“Well, you never thanked me for killing him, you know. That is one loose end you won't have to tie up.”
“Thank you,” AnGangseh said in a sarcastic tone.
“What are you going to do with the key?”
AnGangseh paused, considering her reply. “You are ssstill on my payroll, yes?”
“Yes,” Lei said. “And as long as you keep paying me as well as you have been, I will continue to do your bidding, even after I win the fight club championship and climb higher up the Emperor's ranks.”
AnGangseh nodded. “I was going to give the key to my sssecond husband, Mong, but he was not interested in ultimate power. He would rather lead a group of misfit bandits and their ssso-called ‘Resistance’ and waste time with our ssson, Ssseh. Instead, I entrusted whereabouts of the key to my firstborn, Tonglong. However, once you informed me that he had retrieved it, I began to have regrets. You could sssay that it is the key to the Forbidden City, and being the Emperor's mother no longer appeals to me. I would rather keep the key for myself and use it to become the current Emperor's wife.”
“Well, good luck with that,” Lei said. “I look forward to my next payment. You should leave now. I have to start preparing for my fight.”
“It is sssuch a pleasure working with sssomeone as shallow as you,” AnGangseh hissed, and she slipped out of the room.
CHAPTER 23
“Are you ready?” ShaoShu asked.
“I am always ready,” Golden Dragon replied. “Let's go.”
ShaoShu followed Golden Dragon through a maze of fight club tunnels on their way to the pit arena for the championship fight. Golden Dragon now knew everything ShaoShu knew, and Golden Dragon seemed more determined than ever to be victorious tonight.
As they walked, ShaoShu thought about Lei's numerous pistols. He had tried to tell Golden Dragon about his assignment to switch one of them for the pistol he had hidden in the folds of his robe, but Golden Dragon did not want to hear about it. He had said that he would not win by cheating. ShaoShu didn't exactly consider what he was supposed to do cheating, considering the ridiculous number of other pistols Lei would be carrying, but Golden Dragon would not listen.
As they neared the pit arena entrance, ShaoShu heard the arena announcer keeping the crowd excited.
“Ladies and gentlemen! We hope you've been enjoying yourselves tonight at the world-famous Shanghai Fight Club! So far this evening, you've seen amazing feats of courage and extraordinary exhibitions of will—but you have not seen anything yet. Finally, the event you've all been waiting for, the highly anticipated Fight Club Grand Championship! This bout will feature …”
ShaoShu tried his best to ignore it.
They arrived at the pit arena entrance and were stopped by a powerful-looking guard. The guard nodded respectfully to Golden Dragon and said, “Present your weapons, please.”
Golden Dragon held up his hands.
“Very funny. Where are you hiding them?”
“I'm not hiding anything,” Golden Dragon said. He spread his robe wide to expose nothing but skin and untied his sash to show that its underside did not contain any secret compartments.
“Look,” the guard said. “It doesn't matter what weapons you bring, Golden Dragon. Nothing is off-limits in there. I just need to know what you have for crowd-security reasons. You can't expect me to believe that you are going to fight Lei, of all people, using only your bare hands.”
“I can't control what you believe and what you don't believe,” Golden Dragon said, “but I am only going to use my bare hands. Probably my arms, legs, and feet, too. No weapons.”
“It's your funeral, then,” the guard said. “I'll give you a moment to say goodbye to your ring boy. If you need anything, just let me know.” He walked far down the tunnel and leaned against the wall.
“What should I tell Hok?” ShaoShu asked with a sigh.
“Hok?” Golden Dragon said. “You sound like you are saying goodbye. Do not worry so. Whatever will be, will be.”
“How can you be so calm at a time like this?”
“Why shouldn't I be calm?”
“Because you're going bare-handed into a fight with a man who will be carrying six or seven loaded pistols, that's why!”
“Is that all?” Golden Dragon said. “I was told he carried more.”
“You're crazy.”
Golden Dragon smiled. “Perhaps you are the one who is crazy. You should learn to relax your mind. Focus your worries away. Chase a shadow sometime.”
“Chase a shadow?”
“Take a chance on the unknown. My Dragon-style kung fu sifu used to call it ‘chasing the shadow.’ “