s nothing much to take care of. These days, as long as you are capable, you can succeed wherever you go. But you don’t have anything, it won’t make a difference no matter who is taking care of you,” Old Cat replied very frankly.

He then raised his cup as well and added on, “However, you’re right to say that we should hang out more often. On the grounds that you dared to confront Ol’ Three and the others, I think the two of us can become friends!”

“Heh. Cheers!” Qin Yu chuckled.

“Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

The three of them lifted their cups and gulped down the wine.

“Come, have a little more.” After wiping his mouth, Qi Lin picked up the wine bottle and continued helping Old Cat refill his cup. “Bro, that thing that I told you about the previous time around, is it possible to get it done?”

Old Cat rolled his eyes upon hearing those words. While picking up a small slice of beef with his chopsticks, he reprimanded, “You are really too narrow-minded. Qin Yu is treating over here, and you start talking about a favor all of a sudden. Aren’t you being too calculative over here?”

Qi Lin didn’t appear to be embarrassed by those words. He scratched his head as he replied, “I… am just a little short on money recently.”

“Tsk, when have you not been short on money before?” Old Cat continued reprimanding with a frown as he gobbled a few more slices of beef. “Sigh, I have asked around for that matter of yours, but there are no empty spots for the administrative jobs at the moment. If you want to be promoted, you have to burn some incense and pray to the Buddha, but you don’t have the money to do so either. So, the only thing you can do is wait.”

Hearing their conversation, Qin Yu asked curiously, “Why do you want to get an administrative job?”

“He’s a coward, that’s why,” Old Cat replied with a click of his tongue. “Based on the report last year, our Police Bureau lost 35 men within six months. The world is too chaotic at the moment, and he doesn’t feel safe being in Platoon 1. So, he wants to find somewhere safer and more peaceful.”

“Ah, I see.”

Qin Yu didn’t seem to be surprised by the words. Compared to the Development District, Special District 9 could already be considered to be a safe haven.

Old Cat looked at Qi Lin with a slightly derisive look in his eyes as he berated, “Qi Lin, you need to understand that the times have already changed. If you don’t push yourself and put your life on the line, when will you be able to turn your life around? Even if I get you an administrative job right now, with no one above you, it’s only a matter of time before someone squeezes you out. What is the phrase again? Ah yes, it’s the times that make a hero!

“Let’s not talk about faraway things and just look at Yuan Ke’s elder brother. Before Special District 9 was formed, he was nothing at all! However, as the times got chaotic, he ended up rising through the ranks instead. Right now, in this Black Street Sector, there’s no one who dares to provoke him anymore. He even has six wives! And who did he rely on for all of this? No one at all!”

“There’s no way I can compete with him,” Qi Lin replied with a smile. “I just want to live a safe and peaceful life while earning enough to feed my mother and my younger sister.”

“Is this all the ambition that you got?” Old Cat exclaimed with deep disappointment. “The reason why I appealed to get you into Platoon 1 is so that you’ll have the chance to climb up, but you ended up spending your days washing socks and serving others tea… Just look at yourself! It’s no wonder why the others could climb all over your head. You aren’t even of the same standing as the rest of them, how are you going to build up your connections? Is that how a human makes friends?”

Qi Lin lowered his head silently.

“Sigh, with that spineless personality of yours, your father still named you Qi Lin… Why the hell did my mum name me Li Fugui when I’m such an outstanding person? Say, where the heck did the justice of the world go to?” Old Cat shook his head and sighed.

“Alright, let’s not talk about this matter anymore. Let’s chat about something else,” Qin Yu interjected at this moment to alleviate the atmosphere a little.

With all that had been said, Qi Lin didn’t raise the matter about switching jobs anymore. Amidst wine and idle chatter, time flew by swiftly.

Soon, it was nine at night. Qi Lin took a look at the message that had arrived on his phone before saying, “There are some things at home that I need to handle, so I’ll be going off first. See you tomorrow.”

“You aren’t going to drink a little more?” Qin Yu asked.

“I’ll pass. I really need to get going now.”

“I’ll walk you back then.”

“Nah, that’ll be too much trouble. I’ll leave on my own.”

“Take care and walk slowly.”

“I’m fine.”

“…!”

After trading some pleasantries, Qi Lin grabbed his phone and quickly left the restaurant. Meanwhile, Qin Yu and Old Cat continued sitting around the table to have their drinks.

“Old Cat, we are able to sit down and drink together. That is what friends are,” Qin Yu advised with a reddened face. “Spare Qi Lin some face in the future.”

“Did I scold him? I am trying to wake up his idea!” Old Cat slammed the table in agitation. With very concise and straightforward words, he pointed out the crux of the issue, “If a person were to keep kneeling, there will never come a day where he can stand up. Do you get that?”

Qin Yu pondered over those words for a moment before nodding subconsciously in agreement.

“He’s the only friend that I have in the Police Bureau. I can’t help but get anxious for him everytime I see how he’s acting!” Old Cat shook his head and sighed deeply. “Forget it, let’s not talk about him anymore. It’s time for me to deal with some official business.”

“What official business?” Qin Yu asked.

“I have been observing that young lady from earlier for a while now, and it seems like she isn’t in a relationship with those four guys she’s hanging out with,” Old Cat told Qin Yu with a lowered voice. “I think I can make a move now.”

Qin Yu was a little bewildered, “Which young lady?”

“Heck, why are you so slow-witted? I’m referring to the one who got off the jeep earlier!” Old Cat exclaimed impatiently. “Isn’t she enchanting? I have already gotten hard thrice just by taking a look at her. Sigh, don’t you think that she looks a bit like that star from before, Jun Ji-hyun… The tall one with long legs.”

Sweat began dripping down Qin Yu’s back, “Bro, hold yourself back a little. Didn’t you just say that the times are chaotic now…”

“What are you so worried about? I’m just giving it a try!” Old Cat rubbed his palms together as he rose to his feet and began strutting over to the table near the windows.

…

Outside.

Qi Lin stood by the roadside and took two huge puffs from the electronic cigarette. He hesitated for a very long while before finally taking out his phone to call Qin Yu. However, he suddenly recalled that Qin Yu’s newly bought phone hadn’t been linked with the system yet, so he searched for Old Cat’s number instead.

…

In the restaurant.

Old Cat adjusted his hairdo a little before making his way toward the window side table. He smiled at the young lady seated there and asked, “Nice to meet you, beauty. Are you out here to dine with your family?”

The young lady was initially looking out the window in a daze when she suddenly heard Old Cat calling for her. She turned her head over to look at Old Cat doubtfully and asked, “You… have something for me?”

“I am the director of the TV program show, Star Hosts, and we are currently holding a selection. Are you interested?” Old Cat spouted a string of nonsense without any hesitation.

While the two of them were chatting, the young lady had already come back to her senses. Her face flushed in excitement as she responded to Old Cat’s question enthusiastically, “Are you really from the television station? What a coincidence! I am learning how to host a program at the moment too!”

Old Cat didn’t expect the young lady to be so cooperative. His eyes shone brightly as he continued spouting crap, “That’s amazing! May I have your contact number? I’ll contact you privately to discuss the details.”

As he spoke, he had already taken out a phone that he had prepared beforehand and passed it over to the young lady. This was his own private phone, not the one which he was forced to purchase by the Police Bureau.

After receiving the phone, the young lady began to key in a number.

Pah!

The short middle-aged man suddenly stood up and grabbed the young lady’s arm, saying, “Return the phone to him. Eat.”

“Uncle, I am quite interested in this opportunity,” the young lady raised her head and said with a pleading smile.

“I said return the phone to him,” the short middle-aged man repeated his words yet again.

Old Cat shot a glance at the short middle-aged man before revealing a dazzling smile, “I really am from the television station. You don’t need to get so anxious, I don’t have any bad intentions.”

The young lady hesitated for a moment before returning the phone back to Old Cat, saying, “I’ll have to pass then. Sorry about that.”

Old Cat’s heart was already doing a mini tap dance of victory when he saw how cooperative the young lady, but an unfeeling ‘goblin’ suddenly intervened and messed up his plans. That left him feeling extremely indignant, so he wanted to try pushing his luck a little.

“I’ll have to turn down the opportunity, thank you,” the young lady insisted once more.

Old Cat was dazed for a moment. He looked at the young lady for two seconds before nodding with a smile, “So be it then. Sorry for interrupting your meal.”

…

A minute later.

Old Cat returned to sit down opposite to Qin Yu with a bizarre look on his eyes.

“You got cockblocked, huh? Heh!” Qin Yu asked as he picked up another slice of beef with his chopsticks.

Old Cat blinked his eyes as he kicked Qin Yu under the table, saying, “Look below.”

Qin Yu lowered his head to look under the table. Old Cat was passing his phone over to him discreetly with his right hand, and with a hushed voice, Old Cat said, “Take a look at the screen.”

Qin Yu took a closer look and saw the numbers ‘959595’ inputted on the screen.

(95 sounds like ‘Save Me’ in Chinese.)

“What does that mean?” Qin Yu was slightly confused.

Old Cat clutched his face with his left hand and he replied deeply, “The heck… It means she’s in trouble!”

“So, what you are saying is that…?”

“That young lady isn’t from the same group as those four men. She even kicked me under the table earlier.” Old Cat took back his phone as he took a sip of wine. “I can’t tell what the background of those men is, but there must be something amiss. That young lady is telling us to save her!””

Over at the table by the windows, the short middle-aged man glanced at his watch as he spoke to his companions coldly, “That person who came earlier. Is it just a coincidence or is he sounding us out?”

“Hard to say,” his companion shook his head.

“He looks a little dull-witted,” the short middle-aged man remarked as he looked at Old Cat in unease. “Time’s up. We aren’t waiting anymore. Let’s leave.”

“Let’s go,” his companion nodded. This companion turned to the young lady and warned coldly, “Don’t cause any trouble and leave with us obediently.”

With beads of sweat filling her forehead, she discreetly glanced at Old Cat before nodding.

…

Not too far away.

Old Cat was rubbing his cheeks raw out of frustration as he whispered anxiously to Qin Yu, “So how? Are we going to interfere?”

Kachik!

At the same time, an electronic vehicle parked at the entrance of the restaurant.

Qi Lin refers to Qilin, one of the legendary creatures in Chinese mythology. On the other hand, Li Fugui basically means ‘richness and wealth’, which is quite an old-fashioned name.

Oof it has been long since I used my WordPress. My StarveArchive died due to not footing the bills (all of my most updated stuff is there), and my StarveCleric is cluttered up with old stuff.

The inconvenience is really annoying me oof. Everything has to be done manually, like the links, the next, previous below, everything. I guess I got too used to the convenience of the other websites.

Anyway, just promoting my older novel, go and read Library of Heaven’s Path huehuehue. It’ll be ending real soon, within this month, at 2264 chapters! Banzai!

LI-BER-A-TED!