C102 Part3

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When is the time? Where is the spot? Can you please write down the address like the underground brothel in the quest background?

Qi Leren stared at the letter for a whole minute, ensuring that he can’t find the answer from this body that didn’t belong to him.

He really hopes that the owner of this body has a hobby of writing on his diary, but unfortunately, even though Qi Leren had upturned this apartment ever since returning from the brothel, he still hadn’t found any diaries.

But maybe he can start from a different approach.

Qi Leren examined the corridor once more.

The letter appeared after he went out to see Willow off, of course, it can be just a coincidence, but if it wasn’t a coincidence, that means the messenger deliberately avoided Willow——obviously, the messenger didn’t want the Irish mafia’s young madam to know too much about the gang affairs.

To know exactly when Willow was going to leave, and then doing it within the few minutes where he sends Willow downstairs, it’s only possible that——the messenger lives on this floor, can hear his movements, and is constantly watching him.

There are four residents sharing a floor in this apartment, anyone can notice when he goes out and when he comes back.

Qi Leren quietly closed the door and pondered for a few seconds in front of the Miami vacation course pasted on the wall, and then he studied the excerpt of the artsy assassin’s poem in his notebook. He took a pen and replied to the letter:【Apply for vacation. 】

Then he put the letter in the envelope and he slipped it in the door crack.

A minute later, there was a sound of a door opening. The light footsteps stopped outside the door, and someone took the letter.

Qi Leren opened the door.

The boy wearing a newsboy hat (1) shivered: “Mr. Whiskey.”

Qi Leren stared at him condescendingly, leaned against the door and lit a cigarette. He dusted the letter with the stud, beckoning him to pay attention to it.

The messenger gulped: “I have no choice, I have to report this incident to Mr. David.”

I see, now I know who gave the order. Willow suspected that Uncle David might be the next person in charge of the Irish mafia, but I don’t know if the NPC has already been replaced by a certain player.

Qi Leren glanced at him: “Where is he now?”

“Uh…. his office, perhaps?” The messenger didn’t dare to look at him.

“I see, I’ll ask him for a time off in person, let’s go.” Qi Leren intimately put his arms around the messenger’s delicate shoulders, “We should have a drink, what would you like?”

The messenger who was being dragged away seemed very nervous, but his nervousness just made Qi Leren all the more delightful. It’s easier to deal with a stinky brat rather than a cunning opponent.

See, didn’t this solve half the problem? The remaining half will have to wait until he meets David.

“How long have you been doing this?” Qi Leren asked on the way to David’s office.

The little messenger boy was very nervous, he gulped: “Three months, sir.”

“Why?” Qi Leren asked again.

“I want to earn some money…. I need money.” He said.

This is probably the usual reason why kids in today’s society will step into the gray zone (2)——poverty.

Poverty, it prevents them from receiving good education. It’s difficult to change your caste in a society where the gap between the poor and the rich seems to keep growing. Even finding a job that’s enough to make a living is not easy, especially when they’re still minors.

Petty theft (3) became the best source of income for them, their parents don’t even ask where their ‘extra cash’ comes from, some of them will even confiscate it——if their parents are still alive, that is.

The rampant mafias have given this group of ‘street children’ a glimmer of hope. Those group of mature, merciless men in suits, embracing a beautiful girl in their arms, spending a whole bunch of money. They look rich, and it seems like a pretty good way of living life.

Some of them got involved with the members from the mafia. They do simple labours for them, like stealing, shipping, tipping off (4). The more daring ones began to mingle with the thugs, charging them protection fees arrogantly (5). A smart and brave kid will be recognized by the top brass, and will eventually join the gang through an outsider. If you follow the right person, the process will be even faster.

“Money, alright, I have money. Perhaps you’d be willing to help run some errands for me? It’s a neat part time job, much better than the job I have now.” Qi Leren chuckled and said.

“I’m willing, sir, of course I’m willing to!” The little messenger boy hurriedly nodded. His eyes sparkled with longing, and the ambition to rise to the top.

“Well then, maybe you should introduce yourself.” Qi Leren said.

“Yes, sir. My name is Gavin G. Garcia, I came to Feikexin City from Ireland with my mother when I was 7 years old, I also have a little sister and two little brothers….” Gavin introduced all his family members in one breath. From these small bits, Qi Leren imagined Gavin’s character. As the eldest son in the family, Gavin is not as cowardly as he thought. So then he trembled in fear when he first saw him was only because…. Whiskey’s bad reputation.

What’s embarrassing is how Gavin also flattered him, but the shit he said was: I heard that you took down the Italian’s midnight wine truck and beat the driver’s head into a hornet’s nest all by yourself, that’s so cool. I heard that when you’re angry, you don’t have to use a crowbar to turn the punk that dared to rob him into a pile of rotten meat, that’s so cool. I heard that you took out a rat (6) in the gang, hung him upside down on the doorframe, cut his heart open, dug his lungs, and practiced marksmanship on his dead body, that’s so cool. I heard that you like Shelley’s (7) poems. Every time you kill someone, you’ll read a verse, if the other person can continue, you’ll make their death a bit quicker.

Qi Leren: ….What the hell kind of person am I? Are the American police force okay? Hurry up and arrest this vicious criminal who likes to read poems and drive people into a corner!

“Good evening.” Qi Leren, who was wearing a suit, took off his hat and greeted the woman at the door.

“Good evening”, the woman said in a low voice, scurrying out of David’s room with red eyes.

David’s feet were stretched out on the long table, and he was smoking a cigarette with a gloomy face. His neat attire showed that he wasn’t hooking up in the office, and the woman’s demeanor just now also showed that she wasn’t a courtesan like in “The Lady with the Camellias” (8).

The look in his eyes, it didn’t seem like Ning Zhou. It looks just like an ordinary NPC.

Qi Leren thought calmly, that woman must have something to do with David. But it’s not intimacy, the two of them might’ve had an unpleasant conversation——the scattered papers and overthrown ashtrays were proof of this.

“You can never negotiate things with a woman.” After a brief thought, Qi Leren chose a misogynistic remark that definitely won’t go wrong in this era of serious sexism.

In history, the prohibition of alcohol in the United States was executed in huge portions because women, who didn’t have the right to vote at the time, launched a widespread feminist movement. It was launched to promote anti-alcoholism, in order to prevent husbands from consuming alcohol and abusing their partner. The patriarchal society must’ve hated this, no one likes to share their rights.

Sure enough, David sneered: “I don’t get why Louis likes her. Other than going on a shopping spree and making a fuss, she doesn’t have any other specialties whatsoever. Louis would always go “Amanda baby”, “Amanda darling”, he was captivated by her.”

I see, that woman is Louis’ lover, Amanda.

“How’s Louis?” Qi Leren asked.

“Not bad, I found a lawyer. Damn it, those Italians tapped his phone and found crucial evidence of his tax evasion, then the IRS came biting like flies that smelled rotten meat. I needa teach them a lesson, I mean those Italians!” David suddenly got really angry. He got up and started pacing around the table, anger brewing with every step.

His anger made Qi Leren feel strange.

“So, what are you going to do?” Qi Leren asked him.

“I’ll make sure to teach them a lesson, of course! Using your best method, as well as Rum, Brandy, Vodka, and Sake (9), the five of you have work to do.” David smiled hideously, his yellowish teeth looking particularly dirty in the dim light.

Qi Leren squinted his eyes: “I’m going to Miami for a vacation.”

“Not now! You must come again later and I’ll pay you enough for your vacation.”

Qi Leren looked down: “Fine, you can give me the list of names, I’m too lazy to come again.”

David took a deep breath and looked at his watch: “It’s almost time. Let’s go together, since you’re on your way back anyways.”

Qi Leren was quite pleased. It’s better to naturally find out what the old place is so he can avoid using his brains next time.

David put on a coat and walked out of the room with Qi Leren, he also looked at Gavin who was waiting at the door: “What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for me to get him a drink.” Qi Leren said.

The corner of David’s mouth twitched, revealing an unfriendly smile: “Then you’ll have to wait until next time.”

“That’s okay, I’ll gladly wait.” Gavin took the hint and stepped back, “Then I’m going first, good night, sir.”

After Gavin left, David continued to walk forward. In the car, David casually asked: “Did Willow come to see you?”

“Mm.” Qi Leren responded cautiously.

“I thought so. If she just behaved, there wouldn’t be so much trouble now.” David clicked his tongue and asked again, “What about her? Did she come to see you?”

Since entering this copy, Qi Leren have been suffering from “Who is this, and who the hell is this”, he didn’t know a single person!

Qi Leren’s silence seems to have given David an answer. He flicked the cigarette butt and said in disgust: “Those women, don’t worry about either of them. Keep an eye on Willow, be sure to tell me if she has any thoughts of running away.”

Translator’s Notes:

Literally what they’re called.The gray zone (灰色地带) is the middle area in between good and bad, something that’s neither good or bad. In this sentence the ‘gray zone’ is earning extra money.Petty theft (小偷小摸) means stealing something that doesn’t have a high value. Tipping off (通风报信) means giving someone information about something.This was originally a Chinese idiom (狐假虎威), but I don’t know how to translate it to English so it fits the sentence. The idiom means to rely on the power of others to oppress or intimidate people. Refers to an undercover agent or a betrayer.Percy Bysshe Shelley, one of the major English Romantic poets.The Lady with the Camellias (茶花女), or La Dame aux Camélias, is a French novel by Alexandre Dumas. It tells the tragic love story of a courtesan (prostitute) named Marguerite.All their codenames are based on drinks.In case some of you have bad memory (like me) and forgot, Louis is Willow’s father.

This was very late sorry, I’m real tired. Also what the fuck is narration, it’s so hard translating them.