Post by Tony Stark on Apr 3, 2011 5:57:34 GMT
After having left the palace Fai went straight to the tavern, and went right to his room. He would have the rest of the afternoon, and the rest of the night, to make contact with one of the spy’s. Hopefully, he would also be able to subdue one of them and bring the spy to the palace tomorrow morning. There would be no better way to start of his career as an officer of Wu than to bring a spy in for interrogation.
After messing up his hair a bit and splashing some water on his face, Fai walked down to the tavern. He would need a plan. Fai, who had spoken and met with many spies who worked for Jian Xia, covert operations such as he was trying to uncover were very stressful. Often, spies would need some sort of artificial means to help with the stresses of their live-or-die job. This substance was Ma Huang, a natural alternative to modern day ecstasy.
Fai would first need to get his hands on the substance. Then, he would need to find to supply somebody who would be able to get word out (quickly) that Fai was selling his substance at an extremely low price. Then, Fai would need to hope that one of the spies would make contact. At that point, Fai would bring the man up to his room to make the deal, and then subdue him. However, that would be in a perfect world. There would be hiccups in his plan, but hopefully they would not be very large ones.
As Fai thought about his plan over a glass of cheap wine, he had an idea. He motioned for the bartender to come close.
”I’m looking for my friend. His name is Ma Huang. Have you seen him around?”
At first the bartender looked skeptical, but Fai persisted.
”Listen, I’m just looking for my friend. I’m new in town and I still haven’t met him. You know where I can find him?”
The bartender cast a glance at a back table, and then went on with his work. Fai turned to see a shady looking older man sitting at a table. They immediately made eye contact, and the shady fellow looked at the chair across from him, and then back to Fai. Fai took the hint and walked over.
”What can I do you for?”
”I’m looking for some Ma Huang. I’m new in town and I don’t have any connections yet.”
”How much do you need?”
Fai whipped out a knife from his boot, and held it above the man’s knee under the table.
”Sir, I am a Major in the Wu army. There are people that I need to find, and I need Ma Huang to find them. If you give me what I need, I will let you continue your business without any interference from the city guards. However, I have 5 guards outside ready to take you in. Although I would probably cut your kneecap out before you moved two inches.”
Zhao Fai and the man sat silently for a minute of steady eye contact. Eventually, the shady man could not handle Fai’s gaze any longer.
”Room 5, follow me.”
Fai was the first to stand, and slid the knife up his sleeve. He grabbed the man’s arm firmly, yet not hard enough to make a scene, and the two men made their way to the shady man’s room. Upon entering, the smell wafted into Fai’s nose. It was something Fai had been around, but never touched. The man reached under the bed, and threw Fai a medium-sized burlap sack.
”There’s 10,000 gold’s worth. Am I getting paid for this shit, or what?”
”I’ll give you half of what I make selling this. Being able to continue your business peacefully should be payment enough, but I don’t want to deprive you of your hard-earned money.”
The man wasn’t sure if Fai was being sarcastic or not.
”You are the strangest officer I’ve ever seen, man.”
”I’ll take that as a compliment. I need one more favor. Do you have any deals scheduled for today?”
The man hesitated. ”Why?”
”Don’t ask questions. If I’ve gone this far without turning you in, you can trust me. Send your first client up here and tell him to knock three times, pause, and then knock two more times. You’ll never have to see me again. Just tell him that your friend is in town and is getting into the business and is looking to make his first deal. And again, I’ll be paying you half of what I make as an act of faith. Good day, sir.”
Fai went to leave the room, but turned back before opening the door.
”Oh, and by the way… if you try to kill me I will stick your eyes open, stuff your mouth full of fish guts and squeeze the fish’s blood into your eyes. Then I will piss on you while the ravens pluck them out.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
END PART 1
After messing up his hair a bit and splashing some water on his face, Fai walked down to the tavern. He would need a plan. Fai, who had spoken and met with many spies who worked for Jian Xia, covert operations such as he was trying to uncover were very stressful. Often, spies would need some sort of artificial means to help with the stresses of their live-or-die job. This substance was Ma Huang, a natural alternative to modern day ecstasy.
Fai would first need to get his hands on the substance. Then, he would need to find to supply somebody who would be able to get word out (quickly) that Fai was selling his substance at an extremely low price. Then, Fai would need to hope that one of the spies would make contact. At that point, Fai would bring the man up to his room to make the deal, and then subdue him. However, that would be in a perfect world. There would be hiccups in his plan, but hopefully they would not be very large ones.
As Fai thought about his plan over a glass of cheap wine, he had an idea. He motioned for the bartender to come close.
”I’m looking for my friend. His name is Ma Huang. Have you seen him around?”
At first the bartender looked skeptical, but Fai persisted.
”Listen, I’m just looking for my friend. I’m new in town and I still haven’t met him. You know where I can find him?”
The bartender cast a glance at a back table, and then went on with his work. Fai turned to see a shady looking older man sitting at a table. They immediately made eye contact, and the shady fellow looked at the chair across from him, and then back to Fai. Fai took the hint and walked over.
”What can I do you for?”
”I’m looking for some Ma Huang. I’m new in town and I don’t have any connections yet.”
”How much do you need?”
Fai whipped out a knife from his boot, and held it above the man’s knee under the table.
”Sir, I am a Major in the Wu army. There are people that I need to find, and I need Ma Huang to find them. If you give me what I need, I will let you continue your business without any interference from the city guards. However, I have 5 guards outside ready to take you in. Although I would probably cut your kneecap out before you moved two inches.”
Zhao Fai and the man sat silently for a minute of steady eye contact. Eventually, the shady man could not handle Fai’s gaze any longer.
”Room 5, follow me.”
Fai was the first to stand, and slid the knife up his sleeve. He grabbed the man’s arm firmly, yet not hard enough to make a scene, and the two men made their way to the shady man’s room. Upon entering, the smell wafted into Fai’s nose. It was something Fai had been around, but never touched. The man reached under the bed, and threw Fai a medium-sized burlap sack.
”There’s 10,000 gold’s worth. Am I getting paid for this shit, or what?”
”I’ll give you half of what I make selling this. Being able to continue your business peacefully should be payment enough, but I don’t want to deprive you of your hard-earned money.”
The man wasn’t sure if Fai was being sarcastic or not.
”You are the strangest officer I’ve ever seen, man.”
”I’ll take that as a compliment. I need one more favor. Do you have any deals scheduled for today?”
The man hesitated. ”Why?”
”Don’t ask questions. If I’ve gone this far without turning you in, you can trust me. Send your first client up here and tell him to knock three times, pause, and then knock two more times. You’ll never have to see me again. Just tell him that your friend is in town and is getting into the business and is looking to make his first deal. And again, I’ll be paying you half of what I make as an act of faith. Good day, sir.”
Fai went to leave the room, but turned back before opening the door.
”Oh, and by the way… if you try to kill me I will stick your eyes open, stuff your mouth full of fish guts and squeeze the fish’s blood into your eyes. Then I will piss on you while the ravens pluck them out.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
END PART 1
