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墨書 Inktalez
The Innkeeper squinted slightly and said, "Not yet; they are just watching their bags!" After pausing for a moment, he continued.
The waiter was about to speak when the Innkeeper added, "This time it’s definitely something good; it can’t be wrong! Go outside and see if Zhou Mazi has brought his people over!"
The waiter acknowledged and the Innkeeper reminded him to use the back door. After hearing this, the waiter quickly disappeared.
The Innkeeper stared at the group as if they were a few fat sheep.
Throughout the year, those who passed through here were mostly involved in shady dealings, and it was rare to see one or two who looked innocent. Usually, when robbing those involved in shady dealings, it was called "black eating black," but such operations didn’t last long.
Thus, this Innkeeper rarely engaged in such activities and usually conducted legitimate business. However, since his background was not clean, he couldn’t resist the temptation whenever an opportunity arose.
When the waiter returned with news, the group had nearly finished their meal.
The Innkeeper grinned at them, thinking to himself that this was called "killing for profit." The Second shouted at the Innkeeper, "Bring us each a basin of hot water for a bath!"
The Innkeeper replied, "Sure! Please wait a moment; it will be ready soon." The Second happily went upstairs!
The waiter remained frozen in place and asked, "Hot water?"
The Innkeeper angrily retorted, "Before we take action, they are our guests and should be treated well." He said this through clenched teeth.
The waiter still stood there in shock! The Innkeeper urged him, "Why aren’t you going yet?"
As the group walked to the staircase, the Third quietly said, "This is a black shop; be careful."
The Second was about to speak when the Third made a shushing gesture. The Second whispered back, "Are you afraid of them or something?" Seven and Wang Er Gou also looked at the Third, waiting for more.
The Third replied, "Let’s not act rashly. We’ll retreat when the time is right."
Seven said, "I’ll listen to the Third." Wang Er Gou and the Second naturally agreed as well. The Second added, "That fat guy is definitely eyeing our silver coins."
"I've seen through him for a long time; he's not a good person, with those shifty eyes."
Seven said, "Second, weren't you just having a great conversation with him?" Hearing this, Second's face turned slightly red as he retorted, "What do you know? I was just testing him."
Wang Er Gou couldn't hold back his laughter, and the others joined in. The laughter echoed downstairs. The Innkeeper, hearing it, was puzzled and instructed the waiter to keep an eye on them.
Second urged everyone to stop laughing. Third, noticing some noise, signaled for everyone to continue their normal conversation without stopping.
So Second remarked, "The Innkeeper of this place has those shifty eyes." Everyone stifled their laughter, even the Waiter couldn't help but chuckle.
At that moment, Wang Er Gou chimed in, "Let's get some rest; we need to wake up early tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, the Waiter quickly left to report the news.
Third said, "I'm afraid we won't be able to leave tonight. Everyone stay alert and don't fall asleep." The others nodded in understanding.
Second suggested, "Why not just take them out?" Third replied, "Let's not escalate things."
Second ceased his argument and began heading back to his room to rest.
Third and Seven shared a room, while Wang Er Gou and Second shared another.
As soon as Wang Er Gou entered their room, he took off his backpack and said, "Brother Cao, you sleep; I'll keep watch."
Second placed his bag down and replied, "No need for that. These petty thieves aren't even worth my attention. When I was on the battlefield killing people, they were still sucking on pacifiers!"
Wang Er Gou chuckled a few times and said, "It's better to be cautious." With that, he took out his gun and began inspecting it. Second lay on the bed looking nonchalant but had already hidden his gun under the pillow.
Watching Second's relaxed demeanor, Wang Er Gou reminded himself to stay vigilant; otherwise, they might end up in trouble. It wasn't that Wang Er Gou doubted Second's abilities; he just felt responsible for ensuring everyone's safety.
At that moment, the Waiter who had gone outside to gather information returned, followed by a fierce-looking young man. As soon as he arrived, he asked, "What fat sheep is the Innkeeper calling me for?" This man was Zhou Mazi.
The Innkeeper smiled and replied, "It must be." He gestured with his hand. Zhou Mazi's expression turned serious as he quietly asked, "Is that true?"
The Innkeeper lowered his hand from the counter and said leisurely, "Do you still not believe me?" Zhou Mazi did not respond to this and directly asked, "How do we split it?"
"Didn't I just have the big tree tell you?"
Zhou Mazi pointed at the Waiter and said, "Him? His word doesn't count. We need to renegotiate."
Seeing Zhou Mazi's attitude, the Innkeeper made a gesture indicating a four-to-six split. Zhou Mazi immediately bent his finger down and said, "Five-five. That's the price for old friends like us. If it were someone else, I'd go for six-four."
Noticing that Zhou Mazi was being stubborn, the Innkeeper thought for a moment and conceded. He emphasized, "Five-five it is." He glanced at Zhou Mazi and asked, "Where are your people? Why are there only two of you?"
Zhou Mazi replied, "You don't need to worry about that. Just wait for your share when the time comes." The Innkeeper said, "That's best. Just don't mess up."
Zhou Mazi pulled out the pistol tucked into his waistband and said, "Ever since I got this thing, I don't know what messing up means." The Innkeeper fell silent.
Zhou Mazi continued, "We'll make our move at two in the morning." With that, he walked out of the inn.
"Damn it!" After Zhou Mazi left, the Innkeeper cursed angrily. "If I hadn't discovered this deal, you little brat would still be out there drinking in the wind!"
The Waiter spoke up, "Innkeeper! There's no need to get worked up over such a brute. In the end, if we don’t want to get involved, we can let them handle it themselves. If they succeed, we can take a cut; if they fail, it won't matter much to us."
After hearing this, the Innkeeper thought for a moment and said, "Big Tree, you make a good point. That bunch doesn't look like good people."
"Good, good. Then we'll sit back and watch them fight while we reap the benefits," said the Innkeeper with a chuckle that made his jowls tremble.
The Waiter couldn't help but laugh along. After a while, the Innkeeper turned to him and said, "What are you laughing at? Get back to work." The Waiter immediately ran off to wipe down tables.
Watching the figure of the Waiter, the Innkeeper couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He thought that this was a windfall, and the best part was that it came without any effort.
In the room, the others were still present. Second was starting to feel sleepy, his eyes half-closed as if he might doze off. Wang Er Gou lay on the bed, too anxious to close his eyes, remaining vigilant. His hand gripping the gun was already sweating.
Time passed in this tense waiting, and soon Second's snoring filled the night. Just then, someone tapped him on the shoulder. Second opened his eyes to see Wang Er Gou. "What’s wrong?" he asked.
"There’s movement," Wang Er Gou replied.
At that moment, Third and Seven had also arrived in the room. The four gathered together. Third said, "Someone's coming." The others tightened their grips on their weapons.
Sure enough, a voice came from outside: "Brother Zhou, there's no one in here." Zhou Mazi cursed, "Why are you shouting? If there’s no one here, go check that other room."
A group of people rushed into the room where the four were hiding. One of the younger members kicked the door open and ran inside to turn on the lights. As soon as the lights flickered on, Zhou Mazi led the charge into the room.
Then several gunshots rang out from inside, followed by cries of anguish. Zhou Mazi's voice echoed: "Brothers, don’t be impulsive!" Third had his gun pointed at Zhou Mazi's head.
One of the younger members lay on the ground moaning, having been shot in the arm, blood pooling around him. The others were still frozen in shock, unable to move.
Second shouted at Zhou Mazi, "Tell your men to drop their weapons!" Zhou Mazi quickly called for his subordinates to put down their guns. Wang Er Gou and Seven began collecting their firearms.
Seven said, "Aren't you going to help your brother with that wound? Otherwise, he’ll lose his arm." It was only then that they reacted and hurriedly tended to the injured young man.
This young member clearly had never experienced such a scene before; every time they touched his wound, he let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered.
Zhou Mazi angrily cursed, "Shut up!" Third pressed the gun against his head and warned, "Don’t move!"
Zhou Mazi tensed up but managed to force a smile. "I say, brother, watch that gun muzzle; don’t let it go off accidentally!"
"Enough with the nonsense," Third said.
"Everyone who called for you, get back to the hall," Second shouted. Zhou Mazi yelled, "What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and go to the hall." The group nodded obediently and quickly rushed down the stairs.
At that moment, the Innkeeper ran out, rubbing his eyes. Seeing an opportunity, Zhou Mazi gave a subtle signal to the Innkeeper. The Innkeeper pretended not to see it and innocently exclaimed, "What on earth is happening here?"
No one spoke up, and a few Waiters also came running out. The Innkeeper thought he had managed to distance himself from the situation and felt quite pleased watching Zhou Mazi's predicament, though he did not show it.
As the old saying goes: When the mountain does not move, the water flows; leave a line for future encounters. With this in mind, the Innkeeper put on a smiling face and said, "Everyone, don’t let your tempers flare. What’s so serious that it requires knives and guns?" He started to step forward, but Second pushed him aside. The Innkeeper's heart sank, but he still managed to say, "This is…"
Second replied, "Innkeeper, don’t pretend to be clueless. You know exactly what’s going on."
The Innkeeper felt a chill in his heart but forced himself to act confused. "Brother, I really don’t understand what you’re talking about." Second cut him off, "Just look behind you."
The Innkeeper turned his head to see the two subdued individuals and felt a cold wave wash over him. He had initially thought he could play both sides against each other.
Having seen his fair share of situations, the Innkeeper quickly changed his tone and smiled apologetically. "Brother, this must be a misunderstanding."
A few people sneered at him as Second said, "Misunderstanding my foot! I just checked into this inn and you were already eyeing my silver dollars."
"Do you think it’s easy for me to earn a couple of coins? This is all hard-earned money—blood and sweat!"
Second's harsh words left the Innkeeper feeling battered and bruised; he dared not say a word in response and buried his head in shame.
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