| Fan Fiction |
by SilverDragon
- Present Day -
The Chen Finance Corporation located in Xinyi was an impressive building, located in the midst of Taipei’s leading finance centre. Selina calmly made her way up to the top floor amongst a midst of fellow Syndicate members. The Finance office was one of Yi Xia’s favourite meeting places for the Syndicate, for the whole building belonged to him. His other offices were shared with other companies, office space being very hard to find these days. Another reason he loved using the Finance office as the meeting place was that the board room in which the meetings were held sported a magnificent view of Taipei’s City Hall, with Taipei 101 standing tall not far in the background.
Selina strolled into the board room, taking her usual seat behind the head of the table where Yi Xia would be seated. The room was rather large, a long table bent in an oval arc spreading the length of the room facing a large screen which was used for video conferences. The walls of the room were all glass, frosted so that the occupants within were invisible. Several other members of the Syndicate were already seated within and it wasn’t long before all the seats were filled, save for the single spot at the head of the table.
They didn’t have long to wait before Yi Xia came to join them all. The members all stood, returning to their seats as their leader sat down. He gave the members of the Syndicate a cool glance, noting the individual faces within the room. They were all high ranking members of the Syndicate, a group of select individuals with whom he trusted to handle the darker side of his business.
The meeting began with the members discussing the status of their various businesses, from the latest shipment of prostitutes to the smuggling of illegal drugs and weapons. Each member responsible for each part would stand as they gave their report, discussing any problems they were encountering. Selina recorded points of interest down on her file, which would appear to an outsider to be incomprehensible.
“I hear the leader of the Jiao Group, Wang Da Feng, recently passed away. I must express my sympathies. Any news on who the new leader is?” he asked no one in particular after a heated debate on whether they should change their cocaine suppliers.
One of the younger men, a tall man with his red hair tied back in a pony tail stood, bowing in respect at Yi Xia. “The Jiao Group is being rather secretive about the new leader, instead referring to him as the ‘Dragon’. From what little information we could gather, he is someone to keep an eye on.”
Yi Xia was staring at his hands, the fingertips of which were resting together just in front his face as he lay back in his chair. “How do you suppose we keep an eye on him if we do not know who he is?” he asked; his voice calm and cool with a dangerous note to it.
The young man looked down at his feet, his Adams apple bobbing as he swallowed. “Er… we do know that he is a relative of Wang Da Feng. I currently have my men out trying to glean more information from the streets.”
“A ‘relative’, you say?” Yi Xia continued to stare at his hands as he seemed to drift off into thought. Suddenly, he sat up straight. “You’re lucky to have found out even that much if I think I know who this ‘Dragon’ is.” He began to smile crookedly as he turned away. “That Da Feng likes to play his games.”
Selina sat quietly behind Yi Xia as she continued to keep record of the meeting. She avoided looking at the other members, all of whom were men. She could feel their contempt at her presence in this room but they were powerless to say or do anything about it. Selina wondered who Yi Xia thought the new leader of the Jiao Group was. No one had ever heard of Da Feng ever having any relatives and it was really strange that one should emerge so suddenly.
Yi Xia turned back to the meeting. “How are the Jiao Group’s relations with the Xuan Fu Gang? I presume they are still ‘close’ with one another?”
This time, an older man in a black suit and grey streaked hair stood, bowing. “There has been no formal announcement of their standing with one another and we believe the two are yet to meet. Zhi Ping and I believe that the relationship will still stand.”
Yi Xia nodded slowly, taking the information in. Suddenly, another man with dyed brown hair cut short to ear level and flicking out, stood. He bowed before speaking. “May I speak, Master Chen?”
“You may, Zhi Ping,” replied Yi Xia with a wave of his hand.
“My sources have told me that the ‘Dragon’ has begun to make advances towards Hotaru Kenji, about a possible formal alliance. Word on the street is the Dragon wants to challenge the Syndicate.”
Everyone in the room could feel the intensity of the suppressed rage Yi Xia was keeping in check by sheer force of will. He suddenly smiled, making him look deadly. “If he wants a challenge, then we’ll be ready for him.” He spun around in his chair to address Selina. “Make an appointment for a visit to Wenshan. Pick a nice tea house and invite the Bai Hu Gang leader out for tea.”
Selina nodded as she made the note. Yi Xia turned back around to see that Zhi Ping had still not yet returned to his seat. “Is there anything else?”
“I have also been receiving some disturbing reports about fights erupting in Zhongzheng. Apparently, our members are being attacked by unmarked men. So far we have had no casualties, but it is only a matter of time.”
“And who do you suspect are behind these attacks?” asked Yi Xia, appearing to be casual yet the others knew that he was outraged. “Who would dare to attack us within our own territory?”
Zhi Ping bowed his head. “I suspect that it is once again the work of the Dragon.”
Yi Xia’s fist curled on the armrest of his chair. “This ‘Dragon’ is starting to get to be somewhat of an annoying character. Perhaps I should act on my suspicions…” He didn’t continue with the rest of his sentence, instead changing the topic. “Selina; I believe Dawn completed her task as ordered?”
Selina stood, bowing her head towards Yi Xia. “Yes, Master Chen. The traitor, Tsai Jing, was found dead at seven o’clock this morning, with the police arriving an hour later. The police already suspect that it is the work of Dawn.”
Yi Xia nodded, satisfied. “That will make anyone think twice before they decide to betray the Syndicate. Betray the Syndicate and Dawn will be the last thing you see.”
The atmosphere in the room grew awkward, acknowledging the subtle threat in Yi Xia’s declaration. Selina bowed deeply before returning to her seat. She felt their eyes on her, knowing full well that they knew she was Dawn. It troubled Selina somewhat that he had threatened his senior members like that, for it brought unwanted attention to her. Yi Xia noticed the glances and smiled coldly.
“Zhi Ping; it is your assignment to capture those troublemakers in Zhongzheng. Jin and Nathan; your assignment is to keep an eye on Daemon and see whether he meets up with the Dragon. The rest continue with your usual assignments.” Yi Xia stood and the rest of the Syndicate followed suit, saluting their leader. He walked out of the board room, Selina following obediently out behind him.
Selina matched Yi Xia’s brisk pace towards his office, which was located not far from the board room. They entered the spacious room, Selina still following him as her desk was located inside. Another secretary was posted out the front and she bowed to them as they passed. She was responsible for Yi Xia’s general matters to do with the office. A large white leather sofa stood in a corner facing an LCD television fixed to the wall. Shelves of files and books adorned the other wall and towards the back right-hand corner of the room was Yi Xia’s glass desk. Selina’s desk was located near the doorway.
Yi Xia went to sit at his desk, pulling out one of the files he had to look at. Selina stood nearby, waiting for him to speak.
“I suppose you are wondering who I suspect this ‘Dragon’ is.” He continued reading the document, turning the pages calmly. “Da Feng has never really liked me, and I too harbour similar feelings. Not many know this, but I happened to stumble across one of his secrets.
“You see, everyone knew Da Feng could never have children as he was… how to say it, castrated in an unfortunate accident when he was young.” A small smirk emerged on Yi Xia’s face. “You know the story, Selina. However, no one ever knew that he had a son.”
Selina’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Da Feng has a son?”
Yi Xia looked up from his file, a proud smile on his face. “Yes. His name is Wang Dong Cheng, and he has a particularly good relationship with Wu Chun, the son of one of the leading candidates for the coming presidential election. He is also the current CEO of Wang Distributors.”
The look of surprise on Selina’s face made Yi Xia laugh. “It is not often that I get to see you express some emotion, Selina,” he said, somewhat affectionately.
Selina immediately returned to her usual stoic self. “May I ask how you came about this information, Master Chen?”
Again, Yi Xia chuckled. “It was pretty much by accident. The young boy threw a stone at me one day, getting me right here.” He pointed to a faint scar on his left temple. “He had quite an arm, that boy. I was about to pull out my gun on him when Da Feng came to stop me. He was in quite a rage too, but nevertheless, he apologised profusely. The boy then slipped, calling Da Feng ‘Father’. I’ve never seen Da Feng’s face more paler than that.”
He then leaned back in his chair, a look of nostalgia on his face. “Those were interesting times... Speaking of which,” he said as he looked back at Selina. His face suddenly turned soft. “How are the preparations for my son’s welcome home party next weekend? I trust they are coming along nicely?”
Selina nodded, smiling a mechanical smile. “The preparations are coming along fine. The booking for the Phoenix Ballroom at The Grand Hyatt Hotel has been confirmed and the guest list is sent out. A three course meal has been selected and the interior decorations are yet to be decided upon. I shall be meeting with the interior designer tomorrow afternoon.”
Yi Xia nodded as he returned to his documents, seemingly in a lighter mood. “It must be close to eight years since I last saw my son. I wonder how he has changed.”
Selina remained silent, bowing her head. She turned to walk back to her desk when Yi Xia suddenly spoke. “This morning’s incident with the mirror… I believe it was an accident?”
The tone he had used seemed to convey his displeasure at her actions. She turned around, bowing her head in apology. “It was intentional, Master Chen,” she replied, her voice devoid of any emotion.
“May I ask what could have caused it?” he asked, still in that same tone.
“I was upset at my lack of discipline.” Selina hoped he wouldn’t press for more details, but she knew that he would.
“‘Lack of discipline’?” He looked up at Selina, tapping the pen against his chin. “How is it that you lack discipline when I have had you trained to be a ruthless assassin? Have I failed somewhere?”
Selina closed her eyes. “Master Chen is not at fault; it is I. I still cannot control my emotions. I became frustrated and lost my temper.”
Yi Xia nodded, as if he understood. “Perhaps you have been overworked this month.” He sat up straight in his chair. “I shall give you a week’s leave after the party. Use that time to improve your discipline.”
“Master Chen is too kind,” replied Selina with a bow. “But I believe that it is not appropriate.”
Yi Xia waved off her refusal. “No need to be polite. You will not be going alone. Pick someone to go with you.”
Selina bowed once more. “Very well. As Master Chen wishes.”
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A/N:
Okay, I get the feeling some of you guys will be wondering what in the world is going on with all these gangs. For the purposes of this story, I have created five gangs which control different districts in Taipei, Taiwan's capital. I've left the rest of the country alone for now. Now, I'll give a little brief on the gangs I've created:
Name: The Syndicate
Leader: Chen Yi Xia
Districts: Xinyi, Da'an, Zhongshan, Beitou, Zhongzheng
Name: The Jiao Group (The Bright Group)
Leader: Wang Dong Cheng (Jiro) - Wang Da Feng's son
Districts: Wanhua, Datong, Neihu
Name: Bai Hu Gang (Arctic Fox Gang)
Leader: Hotaru Kenji
Districts: Wenshan
Name: Xuan Fu Gang (Black Venomous Snake Gang)
Leader: Daemon (a.k.a The 'Demon')
Districts: Nangang, Songshan
Name: Chu Jian Gang (Fearful Sword Gang)
Leader: Li Da Dao
Districts: Shilin
It took me ages to figure all of this out. The gang names are probably lame when you look at the translations but they kinda sound okay in chinese XD (I must admit that I know only a TINY bit of Chinese and I consulted an online dictionary for the names). Oh, and I should make a note on alliances. In the chapter you read that the Jiao Group and Xuan Fu Gang are close. The Syndicate is close with the Chu Jian Gang and the Bai Hu Gang is pretty neutral. The Syndicate is pretty much the head gang in Taipei as they control the most districts. Oh, and the Jiao Group and the Syndicate don't like each other =) Each group minds their own business, but sometimes paths cross and conflicts occur.
I think that's about it for the gangs. Here's a link to a map that I drew mostly for my reference to make things a little clearer.
http://pics.livejournal.com/sd999/pic/0001r7rw/g46
Ah... that's a long footnote. Hope this won't turn many off my story.
Next chapter we learn a little more about Danson :)
Oh, and I'd like to acknowledge Wikipedia and the Lonely Planet Guide to Taiwan. It's really hard to write about a place you've never been to ^_^;;;
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2nd December 2007
9:00 PM GMT+09:00
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