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〃Any foreign devils there？〃
〃Two or three； Honored Lord。 No one of importance。〃
〃Give Honorable Happy Wang a message from me： He has three weeks to improve his business。 Then we'll reconsider。 Corporal Ho； tell some of the girls at the Great New Oriental to remend the Happy Hostess for a month or so … they've plenty of foreign devil customers 。。。 and tell Wang that there's a nuclear aircraft carrier … the Corregidor … ing in the day after tomorrow for R and R 。。。〃 He used the English letters； everyone understanding rest and recreation from the Korean War days。 〃I'll ask my Brother Dragon in Wanchai and the dock area if Happy Wang can send some visiting cards over there。 A thousand or so Golden Country barbarians will certainly be a help！ They're here for eight days。〃
〃Honored Sir； I'll do that tonight；〃 Corporal Ho promised。
〃My friend in marine police told me that there are going to be lots of visiting warships soon … the American Seventh Fleet is being increased。〃 Tang…po frowned。 〃Doubled； so he says。 The talk from the Mainland is that American soldiers are going to go into Vietnam in strength … they already run an airline there … at least；〃 he added； 〃their triad CIA does。〃
〃Eeee； that's good for business！ We'll have to repair their ships。 And entertain their men。 Good！ Very good for us。〃
〃Yes。 Very good。 But very stupid for them。 Honorable Chou En…lai's sent them warnings； politely； for months that China doesn't want them there！ Why won't they listen？ Vietnam's our outer barbarian sphere！ Stupid to pick that foul jungle and those detestable barbarians to fight against。 If China couldn't subdue those outer barbarians for centuries； how can they？〃 Tang…po laughed and lit another cigarette。 〃Where's old One Eye Pok gone？〃
〃That old fox's permanent visa came through and he was off on the next airplane to San Francisco … him； his wife and eight kids。〃
Tang…po turned to his accountant。 〃Did he owe us any money？〃
〃Oh no Honored Sir。 He was fully paid up…to…date； Sergeant Lee saw to that。〃
〃How much did it cost that old fornicator？ To get the visa？〃
〃His exit was smoothed by a gift of 3；000 HK to Corporal Sek Pun So in Immigration on our remendation … our percentage was paid … we also assisted him to find the right diamond merchant to convert his wealth into the best blue whites available。〃 Ho referred to his books。 〃Our 2 percent mission came to 8；960 HK。〃
〃Good old One Eye！〃 Tang…po said； pleased for him。 〃He's done very well for himself。 What was his 'unique services' job for his visa？〃
Sergeant Lee said； 〃A cook in a restaurant in Chinatown … the Good Eating Place it's called。 Oh ko； I've tasted his home cooking and old One Eye is very bad indeed。〃
〃He'll hire another to take his place while he goes into real estate； or gambling and a nightclub；〃 someone said。 〃Eeee； what joss！〃
〃But what did his U。S。 visa cost him？〃
〃Ah； the golden gift to Paradise！〃 Ho sighed。 〃I heard he paid 5；000 U。S。 to jump to the head of the list。〃
〃Ayeeyah； that's more than usual！ Why？〃
〃It seems there's also a promise of a U。S。 passport as soon as the five years are up and not too much harassment about his English … old One Eye doesn't talk English as you know。 。。。〃
〃Those fornicators from the Golden Country … they squeeze but they aren't organized。 They've no style； none at all；〃 Tang…po said scornfully。 〃One or two visas here and there … when everyone here knows you can buy one if you're at the right time with the right squeeze。 So why don't they do it properly in a civilized way？ Twenty visas a week … even forty … they're all mad these foreign devils！〃
〃Dew neh loh moh but you're right；〃 Sergeant Lee said； his mind boggled at the potential amount of squeeze he could make if he were a vice…consul in the U。S。 Consulate of Hong Kong in the Visa Department。 〃Eeeeee！〃
〃We should have a civilized person in that position； then we'd soon be set up like Mandarins and policing San Francisco！〃 Tang…po said； and they all guffawed with him。 Then he added disgustedly； 〃At least they should have a man there； not one who likes a Steaming Stalk in his Ghastly Gulley； or his in another's！〃
They laughed even more。 〃Hey；〃 one of them called out； 〃I heard his partner's young Foreign Devil Stinknose Pork Belly in the Public Works … you know； the one who's selling building permits that shouldn't be！〃
〃That's old news； Chan； very old。 They've both moved on to unwiser pastures。 The latest rumor is our vice…consul devil's connected with a youth。 。。。〃 Tang…po added delicately； 〃Son of a prominent accountant who's also a prominent munist。〃
〃Eeeee； that's not good；〃 Sergeant Lee said； knowing at once who the man was。
〃No；〃 Tang…po agreed。 〃Particularly as I heard yesterday the youth has a secret flat around the corner。 In my district！ And my district has the least crime of any。〃
〃That's right；〃 they all said proudly。
〃Should he be spoken to； Elder Brother？〃 Lee asked。
〃No； just put under special surveillance。 I want to know all about these two。 Everything。 Even if they belch。〃 Tang…po sighed。 He gave Sergeant Lee the address and made the work assignments。 〃Since you're all here； I've decided to bring payday forward from tomorrow。〃 He opened the large bag that contained bank notes。 Each man received the equivalent of his police pay plus authorized expenses。
300 HK a month salary with no expenses was not enough for a constable to feed even a small family and have a small flat； not even a two…room apartment with one tap and no sanitation； and to send one child to school； or enough to be able to send a little back to the home village in the Kwantung to needy fathers and grandmothers and mothers and uncles and grandfathers； many of whom； years upon years ago； had given their life's saving to help launch him on the broken road to Hong Kong。
Tang…po had been one of these。 He was very proud that he had survived the journey as a six…year…old； alone； and had found his relations and then； when he was eighteen； had joined the police … thirty…six years ago。 He had served the Queen well； the police force impeccably； the Japanese enemy during their occupation not at all and now was in charge of a key division in the Colony of Hong Kong。 Respected； rich； with one son in college in San Francisco； another owning half a restaurant in Vancouver； Canada； his family in Kwantung supported … and； most important； his Division of Tsim Sha Tsui with less unsolved robberies； less unsolved woundings and maimings and triad wars than any other district … and only three murders in four years and all solved and the culprits caught and sentenced； and one of those a foreign devil seaman who'd killed another over a dance…hall girl。 And almost no petty theft and never a tourist foreign devil harassed by beggars or sneak thieves and this the largest tourist area with upward of also 300；000 civilized persons to police and protect from evildoers and from themselves。
Ayeeyah； yes； Tang…po told himself。 If it wasn't for us those bone…headed fornicating peasants'd be at each other's throats； raging； looting； killing； and then the inevitable mob cry would go up： Kill the foreign devils！ And they would try and then we would be back in the riots again。 Fornicate disgustingly all wrongdoers and unpeaceful persons！
〃Now；〃 he said affably； 〃we'll meet in three days。 I've ordered a ten…course feast from Great Food Chang's。 Until then； let everyone put an eye to the orifice of the gods and get me the answers。 I want the Werewolves … and I want John Chen back。 Sergeant Lee； you stay a moment。 Corporal Ho； write up the minutes and let me have the accounts tomorrow at five。〃
〃Yes； Honored Lord。〃
They all trooped out。 Tang…po lit another cigarette。 So did Sergeant Lee。 Tang…po coughed。
〃You should quit smoking； Elder Brother。〃
〃So should you！〃 Tang…po shrugged。 〃Joss！ If I'm to go； I'm to go。 Joss。 Even so； for peace I've told my Chief Wife I've stopped。 She nags and nags and nags。〃
〃Show me one that doesn't and she'll turn out to be a he with a ghastly gulley。〃
They laughed together。
〃That's the truth。 Heya； last week she insisted I see a doctor and you know what that motherless fornicator said？ He said； you'd better give up smoking； old friend； or you'll be nothing but a few cinders in a burial jar before you're twenty moons older and then I guarantee your Chief Wife'll be spending all your money on loose boys and your concubine'll be tasting another's fruits！〃
〃The swine！ Oh the swine！〃
〃Yes。 He really frightened me … I felt his words right down in my secret sack！ But maybe he was speaking the truth。〃
He took out a handkerchief； blew his nose； his breath wheezing； cleared his throat noisily and spat into the spittoon。 〃Listen； Younger Brother； our High Dragon says the time has e to organize Smuggler Yuen； White Powder Lee； and his cousin Four Finger Wu。〃
Sergeant Lee stared at him in shock。 These three men were believed to be the High Tigers of the opium trade in Hong Kong。 Importers and exporters。 For local use and also； rumor had it； for export to the Golden Country where the great money was。 Opium brought in secretly and converted into morphine and then into heroin。 〃Bad； very bad。 We've never touched that