Triad Tourists

Chapter 36

I sigh and lean forward. Not your fault, you barely know what's going on.

That goes to show: one death affects the whole world. No wonder everyone is so messed up.

The white papers stare back at me, unfolded and free to read. It's a blessing and a curse not to be able to read it for myself.

Life is hell

The last of my clothes get packed into a suitcase. In the morning, I'm gone. Finally. Finally away. Finally with some money! Yi has been a big help these past 6 months. I'm nearly 10k up, and that's good for the little time I've been here. Not Elon Musk money, but it's mine.

I move from my chair to the bed when my butt starts to hurt, but I take the paper with me. I sit it on the floor and have it stare back at me again. I was given a room around the size of the smallest apartment. It's a pretty decent room, but I don't need personal space right now. At the same time, if I were out, I would be begging to just be alone. To my own thoughts, in my own poisonous mind.

Knock knock

"Enter." I clear my throat and make sure the paper is hidden by quickly sliding it under the bed with the tip of my toes.

Meizi comes into the room, looking just as tired as everyone else. "Tallulah." She greets.

"Meizi." I don't move from my position on the bed.

"Are you alright?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"Yes, and I will be fine. However, it's nice to ask others. I know you feel odd considering you were around when it all happened."

I sigh. "Yeah...Maybe I was a fool thinking I could do it alone." I clench my fists. "Having a soft spot for people, just because I was given sex and money. For a Doctor I'm still new, only a hand of years in if that. When will my remorse cut off!"

"Not to get in your business, but who made you like that?" Meizi asks.

"Telling people their $3M insurance isn't covered on top of their loved one being dead. You're a killer, Meizi. Who made you like that?"

"Fair point." Her face twitches into a smile. "We care for all the people." She resists telling me too much. "We're Chinese." She deflects.

"I learned a lot of history, nobody's nice in it. Your cute faces aren't masking anything."

"Really? But aren't I cute?" She bats her eyelashes.

"Don't start using cute faces! I remember Pearl Harbor."

"Did you just call me Japanese?" She says with a straight face. Asians hate getting mistaken for other countries.

"Meizi, I need you to read something for me?" I pull out the paper. "If I'm not mistaken, it's pregnancy test results."

"You have sex here? Do you know how many of us are positive for STD's?" She looks in disbelief.

"Just read my 🪵 paper!"

"Why do I have to? You don't trust me opening a can for you." She inspects it. "Well, you're not pregnant, that's good. Because we'd have a whole new issue."

Ya think

"You're fine, surprising bc Dìdì is a whore."

More like me, I let two guys hit in 6 months!

I grab the paper from her. "Great, thanks. You're not gonna become an aunt anytime soon. Now vanish."

"Vanish?"

"Vanish! I've collected the last of my money from you, and cut ties with you-know-who. My work with you is done and I'm not either of your friends, so you may leave. Neither of us benefit from staying in contact, in fact it will get me hurt since your little organization is never supposed to exist." I state, plain and simple. "Vanish."

Go, just go

She smiles. "You already one heavy foot in, you know that." I'm well aware of that, It is what it is. She taps her foot as she stands. "Smart to back out now tho. But if you're ever in Shanghai-"

"I won't be." I finish for her.

As soon as she leaves I lock the door. Put those experiences in a box and toss it to hell!!

I take a breather. "It's ok, Lu. You leave tomorrow. No goodbyes, no fake sentimental." Just leave.

Everything is fine. She's gone, Kelan is safe, my results are good, I have cash and- My eyes roam to a small box. My box. American cash by the hundreds, as well as the illegal I made underground. Mine, mine, and if the plan goes well tomorrow I'll be leaving the country with thousands. So...

I got away with it.

And that's it! Totally low-mid story but this isn't AOT so BYEEEE!!!!