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墨書 Inktalez
I can be straightforward, but I cannot. I can't decide whom to help based on personal connections. Understanding the truth of the matter and resolving this trouble is my goal. I explained my perspective thoroughly to Fatty.
"Of course," Fatty replied as if it were obvious. "Help me with my father-in-law, but only after we resolve the trouble."
"Alright." I nodded. Hearing the words "father-in-law" made my heart sink a little.
After discussing with Fatty, I waved at A San. He stood at the door, unresponsive, as if I were waving at thin air.
"San Er," I called out to him.
Vietnamese jolted awake from a dream, shivering slightly.
"Come here." I beckoned him.
"Brother Qiang, I'm on your side!" A San's voice was almost in tears.
"Damn it, stop being so cowardly. There's no way to silence you here. Come over; I have something for you to do." It was only then that I understood why A San was acting deaf and blind—he was scared of Fatty.
A San glanced at Fatty, his feet remained still, but his eyes moved, locking onto my face.
I nodded. Only then did A San cautiously approach. He stood beside me, not daring to get closer to Fatty.
I briefly outlined his task: to go back to Laos and retrieve the weapon ordered by Xiao Guolin.
Upon hearing this, A San finally relaxed and patted his chest confidently. "Don't worry, Brother Qiang; I'll definitely get that thing. If I can't bring it back, I won't come back to see you."
His words made me scratch my head; I hoped he wouldn't use this as an excuse to run away and not return because that would completely ruin my plans.
The three of us quickly arrived at the most critical issue: money. I had no idea how much Xiao Guolin still owed Vietnamese, and Wu Qitai hadn’t left much of a balance either. Now, when I asked A San, he was just as clueless, only knowing it was a price.
Lately, I had been losing sleep over financial worries, and hearing the word "price" immediately drained my energy. However, Fatty and A San seemed unfazed, already moving on to discussions about how to handle the transfer and crossing the border. I found it puzzling; were these two just carefree or did they think I was some kind of wealthy tycoon?
“Stop!” I made a gesture for a pause between them. “Let’s rewind the conversation and tackle the money issue first.”
Fatty: “If money can solve it, then it’s not really a problem.”
I replied, “But the problem is we don’t have any money.”
A San: “Mr. Cao has plenty; he has more than he can count.”
Fatty: “Right. Just ask him for it.”
I could see that these two were treating the money issue too lightly.
“How do we ask him? We need to make him understand that we’re bringing back an unpredictable bomb with this money. Even if we call him ‘dear father,’ he wouldn’t agree.”
Seizing the moment, I turned to A San: “This matter must remain confidential; no one else should know besides us three.”
A San patted his chest. “I’m your man.”
I nodded seriously, though deep down I thought his loyalty might waver at any moment. I just hoped that before we managed to retrieve this weapon, we could keep it from Cao Mingzhe. Once it was done, even if he found out about it, I could still threaten him into agreeing to let me take this thing down.
No matter the reason, it was he who needed me, not the other way around.
"You're such an idiot," Fatty scoffed. "Why are you buying weapons from him? Can't you buy something else? We need supplies for our descent. Do you think there won't be enough? Just tell him you need money for whatever, like an Inflatable Doll or something. He won't refuse you."
"That's just cruel; you're the one who needs an Inflatable Doll," I retorted, scratching my head.
However, Fatty's words highlighted a clear issue. Many perceptive people had recognized my importance, while I remained oblivious to it. Since I was indispensable, I should leverage my status to pave the way for my plans.
We quickly agreed on a rough action plan and decided to execute it immediately.
"San Er, you should leave now. Call me when you get to Laos." I patted my pockets and realized I had forgotten about this; aside from a few coins, I didn't even have a ten-dollar bill. There was no way I had a phone.
"Call me," Fatty boasted, waving a sleek smartphone.
"Don't you need to inform Mr. Cao?" A San immediately showed his traitorous side.
"No need. Your actions must remain confidential from everyone, including Cao Mingzhe."
"Alright. I'm leaving now." A San finally made up his mind after hearing my words.
However, just as he reached the door, he turned back to me and said, "Brother Qiang, if Mr. Cao complains later, you'll have to take some responsibility for me."
"I'll take full responsibility. I won't drag you down."
A San finally let out a sigh of relief and walked out with his chest puffed up.
"Where did you get that phone? Looks like selling out your brothers can pay off," I immediately fired at Fatty as soon as A San stepped out.
"This has nothing to do with you. Fat Brother, am I the kind of person who sells out my brothers? This is money I made from selling cars."
I was about to ask about it when he quickly interjected, "Stop being so full of yourself. That car was just someone doing me a favor; how does that not involve you? How much did you sell it for? I haven't seen a single cent."
"I just got a phone call, and all the money is in Huang Hai's hands. He didn't tell you?"
Mentioning this made me furious. He was treating me like a thief, as if that shop had already changed its name to Song or Huang.
"Fine, I won't ask you anymore. The money is in his hands, right? I'll go ask him. Right now, I've only got two dimes in my pocket. It feels like I'm the one eating scraps while you two are out drinking. What kind of situation is this?"
I didn't catch what Fatty shouted behind me as I stormed out of the hospital room.
As I left, the doctors and nurses in the hospital lined up to see me off. One nurse even splashed a cup of water behind me like it was the Water Splashing Festival. Luckily, she was holding water and not a scalpel.
I fled the hospital in a hurry. There was no point in getting into an argument with a nurse; I couldn't possibly win against dozens of voices with just my own. And there was no way I would lay hands on a girl.
Once I got into the car, I checked the fuel gauge—thankfully, there was still more than half a tank of gas left. I didn’t even have money for gas; I felt utterly broke.
When I returned to the shop, the renovation workers had already started their work. The main renovation had been completed, and only a few minor tasks were left for just two workers. The yard was also tidied up quite well; it wasn't as chaotic as before.
However, Huang Hai's shop remained closed; he was probably hiding from me.
I knocked on the door, and Huang Hai poked his head out with a smirk. "Brother Qiang, you're back. What do you need?"
Looking at him, I realized he really didn't consider himself an outsider. This was my house, yet he didn't even bother to let me in, blocking me right at the door.
Since you have no shame, I won't give you any face. I pointed at his nose and shouted, "What do you mean? Did you sell my car? Where's the money?"
Huang Hai's face changed color upon hearing this. He pulled me into his room and covered my mouth, saying, "Brother, are you trying to attract thieves or what?"
I yanked his hand away. "Don't give me that nonsense. Am I not a thief? What's the difference between how you treat me and how you treat a thief? How much did you sell it for? I'm so broke I can't even afford a meal. Hand over the shop to you, and I must have been blind."
Huang Hai's expression shifted. "Brother Qiang, don't be anxious. Let me show you something."
(To Be Continued)
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