Post by Lei Wulong on Jan 5, 2018 0:17:59 GMT -5
Tekken RP Christmas Special
The two men got out of the car as they made their way into the office, where one of the men in charge of setting up the rental waited. He stood up as he shook Lei’s hand.
“Ah, Mr. Lei, I’ve been expecting you.”
“Yeah… got make that long drive to Shanghai tomorrow morning.”
The clerk instructed Lei to follow him outside. “Ahh, yes… Shanghai. Taking the whole family?”
“Yeah. Got the kids. We’re gonna see my brother.”
Zakk followed the two men, as he listened silently, as this was something that didn’t involve him. After all, Zakk was only there to pick up the van.
“And there she is.”
The clerk stops in front of a Buick Enclave. This isn’t the car that Lei asked to rent. He called up the place and they told him that they had a pearl-white Nissan Quest ready for rental. Instead, this is a black Buick SUV. Everyone knows SUV’s suck.
“Where?” Lei asked, looking around.
“Right here. The SUV.”
“Pops, this is not the van you ordered.” Zakk finally blurted.
“Take it easy, Wanrei. This is not the car I ordered. I distinctly asked for a pearl-white Nissan Quest. You said you had it ready for pick-up.”
“You’re not the guy who asked for a Buick?”
“No, I asked for a Nissan Quest. I can’t go fit six passengers in my Evo IV. I’ll be damned if I even have to stuff someone in the trunk.”
“Look, the Buick Enclave is a solid choice. You get seating for up to seven passengers, you got a blu-ray player, back-up camera, and you even got space for your cargo. It beats the hell out of the minivan if you ask me. It’s better suited to the job, in my honest opinion.”
“I didn’t ask for your honest opinion.” Lei pointed an accusatory finger. “All I wanted was the pearl-white Nissan Quest.”
“Listen… I’ll get to the bottom of this.” The clerk quickly shouted at a worker who was cleaning the cars, as Lei shook his head.
“Are you sure this isn’t a mix-up?” Zakk asked Lei.
Lei put both hands in his pockets. “I don’t know. I mean, it is hard to rent a minivan, considering everybody and their mother wants one. It is the holidays… maybe that Nissan got taken before we got here.”
Finally, the clerk came back. “I know what must have happened! It didn’t come in!”
Lei then sneezed in his arm before finally speaking. “Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot to tell you. I’m allergic to bullshit. Look, I called the place like 20 minutes ago before I got here, and you said that you had the Nissan Quest available for pick-up, hence why my son and I are here… to… pick it up!”
Zakk has heard that his dad was well known for his quick temper. He’s never known Lei to lose his temper, but it was probably because as Lei got older his temper was more under control… but here. It was evident. Lei was pretty much pissed. And he had a good reason. Rental company tells you they have a car, and then tell you they don’t have it, so instead they try to refer you to another car that might get the job done, but still… it was the principle.
“Now, I’d like my pearl-white Nissan Quest right now! If you can’t get it for me, then I’ll take my business elsewhere!”
Lei then turned around as he walked away to get back into his small sedan. They could just use Elise’s car. Li-Mei was going to have to sit in somebody’s lap. This was literally the only place that had a minivan for renting, and maybe it won’t happen.
“Wait! Sir! We do have a Nissan Quest! It just came back from the shop this morning!”
Lei stopped what he was doing. “Really now? You’re just gonna wait for me to walk away before YOU FINALLY get me what I asked for? Really? Tch. No wonder Amazon is running you out of business.” Lei closed his car door and turned around as Zakk did the same.
Lei followed the man in their garage where he saw the charcoal-slate Nissan Quest. But this is an older one. Much, much older. But Lei didn’t mind. It was a minivan. Yes, it was an ugly car, and Lei would have preferred the pearl-white 2020 model, the one he was asking for, but he can handle the ugly-ass 2013 van. As the father-son duo left, unbeknownst to them, the white 2020 Nissan Quest that Lei had requested was actually in the back, getting washed.
Lei finally arrived, parking his car in its spot in the garage. After parking the car, Lei grabs a tarp and covers the car with it. Usually, residents don’t ask to two a vehicle if it is covered. Also, this was a 20-year-old vehicle, and a lot of people find it to be an eyesore. It’s not rusty. It’s well taken care of. But still, it’s not a super nice or special car. The car is just a blue 1997 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV with a big-ass wing.
Finally, the car was covered as Lei awaited his son’s arrival with the van. Zakk arrived, parking the van in its place. Lei smiled glad that the whole ordeal at the rental place was over.
Zakk hops out of the van, placing both hands in his pocket as he got out, following Lei to his apartment.
“So, how’d it drive?”
“Eh… it’s a little bumpy, but otherwise… it’s in good shape. It turns well, however it makes like this… creaking noise.”
“It’s an old car. That’s to be expected. Plus, it came from the shop. But hopefully, it can last the twelve-hour drive that we are going to embark on.”
“I sure hope so.”
“Also, Zakk… you take care of the first six-hours. I’ll handle the rest.”
“Sounds good…”
Lei smiled. Finally, Elise showed up, parking her SUV right next to the minivan. She steps out of the car, surprised to see the van.
“Wulong, is that the right car?” she was very confused.
“No, it isn’t honey… I uh… changed my mind. This one was cheaper to rent…” Lei smiled sheepishly, wrapping one arm around Elise, reeling her in closer, kissing her forehead.
“If you say so.”
“We should start loading the van.” Zakk suggested.
Lei released himself from Elise. “Good idea son.”
The very next day, everyone was loaded and settled in the van. Since Zakk was driving the first six hours, Lei was going to rest in the third row and take a nap back there. Elise was going to sit in the passenger’s seat. Katya was behind Elise, as Li-Mei sat in the middle with her booster seat, and Xianlong was exactly behind Zakk. Everyone got all their luggage and suitcases in the van just fine, as well as food and snacks. Lei got himself settled in the back, as he curls up in a ball and goes to sleep.
“We got the maps and everything ready?” Zakk asks Elise.
“Yes, we do. I got the addresses written down here, too.”
“So what’s our first stop?”
“We’ll stop to have lunch at Xiamen. We can check out the Shuzhuang Garden.”
“That sounds swell.”
“And then, once we hit Fuzhou, Wulong will take over and drive until we hit Mt. Huangshan. We can stop there for dinner. And finally, we hit Shanghai and go sleep there at your uncle’s manor.”
“Sounds like a plan!”
“And of course on Christmas, you have to take Li-Mei with you and drop her off at her mother’s house after you catch a plane to your mother’s house.”
“Yes… I’m aware.”
“Good. So looks like we have everything in order.”
“Indeed.”
Zakk gets in the car, as Elise punches in the address to Fulong’s place in Shanghai and drives on their minivan as they head on out to drive 12 hours to Shanghai. Well, it is going to be more, since they are making stops along the way, but hey? It’s a nice long drive. Li-Mei was passed out, asleep in her car seat, fastened down tightly. Xianlong was asleep, too. Only, Elise, Katya, and Zakk were all wide-awake. Katya was currently occupied with her phone, playing a game.
“Let’s fire her up.”
Zakk turned the key, but the car didn’t start. He turned it again. No result. He tried it four more times. Still nothing. All the car did was click. It didn’t even turnover. He looked at the gas gauge. It was still at full. Zakk and Lei filled it up yesterday. What was wrong with this damned thing? He steps out, asking Elise for her assistance as he pops open the hood. Zakk didn’t know what he was looking at, and neither did Elise.
“Everything looks fine…” Zakk said to Elise.
“I agree. Looks normal to me.”
“Yeah… it does…” Zakk laughs nervously.
“Someone stole the battery.”
Zakk and Elise both jumped when Lei appeared behind them.
“Why would they do that?” Zakk asks Lei in confusion.
“Because crackheads are looking for a quick fix, so they steal random shit from a car to make a quick buck so they can go get their fix. I mean, Wanrei, you of all people should know this, too… I mean, you’re a detective, for my ancestor’s sake!”
“I’m an Interpol Homicide Detective. I don’t work with drug addicts and petty thievery.”
“Well, anyway… we should go buy a battery.”
“But the auto parts store doesn’t open for another two hours.”
“Screw it. Elise, give me the keys to your Toyota.”
Elise handed Lei the keys to her car and waited as Lei returned to the apartment to grab a toolbox. He pops open the hood and removes the battery to Elise’s car and moves it into the minivan. Lei closes both hoods as he sighed. He asked Zakk to try starting the car, and sure enough, it started as the car started beeping as the display started working. Lei brings the tools and puts it in the back.
“I have a feeling that there is more to come.” Lei muttered. “This is just the beginning.”
With that said, Lei returns back into his sleeping spot in the third row and goes back to sleep.
Zakk managed to make the drive all the way to their first stop without incident. The van ran just fine, albeit a little squeaky. Though everyone else was finally awake, as Li-Mei was complaining about food. Everyone stopped at a restaurant inside the Shuzhuang Garden. Everyone also took pictures and enjoyed the sights. They even got souvenirs. However, Lei returned to see that the parking spot was empty. He then noted that the sign was for compact cars only… and well… it would appear that the van got towed.
“Damnit, Wanrei, did you not read the sign?”
Zakk shrugged. “I didn’t think the van would get towed.”
Lei sighed.
“What are we going to do now? All our stuff is in the van!” Xianlong panicked.
“Can we walk home?”
“Nope… we’re going to have to walk down and get our vehicle back. C’mon… let’s go.” Lei fished for his daughter’s hand as he walked her down the street. Elise followed behind, along with Zakk and Xianlong and Katya.
“You should have paid attention to the sign.” Xianlong said to Zakk.
“I didn’t think they would be that strict.”
“Wanrei, we’re in China. China is very strict in their laws… It wasn’t until recently that people were allowed to buy cars.”
Zakk shrugged. “Yeah. My bad.”
The family did finally manage to get the van back from the tow yard. Everything was fine, except for Lei’s wallet. But so far, things are fine. The van started again, and nothing was stolen. So, looks like the next eight hours are going to be great. Except… the car just immediately stalled just before they hit Fuzhou. Zakk pulls over, and asks Lei to get out and check the damage. The two stepped outside to check under the hood. Lei examined the area, as Zakk watched, trying to learn. He watched as Lei opened a box, and in it was some black thing.
“Looks like the air filter is clogged up. They didn’t replace it.” Lei muttered.
“Air filter? That thing? Really?”
“Yep. Not getting any air can cause an engine to stall.”
“So what do we do?”
“We go to an auto parts store and get a new air filter.”
“But we’re stuck on a highway!”
“Yeah. So… I guess we have to call an uber.” Lei smirked. “Wanrei, stay with the family. I’ll go get the air filter. Also… the rental car company is going to get in touch with my lawyer, soon.”
After Lei got an Uber, Zakk stayed with the family as everyone was panicking.
“Should we call a tow truck?” Xianlong suggested.
“Are we stranded?” Katya asked.
“Where’s Baba!” Li-Mei shouted.
The three girls all said this all at the same time. Elise tried to calm everyone down.
“Relax! Wulong just went to get a new air filter! Do not fret, for he shall return!”
That kept everyone quiet. Until Li-Mei, being the curious little tyke that she is, had to open her mouth.
“What if Baba doesn’t return?” she asks.
“Then… I dunno… we get this van towed and get a better rental.” Zakk thought.
“Are we going to make it to Uncle Fulong’s?”
“Yes. We are. Definitely.”
However, not too long after, someone showed up, asking the family if they needed assistance. Zakk wasn’t fluent in Mandarin, but thankfully Xianlong stepped in and explained the situation. The person who offered to help refused to leave the family alone, despite Xianlong informing them that help was on the way. Xianlong then agreed to let the man in the flatbed trailer stay with them. Eventually, Lei arrives from his uber, who dropped him off. Lei talked with the guy who stayed with his family and thanked him for his concern. Lei then swapped out the air filter, and the car started. It ran for about a few minutes before dying. Lei tried again. Same result. Lei sighed, thinking that the throttle was now corrupted. Lei grabbed his tools, taking apart the throttle, cleaning it with his coat, before finally starting the car one last time. Lei let it run for a few minutes until he decided that it was safe to drive off. The man who stayed behind left, as Lei finally took off.
“Only six more hours to go.” Lei muttered. “I doubt that we will run into more problems in the future.”
And wrong he was. Literally, just thirty minutes outside of Shanghai, the van broke down once again. Lei pulled over as the car made some horrible clanking noise, as smoke came from the hood. The engine immediately failed as Lei rested his head on the steering wheel of the van.
“Now what?” Xianlong asked.
“Are we stranded for real now?” Katya added.
Elise massaged Lei’s shoulder, trying to comfort him as she could tell, he was not happy.
“We were almost in Shanghai. ALMOST in Shanghai. We couldn’t just hold out that much longer?”
“That means we can call your brother to come get us.”
Lei groaned. “And what am I to do with this piece of shit? I should have just walked away.”
After gaining the strength to get out of his car and go check the engine bay, now it was nighttime. Lei grabbed a flashlight to go check out what is under the hood. The van was smoking, and it was dark. He really couldn’t see what he was working with, but judging by the smoke, the sound, and all the fluids leaking on the ground it could only mean one thing: the rod got thrown. Lei could only sigh. That meant this was the end of this van’s journey. It’s over.
Lei then called the nearest tow shop and then called his brother to come get him. Elise then got out of the van, noticing something was wrong.
“What happened?”
“Elise, honey… the van… it just expired.”
“So, what are we going to do now?”
“Take it to a tow yard, get my brother to come get us, call a lawyer, and contact the rental agency. This van did not even have oil.” Lei groaned. “They didn’t change the oil on that poor thing! Somebody clearly was not doing their job!”
“Wulong… remain calm.”
“Calm! How the hell am I going to remain calm when this fucking van blew up?”
“Wulong. Listen to me.” Elise said this in a stern manner. “We are only 30 minutes outside of Shanghai. Standing there complaining is not going to solve anything!”
“I already called the tow shop, and I already called my brother.”
“Then it’s fine. The problem is solved. You have nothing to complain about any more.”
“I spent my hard-earned cash on this fucking van! And the little fucker throws a fucking rod! And then I fucking have to buy a fucking lawyer, and get my fucking settlement, and just… FUCK! Just FUCK IT!” Lei punched a headlight out in rage, accidentally breaking the lamp with his fist. Lei looked his now bleeding hand before sighing. “Damnit, now I can’t get a refund…”
Elise stood by and waited for Lei to calm down as the tow truck finally arrived at the scene. As the tow truck towed the vehicle, Lei noticed something glimmering on the ground. He picked it up, and sighed.
“Yep, it threw a rod. Looks like the Quest is over now…” Lei chuckled quietly to himself.
“Not quite. We still have a few miles to go.” Zakk replied.
Lei rolled his eyes at his son. He didn’t get the joke. And nobody did.
“Wanrei is correct. Your brother is going to help us finish the quest.”
“It’s a joke. People. The van is a Nissan Quest, and one of the cylinder rods flew off. The Quest is literally over. Get it? Eh? Eh?”
Nobody seemed rather impressed.
“So, seriously, are we like really stranded now?” Katya asked again for the last time, at which everyone except Li-Mei shouted, “NO!”
Christmas for the Leis went on as usual. Lei’s brother managed to pick them up, and take them back to his manor. Everyone enjoyed spending time with the family and just enjoying the holidays. The following evening, Zakk was sent off with Li-Mei to go back to Hong-Kong, as the rest of the family stayed in the manor for two more days before finally catching a plane back to Hong-Kong. Unfortunately, due to a mix-up at the tow yard, the rental van got destroyed, and Lei had no vehicle to return. Thankfully, the rental agency didn’t charge Lei a vehicle destruction fee. Instead, the rental agency didn’t ask for more money, other than the rental fee. Seeing that the vehicle had broken down due to lack of maintenance, and the junkyard crushed the wrong vehicle as it wasn’t Lei’s fault, it was best that they just call it even, since Lei could sue the crap out of them.
“Honey, my car will not start!” Elise shouted.
“Wha?” Lei asked, waking up from his slumber.
“The car. It is not running.”
“Gimmie a minute… I’ll come check.” Lei quickly threw on his bathrobes and followed Elise to the parking garage where her RAV4 sat. Lei popped open the hood, and laughed to himself.
“Sweetheart, we removed the battery to put it in the van.” Lei chuckled to himself. “I forgot to go and get a new battery.”
“So, what now?”
“Elise, drive my car to work. I’ll work on getting that battery replaced for you.”
Elise nodded, as Lei ran back in the house to hand Elise the keys to his Mitsubishi. He removed the cover and put it in the trunk. The second Elise got in the car, she was confused. Lei wasn’t sure what her problem is.
“Wulong, honey… the car is a stick.”
“…And? That’s a problem because…”
“I do not know how to drive a stick.”
“Well, then, I guess I’m driving, then.”
