Chapter 15: Farewell, James (Please Keep Reading)

In addition to the gun, he needed to buy a whole array of equipment: a tactical belt, a quick-draw holster, magazine pouches, a flashlight, a new sight for his gun, and so on. His previous set had been confiscated, so now that he needed to use them, he had to purchase everything anew.

He also bought a soft bulletproof vest to wear underneath his clothes. The police department didn’t issue those; if you wanted one, you had to buy it yourself. When he looked at the tag, he saw it was made in China.

Carrying a box of his new gear, Ao Xi returned to his car. The gun store didn’t allow customers to assemble their purchases inside, only at home—but in reality, once you stepped outside, it was no longer their concern.

Sitting in the car, Ao Xi put on the vest, fastened the tactical belt securely around his waist, and loaded his gun.

Then he wasn’t sure where to go. Going home felt dull, the bars weren’t open, and as for shopping—what kind of proper man went shopping for fun?

Suddenly, he noticed a Black man ahead, pushing a shopping cart overflowing with toilet paper, and remembered it had been days since he’d last seen old Black James.

Why not pay him a visit?

No sooner thought than done, he went to Best Buy and picked up a bunch of things James might need: new bedding, a sleeping bag, a waterproof and cut-resistant camping tent, new clothes, and so on. He loaded everything into his car and drove to Monterey Park.

However, Ao Xi didn’t find old James at the place where he used to sleep; the spot was empty.

After a moment’s thought, Ao Xi drove to the public laundromat and knocked on the manager’s door.

The manager, a big white man, opened the door and was momentarily taken aback. “You’re… you’re that Chinese guy from before? You look completely different now.”

Ao Xi smiled. “It’s me. I didn’t think you’d remember me.”

“Of course I remember you. You were so fair and fresh-faced when you first got here, and good-looking too. Plenty of the guys had their eye on you. I remember thinking, you’d be lucky to survive the night…”

“Enough!” Ao Xi suddenly felt a headache coming on, regretting ever seeking out the big guy, and suppressed the urge to shoot him on the spot.

He forced himself to calm down and asked, “Do you know where old James is? I couldn’t find him just now.”

“Oh, him? He’s actually doing well these days. Some charity people helped him find a job directing cars in a parking lot. The pay isn’t much, but it’s a start, and he looks much better than before.”

Ao Xi asked eagerly, “Do you know where he works?”

“Sure. It’s just a few blocks east of here. Walk three blocks and you’ll find him.”

Bidding goodbye to the big guy, Ao Xi hurried to James’s workplace and saw him at a distance, directing cars as they reversed.

The old man really did look different: no more rainbow-colored rags, but instead an ill-fitting old suit; his hair, no longer greasy, and a smile on his face.

Watching James animatedly gesturing and shouting instructions, even rattling off a string of words when someone struggled to park, Ao Xi couldn’t help but laugh—and felt a little moved.

“Old man! What are you doing!” he shouted once James was on break, startling him.

“You! Ao Xi! What brings you here?” James looked up, and his face broke into a wide grin.

“I came to see if you were still alive, old man.”

“You damn brat, you can’t talk, can you? I’ll be living just fine long after you’re gone.” James pretended to be angry and punched Ao Xi lightly.

Ao Xi clutched his chest, stumbling back. “You attacked me! I’m calling the cops!”

They laughed and joked, and Ao Xi suggested they find somewhere to talk properly.

James refused. He was determined to stay on the straight and narrow, with newfound responsibility. He insisted on not leaving until his shift was over.

Not wanting to dampen his friend’s enthusiasm for work, Ao Xi waited nearby for James to finish.

Fortunately, the charity job didn’t last long; the hours were short, and several people rotated through the same post, ensuring everyone had a turn.

Ao Xi drove James to his current sleeping spot. James clicked his tongue, marveling at the expensive car, and joked about how if he got mugged again, he could at least sell a fender for a couple of meals.

Ao Xi ignored him, went to a restaurant, and bought a pile of Mexican food. The two ate and drank together—an old Black man with a taste for Mexican food was indeed something.

“Seeing your life back on track makes me genuinely happy for you, James,” Ao Xi said.

“You’re doing well yourself, Ao Xi—rising to Deputy Sheriff, with a bright future ahead. I’ve just had a great idea: we could use your police car to transport weed. No one would ever suspect us. We’d drive it straight to New York, where the price is high, and make a killing.”

Ao Xi rolled his eyes. “Now I believe what you said before—if you went to a public place, you’d be arrested for sure.”

James burst out laughing, but after a while, his face grew solemn. “I never thought I’d get another chance. I mean, there was a time I thought I was done for. Robbery, fighting, shooting people—it was all my fault. I deserved to end up like this, to slowly rot and die here.”

“After you left, I did a lot of thinking. If I wasn’t afraid to die, why should I be afraid to live? I reached out to some charity people, begged them for a chance, and they gave me one. I was overjoyed. I work seriously every day, and when I get my paycheck, I can hardly believe it… Do you understand, Ao Xi? It’s like I’ve been reborn.”

“It turns out it’s never too late to start over.”

James covered his face, tears running down his dark cheeks.

Ao Xi patted his shoulder. He couldn’t truly understand James’s pain or his relief, but as a friend, he was happy for him.

Maybe James should go to jail for his past crimes, but that was for other police officers to worry about, for the judges to decide; it had nothing to do with Ao Xi.

The two of them drank late into the night. When Ao Xi was too drunk to drive—and too lazy to call for a ride—he simply unloaded the sleeping bags, tent, and other gear, and the two of them, just as before, spent the night on the street.

In the middle of the night, Ao Xi was awakened by a pressing need to pee. He staggered to his feet and stumbled off into the distance, his only courtesy being to find a spot far enough away so as not to foul the street with the smell.

Finding a corner, Ao Xi began to relieve himself when suddenly he heard two gunshots.

Bang. Bang.

It sounded like it came from James’s direction.

He didn’t even finish, yanked up his pants, and dashed toward the sound.

As he ran, something felt wrong. Wasn’t that where he and James had been sleeping just now?

He ran faster, rounded the corner, and saw a man dressed entirely in black, with a black mark of evil above his head, rummaging through something while James lay nearby, covered in blood.

Ao Xi was momentarily stunned; it was his first time seeing an evil mark that was black.

At the sound of approaching footsteps, the man straightened and fired a shot without hesitation.

Bang!

Ao Xi snapped back to full alertness, ducked swiftly, drew his gun, flicked off the safety with his thumb, raised his hand, and emptied the magazine in a heartbeat.