CHAPTER #28

For Qihe, things hadn't changed much between junior and senior high school. The biggest difference was the leniency of the teachers and principle in regards to attendance and fighting. Since Mafia Boy had united the school and ruled his gang strictly, the frequency of trouble dissipated and made life easier for the general student population. As requested by the vice-principle, Qihe tried to keep disputes and fights outside of school property. To show his loyalty was to Qihe and not just his sister, Bohai made a copy of the key used to lock the back gate. This allowed Qihe (and his gang) to come and go without issue.

Qihe mostly used his car for work or commuting for e-sports competitions, when the team bus wasn't used. Unlike the full time e-sports players, who lived on the team site, management made an exception for Qihe, which suited him just fine. Like he had told Lu He, Qihe used his car to hook up with girls too. Sometimes he got Lu He (or vice versa) to pick him up, if the car was in for servicing. That was the circumstance this night.

"Yeah, the basketball game ran a little late. Where are you parked?"

Lu He replied into his cell phone, "on the far side of the overpass."

"I'll be there soon." Qihe ended the call, grabbed his school jacket and left the court.

Lu He saw the gun first and then his twin. Instinctually he screamed, "RED LIGHT!"

The shot rang out as the gun was fired and then the gunman ran to a car that drove off. Lu He sprinted to Qihe who was lying on the ground. Lu He prayed his warning had reached his brother in time. What no one knew was that Qihe and Lu He use to train as kids, shouting "Red Light" and "Green Light". Red meant any kind of push up: spiderman, one leg, hand claps, diamond, etc. Green Light was some kind of jumping jack; basic, squat jacks, press jacks, burpees and so on. Sometimes they called those words out to see if they could trip each other up at random moments throughout the day. This wasn't known by their trainers, martial art masters, family, friends or staff. Not even their sister knew about it. As they had become teenagers, they rarely played that game.

"Shit! You just saved my life Lu He!" Qihe said as he got up. "I was pissed at you in that split second for making me dirty, but now I'm glad I listened." He hugged his brother tight. "Thank you."

"I'll hack every camera around to find out who that was. Are you sure you didn't get hit?"

"I heard the impact somewhere behind me." Qihe brushed the street dirt off his clothes. "Once we find out who did it, I'll tell Dad. Let's see if we can find the bullet too. After that, I'll go this way and you that way, to find cars with cameras or whatever."

Lu He took a big breath in and let it out. "I'll find the bastard who tried to kill you, even if I have to hack the satellites and stay on it for days. And when you go to tell Dad, I'll come with you."

Qihe smiled, "I have never seen you so fierce about something. You just trumped our sister. I'm not as good at hacking as you are, but I'll do my part too."

They checked the CCTV cameras on the street, took note of any building security cameras and the cars that lined the street. Armed with that information, Lu He drove them home. He planned on hacking into the Ministry of Transportation, to get the CCTV street camera videos and information of the parked cars that had cameras too. Together the twins worked all night and all of the next day, both calling in sick to school.

"QIHE I FOUND HIM!" Lu He shouted excitedly.

Running from his room to his brother's, Qihe arrived seconds later. "Who is it?"

"No one we know. Hold on I'll check his social media."

Qihe looked at Lu He's computer screen from behind him. "Stop. Go back… there! He knows that actor you punched out!"

"Do we handle this ourselves or go talk to Dad? It's your call."

"It involves guns and attempted murder, we have to tell Dad. Find out where he is." Qihe knew this was over their heads to handle.

"Dad's at his favourite restaurant, let's go."

"Hold on Lu He, we both need showers first and to change."

"Right. Meet you downstairs."

The twins showered, changed and then left together. Qihe drove, because Lu He was too wired to concentrate. On arrival, Qihe went to one of the Enforcers and told him why they wanted to see their father. Mr. Crane was with other people and the twins needed privacy for what they were going to tell him.

"You two get something to eat, the Boss got you a private table. When he's done, he'll come to you."

"Is he paying?" Lu He asked with a grin.

The 2nd Enforcer nodded and left.

Qihe smirked at his brother, "that was ballsy to ask that."

"Well I'm starving, I need to fill up and I think he owes us a meal anyway."

Their waitress arrived and took the twins' orders. Both of them flirted with her, until her face was red. Qihe sighed, "who do you think she'll choose to give her number to?"

"Me, I'm more charming."

Qihe rose a challenging eyebrow, but said nothing. He owed his brother for helping to find the gunman and for coming with him to tell their father.

The food began to arrive, so they took off their masks and began to eat. Both were ravenous, after skipping meals and being focused so long on hunting down the guy who had targeted Qihe. By the time they were full and waiting on dessert, their father joined them.

"Dad we have something to tell you," they said in unison.

"One at a time, don't speak with one voice it's creepy."

Lu He sighed, "okay Dad. Yesterday, when I went to pick up Qihe after a basketball game, I saw a guy shoot at him."

"I'm fine, the bullet came no where near me, thanks to Lu He. We spent all night and today finding the guy." Qihe reassured.

"He's the lover of the actor from Seven Cranes." Lu He explained and then stopped talking as the ice cream was delivered.

Qihe continued after the waitress left again. "Remember, I had him in the trunk and your enforcers brought him to you?"

"I know who he is. Where's the proof?"

"I have the bullet that he fired at me," Qihe put the baggie that held it on the table by his father.

Lu He added, "I sent you the video that we found on the MOT cameras from the street and a delivery driver's car. One shows him shooting at Qihe and the other the guy's face as he runs to a car and took off."

Mr. Crane pocketed the bullet and looked at his phone, "you two have been busy. I guess that's why you both called in sick today."

Lu He and Qihe said at the same time, "don't kill him Dad."

"Damn it boys, I said don't talk like that!"

"Sorry Dad, but I don't want him dead." Lu He immediately apologized.

Mr. Crane looked at Qihe. "What about you?"

"Hospitalize him and tell him next time either of those two come at us, they're dead."

"As soon as he chose to use a gun and attempted to kill you, his choice was taken away. I'll handle it the way I want."

"Dad, show a little mercy," Lu He requested solemnly.

"You two can finish up, I already paid for the bill. Go home." Mr. Crane stood up and left.

Qihe guessed, "that guy is a dead man. Did you see Dad's eyes when you told him I was shot at?"

"Yeah. At least we tried to get that guy a lesser punishment." Lu He yawned, "I'm tired, let's go, I need to sleep."

"Thanks again for helping me." Qihe said with genuine emotion.

"That's what brothers do." Lu He left the private room first after putting his mask back on.

The waitress was waiting by the door. She stopped the masked Qihe, holding out her phone that showed a QR code. He smiled and scanned it with his phone. Into her ear he said, "you were the best part of our lunch. See you tomorrow."