CHAPTER THREE
"LAY OFF"
Meanwhile one of the waiters taught Wen Hsiu and Ling Hua to use QQ to chat with other Chinese via the Internet using a cell-phone. Never having had any interest in such things before Wen Hsiu took notice of the pass-time, but preferred working and practicing Gongfu. He had picked up the skill of waiting tables in a very short time and was quick to earn a bit of extra cash in tips.
It was just after the lunchtime rush that the stubble-headed fighter and his companions showed up again. Wen Hsiu was quietly meditating behind the bar counter when he was alerted by an alarmed gasp. When he got up he noticed the waiters being rounded up by the group of thugs pointing pistols at them.
"Where is the Kung Fu guy?!" Ronnie yelled over the group gathered in front of him. His cohorts were surrounding Mr. Lu, the waiters and Ling Hua. Mrs. Lu was not in the restaurant, but had decided to go shopping when the restaurant had quieted down.
"I’m here." Wen Hsiu called over the bar counter.
It was at that moment when the thug standing closest to Ling Hua looked into Wen Hsiu’s direction. If he had kept his eyes on her he might have been able to tell why he ended up lying unconscious on the floor. Ronnie turned to look in her direction when he heard the body drop to the ground and got blindsided by a flying chopstick.
Wen Hsiu’s improvised projectile struck the nerve point just below the thug’s ear and caused him to drop like a bag of bricks.
The waiters took advantage of the ensuing chaos and charged at their captors. The remaining four assailants were disarmed and neutralised before anyone of them could fire a shot. Wen Hsiu joined in the fight and within seconds the thugs were all lying lifeless on the floor. Wen Hsiu took the guns and threw them into the nearest storm drain opening in the kerb outside. Then he went back in and carried the bodies out- one by one. When the last unconscious thug was lying on the pavement outside he went back into the restaurant.
The people outside looked on in shock and amazement as Wen Hsiu emptied a bucket of water over the thugs. When they all got jolted back into consciousness Ling Hua and he clapped their hands loudly and waved them off with an angry "Gu-ne gu-ne!". The thugs promptly jumped up and ran.
Wen Hsiu heard the restaurant’s telephone ring as he came back in. Mr Lu promptly answered it with a well rehearsed "Chinese Dragon Restaurant- good afternoon."
When he eventually put the phone down Wen Hsiu could easily tell that it was bad news.
"They said that they have my wife…" Mr Lu said, his face now pale with shock.
"They said… that the thugs had a contract with them that I had to sign… They would have released her then…"
Ling Hua looked at her friend. She wanted to apologise so badly, but then again, how were they supposed to know…?
"Wen Hsiu!", Dennis called.
Wen Hsiu had already disappeared into the streets, however…
Ronnie’s day had been going from bad to worse. First the Boss refused to pay anyone because of the stupid Restaurant owner’s refusal to sell. Now, his idea of subduing everyone at gunpoint had backfired. The Boss had actually just told them to deliver the contract and the message, but he had reckoned that they would need the extra protection… If the Boss found out he would be finished…
Ronnie had no idea where he was going as he wandered down the street. His cohorts followed him sheepishly. They may not be the most intelligent people in the city, but they knew just as well that it was better not to show up at the Boss’ headquarters now…
The thugs were completely unaware of being followed….
Wen Hsiu had only a little bit of trouble finding the thugs. He had to ask one of the people outside the Restaurant which way the men had run. His English was perhaps not the best, but it was enough to get the lady to point toward an alley. Wen Hsiu set off in that direction and soon found the thugs, now seeming to wander about aimlessly.
"Where is the Chinese lady?!" Wen Hsiu boomed across the alley. The thugs turned around in shock.
One of the thugs wanted to give him the old "I don’t know what you are talking about", but was stopped by Ronnie.
"Hey man!" he said. "I’m sorry. I don’t need to get beaten up again and my boss is going to kill me anyway so I don’t need anymore of this, okay?"
"If you help me save the lady I help you." Wen Hsiu said after carefully searching his mind for the correct English words."
"Really?" Ronnie asked. "I mean- I know you are good, but we are not exactly friends…"
"Are you really sorry?" Wen Hsiu asked.
"Yes." Ronnie replied. "I am really sorry."
"Tell me where your boss is," Wen Hsiu replied. "I make sure boss hurts nobody. I must help lady, but I can also help you…"
"Dude, where are you from?" one of the thugs asked.
"China." Wen Hsiu answered.
"You don’t look like a Chinese…" the thug remarked.
"Yeah, okay!" Ronnie said. "He is our pal now so no disrespect!"
Ronnie led Wen Hsiu to the office building a couple of blocks away.
"I’m sorry, but we are not going in there with you…" Ronnie apologised before leaving.
Wen Hsiu thanked them and went inside.
According to Ronnie the Boss’ office was on the third floor. Wen Hsiu headed up the stairs.
Sujen was in a locked room. After her kidnappers brought her to their boss she was forced to stay in an empty office. The door was locked and she knew very well that it was guarded by an armed thug. The Boss had refused to let her go until she has signed a paper she could not fully understand. Although the English writing was not clear to her, she knew very well that they had wanted her husband and her to give up their lease on the restaurant.
After having been slapped in the face by a thug and threatened with death at gunpoint she was given the paper to sign. Sujen, however, was not prepared to jeopardise her family’s livelihood just yet. She calmly told her assailants that her signature would be worthless without that of her husband.
It was shortly afterward that she was taken to this room and left with the paper which was still not signed. She had no idea what more they have intended for her in order to get her co-operation, but she was certain that these Gwai Lo would not spare anything with her…
Herman Geldenhuys was getting anxious. It had been an hour since he had sent Ronnie with the papers and the Chinese did not answer the phone since the last call. He was considering killing the woman he had in his custody, but eventually decided against it. Although he did not care for these yellow bastards and loved the idea of hurting and killing them he knew that it would give him a lot of unwanted attention. Right now he had their fear for their friend’s safety to help him get that gook’s signature. If she wound up dead he would most likely receive a lot of unwanted attention.
Three armed men were sitting around in his lavishly furnished office as he quietly sat behind his desk. One of them sat by the door behind which there was a woman that was soon to become their entertainment if Ronnie does not show up within the next ten seconds…
Wen Hsiu’s trip up the stairs was quiet. On the third floor he became more cautious. Ronnie never told him which office his Boss was using. He cleared his mind and all his senses became amplified. Now he slowly and quietly moved from door to door, scanning the environment for he slightest noise, vibration or visible occurrence that might put him on the right track.
It was not long until his body picked up the chi emanating from somewhere up ahead. Wen Hsiu was no stranger to chi, the lifeforce of living beings. Having received extensive training from Ling Hua he was not only able to sense the chi of other living beings, but he was also able to discern between human and animal chi- and that of plants. Apart from that he was mainly trained to gather large amounts of chi and channel it into devastating attacks.
As Wen Hsiu approached the door ahead of him he could hear the footsteps of someone getting up from a chair and walking somewhere behind the closed door. Next came the sound of a man’s voice. The building seemed abandoned except for this room. Wen Hsiu was certain that this was the place…
Sujen’s quiet contemplation of her fate got interrupted with the opening of the door. The looks on the men’s faces told her that they were not going to kill her, but that she was going to find out what their idea of fun was. They pinned her arms behind her and raised her from where she had been seated on the floor. She squirmed and screamed as a third thug approached her. The Boss stood in the door, watching them with a sadistic smile on his face.
The door to Geldenhuys’ office broke open with a loud crash before the men could put their sadistic plans into action.
Geldenhuys was able to look behind him just as he began his brief flight into the thug in front of him. The blur of a person moving at phenomenal speed was the last thing the two men saw before they each got knocked head first into adjacent walls.
The two men holding Sujen found security in the fact that they had a hostage and gripped her even firmer.
As Wen Hsiu approached one of the thugs most probably decided that he was going to need both his hands to be free to protect himself and he let go of their hostage. He felt Wen Hsiu’s foot pushing his innards into his spine before his body doubled up with an ill-bearing crack and he collapsed to the ground.
The last thug standing weighed his options and, after careful deliberation as Wen Hsiu quietly eyed him, pushed Sujen toward him. Wen Hsiu gently caught the woman as the thug ran out of the building.
Wen Hsiu held the woman’s shivering body tightly while he quietly scanned the office around him. When his eyes fell on the Boss that was slowly coming to he hoisted the man up and firmly grabbed as much of his shirt’s fabric in an iron fist. Wen Hsiu was in no mood to try to convey his thoughts in English. He quietly pointed toward Sujen with his free hand, eyeing the Boss with a furious stare. Then he brought his hand between the man’s face and his, waving a raised index finger in a prohibiting gesture. The Boss turned pale.
Wen Hsiu then clenched his hand into a fist, putting it close enough to the Boss’ face that it became the only thing visible to him at the moment.
Geldenhuys felt his legs going numb with fear. This man was no ordinary human being. He would normally tell anyone who dared to treat him in this manner that they should watch themselves, but this young man was definitely not the type to be intimidated. He was certain that one wrong move would land him in hospital…
"Lay off." Wen Hsiu snapped in English before he shoved the man across the office into his desk.
Wen Hsiu took Sujen by the hand and the two of them walked out of the office without any trouble.
Sujen stopped him at one of the doors in the passage and she went in to collect her grocery bags.
Wen Hsiu’s face lit up in a warm smile that showed nothing of the fierce warrior Sujen had seen earlier as he offered to help her carry the bags.
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