Chapter 128: Testing the Waters
Taking off the hood, Chen Shi found himself inside a building with all the windows shut tight, obscuring the view outside.
This place looked like a company. They were currently standing at the reception area. A female employee was standing behind the desk where the thin guy was bent over, registering their details. The burly guy with a gold chain was glaring at them menacingly, making everyone too nervous to move.
“You, come with me!” The thin guy picked someone and led him down a hallway while the others stayed put.
Half an hour later, that person came out, holding a thick stack of documents and wearing a complicated expression. The thin guy poked his head out of the hallway and pointed at Chen Shi, “You, come in!”
The hallway was long, with peeling walls and locked doors on either side. Laughter of a woman could be heard from behind one of the doors. Chen Shi asked, “What’s your name, brother?”
The thin guy ignored him.
They stopped in front of a door. The thin guy asked, “Do you have your ID card?”
“Of course.”
“Go in!”
Chen Shi entered. It was an office. There was a lounge area near the door with a sofa, a coffee table, and some potted plants. Further in was the working area where a man in a suit, tie, and gold-rimmed glasses was seated behind a desk. He nodded, signaling Chen Shi to sit down.
“Let me see your ID.”
Chen Shi handed over his ID. The man in the suit verified Chen Shi’s face against the ID, then started searching on his computer. To Chen Shi’s surprise, they had software similar to the police’s household registration system, capable of verifying ID numbers.
The ID checked out. The man in the suit turned his chair, “Let’s get straight to the point. How much do you need?”
“As much as possible.”
“You need to give me a number.”
“I owe a lot of gambling debt. I need at least ten million.”
The man in the suit shook his head with a smile, “Regular injury insurance won’t get you that much. Unless it’s life insurance. Do you have a trusted beneficiary?”
“You’re asking me to die? If I’m dead, how can I pay back the debt?”
“If you really need ten million, we do have another service, but I wouldn’t recommend it. You could buy a life insurance policy with yourself as the beneficiary, and we handle the rest.”
“Can I get ten million?”
“It’s difficult. That amount is too high. The insurance company will underwrite and will need to repack your and your beneficiary’s identities. Plus, the policy would be effective for two years.”
“I can’t wait that long!”
“Then it seems we can’t do business. Maybe next time.” The man in the suit extended his hand, ready to shake and say goodbye.
“Actually, I have another reason for coming.”
The man retracted his hand, crossing his arms on his lap, looking intrigued. “I want to join you.”
“Why?”
“For the money! No matter what kind of insurance I buy, it’s a one-time deal. I can’t earn the ten million I need in the short term, and I don’t want to be disabled for life. If I join you, I can make that money easily.”
“Sorry, we’re not hiring.”
“You do need people. A lot of people!”
“What makes you say that?”
“I noticed these ‘volunteers’ all have accents from Lu Jiaji and Shangmazhuang. There are dozens of counties and hundreds of villages around Long’an. Your market expansion seems limited.”
“You think it’s like sales? This business doesn’t depend on the market. There are only so many insurance companies, and we have to switch to a new one after each deal. The ones that can do this are already saturated.”
“Those guys selling their eyes or hands earn about twenty thousand each, right? If you had a larger customer base, you could find more quality clients and do those big million-dollar deals you mentioned.”
“I don’t usually do those. Only for people I trust 100%. They need careful screening.”
“Exactly, which means you need more people.”
The man in the suit raised an eyebrow, showing interest. He touched his chin and smiled, “You’re not a cop, are you?”
“Do I look like one?”
“Mr. Chen, I’ve been in this business a long time. I’ve lasted this long because of caution and patience. You talk a good game, but I can’t trust you right away.”
“I hope you give me a chance. I really need the money. I want to live a good life, with women and money to spend freely. I’ve seen it all. Conscience is worth nothing. Being ruthless is the only way to survive.”
“I admire your insight. Let’s talk later. There are many others waiting outside.”
“Where should I wait?”
“Someone in the hallway will take you.”
Chen Shi shook his hand and asked, “May I know your name?”
“Yang.”
The thin guy wasn’t in the hallway anymore; it was the burly man now. Chen Shi approached him and said, “Mr. Yang asked me…”
The burly man pointed to himself with his thumb, glaring, “I’m King Kong!”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Chen Shi. Where are we going?”
The burly man pointed to himself again, “I’m King Kong!”
“Do you like fighting on top of skyscrapers?”
“I’m King Kong!”
“Yes, yes, I know you’re King Kong. Where are we going?”
King Kong turned and led Chen Shi. The building was more complicated than he imagined. After a few turns, they reached a door. King Kong used a keychain to unlock it, grabbed Chen Shi’s arm, and pushed him inside. Compared to King Kong’s large hands, Chen Shi’s arm looked as thin as a twig.
Chen Shi stumbled into the room, which was less than 20 square meters. It had only a sink, a toilet, a moldy mattress on the floor, and a rack with some magazines. The room reeked of ammonia from urine.
When Chen Shi looked back, he noticed an uncovered camera in the corner. He shouted to King Kong outside, “Hey, what is this? House arrest?”
“I’m King Kong!”
The door slammed shut. Chen Shi banged on it, yelling, “Parrot! Let me out!”
Helpless, Chen Shi sat on the moldy, damp mattress, feeling disgusted. He took out his phone, but there was no signal or internet.
He picked up a magazine from the rack. They were all company brochures, completely uninteresting.
One page had an illustration of an office lady with a suspicious white substance on her smiling face. Chen Shi looked closely. It seemed to be semen.
No doubt, this place had detained others before!
He saw a row of tally marks scratched into the wall with a fingernail. After twenty marks, they turned into frenzied scratches. Another corner of the wall had dark red stains, likely blood.
Thinking about the fate of the previous occupant, Chen Shi felt a wave of fear for his own fate…