Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
During the summer of 2014, although I was no longer a student and had long lost my summer vacation, I was fortunate enough to have a flexible job. Every so often, I would find a quiet place to take a break and unwind. This time, I had already chosen my destination and booked my flight. However, just a day before my departure, I received a call from a colleague.
This colleague, surnamed Xiao, was about my age, with a sturdy build and dark skin, sporting a buzz cut. Despite being of similar age, when standing next to him, I was confident I could pass for ten years younger—just like Qiaoling, that’s how confident I was. So, I gave him an immensely respectful title: Master Xiao. He was also from Hunan and had learned from an orthodox Taoist master. As for which sect, I won’t elaborate here; suffice it to say that when we worked together, he looked more like a Taoist priest because his common tools were well-known: the Peach Wood Sword, Great Talisman, Glutinous Rice, Black Dog Blood, and so on.
I met Uncle Xiao in high school; his master was a close friend of my own. Whenever they encountered particularly tricky situations, they would call each other for assistance. It was during one such incident involving an abandoned hermitage that I got to know Master Xiao. Since we were the same age, we gradually became familiar with each other and found that we shared similar interests and humor. Thus, we became good friends. Like our masters, we agreed that if either of us faced difficult tasks, we could call on each other for help without hesitation. Of course, while we said this, if something came up and one of us couldn’t make it, it would be understandable; after all, we were just ordinary people and not legendary heroes.
When the phone rang this time and I saw his number, I almost hung up immediately because he usually called me for two reasons: either to ask for help with work or to travel together. Both of these would disrupt my current plans. However, recalling how I had delayed his previous work invitation due to something more important, I couldn’t bring myself to ignore him this time. After much contemplation, I finally mustered the courage to answer the call.
As soon as the call connected and before I could even greet him, Master Xiao’s lewd voice came through: “Liu the Boss! What are you busy with? I've got a job that I can't handle; come share it with me! The Boss is quite wealthy!” Despite his crude tone, hearing his voice after such a long time made me feel happy.
I chuckled lightly and replied, “I’m all set to go far away; I've already booked my flight. What do you suggest?”
He said, “Perfect! I'm not far either; this will satisfy your desire for travel. Come on over—I'll cover your meals and lodging and even give you twenty bucks a day. Are you in?”
With a snap of my fingers, I hung up the phone. Counting silently in my head—one, two—before I could finish saying three, his call came through again. When I answered this time he said: “Boss! My bad! I'll cover all your losses; plus we'll split the reward evenly this time—fair enough?”
I didn’t even ask how much the reward was; since he mentioned earlier that the Boss was wealthy, it probably wouldn’t be small. Besides, it had been over half a year since I'd seen him. Why not go? I asked him where it was located; he leisurely replied: “Zhejiang, Jinhua. Haha!” Before I could respond further, he hung up on me without giving me a chance to refuse. A moment later he sent me a detailed address.
Since I'd already agreed to go, there was no turning back now. Comforting myself that at least he wasn’t in Xinjiang anymore, I opened my computer to check tickets. Around three in the afternoon there were still seats available on the high-speed rail from Guangzhou to Yiwu. After quickly purchasing my ticket, I began packing my things in haste and rushed off to South Station.
At that time there were no direct trains from Guangzhou to Jinhua; all required transfers at Yiwu. The distance was considerable; even taking the high-speed rail would take nearly six hours. By the time I arrived at Yiwu station it was already ten o'clock at night. Yiwu wasn’t far from Jinhua—less than an hour's drive away. Upon exiting the station, I spotted Master Xiao waiting at the exit; he stood out tall among the crowd and was easy to recognize. As soon as he saw me come out, he rushed over.
He still looked as dark-skinned as ever with that same buzz cut; at first glance he resembled one of those porters at train stations who help carry luggage. Unable to resist saying something humorous, I remarked: “No need for that! I'm not carrying much; I'll manage just fine! Your fees are too steep—I can’t afford them!”
With a cheeky grin he snatched my bag away from me saying: “Let me handle it; you’re too delicate—don’t want you getting hurt.” He then led me to a business vehicle waiting nearby.
After getting into the car, I noticed that besides the driver, there was another person inside. Both wore serious expressions and spoke little. Dressed in a floral shirt, they exchanged a brief greeting before starting the engine and heading towards Jinhua.
As a country person, I was usually talkative. In the past, when we met, we would often tease each other and never fall silent. However, after sitting in the car for a long time today, I had lost my sense of humor. The other person had also shifted from their earlier joy to a serious demeanor. If I weren't so familiar with them, I might have thought I was being kidnapped.
No one spoke in the cabin. Master Xiao seemed to be deep in thought as well; the atmosphere felt off. I decided to relax and leaned back against the seat, closing my eyes to rest. We usually conducted our business at night, so this opportunity to rest was indeed welcome.
About half an hour later, as the car continued down the road, I felt it was time to wake up. I opened my eyes and tapped Master Xiao on the shoulder, saying, "Can you tell me what's going on?"
Master Xiao glanced at the two people in the front seats and replied quietly, "We'll talk when we arrive." I chose not to press further and leaned back again, dozing off until we reached our destination, which was nearly eleven o'clock.
Stepping out of the car, I took a closer look and realized we were at a Wig Factory. After Master Xiao and I exited the vehicle, the other two exchanged brief farewells with him before driving away. Master Xiao said softly to me, "Follow me; I want to show you something," his tone mysterious as if he were an underground operative.
I surveyed our surroundings carefully. The lighting wasn't bright but also not too dim. The factory was small, enclosed within a low wall. There were two single-story buildings and a slightly larger warehouse. A two-story building stood nearby along with a security booth; aside from that, there were no other structures. Although there were few buildings, they were spaced apart. All the lights inside were off except for the security booth, which was empty as well. This meant that within the entire factory area, it was just Master Xiao and me.
The atmosphere felt strange, but I refrained from asking questions because if it weren't for this unusual mood, we wouldn't have been here in the first place. I remarked, "This Wig Factory... it can't be about hair again, can it?"
Master Xiao shushed me softly and said quietly, "You'll see for yourself." As he spoke, we arrived at a door marked "Warehouse." It appeared to be a large factory space converted into storage; entering through the main door led us down a straight corridor. Inside were four small storage rooms—two on each side—with doors similar to those found in hospitals featuring glass panels for viewing inside. Each door was secured with heavy-duty locks typically used for motorcycles. Dim corridor lights illuminated only near the entrance; with just two lights positioned there, visibility inside was poor, creating an illusion of depth.
Master Xiao quietly led me to one of the small storage rooms labeled "True Hair." He crouched down, and I followed suit without saying a word. He pointed upward silently; his meaning was clear—he wanted me to look through the glass panel on the door. Slowly rising with a twinge of guilt akin to that of a thief, I leaned closer to peer through the glass illuminated by faint corridor lights.
Inside, I saw rows of wigs hanging on the walls—some long and some short—covering three walls entirely. In the center were several cardboard boxes stacked up with ropes dangling from above them; some wigs hung from those ropes as well.
Turning around slowly, I crouched down again and made my way out of that corridor.
Comment 0 Comment Count