The Deal

Gold-Toothed Gao and his two henchmen exited the courtyard. His swagger and flamboyant airs vanished as he stepped through the gate, seemingly becoming a different man. Feeling that something wasn't right, he stood in the middle of the empty street, gaze sweeping across the array of residential buildings, left to right, top to bottom.

Though he didn't see anything out of the ordinary, he knew that sometimes one's instincts were worth paying heed to. He wouldn't have survived as long as he had in this line of work had he stuck purely to cold-hard logic, nor would he have prospered so.

He didn't turn or act out of the ordinary. From afar, with his head covered by his hat, Gao appeared to be standing stock still. After a split second, he retrieved a pouch of money from within his robes, taking out a few pieces of silver and counting them in a practised manner.

At the same time, his head tilted ever so slightly. With the faintest whisper, he issued instructions to the two standing behind and to his sides.

"Number two, once we leave this street, double back in a disguise and see if we're being followed. Number one, do the same two blocks ahead. Rendezvous with number two. If there are signs of tracking, report back to mister Deng. Otherwise, catch up with me."

The two henchmen acted as if they had not heard his words, though number two couldn't help but frown slightly. Gao swiftly returned the silvers to his pouch, stowed it away and began walking forwards. A shark-like grin returned to his face, his golden teeth reflecting in the setting sun's light.

Once they reached the end of the road, the henchman, number two, dipped out of sight, vanishing into a crowd of pedestrians. A few more turns onto a slightly less populated street and number one disappeared into thin air as well. At the very end, it was just Gold-toothed Gao who walked alone.

After a couple final twists and turns, he ended up in a concealed alleyway behind a noodle bar. Though there weren't many pedestrians in the area and by extension customers, the hubbub was just loud enough to conceal the sounds of any shady dealings occurring behind the restaurant, while the number of people nearby was also low enough to ensure that should there be anybody seeing or hearing anything they shouldn't, they would be easy to 'persuade' otherwise.

The alleyway was covered well by tall walls on either side, blocking out the sun. Gao, who had been enjoying the warmth on the way, couldn't help but shudder. It was winter, after all. Even with the extra layers he wore, with his innately frail constitution, it was of little use. But aside from the physical discomfort, he seemed rather content to lean against the wall, clearly waiting for someone to show up.

Sure enough, someone came. Gao continued looking at the wall opposite him, as if uninterested in the arrival of another person, despite the handpicked location. The other person didn't come too close, stopping a few metres away and leaning back against the wall with a similar posture to Gao's.

They stood there in silence for a few moments. Gao continued staring at the wall as he faked a yawn. His pale lips pulled back, revealing his famous golden teeth beneath. There was no obvious reaction, to the point where Gao suspected that this was the wrong person. But then the sound of something sliding along the frosty floor came from beneath. 

He knew just from the sound that it was a pouch of silver and gold. With a deft scoop of his foot, he kicked it up, pulling open the neck of his robes, allowing the pouch to fall directly into a large inner pocket besides his own money pouch. He seemed to trust the other party quite well from the way that he didn't even consider counting the money within.

"Speak." The person said impatiently.

The other party had a deep and commanding tone to his voice, a hint of gravelliness to his words. If the money pouch wasn't enough to prove the other person's identity, then his distinct voice sealed the deal.

With a grin, Gao continued looking at the wall. "Isn't it you who requested to see me, not the other way around? You don't seem to be too sincere."

Despite Gao's shrill voice and unpleasant words, the other person was unperturbed.

"You'll get the rest after we confirm the information you provide." The man explained calmly.

"Good. Make sure you get your brush and paper ready." Gao replied.

He waited for a few seconds, allowing time for the man to prepare. Once the rustling of bags and straps ended, Gao began talking.

"The Yellow gang from Eastern Lanxing's western border are attempting to move in on the Black Hand's turf. They're targeting the gambling, prostitution and entertainment sectors. Naturally, protection fees will be charged too. They're starting from the west districts, most likely to exploit the beggars living there and to recruit them." He paused for a moment to wet his dry lips. "From what I've heard, the Yellow gang likes to entice the poor with promises of well-paid labour, only to send them off to mining camps out north."

Still looking at the wall with an unerring gaze, Gold-toothed Gao continued. "The plague has been spreading out from the western districts too. At the rate that it's being transmitted, the possibility of it being of natural causes can be ruled out. A lot of my men have caught it from mingling with those untouchables and from what I have been able to gather… it's not something an 'ordinary' doctor can handle."

Though his attention was fully directed at the wall ahead, he could feel a sharp look piercing into his side. Gao forced himself not to react, as if nothing of note had been mentioned.

"I dare not investigate further on this front since retribution from above is too much for a measly merchant like myself to deal with." He added, somewhat hoarsely. "Please understand that I have to prioritise my own safety."

The gaze lingered for a few seconds before retracting, causing Gao to heave a quiet sigh of relief.

"But I can say that from the observable patterns in the plague's spread, it shouldn't be too hard for its creator to dispense it more widely across the city. If ya ask me, it seems like it's being targeted at a certain group of people whose lives and safety are not much of a concern to the authorities." He explained. "Rather than create something with high lethality to disable the city's defences and assassinate important individuals, they created something that innately has a difficult time killing the average adult. I don't dare to speculate further, make do of that information what you will."

"Anything else?" The man asked.

"Not for the price you've paid me."

The man seemed satisfied. Without saying much more, he stowed away his writing tools, turning to leave just as abruptly as he had arrived.

"Pleasure doing business, constable." Gold-toothed Gao called in his grating voice.

His words stopped the man in his tracks. Undoubtedly, the constable was both shocked and alarmed.

"How did you know it was me?" The man asked.

Gao shrugged. "There's a reason why you're the one who came to me for information and not the other way around."

Hearing this, the constable had no audible reaction, merely leaving quickly. Gao waited for a few minutes in the shadowed alley, crossing his arms to ward off the chill, before he dared to divert his gaze away from the wall.

He felt a weight lifting off of his shoulders as he stood, which was ironic because technically, his overall weight had just increased with the addition of a few hundred taels to his person. Despite being someone who had not many morals remaining to speak of, someone who could sell another out in the blink of an eye, contributing what he knew for the sake of protecting the city and its people, as well as for some money, felt quite pleasant.

"Maybe this is why people like the constable end up in law enforcement." He muttered to himself.

With a shake of his head, he left the alley the way that he came. By now, the sun had almost entirely vanished and night was beginning to fall, along with a chilling cold. Hugging himself, Gao navigated the dark streets with familiarity.

The streets were clearing up quickly, with people finishing their businesses and finalising their purchases, while others dashed or jogged back to their lodgings. While there was no curfew, it was common knowledge that even in the better-off eastern district, the time when crime was at its peak was when the moon was at its highest.

Turning the corner to what was supposed to be another deserted alleyway, Gold-toothed Gao couldn't help but let out a yelp as he collided head-first into someone. The two toppled and fell, the other party cushioning his fall. Shaking his head to reorient himself, Gao's nostrils were filled with a fragrant and refreshing scent while his hands touched something soft concealed beneath the other person's garments.

With a sense of embarrassment, he swiftly unhanded the other person and untangled himself from her long green hair. He helped her up, apologising, before sidestepping around her to continue on his way in a hurry.

But she pulled him close from behind, taking his hand and pushing him up against the wall. In his confusion, he tried to shout for help, only for another hand to shove a rolled up cloth into his mouth, gagging him thoroughly.

After struggling against the green-haired person's vice grip, he realised the futility of his actions. Not only was he naturally spindly and weak, but this woman was outlandishly powerful too, despite her slim and elegant frame.

The woman's white and baggy robes seemed to undulate and the sound of click-clacking penetrated the silence. Moments later, something sharp was pressed against Gao's exposed neck.

I surrender!

His mouth was gagged too tightly, preventing anything more than a muffled groan to escape his throat. However, the green-haired woman seemed to understand his intent to submit, retracting the sharp object from Gao's neck, though he could tell that it was now resting on his shoulder instead, twitching slightly in a very undaggerish manner.

But he had greater things to worry about. For example, what this woman wanted with him.

"I have a proposition for you, mister Gao." The woman said softly, in complete juxtaposition to her previous and current threatening actions.

Gao indicated to the cloth in his mouth, requesting that she remove it. The woman did so, seemingly unafraid that Gao would start shouting and yelling for help immediately.

"W-whaddya want from me?" He asked, gasping for breath. At the same time, he couldn't help but inhale some of the green-haired woman's intoxicating scent, causing more than just goosebumps to rise.

With an enigmatic smile, she pressed closer against his body, causing him to squirm uncomfortably. At the same time, the blade crawled closer to his neck again, twitching erratically as it did so.

"Obey me faithfully and I'll make sure to reward you handsomely. Don't try to sell me out down the line, I'll be watching you closely every step of the way. I know how you operate- you're a rat that will do anything for some extra taels. Don't try and stall for time either, the help you're expecting won't make it in time to save you."

Head tilting back and to the side, back pasted tightly against the wall, Gao focused on calming his urges. "If ya know how I operate, then you'll know that I don't work for free…"

Despite his weaker position and the threat to his life, Gao managed to leverage his experience as an information broker, using his ability to keep his cool and manipulate his expressions and mannerisms to manipulate the other party. 

If he merely accepted the woman's commands on the spot just like that, she'd undoubtedly place greater surveillance on him. But by staying true to the character that she knew, the money-grubbing Gold-toothed Gao, he'd be able to earn some trust.

With the same unreadable but beautiful expression, the woman retrieved a pouch from within her bosom, prompting Gao to look away again in a fluster. She then placed it within his robes, accidentally, or perhaps deliberately, brushing his skin as she did so.

"You'll find your instructions on the counter in your bedroom."

Before Gao could respond, the weight against his body and the seductive scent that had permeated the area vanished all at once in a puff of green smoke. In the dark alley, he stood alone, externally bewildered and shaken, but within, he was already planning his next move.