The First Excellence: Fa-Ling's Map by Donna Carrick

been together as a team he had come to respect Cheng’s steady professionalism. Cheng would do what was necessary to get the job done, without hesitation, but his actions were never motivated by anger. He preferred to rely on logic.
    Now a look of utter fury sat like a mask on the large man’s countenance. He strode across the room, Wang following nervously with his less impressive Type 77 pistol drawn and ready.
    “ On your knees!” Cheng shouted, waving his gun at the young men. One of them dropped to the floor instantly. The other pulled his hand away from the waitress’s back as if she were on fire. “You, too. Get on the floor, beside your buddy.”
    Wang stood helplessly beside Cheng, confused by his actions.
    “ What’s going on,” he repeated quietly.
    “ Lulu,” Cheng said to the girl, “are these punks bothering you?”
    “ No,” the frightened girl whispered. “Please, Uncle Minsheng… I don’t want any trouble.”
    “ What did this one say to you?” Cheng demanded.
    “ He only asked for a drink.”
    “ Does he have a tongue? Must he ask for a drink with his hands? You,” he said, pointing at the man who had touched Lulu, “show me your tongue.”
    The man, who was really more of a boy, stuck out his tongue. Cheng grabbed it with his left hand and pulled it firmly, pretending to inspect its quality. Wang shuddered at the thought of that dirty hand on the poor man’s tongue.
    “ This looks like a perfectly good tongue to me.” He nodded at Yong-qi happily. “In the future,” he said to the young man loudly, “please use this tongue to ask for your drinks. Your hands should be kept on the table at all times. You never know when an angry uncle who is also a cop will pull out a huge mother of a gun and blow your hand clean off your wrist.”
    “ Cheng,” Yong-qi began, but his partner was already waving his arms like a benevolent Buddha, telling the men to get up off the floor and seeming unaware of the fact his right hand still held the barbaric weapon.
    The 77B was considered by the government to be too heavy and ungainly, and far too deadly for use by the general police force. The official propaganda insisted it was sold only for export. The manufacturer denied it was available for purchase within China.
    “ There, there,” Cheng said, “everything is all right now. We just had a little misunderstanding, didn’t we, Lulu? Now you run along and get these fellows a drink, and I’m sure they will have a generous tip for you when they leave.” He spoke loudly, his face changing from anger to camaraderie quickly and completely.
    “ Everyone, go back to your drinks. In fact, Lulu, bring new drinks for everyone. There is no trouble here. These gentlemen are intelligent. They understand now what will happen to them if my little Lulu should ever feel she has been violated.”
    He motioned for the men to sit down and they complied. Then he pulled two more chairs to their table and waited politely for Wang to sit before joining the group.
    “ No hard feelings, Gentlemen,” he said. “This round is on me.” He tucked the gun into the pocket of his seedy grey jacket and smiled.
    Wang Yong-qi could hardly talk, so shocked was he by his friend’s bizarre behaviour. Once they were back in the early morning darkness of the Nanning streets, he had to speak up.
    “ What the hell was that all about?” he said.
    “ Are you referring to my little Peking Opera?” Cheng said. “What do you think? Was I convincing as the deranged uncle? Did I make my point?”
    “ Loud and clear, my friend, to everyone in the place. Don’t you think, though, it was a bit overdone?”
    “ Not at all, Yong-qi. Every bit of theatre has a purpose. Those two boys, they are nothing. They are harmless. I think one of them pissed his pants, he was so scared. However, my friend, they weren’t the only men with ears in that room.”
    “ So you were delivering a more general message?”
    “ Indeed. Several mornings