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墨書 Inktalez
I immediately asked, "Where are you?"
"Hunan. Hold on a second." Then I heard Jack talking to someone, during which I faintly caught the rhythmic sound of rumbling. "Just passed through Phoenix County, almost to Guizhou."
"Are you on a train? Who are you with?" I inquired.
"Yes, I'm with Xiao Ting. We got news about Cao Mingzhe and are heading to find him. Where are you?"
I didn't answer him. "What happened at Wutong Ridge? Why did you leave there?"
"Don't even mention it. They cut off the water supply and forced us all out. Right now, Wutong Ridge has no outsiders; it's just the locals and Task Force personnel. The two groups that went into the desert earlier have lost contact, and Task Force reported that they are missing. I've already requested support from ae; things are getting more complicated, and I'm afraid we'll have to negotiate with your officials. Otherwise, it will be difficult for us to continue with just our strength."
I interrupted him, asking, "Do you know where those two groups went missing?"
"Tell me how you ended up in Laos!" Jack shouted. It seemed my silence was frustrating him.
"Is Xiao Ting with you?"
"Not here; she went to the dining car to buy something."
"Xiao Guolin is involved in a weapons deal here, and I'm investigating what exactly the deal is—it's supposed to be a big deal."
I heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line, followed by silence. This news was shocking, and I stayed quiet to give him time to process the information.
"Any updates?"
"Yes. We have found the person who is dealing with Xiao Guolin. But he is the leader of a drug trafficking and arms smuggling group, making it difficult for us to take action. We are waiting for the right moment."
"What do you plan to do? Going in hard might not work; you're not their match. Can we buy information with money?"
As soon as I heard him mention money, I took the opportunity to respond, "I'm out of cash; I can't even afford to bribe informants for information."
I then recounted the recent events to him. Jack was surprised. "We need to go to Guizhou too; that's where Cao Mingzhe is based. Is that Vietnamese person named Ah Xiang meeting you in Guizhou, in Beipanjiang Town? Let me check the map; don't hang up."
I could hear the rustling of paper on the other end of the line. After a moment, Jack's voice came through again, "We need to go to Ban Gui Township; it's not far from Beipanjiang Town." There was a brief silence on the line. "Is this just a coincidence?"
Damn it. Two leads pointing in the same direction—could it really be a coincidence? I hesitated while holding the phone.
At that moment, two pairs of eyes were fixed on me. Especially Fatty, whose eyes gleamed like a wolf catching a whiff of blood. I glanced at Fatty nervously and frowned as I walked toward the living room, worried that Fatty might pounce and tear me apart.
The soundproofing in this apartment was decent; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to tolerate Fatty's snoring at night. However, it was clear that Fatty had overheard my conversation and wouldn’t let me take this call alone. As soon as I stepped into the living room, Fatty pushed open the bedroom door and stood there, ears perked up, staring at me.
At that moment, Jack said, "Xiao Ting is back; she has something to ask you."
"I hope you didn't tell her what we just discussed," I quickly asked. I didn't want Xiao Ting getting involved in this matter.
"Of course not," Jack replied casually.
Then Xiao Ting's voice came through the receiver, "Qiang... Brother Qiang, have you found any news about my dad?"
Xiao Ting's voice was soft, especially when she hesitated while addressing me. However, hearing her call me Brother Qiang warmed my heart. I selectively updated her on our situation before asking about Cao Mingzhe. Since Jack had no channels to contact Cao Mingzhe directly, any information would have to come through Xiao Ting; asking her would provide more straightforward insights.
"Uncle Cao went back to Xi'an a while ago, but it wasn't for long; he disappeared again shortly after. Someone saw him. Auntie, Uncle Cao's partner found out at the train station that he bought a ticket to Anshun. I had someone check in Anshun, and they found that he bought a bus ticket to Ban Gui Township right after getting off the train. Jack and I are heading there now; it's a place where we believe we can find him soon."
I had a vague feeling that Xiao Ting was being overly optimistic. Cao Mingzhe had gone missing repeatedly over the past few years, and his family and colleagues had been unable to locate him. Did Xiao Ting really think she could find him based on just a train ticket? However, I didn't want to discourage her; instead, I expressed my concern, saying, "The temperature difference there can be significant between day and night, so don't get cold. It's an area with mixed ethnic groups, so be cautious in your words and actions, and pay attention to your safety."
Those words sounded rather old-fashioned; I didn't notice it at the time, but later Fatty teased me about it. When I said those things, I was completely focused, purely out of concern.
After hearing me talk with Xiao Ting, Fatty became excited and immediately came over to me like a persistent fly that wouldn't leave me alone. Just as I was about to hang up, Fatty suddenly said, "Don't hang up; I have something to say."
I glanced at him dismissively. "What is it?"
"It's important."
I rolled my eyes at him and turned to Xiao Ting. " Fatty wants to talk to you; do you want to take it?"
Fatty glared at me and mouthed, "Important."
I cleared my throat and added into the phone, "He's very important."
Xiao Ting replied with a simple "Okay."
I covered the mouthpiece and told Fatty, "Don't mention Xiao Guolin buying weapons." Then I handed the phone over to him.
Fatty took the phone and sweetly called out, "Ting."
I felt goosebumps rising on my heels. Unable to hold back any longer, I pointed toward the bathroom with one hand and gestured toward the phone with the other, mouthing to him, "Are you going in or is it going in?"
Fatty chuckled, pointing at his phone and then at himself, suggesting we should go in together.
As I watched Fatty enter the bathroom, I started counting seconds, eager to see how long it would take for him to be sprayed awake. I didn't mind waiting to mock him afterward; I had no sympathy for someone so oblivious.
Five minutes later, Da Zhang entered the bedroom with a chuckle and went to work at the telescope. I stared blankly at the bathroom door for a while, unable to imagine that Xiao Ting had actually sprayed him for five minutes straight. Maybe he was too embarrassed to come out?
After twenty minutes of watching the clock, I finally lost my patience. I quietly leaned against the bathroom door to listen, and to my surprise, Fatty was still chattering away. It was hard to make out what he was saying, but his tone didn’t sound like he was just talking to himself.
I couldn't believe it. To confirm my suspicion, I suddenly pushed open the bathroom door and saw Fatty holding his phone in one hand while waving the other in front of him, pacing back and forth in the bathroom with saliva pooling at the corners of his mouth. He walked right past me without even noticing, as if I were invisible. It was bizarre; wasn’t Xiao Ting supposed to despise him?
Before I could process what was happening, Fatty suddenly shoved the phone into my hands. "She wants to talk to you."
I took the phone with skepticism. Xiao Ting's voice came through the receiver: "Since your investigation is in Guizhou, why haven’t you come?"
It was a bit late. Better late than never, right? Please continue to support me. Thank you.
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