In the early morning, sunlight streamed into the room, glinting off messy black hair.
The quilt slipped, revealing smooth, pale skin.
Twenty year old Catherine was in the prime of her life, radiantly beautiful and impossibly charming.
Recalling the chaos of last night, Catherine's face flushed; she didn't fully remember what happened, but some strange impulse had made her half-heartedly agree to Leon.
Perhaps, from the moment she invited Leon to stay with her, she had already prepared herself!
After all, in her eyes, Leon was young, handsome, witty, and most importantly, responsible.
She had always liked him, and after the scare from those gang members yesterday, her feelings had grown even stronger.
"What are your plans now?"
It was already nine in the morning, and the two of them were still lying in bed, lazy after their morning routine. Since both had lost their jobs, there was no need to rush.
He reached over and held Catherine in his arms.
"I plan to keep studying!" Catherine said softly, her voice weak and eyes slightly hazy.
"That's good. Studying gives you a future—you can get a better job later," Leon said, nodding. "What do you plan to study?"
Hearing Leon agree with her idea, Catherine's spirits lifted.
"I want to study law and become a great lawyer one day, but my parents don't support me, so I have to work part-time to pay for tuition."
Catherine spoke slowly. She was born in the countryside and had many sisters, three older than her.
Her parents believed girls didn't need schooling and wanted her to work, but Catherine had the personality of a determined woman. She didn't accept the fate her three sisters had resigned themselves to.
Instead, she worked and studied at the same time.
When Catherine saw Leon staring at her, her voice softened, as if she already guessed what he was thinking.
She didn't resist; instead, she buried her head in the quilt.
Leon threw back the quilt and leaned over her again.
"Be gentle, I'm still a bit sore!"
...
The East Vancouver Docks were one of the busiest parts of the city. Every night, bars and nightclubs came alive.
Crowds of people filled the streets, the air thick with noise and the scent of alcohol.
But tonight, the docks felt different—almost empty.
Groups of gang members, each numbering two to three hundred, were walking toward each other from both ends of the street.
Each one looked fierce, carrying weapons like clubs and pipes. The tension was palpable.
Leon, holding a half-meter-long steel pipe, stood behind one of the groups, watching silently.
He was here to make money.
This was a gang turf war, though it wasn't certain if it would actually erupt.
Among these hundreds, few were real gang leaders. Most were low-level members or hired thugs like Leon.
The fee for showing up was fifty dollars; if a fight broke out, another fifty would be added.
This was Leon's third time participating. It seemed easy money; he just had to stand there for a while.
Because both sides were mostly making noise, the chance of an actual fight was small.
The previous two events had ended without any serious conflict.
But tonight, the bosses on both sides were escalating the situation.
"Leon, something feels off! Are they really going to fight?" a short young man whispered.
His name was Ricky, known for talking too much. He was a low-ranking member on Leon's side.
"Don't panic if a fight breaks out. Just stay behind. No one will bother coming all the way back here for a fight." Leon said.
They were small fry; the bosses were the real targets.
Sure enough, the two sides clashed.
He heard his boss shout, "Get those Fraser Union bastards!"
The opposing boss yelled, "Attack!"
Suddenly, over a hundred people from both sides began fighting chaotically, the scene erupting into madness.
But Leon had seen worse. Compared to battlefields, this was minor.
He planned to keep low, wait for the police to show up, collect his hundred dollars, and leave.
However, something unexpected happened. A Fraser Union thug, perhaps dazed from a blow, ran straight toward Leon.
Their eyes met.
"Looks familiar!" Leon was startled.
"It's this bastard! Finally found him!" the thug shouted.
Leon didn't recognize him, but the thug clearly remembered him—he would never forget.
He immediately turned and yelled, "Tom we found him! This is the kid who messed up Johnny!"
Damn!
Leon cursed inwardly, finally remembering. This guy had been one of the drunkerd he had beaten a few days ago—the one he had kicked away.
No wonder he looked familiar!
And Johnny was from the Fraser Union! What a mess!
This subordinate seemed excited. Last time, he had gone with Johnny to drink and got humiliated.
Now he finally had a chance for revenge.
Just as he called for backup.
"Bang!"
With a dull thud, a steel pipe struck him squarely in the face.
Blood flowed from his mouth, teeth shattered, and half his face swelled. He fell blankly, stunned, unable even to cry out.
"We are in the middle of a figh! How dare you turn your back to me?"
Leon shook his head. He had planned to do nothing the whole time, but this guy had exposed him.