Beijing Story (Lan Yu)

Chapter 10

    FROM JUNE to September, Lanyu had absolutely nothing to do. He wanted me to find him a job. He said it was not for the money, just the practical experience. I promised, on the condition that he went to a driving school. He got a lot of designing and graphic jobs from my friends who were operating construction companies. And he became even busier than I was.

    The day he got his driving license, I gave him a 'Lexus' as a gift. He just laughed and said "Great!" when he accepted. That was all.

    My business was not doing well. There were 'embargoes' all around. I didn't care, because everybody was in the same boat. It was only temporarily. But snow had to be followed by sleet at this time. One of my warehouses caught fire. Small electrical household appliances worth over seven million dollars were destroyed. Liu Qsing was indisputably responsible.

    I told Lanyu I was going to fire Liu Qsing when we were chatting.

    "Is that worth it? You've been friends all these years." He said looking at a visualization drawing he had just completed.

    "He has gone too far. He knew this was the hardest time and he did this to me."

    "He's not directly responsible." Lanyu was still putting on the finishing touches. He had told me it was an ink and watercolor construction picture.

    "I have known there were problems with the circuits in the warehouse and told him to get electricians to fix it."

    "Didn't you tell me that his child was seriously ill these couple of days? He must have been too busy and it slipped his mind." Lanyu was always on the forgiving side.

    "That's his own problem. Who's going to redeem me for my loss? I'm being quite generous for not suing him."

    "You businessmen are so cold-hearted." He laughed.

    "It is only profit that counts in business. You can't be compassionate.

    This you must learn." I told him with a disciplinary tone.

    "What about business aside? Among friends?" He asked casually.

    I didn't answer. I didn't know.

    "You can't recoup you loss even if you fired him. He's a nice man. If you let him off this time, he would be extremely grateful!...Fuck! Ruined!" He seemed to have blotched a part of his picture..

    I didn't go on arguing with him. I was thinking about how I should handle this too. I was feeling that Lanyu was influencing me in a big way. He himself had not changed. Except having grown taller and more handsome, and richer his technique in bed, he was the same as I had seen him the first time.

    THERE WAS a slight knock on my door and Liu Qsing slipped inside. He never had been the one to knock.

    After a moment of silence, Liu Qsing opened his mouth first:

    "Han-tung, you don't have to say anything. I know I am responsible. These few years under you, I have put away several tens of thousand dollars.

    Just let this be my repayment. I just want to ask of you for one thing.

    Please do not take back the house for the mean time. You know that my brother is staying with my parents and I can't go back. Just wait till I have found a place....or Sze-ling and Siu-wai would..." Liu Qsing was also staying in a unit at 'Temporary Village', which was owned by my company just like the apartment I was having.

    He sounded so difficult. This was the first time things were so embarrassing between us.

   I cut him short: "This is the most difficult time for the company.