Chapter 9: The Bloody Rose

“Beep—beep—”

A cold white, slender hand reached out from the deep black silk bedding.

That hand was extraordinarily beautiful, bones and flesh evenly proportioned, fingertips carrying a faint pink from being warmed in sleep.

Shen Yanzhou fumbled twice at the bedside, grabbed the phone, didn’t look at who it was, and pressed it directly to his ear.

He buried half his face in the soft pillow, his voice hoarse and cold. “Speak.”

On the other end of the line, Shen Xici had long grown accustomed to his elder brother’s “Yama King rising early” temperament. “Brother, there’s good news and bad news. Which first?”

Shen Yanzhou didn’t even lift his eyelids, turned over, and wrapped himself tighter in the covers. “Bad news.”

“Ah Biao and them turned that rotten building site in Sai Wan upside down yesterday, but didn’t catch even a ghost’s shadow. The man ran.”

Waste.

“Good news?”

Shen Xici’s tone grew excited. “Customs just removed the seal and released the cargo!”

“But, that old fox Officer Leung sent word through someone, says he wants to meet us.”

“Have him wait in the office.”

Shen Yanzhou finished speaking and directly cut the call.

Something was off.

The Shen family had stood in Hong Kong for half a century. He knew too well what kind of stuff Officer Leung was made of—money-grubbing, yet cherishing his life like gold.

Last night not even a whiff of blood was seen, how did this old thing suddenly have a change of heart?

He couldn’t figure it out. Not only couldn’t his mind figure it out, his body was also somewhat strange.

The stomach spasms had dispersed completely. That bowl of ginger milk last night indeed had some skill. But his chest was burning hot and swollen.

He pulled open his collar with one hand.

His originally pale chest was flushed red as if congested, glistening with moisture, looking as if something had sucked on it fiercely.

His fingertips lightly touched it, and he shrank back in discomfort.

“Where did this poisonous mosquito come from?”

Also, speaking of ginger milk

He remembered tasting an extremely faint bitterness at the time, and he had slept so dead.

Could it be that the dog he bought had drugged him?

He went barefoot downstairs. The dog that should have been guarding the door, fussing in the kitchen, was indeed gone.

Careless.

He should have chained him up with a dog leash. To think he drugged him and took the chance to escape.

The fire of betrayal had not yet time to spread into a prairie blaze when it was forcibly stopped before the long dining table.

On the table was an extremely refined “one pot two items” spread, still steaming. Crystal clear shrimp dumplings with bamboo shoots, the skin so thin one could glimpse the tender pink meat filling within. Beside it was a pot of warmed aged Pu’er tea.

And beside this refined scene of worldly bustle, extremely jarringly, sat a white rose.

Petals layered upon layers, while at the edge of the delicate flower core, a streak of undried blood traced.

Dirty, yet gorgeous.

Shen Yanzhou pinched that blood-stained rose, his gaze piercing past the half-closed glass door of the terrace, stabbing toward the back garden.

The man wore no shirt. His honey-colored back gleamed with an oily luster in the sunlight, sweat sliding down his deeply indented spinal groove, disappearing into the loose waistband of his pants.

He didn’t run? Still working?

Shen Yanzhou pushed open the floor-to-ceiling window. The characteristically damp and salty sea breeze of Repulse Bay Road, mixed with the scent of earth, rushed toward him. In the distance was the sparkling sea surface. Up close was the man covered in mud, trying to please him.

“Thirty Million.”

“Why are you running around blindly?”

The man in the garden heard the voice and turned back. He casually tossed aside the shovel, like a large dog hearing a whistle, running over in big strides, not forgetting to wipe his hands on his pant legs as he ran.

“Master, you’re awake?” He grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. “I saw this garden hadn’t been tended for so long, the roses had grown wild. I thought I’d clean it up… so you’d feel pleased looking at it.”

Shen Yanzhou’s gaze swept over the sweat on the man’s chest, and the fresh bloody cuts from thorns on his arms. So the blood on the white rose on the table came from here.

“Meddlesome.”

The man was not angry. “Master, want to come take a look? It’s almost finished.”

Shen Yanzhou lowered his head, looking at his own fair feet. If he stepped into this soil mixed with wet mud and broken rose thorns, they would surely get dirty.

Before his brow could even furrow, the man before him seemed to have noticed.

He raised his head, revealing those clear black-and-white dog eyes.

“Master, can I… can I hold you?”

Seeing Shen Yanzhou did not speak, he only then realized he had spoken overstepping words. His ears instantly reddened, and he clumsily explained, “Just to hold you to see the flowers. I won’t dirty your clothes. This hand of mine is wiped clean.”

After speaking, he vigorously wiped his palms twice more on his pant legs, afraid the mud crumbs on them would dirty Shen Yanzhou. He spread them open to show him, as if proving that though these hands were rough, they were clean enough.

Shen Yanzhou followed his hands to look. The wrist exposed to the light.

Compared to the scars seen under the light last night, they were even more terrifying and ferocious.

His curiosity grew like vines gone mad. What had this man before him experienced before, to again and again cruelly turn the knife against his own artery, countless times attempting wrist-cutting suicide.

“What exactly did you before…” The words reached halfway, but stuck in his throat.

This man before his eyes was merely someone he spent thirty million to borrow seed from. In a flesh relationship where money and goods are cleared upon exchange, crossing boundaries would bring trouble.

“If you dare drop me, I’ll skin you alive.”

The man foolishly smiled and nodded. One arm crossed beneath the knee bend, the other hand’s tiger mouth clamped dead at his waist side, and effortlessly lifted him up.

To balance, Shen Yanzhou had no choice but to hook his arms around the man’s neck.

The instant skin met skin, the man’s scalding sweat and domineering pheromones enveloped him. He could even clearly feel the man’s pectoral muscles, with rough heavy breathing, forcibly pressing against his own thin chest.

The place bitten by the poisonous mosquito was even more fragile beyond bearing. With the jolting of the man’s steps, it was forced to rub repeatedly against that rough hard burning skin.

Shen Yanzhou shifted to a more comfortable position, gazing at the garden full of roses, not noticing that his feet swinging about always precisely kicked the man’s thighs.

The red roses bloomed wantonly, while the white roses grew pure and cold. One red one white, in this inch-of-land-is-worth-an-inch-of-gold Repulse Bay, they tangled together desperately.

Gorgeous, yet cold.

“Master, how is it?” The man held him, stopping before a cluster of red roses in fullest bloom.

“Mm, not bad.” Shen Yanzhou reluctantly gave a word of praise.

Their chests pressed tight together. Through the thin silk nightgown, the frequency of the man’s heart beating in his chest cavity was truly too fast. The impact sound numbed him, annoyed him.

“Why is your heartbeat so fast?” Shen Yanzhou stared at his profile.

The man dared not look at him, lowering his head. “I’m very… nervous.”

Shen Yanzhou raised an eyebrow. “Nervous about what? Afraid I’ll skin you alive?”

“No.” The man tightened his arms, his voice muffled. “Afraid I’ll drop you.”

Shen Yanzhou shook his head speechlessly. Truly a stupid dog.

“Carry me to eat. Too lazy to walk.”

“Yes.”

“Thirty Million, speak honestly. Did you drug last night’s ginger milk?”

The man’s voice was embarrassed. “Sorry, Master… I had no money to buy that kind of specialized stomach pain medicine. Before in the walled city, when stomach hurt we used old ginger juice…”

Yes. He was poor.

“On the second floor bedroom, on the nightstand there’s a black card.” Shen Yanzhou turned his face away. “Yesterday I wanted to give it to you. There’s not much money inside, but enough for your expenses.”

The man raised his head abruptly. “Master, I…”

“I don’t like you wearing my clothes. They don’t fit, look strange.”

“Understood.”

“Even more I don’t like you not wearing clothes, wandering around the house. What kind of propriety is that?”

“Understood.”

“By the way, fill the refrigerator.”

“Thank you Master!” The man’s arms holding him tightened.

Entering the dining room, the man carefully placed Shen Yanzhou on the chair. Just as he turned to go warm the congee, he was called back.

“Stop.”

Shen Yanzhou raised his chin, pointing toward the living room direction. “Under the first floor TV cabinet, there’s a medicine box. Remember to apply medicine yourself.”

The man froze, subconsciously hiding those scar-covered hands behind his back. “Master, I’m not in pain. These are all old wounds…”

“Shut up.”

Shen Yanzhou picked up the chopsticks,cliped a crystal clear shrimp dumpling, not even lifting his eyelids.

“I just don’t want my dog to die too quickly.”

—

Leaving the villa, walking into the Central CEO office, Shen Yanzhou saw two people standing inside. Besides Shen Xici, there was also that man from yesterday full of official airs, his fat greasy face devoid of all color, as if he had aged ten years overnight.

The moment he saw Shen Yanzhou, he directly knelt on the ground.

“Mr. Shen! Mr. Shen save me!” Officer Leung crawled forward two steps, wanting to grab Shen Yanzhou’s pant leg, but was kicked away by Shen Xici.

“Speak if you have words. Don’t touch hands and feet.” Shen Xici’s face was cold.

“The cargo… the cargo I’ve already released! The signature I’ve also signed!” Officer Leung trembled all over. “It was the United Righteous Society, the United Righteous Society threatened me! They definitely won’t let me go! Lei Hu that madman will kill my whole family! Mr. Shen, seeing that I did you this convenience, I beg you save my life, send me to England.”

“Officer Leung, have you mistaken something? Since you’re so afraid of the United Righteous Society, why did you still release my cargo for me?” He used his shoe to hook up his chin.

With this question, his entire body shook violently, teeth chattering.

“Madman… that person is a madman…” Officer Leung hugged his head, his gaze scattered, as if returning to last night suspended in midair. “I’ve lived this half lifetime, followed so many big bosses, never seen such a madman!”

“He hung me on the gantry crane… he said if I didn’t sign, he’d throw me down to feed the fish. He really would kill me! Really would!”

“Who?”

“I don’t know! I really don’t know!” Officer Leung collapsed shaking his head.

“How tall?”

“Very tall… close to two meters.” Officer Leung swallowed saliva.

In all of Hong Kong, those who could grow to this size and had such skills were not many.

He first thought of the dog at home.

“What did he look like?”

“Couldn’t see clearly… too dark.” Officer Leung’s voice trembled. “I only remember those eyes… bright enough to scare people, like a wolf, no, like a ghost.”

Like a wolf? The one he raised at home was a dog.

He would use those wet, clear black-and-white eyes to look at him, smiling with a foolish honest face, scolded and only obediently lowering his head.

Was it an act?

But that man sold himself for thirty million, didn’t even have money to buy stomach medicine, repairing roses could cover himself in wounds, and was a bottom-level crawler who only knew how to cook ginger milk to please his master, holding him so nervously his heart would pound. Would he have the guts to hang Officer Leung on a gantry crane and play with his life?

“Mr. Shen? Mr. Shen?” Officer Leung’s shrill cry for help interrupted Shen Yanzhou’s thoughts.

“I’m caught between two sides now, only you can save me! I beg you!”

Shen Yanzhou looked at his snot and tears flowing appearance, disgust flashing in his eyes.

“Save you? On what basis should I save you.”

“The one you should beg for rescue from is not me, but the West Kowloon Police Station.”

“Mr. Shen?!” Officer Leung raised his head in disbelief.

“Since you know you will die, might as well turn yourself in.” Shen Yanzhou said coldly. “Though there is no freedom there, it is at least the safest place in all Hong Kong. However long the United Righteous Society’s arms reach, they wouldn’t dare directly charge into Stanley Prison to kill someone.”

After speaking, he no longer looked at Officer Leung, signaling Shen Xici to have the bodyguards take the person away.

“Drag him out.”

“Shen Yanzhou! You can’t watch someone die and not save them! You cold-blooded animal…” Officer Leung’s desperate cursing completely vanished as the wooden door closed.

The office returned to tranquility.

Shen Xici let out a long breath, then looked somewhat puzzled toward Shen Yanzhou: “Brother, you say… who could this person be?”

“Close to two meters, methods this dark, and specifically helping us settle matters.” Shen Xici frowned analyzing. “Our Shen family these years on the streets indeed has some relations, but that level of desperado, and at this critical juncture…”

Shen Yanzhou sat back at the office desk.

Who would help him? These years, the Shen family appeared glorious on the surface, but in reality walked on thin ice. Besides covetous shareholders, competitors, and those so-called family friends, which one didn’t wish he would die early, so they could carve up this piece of Shen family fat meat?

“Don’t know.”

“For now, no matter who it is, as long as the cargo moves it’s fine.”

“If I remember correctly, this society only emerged in the past two years.”

“Yes.” A cold light rose in Shen Xici’s eyes. “Their lodge master is called Lei Hu, also a mad dog. But behind this mad dog there’s still a master… heard that he’s the godson recently taken in by Lai Ye.”

At the mention of these two words “Lai Ye,” Shen Yanzhou’s face changed.

No wonder last night he made so many phone calls, and they all played tai chi with him.

If it was Lai Ye, it was not strange.

This person who mixed in both black and white of Hong Kong, in early years built his fortune on smuggling in international waters. Once upon a time, half the underground business in Hong Kong bore the surname Lai. Though now whitewashed and come ashore, wearing Tang suits, his hands eternally fingering Buddhist prayer beads, this seventy-year-old old tiger, not a single tooth had been pulled.

“Lai Ye that old thing, worshipping Buddha for thirty years, the prayer beads in his hands all polished smooth with handling, yet his heart is still black.”

“Though Lei Hu is a mad dog, without Lai San’s instruction, even lending him ten guts, he wouldn’t dare directly touch the Shen family’s cargo.”

Shen Yanzhou’s gaze gradually turned cold and clear. “Detaining the cargo was false, probing was true. What they’re eyeing, I’m afraid is not merely these few hundred tons of frozen meat.”

“Brother, you mean? The Southeast Asia shipping route?” Shen Xici’s face changed slightly.

Shen Yanzhou nodded. “This time was probably merely throwing a stone to ask the way.”

“Brother, then what do we do next?”

“I remember not long ago, this old thing just passed seventy?”

“Yes.” Shen Xici nodded. “At the time they also sent us an invitation, but we were too busy then, so we declined.”

“Xici, tonight we go to make up a birthday celebration for Lai Ye.” Shen Yanzhou stood up, his tone thin and cool. “Prepare a generous gift.”

“Since he wants to test the waters, we’ll let him see whether the Shen family’s waters can drown the Dragon King.”

—

Translation Notes:

Pu’er tea (普洱): A fermented dark tea from Yunnan province, prized for its earthy flavor and digestive properties, often served with rich dim sum to cut through the grease.
Playing tai chi (打太极拳): A metaphor for evasive, circular responses where people avoid direct answers or commitments, like the flowing movements of tai chi pushing hands.