Chapter 9 (2/2)

I did not know who to listen to. Shanghai was just too d.a.m.n big.

I managed to find the place. It was a high-rise building. The good news was that I dressed decently so the guard out front did not give me a hard time. I found “VM Security” on the twenty-fifth floor. The company was in a three-bedroom, two-living suite. There was only a young kid, younger than Shen Bin, probably because it was the weekend.

“Oh, you’re looking for Bin-ge. He’ll be back really soon.” He was a warm kid, poured some water for me and showed me to a seat.

Soon after, he came back with five or six muscles behind him. His cheeks actually flushed red out of shyness when he saw me after coming in. It was only for a second or two but flowers were practically blooming in my little, beating heart.

He was dressed decently, too. T-s.h.i.+rt and jeans. His hair had gotten a bit longer.

“This is my cousin,” I heard him telling the men behind him. Those big guys all nodded to me respectfully—so I guessed that he was their boss. It felt sort of off, though, and I couldn’t pinpoint what exactly.

Afterwards, we went to a small shop and ordered a few dishes and two cans of beer. He did not sit across the table from me but right next to me.

He seemed to be doing well in VM (violent men?) Security so I did not want to ask him to help me back home.

He drank some beer and glanced at me without saying anything. I kicked him under the table. Why, was he being shy?

“I thought you were mad.”

Huh? I looked at him.

“’Kay, good that you’re not. Um. So what did you think about the company?” He dug into the food without looking at me.

“It’s good as long as it’s nothing crooked.”

He suddenly thought of something and fished it out. “The company bought these for us. Nice, eh? Samsung’s newest model, N188. It’ll be easier staying in contact with this. You can call me. If you called me today, I would’ve gone to pick you up in an instant.” He was still young and couldn’t help but get excited with new things. “I’ll get you one too when I get my paycheque in a bit. Yeah?”

Cell phones were quite rare at that time. Not like now, even people living in the dumpsters have one. The one his company bought was imported too—it had to be almost four hundred bucks. I actually did want to buy one but I thought there was not much of a need.

He puckered his lips after not seeing any reaction from me and stuffed the phone back into his pocket, looking embarra.s.sed. He looked cautious like he didn’t want to anger me and I felt really bad. Why was I such a jerk?

Putting down my chopsticks, I stuck my hand into his pocket. “Huh, were you afraid I was going to steal it? I tell you, from now on, I’m going to call you every single day and you’re going to pay for the minutes. I was just a bit worried that your paycheque won’t be able to handle it.”

“I’m taking your word for it. No take-backs!” He burst out laughing right away. “If my paycheque’s not enough, we can always use yours. I mean you’re the boss.”

He changed so much. Before, he used to be sn.o.bby and disgruntled. What had made him change? Growing up, life in prison, his mother’s death—or me?

You’re thinking too highly of yourself there, I laughed at myself in my head.

“Hey, what’re you laughin’ at? C’mon, let’s see you laugh now. C’mon…” He pinched my waist. I was extremely ticklish and almost spewed out all the food in my mouth. He kept laughing amusingly while patting my back.

I was really happy to see him laughing without a care like other guys his age.

I hoped he would from now on, too.

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