HPDBC Chapter 12 Human or Ghost
Chapter 12 Human or Ghost
In a treacherous place like Kowloon Walled City, people could die at any moment, not to mention minor incidents like arguments, domestic violence, theft, robbery, and fights.
Stopping in his tracks, Lin Yuanshan pointed to the general store at the entrance of the alley across the street, indicating to Tie Tou to go and store the rickshaw first.
Then he lit a cigarette, stood at the top of the stairs, and listened to the sounds coming from upstairs.
Don't blame Lin Yuanshan for being overly sensitive; it's just that the world is a dangerous place where people take advantage of good people's sympathy to set traps, extort money, and blackmail.
Tie Tou quickly negotiated with the grocery store owner and spent 2 cents to borrow a chain about the thickness of a little finger, which he then used to lock his cart to the iron gate of the store.
"Young Master Yuan, I'm here." Tie Tou strode over, glancing warily at the stairs.
The commotion above has not stopped, and in fact, it seems to be getting more and more intense.
Lin Yuanshan knocked out a cigarette and handed it to Tie Tou, saying, "402."
Tie Tou immediately took the cigarette, put it in his mouth, and strode upstairs ahead of everyone else.
Lin Yuanshan followed behind and soon discovered that the sound was coming from the third-floor corridor.
Three men dressed in shorts were surrounding a mother and daughter, seemingly chasing after a debt.
This kind of thing happens all the time, not just in Kowloon Walled City, but in any poorer place on Hong Kong Island now.
The reason Lin Yuanshan stopped was because today's events were a bit unusual.
The crying didn't come from the daughter, but from the long-haired woman kneeling on the ground, sobbing like a sore thumb.
The little girl, on the other hand, looked no more than ten years old. She was sallow and thin, with a dry braid that hadn't been washed in ages. Her dress was also full of holes, looking as if it were hanging on a clothes rack and could be blown over by the wind.
Yet this frail child, faced with such a scene, actually pursed his lips, held a palm-sized fruit knife, and stood aside without crying or making a fuss.
Although no one present took the knife seriously due to its intimidating presence.
However, compared to that woman who only knew how to kneel, kowtow, and wail loudly...
The girl's courage and precociousness even amazed Lin Yuanshan.
"Young Master Yuan, look at them like this, they're so pitiful." Tie Tou turned to Lin Yuanshan and asked, "Should we help them?"
Lin Yuanshan flicked his cigarette ash and gave a cold laugh.
Help? Can we possibly help everyone?
There are so many miserable people in the world, and I'm not a superman, how can I help every single one I see?
Moreover, based on what we've seen so far...
That way you can tell who is a human and who is a ghost?
Unable to get a nod from Lin Yuanshan, Tie Tou turned away dejectedly.
In the past, a rickshaw puller like him would never have gotten involved in something like this.
But today, killing two thugs at Hung Kee seems to have unlocked his courage.
Seeing injustice on the road, he was eager to intervene.
In Tie Tou's opinion, he had already killed two people, so what was the big deal about beating three thugs?
If Wu Shih-hao couldn't handle what happened with Hsiung Chi, he would be in trouble.
The deceased's clan name is so prominent that they will definitely arrest him and make him pay with his life. In that case, wouldn't this act accumulate good karma, and perhaps he will be reborn into a better life in the next life?
"Yuan Shao is good in every way, except he's a bit ruthless..." Muttering to himself, Tie Tou prepared to go upstairs.
Just then, they heard a noise and discovered that someone was standing at the corner of the stairs watching a movie.
One of the three men waved at Lin Yuanshan: "Hey, handsome, you look so smart and well-dressed, are you a former customer of the gambling den?"
If so, you're kind enough to help her by paying to get rid of that messy debt.
It's not much anyway, only seven hundred yuan, but now she's insisting on using her daughter to pay the difference.
"I'm picking this bean sprout; it's only 10 years old. Nobody wants it, not even for entertaining guests. If we take it home, not only will we waste rice and feed it, but we'll also inevitably be gossiped about behind our backs for being a nuisance or having no good karma!"
Upon hearing this, Tie Tou froze.
What's even more hurtful is that Lin Yuanshan said to him from behind, not too loudly, "I'm ruthless, you're kind-hearted, so go ahead."
"Rescue the older one to be his wife, rescue the younger one to be his daughter—kill two birds with one stone, and he can become a father right away!"
Iron Head's face flushed red, and he stormed out of the building, yelling, "Hey, are you blind? My young master would never have anything to do with a gambling addict like that!"
Already possessing a burly physique, and further fueled by his rage, every step Iron Head took caused the three men opposite him to retreat three steps in fear of his imposing presence.
With one side retreating and the other advancing, the gambling addict who had been trapped in the corridor suddenly found a chance to escape and did something unexpected.
She got up, grabbed her daughter's thin, bony arm, and shoved her forcefully towards Tie Tou.
Taking advantage of the moment when Tie Tou caught the girl and his body was exposed to the side, Lan Du Feng quickly ran into the stairwell and climbed a staircase welded together from rusty iron: "My dear girl, the person standing on the stairs is your father..."
This sentence is filled with the excitement of a wicked scheme succeeding.
But the next second, everyone heard a thud as something heavy fell to the ground and a scream.
Tie Tou leaned over the railing, peering downstairs.
They found that the gambling addict had fallen down the welded stairs, crashing into a tin shack below. Her body, wearing only a thin dress, was lying on a pile of metal debris, indicating she was seriously injured, with blood faintly visible.
"Damn it! Don't die yet, the debt hasn't been settled."
"Take her back and make up the difference. I told you before, just arrest her and take her back to pay the debt. One yuan per transaction, even if she sells 700, we can still recoup the money. Now look what's happened, how are we going to explain this when we get back?"
"If all else fails..."
The three men blamed each other, then looked at the girl hiding behind Tie Tou.
Before they could speak, Lin Yuanshan walked out of the stairwell: "Don't even think about making a move on this girl, and don't expect to blackmail me with that bitch's nonsense."
I don't have seven hundred dollars, but here's one hundred.
When I bought the child, I had six hundred left.
"While it's still warm downstairs, take it to that shady clinic in the city walled city to dismantle the parts. If you're quick, you should be able to gather enough."
After saying that, Lin Yuanshan took out his last hundred-yuan bill, held it between two fingers, and shook it at the three of them.
The three men's expressions changed drastically, and their eyes were filled with apprehension as they looked at Lin Yuanshan.
This kid may look respectable, but he's anything but a saint inside.
They even knew about the darkest industry chain in the walled city.
The most terrifying thing is that the woman's daughter was right there, and he actually talked about this kind of thing right in front of her!
After exchanging glances, the first man to speak clasped his hands in greeting to Lin Yuanshan and said, "Sir, we are Fu Yixing Lao Sijiu, Lan Ya Cai, Da Kou Fu, and Xi Yan Kuan."
Thank you for your guidance today. May I ask your surname, sir? Which mountain do you worship, which hall do you sit in, and which incense do you burn?
Lin Yuanshan scoffed at this, letting the banknotes fall to the ground: "You old guys from Chengdu aren't qualified to talk to me."
Three tails and even the bottom are not the four nine miscellaneous fish, yet you dare to argue and debate in front of me?
That's how things work out in the martial arts world, isn't it!
It's just that I'm of a higher generation.
"How about this, you lead the way, and we'll go to Fuyi Xingtuo to see Gao Laocheng. He can deal with me personally, okay?"
Rotten Tooth, who had just opened his mouth, was left red and pale by Lin Yuanshan's words.
Looking at Tie Tou, who seemed like an angry Vajra, and Lin Yuanshan, who had a smile on his lips and an unfathomable expression.
He could only bow his head and apologize, bend down to pick up the banknotes, and prepare to leave with his two brothers.
"Alas, the Hong Kong Triads are truly getting worse with each generation."
"I've received the money and settled the accounts..." Lin Yuanshan sighed softly, his voice suddenly rising, "Where's the IOU?"
The three of them seemed rooted to the spot. Ah Cai awkwardly pulled out a note with his fingerprints on it, walked up to Lin Yuanshan, and presented it to him with both hands.
Lin Yuanshan took it and looked at it. The little girl next to him finally spoke her first words: "My benefactor, yes, it's this one. I recognize it. She's the one who pulled me to put this fingerprint on."