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when he does this it is to introduce us to other foreigners,
or English'speaking locals, but this time was a little different.
As soon as I saw the 60 kuai cigarettes on the table, I
knew these weren't the average 'friends'. My friend whispered
to me, ...I bet they're government officials.... I thought
it possible but suggested they looked more like mafia to
me. I knew the boss was somewhat 'connected'. He often mentioned
what he calls his 'hooligan' friends, and to run a successful
bar in this city being connected is a must.
 Cigarettes
were handed around and welcoming toasts drunk as the formalities
of Chinese introductions were completed. Pulling me aside
the boss confirmed what I had suspected. We were sitting
with mafia guys, not you're run'of'the'mill hoods, but four
mafia bosses who each controlled a section of the city.
Although I was slightly nervous, I definitely felt a thrill
at being part of a 'sit-down'. They were there to discuss
a problem that one was having with a family member. The
boss of the bar was translating everything for us so we
were a part of the conversation. He had mentioned the problem
before to me, but I didn't know exactly who was involved.
He just spoke of an issue his 'brother' was having. In China
the term 'brother' or 'sister' often means close friend.
This 'brother's' issue was with his brother-in-law, let's
call him Wang. Wang was married with a family, but was having
an affair with another woman. This is not rare in China,
certainly not for anyone with money or power. In fact, it's
almost expected. The problem was that everyone was convinced
that this woman was a chicken, which is a Chinese term for
a hooker, except of course Wang. This was considered shameful
for Wang's family, and the woman had done herself no favours
by calling Wang's house and insulting members of his family.
Her biggest mistake was when she abused Wang's sister who
happened to be married to a well connected man, the same
guy who was sitting two seats away from me at the table.
His solution to the problem was simple: have her killed.
Others
suggested to let nature take its course. Given time, Wang
would eventually come to his senses, realise she was a chicken,
and the problem would solve itself. But given Wang's obvious
infatuation with the woman, this could take some time.
After
several beers, I felt bold enough to offer my own solution.
I thought the problem was two-fold: first we had to prove
that the woman was really a chicken, and then we had to
work out what to do if she was. My idea was this: they
could arrange for someone to attempt to seduce the woman
using charm and a lot of cash. If she really was a chicken
the promise of a quick, anonymous pay'off would be too
good to refuse. The seducer could then deliver proof to
someone in the family, who would pass it on to Wang. Wang
would then come to his senses and end the affair, solving
both aspects of the problem without anyone needing to
be 'taken care of'.
 I
was surprised that everyone at the table agreed that this
was a fairly good solution, but I never expected what
happened next. The boss of the bar suggested that I would
be perfect for the role of seducer. I would be a handsome
foreigner who could pretend to be a wealthy investor in
town for a short'time on business. Before I could protest
they had started making preparations. They would prepare
everything for me: a suite at the Shangri La, plenty of
cash to spend on her, and a large cash pay'off if the
mission was successful. All I needed to do was get her
into the room, snap a couple of photos and get out of
there. Could I do this? The look on the faces around the
table told me that I didn't have much of a choice.
The
surprising conclusion of Ray Lee's underworld adventure
continues in the next issue of The Cud.
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