All of the World
The Halfblood Merchant
One good side about posing as a half-Japanese merchant; Li was the cleanest and the best dressed he had ever been in his life. It was all superficial, however; he was incredibly troubled about this mission. What they were giving him was impossible; in fact most of the missions and tasks the party has given him were usually impossible. This one had to top them all, however, in sheer lunacy.
How exactly was he supposed to convince the deadly Kinomoto Sakura that he was trustworthy? Hell, even if he were trustworthy, how was he supposed to convince her of that? The fact that he had just arrived in Ningbo would work against him. Timing, unfortunately, is everything, and this was ill-timing.
He had to find some way to convince her that he really hated the Chinese, for good reason.
" You are asking me to take a big risk." He argued with Shen, chasing after the man while men carried logs for firewood and loot from enemy ranks. He felt ridiculous, clad as he was in traditional robes while everyone else was in rags. The darkness hardly made up for how well-dressed he was. " Look, the Japs may or may not sympathize, but they would never believe you would beat one of your own to a pulp. So beat me to a pulp."
" And have you completely incapacitated for weeks?" Shen waved his hand dismissively. " Not gonna happen, kid."
" Oh come on!" Li snapped. " What else are you going to have me do?"
" There's got to be a more subtle way of doing this!"
" We have to be willing to go all the way." Li smacked the tree. " This is all the way. You grab a few of your men over, claim I'm some blood-traitor and give me a good thrashing. I scream and curse at you, the Japs storm in on the scene and you guys run for your lives."
" And if they kill us?"
" Get a guard to warn you. He can watch. When the Japs come on the scene, you leave me bloody and dying and run away."
" And if they decide to shoot you too?"
Li rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh. " Look, there's no better way to convince her that I am not on your side. We have to establish first that I'm not on your side before we establish that I'm on hers. I can take thirty years to build up that trust the so called 'subtle' way. China would be taken over by then!"
Shen glared at him. Li glared back.
" I don't like it. You're depending on Japanese sympathy."
" If they don't have any, I don't stand a chance either way."
" I still don't like it."
" You have me firmly in their faith; any flesh wounds is fair trade."
" What if they're not flesh wounds?"
" Well what do you want me to do?" Li exploded. " This was hardly risk-free in the first place! I'm asking for your help to give us even the slightest chance of it working. Of course, people might die. Of course, you might accidentally beat me to death, yes, the it all might be for nothing in the end, but if you want rich rewards you better be willing to give up rich sacrifices and this is one of them. They're not gonna buy my story. They'll find my arrival, the date, the timing, all too coincidental for their liking, and this truly isn't something we can afford."
Shen sighed heavily.
oO
" Kami-sama." Kinomoto groaned. " How freaking hard is it to dig a hole in the ground?"
" Digging is not the hard part. The foundations are not stable, however." Said the engineer.
She sighed again. " Well, figure something out. I want the foundations laid by tonight."
A chorus of shouts sounded. Kinomoto turned to the noise. She knew there was training going on, but the sounds this time were not orderly. It sounded like a mob, actually.
" What's going on over there?" She wondered out loud, heading over to the source of the commotion. The engineers glanced at each other before following her.
The courtyard was in an uproar, though apparently it was the trainer demonstrating some move with a wooden pole meant to serve as a bayonet. Kinomoto watched with approval at the fine technique, and when there was a cheer, she clapped briskly as well.
" We need to figure out where all those Chinese bandits are." She muttered to herself. " If only, hm."
" Lieutenant," A soldier walked up to her; he was not in this shift of training, and saluted. " Patrol has reported unrest at a local shop. Some communist soldiers were beating this merchant, and fled when our troops arrived."
" And this concerns me how?" Kinomoto inquired flatly.
" He is half Japanese." Said the soldier. " Name's Sato Masato."
" Those bloody Communist Chinamen." Kinomoto felt her rage peak at this news. " They dare assault—where is he now?"
" At the hospital." Said the soldier. " I was ordered to report this to you instantly."
" Very good." Kinomoto thought for a moment. " A merchant, you say?"
" Hai."
" He could be useful." She noted. " Carry on with things here." She said to the men. " I am heading over to the hospital to look at this Sato Masato."
oO
" I feel like a complete motherfucking son of a bitch." Wang muttered, spitting a mouthful of phlegm at the ground. Feng was wrapping a bandage over the bullet graze on his shoulder.
" Syaoran certainly made it easier." Feng winced. " For a moment there I actually thought he was one of those fucking assholes."
" You think we went too far?"
" Had to make it look real."
" But we bashed his skull in!"
" He tried to bash ours." Feng reminded him. " Had to make it look real. Ain't called ku rou ji if you don't self-inflict actual wounds to trick your enemy."
" He fell unconscious though. What if he gets stupid because of that?"
" I don't know." Sighed Feng.
Wang spat another mouthful of phlegm. " Look over there. That's the Kinomoto woman. She's in that jeep."
" They're heading to the hospital? Already?"
" Got it hand it to Syaoran. Smart as hell."
" What if she's going to kill him?"
" Would hardly commission the execution in person."
The two men fell silent.
" Well, Li Syaoran, Li Syaoran, I sure as hell hope you know what the fuck you're doing." Wang mumbled.
oO
Sato Masato looked genuinely injured alright. There did not seem to be a single inch of him that was not bruised or bleeding. She did not really listen to the doctor's nervous reciting of his various injuries, instead looking upon his features. His face was swollen and covered with cuts and bruises, and it was hard to make out what he would have looked like had he not been so injured.
" How long before he wakes?" She asked.
" A couple of hours, at least." Said the doctor.
" Ring me when he awakens." Said the lieutenant. " I will leave him for now."
" Yes lieutenant."
Sakura sniffed a little at that, much preferring the brisk, clarity of the Japanese, and not a little irked that one of their own was in the hands of these less than flawless Chinese healers. Still, a Chinese healer is better than no healer at all.
Several hours later, Li stared, his eyes somewhat intense and glassy, at the woman who had, several times, nearly ended his life. He managed not to spit at her.
" Sato-san." Said the lieutenant. " I am Lt. Kinomoto Sakura. You are at the Ningbo Hospital. I heard you have quite a round. How are you feeling?"
Li looked at the badge, because he knew Sato would look as well. " I am well." He said quietly. " Ariga—thank you." He changed at the last minute.
He saw the lieutenant smile. " There is nothing wrong with using Japanese here." She said. Her voice was unusually kind. " You are safe here. You are with your brothers and sisters. They cannot punish you for being who you are."
Oh hell. Li realized. Who could have thought; Kinomoto Sakura had a soft spot for anything Japanese. Even half-Japanese would do. What luck! He managed to muster a smile, though it looked like a grimace. " Arigatou gozaimasu." He settled.
" Can you tell me why they attacked you?" Lieutenant Kinomoto inquired.
Li tried to adjust his position. Ow…they really were not merciful. " Vengeance."
Kinomoto frowned. " For what?"
" They think I killed one of their squad leaders."
" Did you?"
" I don't know." Li replied. " He was rushing at me. I sidestepped and he fell off."
Kinomoto raised an eyebrow. " Fell off what?"
It was not hard, actually, to fake feeling a bit groggy. " Fell…" Li blinked tiredly, " Fell off."
He had discussed the story already, but it was a bit hard to remember, beaten as he was. Thankfully, Kinomoto seemed content to leave that detail alone.
" Why was he rushing at you?"
" Recognized me." Li closed his eyes.
" Ah." Kinomoto frowned. Silence descended for a while. Then, " What say you help us help you get back at them?"
Li did not need to fake his enthusiasm either, even if he was concentrating on a different reason. His eyes shot open and seemed, to Kinomoto, to fill with an inner glow. She smiled with approval. No matter he is half-Japanese.
" Rest now." She patted his hand before Li could say anything. " We shall talk when you have fully recovered. And you will recover, I will see to it."
As she departed, Li wondered, through closed eyelids, how someone who had so ruthlessly slaughtered civilians, tortured comrades, and caused such devastation, could seem so loving, so kind and compassionate to her own.
What utter rot. Li thought wearily. What utter rot, what utter rot rot rot rot rot…
oO
Sato ended up being a very handsome young man, much to Kinomoto's chagrin. Once he recovered sufficiently to head back to his shop, every time the two encountered each other, she found herself distracted by his features. He was tall, he was amiable enough, and exerted such a calm aura that she found it hard to maintain the appropriate aloofness she usually conducted herself with.
Their first dealings after the first meeting at the hospital were strictly business. Kinomoto wanted to know if Sato objected at all to the imperial base using his shop as a means of transporting some goods. Sato was only too delighted to help.
A few weeks later, Sato actually invited her over to his home for tea. This was done with all the respect she was due, of course, especially as a pureblood Japanese. If she had paused to think for a moment, she would have realized that Sato says exactly what she expected him to say, but she had not even considered it at all.
Kinomoto did not suspect at all.
The merchant's home was very clean and tidy, and glaringly empty. He had servants who did work for him, but they were full Chinese and seemed to regard their work with distinct displeasure. Nevertheless, Sato obviously kept a good eye on them, for they served both their master and the lieutenant with the proper efficiency as they should.
" You live alone, Sato-san?"
" Hai."
Kinomoto smiled. " It must be lonely here."
" It is well enough." Sato replied easily.
The lieutenant paused for a moment. " Have you no family at all?"
This seemed to bother Sato a little. Before she could wonder why, Sato replied, " I did."
" Oh? What happened?"
" They were killed." Sato hesitated. " By the Communists."
" They do seem to single you out, Sato-san." Kinomoto inquired.
oO
Single me out. Li allowed himself to sigh so that he would not be overly anxious. Murderous thoughts swarmed in his head. He could kill her right now. He could slip something into her cup, right this second, and he would succeed, too, in poisoning her. That bitch is right here. Right in front of him. Completely unsuspecting.
He took another deep breath.
" My father was a very capable man." He shook his head. " He had originally remained in China because my mother had to take care of my grandmother, who was frail and may not withstand the journey to Japan. When he heard news of Japan's rise to power, he left my mother, my sisters, and I to contribute to the Japanese Imperial Army. Originally all was well; we intended to wait for the Japanese to reach our village, perhaps his squad, even. But the Communists reached us first."
Kinomoto was listening intently, her eyes keen and sharp the way they always were when she was concentrating. Green, like jade. Except jade is a warm stone, filled with life. Syaoran pulled his face to the side harshly to keep his mind on track. " Ugh. They knew. They knew who my father was. Their spies—they beat my mother and my sisters and set fire to our property. Hmph." For a good measure, he blinked back tears, because what he said next was true, no matter the other lies. " I was a coward. The only one to survive." Then, he glared at the lieutenant with real feeling, using words that could refer to two very different things. " But I will have my revenge. This they know. They've regretted letting me get away ever since, and they'll keep on regretting." Then, abruptly, he swallowed his rage. " Gomen nasai, Lieutenant. I did not mean to bore you with such tales."
" Iie." Kinomoto said firmly, but her voice unusually warm. " I am glad to learn more about you, Sato-san. And I do not believe you to be a coward. A coward would have stayed on the run. But you are fighting back."
A genuine smile. She almost looked beautiful. The bitch.
Li swallowed. " I think of it more as attempts to repent. It is the best I can do."
" And that is all the gods ask." She replied. She sipped her tea. " It strikes me, then, that you have a good foundation for the business you run, given the circumstances."
" The Communists, fortunately, do not run China." Li smiled wryly, his acting skills on full display. " My business prospered whenever they were not around, and I did what I can to thwart the Communists, though whenever they have identified me before, I had been forced to relocate."
" You did not rely on the Imperial Army to defend you?" Kinomoto asked, concerned.
" I was down South." Li replied. " I had no Imperial Army to defend me. Not to mention," He added, for good measure, " I would not wish to weaken the army's forces for my sake. If it is the gods' will that I die so that I am less of a burden to my father's country, then I shall submit. I can do no less."
" You speak with an honesty becoming of our people." The lieutenant said with approval. " Most say it to please, but rarely do they mean it."
Oh, I mean it alright. Li thought. I mean every word of what I say. But Kinomoto does not have to know what exactly his words meant. She was only too willing to believe he was supporting her vile Japanese 'empire'.
" You are serving your country well." Kinomoto went on. " Let no one doubt that you are Japanese at heart, Sato-san. And indeed, it is no burden to care for one of our own, especially not with the services you provide." She clasped her hands in salute. " You are an honorable man."
Li did not know what to say to that at first, but he clasped his hands together as well after a moment. " Iie. I merely strive to do what is right."
She smiled with more approval.
Who is this hussy? Li thought, incensed, as she looked down at her tea again. He drank some of his to calm himself, but the hot liquid seemed to fuel the rage building in his stomach.
He kept it repressed under an icy blanket of nonchalance, but when the lieutenant left and he saw her to the street where the car took her out of sight, he could not help but feel a sense of wonder when he reflected on their entire conversation that night. Somehow, despite all that he feared, he had Kinomoto Sakura completely wrapped around his finger.