Chapter 12 Master Shifu Part II (2/2)

”Furthermore,” Kyle said, ”Proof of all the illegal activities of his family has been handed to the authorities. Their assets are frozen, pending trial. It isn't a stretch to say that most of the family will be behind bars, their fortunes reversed. In short, the family has been eliminated.”

”Thank you,” began Master Shifu. He then straightened his back, and with a firm resolved, he said, ”I agree.”

No matter what, ”J” had done a good deed for him. He had to return kindness with kindness. At the very least, he would teach this young protege of ”J”. If the protege was as ”J” said, then the Family Art would not die. That would be something to look forward to.

”Good. Oreo will update you,” said Kyle as he terminated the connection.

~~* Master Shifu's perspective after the meeting *~~

Master Shifu looked at the black screen and Oreo then took back the laptop, closing it. Master Shifu observed the quiet man, who didn't seem to speak. His actions were meticulous, and careful as he took the laptop and placed it back into his bag.

”Now, we need to clean up,” said Oreo.

”Clean up?” queried Master Shifu. He then followed the gaze of Oreo who just looked around him, and then at him. Now that his mind had cleared a bit, and his life has some purpose again, his eyes began to see clearly.

His house was a mess. There were empty soju and beer bottles all over the place. Rubbish strewn here and there, dirty dishes in the sink and dirty laundry scattered about. As for himself, he can't even remember when was the last time he actually bathed or brushed his hair, and his clothes had some food stains from God knows when. There was a pungent ordour emitting from somewhere and when he sniffed his armpit ... he almost fainted.

”Clean up,” agreed Master Shifu.

It took Oreo about two weeks to get everything done. He was very efficient. He not only cleaned the place, but he also fixed it up. There were also new clothes bought for Master Shifu, of which Oreo just said solemnly, ”A Welcome gift. For the Master.”

It was customary that there would be a token gift given once a Master accepted a disciple. However, J's protege wasn't his disciple yet, and his face scrunched up a bit at that. Was J forcing him to accept? Was the earlier promise a lie?

Oreo noticed the expression on Master Shifu's face and he explained slowly, ”For accepting the job. Nothing more.”

At first, Master Shifu was doubtful. Was he overthinking it? However, as time went by, he got to know a little bit about ”J” through Oreo's eyes. He could tell how much the man admired his boss, and it was real admiration and respect. It wasn't something feigned, or something borne from riches. It was genuine.

Once, Master Shifu jokingly said, ”You sound like you'd die for him, the way you talk about him.”

At that, Oreo just smiled, looked at Master Shifu in the eye and said unhesitatingly, ”I would.”

From that, Master Shifu's impression of ”J” improved, and he became increasingly curious about this 'protoge' of his. ”J” appeared to have a discerning eye, if Oreo was anything to go by. Such steadfast loyalty was hard to come by, more so in this time and age. His own experience made him even more wary of such fake people, but he could tell Oreo was the real deal.

Master Shifu acknowledged that his own weakness was that he would often see the good in people. It wasn't that he was naive, but rather, he didn't expand much effort to seeing the 'bigger' picture. He was only concerned about those around him.

His intuition was good but unfortunately, it was useless against those hidden in the dark. Which was why he had failed his son so miserably. As a result, he didn't trust anyone anymore, and finding some 'light' at the end of the tunnel warmed his heart. These people seemed trustworthy indeed.

Oreo proceeded to explain to him that the protege was the son of the Smiths, a rather powerful and influential family in Country TZ. The Smiths were devoted to their two children, and would most likely come personally to ask him to mentor their son.

One thing that Oreo warned Master Shifu sternly about was that his existence, and their son's status, was not known to the Smiths. They were completely oblivious and needs to remain that way. Although curious, Master Shifu understood and did not press further for an explanation.

**** Back to Present ****

Kyle switched off the computer. He then kept the files back into their boxes, and placed them in the locked, hidden compartment in their closet. After that, he brushed his teeth, switched off the lights and went to bed. Kay, still asleep, nonetheless turned over and hugged him. Kyle smiled as he stroked her back and slowly fell asleep.