"Thank you for looking after my girl." Peng Ha said, sipping on coffee that he invited me too somewhere on the main road of Richmond. Today I wore all black; loose black jeans alongside a baggy black hoodie. Despite the weather looking bright as ever with not a cloud in sight didn't stop me from covering up. By covering up it reminded me that I had power over how people saw me; and believed that by showing any ounce of skin felt like that was the right only for friends and family. Best believe I despised sun baking or laying on the beach at all unless I was forced.
"No problem." I said, sipping on my hot chocolate. I wasn't a fan of coffee, and would never understand the allure of sipping on a beverage that tasted bitter; better yet- revolting. Hot chocolate never failed to soothe me as I lay comfortably on the seat.
"I heard you helped Luca with his 'mission' at Tristan's birthday." He said, crossing his arms as his fixated gaze upon me looked somewhat serious.
"Yeah, I did." I said as I reached down to grab a bag, shoving it on the table as I unzipped it to reveal the weapon that was used at Brighton Beach.
"This is the weapon he used that saved our lives moments before narrowly escaping Tristan's house." I said, quickly unzipping the bag that contained the blood stained weapon after Peng waved it off the table, uninterested.
"Why on earth did you bring a murder weapon here?" He growled.
"Sorry. He gave it me before the night-" I paused before continuing.
"Wait, how do you know he killed people with this? Not once did I-"
"Luca only brings his trusty blade with him when he wants to put someone down. Believe me, Luca and I go way back." He folded his arms, almost as if he didn't want to reveal information from the past.
"I don't know where to begin with you Jacky." Peng Ha began.
"You had strict rules to keep watch on Allie; that was the whole point to why I tasked you to escort her that night." He said as he spat his toothpick out, taking a sip of his coffee before raising his hand for a waiter; the lady walking to our table shortly after.
"Do you guys serve tea?" Peng requested, the server shaking her head slowly as if to decline his offer. Peng groaned as he quickly masked his emotions, nodding to the server to say he no longer required her services. The server bowing slightly before leaving our view. I was given the vibe that he was known in this cafe to be given such respectful courtesy.
"I should've taken you out to eat, I'm such a fool." Peng said as he flicked his forehead, causing him to flinch as he blinked multiple times before averting his attention back to me.
"Do you drink tea, Jacky?" Peng asked. I shook my head slowly.
"I'm a picky eater and drinker. I rarely eat vegetables, for example." I said as I veered down to the cup of hot chocolate, stirring it with one hand, my head resting on my hand as I looked at my drink with little to no emotion.
"Someone not accustomed to the eating their greens tells me you weren't smacked enough when you were a child." I looked back up at Peng and shrugged.
"Why on earth would I eat something that taste gross? I could never force myself to do or eat things that are disgusting."
"You're missing the entire point here; the point I'm trying to make is that you're not disciplined enough. Quite frankly probably not disciplined to be involved with me." He said as he sipped his coffee, lowering the cup as he exhaled softly.
"There's a lot of things you don't know about the world, Jacky; and I don't believe you'll be around long to experience it if you continue to act oblivious." Peng spoke softly as he looked around, being mindful incase there was somebody eavesdropping.
"Allie is the epitome of hope; in my eyes." He said as he rummaged through his jacket pocket to reveal a lolliepop; engulfing it instantly.
"I may not make it obvious or show her how much I truly care about her; but this world is filled with filth that needs be cleansed." He said as he tried to control his breathing, almost as if he was holding back strong resentment.
"I see the way some guys stare at Allie, especially when I'm not there or when my presence is not known. I'm also aware of the extreme lengths some of my adversaries will go to try to harm me through psychological warfare and that's through her." He explained, removing the sugary sweet from his mouth.
"Being involved with the O.G crews forces you to take all precautions to look after the ones that you hold dear to your heart; as nothing is permanent and loyalty becomes vague- almost short of a fairytale when you get older. If I knew you ditched her to help Luca that night I would've dropped everything I was doing just to pick her up." I looked away, feeling slightly defeated as I felt as though I had failed Peng Ha, the kid I looked up too and the kid who so happened to be my leader.
"It's fine. You can relax." He grinned, before stiffening his body up.
"I had someone keep a watchful eye on Allie, someone I knew who had everything to lose." He said, trying not to sound menacing- although there was a hint of deviousness in his voice. I raised an eyebrow, causing Peng Ha to continue.
"It wasn't my proudest moment, but I used his girl as leverage in order to achieve the result I wanted." He said as he bit into his lolliepop, indicating he was finished with it. The way Peng had explained his mischievous scheme made me feel like he was one not to be trusted.
"Two wrongs don't make a right." I began, clearly disappointed.
"Everything you're saying is giving off red flags. What if the only bad guy that exists in this scene is you? You're probably under heavy assumption that the world is out to get you simply because you're still guilty of the things you've done in the past. You're engaging in activity you know goes beyond moral integrity; yet you do it anyway. Do you not feel any remorse for the people affected?" I looked up at Peng who for a split second, began glowing red with evil intentions.
"Let me ask you something, Jacky." He said as he played with the lolliepop stick in his mouth.
"Would you die for the love of your life?" I paused briefly before opening my mouth, Peng beating me to it by interrupted me.
"Your hesitation tells me you're not ready for this conversation." He concluded.
"No, I am, and I would." I said quickly. Peng looked somewhat amused.
"Okay 'Bruno Mars'. You're willing to lay your life for her? No problem- such a basic answer. Do you know what separates boys from men?" I shook my head in dismay.
"It's the ability to make decisions that no man dares to make; for fear of being judged due to the nature of the situation or in your case- simply because it doesn't align with your 'morals'." He began.
"How far are you willing to go to grant your partner the ability to walk the streets safely knowing the burden she has is being affiliated with your name? If Allie's life was in jeopardy, are you capable enough to end the life of the person threatening her sense of security?" I paused again before answering.
"I'm sure there are other ways to protect Allie without having to resort to murder." Peng shook his head, laughing.
"You will never be a leader simply because you lack the courage to test the confounds of your ethical beliefs." He exclaimed, his eyes pulsating red as if such information he held had been resurfaced from the depths of his corrupted soul.
"Peng, with all due respect we're talking about the life of another person. I understand Allie means the world to you, but I think you're forgetting how precious a life truly is, and why the birth of life is so sacred to begin with."
"You cannot preach the importance of life to me when I struggle to believe you'll defend the love of your life. You're walking down a narrow path towards tragic and despair for what? Simply because you want to please inferior people who provide no value to your life? Is that the life you really want to lead? A life of slavery?" I shook my head to say no as I watched Peng finish the rest of his beverage.
"So who was the guy you manipulated if you don't mind me asking." I said, trying to change topics, acting like I was okay despite being called a slave.
"Jaden da Silva, the kid you tussled with at Moomba fest."
"You're telling me you held down the Emily from Footscray College hostage? Where?" I asked, dumbfounded.
"You make it sound like I held her at gunpoint, which I didn't." Peng Ha pointed out.
"Once Jaden accepted the offer to look after Allie at Tristan's birthday, I had provided Emily a safe place to seek refuge both at the arcade during the day and at the flats during the night; fully guarded by armed 4K members."
"Armed 4K members?" I asked.
"4 Kings, or 4K for short. One of the more older organised crime syndicates to still thrive in Melbourne since the immigration of Vietnamese families in the 1960's. Run by four men each having noble ties overseas; my uncle being one of them."
"Oh, I didn't mean the abbreviation but thanks for that. I was more so concerned about the fact that you said they were armed." I said, confused. For the second time, Peng looked around slowly to check his surroundings before leaning closer towards me.
"There's a war going on, Jacky; and I just don't think you're mentally prepared to comprehend the complexity of it all. After all, you aren't born and bred here so how we deal with conflict in Melbourne may be more subtle than you think." Peng raised his hand for the server to collect his drink, his beverage removed from the table momentarily.
"Word on the street is that C1 was involved with Luca's brothers death- causing Luca to lose trust in their operations." Peng rested his head on his hands that were clasped together.
"That's a big deal, simply because Luca holds the power to grant C1 the strength they require for potential prospects. All delinquents that represent B2K are usually granted a pathway after high school delinquency. Enticing, right?" Peng asked, to which I nodded in agreement.
"When a delinquent as big Luca loses faith in a syndicate as deadly as C1, it speaks levels to how others see the organisation, and word spreads like wildfire. Kids hold Luca's word like gospel; if he says they're not to be trusted, they will believe him without hesitation- which is why Emily placed her trust with us and not them."
"Where would she have gone if she did decide to take refuge with C1?" I asked.
"The Red Light District. It's both a bar and a hotel, owned by C1 themselves. It's practically a gated fortress. In reality, Emily would have been much more safer there; but there's no point seeking refuge with a group you feel won't make you safe." Peng cleared his throat before continuing.
"You said that Luca used a weapon during Tristan's 18th. How bad was he hurt?" Peng asked, his gaze narrowed, trying to find answers as if he expected me to lie. I nodded slowly as if to say yes.
"If it weren't for his skill with his blade I don't think I'd actually be sitting here alive in front of you. The way the party goers attempted to pile themselves on top of him- they were inches away from suffocating him to death by asphyxiation. Peng, it's hard to describe what I witnessed that night. It was like-"
"It was like they weren't human, right?" Peng exhaled. I stiffened up the moment I realised we were on the same page.
"H-How did you know?" My eyes widened in fear.
"When you face power of malevolent nature and you sense something is not right, it's called intuition. When you fight off that feeling to push yourself to endure something that may very well be sinister, you begin to lose the light in your eyes." He broke eye contact and looked away, pausing briefly before continuing.
"You'll turn out like me. No light left, no hope. You start believing there's nothing out there can help you; one's faith in God almost non-existent simply because you know there are evil forces that lurk in the shadows. It doesn't matter how conditioned you are to fight such adversaries of demonic calibre, eventually you'll lose the most important element about yourself- your humanity." Peng concluded.
"So you're telling me if I work on my intuition I'll have better odds at surviving?" I asked before Peng shook his head to disagree.
"Intuition can be divided into two sections; one being your sensory perception. By being in tune with your five senses will allows you to be observant to elements within the physical plane." He began, pointing two fingers in the air.
"Then there's part two, where the ability to sense danger through subliminal stimulation becomes more spiritual than logical; such visual prowess can only be effective to those who hold faith in conceptual matters that are beyond our imagination." Peng concluded, folding his arms as he looked at me, chuckling. He clearly saw how confused I was.
"Having mastery of absolute intuition has a lot of benefits, especially when you're out interacting or facing people with a hidden agenda. It can keep you safe, and protected from those with ill intentions- something that you will see quite often the more you involve yourself in this life." Peng broke eye contact as he began looking grim, rummaging through his jacket pocket until he revealed a packet of what looked to be Warhead gummies, offering me one until backing away quickly before I got the chance to reach over.
"Didn't your parents tell you not to take candy from strangers?" Peng laughed. At least he was the only one amused.
"Yo guys! Im here!" A familiar voice was heard from afar. Peng Ha and I veered to the side to see Little Smile-Li who was seen walking alongside a familiar looking girl with tanned skin and blonde hair.
"Sorry guys, had to take Demi to grab a feed, she would not stop giving me attitude unless I gave her what she wanted." Smiley said as he pulled up two extra seats from another table.
"Yo." Demi said as she sat down, chewing on a Hubba Bubba as she sat her purse on her lap, her Luca necklace shining so bright around her neck that the sun's reflection from it blinded my eyes.
"Demi you want coffee?" Smiley asked.
"Ew what the heck? No. Chocolate milkshake maybe?" She decided. Little Smile-Li raised his hand for a waiter, making a quick order as she memorised what was needed and dashed back into the kitchen.
"So how's things, what did I miss?" Little Smile-Li said, stretching his arms out.
"We were actually just talking about the Warhead lollies." Peng Ha said, folding his arms.
"Oh yeah. The imported ones that's paralysing delinquents?" Smiley asked to which Peng Ha nodded in acknowledgement.
"Yuck. Could never eat such a sweet anyway. Why do kids even do it." Smiley scoffed.
"Because there's a shortage of lollipops." Peng Ha began. Everyone looked at him with shock, Smiley clearly looking distressed.
"You're kidding." Smiley said in awe. Peng sighed, shrugging.
"I don't know what else to tell you. I've been visiting 4K quite often and some of the older boys told me there's no point trying to chase it. Chubba Chubs are starting to be sold behind the counter and not on the shelves due to supply and demand. It's becoming somewhat of a rare commodity." The mood died around the table, all but except Little Smile-Li who had a cheeky grin.
"Oh yeah? Well you're going to like what information I got that's so confidential I could get shafted if anyone finds out." Little Smile-Li said as he massaged his hands together.
"How on earth do you have some of the hottest gossip; and the first person to know too?" Demi groaned.
"What can I say. I'm friends with virtually everyone." Little Smile-Li said proudly, leaning back from his seat. Peng Ha rolled his eyes.
"That's not something to be proud of bro. I have to know that I can trust you with our secrets; Richmond's secrets." Peng Ha narrowed his eyes at Little Smile-Li who shrugged.
"Relax big bro, my loyalty lies with you. I know I haven't shown face often but trust me; I have been in other areas." Smiley added, exchanging looks with Peng Ha who looked unimpressed.
"Okay Smiley, spill it. What's this ground breaking news? Better be good." Peng sighed. Little Smile-Li cleared his throat before continuing.
"Word on the grapevine is that a gang figured out how to make their own flavour." Everyone looked at Smiley dumbfounded.
"No way. You're lying." Demi scoffed.
"Yeah. They're even going into depth to rebrand the wrapper all the way to the material of what the stick itself will be made out of." Smiley said, the waiter arriving to give Demi her chocolate milkshake. Demi's eyes lit up as she engulfed in it, sucking on the straw with intense pressure as I watched the milk drain from the large cup.
"Where do girls even fit all that food? She literally demolished two HSP's like they were happy meals." Smiley said, looking disgusted as Demi devoured the entire milkshake within seconds.
"Ah. Food makes me so happy. I was born to be a foodie." Demi said as she leaned back, looking like she was in a food coma.
"Do you know when these lollipops are being made?" Peng Ha asked, to which Little Smile-Li shook his head slowly.
"Unfortunately not. Until then I've been told to only snack on lollipops when you extremely need to. I'll keep a watchful eye out in the meantime but taking care of Demi really takes up most of my time." Smiley sighed, looking at Demi who fell asleep on the chair.
"Anything else you have to share Smiley? I know you're hiding something else." Peng Ha said, examining his facial expressions closely, Smiley purposely trying to hide his face as he puffed up his cheeks, his hands clasped together on the table. Within seconds Smiley exhaled and then took a deep breath before continuing, the tables mood now dependant on what Smiley had to offer.
"Every delinquent in the scene are anticipating for the fight of the year." Smiley said as he placed his hands in his pockets. Everyone looked attentive besides Demi who remained still as a statue.
"Who's fighting who?" I asked.
"YSK vs SB." Smiley pointed out, to which Peng scoffed.
"Everyone knows YSK will win, there's no doubt about that. I'm sure everyone will place their bets on them." Peng rolled his eyes.
"I know exactly what Devil will do." Peng Ha began.
"He will summon the YKB kids that's kept imprisoned on the down low; Akira and Frankie being one of them." Peng Ha folded his arms.
"Anyone else YSK have?" Little Smile-Li said, keeping a mental note as if he was prepared on placing bets.
"There's one more, I'm sure you know who. You catch up with him all the time at Top Karaoke." Peng Ha pointed out.
"Oh, Kenny?" Little Smile-Li said in awe.
"He was suppose to be part of Devil's upper echelon, but for some reason turned down the position Riley Tran was meant to inherit before Pure Bee tore him to pieces." Smiley explained.
"No one messes with Kenny bro, kid literally mastered drunken fist."
"How so? No delinquent are allowed to touch alcohol. It's forbidden." Peng Ha mentioned.
"He gets drunk off chocolate milk. No one knows how but Kenny is virtually untouchable when he's in that state. Talk about his reach, he's too tall, his arms will wrap around you like a snake." Little Smile-Li added, my eyes lighting in anticipating for the brawl.
"Sounds like they got some good soldiers, good luck on SB, then." I added. Peng Ha shook his head in dismay.
"That Tibetan delinquent Springvale have; Joshua or whatever- is downright scary. You seen the tattoos on the guy? He's the only kid in the scene with handcrafted tattoos. You need a pain threshold higher than the average person to get it made; translating to how powerful he is." Peng Ha clasped his hands and rested his head, sighing.
"He's the epitome of a perfect being. SB are lucky to have him." Peng Ha closed his eyes briefly before continuing, as if waiting for Smiley to talk.
"You not going to mention another delinquent that SB has under their wing?" Peng Ha said, opening one eye. It looked as though Little Smile-Li was trying to hide a secret.
"Cmon Smiley, everyone knows you're a bad liar. You can't hide secrets from me." Smiley smiled as he began laughing, trying to contain his excitement.
"Okay. You're not suppose to tell anyone, okay?" Smiley added, to which Peng Ha remained nonchalant.
"There's talk that Wayne will summon Aaron to join in on the brawl to even the scales." Demi groaned at Smiley's statement.
"Why is this fight even happening?" I asked. The boys shrugged.
"Tons of gossip going around. Some saying YSK got bribed, others saying it's cause Devil wants to test his might before he uses his boys for his own gain. It's the Devil we're talking about bro, the kid will find any excuse to brawl." Little Smile-Li began.
"But as I dug deeper, it's over that Julie Pham girl." Little Smile-Li coughed, getting our attention as I leaned closer, his tone softening.
"Julie? Didn't she instigate the YKB and SB brawl?" Demi pointed out, stiffening up.
"If this war is over a girl then they're clearly needing glasses because I'm way better looking than her in all regards." Demi said, rolling her eyes.
"Demi you should know better that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I'm sure the guy willing to go to war for her has his reasons." Smiley started.
"And who's the unfortunate guy?" Peng Ha asked.
"Jordan Nguyen." Smiley replied.
"The kid that's part of YKB's original four?" Ha asked, digging deeper. Smiley nodded.
"Despite being part of YKB myself, I don't have much information I can provide other than the fact that he's superior in battle. He really keeps to himself, and the close boys who do know him respect his boundaries enough not to say anything; that's traditional YKB loyalty for you." Smiley sighed.
"I can't get an accurate reading of how strong he truly is, yet everyone isn't afraid to point him as the strongest kid in YKB." Smiley leaned back from his seat, a brief silence filled the air before Smiley opened his mouth again. Peng Ha remained focused on the conversation despite his eyes remaining closed.
"If Jordan's the strongest why won't he lead?" Peng Ha asked.
"I was at the St. Albans Pool Lounge when Joshua showed face to try and end the war. Devil said something that made me think till this day." Smiley started, everyone's eyes were fixated on Little Smile-Li.
"He explained that day that you don't have to be the strongest to lead, but to be able to have the ability to bare the burden of everyone's problems." Smiley paused before continuing.
"He also said that you must demonstrate enough strength that begs for everyone's obedience." Smiley concluded. Peng Ha nodded in acknowledgement.
"I could definitely learn a thing or two from Devil. It's not wonder why everyone follows him without question. When you have the ability to inspire you have the power to plant the required seed used to mould his soldiers the way he wants them." Peng Ha scoffed.
"Almost like he can brainwash you." Peng Ha pointed out.
"Well it speaks levels if someone like Devil can tame all the YKB kids. Goes to show that you don't have to grind to the top in order to get what you deserve; in other words if you can show you're worthy of respect then you don't have to kill yourself to be what you think everyone expects you to be; if that makes sense." Everyone nodded in agreement at my one and only contribution, to which Peng Ha smiled at me.
"Damn Jacky, you're smarter than I thought. Maybe you could be a good leader one day." Peng Ha laughed, to which Little Smile-Li leaned over and patted me on the head aggressively.