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墨書 Inktalez
But how could I know what this token of identity was? I had to abandon my own perspective and enter the mindset of Fatty.
Wu Qitai was putting a lot of pressure on me; I even felt that the other two people in the room were ready to shoot me at any moment.
I feigned calmness, displaying a hesitant expression, while my mind raced to recall the information and items left by Xiao Guolin, hoping to discern which one was the token. I quickly organized my thoughts, but the tangible information Xiao Guolin had given me was too sparse, mostly consisting of written messages, including the letter he sent me. Suddenly, a piece of information flashed in my mind.
It was a message Xiao Guolin had handed to Xiao Ting on a USB drive. I remembered there was a line in it stating that he had left something for me with Cao Mingzhe. I rapidly compiled various pieces of information in my mind, connecting them one by one. The letter from Xiao Guolin hinted at a location called Dongxing, and Liu Squad Leader further confirmed Xiao Guolin's whereabouts in Dongxing, leading to the conclusion that Xiao Guolin was involved in a major deal with an arms smuggling group. We had overlooked one crucial step: I hadn’t sought out Cao Mingzhe, primarily because he had gone missing. If we hadn’t missed that step, I should have possessed the token by now.
My thoughts became clearer; indeed, all of Xiao Guolin's preparations were meant for me, his purpose was for me to come here. However, due to missing a key link in the chain, I hadn’t obtained the token, leaving me at an impasse. The problem was that I couldn’t guess what this token was; there was no way to make an educated guess without risking my life.
With clarity in my thoughts, I made a decision: I would obscure the issue as usual.
"This item is not in my possession; I can't give it to you," I said innocently.
"Then I can't give you anything either," Wu Qitai responded swiftly, surprisingly relaxed.
What could he possibly not give me? Was Fatty also kept in the dark? Had Xiao Guolin left something for me here?
However, I couldn’t ask that question. I feigned dissatisfaction and furrowed my brow. Some prepared lines became irrelevant; for instance, what Fatty and I considered the safest line—requesting additional terms for the deal—was no longer appropriate. My current identity should represent Xiao Guolin or act on his behalf to retrieve something.
Then I realized this line of thought still had issues. How could Xiao Guolin leave something for them? I didn’t believe he trusted them deeply; it was more likely that his transaction with them wasn’t complete yet. This item must have been something he couldn’t obtain at that time, which is why he left a series of clues for me to complete the deal. Another question arose: at what stage was this transaction? Given both parties' cautious attitudes, this deal was not only significant but also risky. How could Xiao Guolin pay the full amount without having secured the item first? The most plausible scenario would be that he paid a deposit or part of the fee upfront—perhaps half.
So now the question returned: regardless of whether I had the token or not, they wouldn’t hand over that item without full payment. In other words, it was impossible for me to obtain anything as Fatty hoped. However, from Wu Qitai's tone in his last statement, he seemed unconcerned about not completing this transaction and didn’t linger on my inability to produce the token. This led me to some conclusions: first, my identity had been acknowledged by him; or perhaps that token wasn’t important after all. Secondly, I felt I could further inquire about the status of the transaction item; doing so would allow me to maintain some initiative. Given my current standing, I had the right to raise this question and could shift his attention away from me toward other matters.
I frowned. "I demand to see the goods."
A flicker of something unusual crossed Wu Qitai's eyes, but he quickly replied coldly, "Did you bring the final payment?"
Clearly, my empty hands gave him the confidence to say that. However, his words confirmed one of my suspicions: there was still an outstanding balance for this transaction. Payment was not part of my plan, so I didn't care about the amount owed. What mattered was the goods themselves, which were the core of my visit, and I needed to find out what they were. Despite his good disguise, I could still sense his unease, and I decided to press on with my questions.
I shrugged. "Of course I wouldn't bring money; it's impossible to conduct a transaction here. Zhang Jianqiang entrusted me to inspect the goods, and he will decide on the specifics of the deal. I'm mainly here to confirm one thing: are the goods ready?"
Wu Qitai suddenly burst into laughter. "Xiao Guolin's whereabouts are unknown; how can he decide on the time and place for a transaction? Mr. Zhang, we know more than you think. Xiao Guolin—let's call him Professor Xiao—entrusting such a big deal to someone else is quite unusual. How could we not investigate thoroughly? Of course, we are trustworthy people and will complete this transaction. Similarly, the prior agreements must be honored; proof of Professor Xiao's identity and the final payment cannot be lacking."
I stared at him, utterly baffled by how they had gathered information—even knowing about Xiao Guolin's disappearance made it clear they could easily uncover my details. Yet, I was increasingly convinced of one thing: "You haven't obtained the goods, have you?"
Wu Qitai's laughter abruptly ceased. He fixed his gaze on me, his eyes darting around. "That's not true; we have no issues on our end. Everything is proceeding smoothly as planned and will not exceed the expected delivery time. The problem lies with you. If Xiao Guolin cannot conduct the transaction in person, we will require additional conditions."
I couldn't care less about any additional conditions he might impose; I had no intention of completing this transaction. My sole purpose was to discover what Xiao Guolin was trading with them and deduce his reasons for entering the Underground Passage. I waited for him to propose additional conditions but ignored them entirely as I sought to uncover their goods.
Unexpectedly, Wu Qitai shifted topics and tossed my identification card to the young man who had brought me here. "You go check this."
What was this supposed to mean? Were they going to keep a record on me? Did they really think they were police?
As soon as the young man left, Wu Qitai pointed to a circle of sofas by the window. "Come, sit down."
I glanced around; this place was nice and well within Da Zhang's line of sight. I chose a seat angled toward the window and feigned nonchalance as I asked, "Can you disclose the source of the goods?"
Wu Qitai crossed his legs and said mysteriously, "Europe."
"Can you be more specific?" I couldn't directly ask what their trading goods were, as that would expose my lack of cards to play. I could only squeeze out the information I wanted bit by bit.
Wu Qitai's expression darkened. "Do you think I can tell you?"
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