Chapter 4
Fortuitous Circumstances
(Continued)
April 8th, 1936…Red light district, Changchun …
The vehicles pulled up and parked across from Fong’s establishment, the Jaded Lotus. Major Li, Cutter, and Nose got out of a government car and walked back to the trucks. Looking across the street, Li saw the lookout scamper into the Lotus, no doubt to inform his boss that the cops were here. Chen gathered the men he had chosen together and waited for Li’s orders.
“Ok, here is what we are going to do. When we get inside Chen, I want you to position your men in the main room and keep the customers and workers calm. Regardless of what you hear coming from the back, don’t let anyone come back. Understand?” Li said looking at Chen.
“I understand sir”, replied Chen in crisp military fashion. Cutter rolled his eyes at this. He had no use for tin soldiers, and that was what he thought of Chen.
Li turned to look at Cutter and Nose. “Once Chen’s men are in place, the three of us are going to go pay Mr. Fong a visit. I expect that his number two, Jun, will be in there plus that Russian bodyguard of his, Kars. Cutter, I want you by Kars. Benjie, I want you by Jun. When the crap hits the fan, and it will, I want Jun immobilized. Don’t hurt him, just hold him.”
“What about Kars?” asked Cutter.
“Take him out. He’s no use to us”, Li replied.
Cutter smiled. “No problem boss.”
Li looked around at his men. “Let’s go.”
Li led his men across the street towards the Lotus. The Lotus was a combination restaurant, tea house, and gambling den that Fong used as his headquarters. At 10:30 in the morning, Li did not expect a lot of patrons, but there would be some, plus staff and guards.
Li led the way through the door and continued to walk down the center isle towards the back of the building. Staff and customers scattered out of his way. When he reached the door that led to the back rooms he stopped and turned around. He motioned for Chen to join him.
“Keep it tight out here. I don’t want this turning into a blood bath. You got it?” said Li.
“Don’t worry sir. I will keep everything under control”, said Chen in that crisp voice.
“And stay away from the bar”, chimed Cutter. Chen reddened but otherwise ignored the insult as he turned and walked back amongst his men.
Li looked at Cutter. “Why do you always have to be a complete ass?”
Cutter shrugged.
“C’mon”, said Li as he turned and went through the door. Behind him he heard Chen addressing the crowd.
“Alright ladies and gentleman, we are going to keep things nice and calm. Go back to your meals and tea and everything will be just fine.”
Li walked down the hallway trailed by Cutter and Nose. They passed a number of doors to either side but Li ignored them. He had been here before and he knew exactly where he was going. At the end of the hall was a set of double doors. Li grabbed both handles, twisted and pushed. With Cutter to his left and Nose to his right, he strode through the doors into Fong’s inner sanctum.
“Ah, Mister Li, welcome. It has been some time since you have last visited. Can I offer you some refreshment perhaps?” said Fong in an ingratiating voice that grated on Li.
“It’s Major, Fong.” Li looked around the room. Jun and Kars were standing right where he expected them and Cutter and Nose took up their positions. Fong was lying on a low divan being pampered by two working girls. “Get rid of the girls”, Li said in a no nonsense tone.
“Surely Mister…I mean Major, this does…” Fong never got to finish.
“Get…rid…of …the …girls”, said Li in clipped tones.
Fong looked at Li and then sighed. “Very well”, and clapped his hands then shooed the girls out the door. Li waited for the doors to close behind him. Then he reached down, unclipped the flap of his holster and drew his pistol.
“Major, surely there is no need for that”, said Fong who was starting to get nervous.
“Unfortunately…yes, there is”, with that Li raised the pistol and fired. The bullet crashed into Fong’s right knee, shattering it in a spray of bone and blood. With smoke just starting to trail from the barrel, Nose’s hand shot out, gripping Jun by the throat. Nose took one step and raised Jun off the floor and slammed him against the wall, pinning him there. At the same time, Cutter dropped into a crouch and launched a sweeping back kick that took Kars feet out from under him. As the big Russian dropped to the floor, Cutter was on him, driving his blade up under the ribs. Kars shuddered, his eyes going wide. Cutter reached up and slowly closed the giant’s eyes. With a leering smile and a low voice he said, “Goodnight sweet prince.” Slowly he rose, wiping the blade on the man’s tunic.
During these brief moments of violence, Fong was screaming, clutching at his knee. Li holstered his pistol, walked over, and sat down next to Fong on the divan.
“You know what your problem was Fong? You always thought you were cleverer than you actually are” said Li, slowly shaking his head. He sighed, “Oh well.” He got up and walked over to where Nose still had Jun pinned to the wall. “Put him down Benjie, gently.” Benjie did. Jun gasped for breath and reached up to massage his throat.
“We need to have a talk Jun”, said Li, putting a hand on the man’s shoulder. Jun looked at Li and nodded, since, at the moment, that was all he could manage.
“Hey, boss. What about him?” Li turned to see Cutter pointing his knife at Fong, who had been reduced to a whimpering mess on the divan.
“You are going to make an example of him” Li said.
“You want that he should be breathing when I’m done?” asked Cutter.
Li studied Fong for a moment. “Breathing? No. I want to send a message to the other bosses. So when you are done, make sure that message gets delivered.”
“So I can be creative?” asked Cutter with a mischievous glint in his eye.
“You can do anything you damn well please as long as you get the point across”, Li replied in a curt tone. He turned to Jun. “Come with me”, Li said, indicating the doors.
Behind him he heard Cutter talking to Fong. “Well there Mr. Fong, looks like you and me are going to get to know each other a little better.” Cutter started to laugh as Li closed the doors behind him.