Weigh Out Way-In

CHAPTER 36

Rooster doesn't hesitate. There is an intruder trying to interfere with the operation. He attacks Magpie but Magpie dodges the attack. Rooster turns around but now sees a big beast by Magpie. He decides to retreat but Kunming comes to his aid. However Brown Bear's big paw swings and hits Kunming's hind leg so Kunming winces and retreats too. Tiger jumps on Brown Bear but manages to make only superficial scratches on Bear's thick skin and abundant fur. Brown Bear shakes him off his back and snaps at Tiger's tail. Tiger turns around and makes a deep cut in Bear's snout with his claws. Bear's big paw strikes Tiger's head. Tiger feels a bit dizzy and withdraws to his comrades and they make a defence formation. Bear, Magpie and Rudolph also get quickly together. Wolverine runs out of his hiding place to them too. Each team estimates their opponent but stays in their positions without making a move.

Monkey sees the opponent may be too strong. There may be casualties. He doesn't want to lose any of his comrades and it seems the opposing team is hesitating too. Monkey says both in English and in Chinese, 'You may beat us but you cannot beat our back-up which is better equipped and much more numerous than you. You are under siege. So you'd better surrender. '

Panda appears from behind the foreign team.

Tiger commands Panda to attack these strangers but is surprised; he goes to them as if he knew them.

Tiger roars, 'Traitor. Panda is a traitor.' Then he hurls his accusations directly at Panda, 'Just wait and see when this is over. You'll be charged with a treachery and a conspiracy against your people, which is in fact against all of us.'

Panda translates both the messages into English. Both the teams have a separate negotiation between the team members.

Fox is still hiding in the bushes but can hear what both the parties are saying. Rudolph receives the following message from Fox:

'The first message is probably correct, we are outnumbered by them so we are going to lose in the end. But the second message is a load of baloney. Just trying to scare Panda off by going to extremes, to pursuade him to turn against us.'

Tiger adds, 'Do you have any legal permission to be in this country?'

Rudolph answers, 'We came here to get Wolverine back to Lapland. Away from this country.'

You didn't answer my question!

We didn't come here to make any trouble but to help our friend Wolverine go back to Finland.

Maybe you are just too slow to understand the question so I'll repeat the question. So

D-o y-o-u h-a-v-e a-n-y L-E-G-A-L r-i-g-h-t t-o b-e i-n C-h-i-n-a? A-n-y V-I-S-A?

Panda turns to his friends and asks, 'Well, do you have any document to prove you are not trespassing here?'

No.

What?!

Magpie, I gave you the very specific instructions how to obtain a visa! First arrive in Hong Kong. Then take a boat from Hong Kong to Shekou Port in Shenzhen in mainland China. When you come to the customs in Shekou Port you can get a visa there to enter the country more or less immediately.

This really sheds new light on our situation and on my position.

I trusted you take care of getting a visa but it seems you didn't follow my advice!

Do you know what kind of consequences this might now have on my situation?

No, we don't.

They may pass sentence on me for assisting you to come here illegally because you arrived here after our discussions on WeChat.

Calm down my dear friend. We'll sort this out, we'll sort this out.

Tiger says, 'It seems you don't have the right to be here. Didn't anyone teach you these things before you came here?!'

Rooster is eager to join in the discussion and boasts 'I often teach my comrade Kunming how to act in certain situations. Then he knows what to do next.'

He is interrupted by Tiger with this riddle:

You Rooster teach your comrade Kunming, don't you.

Sure I do.

So basically you can be compared to a teacher.

Yes, I think so. You could put it that way.

Well then. I have a riddle for you. I think you can solve it since you are a teacher.

Okay.

A dog (gou3) and a wolf (lang2) are a couple and have a baby animal together. What do you call this baby in Chinese?

Lang2gou3.

Congratulations. It is indeed the right answer.

And what if a tiger (lao3hu3) and a lion (shi1zi) gets a baby, what is it called?

I don't know.

What did you say because I couldn't quite hear?

I DON'T KNOW.

It is lao3shi1.

After hearing this, Rooster felt embarrassed and didn't start giving advice to Kunming or anyone else any more. He understood the meaning of lao3shi1 and realised Tiger wanted him to be quiet.

Then Tiger turns again to the intruders and asks, 'Do you have any idea of what this beast has done here in Shenzhen?'

You tell us. Then we'll get to know.

He has stolen a fish and food several times, has trespassed a couple of times, first in the marketplace, then...

Fox, mastermind of the rescue team, has had enough of these accusations, comes out of his hiding place and starts defending Wolverine.

Trespassed in the marketplace? It is open for everybody, isn't it.

But not for anybody to come and steal something.

But in that case it is an act of theft, not of trespassing, isn't it.

There is some arguing among the pursuers. However, the conversation dies down gradually and Monkey continues,

'He is guilty of theft by stealing a fish and of trespassing too when he entered a restaurant without a permission and ate food there without paying, which is another act of theft. What is even worse in this case of illegally entering the restaurant is that he forced a group of ladies out of the restaurant and one of them twisted her ankle, which means, he caused one of them a bodily harm.'

Fox asks 'Did he touch any of the ladies?'

No.

No? Oh I see. In that case he didn't cause this bodily harm. It was the lady's bad nerves that made her so jumpy that she ran out and hurt herself.'

If the beast hadn't entered with force, this wouldn't have happened.'...

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