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墨書 Inktalez
I wasn't entangled in this issue, although I couldn't believe that Jack would actually go after me. Still, he was indeed the only suspect, and I had to be wary of him. I didn't want to reveal too much; I wanted to see how he would act. However, Jack appeared calm, showing no signs of guilt.
I quickly informed Jack and Xiao Ting about the new group arrangements. Jack seemed unfazed, as if it were only natural. Xiao Ting was clearly unhappy with the grouping, but upon seeing my weak expression, she didn't express strong opposition; she merely insisted, "I need an explanation."
Xiao Ting's attitude surprised me. I immediately replied, "Sure, I'll talk to you about it privately."
Then I shared my suspicions about the Vietnamese possibly regrouping with Jack and Xiao Ting. This was one of the main reasons for our four-person split. Of course, my initial purpose for the grouping was to leave a team to search for Cao Mingzhe's clues.
Finally, I casually asked Jack, "AE knows we're meeting at Zhenfeng, right?"
Jack shrugged. "Of course. I had them gather the Search and Rescue Team and supplies here. Neither Beipanjiang Town nor Ban Gui Township is suitable for our Base Camp anymore. I just reported the hotel location to them; the first batch of supplies should arrive tomorrow or the day after."
Fatty had been keeping his head down in silence, but after hearing Jack's words, I noticed a sudden glint in his eyes—a fierce light. I didn't want any unpleasantness to occur here, so I cleared my throat and said, "You all must be tired from your journey; take a break. We can discuss things later."
Fatty stood up and left, forgetting even to flatter Xiao Ting. Xiao Ting glanced at me, and I understood her meaning—she was asking for my approval. I nodded lightly at her, and she reluctantly went upstairs.
I didn't stand up because Jack pulled me back under the table, signaling that he wanted to talk.
As Fatty and Xiao Ting turned the corner of the stairs, Jack leaned closer to me and said, "We’re taking a risk by working with the Vietnamese Gang. Doesn’t Song Gang have a 16? We should take it for self-defense."
I chuckled lightly. "That's Fatty's gun; it’s not mine to give away. You can ask him; if he’s willing to lend it to you, that would be great. But I can't help you with that."
Jack awkwardly smiled at that and shrugged as he walked away. I figured he wouldn't bother trying; ever since he met Fatty, they had been at odds as if they had some ancient grudge against each other. Asking Fatty for help was simply out of the question.
I walked to the elevator and saw Fatty leaning against the wall smoking. It seemed he really didn’t trust Jack. As soon as he saw me approaching, he asked, "What did he want from you?"
"He wants to borrow your 16."
"You agreed?"
"I told him to ask you."
Fatty snorted and walked into the elevator. I got off on the floor where Xiao Ting lived, and Fatty asked me, "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to explain things to Xiao Ting, so there won't be any misunderstandings later."
Fatty hurriedly said, "You and Xiao Ting..."
"It's none of your business." I interrupted him and headed toward Xiao Ting's room. I didn't want to be a messenger between them. Behind me, I could hear Fatty's dissatisfied growl.
I knocked on Xiao Ting's door. She knew I was coming and hadn't changed her clothes. However, her face still flushed as she let me in. We sat on bamboo chairs by the window, and Xiao Ting seemed very tense, even a bit nervous. It was a standard room, with a double bed in front of us; perhaps that was what made her uneasy.
I didn't want to make her more anxious or cause any misunderstandings, so I quickly showed her something.
"I didn't encounter any thieves; my injury is worse than yours," I said, loosening two buttons on my shirt to reveal the bandage wrapped around my chest. "A knife pierced my sternum. If it had been off by a little or if my bones weren't this strong, I wouldn't be here talking to you right now."
Xiao Ting didn't expect me to show her this, nor did she realize how serious my injury was. I saw tears streaming down her face, and her hands were trembling. Although it pained me to see her like this, I needed to convey the severity of the situation to prevent her from underestimating hidden enemies and making wrong judgments.
"This person is targeting me with lethal intent; they want my life. The fact that I'm still alive is just luck. I don't believe they would only come after me; you are equally in danger. Right now, I need to know who you told about changing the meeting place after I informed you and Fatty. Even if it was mentioned casually, you need to tell me." After saying this, I fixed my gaze on Xiao Ting's eyes.
"No one! I haven't told anyone and haven't made any calls."
"Good. The only ones who know about this are the four of us involved: you, me, and Fatty have not leaked the location of Zhenfeng; the only one who has is Jack. Do you know Jack?"
Xiao Ting shook her head in confusion. "I don't know him, but I don't believe he would kill you."
"Honestly, I don't believe it's him either. But I have to suspect him; at least he is a suspect. Of course, his associate has even greater suspicion. No matter who wants to kill me, I can only face it; there's no way to escape. I'm worried that they might target you as well because I don't have any personal enemies who would want me dead. Their goal in wanting to kill me is solely to stop my investigation into Xiao Guolin's whereabouts or this incident. If I'm right, you will definitely be one of their targets. One of us needs to act as bait to draw out the enemy; I'm more suitable for that role than you."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ting stood up in agitation. I made a quiet gesture for her to sit down.
"I survived his ambush without dying; with preparation, there's no way I'll fail now. Having you and Fatty work together is primarily for your safety; more importantly, it's about relying on both of you to support and protect me. Fatty may seem rough around the edges, but I trust him. I'm at ease knowing you're with him. You also have a mission when you're with him: keep him in check."
My words made Xiao Ting's face turn sour; it seemed she had little confidence in restraining Fatty. However, someone had to take on this task. Fatty was not one to be trifled with, and my recent attack had greatly affected him. If there were others following us, and he discovered them, it would undoubtedly lead to a life-and-death struggle. I couldn't restrain him myself, so I had to entrust this matter to Xiao Ting.
"Don't be afraid of him, especially when he's being unreasonable. He’s the type who bullies the weak and fears the strong. If you stand your ground and are more persistent than he is, he'll listen to you. And don’t worry about him ditching you; he wouldn’t dare do that. He might use that as a threat against you, which is one of his usual tricks. At that moment, you must hold firm; if you do, he will compromise."
"Is this considered selling him out?" Xiao Ting suddenly asked a question that put me in an awkward position.
I felt my face flush. "Not at all. This is for his own good."
"Alright, I'll give it a try. What do you want me to restrain him from? There must be some guidance."
"You'll know when the time comes; no hints are needed—it will be obvious." I took a deep breath, hoping nothing irreversible would happen.
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