Page 16 - BOOK inside pages as at Aug 8

the Robbery

thing that I wanted was a quarrel or fight. But things did not
turn out the way I had hoped.
Mr. Tan remained adamant. He could have easily settled
his debts, but he would not budge. He felt a sense of power as
he had many followers, and thought that he was untouchable.
Despite having prospered, he refused to repay his debt. He
had breached the code of ethics in the underworld.
I told him that money borrowed had to be returned, and
that he did not “give face” to my boss Li Chai when he refused
to entertain my men who tried to collect the debt but returned
empty-handed one after another. Finally, Li Chai had to assign
me to do the job. Two bulls were about to lock horns.
Mr. Tan raised his voice, and I knew he was not about to
give in. I began to lose my patience. Here was a man who did
not know that I could send him straight to his coffin. “So what
do you want?” he said, scowling. “Who do you think you are?
If I do not pay your boss back, what can you do to me?”
His bodyguards were rolling up their sleeves, ready for a
fight and to show their prowess. The conversation went on for
another five minutes. There was no room for negotiation. A
tough nut like Mr. Tan needed to be taught a good lesson. I was
about to blow my top.
“This is not right, Mr. Tan,” I retorted. “This is too much.
You think you can get away by not paying a single sen! Since
you are insisting on not paying back, I am forced to use what I
have, especially as the soft approach no longer works.”
I whipped out the gun I was carrying in my sling bag.
Pointing the barrel at the wall, I pulled the trigger twice. The
shots were deafening. Suddenly, everything stood still. Mr.
Tan was stunned. The gunfire must have sent chills up his
spine. His bodyguards, who were initially spoiling for a fight,
retreated. They realised that they would end up as dead meat
if they made the wrong move.
The tension was intense as seconds ticked by. Mr. Tan
sat there, frozen. None of his bodyguards dared to interfere.
From being a tough guy, Mr. Tan suddenly became a mewing
kitten. He had no choice but to comply. He knew his life was
hanging by a thread that could snap any time. At a pull of the

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BOOK inside pages.indd 16 08/08/2018 05:43 PM