Seeing that Keung Chai was full of nervousness, Ye Chen, who hadn’t said anything, immediately realised that the sound of the motorbike engine that was getting closer and closer outside was probably running towards him.
At this time, Chen Zhaozhong realised that Keung Chai might have got into big trouble, so he questioned in a stern voice: “Keung Chai, tell me the truth, what kind of people have you offended?”
Keung Chai saw that this matter could not be covered up, so he had to explain: “Uncle Zhong, the gang that came are all people from a new gang in New York ……”
Chen Zhao Zhong exclaimed, “You owe loan sharks?!”
Keung Chai quickly explained, “No, Uncle Chung! It’s that they just took over Chinatown two days ago, and are now going door to door collecting protection fees, asking for $3,000 a month, and if they don’t give it out, they will beat them up, and they also let slip that they will smash the shop.”
Chen Zhaozhong frowned and asked, “Hasn’t Chinatown always been managed by Chinese gangs? For the past few years it’s always been three hundred US dollars a month for protection, how come it’s suddenly being robbed by someone else?”
Keung Chai sighed helplessly and said, “The Chinese gangs had a firefight with them last week and suffered heavy losses, and Brother David has already conceded defeat and ceded Chinese Street to them ……”
Chen Zhaozhong was slightly surprised, then asked him, “What is the new gang? The first thing they ask for is $3,000 a month, that’s too shady, right?”
Keung Chai said with righteous indignation, “Who says it’s not! We and the several shops around us are doing business from dawn to dusk, we have to pay rent and labour, and because we don’t have a legal identity we have to go around, we only earn a few thousand dollars a month from all our hard work, and for them to ask for 3,000 dollars, it’s the same as everyone’s hard work is working for them!”
Chen Zhaozhong asked again, “What is the origin of this new gang?”
Keung Chai replied, “The new gang is called Burning-Angel Burning Angel, most of them are Africans and a small number of Latinos from Brooklyn and Lower Town, and it is said that they are backed by the Italians, now the Italians have gradually retired to the background, not to come out to kill, but also unwilling to give up some of the profits, and so supported a group of vicious and ruthless African Americans, and created such a gang. Afro-descendants, got such a gang ……”
Chen Zhaozhong asked, “Is the wound on your face from them?”
“Yes ……” Keung Chai said resentfully, “They came to collect protection money, I couldn’t get that much money anymore, so they beat me up, and gave me a deadline of tonight, if I can’t give them the money by tonight they are going to smash the shop.”
Chen Zhaozhong asked, “Did you call the police?”
“Yes.” Keung Chai dismayed, “But the police is not much use, you know the situation in New York, the police’s main energy are in the rich areas, I called the police, they just come to go through the motions, and then tell me that the people can not be found.”
Chen Zhaozhong said angrily, “This is outrageous!”
Keung Chai said helplessly, “I called the police and told them that they would come back again, and the police said that they didn’t have enough police force to keep an eye on the place, and told me to call the police on 911 the first time I saw them, but what’s the use of …… the other side if they really came with a gun, I’d have died eight times, and the police probably aren’t even here.”
Said Keung Chai with a long sigh, said, “They are American citizens, we are illegal immigrants with no status, and the American police don’t care if we live or die ……”
Between words, the roar of the motorbike had already arrived at the entrance of the roast goose shop, Keung Chai instantly became even more nervous, and hurriedly said to Chan Shiu Chung and Ye Chen, “Uncle Chung, Mr Ye, you guys quickly go upstairs!”
Ye Chen simply sat down and laughed, “To be honest, I haven’t seen a triad collecting protection money yet, this time it’s just the right time to see it, Keung Chai, go and get me a roasted goose rice, I’ll eat while watching.”