Translator: Lionwwang Editor: Lionwwang
Silence!
The extra fellow almost mechanically takes the card, but he can’t help looking up at Jojo with a pitiful look. Jojo is coughing hard and then winkink back at another friend.
That guy immediately realizes it, he’s deliberately laughing loudly and saying: “Come on! Let’s have some fun!”
With the saying, he takes out of a transparent plastic bag from his arm deliberately in a sneaky manner. It is a small package of white powder!
Then he wipes the table clean, carefully pouring out a little white powder, spreading it evenly on the table, looking around of the others and saying: “How about try a little?”
Jojo is immediately laughing domineeringly and saying: “As the old rules!”
I’m sweating on my forehead.
Is it too much?!
Fortunately, Azle is quietly saying to me with mouth shape: “Flour.”
I’m a little relieved. Jojo has looked at Winson with a provocative eye: “Would you like to try?”
Winson frowns slightly and finally sighs: “I… Not accustomed to…”
Before he finishes, Jojo, with a triumphant smile and a disdainful tone, says: “Why don’t you dare? This is exciting! Would you like to try it?” Then she looks back at the friend.
The friend is showing exciting expression on his face, but in fact, his eyes are similar to those of the last execution court. He can only imitate the drug addicts in movies. He’s carefully evening out the white powder on the table, grinding his teeth, holding one finger against one nostril, and passing it over with another nostril, sucking hard.
A-choo!
He is a loud sneeze right away! Then the poor fellow looks like a tearful man. He’s undoubtedly feeling unwell, but he has to pretend to feel very hi and shouting: “Cool! So cool!”
Jojo is gritting her teeth and staring at Winson: “How’s it? Do you want to try?”
Winson is saying with a rueful smile: “I just meant… I don’t think it’s not the right way to do that. If you want to be hi, you can try to find a little glucose solution, dilute it, and then use the lighter to heat it on the tinfoil, then suck it again. Maybe it will feel better.”
All others are cold sweating…
FXXX! This guy is an expert?!
I can’t help but ask: “Winson… You… You’ve never taken drugs, have you?”
He’s smiling calmly: “I didn’t. But when I was an exchange student at the University of Pennsylvania of the United States for one year. In pursuit of stimulation, I used to smoke cannabis with my classmates there. You know, many University students in the West smoke cannabis. But I don’t touch it anymore now.”
Awkward silence again.
To tell the truth, although we are ridiculous on weekdays, none of us has ever touched drugs. Don’t mention cannabis, even has never touched ecstasy before!
Winson is saying frankly: “Personally, I think you’d better not touch drugs. Because it’s not a good thing, and it’s harmful to your health. If you have to, I’m afraid I’ll have to say goodbye, because I’ve quitted it.”
Jojo is gritting her teeth and seems a little stunned. Fortunately, Azle has already responded: “Well, let’s put it away. Let’s just drink wine.” Then he’s winking at other people, and they quickly hide that bag of flour.
Jojo then winks at Azle. Helplessly, he continues the conversation with Winson: “Mr. Lee, what kind of business is your family doing?”
“Many territories.” Winson is saying modestly, “The family’s business is complex, and in recent years we feel that the areas we have involved may be too scattered, and we are ready to consider rectifying them.”
Then he asks: “Azle, what’s your job?”
Here comes it!
Azle, as a matter of fact, looking around deliberately with the mysterious looks on the face, and whispering: “Business can’t be exposed at all! Well, this!” He’s reaching out and making a pistol move and saying in low voice, “The arms!”
“…” Winson is looking at Azle in surprise. “Arms?” He face changes at last.
Jojo and Azle are obviously relieved.
It seems that there is still a way to shock Winson.
But then Winson goes on saying: “But it’s illegal to do weapon business in your country! Although your country also has weapon import and export business, but those are the official operations. I have not heard of any private arms dealers.”
Azle is chuckling: “A small business, we’re small underground arms dealers. Mr. Lee, many countries in Southeast Asia are in a precarious situation. If there is business, we may make a fortune together. The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia all have a lot of non-governmental armed forces. There’re a lot of monies to make.”
“This… I’m afraid not.” Winson fefuses very simply.
Azle and Jojo immediately show disdain, and Jojo says: “Winson, just forget it. Your family is doing legitimate business, so just not to be dragged down by our friends! Hum!”
Winson is thinking for a moment and saying with a bitter smile: “I don’t mean that… Actually…”
He says with smile: “Azle, it’s not that I don’t help you, it’s really that I can’t help you. Because the biggest arms supplier in Southeast Asia is our family. My uncle is in charge of this in the United States.”
…
“Our family’s business in the United States has always been operating by my uncle. We have business with the Rock family, which is the largest arms family in the United States. It’s cooperative, has a license issued by the U.S. government, and is also a legitimate gun dealer.” He laughs bitterly and says, “As for the non-governmental armed forces in Southeast Asia. I advise you not to cooperate with them, because their credibilities are not good. There have been several incidents that have destroyed their credibilities. Now many arms dealers have refused to cooperate with them.” Then he looks at Azle with sincere, “Of course, this is just a little personal advice from me.”
I’m stunned.
Jojo is stunned.
Azle is stunned.
All people in the room are stunned.
Just when we are stunned, Winson is easily lifting the glass in front of him and takes a sip.
Suddenly, with a bang, the door of the room is knocked open!
Then Wood is rushing in, wearing a coat, and inside it is a prominent psychiatric hospital uniform, shouting: “Jojo! Where is Jojo?!”
I look at Azle, and the two of us who have first responded, are jumping up quickly, rushing to the door, one in left and one in right, quickly erecting Wood and pushing him out.
The operation this time is completly failed!
…
It’s me to send Winson back to the hotel. Jojo and Azle are too shame to see him anymore.
“Tonight…” Before I leave, I look at him and hesitate to say something.
“No need to say. I understand!” He is laughing, blinking to me and saying, “But I can’t imagine that your methods are really creative! To be honest, I was almost bluffed.”
I sigh and say: “Well, actually we have no malicious intentions.”
“I have no malice too.” Winson keeps saying with smile, “You are a group of interesting people. I’d like to make friends with you guys… Well, please tell Jojo that she and I are equally resistant to this engagement. But the old people are very stubborn. Sometimes, some roundabout means are far more effective than frontal hard shocks. So, I suggest that we should show harmony on the face, and then think slowly which way is better. At least for the time being, I will persuade my father not to think about marriage for the time being. Let he excuses us for slowly dating for a while. I estimate that we can think slowly for two years. I am sure that there will always be a way to delay the marriage until two years later.”
Before leaving, he’s suddenly whispering: “Chen Yang, can I ask you a question?”
“What?”
His eyes are flashing the lights: “Jojo is a very lovely girl. She is very close to you, Azle, and the doctor friend. Why is none of you three men not with her? I think that might be a good thing.”
I laugh bitterly and say: “Don’t be kidding. We and Jojo? It’s impossible.”
“Why not?” Winson is laughing profoundly, “There is nothing impossible in the world.”
I sigh: “Let me tell you the truth, Jojo… She is… Well, she likes women.”
Winson is listening to me quietly. He doesn’t even have any surprise on his face. Instead, he asks me indifferently: “So what?”
Before I could finish, he’s slowly saying: “If I get the right information. I don’t think Jojo is born to like women, is she? At least, I know, I heard Uncle Joe said that Jojo had a very close boyfriend a few years ago, but then they broke up for some reasons.”
Then he is patting me on the shoulder: “There is no impossible thing in the world. Maybe I’m just a kibitzer, but I still think it’s a good thing that you guys have such a good relationship. It’s also a good thing to grow from a friend to a lover. And, I can feel Uncle Joe’s meaning. In fact, he may not really see me as his son-in-law, but the elders are very anxious about their daughter’s life events, so they will rush to bring me as a candidate. If Jojo has a regular boyfriend herself, maybe Uncle Joe will change his mind.”
I am stunned again: “But I thought…”
Winson is laughing and saying: “Please tell Jojo what I said. Well, I’ll stay here for a few days because there are some businesses of the family and some business friends to meet here. During my stay here, you are welcome to come and have tea with me. After all, you are my first friend in this city.”
After that, he hands me a business card and walking into the hotel with a smile.
As I watching him leave, I suddenly remember that I have seen him meet Jimmy Chou’s men here before.
Does his family have business with Jimmy?
But it seems that my relationship with him is not very convenient to ask it.
I shake my head and walk out of the hotel.
Azle and Jojo are waiting in the car, while Wood is sitting in the back row, still wrapping in his coat.
Jojo, with a haggling smile, sees me coming, but sprinkling her angers on me: “Chen Yang! What the hell are you doing at night? We can’t find you anyway! If we had a good discussion, we would not have made a fool of ourselves!”
I shrug my shoulders: “How do I know! But there’s one thing you can rest assured of. He doesn’t want to marry you at all.”
“Oh?” Jojo’s eyes are lighting up.
Then I merely tell her about Winson’s words, but I hesitate to say Winson’s suggestion of “friends become lovers”. Jojo doesn’t notice the hesitant expression on my face. After listening, she smiles with great satisfaction and looks very heroic: “Well! It seems that this fellow is very clever!”
“Very good, very good!” She says with animated expression, “Originally, I had a good plan that if I am not escape, I would have to execute my last great trick!”
“What trick?”
“Cut! Find a pair of scissors, cut him on the wedding night.” Miss Jojo is smiling proudly and saying, “Then he won’t be able to touch me anymore!”
The first unconscious reactions of three men in the car are to involuntarily cover the crotch with our hands.
Now the top priority thing has been reduced the threat. Miss Jojo is in a good mood. As soon as she has cleared up her depression, she immediately suggests that all of us to find a place for midnight snack.
Look at the time. It’s almost four o’clock in the morning. To be honest, I’m also really hungry. In the evening, I accompanied VP to dinner. After drinking, I only ate a bowl of porridge, and now I do feel a little hungry. Wood and Azle don’t matter. Anyway, both of them are idle and don’t worry about going to work and getting up early the next day. Azle has no regular job, while Wood keeps the small community clinic and watches comics every day.
But strangely, instead of taking Jojo’s car, both of them board the car I drive together, which I intend to return to Azle. He thinks for a while and says to me: “Keep it. I have another car in my house. You work far away now, and it’s convenient to have a car.”
I don’t refuse Azle’s kindness. I am not polite to these guys because we have a good relationship with each other anyway.
But when they get in the car, they look at each other and Azle speaks: “You just told Jojo what Winson said. Seems to hesitate in the middle, is there something to hide?”
Wood is looking at me too.
I am astonished: “You feel it?”
“Yes.”
“All right.” I sigh, sit in the driver’s seat and look back at the two men, “I did have something concealed. Winson has a very ridiculous suggestion. I don’t think it’s necessary to say it because it’s too ridiculous.”
After a pause, I grin bitterly: “He suggested that one of us should fall in love with Jojo and sublimate from a friend to a lover. He said that would be the easiest way…”
I haven’t finished yet, the two men’s faces have turned pale.
Looking at Azle, this playboy is swallowing his saliva hardly: “Come on! Marry her? Just imagine it is more terrible than nightmares! I… I’d rather live ten years less!”
I sigh and turn to Wood.
Wood, after all, is Wood. There is no nonsense, just a quick sentence.
“Twenty years!”