'Thank you, ma'am,' Keung bowed to the nurse, dressed in a thick, white button-up jumpsuit, as she handed him his gear. Holding his armour, coat, cap, and pants in a pile, he walked to the nearest elevators. Echoes of last night's news from Ho Man Ting haunted his memory. The tower was abuzz, Kingmakers rushing in every direction, concern on their faces. Many headed to the King Rail docks, presumably towards Ho Man Ting. Keung felt out of the loop and yearned for an update.
I wonder what the others are up to?
He limped back to his quarters in the royal palace of Yu Tower. His muscles ached, and every breath hurt his ribs. Nested on the highest floors of the tower, the palace was a birthright to his noble lineage, the Yaozhi Dynasty. Nearby were the bedrooms of General Denzhen, his cousins Prince Tsai and Princess Aisin, and the Emperor and Empress. These upper floors had been the Yaozhis' home for generations, with empty rooms in between reserved for the future children of Keung and Tsai.
Keung knocked on his father's bedroom door, but it was locked. So, he headed for his own room. Inside his bathroom, he undressed, pushed his clothes into the laundry chute and glanced at the rectangular mirror above the sink. Standing before it, he rotated his face and inspecting his jaw, finding the length of his stubble acceptable. He gently prodded his face, remembering that the new EM machines were supposedly able to remove all signs of injury.
Wow, absolutely nothing. Not a single scar. A testament to uncle's Zhaisheng.
But this momentary marvel was dashed by the reality of his declining physique. He poked at his stomach, feeling the skin and fat. The separation between each muscle was fading. His abs, once sharply defined, now blurred into his stomach. His chest drooped and his underwear pinched his waist, forming slight fat handles. It was still a body many in Kowloon would envy, yet it was a reminder of Keung's departure from the rigorous physical standards of a Kingmaker. Ever since he had been assigned the task of hunting down Yang leaders, he barely had time to train at the dojo.
With a final glance at his reflection, Keung retreated to the shower.
Minutes passed as Keung relaxed amongst the blanketing mist of the shower. In the soothing rhythm of falling water, he nearly missed the faint vibrations echoing from the sink.
Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt.
It was his holocommunicator, or holo, buzzing. The tech adornment on the forearm of all Yu district Kingmakers, a priceless tool that elevated the Kings above every other gang member. This multipurpose gadget - a communicator, encrypter, digital pad, and super processor rolled into one - was the epitome of cutting-edge engineering. Its open-source software, exclusive to the Kings, allowed them to harness its superior architecture to craft their own programs. Once designed, it could be shared on the cloud for all Kingmakers to download, use, or alter.
Emerging from the shower, water droplets cascading off his skin, Keung answered his holocommunicator.
'Lieutenant Keung!' It was Captain Shen of the second cohort. Some members of his detachment hailed from his tutelage.
'Captain, it's good to hear from you. How are you?' Keung said, his voice echoing off the white walls.
'Lieutenant,' Shen said. 'As I've mentioned numerous times, you can address me as Shen. Your rank has outstripped mine for quite some time now.'
'Age, Captain, lends a wisdom that can't be outranked,' Keung replied. 'Your wisdom and experience will always be ahead of mine.'
'Your humility is a mirror of your father's, Lieutenant. I heard you were discharged from the infirmary. Have your injuries been patched up? Are you holding up?'
'I am, thank you, Captain. Can I help you with something?' Keung queried.
'Yes … a visitor is asking for you. Not by name, but he's seeking the lead investigator on the Yang activity in Yau, which is you.'
'And what's this visitor's name?'
'A Shizhou Han. Said the Luen siblings sent him. He refuses to give any more information beyond that.'
'Han …' Keung echoed, brows furrowed. 'Doesn't ring a bell, Captain.'
'He says it will make more sense when he speaks to you privately.'
'Could you direct him to Cheng?'
'Cheng is still in the south with your father, assisting the Tien Tao from last night.'
Keung's eyes widened. 'Cheng and Ba were in Ho Man Ting?'
'The reports suggest your entire team was present. If I remember right, they were the first to respond.'
The sting of regret bit at Keung. I should have been there with them.
'I see. Thank you, Captain. Are you currently in the ground floor lobby?'
'Yes, sir. By the western elevators.'
Keung winced at the salutation by his former superior. Yet another reminder of the biting accusations of nepotism against him.
'Understood. I'll be there in ten minutes. In the meantime, please offer Han some cha.'
'Already ahead of you, Lieutenant. He's sipping on it as we speak. I'll expect you in ten.'
The holo call ended, and Keung set the device on the sink. He stepped back into the shower and finished rinsing off. Soon, he stood in the bathroom, water dripping down his legs. The warmth from the heaters relaxed him, but he saw on his holocommunicator that he had less than five minutes to meet the captain. He dried off, wrapped a towel around his waist, and returned to his bedroom. Opening his closet, he found his freshly laundered Kingmaker uniform hanging neatly inside, just as he had hoped.
He took it off the hanger, the whole set present, and laid it on his bed to wear. Beginning with the undergarments - a faded-blue button-up shirt and dark, baggy trousers . Next came the formidable Kingmaker body armour; a formidable shell of black bullet-proof material, lined with gold accent. Fastened securely over his shoulders, its reflective centrepiece echoed the powerful reputation it carried – known to be the strongest armour around.
Keung found his red sash, a swath of silk that concealed the intersection of armour, shirt, and pants. He tightened it, remembering that Cheng had a habit of tying this sash over his trench coat instead. He slipped into his black gloves and boots.
Finally, he reached for his trench coat, sliding his arms through the gold-striped sleeves before giving his shoulders a sharp flick to settle the garment comfortably. With four button clicks, the coat was secure. Tightening the waist strap, his picked up his peaked cap and fit it on his head.
Time to meet this Han.
Keung descended to the ground-floor lobby of the tower, passing a mural-covered wall featuring a striking spray-painted portrait of a young man. His head was tilted slightly upward, his eyes fixed on some unseen horizon, with an expression that radiated pride and defiance.
Keung noticed Captain Shen waiting by a set of couches, accompanied by someone who was clearly not a Kingmaker.
He offered a deep, respectful bow to the Captain, who returned the gesture in kind before pulling him into a warm embrace.
'Lieutenant, you just keep growing!' Captain Shen exclaimed.
'And you don't seem to age, Captain.'
Captain Shen laughed. It had been a full annui-cycle since their last face-to-face meeting, and six cycles since Keung's academy days, where he'd interacted daily with Shen, even though Captain Aiguo had been Keung's teacher.
Keung's gaze moved past Shen, settling on a man standing near a sleek black sofa.
'You must be Han?' Keung ventured.
Shen stepped aside and gestured for Han to step forward. Han and Keung bowed to each other and shook hands. Keung noted the strength in Han's grip - a firmness that spoke of military discipline, similar to other Kingmakers.
'A pleasure to finally meet you, sir,' Han said, placing his other hand atop Keung's. 'My name is Han Shizhou; I am the commander of the Tai Li.'
Keung heard Shen's sharp intake of breath. He also couldn't help but feel a sudden surge of unease.
Why is the commander of the Tai Li asking for me?
'My my,' Captain Shen added. 'The Tai Li. Oh, have we heard about you! Your achievements are legendary, but I had no idea you guys were still active?'
'You flatter me, sir,' Han said with a smile to the Captain. 'Yes, we are still active. But the Tai Li squad is an imitation of the Kingmakers at best. Our training and standards are modelled after the Kings themselves. Our founder, Ying Luen, idolises the legendary warriors of Yu.'
'Ying, eh? Yeah, we go back,' Captain Shen elbow-nudged Keung with a cheeky smile. 'We took part in a joint training drill back when I was a Sargeant. She's a real piece of work, led the entire camp with an iron grip. But it's nice to hear she thinks so highly of these goofballs I've helped train in the tower.'
Keung still couldn't shake his apprehension. 'Han, pardon my directness, but why did you request to see the Yang investigation team?'
Concern flashed across Han's face. 'Captain Shen, would it be possible to speak with Yaozhi Keung privately?'
'Certainly. Perhaps you could take Han to your change rooms, Lieutenant? I believe your team is on their way back to the tower. I gave them each a buzz to return.'
'Thank you, Captain. Do you have classes to run now?'
'In about an hour, yes. But before that, I've got a Centurion to pay a visit to. You take care, Lieutenant.'
'You, too, sir. Come, Han, let's talk upstairs.'
Keung gave Shen one final bow, who returned the gesture and left.
****
'Had a feeling I'd find you here.' Captain Shen's voice echoed through the quiet dojo.
Centurion Baoyan, seated on the floor and leaning over a low table, glanced up at the captain standing in the doorway. He immediately rose to his feet and bowed as Shen stepped inside.
'Just studying for an upcoming test, Captain.'
Leaving his boots by the door, Shen's eyes drifted over the scattered textbooks and a portable computer that wasn't displaying academic Kingmaker material. Instead, it showed the front page of the Eastern Times news site.
'Your mother never tell you reading in the dark is bad for your eyes? Let's brighten this place up a bit.' Shen strode over to the wall and turned the lights up, flooding the dojo with a warm glow.
Baoyan sighed. 'Honestly, I finished revising a while ago. I've just been working on personal projects and following some news from home.'
'Yeah, I noticed,' Shen said, nodding toward the dormant computer. 'By the way, that mural of yours has been causing a bit of a stir around the tower.'
'Really? Good or bad?' Baoyan asked.
'Oh, very positive. Some of my students have been asking who the figure is. At the very least, you've made sure a few more people know his name. How are things back in Pik? Has the famine eased up?'
Baoyan took a deep breath. 'Once Mingchi's sworn in, he'll work on finally ending it. It'll mark the beginning of a long journey to rebuild Pik.'
'It's rare to see a Kingmaker from the East here. I don't think we've ever had more than five at any given time. Quite unfortunate.'
Baoyan fell silent, his expression thoughtful. He turned back to the table, picking up a thick but mostly empty notebook. He flipped open to the first page.
'What's that?' Shen asked.
'I want to document Eastern history in a way it's never been done before,' Baoyan explained. 'Illiteracy plagues the East, and most of the libraries that held Eastern knowledge were destroyed thousands of annui-cycles ago. Huge chunks of our history are missing. But I realised something - us Kingmakers, we're the best record keepers in Kowloon, aren't we? While we don't have comprehensive written history of the East like we do for the rest of Kowloon, I can do something about the missing pieces of the puzzle. So I thought, why not create the first-ever history book of the East, using resources from our tower? An Eastern history book, written by an Easterner, for Easterners.'
Shen's eyes lit up. 'I can't think of a better idea, Baoyan! Come on, read something you've written. I'm eager to hear it.'
The young Centurion smiled, cleared his throat, and began reading aloud.
'King in the East, by Wong Baoyan.'
The captain had a wide smile as he started reading.
'The Eastern region of Kowloon was not always a place defined by poverty, disease, overpopulation, and famine. Early legends tell of a smaller Kowloon that once thrived on the surface, long before the Great Sinking forced it underground. According to these stories, Eastern Kowloon was home to the original Kingmakers, once its capital, but this claim has become a topic of scholarly debate for over a millennium. Despite the uncertainty, many Easterners wonder why their region's former prominence remains unacknowledged. Some believe it is for the same reasons Easterners are referred to as dongfa'shu, a racial slur comparing them to their local, oversized rodents. Whatever the truth may be, the once-glorious Eastern Kowloon has long since faded, leaving little trace of its past.'
Shen's eyebrows arched up in an expression of sympathy.
'During the rise of Kowloon's subterranean world, the Unification Pact guaranteed every district autonomy to rule, allowing the heads of gangster families to govern freely as legitimate lords and ladies, so long as they stayed loyal to the new Emperor. In the centuries that followed, the East saw a golden era of prosperity, where its citizens enjoyed a standard of living that rivalled the wealth of today's Northern nobles. However, that success proved fleeting. As Eastern affluence grew, so too did the greed of the Western industrialists, the Central royals, and Northern bankers. Strings were pulled, and plans to systemically isolate the East were formed.'
The captain's expression began to shift into a frown.
'Regicide after regicide took place and the East was wrestled into submission, surrendering to a new generation of Eastern lords manipulated into becoming puppets for their new political overlords from Central Kowloon. Stripped of its military strength, technological advancements, and the will to resist, the East plunged into over a millennium of suffering. The final blow came during the District Rebellions in 1255 A.T. 632, where the South, with their unrelenting culture of resilience, declared open war against the Yaozhi Dynasty. But the East could not muster the same resilience, and they became unwilling players in the war. Not even the central battleground, the East bore the heaviest number of casualties that have left deep scars on its identity. This is the heartbreak of Eastern Kowloon.'
Shen stood in silence, lips pursed as if weighing his thoughts. Anticipation tightened in Baoyan's chest as he waited for the captain to comment on the introduction to his history book. But all Shen could manage was an uneasy smile, the kind that hovered between approval and hesitation.
****
Keung and Han entered a room filled with rows of lockers and took a seat on a long bench in the centre. The lockers, some filled with weapons, explosives, gadgets, and spare uniforms, were assigned to Keung's team members. Most others were empty. Keung had always thought the room was too big for his small six-man detachment.
'So, what brings you here, Han?'
'General Denzhen, your father if I am not mistaken, has permitted us to take part in your investigations of Yang activities in the Yau district.'
'That's impossible. The General would never … All high-level Kingmaker operations are strictly Kingmaker business.'
'The decision came after a meeting with Lok and Ying Luen,' Han explained calmly. 'You're welcome to confirm my story with General Denzhen, sir.'
A wave of confusion hit Keung before he recalled Denzhen speaking of a meeting with the siblings while he was still in the infirmary.
Is Ba serious about outsiders helping me? Does he think I'm too incompetent to handle things on my own? Have both my father and the Luen siblings labelled me a failure?
He shook his head, dismissing the thought. 'I trust what you're saying, Han. Regardless of General Denzhen's reasons, I'll honour his judgement.'
Han gave a satisfied grin. 'Excellent. Where do we start?'
The door slid open, and Keung turned around to see Ushi and another man with long hair and a whisky moustache wearing plain clothes bickering about something.
'Get a load of this guy, sir!' Ushi said spotting his superior. 'Says he's joining our team!'
'I sure am!' The stranger interjected, turning to Han. 'There he is. Han, sir, tell him!'
'Lieutenant,' Han finally said, 'this is Kan Jin, my co-captain. Jin, this is Lieutenant Keung; the leader of the investigation into the Yangs, son of the Dragon General Denzhen, and the fourth heir to the Yaozhi Dynasty. Starting today, we report to him.'
Keung hadn't expected such a dramatic introduction for himself. Simultaneously, Jin's jaw dropped at seeing who was the lead for the investigation, the same man who was at the centre of the recent Jian controversy.
'No way, sir, what's he on about?' Ushi demanded.
Jin bowed shallowly to Keung while Ushi watched the gesture with disgust.
Still feeling a bit unsure, Keung returned the gesture with a snap bow.
'I've heard a bit about you, Jin,' Keung admitted, his mind racing as he tried to take command of the situation. 'I take it you and Ushi got to know each other on the way here?'
Ushi shook his head frustratedly. 'Wait, no, what's going on? Who are these people?'
The door once again slid open. This time it was Cheng and Tao, both with dark circles under their eyes. Cheng's face was dusted with energy residue, which was normal after being around a long period of constant gunfire. Tao had his trench coat tied unbuttoned, and his shirt's top two buttons undone and untucked out of the red sash around his waist. It was clear the two had just returned from the events in Ho Man Ting last night.
'We could hear you screaming from the bottom floor,' Tao groaned.
'Tao!' Ushi called out. 'Get this, these two nobodies want to join our investigation into the Yangs!'
Tao barely grunted in response. 'Yeah cool.'
He flopped onto the bench with a nonchalant air. 'Too tired to care right now.'
Cheng's eyes widened, and he jerked his head back. 'Say that again,' he sputtered.
'You heard him,' Jin snapped back. 'We nobodies are in your team now. Like it or not.'
The room then exploded into a cacophony of voices. Jin, like a dusk-cat in a rodent farm, was trying to shout down Cheng and Ushi, defending his presence.
'And who the hell are you again?' Ushi demanded.
'Go ask ya boss, jackass!'
'Ushi!' Keung shouted, 'Just let me explain —'
'Yeah, let him explain,' Jin mimicked provocatively.
'Now, you listen here,' Cheng thrust a finger at Jin.
'You the boss? No?' Jin squared his shoulders as he stared back at Cheng.
Meanwhile, Han stood silent in the sea of chaos. Keung could feel a throbbing headache building, grateful that Yutai and Shing were absent. They were two hurricanes he didn't need right now.
The door slid open and Shing and Yutai stepped into the room, halting at the sight of the ongoing battle. Undeterred by their lack of context of the uproar, the two entered headfirst into the shouting match.
Keung sighed.
'W H A T?!' two voices shouted in unison.
****
Amidst the madness, Cheng's attention was suddenly drawn to the quiet figure of Han, standing calm amidst the madness, trying to dissuade Jin from starting a 1 v 4 brawl.
To Cheng, something rang very familiar about Han. He studied his face, taking in the martial discipline evident in his lean build, the casual clothes that bore no affiliation to any known gangs. Nothing to indicate a Ji Sia neck tattoo, a San Po severed pinkie, or a Kam Shan black jacket. Just a nondescript shirt and trousers. Basic sneakers, and no jewellery, as you would expect from the common Kowlooni. But his face - there was something about those intense eyes, the strong jawline, and that near-perfect hairline that was ringing a bell in Cheng's mind. Two ordinary men, yet so distinctive, here on a high-ranking Kingmaker order to join their operations. Then realisation hit Cheng like a bolt of lightning.
'Are you Hashin Lihao? Hold on,' Cheng tapped his chin in contemplation and pointed to Jin. 'That must mean you are Ranjin Puyahu.' The voices in the room stilled as though Cheng had thrown a switch. All eyes swivelled towards him, confusion painted on every face, except Keung's.
Hashin and Ranjin stiffened as Cheng uttered their long-dead names, names that hadn't crossed anyone's lips in ages except Ying's. A guarded wariness crept into their expressions.
Cheng's follow-up question cornered the two men, leaving no room for squeal. 'If I may ask, what are two dead men doing here in Yu?'
It made sense to Cheng before they even answered. He recalled his time at the Kingmaker Propagation Offices, where the Kings drove recruitment. They had reached out to two exceptional Yau gangsters, Lihao Hashin and Puyahu Ranjin, impressed by a recent successful assignment. When the Kingmakers sent their official invitation, Ying Luen intercepted it. She explained to General Qin Shi that she was forming Yau's first special operations team and had already given the two men a choice: join the Kingmakers or lead the new project to protect Yau. To the General's surprise, they chose the latter.
To confirm his theory, Cheng honed in on the sides of their necks. Every Ji Si gangster was initiated with the Luen insignia on the side of their neck. Everyone knew this. Sure enough, both had a small, pinkish-white patch - a removed tattoo.
A chuckle rumbled from Han's chest, the sound echoing in the sudden quiet. 'This one's bright, Lieutenant Keung.'
'So,' Cheng murmured, his voice icy with suspicion, 'Two dead men with covered-up Ji Sia tattoos asking to join us in hunting down Yang members. Tell me, Han, the Tai Li were never really disbanded, were they?'
Ushi, Tao, Yutai, and the ever-combative Shing just stared.
Han's voice was cold. 'Cheng, isn't it?' he asked. 'You were on the Ho Man Ting rooftop last night with the General and these four.' He gestured at the still dumbstruck Kingmakers. 'We were there too. Not up there on the rooftops with you high-flyers, but among the crowd below. All eight of us Tai Li. We knew the flash mob would gather there long before it happened, but seeing The Ibilis threw a wedge in our plans. Otherwise, we'd have been in that very room with you, ' Han's finger zeroed in on Yutai, who wore a matching frown to Cheng's, 'waiting for The Ibilis.'
If the Tai Li were aware of this much, Cheng thought, we've got to keep a closer eye on them.
'How did you know?' Yutai asked Han.
'What? What are you guys talking about?' Keung asked.
Jin broke in, his voice sharp with derision. 'Judging you lot, it's clear you guys didn't even know the Yangs were staging that appearance.' He tsked and shook his head, disappointment on his face. 'Han, let's just go, I don't think they're as useful as you thought they'd be.'
Shing visibly bristled at Jin's words, his voice coming in like a whipcrack. 'For all your talk, I don't remember seeing you do shit last night. Were you enjoying Mogwei's little show with the rest of the crowd? Should've just been a good soldier and stayed dead.'
Jin's eyes narrowed to slits and he stomped towards Shing, who stood his ground, smirking. Keung and Han intervened, stepping between the two and holding Jin back. Jin snapped at Shing, his voice a dangerous hiss. 'Why don't you say that shit to my face, asshole?'
Shing's took a step forward as Tao and Yutai grabbed his shoulders. 'You'd just go crying back to Lok and that second Luen bitch!'
'ENOUGH!' The word erupted from Cheng like a clap of thunder, silencing the room instantly. He stepped between the two men, his gaze as lethal as a sword tip. 'Shing, one more peep from you and I'll personally throw you into the lightforsaken clutches of No Man's Land myself!'
Shing sneered and yanked his arms off Tao and Yutai, settling back. At the same time, Keung and Han let go of Jin, who shot a scathing look over his shoulder before straightening his rumpled collar with a huff.
Cheng turned to Keung, his stern gaze softening just a touch. 'Sir, can you confirm Han's claim? Will we be working alongside the Tai Li in our investigations?' he asked, wanting to finally put this to rest.
Keung nodded, his face sombre.
'All right, that settles it. If any of you have any more complaints, take it up with General Denzhen.' He signalled to Keung. 'Sir, the room is yours.'
'Thank you,' Keung said as he breathed in. 'Okay, first things first. We have a lot to discuss regarding last night. The Ibilis appeared in Ho Man Ting Square. I want to hear everyone's perspective.'
Keung gestured towards the bench in the middle for everyone to take a seat. From left to right sat Jin, Han, Tao, Ushi, Cheng, Yutai, and Shing at the other end.
'I'll go first,' Cheng began. 'General Denzhen received a call from the Tien Tao Riot Squad after a protest in the square was showing signs of Yang presence. Men and women in dark clothing and shadowed eyes, some carrying Yang flags. On such short notice, he thought to call me first since you were still in recovery. I summoned everyone I could, and by the time we all gathered in Man Ting …'