| Fan Fiction |
by Acc.
"ARR!What am I thinking?" Hebe hit her own head. She should be feeling angry right now for being forced here aginst her wish.
Just what do these people do? Will they kill her if they knew she had the jade?But why? She bought the pendant, it's not like she'd stolen it or something. Hebe recalled the time in Japan. She had bought it from the elderly couple for a mere $1...Could the jade have anything to do with them? If it belonged to this whatever organisation, why would it end up in an antique shop? Perhaps it was stolen or something? But who would take a risk of stealing some precious stone only to sell it at $1? Could the stone be cursed? CURSED?! That explained all the trouble she'd gotten into ever since she bought the jade.
"But it doesn't make sense!" Hebe wondered out loud. Before she finds out the reason why this Homway Holdings must get the jade, she'd better keep it with her. The jade will only be safe in her hands, moreover, she'd bought it, it should belong to her now. She decided she'll just convinced those fellas she didn't have the jade, then they will let her off and she wouldn't lose her job and even get to keep the jade at the same time! YES! It'll be a win-win situation this way!
"Okay! SET!" She said to herself and took off the necklace and placed it into her bag. She was just gloating over her plan when a voice sounded behind her.
"Miss Lin?" Hebe jumped at the sound and turned around. When did this man came in? Did he saw her hide the pendant?
"Eeer, Hi...you are...." Hebe mumbled softly.
"Wang Lee Hom. It was me who asked for you." He stepped forward and held out his hand. Hebe took his hand lightly and examined him. This was the injured man she apparently saved? That night he had wounds all over his face. Now that the wounds had recovered, Hebe could make out his facial features more clearly. He wasn't this good-looking when she found him unconscious that night. He had a pair of mesmorising brown eyes which seemed to be generating 1000-watts of electricity out at her. His short, boyish hairstyle suited the shape of his face well. A miniature blue-tooth hung from his right ear. His broad shoulders were hidden under a black, ironed long-sleeved blouse with its first 2 button unbuttoned. The sleeves of the shirt were folded neatly up to his elbows, revealing a pair of fair hands stuck into the pockets of his black pants.
"Finished examining?" Lee Hom raised a curious eyebrow at Hebe.
"Huh?" Hebe snapped back into reality and looked at him. She flushed red immediately and turned her back aginst him. That was so embarassing! Lin Fu Zhen, what were you doing?! Hebe scolded herself in her mind and cleared her throat uneasily. The both of them fell into an uneasy silence for a split second. Lee Hom coughed silently and broke the silence.
"Erm... Miss Lin...That night, really...Thanks." Hebe turned around and smiled weakly, not knowing what to say. Without waiting for her to say something, he continued, "I remember seeing a jade pendant around your neck that night. Can I take a look at it?" He looked straight at Hebe, waiting to see her reaction. Just as he'd expected, Hebe avoided his gaze and attempted to lie.
"Erm, what are you talking about...I don't really understand." Hebe mumbled barely above a whisper and tightened her grip on the handle of her bag.
"That jade pendant I saw hanging from your neck. I even tried to tug at it, remember?" Lee Hom stepped closer towards her, somehow, he had a feeling that this lady was hiding something from him.
"Jade pendant? Sorry, there must've been a misunderstanding, I don't have any jade pendant with me."
"Miss Lin, you know very well that hiding the truth wouldn't do you any good. Hand the jade over." Lee Hom's tone turned serious. This woman had aroused his suspicion, just what is she trying to hide?
Hebe turned pale in the face, his glare was making her nervous.
"How would I know if you're not using this jade for some illegal business? How would I know if this jade REALLY belongs to you or you stole?"
"So IT is REALLY in your hands..." Lee Hom revealed a wicked smile.
"No! It's not! I don't have it! Hebe shot back. Lee Hom took a deep breath.
"Miss Lin, if I managed to find the jade pendant on you..." Lee Hom deliberately looked her from head to toe.
"Don't you dare touch me!" Hebe felt goose pimples rose from under her skin.
"Don't worry, I wouldn't want to..." Lee Hom laughed sarcastically.
"You..." Hebe pushed her glasses and looked away uneasily.
"I don't have to touch you to know where the pendant is." Lee Hom pressed a button on his blue-tooth and spoke into it.
"JR., come over, I need you to trace the bug..."
---
Minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and then a young man came in. Hebe recognised the man. He was one of the 2 men she'd saw that night at the hospital ward.
JR. gave a little nod at Hebe and walked over to Lee Hom, handing him a palmtop. Lee Hom took the gadget over and looked at it. A smile slowly formed on his face. He peered at Hebe and showed her the screen. Hebe shifted her gaze to the mini-screen and gasped. A little red box on the screen was blinking, below the box, was a line consisting of numbers indicating the distance between the palm and the tracing bug.Details of the place was also written clearly on the tiny screen. Hebe stared into the screen, speechless.
"So? Convinced now? Miss Lin, looking on account that you once saved me, if you hand the jade over, I can consider settling it out of court..." Lee Hom said arrogantly.
"Whhaat? You think I stole your jade? Yes I do have the jade, but I bought it, I belongs to me now!"
"Bought? You gotta be kidding, do you know how much it will cost for you to buy it?A jade like that can cost up to 3 million. I don't think you have that kind of money..."
"3 MILLION?..." Hebe choked on her words. 3 million?...How much did she get it for?Uh-oh... something's not right.
"Don't tell me you didn't know the jade's true value? How much did you 'buy' it for then?"
"I...eer...How much I bought it for is none of your business, what matters now is that the jade belongs to me now." Hebe avoided the question. They wouldn't believe her if she said she bought it for $1 anyway.
"YOURS?Miss Lin, I think there's something you ought to know, that this jade belongs to my family and have been passed down from generation to another. You have stolen it from us and you claimed it's yours?" Lee Hom crossed his hands over his chest and stared at Hebe.
"Stole? I didn't steal it, I said I bought it!"
"Hand it over!" Lee Hom was losing his patience, he kenw that the conversation will not come to an end if they continued arguing over the pendant. Using force was the only way now. He lurged forward and tried to get hold of Hebe's bag.
Unfortunately, Hebe saw him coming and took a few steps backward and hugged her bag.
"What are you trying to do? If you come any closer I sue you for sexual harassment!" Hebe stared at the 2 men. "Someone as powerful and as wealthy as you wouldn't want dirty linen washed out to the public, will you? Besides, as an Editor of a publishing company, hmm, should be a piece of cake if I want to get the news on the front page of our papers and magazines. Will be a good boost for our viewership..."
"You..." Lee Hom stared at Hebe. True enough, news of the stolen jade and his attack had already leaked out to the public. He cannot afford to be on the front page of every newspaper again. The reputation of his family business is in his hands.
"Okok, Stop it, the both of you..." JR., who was looking on at the arguement quietly all along, finally stood forward. "Lee Hom, without any proof, we still can't accuse her of stealing the jade. Maybe she was a victim too? Since she claimed she bought it over, then we should go look for the person who sold it to her. Miss Lin is the only clue able to lead us to the thief..." Lee Hom looked at JR. What he said has a point. The heated arguement probably wouldn't solve anything at all.
"You're right..." Lee Hom paused for a moment and turned to Hebe. "You said you bought it, from whom did you buy it from?" Hebe ignored him and rolled her eyes.No way is she going to talk to him again. "Ehhh! YOU, answer me!" Lee Hom raised his voice again.
"Calm down!" JR. held Lee Hom's shoulders and pressed him back. "Miss Lin, may I ask from whom and where did you buy the jade from?" Hebe looked at JR. and thought for a moment.
"Erm, I bought it from an elderly couple while on a holiday to Japan. They claimed that they own an antique shop..." Hebe answered without looking at Lee Hom.
"EHH!Why didn't you answer me when I asked you that question just now?" Lee Hom questioned Hebe again, only to see her roll her eyes and ignore him again. Beside him, JR. tried to control his laughter as he watched the both of them. Lee Hom and him had grown up together, but JR. had to admit that he had never seen Lee Hom get into a heated arguement with any girl before.
"Then, do you have any idea where is the antique shop? Or how to contact the sellers?" JR. asked. Hebe tried to recall anything that the elderly couple said. No, besides telling her they own an antique shop in Gaoh Shiung, they've never revealed anything else to Hebe. She shook her head.
"No, they only said they own an antique shop in Gaoh Shiung."
"You didn't get their background clearly and you bought a jade from them? Stupid..." Lee Hom scolded Hebe. Hebe widened her eyes and glared at Lee Hom. Stupid??... He...JERK!! "Gaoh Shiung has so many antique stores, how are we going to go about looking?"
"It's still the only lead we have now, we have to try no matter what..."