Alfie sat at the table with Mr Huang in the basement of the restaurant. The room was silent apart from the noise of the restaurant-goers above.
He’d known Huang for a long time, though interestingly he’d never learnt his first name, but as far back as he could remember, Huang and his family had been living in the heart of Chinatown, running a gambling business, drug trafficking, money laundering as well as – rumour had it – people trafficking. He was also a loan shark. Fierce and ferocious, Huang certainly was not someone to be messed with.
Huang was part of, or rather the head of the clan of Triads in the area. A huge crime organisation, which still had its ties in China and Taiwan. In the past Alfie hadn’t had a good relationship with the Triads, mainly because he’d been trying to set up his own gambling club over in Soho, something they hadn’t taken too kindly to. In fact, he had the war wounds to prove it when they’d come into his club threatening him, cutting off part of his finger to give him a friendly warning to stop running the club.
What had followed had been a bit of a turf war, but eventually they’d settled their differences and given each other a respectful understanding. Though there was certainly no love lost between the parties; neither of them particularly liked each other, though it wasn’t a question of liking, it was a question of business. And when the interest they charged on any loan was three hundred per cent – along with a pound of flesh if need be – then he knew they would do business with anyone. Even him.
Huang, a slender-faced man in his late sixties, with a head of thick black straight hair, pushed his round glasses up to the top of his nose as he stared at Alfie in bemusement. ‘Mr Jennings, we’ve known each other for a long time, and I would say you’re certainly a successful businessman. I would also say you knew how to run your firm with fairness, as well as knowing a good deal when it came your way. The one thing I wouldn’t have said about you though, was that you were a fool. Mr Jennings, what you’ve just said to me now is what I consider foolish. Our rates are high and our consequences for not paying are even higher.’
Alfie nodded. ‘If you know all that about me, then you’ll also know I haven’t taken this decision lightly. You’ll know that at the moment, you’re my only option.’
Huang looked at Alfie before pouring himself a cup of green tea from the delicate china pot that sat on the table. ‘Maybe that should worry me. If we’re the only option, then things must be really bad.’
‘No, not bad, I’m just in a hurry. I need the money by tomorrow and I’ve had a cash flow problem because as you know, the club has been shut down due to the fire. But that doesn’t mean I’m not capable of paying you back.’
‘So how do you propose to pay us back, bearing in mind the interest we charge?’
‘On a re-mortgage. The house in Soho Square, I’ll re-mortgage that.’
Huang shrugged, pulling a face. ‘But I’ve always been under the impression that house was Ms Doyle’s, given to her by her father, Patrick.’
Irritated by all the questions, Alfie couldn’t stop himself from snapping, ‘Look, I don’t ask you how you keep your books in order, so I don’t appreciate you asking me.’
Huang gave a nasty smile. ‘Mr Jennings, the difference is, I don’t come and ask you for half a million pounds.’
‘I get that, but I can pay you back.’
‘You do realise that the reason I’m saying all this is for your own good. That I’m just making sure you have the resources to pay the loan back because I would hate to have to get my men to force the money out of you. After all, we go back a long way.’
Alfie’s voice was firm. ‘With respect, I know what I’m doing and there won’t be any need for extreme measures. Like I say, I’m good for the money, and if for any reason that proved to be untrue, then, Mr Huang, I’m willing to take the consequences of any decisions I make.’
Huang nodded. He remained silent for a few moments before pushing the piles of money, which were sitting in the middle of the table, towards Alfie. He stood up and walked to the door, turning back to look at Alfie. ‘It’s all there, Mr Jennings, and I do hope for your sake what you’re saying is the truth.’
After Huang had left the room, Alfie sat there with the money in front of him, wondering quite what Franny would say when he told her she’d have to re-mortgage her house.