Pinnacles' Edge 9 Borrowing Money

*I can 'borrow' money from the local minister, Zheng Ping. I have long heard from my colleagues that he is infamous for being the most corrupted politician in the city. Yes, that's way better. Moreover Instead of looting a commoner's house, I better as well clean up some defectors in the society who just fill in their vaults without sparing any glances to the poor people's plight.* Xi Jingfei thought to herself while standing near a wall of the villa She no longer cared for righteousness as long as what she did was not against her own conscience, then she would do it.

She then looked around, it was quite though it was only 7 pm in the evening but there were not many people around and the ones who were there did not spare her another glance thinking she was some beggar because of her torn clothes and muddy sweaty face. But since there was not much light and the starry sky had grown a little dark, they failed to look at her injuries and dried blood.

When no one was looking, the girl got up on her feet, hung both of her hands to the wall of the villa and pulled her body. But because of her hurting bruises and cuts, it took her many attempts before she finally climbed the wall. As soon as she jumped inside, her knees hurt more and she let out a little whimper as she hid herself behind the plants in the villa garden.

As she entered the Minister's villa climbing the wall, she subconsciously thought of her school days when she used to climb the walls in order to bunk cla.s.ses. *Bro Jiang, do you remember how me and my friends used to bunk cla.s.ses in my school time and you being the head boy of the school would run around to catch us. For this, you would nag me back at home too and I would make cute faces to appease your anger or would start to cry crocodile tears or complain to Dad. You would sometimes tell mother about it and she would ask me if I didn't want to go to school at all but the next day she would still prepare me lunch so I would go to school. Bro Jiang, come back please, nag me all you want. I swear, I won't say anything, okay? Just come back, I won't fight with you, I'll take every advise of you and live by it, okay. Please...* Thinking about her past, her parents, her sibling, the girl sat there and cried without making any sounds so as to not be discovered by anyone.
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Soon she composed herself and looked around. A guard was standing at the gate but no other person was in sight. She moved with difficulty and checked the doors and windows. *How come there's no security here? Is Zheng Ping not scared that someone would cause trouble here? Or maybe he is too powerful in the city that no one actually come here and it's only in the evening, maybe the security will come by the night? Whatever. It's good that no one's here so I can do my work easily and escape.*

There was an open window on the ground floor which let her enter the villa effortlessly. The girl went in. She then checked room after room in search of money when she finally arrived at the Minister's bedroom. Looking through his furniture, she found a safe. Taking out a hairpin out of the Minister's wife's dressing table placed on one side of the bed, she tried her luck.

*It isn't my first time opening a safe this way. I had learnt this art from one of my colleagues, back in the Administrative Office. Those subordinates of mine used to bet who could open a safe without keys. I was a newbie in the office that time so it was unusual that I would know about such a thing going in the office in break time. One day I saw them and joined in just for fun. But I couldn't do it. One of them taught me later and it was then that I found out he was a former thief. For many days, I kept trying and finally be learnt. After that, within the Administrative Office, no one was my match in this regard. I could do it quickly and swiftly, so they all brought different types of safe and vaults as if it was some tournament going on. I could open them all. I never knew these things that I did just for fun in the past, would come handy in my dire needs.*

She opened the safe and took 'some' money, around two hundred thousand US dollars, leaving a note that read:

"Next time please keep a better quality safe and yes, I will use this amount really appreciatively. B-bye ;) "

By the time the Minister came back the safe was already empty and the 'thief' had flown away. He sat there scratching his head throwing a fit wailing inside. Had the opposition made a move or slander him he would have called all kinds of media outlets, magazines, newspapers, TV, all of them, to hype the events, but now he couldn't even involve the police or media or else his corruption charges will surface. Thinking this he instructed his guards that came with him to go and look for the thief and bring him there. The guards went in and out, checked CCTVs countless times. They found out that a slender figure had climbed the wall but nothing more could be found because the Minister hadn't installed any CCTV inside the villa. They could only look further from this small clue but Zheng Ping stopped them all for fear of being found out by his opponents.

.......

Before setting out to her journey, she once again went to adieu her farewell to her family when she saw Lu Cheng there, talking with the local authorities.

Xi Jingfei: "I'm sorry, Chengcheng. I can't be your life partner anymore because from here starts my expedition which may never cross your path ever again. I may bring you the same fatality as my family so I say farewell to you here. Goodbye."

She couldn't bring herself to go in front of him. So she simply went away without looking back again.

........

A 24-year old girl was pushed to a corner and it solely depended on her whether she bounces back or stays there, regretting. But she was determined to take charge and go forward.

It was almost night when she finished "borrowing" money. She went to the market place, bought some clothes and a pair of shoes because until now she was just dragging along herself in shreds of clothes and shoes that she wore on her day of kidnap but they were torn on sides because she fell a few times and reeled the others. She also bought some medication to tend to her injuries. After that she went to a hotel near the market place and checked in.

For the past few days she didn't sleep at all. Earlier, the days and nights went walking, or maybe crawling and limping should be better words to describe the act. And after reaching City L, she was either busy robbing or hiding herself from everyone. The days pa.s.sed quite eventfully and nights were no less.

Finally, after the sixth day of her run from that creepy place, she got a chance to lie down and rest. The girl sat on the bed and took off her clothes. Then looked at the red blood and black bruises all over her body. Taking the change of clothes she had just bought, she went in the bathroom and took shower. As the hot water touched her bare skin, she s.h.i.+vered all over. The water had turned red and muddy and her skin looked fairer, her injuries and cuts, more apparent. Draping the bath coat, she came out and medicated her wounds. Then wore the clothes she got herself and went to bed.

Xi Jingfei rested her head over the head board of the bed to get in a comfortable posture. Closing her eyes, she soon went back in her childhood.

Walking down the memory lane, she reminisced how she used to go around bullying her sibling and still being doted on being the youngest. Her elder brother, Xi Jiang, would sometimes go mad for this hypocritical behavior of his parents. Like just how could they abandon their own flash and blood for an adopted child of theirs'? He would frown and go all fluffy faced the whole day, but eventually a little pretty smile of the girl and the whole drama would vanish in thin air like it never happened.

For this reason, Xi Jingfei would address him not as "Bro Jiang" but as "Melodrama Baby". Sometimes when each needed something from the other, their act may even be cuter than newlyweds, while some other days there would be a world war 3 going on in their house, by the end of which the house would look no less than a dump yard.

….......

Xi Jiang was yelling from his bedroom, "Mom! Have you seen my new s.h.i.+rt I bought yesterday?"

Oh yes, another attribute of our sweet Xi Jingfei was that she was a little too obsessed with her brother's clothes. Like her parents may give her millions dollars to buy her dresses but she would rather choose her "Melodrama Baby's" s.h.i.+rts and flaunt everywhere, especially in front of him.

Mrs Xi was in the kitchen preparing breakfast for the siblings. "No, Sweetie. Maybe you should try asking your sister."

Xi Jiang was a little annoyed hearing her name. "This little pain in neck. I'm definitely locking my cupboard next time, she even took away my new s.h.i.+rt I haven't even wore for once. Humph! I'll seriously teach her a lesson today." Xi Jiang made his way to the girl's room. Both of them lived on the first floor while their parents lived on the ground. Occasionally their uncle's family visited them and their rooms were on the second floor.

Xi Jingfei, lazily answering from her room, while wearing that "thing" which once was called a s.h.i.+rt but now after her modification is now turned into her dress, "Which s.h.i.+rt are you looking for, Melodrama Baby? There's no more s.h.i.+rts here. Hehehe!!" The girl then ran out of her room and went down to her mother for protection.

Mrs Xi: "...."

Xi Jiang: "...."

"Mom!!! Look at her, she's again wearing my s.h.i.+rt..... Ah I forgot it's no longer a s.h.i.+rt..." Xi Jiang was whining in the loudest of his pitch while his mother was simply looking at him with helplessness, and then turned around to her princess who was giggling with no pause.

Mrs Xi scolded Xi Jingfei, "You are already 18 now and you still behave like kindergartens. Didn't you buy yourself a new jeans the other day, why are you still taking your brother's s.h.i.+rt?......" Mrs Xi went on until Xi Jiang himself came to meddle between the two ladies. Xi Jiang himself doted on Jingfei a lot. He maybe whining around all day long, but wouldn't let anyone else scold her. Xi Jiang practically spoiled her more than anyone else.

*How my sweet fairy tale was, but now nothing is left* she thought as a tear drop made its way down from her closed eyes to her soft cheeks.

.......

The next day, Xi Jingfei set out to buy some daily needs. The local vendors were talking among themselves,

"She is quite pretty but why is she here in this market place and not some big mall, I wonder."

"Don't you remember, she came yesterday as well though she only bought some new clothes and went off."

"She's really eye catching."

Xi Jingfei realized they were talking about her. Standing in front of a mirror shop, she looked into a mirror and a.n.a.lysed herself. Yes, she definitely was too radiant to go unnoticed. But this wasn't what she wanted. She wasn't supposed to leave any trails. So she went and buy some more clothes and accessories needed.

After going back to her room in the hotel, Xi Jingfei did her own makeover, from a charming fairy princess to a not-so-good-looking tom boy. Though she wasn't going to suit her new look, but well that's how the world worked, not everything needs to be in place, but it'll still be good.