Shanghai in a Box – Part 6
[Xiao Yan takes Ferret to the end of Shouning Lu where it meets Renmin Lu. He follows her across the street and into the old city. In the small back alleys, residents of the ancient decrepit houses are aware of Ferret’s presence. They stare at him, not maliciously, simply asking, “What are you doing here?” Xiao Yan turns into the alley leading into a cluster of darkened homes. She beckons Ferret silently, as if he were a dog.]
Ferret
这边啊?
This way?
Xiao Yan
嗯。
Yeah.
[They go through the damp and dust of a kitchen just barely sheltered from the elements and walk towards a room bathed in an eerie glow. As they walk inside, Ferret turns to see a man completely surrounded by TV screens and computer monitors projecting silently onto his attentive eyes. ]
Xiao Yan
王清!
Wang Qing!
[Wang Qing doesn’t hear her.]
Xiao Yan
王清ï¼è€å¤–æ¥è¿˜ç»™ä½ ä½ çš„ç¬”è®°æœ¬ã€‚
Wang Qing! A foreigner has come to return your notebook to you.
[Wang Qing suddenly turns his head and focuses on Xiao Yan and Ferret. His face looks wan and tired, full with its sunken eyes and poor skin, but still he grins fiendishly at them and points with frail limbs.]
Wang Qing
哦,请å, um, please-a sit.
Oh, please sit. Um, please sit.
[Wang Qing points to the ramshackle collection of sheets which makes up his bed.]
Ferret
哦,好的。
Oh, okay.
Xiao Yan
æˆ‘èµ°äº†ã€‚çŽ‹æ¸…ï¼Œæœ‰ç©ºä½ æ¥é¥åº—帮忙啊。
I’m going. Wang Qing, if you’re free come help out at the restaurant.
Wang Qing
我并ä¸åŽ»ã€‚
I’m not going.
Xiao Yan
ä½ æ€Žä¹ˆé‚£ä¹ˆæ‡’ï¼Ÿ
Why are you so lazy?
Wang Qing
懒什么懒啊ï¼æˆ‘在挣钱ï¼ç®¡ä½ 什么å±äº‹ï¼èµ°ï¼
Lazy?! I’m making money! What the hell do you have to do with it? Get out of here!
[Xiao Yan leaves angrily.]
Wang Qing
I- am very- very sorry. My English  is poor.
Ferret
那我们说ä¸æ–‡å§ã€‚
Then let’s speak Chinese.
Wang Qing
You have… you have my book-a?
Ferret
Yes. I have it.
Wang Qing
I can see it?
[Ferret begins to feel very nervous, realizing that he is all alone in a strange place. Wang Qing doesn’t seem particularly threatening, but he has no idea what to expect or what’s in store.]
Ferret
Um. Yes.
[Ferret takes out the notebook and tries to offer it to him, but Wang Qing has become distracted. He’s looking at one of the TVs.]
Ferret
Umm.
Wang Qing
Oh, yes, I sink ziss is good one. You have be watching?
[He points to one of the TVs. It looks like a Chinese cop show. Someone is being interrogated. Ferret’s never seen it.]
Ferret
No.
[Wang Qing snatches the notebook out of Ferret’s hands and opens it up. He smiles.]
Ferret
Did you send this to me? Who is behind all of this?
Wang Qing
Yes.
Ferret
ç¬”è®°æœ¬æ˜¯ä½ é€ç»™æˆ‘çš„å—?
Did you send me the notebook?
Wang Qing
Oh, yes. I know. I know. No. I did not do it.
Ferret
Who did?
[Wang Qing starts watching another TV program for a moment, then puts the notebook down and grabs something from behind one of the TVs and hands it to Ferret. It’s a business card.]
Wang Qing
Here. You go here.
Ferret
What is this?
Wang Qing
Business card.
Ferret
I know, but why are you giving it to me?
Wang Qing
You go now.
[Wang Qing puts his hand on Ferret’s shoulder and begins guiding him towards the door.]
Ferret
What about my reward?
Wang Qing
Yes. You go.
Ferret
我的奖励呢?
What about my reward?
Wang Qing
Oh. Yes. He give you.
[Ferret is pissed, feeling that this has all been some elaborate hoax. Maybe someone is about to rob him. He doesn’t know. He wants to get out as quickly as possible.]
Ferret
Okay. Right.
Wang Qing
Bye bye!
[Wang Qing escorts Ferret out of his house. Ferret just wants to leave. He pockets the card without looking at it. He’s annoyed and bit worried. He walks back out through the alleys of the old city, keeping his wits about him and watching his back.]