Chapter - 2 'Backing Up'

Wei arrives at the edge of the night market as planned and meets up with Jackie.

"Wei Shen! Man, this is going to be great."

"Yeah, thanks again, Jackie. I appreciate the intro."

"No problem, man. By the way, you know I tried looking you up a few years back, but I couldn't find shit. Do they have internet in America?"

"I think they're getting it next year," Wei said, smirking.

"I guess you were in prison or something. Come on let's get outta here."

They exchange greetings and then Jackie leads Wei through the bustling market to a nearby building.

"Still getting used to being back, huh?"

"Yeah."

"So, Winston's a Red Pole now?" Wei asked, walking through the bustling crowd of the night market.

"All this territory is Winston's. But Dogeyes is pushing in."

"If they're both Red Poles, shouldn't they be on the same side?"

"Should be. Dogeyes always was an asshole. Turns out he's also a greedy asshole too."

After talking about random things for a few minutes, Jackie speaks out. "One thing… When we get to Winston's, let me do the introductions. They're really distrustful of new faces right now…"

"Oh, so why all the paranoia?"

"Sun On Yee had a rat."

Bracing his mind, Wei thought about whether it was a good idea to be in contact with Jackie and Winston.

"From what I hear, they didn't let him have a quick death… made it real slow and painful."

As they climb up the stairs to a small apartment. Inside, a beautiful young woman named Jiu Mei is sitting at a small table, counting money.

"Hey, Jiu Mei! How are you, baby?"

"Jackie, you know my parents don't want you to talk to me."

"Your parents don't even know me."

"Once we get to know each other, they'll love me."

As Jackie finished speaking, suddenly thugs of Dogeyes surrounded them.

"You asshole! I'm going to rip you apart!" A bald thug shouted as he pushed Jackie to the floor. "You'd better do as I say and take it like a man!"

"I'm going to call the cops!" Jiu Mei screamed, scared of seeing, what was happening around her.

"Since when was it your turn to talk?" The bald guy asked shouting, walking toward Jiu Mei.

"Hey, you don't talk to her like that!" Jackie sprang up, grabbing the bald guy and pushing him back.

As other guys start to overwhelm Jackie, Wei locked onto the nearest one, grabbed him, and threw him into the wall where flower vases were located.

"Get off him! I don't care who you are!" Wei shouted, his eyes scanning for his victim. "Let's go of Jackie or I'm going to fuck you up!"

Jackie was grabbed by the bald guy and thrown behind the counter. The thug also jumped inside and started fighting with him.

Wei was left behind, becoming the target of more than a dozen thugs, facing him.

The air was thick with tension, and Wei could feel his heart racing as the thugs charged toward him.

As the first thug swung a metal pipe at him, Wei deftly sidestepped and grabbed the thug's arm, using his momentum to throw him to the ground.

With lightning speed, Wei followed up with a powerful roundhouse kick to the head, knocking the thug out cold.

The other thugs quickly closed in on Wei, wielding various weapons such as knives, pipes, and chains.

Wei's eyes flicked from one attacker to another, analyzing their movements and looking for an opening.

With a swift movement, Wei dodged a knife thrust aimed at his chest and then delivered a quick punch to the attacker's solar plexus.

The thug doubled over in pain, and Wei followed up with a roundhouse kick to the head, sending him sprawling to the ground.

As more thugs closed to him, Wei was forced to keep moving, dodging, and weaving around them with impressive agility.

He threw punches and kicks with lightning speed, talking out his attackers one by one.

A thug with a chain swung it at Wei's head, but Wei deftly grabbed the chain and pulled it toward him, yanking the thug off balance.

With a swift kick, Wei sent the thug flying across the alleyway.

Two more thugs charged at Wei from opposite directions, wielding pipes, Wei jumped into the air, performing a spinning kick that knocked both thugs off their feet.

As the fight wore on, Wei's movements became more fluid and graceful, as if he was dancing through the chaos of the brawl. With each move, he seemed to become more confident, and more in control.

Finally, the last of the thugs lay unconscious on the ground. Wei stood breathing heavily, his body covered in sweat and bruises.

He turned to check on Jackie, who was sprawled on the ground, dazed but alive. "Damn Wei. What did they do to you in America?"

Jackie held his head as it was still stinging from pain, "That looked nasty. You, okay?"

Wei handed out his hand toward Jackie with a grin on his face.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Jackie got up with Wei's help. "Bunch of fucking assholes!"

"So… everything's cool?" Jackie asked Jiu Mei, worrying about her.

Jiu Mei didn't speak a word, still processing what just happened.

"Well, you're welcome anyway."

"Come on, Jackie. Let's go see Winston" Wei patted Jackie on his shoulders.

As they approached the Golden Koi, Wei could smell stir-fried dishes and hot and sour soup wafting out from the kitchen.

"Here we are. Winston's mom owns the restaurant."

The restaurant was busy, with tables filled with customers enjoying their meals and chatting away.

Wei and Jackie walk past the customers, navigating through the kitchen and going to the back of the kitchen where the business is done.

"Whoa! Where the fuck do you think you're going?" Conroy Wu stopped Wei in his track.

Jackie stepped in, calming Conroy. "Relax, man, this is Wei! Wei Shen? I told you about him, remember?"

"Fuck. We can't keep track of your bullshit friends, Jackie. No outsiders." Conroy started to drill Jackie, glancing at Wei, not letting him get away.

"He's not an outsider, he's from Old Prosperity, like us." Jackie tried to reason. "He's just like us! Wei's old school, you know? I grew up with the guy."

"Old Prosperity, huh? Why don't I remember you?" Winston interrogates, sipping his cup of tea.

"I've been on vacation. Jackie said you were looking for people." Bumping Conroy aside, Wei approached Winston.

"Oh?... Jackie said that?"

"No, no, no… You should have seen it, Winston! Wei just beat up, like, ten of Dogeyes' guys in the market. By himself!" Jackie quivered and waved, as he said.

"Oh yeah?" Winston doubted.

"They attacked us," Wei said, expressing his ego. "Seems to me you could use some better help."

"What the-! Winston, I don't like this cocky little fucker." Conroy's impression of Wei dropped to below zero.

Conroy went face-to-face with Wei, any moment, a fight could have broken out between them.

"Wait a minute… I do remember you… You had a sister, right?" Winston face lit up as he remembered Wei.

"Yeah, Mimi," Wei said, with sadness in his voice.

"Mimi. Mimi Shen. I remember her. Hung out with Dogeyes. No offense, but she was hot. Where is she now?" Winston said, expressing his sister's curves and features.

"She's dead" Wei voiced out regret.

"Ah, sorry. Apologies. So, ten guys, huh?"

"You fearless? Or just crazy?" Winston sized up Wei.

"Try capable." Wei fought back, sizing Winston back.

"Uh-huh. We'll see. Conroy, you know that problem we've got in the market?" Winston moved to Conroy, signaling him. "Why don't you take Wei with you?"

Conroy looked at Wei, with anger on his face, bumping against Wei, as he gestured for Duke and Vincent to follow.

As Wei followed them, he saw them gathering around him.

"All right, you want to be a tough guy? Let's see if you can handle yourself." Conroy prompted, "Duke, see what he's got."

"Great. That's all I fucking needed." Wei sighed, getting ready to beat the shit out of these punks.

Wei just smiled, knowing that Duke was no match for him. As Duke stepped forward, Wei dodged his punch and landed a swift kick to his gut, sending him crashing to the ground.

Vincent rushed in, but Wei was too quick and landed a punch to his jaw that send him sprawling.

Just as Wei thought he had the upper hand, Dogeyes arrived with two of his thugs. He looked at Wei with a sneer, sizing him up. "What's going on here, Conroy?" he asked, his voice dripping with disdain.

But before Conroy could answer, Wei attacked. In a blur of motion, he landed a series of punches and kicks on Conroy, leaving him sprawled on the ground.

Dogeyes and his thugs watched in shock as Wei stood there, victorious.