A pale hand had snatched away the piece of paper before he could pick it up. The man had a head of beautiful golden hair, but the face underneath, while handsome, carried a malicious air. He was someone who distanced himself from others.
“We meet again. What a coincidence, is it not?” Without an invitation, Albert sat down in the chair Gino previously occupied with a slight smile. “In order to not interrupt your conversation with that gentleman, I couldn’t help but find someone to call him away. I’m very attentive, am I not?”
What did Albert mean by he didn’t want to interrupt and instead resorted to having someone call Gino away? Tang Feng found it difficult to understand Albert’s train of thought. He was sure about one thing however: he didn’t like coming across Albert, even by chance.
“Sir, I don’t know who you are.” Quickly leave, you bastard!
They were in a public location and were surrounded by waiters and other patrons of the coffee shop. Tang Feng didn’t believe Albert would dare do something in a crowded place like this.
Albert waved the slip of paper Gino left behind. “Your words hurt me.”
“Please return the paper to me,” Tang Feng said coolly.
Holding the piece of paper in one hand, Albert pulled out a lighter from his pockets. Just when he was about to light the paper on fire, Tang Feng flung the remainder of his coffee at him. Expressionlessly, Tang Feng said, “The air is really dry here. Be careful, things can catch on fire easily.”
Albert didn’t anticipate Tang Feng’s action. He lifted his eyes and glanced at the other, only smiling faintly in response. Albert crumpled the slip of paper into a ball and dropped it into a half-filled coffee cup. Even if Tang Feng were to pull it out now, he wouldn’t be able to decipher what was written on it.
“That piece of paper will harm you. Hollywood stars are all a bunch of whores who look glamorous on the outside but are ruined on the inside.” In a gentlemanly manner, Albert voiced out his opinions with the ugliest words possible. As a former Hollywood star, Tang Feng stood up to leave. The quicker he could get away from Albert the better.
Albert gave a quiet clap of his hands. “Mr. Tang, please wait.”
The waiters standing around the coffee shop moved at the same time and walked toward the other customers’ tables. Tang Feng didn’t know what they said to the customers, but everyone quickly cleared out of the coffee shop.
Soon, only Albert, Tang Feng, and the tall, suspicious-looking waiters remained.
“Please sit.” Albert smiled politely at Tang Feng. He then picked up a napkin and dabbed at the coffee that had splashed onto his clothes.
Tang Feng glanced at the waiters who were blocking the exits and slowly returned to his seat.
“Mr. Albert, I don’t know how I’ve provoked you, but I’m only a third-rate celebrity from a foreign country. I don’t think I’m worthy enough for someone like you to personally entertain.” The only thing left that Tang Feng could be glad for was that it was still daytime. But looking at Albert’s coffee-splattered clothes, Tang Feng couldn’t help but sigh. He didn’t expect Albert to have switched the coffee shop’s waiters with his own men. He wasn’t part of the criminal world after all!
Tossing the napkin aside, Albert snapped his fingers loudly and clearly. Quickly, a waiter came over and poured them two fresh cups of coffee. “I know you don’t like sugar in your coffee. Oh, of course, I’m talking about the current you.
“I’ve looked up your background. You used to like both sugar and milk in your coffee. No, it would be more accurate to say you didn’t like coffee at all. I don’t know how you’ve suddenly developed a liking for it.” With a doubtful expression on his face, Albert sighed. He laced his fingers into a fist and rested his chin on it. Looking at the man opposite of him, he said, “It’s truly strange. You used to be a type that I’m completely uninterested in.
“The past you is like one of those soulless, rich punks you can see everywhere around the corner in New York. Just like them, you didn’t know how you would live each day. You had a large inheritance, but your terrible lifestyle soon left you scraping the bottom of the barrel for money. In the end, you had to sell your house to pay back your debts. Despite this, no one would feel any sympathy for you. There are plenty of people leading lives worse than yours in this world. But the past you decided to give up all hope. I don’t like useless trash like you.” Albert leaned backwards, crossed his legs, and tapped a finger on his knee. “Looking at you now, however, I am incapable of connecting the current version of you to the past version.”
“I’ve already forgotten about my past.” Tang Feng didn’t understand why Albert specifically came looking for him. Right now, he could only move one step at a time and test the waters.
Albert broke into quiet laughter, an all-knowing expression on his face. “In a deck of tarot cards, there’s a card called Death. Usually, people are terrified of drawing the Death card. However, rather than actual death, the Death card typically signifies the ending of the past and the beginning of a new future. Committing suicide by leaping into the sea is the result of the despair you felt over your past life. After being reborn, you obviously will not be the same person.”
“Mr. Albert, are you here to talk about the meaning of life with me?”