Because of You: Junping and Yuerong

Chapter Nine: Dinner Plans

I found myself sitting in the back of a black van with my brothers. I wanted to ask questions, but the look that Cheng had on his face or rather the lack of expression made me quiet. Looking at Jundao didn't help either. He looked a bit worried looking at my brother, too.

Neither of them seemed surprised by anything that was happening while I actually had had some second thoughts on my way to the airport. I thought maybe I might be over reacting. Going to meet Cheng really seemed to be taking things to a new level. Should I really get him involved? Once I did, I knew there wouldn't be any going back. 

Cheng would keep going forward even if I changed my mind. Cheng has been dedicating everything he has done since he was ten (over fifteen years now) to avenge his dead mother. He never stopped a job half way through.

The fact that Cheng had the driver use a RF signal detector wand on both me and Jundao before we got in the van reinforced for me that I really had no idea what I was doing. Did he actually think I'd have a bug on me? Did he not trust us? Or was there something else going on?

We drove for a bit into the city but into a part I had never been. Not surprising since I hardly went out and definitely not to the section where office workers went to dinner or to nightclubs. Interestingly, we did not pull in front of any of these places, but the van took a back alley before it came to a stop.

A jovial man in a suit was standing outside looking extremely out of place for a location where you'd only expect to see wait staff or cooks taking a smoke during their breaks. When we got out of the van, he greeted my brother.

"Master Cheng, so good to see you back again. I have your favorite room prepared just as you asked."

My brother's face broke into a smile, something I'd only really seen a couple of times, so it  was another surprise.

"Thank you, Huachen. It's good to see you. How are Yiwen and the children?"

"Good. Good. Good." The man said nodding and smiling. "You must visit sometime. Charlie wants to practice his English with you."

We followed the man into the building as he talked to Cheng. We were clearly going into a restaurant through the back. I could hear diners in other rooms and got glimpses of movement through glass blocks every now and then, but that was it. After going up a short flight of steps, Huachen moved aside a curtain and had us walk into a private room.

Cheng didn't sit immediately, but waited while Huachen pulled out a signal detector and slowly walked about the room. Once again, I wanted to ask a question but kept quiet. Really, did everyone have one of these things? Still, I knew that I shouldn't say anything until he was done.

Before walking around the room with the device, the smile had left Huachen's face. Once he was finished, the smile came back. He nodded at Cheng, and Cheng told us to please have a seat.

"Huachen," he spoke to the man who looked like he was preparing to leave. "Thank you for your extra care."

"No problem. But you know I have a reputation to keep. I can't afford an incident like what happened at Haobo's place. I'll send the waiter up to take your drink order. Your meal should be ready in 15 minutes. Please feel free to have your men check every staff member before they come into the room."

When Hauchen left, I couldn't be quiet any longer.

"Who is he? Was he checking the room for bugs? Why would he let you check his staff? Why did you check us? What happened at Haobo's place?" I didn't ask what I really wanted to know. How does my step brother know such things and such people? Maybe I was too afraid to learn the truth.