Chapter – 4 ‘Rage’

After the last of the thugs lay defeated on the ground. Wei and Jackie stood, panting and sweating, their fists still clenched.

The old vendor stumbled to his feet, looking dazed and disoriented. Wei and Jackie approached him, concern etched on their faces.

"Are you alright?" Wei asked, his voice gentle, as he helped the old man stand up on his feet. "Why was he beating you?"

The old man nodded, tears in his eyes. "He was demanding twenty times the normal payment. Maybe he has a… drug habit or something."

"For a small fee, Winston will make sure you don't have trouble with gangsters." Wei confers with the vendor.

"That sounds very reasonable." The old vendor bowed, handing him a small Red Packet, which is not enough, but for Wei and Jackie, it was the thought that mattered.

Helping the old vendor, cleaning the shop, and throwing out the meat, which was destroyed by the thugs. The vendor opened up and disclose his name, Andrew Chan.

The old vendor Andrew started talking about his past, a man with ambition and goals, but also not getting a chance to achieve them.

Every time Andrew started a venture, something bad happens. He couldn't explain how or why, but it happens.

To a point now, where he doesn't have any enthusiasm. "Ah… I wish I could live your life. Just for one day."

"If I were you, I wouldn't." Wei joked, as he is an undercover cop and living with the triads now.

Ending their talk, with a pat on Wei's shoulder, Jackie gestured to leave, as Winston was waiting for the money and info.

Wei spun around, only to see Jackie waving at him. Standing next to a street-side clothing store inside the night market.

"We need to get you outfitted. Over here…" Jackie said, examining the torn-out clothes of his and Wei. "People need to know you're one of us."

"We got an image to maintain. Only the best brands. People got to know you're successful."

"The clothes make the man, huh?" Wei said, smirking.

"Definitely. It's all about the clothes, man." Jackie said, cueing Wei to go inside and try out new clothes. "You know how it is. People judge you by how you look."

Wei nodded in agreement, understanding the importance of first impressions. He followed Jackie inside the store, taking in the rows of neatly clothing racks and shelves.

As he browsed through the selection of clothes, Wei couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available.

He had always been a simple dresser, preferring comfortable and functional clothes over flashy and trendy ones.

Jackie, on the other hand, seemed to revel in the opportunity to try on new outfits and experiment with different styles.

He was always holding up a gray t-shirt and a pair of bright yellow track pants, urging Wei to try them on.

Wei hesitated for a moment, unsure if the bold colors and tight fit would suit him. But as he looked around the store, he realized that everyone else seemed to be dressed in a similar fashion.

Feeling a bit self-conscious, Wei reluctantly took the clothes from Jackie and headed to the changing room.

As he slipped on the t-shirt and pants, he couldn't help but feel like he was trying too hard to fit in.

When he emerged from the changing room, Jackie let out a whoop of excitement. "Dude, you look awesome!" he exclaimed, admiring Wei's reflection in the mirror.

Wei looked at himself in disbelief, hardly recognizing the person staring back at him.

The gray t-shirt and track pants hugged his body tightly, emphasizing his muscles and curves.

He felt a surge of confidence wash over him, and he realized that maybe Jackie was right. Maybe it was all about the clothes.

Wei had always been a little self-conscious about his body. He had never been overweight or anything, but he had never been quite as fit as he wanted to be either.

But now, as he looked at himself in the mirror, he felt like a new person.

"I can't believe it," Wei said, still staring at his reflection. "I look… good."

Jackie laughed. "Of course, you do man! I told you, it's all about the clothes."

Wei couldn't help but smile. He had always been a little envious of Jackie's confidence, but now he felt he had a little bit of that same swagger.

As they walked out of the store, Wei felt like he was walking a little taller. He could feel the eyes of people on him as they walked down the street, and he felt a thrill of excitement.

"Hey, you know what?" Jackie said, slinging an arm around Wei's shoulders. "I think we should hit up a club tonight. Show off our new threads."

Wei grinned. "Yeah, let's do it."

Wei and Jackie walked down the bustling street, their new outfits drawing attention from passersby.

Wei couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious under the scrutiny, but Jackie was lapping up the attention with a grin on his face.

Now moving toward their next destination, Wei and Jackie made their way toward Winston's mother, Mrs. Chu's restaurant, they were intercepted by Conroy.

He is Winston's, right-hand man. Conroy works up from being a lackey to a fully-fledged member, then to Winston's second in command.

"Hey, Jackie!" Conroy called out, glaring at Wei, eyeing him suspiciously.

"What's going on?" Jackie probed.

"Just keeping an eye on things."

"Oh yeah? What do you see?" Wei questioned this time.

"I'll tell you what I didn't see. Nothing to be impressed about." Conroy said, standing face-to-face in front of him. "I'm watching you, new guy. You fuck up…"

"What? We're gonna throw down?" Wei smirked, standing his ground. "What kind of grade school shit is this, huh? I work my ass off all day, so fuck off and grow up."

Dumbfounded for a moment, Conroy spoke, "Jackie, you're coming with me."

Gesturing to Jackie to follow, "We got something to take care of." Walking away for Wei, now provoked.

Conroy spun around, pointing at Wei. "And you don't fuck with me."

Jackie followed him, glancing at Wei, gesturing to him, not to do anything stupid.

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Wei watched as Conroy and Jackie walked away, feeling a surge of anger and frustration rising within him.

He couldn't believe that Conroy had the audacity to speak to him like that, as if he was some sort of child.

But he knew that couldn't let his emotions get the best of him. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

He needed to think rationally about what his next move should be.

As he stood there, lost in thought, he noticed a neon sign for a local bar, advertising happy hour specials.

Wei has always enjoyed a good drink, and he realized that this might be the perfect way for him to blow off some steam and clear his mind.

He made his way inside and ordered a beer, trying to forget about the confrontation with Conroy.

But as he slipped his drink, he found himself getting lost in his thoughts once again.

He couldn't shake the feeling of anger and frustration that had been building up inside him all day.

And with each drink, he felt himself sinking deeper into a dark and dangerous place.

Before he knew it, Wei had drunk himself into a stupor. He stumbled out of the bar and onto the street, barely able to stand.

As he made his way back home, he couldn't help but feel a sense of shame and disappointment in himself.

He knew that drinking himself into oblivion wasn't the answer to his problems.

He realized that he needed to find a healthier way to cope with the challenges of his new life.

Maybe he could check out that martial arts studio after all. He made a mental note in his drunk mind to do so as he stumbled toward his apartment, determined to do better next time.