Chapter 5 – Dirty Faces

Zhang Haiyan pressed Madison’s knife down when saw that Wade’s musket had been placed on a branch close to him. In fact, there were a lot of broken logs in the logging yard. “Can he speak Chinese?”

“No,” Madison said.

Zhang Haiyan patted Madison. “Put the knife down.”

“Why?”

“There are certain rules in this business. This kind of thing is done at night.” Zhang Haiyan winked at Madison.

Wade heard someone talking and turned his head, but Zhang Haiyan blocked Madison in a way that was very natural. Wade figured it was two Chinese people, so he didn’t pay them any mind.

Zhang Haiyan pushed Madison into the post office, which was a simple twenty-square-meter house built from local wood. There were transaction counters inside with windows on three sides. Benches and tables had been placed on both sides of the windows for people to drink beer and fill out envelopes.

There was a big canopy outside the post office that was full of packaged goods, including furs, herbs, and other things. Horse-drawn caravans were also coming in and out.

Madison stared at Wade through the window, hardly able to take his eyes off of him as he trembled in rage.

This wasn’t good. Any person who wasn’t slow would definitely feel this kind of burning gaze. Zhang Haiyan squeezed Madison’s shoulders to try and get him to relax, but he found that it was completely useless. In the end, he ran his fingers across Madison’s shoulder blades and squeezed his neck. Madison’s body instantly softened and he passed out on the bench by the window.

Zhang Haiyan put the grass cocoon in Madison’s arms and then took off his own shirt and covered Madison’s face with it.

The topless Zhang Haiyan then poked his head out to look at Wade, who was staring at the little girl’s ankles from time to time with a smirk on his face. Wade made himself look like a very kind person, but Zhang Haiyan noticed that his crotch was bulging.

Zhang Haiyan put Nanre’s body on the bench outside the house, leaned her head on one side so that she looked like she was napping, and then swaggered towards Wade.

(The following conversation was all conducted in English.)

When Zhang Haiyan sat next to Wade, his body language had become that of the local people. The spirit in his eyes disappeared completely as he whispered in a perverted manner, “Sir, do you have five shillings?”

Wade turned to look at him in disgust, obviously blaming him for interrupting his lustful thoughts.

Zhang Haiyan looked into this person’s demented eyes and found that they were a little blank. Zhang Haiyan immediately knew that this person wasn’t particularly smart.

“Get lost.” The other party was very irritated.

“Do you like girls who are eight years old, ten years old, or thirteen years old? Which age do you prefer?” Zhang Haiyan’s fluent English made Wade freeze for a moment.

“What are you talking about?”

Zhang Haiyan moved his body so that Wade could see Nanre’s body.

“This is my daughter,” Zhang Haiyan said. “Five shillings for one night.”

“She’s Chinese?”

“Yes.”

Wade laughed, stood up, and hooked his arm around Zhang Haiyan’s shoulders. “Friend, let me tell you something. Little Chinese bitches are only worth two shillings. Little Malay bitches are worth five shillings.” With that said, he patted Zhang Haiyan. “Do you know why?”

“I have no idea, sir.”

“Because you can always bargain with the parents of little Chinese bitches. The parents of Malay ones don’t know the concept of bargaining. As a result, Chinese ones are only worth two shillings because I get to bargain with the parents.” Wade laughed heartily and picked up his gun before getting up and moving to leave. “Come find me again if you can do two shillings.”

“Two shillings, sir. Her voice sounds good when she cries.” Zhang followed him. “You won’t regret it. Don’t be stingy, sir. You won’t find someone better than her after you enter the forest.”

Wade stopped and looked at Zhang Haiyan. “I’m not entering the forest because I’m missing my toenail. You know, the last little bitch caused me to knock my toenail off, so I can’t walk properly until it grows back. Two shillings or get lost.”

The two of them had arrived at the post office while they were talking. Wade pushed Zhang Haiyan away. At this time, he saw Nanre’s face and was taken aback.

Zhang Haiyan looked at him pervertedly. “Five shillings. She’s attractive, sir.”

Wade stared at Nanre for a full two minutes. He seemed to think that she looked familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he had seen her before.

Zhang Haiyan knew very well that a little makeup on Chinese people’s faces would make it difficult for white people to identify them.

Wade looked back at Zhang Haiyan. “Five shillings. Tonight.”

*****

Madison was extremely exhausted and didn’t wake up until evening. Under the sunset, all the gadflies (1) in the rainforest flew out and surrounded the whole logging yard, but none of them approached Madison.

When Madison was awakened by the buzzing sounds the swarming gadflies made, he realized that he was on top of a big tree. When he turned his head, he could see the rice fields and tropical rainforest that had turned a golden color in the sun’s dying rays.

He was taken aback when he discovered he was holding the grass cocoon.

Zhang Haiyan was combing Nanre’s hair quietly.

“Where’s Wade?” Madison asked him.

Zhang Haiyan looked up at him. “Today’s your big day.”

“My big day?” Madison didn’t understand.

Zhang Haiyan continued, “You should pray to God right now. You’re going to kill your enemy tonight. Have you ever killed someone?”

Madison understood what was going on, “We’re going to do it tonight?”

Zhang Haiyan nodded and looked at the tent in the distance. “He walks too slow because his toenail fell off. Herman didn’t let him enter the forest, so he stayed here to help with the supplies.

“I’ve never killed anyone before, but I’m ready.” Madison looked at that tent. “I’ve killed turkeys before. Is killing turkeys the same as killing people?”

Zhang Haiyan said, “Don’t worry. I’ll teach you step by step. But I have something else that I need to discuss with you first.”

“What is it?”

“Do you know why people call me the plague god?”

Madison shook his head and couldn’t help but sit up straight, surprised that Zhang Haiyan started to sound serious.

“Sometimes, my job requires me to do some very cruel things,” Zhang Haiyan said to him. “As a result, I’m not able to truly believe that I’m a good person. But you know, some people are naturally kind-hearted and born as good as angels. I’m someone like that, but I have to accomplish something that only the plague god can do. This troubles me a lot, so my mother taught me a method.”

“What is it?”

“Dirty faces,” Zhang Haiyan said. “I’ll dress myself up in a different way. That side of me is extremely vicious and can do anything. When I was in Penang, I always used my dirty face to meet people. That’s why you heard those rumors about me. The truth is that I haven’t let him out for a long time. I’ll let my dirty face come out tonight, but you need to know that he may not be willing to go back.”

“Isn’t this…isn’t this a kind of illness?” Madison looked at Zhang Haiyan pityingly.

“No. It’s just a kind of indulgence. Do you know that it’s much easier to be a bad guy than it is to be a good guy? Although you’re aware you’re doing something bad, your body will become addicted to it.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“My dirty face isn’t as good-tempered as I am,” Zhang Haiyan said. “You have to give him what he wants no matter how outrageous his requests are. You must satisfy him. Otherwise, you’ll be miserable. He doesn’t keep his word and has no sympathy. Well, I hope you can show your dirty face tonight. Don’t suddenly regret it just as we’re about to kill him.”

Madison nodded obediently. “Do people really forgive their enemies as they’re about to kill them?”

“You’re the kind of person who might.” Zhang Haiyan turned Nanre’s body over. “This is why I brought her here. She’ll be with us tonight.”

“I’ll listen to your instructions.”

Zhang Haiyan continued, “It’s easy for you to distinguish between my dirty face and my clean face. The tone of my dirty face is different and calls himself ‘Little Brother Zang (2)’. Don’t call him by the wrong name.”

When Madison nodded, Zhang Haiyan sighed and thought to himself, this idiot is so fucking gullible.

What he said wasn’t all lies. The two sides weren’t actually split personalities. Dirty faces and clean faces were indeed a method his mother had taught him. He could switch between both sides easily and freely. This training was actually related to another skill their family had. With this kind of skill, Zhang Haiyan could easily change his personality and adapt to different groups of people, but I won’t get into the details for the time being.

The two of them climbed down from the tree and walked towards Wade’s tent with Nanre on Zhang Haiyan’s back.

It was completely dark now and there were more gadflies than before, which was a little abnormal.

At that time, Zhang Haiyan didn’t know that he had underestimated Wade. Moreover, he had also underestimated this expedition team’s purpose for going to the jungle.

In the tent, Wade took out four or five guns—all loaded—and lit a cigarette. His previous blank expression had disappeared and now there was a strange look in his eyes.

<Chapter 4><Table of Contents><Chapter 6>

****

TN Notes:

(1) A fly that bites livestock (think like horseflies, warble flies, or botflies).

(2) “Zang (脏)” is the Chinese pronunciation of “dirty”, so it would literally translate as ‘Little Brother Dirty. Since his nickname is Little Brother Zhang (张), he deliberately put a different word there. It’s a joke. He was messing with Madison lol.