[Urban] Nongyu (Complete) - 31

page views:1 Publication date:2023-07-25

In the fifth section, "Ambush from All Sides

," just as we were about to exit the underground parking lot of the Emperor Building, Tian Yu and his men blocked Wu Wei's Volvo, which I was riding in, at the tollbooth exit. He still

had that nonchalant attitude, unfazed even by a collapsing mountain, that intimidatingly indifferent smile, and that lazy, leisurely posture. With the exit right in front of me, seeing him appear again filled me with an indescribable frustration, as if I had been lifted high and then slammed down. My heart, which had almost leaped out of my chest with excitement, suddenly sank again.

"Don't let him search us, he's here to arrest me!"

I whispered, immediately shrinking back and wedging myself back between the front and rear seats.

Wu Wei hesitated for a moment upon hearing this, then immediately reassured me, "Don't worry, he can't see inside the car..."

He paused for two seconds, then added, "I won't let him search the car, don't worry, I've got everything covered!"

How could I truly trust him? He probably didn't know who these people were.

But just as I was about to remind him, Wu Wei had already rolled down the driver's side window a crack, looked up at Tian Yu with a puzzled expression, and asked, "What are you doing? What do you want to check? This is a private car, what right do you have to check it like this?"

The group of thugs outside couldn't see into the car through the crack in the window, and Tian Yu could only roughly tell that the driver was a handsome young man in his early twenties. He kept one hand on the hood of the car, slowly turning to face Wu Wei, maintaining his nonchalant demeanor, and said slowly, "Young man, perhaps I didn't explain myself clearly. It's not just you; we check every vehicle that comes out, whether it belongs to a government official or a garbage collector. You're no exception!" "

Either you didn't explain clearly, or I didn't. I said this is my private car. I don't care about others, but if you want to check my car, please provide a valid reason!"

Wu Wei didn't even engage the handbrake, one foot on the clutch and the other across the brake and accelerator, looking ready to drive off at any moment. He coldly asked, "Are you from the police station or the traffic bureau? Even if it's law enforcement, please show the relevant permits before searching a private car. You can't just use force, can you?"

"We... hehe, we're just security guards for this building, but generally speaking, we can search whoever's car we want!"

Tian Yu scratched his head with the hand holding his glasses, looking nonchalant, paused, and continued, "You're only coming out now, so I guess you're a VIP here." "Member, since you should know that there's been some trouble with the Geely, I hope you'll cooperate and avoid unnecessary trouble!"

"Unnecessary trouble? What kind of trouble? Can you explain more clearly?"

Wu Wei in the car asked with a cold laugh, feigning ignorance.

I really wanted to warn him, "Don't confront these people head-on, they're not to be trifled with!"

But although the people outside couldn't see into the car, I was afraid my voice would carry through the crack in the window, so I swallowed my words.

At this moment, a man in his early thirties, wearing denim shorts and a black short-sleeved T-shirt, walked up behind Tian Yu. He sneered at the driver's seat of the Volvo and turned to Tian Yu, saying, "Brother Yu, stop wasting time talking to this kid. If he's not going to back down, let's just confront him directly!"

"Don't be so hasty, Zhihong. I'm not one to advocate violence!"

Tian Yu smiled, placing his hand on the man's shoulder. He turned to look at Wu Wei, whose face was only partially visible, his eyes filled with disdain and anger. After scrutinizing him for a while, he continued, "Young man, don't be too sharp. It's not good; it'll only get you into trouble."

He spoke slowly, as if lecturing a junior. But Wu Wei was the kind of person who was both intelligent and confident, even arrogant. Tian Yu's attitude was the most unacceptable thing to him. He immediately became even more forceful and angrily retorted, "Hey, I don't believe it today! This is a society governed by law. You think you can just do whatever you want? Try touching my car!"

"Thump, thump, thump," Zhihong pulled out a large hammer from his pocket and lightly tapped the hood of the Volvo a few times, saying provocatively, "Kid, I moved, so what? You want to eat me?"

He laughed contemptuously.

"Hey, don't mess around, can you afford to pay for the damage?"

Wu Wei, not expecting such rudeness, immediately rolled up the car window, opened the door, got out, and blocked Zhihong's path, shoving him forcefully outwards, cursing, "You've gone too far! If you touch anything, I'll call the police, you bunch of thugs!"

Hiding in the car, I was filled with regret, truly regretting not warning Wu Wei how dangerous these people were. Now he had put himself on the front lines, while I could only hide and watch, too late to issue a warning. I thought, "This is it, not only am I unable to escape, but I've also dragged my good friend into this mess. What a waste!"

Seeing Wu Wei's actions, Tian Yu shook his head helplessly, slowly walked back to the group of thugs, took out a handkerchief from his shirt pocket, gently wiped his glasses, and then blew on them lightly, saying slowly, "Stubborn to the end, forget it, Zhihong, you handle it!"

Zhihong had originally intended to resolve the matter by force, but after being pushed and stumbled by Wu Wei, he was furious. However, Brother Yu's family discipline was always very strict, and Zhihong didn't dare to act recklessly until his boss spoke up. Now that he had received his brother's approval, it was exactly what he wanted.

"Little brat, you asked for this!"

Zhihong chuckled coldly, darted to the side of the Volvo, and swung the hammer in his hand at the car window.

Damn it! Because of the dark blackout glass, people outside couldn't see what was happening inside the car, but I, hiding inside, saw everything that was happening outside. Seeing the man raise his weapon towards the window in front of me, I cursed under my breath and helplessly covered my head with both hands to avoid being hurt by the shattered glass.

"What do you want?"

Wu Wei shouted, striding towards Zhihong. He grabbed the man's wrist, which was swinging the hammer, with his left hand, and shoved him hard in the chest with his right hand. At the same time, he swiftly extended his right foot to block the man from behind. The whole action was flawless and perfectly coordinated.

I heard a "Ouch!"

and Zhihong's five-foot-tall body was sent flying, landing with a thud on his backside.

Hidden in the car, I heard the commotion outside and couldn't help but look up. I saw Wu Wei standing beside me, holding the hammer that he had just grabbed from Zhihong's hand. His right foot, which had tripped Zhihong, and his right hand, which had pushed him, were still there, and he had a disdainful smile on his face. Meanwhile, three or four meters away, Zhihong was dazed and confused from the fall, seemingly unable to get up for a while.

Seeing this, I felt more worried than pleased; it truly was a case of "the best swimmers drown." Wu Wei, relying on his expertise in hand-to-hand combat, Sanda, and MMA, had actually managed to knock the man to the ground. But you have to understand the principle that two fists can't beat four hands. There were at least seven or eight thugs here. You acted impulsively and beat one, but could you take down the rest? Even if you were highly skilled and daring, and could handle all of them, do you know how many reinforcements would pour out of the building next? Could you handle that alone?

Although I was inwardly groaning, I had no way to warn Wu Wei outside. And he was even smugly pleased with himself, fiddling with the hammer in his hand. Suddenly, he threw it next to Zhihong, sneering, "I'm warning you, don't mess with me, or you'll regret it!"

"Ouch, you little bastard, you dare..."

Zhihong finally groaned as he struggled to his feet, rolling up one sleeve of his shirt to reveal the thick muscles on his upper arms, and yelled to his companions not far away, "Damn it, are you blind? Come help us!"

He was thrown a long way by Wu Wei's move, and the remaining thugs were stunned, none of them stepping forward for a moment. Tian Yu had turned his head away, seemingly disliking the violent scene to come, but he turned back after hearing the commotion behind him. Seeing his subordinate being easily thrown to the ground, he laughed instead of being angry, as if there was something extremely interesting happening before him.

Hearing Zhi Hong's call, he said softly, "Go help your brother Hong, he's alone... hehe, seems a bit overwhelmed by himself!"

"Brother Hong... Brother Hong, are you alright?"

Receiving Tian Yu's instruction, the thugs seemed to realize that their leader had been humiliated, and rushed over to help him.

"Go to hell, don't help me!"

Zhi Hong angrily shook off his subordinate's arm, then glared fiercely at Wu Wei and shouted, "You little bastard, you forced me to do this, don't blame me for being ruthless, brothers, get him!"

"Okay... understood!"

The thugs responded in unison, each brandishing their weapons. In an instant, knives, hammers, chains, sticks, and other weapons were pointed at Wu Wei and the Volvo behind him, a display of ferocity that seemed determined to kill anyone who stood in their way.

Wu Wei, initially impetuous and skilled in combat, and unaware of his opponents' background, had rashly attacked, intending to intimidate them and force them to back down. However, he hadn't expected their resolute determination.

He excelled in competitive fighting; in a one-on-one fight, he wouldn't mind a few more than two or three of them taking turns. But these opponents clearly intended to gang up on him, and they were all armed, which was putting Wu Wei at a disadvantage. Furthermore, their seemingly desperate stance only increased his fear.

"What are you doing? I'm telling you… don't do anything rash, in broad daylight…" Wu Wei shouted fiercely as he moved towards the driver's seat, his posture clearly indicating his intention to drive away first. Even if he couldn't escape, staying in the car would allow him to avoid the initial onslaught.

"Don't let this kid get away!"

Zhihong snatched an iron bar from one of the men next to him, swung it, and charged at Wu Wei, shouting, "Brothers, smash the car and the guy together, smash them to death!"

The thugs had already strode towards the car, their weapons raised high, ready to strike any part of the vehicle. Wu Wei, however, had lost his initial momentum and was now running quickly towards the driver's seat. I thought to myself,

"It's over, I'm doomed this time." "Who's trying to smash my car?"

Just at this critical moment, a loud male voice suddenly rang out from not far away. Startled by the loud voice, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked around. They saw an elderly man, probably over fifty, standing about ten meters away on the grassy slope of the driveway, staring intently at the crowd below.

This man was at least 1.85 meters tall, with a broad forehead and thick, sword-like eyebrows that almost met in a line. His piercing eyes shone with a commanding presence, and beneath his high nose was a wide mouth with a short, steel-like beard.

He wore a camel-colored short-sleeved T-shirt and dark blue suit trousers. His short hair stood on end, though some strands were gray. His ruddy complexion, captivating gaze, upright posture, and booming voice exuded an aura of quiet authority.

His appearance startled everyone present, and instantly everyone looked up at him. Two people immediately smiled: Wu Wei and Tian Yu.

Wu Wei, upon seeing him, beamed and strode forward. When Tian Yu turned around and saw the man's face, he first frowned, then instantly broke into a smile and jogged towards him. As he approached, he stretched out his right hand from afar, beating Wu Wei to the punch, and said enthusiastically, "Oh, isn't this Mr. Wu? It's been a while! A pleasure to meet you!"

At this moment, Wu Wei also reached the man and happily called out, "Dad!"

Hiding in the car, I had already recognized the man. He was Wu Guangyao, a well-known entrepreneur in the city, chairman of over a dozen real estate chain institutions, a member of the Tianjin Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference, and recipient of numerous awards including Tianjin's Top Ten Real Estate Figures, the First Tianjin Top Ten Economic Talents, and one of China's 100 Most Influential Private Entrepreneurs. I had

seen these trophies and certificates when I visited Wu Wei's home, and at that time, I truly admired his arduous journey of starting from scratch and achieving success. However, he himself had no airs of a big boss, often chatting with me kindly and approachably, as if he already considered me Wu Wei's brother or son, showing me great concern and care.

At that moment, my dying heart suddenly came back to life at his question.

Wu Guangyao first nodded slightly to his son, then extended his hand to shake hands with Tian Yu, and asked, "And this is...?"

"Oh, hehe..."

Tian Yu was embarrassed to see that the young man who had just fought with his men was Wu Guangyao's son. He quickly replied humbly, "Mr. Wu, don't you remember me? I'm Tian Yu, Mr. Shen's personal assistant. Last time at Jinxiu Villa..."

"Oh—"

Wu Guangyao laughed and tightened his grip on the other's hand to show his intimacy, then said apologetically, "Manager Tian, oh dear, I'm getting senile. I didn't remember you for a moment. My bad, my bad!"

"Not at all, Mr. Wu, you're very busy. I'm just an employee, so naturally you didn't remember me very well!"

Tian Yu replied with a smile, but although he spoke humbly, he didn't give off any feeling of being obsequious or servile.

"Dad, he brought men to search our car. I stopped him, and they tried to hit us!" Wu Wei, seeing that his father knew the other man, quickly steered the conversation to the present situation, forcing them to confront the issue.

"Oh...hehe!"

Tian Yu laughed awkwardly, "So this is your son. We really didn't know. We're so sorry for the intrusion!"

He then extended his hand to Wu Wei.

Wu Guangyao glanced at his displeased son, then at Tian Yu, whose eyes flashed with a cold light. As a seasoned veteran of the underworld, he could see through the coldness hidden in Tian Yu's eyes. After a moment, he straightened his face and said to Wu Wei, "Hey, Xiao Wei, don't be so disrespectful. What 'him'? This is Uncle Tian!"

He then gave his son a meaningful look.

Seeing his father's expression, Wu Wei immediately understood. He quickly shook hands with Tian Yu and said with a smile, "Uncle Tian, I'm so sorry. I acted impulsively and hit one of your men..."

Before he could finish, Tian Yu waved his hand and said, "Don't mention it, don't mention it. Mr. Wu and Mr. Shen have been friends for many years. It was just a misunderstanding..."

He then looked Wu Wei up and down, his face full of approval, and said, "Brother Wu is truly a young talent! You've got some skills! I don't think I'm much older than you. If you respect me, call me 'brother,' don't call me 'uncle,' it makes me sound old!"

"That won't do, the generational order can't be wrong!"

Wu Guangyao said with a smile, putting his hand on Tian Yu's shoulder. The three of them then walked over, chatting and laughing intimately.

Wu Wei came to the back of the Volvo and, while opening the door a crack, said, "Uncle Tian, since you're inspecting all the vehicles, we can't be an exception. Please come and take a look!" He opened the door very cleverly, not only opening it only slightly but also almost completely blocking the gap with his body. Even so, it still gave me a fright. But thinking about it, his strategy of advancing by retreating was the right choice.

Sure enough, Tian Yu quickly waved his hand and replied, "No need, no need. President Shen told us to check unidentified vehicles. You are President Shen's friends, how can you be unidentified vehicles? No need to check!"

Wu Wei smiled and gently closed the car door again.

"Oh, since it's Old Shen's idea, I think you should still check!"

Wu Guangyao said, telling his son to open the trunk lid again.

Tian Yu was standing behind the car, and upon hearing this, he immediately interrupted, "There's no need for that..."

But as he said this, his eyes involuntarily glanced downwards, and he quickly continued, pretending to be nonchalant, "President Wu, you're overthinking it. I wouldn't dare bring up President Shen. If he finds out I'm here using you as a figurehead, he'll definitely fire me!"

In fact, everyone could tell that he was using "President Shen" repeatedly to intimidate the other party. Wu Guangyao scoffed inwardly, but said aloud, "Oh, alright then. Since that's the case, I have to go first. Please give my regards to Old Shen for me."

"You're busy, you're busy. I won't keep you any longer. I'll invite you to play golf another day. Remember to bring your son along. He and I hit it off immediately!"

Tian Yu smiled and shook hands with Wu Guangyao again, then gave Wu Wei a friendly smile before quickly walking back to have someone move the Honda he was blocking their way.

The father and son saw the group of thugs leave and got into the car. As Wu Guangyao closed the passenger door, he said in a mocking tone, "That smiling tiger Tian Dabang is a bully who relies on his master's power. Xiao Wei, don't pay any attention to him in the future. He's not someone to mess with!"

"Heh..."

Wu Wei didn't say anything, chuckled, started the car, and drove forward, not forgetting to honk his horn as he passed the Honda.

The car slowly drove out, and Wu Guangyao remained silent for a while, seemingly talking to himself, "Sigh... I don't know what's wrong with that Shen guy. He cleared out the building and didn't even let anyone stay in the VIP rooms. He blocked the main entrance and checked everyone one by one. Now he's even checking the parking lot!" "

That's because..."

Wu Wei said slowly, while steering the car to the right onto Hongxing Road, "...a very naughty little mouse has crawled in there!"

Hidden in the back of the car, I had just seen Wu Guangyao manage to get rid of Tian Yu, my nemesis, with just a few words, and the car safely left the Emperor Building. I felt incredibly relieved. Hearing Wu Wei's teasing, I couldn't help but prop myself up, a little embarrassed, and said, "Uncle Wu... hello!"

Wu Guangyao sensed something in his son's tone, but before he could ask, a voice suddenly sounded from behind him. Startled, he turned around and was even more surprised to see a disheveled young man in a waiter's uniform hiding in the back seat. But upon closer inspection, he realized that this person was Yang Ziyang, his son's classmate who had visited their home twice before. He became even more suspicious and hurriedly asked, "You are... Yang Ziyang, you are Yang Zi? What are you doing in the car?"

Then he suddenly realized and continued, "Oh... the person that Mr. Tian is looking for is you?"

I patted the top of the driver's seat back and said gratefully, "Yes, it's me. Thanks to Wu Wei for bringing me out, otherwise I would be dead!"

Then, with a slight apology, I said, "Uncle Wu, I'm so sorry for causing you trouble this time!"

"Hey, why are you saying this? Don't you consider me a brother anymore?"

Wu Wei immediately said with a smile.

"It's nothing, it's nothing..."

Wu Guangyao didn't seem as forthright as his son, his words sounding somewhat forced. He then asked, "Yangzi, how... how did you get involved with these guys? They're all ruthless characters who eat people without spitting out the bones!"

"This..."

For a moment, I couldn't think of how to explain to my two saviors, but they had taken the risk to bring me out, so I shouldn't hide anything. I could only vaguely answer, "I... I happened to see something that Boss Shen shouldn't have seen, so... so..."

Of course, this meant they wanted to kill me to silence me, but the thought of saying that might frighten the Wu father and son made me stop talking immediately.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, the two of them fell silent, and for a moment, none of the three people in the car spoke. After a long pause, Wu Wei finally spoke up, trying to appear calm as he advised, "It's alright, Ziyang. It's true that the Shen family is wealthy and powerful, but this world values law and justice. At worst, you can resort to legal action. I don't believe they can do anything to you!"

"Oh, Wei, you can't just say things like that! Things aren't as simple as you think!"

Wu Guangyao, who had been silent until now, immediately objected when his son tried to sway me. "You want to uphold the law and justice, but they have to give you the opportunity! Who is Shen Dongcai? He's the leader of Tianjin's underground order. Do you think you can just sue him whenever you want?"

His words silenced both Wu Wei and me. Wu Wei was alright, but I completely extinguished any remaining hope I had placed in Wu Guangyao.

I had overheard clearly in the car that Wu Guangyao and Shen Dongcai knew each other, and even Tian Yu seemed somewhat wary of him. Therefore, I had been hoping to get him to help me, at least to save my life. But now it seemed that hope was gone.

As expected, Wu Guangyao remained silent for a moment before finally saying with a troubled expression, "Yangzi, don't be fooled by how I chased away Tian Dabang and his gang with just a few words. It's only because I'm Shen Dongcai's business partner that I kept them at arm's length. If they actually knew you were here, I'm afraid my influence wouldn't be enough."

He turned back, his eyes flickering, and looked at me apologetically as he continued, "Don't laugh at me, but on the surface, your uncle seems to have a very successful business, and we even have some connections with government officials. Actually... I'm just an honest businessman. I'm alright in the legitimate world, but as for the underworld... I can't afford to mess with someone like Shen Dongcai..."

"Dad!"

Wu Wei seemed to feel embarrassed that his father was saying all this to his face, but knowing his father's predicament, he could only call out softly, perhaps hoping to stop his father from being so blunt.

"Oh, Xiao Wei..."

Wu Guangyao impatiently interrupted his son, then turned to me, looking quite embarrassed, and said, "Yangzi, look, this..."

"Uncle Wu, you don't need to say anymore!"

The other party had already put it this way; could I still linger? Besides, I was at least temporarily out of the crisis, which was already a stroke of luck for me.

I looked at Wu Wei in front of me, only to see him helplessly slam his fist on the steering wheel, saying nothing more. I patted the back of his seat and said, "Wu Wei, pull over, I need to get out!"

But after a long time, Wu Wei didn't move.

Seeing this, Wu Guangyao guessed his son was blaming himself for his cowardice, so he tried to comfort him, "Xiao Wei, it's not that Dad doesn't want to help, it's just that I'm powerless. Tell Yangzi to get out of the car; if he stays here any longer, he might attract their attention!"

But even after he said this, Wu Wei didn't slow down. Instead, he suddenly gripped the steering wheel tightly and accelerated forward.

"Xiao Wei!"

Wu Guangyao called out, a little annoyed that his son wasn't listening.

"Dad, it's probably too late to tell Ziyang to get out now..."

Wu Wei shook his head slightly, glancing at the rearview mirror, indicating, "They're following us, and we can't shake them off!"

"Ah!"

Wu Guangyao was startled and wanted to turn around to look, but Wu Wei immediately reached out and blocked the way between the driver and passenger seats, saying alertly, "Dad, don't turn around! Don't let them realize we've been followed!"

It was then that I realized Tian Yu's Honda had been following us, and Wu Wei's acceleration earlier was precisely to confirm whether the car was targeting their Volvo. It seemed that although Tian Yu outwardly allowed us to leave out of politeness, he was still suspicious of the car and had followed it.

He probably intended to see if anyone would get out, and whether that person might be the Jesus they were looking for. And given his personality, as long as the Volvo didn't stop, he would continue following until he found out what he wanted to know, but he would never rashly stop and forcibly search it.

Thinking of this, I deliberately said nonchalantly, "Uncle Wu, don't worry about them, just let me out of the car now!"

"How can that be!"

Wu Guangyao immediately objected, "We can't let them catch you, those people are ruthless and capable of anything!"

As he said this, his eyes kept darting around restlessly, and he continued in a somewhat ambiguous tone, "And...and we can't let those people see us together, otherwise...otherwise we'll be in trouble too!"

I chuckled inwardly, thinking that the last sentence was what he was really worried about!

"Ignorant fool, what good ideas do you have?"

I saw a smile on Wu Wei's lips at this moment, knowing that he already had a plan in mind, so I couldn't help but ask.

"Given the current road conditions, intercepting us would be a piece of cake, but they haven't. I think Tian Yu just wants to follow along to confirm things; he won't stop us until he finds something!"

Wu Wei said, turning his head mysteriously to smile at me as he skillfully operated the machine. "Ziyang, you really have to read your name backwards this time. I do have a plan. If they want to confirm, let them see clearly, hehe!"

"Good idea. Looks like you have quite a few businesses, even a car wash?"

I had already guessed Wu Wei's plan and asked with a light laugh.

"Kid, you're quick-witted. Why is it so hard to keep you in suspense?"

Wu Wei shook his head and said with a wry smile, "After being suffocated by your stench, washing the car is only natural!"

I reached for the steering wheel lock that Wu Wei had placed next to the seat, which had almost hit me, and while bending over to take off my shirt, I said, "Ignorant fool, you won't mind letting me use this, will you?"

Wu Wei turned his head and saw me taking off my clothes, even starting to unbuckle my belt, and couldn't help but ask, "What do you need this for?"

"When you drive around Chifeng Bridge later, remember to find the lane closest to the bridge, understand?"

I didn't answer his question, but instead said this.

Wu Wei's mind wasn't much slower than mine, and he immediately understood, "You're really cunning, this is going to be a real problem for that guy surnamed Tian!"

With that, he turned the steering wheel and drove towards Guisheng Road.

Seeing the two of us talking back and forth, and noticing the knowing smiles we exchanged, Wu Guangyao asked, puzzled, "What are you two up to? Don't do anything reckless!"

"Don't worry, Dad, we're going to have some fun with Tian Yu today. Just wait and see!" Wu Wei smiled nonchalantly, quickly shifting into fifth gear. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes gleaming, full of energy and excitement.

Tian Yu leaned against the Honda that had been moved to the side, lit a cigarette, and took a puff. Seeing Wu Guangyao's car smoothly drive away, even honking to greet him as they passed, he politely waved goodbye.

"Brother Yu, are we just going to let that brat go like that? Where's our pride?"

Zhihong, watching the Volvo drive further and further away, already on the slope and about to disappear from his sight, asked with a hint of resentment.

"If it's just letting him run wild a bit, it's not a big deal,"

Tian Yu said casually. Seeing Zhi Hong about to speak, he waved him off, glancing sideways at the direction the Volvo had gone and continuing, "But I feel like something's not right..."

Just then, a few people ran up the ramp from the underground parking lot. The man in the lead was incredibly ugly, enough to wake anyone who saw him. He saw Tian Yu standing by the ramp and immediately jogged over to him, panting heavily, his hands on his waist and shoulders slumped. After a long while, he finally said, "Yu... oh my god, Brother Yu..."

"Who the hell are you fucking talking to? I think you're asking for it, huh? How dare you talk to Brother Yu like that?"

Zhi Hong was already in a bad mood, and seeing this man only made him angrier. Hearing his unrestrained words, he immediately wanted to teach him a lesson.

"Hey, why bother? That's not what he meant!"

Tian Yu quickly pulled him back, speaking gently to the newcomer, "Chunlin, don't be hasty, let's talk this out!"

"I...huff...I was just arguing, Brother Yu...huff...I...I misspoke!"

This man was Zhang Chunlin, who had secretly helped me escape in the garage. He explained as he continued, "Brother Yu, the three of us...huff...we set up an ambush as you instructed, but just now...just now we saw someone jump out from the first floor, I...we chased and chased, but we just couldn't catch them!"

"What can you guys do, huh!"

Zhihong glared at the group with dissatisfaction.

"Damn, you make it sound so easy, you try chasing one yourself!"

Zhang Chunlin, now catching his breath, immediately retorted when he heard people picking on him one after another.

"I...you motherfucker..."

Zhihong cursed, jumping up to attack.

"Alright, shut up, all of you!"

Tian Yu's shout stopped the fight between the two groups,

then he lowered his head and remained silent. Except for Zhang Chunlin, the others had been following Tian Yu for a long time and rarely saw him so disciplining

his subordinates. Seeing him deep in thought, they knew he was considering an important matter, so none of them dared to disturb him. Tian Yu pondered for a moment, then suddenly threw away his cigarette butt, opened the passenger door of the Honda, and decisively called out, "Come on, get in, let's chase that Volvo!"

At this, everyone immediately scrambled into the car.

Perhaps because Da Min was busy, Zhi Hong drove this time, while the other three higher-ranking thugs sat in the back. The rest jogged to another Refine parked nearby and got in, following the Honda.

Zhi Hong backed the car out of the parking lot and quickly drove onto Qufu Road. Soon after, he saw Wu Wei's Volvo turning towards Hongxing Road and immediately accelerated to follow.

"Brother Yu, that's the car. Should we overtake it and intercept it?"

Zhihong asked, pointing to the target ahead as he shifted gears.

It was broad daylight, and visibility was exceptionally good. Through the Volvo's normally well-concealed tinted windows, the figures inside were already vaguely visible. Tian Yu observed carefully and saw that there seemed to be only people in the driver's and passenger's seats—undoubtedly Wu Guangyao and his son.

He hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "No need. Just follow it. I want to see if there's anything fishy going on in this car!" "

Brother, it accelerated!"

Just as Tian Yu spoke, the Volvo suddenly accelerated forward, its front end swerving past a Xiali that had been driving alongside it, disappearing ahead of the Honda.

"No need to rush..."

Tian Yu chuckled slightly. Actually, he had been watching the road ahead the whole time and wasn't too surprised to see the Wu family's car accelerate. Instead, he leaned back in his seat and said, "It's midday, so traffic is heavy. It's impossible for him to shake us off. Just stick close to it!"

"Understood!"

Zhihong was confident in his driving skills. He agreed and immediately shifted gears and jerked the steering wheel, instantly appearing behind the Volvo again.

"Brother Yu, why don't we just overtake him? That kid is no match for Brother Hong. He was just careless for a moment. Besides, even if he's really tough, I don't believe we can't take him down with so many of us!"

someone behind him asked, leaning forward.

"What do you know?"

Zhihong said with a smile while pressing the accelerator. "Brother Yu has his reasons for telling us to follow!"

He then turned to Tian Yu and gave him a knowing smile, asking, "Right, Brother Yu?"

Actually, he wasn't offended by the person behind him. After hearing his words, he had somewhat regained his face after being embarrassed in public. Therefore, although he was criticizing the other person's ignorance, there was no blame in his tone.

"Hehe..."

Tian Yu chuckled, glancing slightly at the person behind him. He slowly observed the movement of the car in front while replying, "You might not know Wu Guangyao. He's a business partner of President Shen, and he also has some influence in the government. It's not that we're afraid of him, but I've heard President Shen mention that he needs him right now, so we can't easily offend him. However..."

Tian Yu raised his head slightly, squinting at the road ahead, and continued, "...If Yang Ziyang is really in this car, I don't believe that kid can hide in there forever. Once he comes out, we'll go and arrest him. Then, that Wu guy won't be able to say anything, hmph!"

Just then, at a five-way intersection, the traffic light above the traffic booth in the center of the intersection flashed yellow as the Volvo sped past. By the time the Honda reached the red light, it was already on.

Zhihong slammed on the brakes and asked, "Brother Yu, what do you think..."

"Go through it, it'll be fine!"

Tian Yu answered before he could finish, then turned to the person behind him and said, "Ma San, call Captain Tao of the Hedong Traffic Police Brigade and tell him that I, Tian Yu, have something to do and I'm running a red light at this intersection. Tell him to tell his men not to chase me..."

As he said this, he looked at the distance between the two cars, which had widened due to the Honda's renewed acceleration, and laughed, "I got that job for Captain Tao, this is no problem for him!" Still relying on your hands? How can that be satisfying? Forum reputation guaranteed! High-grade silicone video Fan Bingbing's lower body real state molded into a highly realistic vulva shape, soft and delicate skin! Built-in large particle protrusions, close to the female physiological structure, experience a more realistic feeling... well-proportioned, irresistible! Click to enter

"Oh, okay!"

The person behind him with many pockmarks on one side of his face immediately agreed and took out his phone to make a call.

The two cars were traveling one after the other at speeds exceeding the road speed limit when the Volvo suddenly turned right, merging onto Guisheng Road, which intersects with Hongxing Road. Zhihong, following suit, turned right and wondered, "Hmm? Why is he going this way? The traffic thins out further ahead. Is he going to race us?"

"Don't worry, our Honda is modified. Their Volvo can't shake us off. Just drive steadily!"

Tian Yu's attitude remained nonchalant; he even rested his hands behind his head, but his eyes never left the road ahead.

Clearly, Zhihong's guess was wrong, because the Volvo showed no sign of accelerating; in fact, it slowed down slightly, as if worried the Honda behind couldn't keep up. Guisheng Road wasn't long, and at nearly 100 mph, they reached the Haihe River in no time.

Just then, the Volvo suddenly accelerated, shooting onto the Chifeng Bridge like an arrow. The Honda couldn't react in time, and the distance between the two cars immediately increased from thirty meters to about fifty meters. However, Zhihong also accelerated, and the distance between the two cars began to gradually decrease again.

Suddenly, just as the Volvo reached the bridge surface, it swerved sharply to the right, almost touching the side railing of the Chifeng Bridge where there was no separation between the motor vehicle lane and the non-motor vehicle lane. At the same time, its rear door suddenly opened, and a figure in a white shirt and dark pants leaped out of the car and jumped into the rushing river.

"Brother, look! Isn't that a person? Did that Jesus kid jump out of the car?"

Zhihong exclaimed in surprise.

Tian Yu, who had been leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head, had been watching the scene unfold. He saw what was happening and briefly straightened up, but then quickly leaned back, sneering, "Hmph, impossible! I can tell at a glance that Yang Ziyang is all brawn and no brains. He wouldn't do something as dangerous as jumping out of a moving car!"

Seeing the Volvo's doors close quickly and it accelerate forward, he patted Zhihong's shoulder and continued, "Just follow him closely. Don't let him influence you. This is just Yang Ziyang's trick!"

But he was still worried and turned to instruct, "Ma San, call the guys in the back and tell them to stop and check. Even if there's only a one percent chance that Yang is really desperate, we can't be careless!"

Leaving aside how Ma San contacted the guys in the back and how the thugs on the Ruifeng checked the area near Chifeng Bridge, let's focus on the chase between the Honda and the Volvo. At this point, it wasn't really a chase anymore, because after the Volvo went off the bridge, it kept driving forward, but the speed gradually decreased, and soon it arrived at Bo'an Street, less than three kilometers from Chifeng Bridge.

Bo'an Street is an alley located at the junction of Hedong District and Beichen District. Both sides of the road are lined with car washes, among which the one with the best location and the largest storefront is called Yaojie Car Cleaning and Grooming Center.

Looking at the tall storefront and the tunnel-style automatic cleaning machines with black roller brushes on the left, right, and top, and then at the eye-catching black and gold signboard with the couplets "Welcoming the Old and Sending Off the New" and "Washing Away the Lead and Glamour" on the left and right sides of the entrance, anyone with a discerning eye can immediately recognize that this is the leading car wash enterprise on this street.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the Honda, the Volvo drove into the automatic car wash tunnel as if nothing had happened. Tian Yu immediately said, "Zhihong, drive to the other side quickly, don't let them slip away!"

In the back alley of Bo'an Street, the Guangzhou Honda was parked in an inconspicuous corner. The group observed the exit of Yaojie Car Wash's tunnel-style car wash machine and saw that the Volvo had already moved out of the tunnel and was parked to the side. Wu Guangyao and his son then got out of the car and sat on the seats prepared for customers. While someone brought them mineral water and bottled drinks, five or six car wash workers wearing gray-yellow short-sleeved shirts and blue shorts walked up to the Volvo and began to wipe the wet car body with towels.

At this time, the car wash workers opened all the doors of the Volvo, front and rear, and even raised the trunk lid high. Some of them even climbed into the car to wipe the inside of the front and rear windows, and also took out all the plastic floor mats to clean them.

"Huh?"

From this angle, the Volvo was completely open, and there wasn't a soul or anything inside. Zhihong couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"Oh no, we've been tricked!"

Tian Yu sat up straight. He had also seen that there was no one in the Volvo. He immediately remembered the scene on the bridge and turned to Zhihong, saying, "Quick, back to Chifeng Bridge!"

Urged on, the Honda quietly withdrew from the alley and sped towards Chifeng Bridge.

After they left, a young man in a car wash worker's uniform, of medium build, neither fat nor thin, with unremarkable features but a slightly tired look on his face, tossed the rag he was holding into the bucket beside him. He glanced back at where Tian Yu and the others had been, then strode over to the Wu father and son. He grabbed a half-empty bottle of Master Kong green tea from Wu Wei's hand, downed it in one gulp, and then sat down beside them, panting heavily. This man was, of course, me.

Wu Wei had realized from Tian Yu's following manner that he was there to confirm something, but due to his father's business relationship with Shen Dongcai, he dared not act openly, yet he was unwilling to give up. Relying on his underworld connections, he was fearless and unafraid of being discovered. Therefore, he came up with the idea of using the car wash's automatic car wash machine to help me hide and escape.

However, I understood Tian Yu's wisdom and composure better than Wu Wei. If I only used this one plan, he would definitely become suspicious of the car wash and see through Wu Wei's scheme. Therefore, I added a psychological trap to Tian Yu's plan.

I took off the waiter's uniform I had stolen from the second floor of the Emperor Hotel and kept wearing it, tied the hem of the shirt to the loops of my pants, and then used the steering wheel lock to support the shoulders of the shirt. When the car drove onto the Chifeng Bridge, I deliberately asked Wu Wei to drive to the side and increased the distance between the two cars. Then I opened the car door and pushed the steering wheel lock diagonally upwards.

The steering wheel lock was made of pure steel and was quite heavy. Even at high speeds and in strong winds, it flew into the river according to my predetermined trajectory. Moreover, I didn't throw it, but pushed it out. This way, it wouldn't spin in the air. From the perspective of the Honda car more than forty meters behind, the object carrying the outer garment flying into the river looked just like a person jumping out of the car and into the river.

Of course, I didn't expect Tian Yu to be convinced that a weak scholar like me could do something so dangerous, and to give up tracking the Volvo. But when he saw Wu Wei's car pass through the car wash tunnel and the car was empty, he would definitely remember what happened on the bridge and turn his previous doubts into certainty.

Actually, at that time, I happened to be wearing the car wash uniform that Wu Wei had asked someone to bring, mingling in the crowd wiping cars. To deal with a meticulous and experienced guy like Tian Yu, I had to stand boldly in front of him to make him ignore me.

"You two really have guts!"

Wu Guangyao, sitting to the side, squatted on the table with a bottle of mineral water in one hand, wiped the sweat from his forehead with the other, looked down at Wu Wei and me sideways, and said breathlessly.

Wu Wei handed me another bottle of drink, then opened one for himself, took a sip, and looked at his father with a smug grin, saying, "Dad, don't be so nervous, Ziyang and I are here, everything's okay!"

"Okay, okay, very okay!"

Wu Guangyao, relieved, whether still a little scared or blaming his son for being young and impetuous, said this, turned his face away, took a big gulp of water, and said nothing more.

"Ziyang, what are your plans now?"

Wu Wei saw me drink more than half of the drink he handed me, and could clearly sense how difficult things had been for me before. Thinking of my current situation, he couldn't help but ask.

Plans? What plans did I have? I could foresee that Shen Dongcai's henchmen would never let me go. Tian Yu alone had almost killed me several times. How was I supposed to live from now on?

"Run, let's lay low for a while!"

I tossed back the last half bottle of water and waved it at Wu Wei, who handed me another bottle.

But the memory of He Junlong's words, overheard in the stinky toilet bucket, completely eroded my confidence in our escape. Clearly, before he passed out, He Junlong had mobilized his entire network of connections in Tianjin; every possible escape route was likely swarming with Shen Dongcai's men.

Wu Wei stood up, helped me to the side, and glanced back at my father, who sat sullenly in the distance. He said, "If you need anything, just call me. Remember, we'll always be brothers!"

He patted my shoulder lightly, and seeing my still troubled expression, comforted me, "Don't worry about it. Things will work themselves out. Worrying won't help!"

"Things will work themselves out"—what a beautiful phrase! I followed his gaze to Wu Guangyao, and made up my mind: to preserve this precious friendship with Wu Wei, I would never ask this father and son for help again until this matter was resolved.

"Uncle Wu!"

I nodded to Wu Wei, then walked up to Wu Guangyao and said politely, "Thank you so much this time. I'm really sorry for causing you so much trouble. I'll remember your kindness and won't bother you again!"

"Ah...ah!"

Wu Guangyao seemed to only then notice me. He turned around and looked at me questioningly, then his fearful eyes revealed a hint of shame. He forced a smile and stammered, "Yangzi, you...you should take care of yourself in the future. I...I'll see if I can help you smooth things over..."

As he said this, he cautiously looked around. Seeing that there was nothing unusual, he turned back and said, "I think you should leave as soon as possible. The farther away the better. Shen Dongcai has a lot of influence in Tianjin. Even if you hide in the mayor's office in the municipal government building, he can still find you!"

"Heh..."

Hearing his overly cautious words, and seeing that usually kind and gentle old face now filled with suspicion, although I knew it wasn't necessarily an exaggeration and I understood his fear of being implicated, I couldn't help but feel a surge of determination within me. I couldn't help but sneer, "Hmph, no matter how capable that Shen is, he probably can't even manage something as simple as finding a needle in a haystack!"

Seeing his dismissive expression and the opening of his mouth to say something, I interrupted before he could speak, "Uncle Wu, thank you for your past care. I'm leaving now!" I

bowed slightly to express my gratitude.

Wu Guangyao opened his mouth slightly, as if to say something, but then swallowed his words and simply nodded slowly, saying nothing more.

I walked up to Wu Wei, lightly punched him in the chest, and forced a smile, saying, "Good buddy, see you later, if there's another chance!"

"How could there not be a chance? I believe this matter will be resolved smoothly one day!"

Wu Wei pretended to be hit hard and stumbled backward, then reached out and firmly grasped my hand, which had been frozen in mid-air, and patted my shoulder hard with his other hand.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he excitedly pulled me a few steps away before saying, "Hey Ziyang, I have good news to tell you!"

"What is it?"

Right now, what I needed most was good news, but from the excitement on his face, I could tell that perhaps this was only good news for him; he just wanted to share his own happy news with me.

Sure enough, Wu Wei's face lit up with excitement when he mentioned it, but he seemed to be deliberately avoiding his father, turning his head away and whispering, "I have a girlfriend! I finally won her over after two years!" I

was quite surprised that this seemingly indifferent man, who always looked down on women, would actually be in a relationship. I immediately laughed and said, "Oh, you've been chasing her for two years! How come I had no idea? Who is she, a refined young lady from a wealthy or humble family, that makes our young master Wu so excited?" "

Speaking of which, you know her too. She's a junior in the non-teaching political economy department at the teachers' college..." As

Wu Wei said this, a sudden sense of foreboding washed over me. Sure enough, he continued, "...She's in the same class as Chen Jing and shares the same dorm. You know Jiang Shan, right?"

"It's her!"

My heart felt like it had been squeezed hard, a sharp, agonizing pain.

"Yeah, it's her. What's wrong?"

Wu Wei asked, noticing my pale face.

"Oh...oh, nothing, nothing. I just didn't expect you two to..."

After a wave of distress, I forced myself to calm down. I kept telling myself that Wu Wei was a really good guy—capable, upright, kind-hearted, approachable, talented in both academics and sports, from a wealthy family, and with a bright future ahead of him. He and Jiang Shan, a stunningly beautiful, gentle, and considerate girl, were a perfect match, a match made in heaven. They were both my friends, and I should wish them well.

But...but I just couldn't help feeling the heartache, the jealousy, the inferiority complex, the unbearable depression! I know thinking like this is unmanly, narrow-minded, and selfish, but I just couldn't help but feel a burning hatred!

"Hehe, we met at a social event when we were freshmen, and we've stayed friends ever since!"

I forced myself to calm down, not wanting the person in front of me to see my inner feelings. But Wu Wei still sensed that I was troubled, and mistakenly thought I was thinking of Chen Jing. He quickly comforted me, "Alright, Ziyang, things will pass. Once everything's calmed down, you take Chen Jing and I'll take Shanshan. How about the four of us, two couples, go on a trip together?"

Shanshan, he called her so sweetly, damn it! My heart was clenching, but I tried my best to appear nonchalant and forced a smile, "Sure, we'll see sometime!" I

turned to leave, not wanting to see Wu Wei's smug face anymore, even though I knew he meant no harm, even though I knew he was rushing to tell me so I could share his joy.

I just couldn't feel any joy. Why, why did I have to hear such unbearable news when I was down on my luck? Couldn't you just keep quiet? Don't make things worse for me!

"Oh, right, I have an idea..."

Seeing me turn to leave in a daze, Wu Wei suddenly grabbed me and said, "I'm planning to go for a walk around Chifeng Bridge later, and when Tian Yu sees my car, I'll leave quickly. That way, he'll be more convinced that you jumped into the river and ran away. What do you think of this plan?"

"Oh, oh, that's great!"

I wasn't in the mood to listen to him at all, and just gave a perfunctory reply, then started to walk away again.

Seeing that I was determined to leave, Wu Wei patted my shoulder again and said sincerely, "Be careful, and keep in touch with me at all times!"

Feeling the warmth of his hand on my shoulder, I was slightly relieved from my extreme disappointment. After all, he was genuinely trying to help me, and he didn't know that I had a crush on Jiang Shan. Thinking of this, I squeezed the back of his hand on my shoulder tightly, smiled and nodded, and walked around the corner, quickly disappearing from his sight.

Walking out of Bo'an Street, I found a secluded spot and looked up at the sky, wanting to scream. But I knew I couldn't afford to be so conspicuous in my current situation, so I put my hands in my pockets, gripped my trouser legs tightly, and silently vented all my energy

. Suddenly, the crucifix I always carried was unconsciously grasped in my hand. The hard, familiar feeling brought a sudden clarity to my mind.

Yes, I already had someone I loved. That person had always loved me silently, and I loved her too. She was Chen Jing, my lover!

At that moment, I felt my lonely heart find solace again. The pain of losing my chance with Jiang Shan slowly transformed into longing for Chen Jing. In an instant, an idea sprouted in my mind: before fleeing for my life, I had to see this girl who loved me so deeply one last time, even if it was just to say goodbye, even if it would put me in danger, I had to do it! With

the knot in my heart untied, I regained my usual rationality and couldn't help but recall Wu Wei's parting words. He was going to pretend to go to Chifeng Bridge to make Tian Yu believe my fake suicide attempt?

Oh no, that would be superfluous. It's like Zhang Fei, after defeating a million Cao Cao's soldiers at Dangyang Bridge, going to dismantle the bridge planks – it would backfire! I cursed inwardly, turned back, and found the car wash deserted. Wu Wei and his son had already left!

Hurry, I had to get out of here quickly. With Wu Wei's actions, Tian Yu would immediately realize the suicide attempt was a trick, and he might even turn back here soon! I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead and quickly ran away.

On the Haihe River bank under the side of Chifeng Bridge, Tian Yu was sitting in the passenger seat of a Honda, one hand resting on the window frame with a cigarette between his fingers, the other behind his head, leaning back with his eyes closed.

"Brother Yu..."

Zhihong ran over from a distance and stood beside the car, saying, "We've asked all our brothers, and no one has swum up from the river since just now!"

He then asked with a hint of doubt, "Brother, did Jesus drown?"

"Drowned? Heh, he's incredibly lucky!"

Tian Yu slightly opened his eyes and glanced at his subordinates before slowly continuing, "Tell our men to expand the search area, search all the bridges nearby, both up and down. Go find some diving suits and have the brothers who are good swimmers go down into the river to search carefully!"

"Is...is that really necessary?"

Zhihong hesitated for a moment.

Tian Yu sat up, beckoned to him with his right hand holding a cigarette, and when he walked up to him and bent down, he suddenly slapped him on the back of the neck, saying with displeasure, "Do you know if Yang Ziyang can swim, how well he can swim, how long he can stay underwater, and how far he can swim if he swims away?"

Zhihong rubbed the back of his head where he had been hit and hurriedly replied, "Understood, understood, I'll take care of it right away!"

As he said this, he suddenly saw a dark gray Volvo approaching from afar on the Chifeng Bridge and couldn't help but turn his head to look at it with concern, saying, "Brother Yu, look, isn't that the car of that father and son surnamed Wu?"

It was indeed the Volvo with the license plate number Jin AS6688 belonging to Wu Wei and his son. The car was driving slowly towards the bridge, and the driver's side window was open, with someone driving while looking around at the bottom of the bridge, as if searching for something. Suddenly, the people in the car seemed to see Tian Yu's Guangzhou Honda and several men gathered around it. Then, under the watchful eyes of Tian Yu and the others, the car quickly rolled up its windows and sped away.

"Brother, you're right, Jesus must be nearby. I'll go find diving suits right away and have them search every inch of the area!"

Seeing Wu Wei's car flee, Zhihong became even more certain of Tian Yu's initial idea. He quickly waved to the brothers in the distance and took out his phone, asking, "Brother Yu, should we call some more people over? Let's organize two teams to search along the river, one upstream and one downstream?"

Tian Yu had undoubtedly also seen the Volvo that seemed to be there to scout, but he wasn't as excited as Zhihong. Instead, he slowly shook his head, saying helplessly, "No need. Tell our men to call back. Yang Ziyang isn't here!"

"Huh?"

Zhihong was at a loss, holding his phone, when Tian Yu waved for him to get in the car. He had no choice but to go to the driver's seat, open the door, and get in before asking, "Brother, how do you know Yang Ziyang isn't here?"

"Can't you fucking use your brain?!"

Tian Yu seemed to be in a bad mood, glaring at him impatiently. After a long while, she managed to calm herself down and regain her usual composure, continuing in a gentle voice, "When we came here, we chased them and ran. What does that mean? It means Yang Ziyang is definitely in their car, and they must have noticed we were following them!"

Zhihong still didn't understand, and asked in bewilderment, "Right? Then..."

"Right? Hmph!"

Tian Yu was somewhat annoyed by his slowness, and after taking a long breath, he continued, "Since that's the case, they must know we saw the so-called 'jumping from the car' on the bridge behind us, so why did they dare to drive over to check? Isn't that just trying to cover it up?"

"The so-called jumping from the car? You mean..."

Zhi Hong saw that his usually amiable older brother's attitude had suddenly changed, and his address had become humble, but he still didn't understand what his boss meant, so he asked hesitantly.

"Yang Ziyang didn't jump from the car at all, it's just a psychological trap! I guess he ran away from the car wash, maybe... maybe..."

Tian Yu said, while pinching his clean-shaven chin with his left hand and stroking it hard.

"Maybe what?"

Zhi Hong had known him for a long time, and whenever he saw Tian Yu with this expression, it meant there was something stuck in his heart, so he didn't dare to raise his voice when he asked.

"Maybe Yang Ziyang was among those car wash workers!"

Tian Yu's handsome face twitched slightly as he coldly replied.

Zhihong was also quite surprised and immediately said, "Then let's hurry up and go find him! That car wash is definitely up to something!"

"Do you even need to tell me?"

Tian Yu sat up straight, gritting his teeth angrily, "Going now is pointless; he's already escaped!"

Zhihong knew that Tian Yu had poured countless efforts and wisdom into the arrest operation that began last night, but now it seemed to have all been for nothing. The plan was so clever and meticulous, even bringing them within arm's reach at one point, but in the end, they missed each other by a hair's breadth. In the past ten years, Tian Yu, the boss, had never lost so humiliatingly. No wonder he was in such a bad mood, losing his usual nonchalant attitude of having everything under control.

It was best not to provoke him at this moment, so Zhihong didn't dare to say anything.

At this moment, Tian Yu stared ahead, seemingly contemplating something, yet unable to see it clearly. His eyes widened and narrowed intermittently, his chest heaving. After a long while, he suddenly gritted his teeth and said coldly, word by word, "Yang Ziyang...letting a tiger return to the mountain, the disaster..." He

then forcefully crushed the half-smoked cigarette in his right hand in two, letting the glowing butt fall onto his expensive suit trousers, burning a hole, and continued, "...endless!"

Leaving Bo'an Street, I deliberately chose to walk through alleys and side streets, winding my way to find Chen Jing. It was summer vacation, and schools were on break. Given Chen Jing's mother's health condition, she was likely at home. Therefore, my target was the Heping Residential Area on Shandong Road in Hebei District. After turning through

several small streets, I arrived at the low-rise housing area near Yingkou Road. I thought that if I just crossed this area, there would be a bus stop. I still had two one-yuan coins; I could spend one to take the 212 bus and reach my destination in half an hour.

Just as I was about to leave the alley, I saw a couple walking towards me. The woman was holding the man's arm, wiping his face with a tissue, asking with concern, "How are you? Does it still hurt?"

"It's alright, it's okay, ouch... ouch!"

The man comforted the girl beside him, dodging her hand, and quickly took the tissue to wipe his face, but he still couldn't help but wince in pain, then angrily cursed, "These filthy scoundrels, so unreasonable, damn it, they're just bored!" Looking closer

, I saw that the man was about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, of medium height with a student-style haircut, and quite ordinary-looking, nothing particularly outstanding. Come to think of it, his appearance, height, and build were actually somewhat similar to mine. At this moment, there was a bruise on his left cheek, and a little blood at the corner of his mouth, indicating that he had been beaten.

Hearing him say the words "scoundrel," my heart skipped a beat, and I couldn't help but step forward to ask, "Hey, brother, what happened?"

The couple stopped and looked at me. The man, his face full of anger, said, "What happened? Did I see a ghost? Ouch...!"

He only managed half a sentence before the pain in his face intensified, and he groaned in pain.

The girl quickly pulled him aside, turned to look at the street outside, and then answered me, who had followed her, "Well, here's what happened. We were just about to get on the bus when a group of hooligans suddenly jumped out from the side and forcibly dragged him..."

She gestured to the man beside her and continued, "...studied him for a long time, then started cursing and saying something like 'It's not that kid surnamed Yang,' and then tried to leave. We were being pushed and dragged around for no reason and were even delayed from getting on the bus, so of course we weren't going to stand for it. But as soon as we complained a few times, they started hitting us. You see, here we are..."

Hearing this, my heart sank. I hadn't expected that the bus stop really had been monitored by Shen Dongcai's men. When He Junlong mentioned it in the dirty water bucket, I was a little incredulous. I wondered how they could possibly have the power to control such important transportation hubs in the city, especially since this place was half a city away from the Emperor Building. Their clutches had reached out so quickly; it seemed I had underestimated the power of these gangsters once again.

"Hey, I'm telling you, those guys might still be there. If you run into them, be careful; they're not to be trifled with!"

The woman kindly warned me when she saw me standing there stunned.

"Oh, okay, thanks!"

I replied absentmindedly, ignoring the questioning looks they gave me, and quickly turned and walked back the way I came.

I couldn't take the bus; I had to find another way. Thinking this, I walked to another exit of the bungalow area. Across the street was a roadside market where laid-off workers and other unemployed people had spontaneously gathered, occupying the non-motorized vehicle lane to sell various vegetables, fruits, seafood, and other daily necessities.

Because there are no stall management fees, the goods in these markets are generally relatively inexpensive. It's not bustling yet, but in a few hours during rush hour, many people will come here with bicycles to shop, potentially causing traffic congestion. Therefore, these street vendors are always a prime target for the city's comprehensive law enforcement, colloquially known as "gray police," who wear grey uniforms.

Just then, three vans marked "Comprehensive Law Enforcement" stopped by the roadside, and fourteen or fifteen gray police officers got out, carrying batons and other weapons, and headed towards the densely packed area of stalls. Seeing the city management vehicles approaching, the vendors tried to scatter, but how could they, carrying large bags and bundles, keep up

with the gray police's pursuit? Unexpectedly, these comprehensive law enforcement officers didn't seem to have any special intentions today, nor did they forcibly confiscate their goods. Instead, they meticulously scrutinized the crowd in the market, even those buying things, especially men in their twenties of average build, even removing their hats for inspection.

Seeing this scene, I understood immediately. It seemed their "enforcement" today wasn't about city appearance cleanup, but rather searching for someone—most likely me! This wasn't hard to understand. Tianjin's so-called comprehensive law enforcement personnel were, in reality, just a group of unemployed people with connections to the city management office, hence their "reputation" as "hooligans in police uniforms." These people had a very complicated social network, so it seemed the person surnamed Shen must have some control over them.

As I was peeking across the street, someone suddenly tapped me on the shoulder. Turning around, I saw seven or eight men of varying appearances standing before me. To call them men was a stretch; only three looked over twenty, the other four or five were just fifteen or sixteen.

The man who tapped me was around thirty, short with a buzz cut, dressed simply in a white tank top and dark camouflage shorts, but his expression and demeanor gave off a hooligan vibe. When he saw me turn around, he took two steps back and asked with a hint of excitement, "You...you're Brother Su, right?"

"Who? What Brother Su?"

I was taken aback by the question, but seeing the group slowly surrounding me, I immediately became wary.

"Brother Su, the famous Jesus Yang Ziyang! Who hasn't heard of this legendary figure from Tianjin these past few days? We all call him Brother Su behind his back!"

Although the man said it as a question, his face showed certainty, and his eyes gleamed with joy.

Damn it, such an absurd thing! Did these petty thugs even know about my conflict with Shen Dongcai? This kind of overnight fame is no good! Besides, I had no idea who these people were, and I couldn't tell if they meant me any good or bad. But judging from their expressions and behavior, it was probably not a good thing.

Thinking of this, I pretended to be confused and said, "What Jesus? What Yang? You've mistaken me for someone else!"

As I spoke, I tried to dodge to the side.

"Hey, Su-ge, this is getting boring!"

The man suddenly darted in the direction I was hiding and blocked my way, grinning wickedly. "My eyes never betray me. I've seen your picture. Although you look pretty average, once I've seen you, I'll recognize you for life, no doubt about it!"

He recognized me from a picture, which meant someone had shown them my photo, clearly part of Tian Yu's plan. But these people didn't look like legitimate gangsters; they were just street thugs at best.

With that in mind, I made up my mind and said coldly, "Hmph, that's right, it's me, I am Yang Ziyang!"

As I spoke, I raised my head and disdainfully scanned everyone present, continuing with a sneer, "What, what do you little brats want, trying to mess with me?"

"No, Brother Su, don't misunderstand, how could we dare to do anything to you, it's just..." It seemed my bluffing hadn't worked as expected. This guy wasn't intimidated at all; instead, he slowly approached me, saying as he walked, "It's just that our Master Ma wants to use you as a big gift to send to Master Shen, so we have no choice but to ask you to come with us!"

As he spoke, he winked at a skinny little boy behind him. Seeing the boy looking at him blankly, he angrily shouted, "What the hell are you standing there for? Take off your belt and tie it up for our Brother Su!"

Damn, do you think I'm yours for the taking? I had already sized up the crowd. Apart from the three leading men, the rest were all children, and they all looked sickly—clearly not respectable thugs. Although I was outnumbered and outmatched, I still had a chance to slip away.

With that thought, I made up my mind, calmly took two steps forward, and casually said, "Madman Ma really doesn't want to live! He dares to get involved in this mess with Shen Dongcai!"

He had just mentioned a "Master Ma," saying I was a gift from Master Ma to Shen Dongcai. Hearing this, I immediately remembered something. In the Emperor Building, I had heard about and seen two men surnamed Ma: one was a henchman of Tian Yu, over forty years old, and the other was the "Madman Ma" that Zhou Xiang and He Junlong had mentioned. If the "Master Ma"

they spoke of was Old Ma, one of Tian Yu's men, then it was impossible for Old Ma to hand me over to the man surnamed Shen directly without going through Tian Yu. Therefore, this person must be Madman Ma, not Old Ma. He Junlong had once compared Ma Fengzi to Miaoyin Fo, so he guessed this guy was also a figurehead in Tianjin, and definitely not in a superior-subordinate relationship with the gang led by Shen Dongcai.

"How come you..."

Seeing the surprised expression on the man's face, I knew I was right.

At this moment, the skinny boy had already unbuckled his belt and was about to put it around my hand. I suddenly grabbed the belt he was offering, and at the same time, I yanked down his pants with my other hand. The boy wasn't paying attention and his pants were pulled up to his knees. He hurriedly tried to pull them back with one hand, but didn't let go of the belt with the other. I used the momentum to throw him towards the man who had spoken, tossing his thin body into the air. Seeing the two of them piled on top of each other, I didn't hesitate and immediately ran away.

"Ouch, damn it!"

Two people shouted behind me. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I turned and disappeared into the depths of the bungalow area.

After running through a maze-like area, seeing that the other party hadn't followed in time, I leaned against the wall, panting heavily. After quickly catching my breath, I dared not linger any longer and immediately fled.

It seemed Shen Dong had already mobilized a considerable force to surround me, and the days ahead would certainly be even more difficult. Moreover, to capture me, he had mobilized forces from all sides, even making my name known far and wide. But as the saying goes, the taller the tree, the more the wind will blow; the proverb "a person fears becoming famous, just as a pig fears becoming fat" couldn't be more true for me now. Therefore, I felt no smugness whatsoever, but rather even more worried.

After thinking it over, I still couldn't come up with a solution. I looked around; I was currently in the Xiawafang area of Hebei District, still far from Chen Jing's house.

As I was using a corner of the wall for cover and catching my breath, I suddenly felt something strange beside me, followed by a voice in my ear: "Brother Su, you're quite shabby, only carrying two coins and this broken cross!"

"Ah!"

This was quite a shock. I turned around and saw two men in their late twenties standing behind me. One of them, with long, side-parted hair and wearing a blue tracksuit, stood about seven or eight meters away, arms crossed, grinning maliciously at me. The other was shorter than me, a dozen centimeters shorter, but his short, stocky build, accentuated by dark blue denim shorts and a black t-shirt, made him look quite energetic.

This shorter man was now less than a meter behind me, tossing two one-yuan coins and the cross Chen Jing had given me in his hand. Seeing my fearful expression, he grinned smugly and said, "Don't be afraid, we won't hurt you. Just come with us obediently, and our Master Xue wants to see you!"

I tried to back away as fast as I could, only to find myself backed against a wall. I checked my pockets and realized all my belongings were gone; it seemed this short man had taken them.

Master Xue, the Buddha of Wonderful Sound! Combining the fact that they had stolen my things silently, and the fact that they seemed to have thoroughly searched me, with the mention of "Buddha," I immediately realized that these two guys must be thieves of the Miaoyin Buddha.

"Let's go, don't bother us!"

the man said, tossing the two coins and the cross back to me, then turning and walking away, as if I were powerless to resist and would obediently follow him.

"Hmm? Why aren't you moving? Really planning to test our skills, my lovely Su-ge?"

The short man, not hearing my footsteps, turned back and looked at me arrogantly.

Damn it, these two guys are clearly not like those underage thugs from before. They crouched behind me without me noticing, and even after searching all my pockets, I didn't feel anything amiss. Their skills are definitely not simple. And looking at their attitude now, it's obvious they don't take me, "Su-ge," seriously.

Am I just going to sheepishly go with them to see Xue Haibo? No, I have to take a gamble, even if the chances are slim!

Thinking of this, I suddenly turned my head to the side and called out with a happy expression, "Brother Zhang Yifei, what brings you here?"

The two people in front of me were stunned, and turned their heads along with my gaze. At that moment, I was still holding the things that the kid had thrown at me, which originally belonged to me, and I took off running as fast as I could in the opposite direction they were looking at.

"You brat, you dare to trick me!"

The two people turned their heads and saw that there was no fourth person in the empty alley. They immediately realized that they had been tricked and chased after me while cursing.

I thought that this trick would at least buy me a few seconds. With my familiarity with the surrounding terrain and my frantic running speed, I figured I could easily shake off those two. But after running over two hundred meters, I realized I was wrong. Those two were clever and swift, running incredibly fast, and very familiar with their surroundings. Not only could I not shake them off, but they were closing in on me.

Even though I kept knocking over piles of debris to create obstacles for them as I ran, the distance between us remained the same. Then it suddenly occurred to me: if this continued, the alley was narrow and deserted. What if there were other people nearby besides them, blocking my way from both ends? That would be terrible. With

this in mind, I immediately changed course and ran towards the wider streets. In a flash, I reached Siping Road and saw the entrance to Tianjin's only subway line at the time. Without a second thought, I squeezed in.

The subway station was crowded. I had planned to blend in and slip away, but my car wash uniform was too conspicuous. The two bastards found me easily and quickly closed in. I had no choice but to focus on escaping.

But subway stations are limited in space, and I couldn't get through the ticket gates without a ticket. Seeing me panting heavily against the counter of a small shop at the far end, the two scoundrels slowed their pace, approaching slowly with smug smiles.

Damn, I was so naive! These two are seasoned thieves; they must have been operating in this area all along. They know the area well, and for pickpockets, speed is paramount for survival. Exhausted, how could I possibly be a match for them!

That's right, they're thieves! Suddenly, in my desperation, a plan came to mind. I straightened my back, which had been hunched over, and strode towards them.

The two guys, who had assumed I was exhausted and had nowhere to escape, were leisurely approaching me when they suddenly saw me turn around and run towards them. They were startled and involuntarily stopped, looking at me with puzzlement.

"Thieves! These two are thieves! Catch them!"

I suddenly took off running towards them, shouting at the top of my lungs.

The underground platform was very loud, and everyone present heard my shout clearly. Instantly, everyone—whether they were about to enter the station, had just come down from outside, or were queuing at the ticket machines—turned their attention to me, and then, guided by my gaze and movements, looked at the two bastards chasing me.

The two were stunned when they suddenly heard my shout, and then the surrounding crowd focused their attention on them. As the saying goes, "a thief's heart is easily frightened," and seeing countless eyes staring at them, the two men couldn't help but feel intimidated and took two steps back.

At that moment, I was less than ten meters away from the two men, right in front of the ticket vending machine. Seeing a security guard in uniform nearby, I immediately ran up to him, grabbed his sleeve, and cried out, "Security officer, catch the thief! Catch the thief!"

The security guard had heard my shouts and, seeing me pleading for help, pulled out the baton he always carried on his back. At the same time, he took a walkie-talkie from his waist and said, "Attention! Attention! Situation in the lobby! Situation in the lobby! Pickpockets spotted! Pickpockets spotted! Request backup immediately! Request backup immediately!"

After saying that, he raised his baton and moved towards the two men.

Inspired by this competent security guard, many onlookers also joined in, and the crowd seemed to shrink into a tighter and tighter encirclement of the two men.

"You little devils, you're ruthless! Just you wait!"

the man in the blue tracksuit said menacingly, and the two men turned and ran wildly out of the subway station.

"Phew..."

I let out a long breath, leaning against the ticket vending machine, still panting from the shock. Suddenly, I noticed a ticket stuck at the ticket counter. The person who bought the ticket earlier must have forgotten it after my antics and rushed off to see what was going on.

Going back the way I came wasn't a good idea anymore; those two might still be waiting outside.

Thinking this, I saw the crowd still gathered at the entrance stairs, pointing and whispering about the two thieves who had run out. I quickly and discreetly pulled out the ticket and swaggered into the ticket gate.

The platform was crowded. I stood by a boarding gate, anxiously waiting for the subway. Just then, two people strolled up in front of me—the very same two pickpockets I had tricked away earlier.

"Brother Su, you think you can shake us off with such a small trick? You underestimate us, the Wonderful Sound Buddha!"

the short man said smugly.

The platform was even smaller than the ticket hall, a long, narrow space with nowhere to hide. Seeing that I was at a dead end again, I dejectedly put my hands on my knees and said, "You two bastards are really persistent!"

"Don't even think about it, you can't outrun us!"

the short guy said with a laugh, scratching his head, as if I was already theirs.

At this moment, the person in the blue tracksuit behind me crossed his arms and urged, "Don't waste your breath on him, let's talk slowly back there!"

After he said that, the short guy also thought of the saying "the longer you wait, the more things might go wrong," and stopped talking. He started to approach me, while raising his right hand and moving his four fingers lightly like playing the piano. Instantly, two thin blades emerged from the base of his fingers.

Knowing that it was futile, I still couldn't help but back away, while glancing sideways at the surrounding situation, trying to find a way to escape.

"Beep—" Just then, the rumble of a train came from the tunnel below the platform in the distance. The subway had actually arrived at the station at this time.

The train stopped, and everyone who had been sitting on the side waiting for the train stood up and entered the train from different entrances. As the crowd surged through the crowd, the two thugs who were chasing me suddenly stopped in their tracks.

There was a boarding gate right to my side, and this sudden turn of events made me glance in that direction. The two cunning boys also took two steps back, found another boarding gate, but didn't go up; they just stood there, their eyes fixed on my movements.

Clearly, they were afraid I'd try to board the train. If I ran inside and they chased after me, they might not be able to catch me before the doors closed, leaving me locked out. Therefore, they didn't move, just guarded the other entrance. If I boarded, they would go up from there; if I didn't move, they would wait until the train left before grabbing me.

I wasn't that stupid. The subway car was like a cage; where could I hide in those few carriages? That was definitely not a wise choice. But… this was something I could use to play a trick on them!

Having already made up my mind, I calmly steadied myself, glancing at the two men in front of me while subtly glancing towards the boarding gate beside me. Seeing my expression, the two dared not approach rashly. Being outnumbered, they couldn't split into two groups, one boarding and the other chasing after me; they could only silently guard.

The alarm countdown for the closing doors began, "Beep...beep...beep." I knew it was time, and suddenly I whirled around and scrambled into the train. Seeing me rush onto the train, they assumed I was planning to shake them off at the last minute, and immediately slipped past them through the gate next to them.

Once on board, they looked in my direction, but surprisingly didn't see me. However, through the windows, they saw me still standing outside. Only then did they realize they'd been tricked. I wasn't really going to get on; I had only intended to lure them in. When they turned back to get off, the doors had already closed.

Just as the two men were angrily cursing and banging on the train doors, the subway slowly started moving, carrying the two persistent guys forward.

Leaning against the chrome-plated railing of the waiting shed, I gasped for breath. Those two grandsons of the "Wonderful Sound Buddha" were truly formidable; not only did they chase me until I was breathless, but they also managed to find me so quickly after I shook them off. If they hadn't outnumbered me, I probably would have been doomed. The

man surnamed Shen had indeed mobilized all his resources to search for me; this vast net was like a dark cloud covering the sky, constantly shrouding me. It seemed I couldn't stay in Tianjin any longer; I had to leave immediately after seeing Chen Jing. But now I only had two yuan left in my pocket. How could I possibly escape? These questions gave me a headache. Even someone as close as Wu Wei was powerless to help me now; who could I turn to for help?

Overwhelmed by endless worries, I couldn't stay in this oppressive, cage-like waiting hall any longer. I didn't know when the next train would arrive, and if someone else attacked me now, it would truly be too late.

I had to leave the waiting hall, but going back the way I came would be unwise. There was no guarantee those two hadn't called for their companions, and if someone was following their route to catch me, the ticket hall would be in danger. Thinking this, I walked around the overpass above the train tunnel towards the exit.

Outside, the sun was still shining brightly; the afternoon sun in mid-July was intense, the weather exceptionally fine—cloudless and breezy—but my mood was utterly terrible. I dared not make eye contact with anyone, constantly glancing around furtively. Perhaps it was the fear of danger after escaping a close call, but I felt like I was under the watchful eyes of countless people, as if everyone on the street was tracking my every move, intending to capture me.

Near the subway exit, many taxis were gathered, waiting for passengers exiting the station. I had no money and dared not approach the interconnected taxi network. Because He Junlong had mentioned that bus routes and taxis were under their jurisdiction, and it was now a fact that they controlled the bus stops, taxis were probably not safe either, so I could only silently walk forward.

"Hey buddy, need a ride?"

A voice rang out from the roadside beside me.

I looked down and glanced sideways, and saw a very old red Xiali car following beside me. A small yellow sign, about the size of a palm, was crookedly placed on the roof, with the word "Taxi" written on it. The driver's side window was open, and the head of a middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap was sticking out.

Any Tianjin resident with some social common sense would know that these fake taxi signs were banned two years ago along with the city's unique "yellow bug" minivan taxis. Now, all taxis are sedans, and the sign on the roof is a 20-centimeter-wide arched, illuminated type that is fixed in the center of the roof and cannot be removed or installed at will.

This was clearly an unlicensed taxi, the kind that picks up leftover passengers without an operating license. In the past, when I couldn't get a taxi during rush hour, I'd taken unlicensed taxis. I knew these people were cunning, always charging exorbitant prices and ripping off customers, so I never rode in one again.

"No thanks!"

I refused without even looking at him.

The driver didn't give up, continuing to follow me, trying to persuade me: "It's so hot, who walks around here? I'm fine with nothing else to do, how about I give you a discount?"

I was getting impatient; being followed like this would easily attract attention. But there was only one alleyway ahead, and I had to keep going with him on the same road. With no way to avoid it, I coldly said, "I don't have any money. Find someone else."

"No money? No problem! You can pay when we get there. Get in, look at you, all sweaty!"

The driver persisted, stubbornly sticking to me.

Damn it, couldn't he find someone else?! I was furious, but I couldn't argue with him in the street and chase him away. Just as I was about to ignore him and walk on my own, I suddenly heard a car horn behind me. I turned around and saw seven or eight men rushing towards me from across the street. Some of them were pointing at me as they climbed over the guardrail, seemingly talking to their companions. This caused the cars on the road to slow down and honk their horns in unison.

It was clear they were coming for me. I had no other choice at that point. I immediately ran to the back seat of the Xiali car, opened the door, and jumped in, urging, "Hurry up, drive forward!"

"Hey buddy, where are you going?"

The driver, seeing me get in, thought his persuasion had worked and immediately put on a business-like face.

"Hebei-Shandong Road, hurry!"

I said, glancing back at the pursuers who were dodging other vehicles as they approached me.

"Oh!"

The driver stepped on the gas and accelerated forward, glancing back at me with a hint of hesitation on his face, but still drove off.

The people behind us were quickly left behind. We turned onto Bawei Road, but the driver didn't have the reckless driving style of other unlicensed taxis, and he refused to mention the fare.

Generally, since there's no meter and the passenger didn't mention the fare as soon as they got in, most drivers would try to extort an exorbitant price after starting the car. If they couldn't agree on a price, even if the passenger asked to get out, the driver would shamelessly try to get a few dollars, since they'd already traveled a mile or two. But this driver didn't use that tactic on me. Not only that, he kept glancing at me through the rearview mirror, and whenever our eyes met, he would immediately pretend to be looking straight ahead.

This caught my attention. Was this driver also setting up an ambush with me as his target? Thinking of this, I felt a surge of tension. At the current speed, jumping out of the car was absolutely impossible, and if he drove to a secluded spot where other accomplices were waiting, I would have no chance of escape. Thinking this, I quickly and secretly gripped the only piece of metal I had on me—the crucifix Chen Jing had given me—in my pocket.

Of course, this couldn't be used as a weapon, but I had nothing else.

I pulled one end of the crucifix from my pocket; the silver metal looked like a concealed weapon in the dim light of the car.

Sure enough, the driver noticed this detail in his rearview mirror, his eyes widened immediately, and he quickly shifted his gaze forward, a look of tension appearing on his face. Suddenly, he swerved sharply, turning the car into a narrow, deserted alley.

Due to the inertia, I was thrown forward. Taking advantage of this jolt, I lunged at him without hesitation, my left arm encircling his neck, my right hand gripping the crucifix's handle, placing the crucifix across his right side, and simultaneously using my curled right arm to completely conceal this harmless 'weapon,' preventing him from recognizing it.

"Don't move, or I'll kill you. Who sent you here? What do you want?"

In this critical moment, I didn't care about the possibility of killing a thousand innocent people. I interrogated him fiercely while tightening my grip on both hands.

The driver felt something cool pressed against his neck near his throat and dared not struggle. He immediately raised his hands, his voice trembling with terror, "Don't...don't kill me! You...I don't understand what you're saying, what are you going to do?"

"You don't understand?"

I asked, a menacing look on my face, glancing sideways out the window. "I'm going to Shandong Road. Where did you drive me? Don't play dumb with me, or I'll get serious!"

In truth, how could that ten-centimeter-long cross possibly hurt anyone? I had absolutely no guts to kill or rob. But the driver, feeling the coldness of the metal object against his throat, didn't dare doubt my bluff. He immediately pleaded with a pained expression, "Brother Su...Brother Su, please...please spare me! I have elderly parents and young children to support! I...I really didn't mean to hurt you, and I don't have the ability. I'm just a driver! Really, please believe me!"

The fact that he called me "Brother Su" meant he knew me. Judging from that address, he must have only known of me because of my affair with Shen Dongcai. It was hard to say he wasn't part of another group trying to arrest me to curry favor with the man surnamed Shen. But this man was drenched in sweat, dripping onto the arm I was using to strangle him, and his body was trembling uncontrollably. Looking at his clothes, he certainly didn't seem like a gangster. At this point, I was unsure and remained silent.

"Brother Su, I... I didn't recognize you at first. I only noticed after you got in the car. I heard about you this morning from Fatty Meng in our area. He even gave me your picture..."

The driver said, reaching for the glove compartment. I hesitated for a moment but cautiously let him go.

The man shakily pulled out half a sheet of A4 paper. I looked closely and saw photos of me from the front, left, and right—the kind of photos you see on prisoners in movies.

The driver slowly held up the photo for me to see, continuing, "Fatty Meng told us all who do side jobs to keep an eye out for you, and call him if we see you. But... but I'm just an ordinary citizen. How could we dare get involved in a fight between gangsters like you? I... I just wanted to find a secluded place, please... please get out of the car, I really didn't dare touch you!"

I considered his words, weighing their credibility, and seeing that there was indeed no one else around where he had parked, I couldn't help but nod in agreement. Then I found it laughable. I hadn't expected that my being forced to deal with this guy surnamed Shen would spread so quickly, and I was probably a big celebrity now. People like the guy in front of me, unaware of the inside story, would probably think I was some newly risen, ruthless underworld figure.

No wonder, this gang of thugs led by Shen must have exaggerated my fierceness to prevent bystanders like this driver from knowing about my affair with them, so they wouldn't dare to confront me directly and would have to report to their superiors if they encountered me—that's how they kept it a secret.

Hearing this, I slowly released my left arm, allowing him to breathe freely, but the "weapon" against his neck remained still. Pointing at the photo in his hand, I asked expressionlessly, "Does everyone in your line of work have one now?"

"Yes...yes, yes!"

Although his neck was freed, the driver didn't dare to move an inch. His hands remained raised flat, and he answered tremblingly, "No...not only that, I heard that colleagues working long-distance routes at the train station and airport all...have one, and...and a friend of mine who drives a tour bus at a hostel said that all the travel agencies in the city have received the notification, and every driver has received one!"

Damn it, according to him, it's probably impossible for me to escape Tianjin. I really underestimated the power of the underworld. If I had known this, I would either not have done it or I would have extorted a few million more from that damned Shen Dongcai and fled immediately with the money. Now I realize how naive I was, actually thinking there was always a way to escape.

"Master Su...Master Su!"

I was seething with anger, and perhaps seeing my clenched teeth, the driver became even more frightened, his address becoming even more respectful. He begged for mercy repeatedly, "Master Su...

I'm just a poor man who works hard to earn a living, please...please have mercy on me, okay?

I...I promise I'll never tell anyone that you rode in my car, or...or I'll die a horrible death!"

He trembled all over, his head constantly tilting towards the car window, terrified that I would cut him with my weapon. How could I possibly hurt someone, especially since he genuinely meant me no harm? Thinking this, I quickly put away my "weapon" and reached for the door to get out.

"Master Su...Master Su!"

Unexpectedly, the man called out to me again as I was about to leave. Turning my head, I saw him fumbling in his pockets, soon pulling out a handful of loose change. He said somewhat embarrassedly, "Sir, I... I haven't been out long, this is all I have. Thank you for letting me go. I know the rules, please take this!"

He offered it to me with both hands.

What are you doing? I'm not a robber! The driver's actions made me both laugh and cry. I've never bullied honest people; I still have that much sense of morality. Besides, in my heart, attacking him out of desperation and taking this money are two different things. If I took it, I would truly become a scoundrel just like Shen Dongcai.

Thinking this, I didn't take it. Instead, I yanked his hat off, biting my lower lip, and said, "Thanks, no need. Can I borrow this hat?"

Then I quickly ran into the alley where cars couldn't go.

Having evaded rounds of pursuit, I dared not show my face on the streets again. I carefully concealed my movements, wearing a baseball cap and deliberately choosing secluded locations like low-rise houses, alleyways, and lanes. Finally, as dusk fell, I arrived at the entrance of the Heping Residential Area on Shandong Road, where Chen Jing lived.

Just as I was about to go upstairs, I suddenly saw two girls walking towards me from around the corner, about a hundred meters away.

One of them wore a sky-blue dress and carried a light gray silk handbag. Her face was gentle but somewhat haggard; it was none other than Chen Jing, the beloved I had longed for day and night. The other wore a pure white short-sleeved women's blouse and a pink long skirt, her arm linked with Chen Jing's as they walked gracefully together. It was Jiang Shan, the sweet and beautiful woman I had dreamed of for so long, but who was now taken.

Seeing them, I was overwhelmed with emotion and longed to rush forward and acknowledge them. As soon as I took a step, I noticed something amiss behind the two women. In the distance, around the street corner, five or six men were stealing glances at them. Some seemed to be strolling, others were huddled together chatting, but their expressions were shifty, and they were slowly moving closer to the women.

Already terrified, I immediately turned and hid at a street corner next to the apartment complex, peeking around while frantically trying to figure things out.

What were these men doing? Were they also Shen Dongcai's men? Could he be using Jingjing as a hostage because he couldn't catch me? A pang of pain shot through my mind. What should I do if that were the case? Should I risk my life for Chen Jing?

I couldn't let them hurt Jingjing. Even if something happened to me, I couldn't let this innocent girl be implicated. She loved me so much, she was so kind—how could I let her be dragged into this?

But did I have the courage to risk my life to save her? This question left me speechless.

Something was wrong! Perhaps to avoid this dilemma, I scrutinized the movements on the street and began to think.

What are those people trying to do with Chen Jing? Kidnapping? Doesn't seem like it!

This street is deserted; kidnapping would be incredibly easy for them, even with another girl present. Besides, as far as I know, this route Chen Jing and her friends came from is always sparsely populated. If these people wanted to make a move, they wouldn't need to wait until the two girls were so close to the residential area—wouldn't that make them easier for the residents to spot?

Are they waiting for Jiang Shan to leave before making their move?

No need. With their numbers, they could easily subdue three or four men, let alone two frail girls. Furthermore, some of these people were clearly waiting ahead of them, meaning they already knew Chen Jing's address. They wouldn't wait until now to make their move.

Thinking about it more carefully, Zhao Xinrui betrayed me, so it's possible Chen Jing would be implicated. But that bitch always thought I was just playing with Jingjing; she probably doesn't see any use for her. Otherwise, they wouldn't have waited until now; they would probably have already used Jingjing to threaten me in Shen Dongcai's office.

Oh, I see! These people are just waiting for their prey to come to them. Their target isn't Chen Jing or Jiang Shan; they're waiting for me.

It seems that although Zhao Xinrui doesn't believe there are real feelings between Chen Jing and me, she still provided a list of all my classmates and friends, including Jingjing. Tian Yu or Shen Dongcai have arranged for people to secretly follow them, hoping to discover my whereabouts. If I ask any of these people for help or seek refuge, I'll fall into this trap.

Damn it, Tian Yu and Shen Dongcai! I just want to see the girl I love and say a few goodbyes, and you won't even let me? You're so ruthless!

Just as I was agonizing over missing my love, I suddenly noticed a public phone booth with an aluminum frame and glass walls by the roadside. I'd used coin-operated phones before, and its location not only allowed me to see the street but was also very discreet and difficult to spot.

This new discovery rekindled my hope. I immediately slipped inside silently, picked up the phone, inserted a one-yuan coin, dialed Jiang Shan's number, and all the while secretly watching the two girls and the spies around us.

Because Jingjing has a strong sense of self-respect, she never accepts expensive but unnecessary gifts despite dating me, so she has never had a cell phone. I could only call Jiang Shan, who was next to her at the time.

"Hello, Jiang Shan..."

I said in a low voice.

Although I spoke very softly and covered half of my mouth, the perceptive girl still recognized me immediately. She replied with a hint of surprise, "Hello, Yang..."

As soon as she heard my voice, she immediately reached out to tug at Chen Jing's sleeve.

I quickly interrupted, "Don't move, don't speak, just listen to me..."

As I spoke, I observed the movements of the people on the street. Seeing that Jiang Shan seemed to have realized I was watching her nearby, she immediately looked around. I quickly added, "Don't look around, pretend nothing happened, understand?"

From my tone, she seemed to sense something was wrong, and hurriedly lowered her head, no longer daring to look around, and said solemnly, "Okay... go ahead, I'm listening!"

"I'm in trouble, Shen Dongcai is now mobilizing everyone in the city to search for me!"

I said, seeing that I had finally stopped her strange reaction in time, and that the spies on the street weren't paying any attention.

"What, you really... sigh, I told you to stay away from their house, this... it's all my fault!"

Jiang Shan stopped abruptly, complaining with a face full of regret.

"Keep walking forward, don't attract attention, there are people watching you!"

I warned her immediately when she stopped. She gasped softly in surprise but didn't dare look around again, slowly continuing to walk. Then I continued, "What's the point of saying all this now that things have come to this?"

I paused, remembering something, and quickly added, "Remember, it was Zhao Xinrui who betrayed me. Be wary of her from now on, but never let her see through you, understand?"

"Her?"

Jiang Shan's pretty face immediately showed surprise, but thankfully she reacted quickly, forcing herself to calm down and nodding slowly, replying, "I understand, don't worry, I'll take good care of Jingjing!" That

was exactly what I wanted to hear. Hearing this, I gave a relieved "Mm!"

before saying, "Tell Jingjing about this, don't let her react too strongly, then give her the phone!"

Looking at the time on the landline, more than half a minute had passed, so I reminded her again, "Keep it brief, my time is limited!"

"Oh, okay!"

Jiang Shan agreed, reaching out to pull Chen Jing to her side and whispering something in her ear.

Upon hearing her words, Chen Jing immediately tensed up, prompting Jiang Shan to quickly pull her into her arms. After whispering for a while longer, seeing that Chen Jing was beginning to regain her composure, she handed her the phone. Chen Jing snatched the phone, pressed it to her cheek, and said in a trembling voice, "Hello, Ziyang!"

Seeing her beautiful face clouded with worry and hearing her soft, trembling voice, I felt a sharp pain in my heart. It took a lot of effort to calm myself down, and I tried to speak as calmly as possible, "Jingjing, Jiang Shan told you everything, right? I... I need to hide away for a while. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Be careful after I leave. I can't say goodbye to your mother, but please tell her for me!" Although I tried my best to restrain myself, I couldn't hide my turbulent emotions and heavy breathing.

"Ziyang, don't go, don't go..."

Chen Jing's voice had already begun to sob. Her pure heart was once again shattered by this sudden blow. She kept calling my name: "Ziyang... Ziyang, don't go. No matter what happens, we... we'll face it together, okay? I'm not afraid... I'm really not afraid. As long as you're by my side, I'm not afraid of anything. Please don't leave me. I... I've never forgotten you!"

"Jingjing, I know, I know, but this is too much for us to bear. I... I don't want to involve you! You know, I... I haven't forgotten you either. I truly love you!"

Hiding in the phone booth, my heart was pounding, and my eyes began to well up with tears.

"Love me! If I love you, don't leave me. Don't go, don't leave me! Let's start over. Let's forget everything from before, okay, okay?"

Chen Jing's emotions began to surge, and her voice grew louder and louder. Although Jiang Shan next to her wanted to hug her and comfort her, she couldn't stop her.

Watching her tears fall like pearls from a broken string, my heart ached. This girl was someone I had obtained through deception out of selfish desire, but even after she discovered the truth, she didn't abandon me. She always had me in her heart, always treated me as a lover, as family. She was the warmest and purest place in my heart.

How could I let such a girl be heartbroken for me again? How could I let this innocent girl be so devastated? Thinking of this, I couldn't help but close my eyes.

"Jingjing, I beg you, please don't say such foolish things. I'll die if I don't leave. I... I still want to stay alive and spend the rest of my life with you, so I have to leave temporarily. Please understand me!"

With my last shred of reason, I used every last bit of it, pleading with you with all my might and sincerity.

But the girl, facing the impending separation from me, couldn't listen anymore. She cried out, "Where...where are you? I know you're nearby! Come out! If you want to leave, I'll go with you, I..."

She suddenly stopped speaking.

I opened my eyes and saw her pained expression. I knew that in the moment she was about to make the decision to follow me to the death, she thought of her critically ill mother. Chen Jing's mother had always been in poor health. Although her heart failure surgery was successful, it couldn't fundamentally change her condition.

Just then, I suddenly noticed that the people around us were starting to focus their attention on the two girls, and some were even slowly approaching them. Clearly, Chen Jing's emotional breakdown had attracted their attention. The people trying to approach were moving stealthily and slowly, probably trying to hear the strange phone call more clearly.

"Jingjing, stop talking! Someone's walking towards you! Hang up the phone, quick!"

I said anxiously, seeing this but powerless to do anything.

To everyone's surprise, Chen Jing suddenly poured out all the longing she had suppressed for me over the past six months. Completely disregarding everything and everyone, she loudly refused, saying, "No! I won't! Where are you? I'll come find you. I need to tell you face to face. I can't live without you, I can't!"

Those people were getting closer. I knew Chen Jing's words wouldn't escape their ears. Her explicit declaration of love for me, if overheard, would surely bring her unforeseen trouble, even danger. I was powerless to protect her. I couldn't even protect the woman I loved—what kind of man was I!

The most difficult decision of my life, a consequence I couldn't bear yet had to bear, I had to do this to protect my love.

My teeth were grinding, my heart felt like it was being pierced by a thousand needles, but the phone kept beeping with the time running out. I spoke into the phone in an almost pleading tone: "Jingjing, listen to me, do as I say. Now I want you to yell at me and smash the phone, do you hear me?"

"No! Waaah... I want to hear your voice, I want to see you! Now! Immediately! Right now!"

Chen Jing cried, but her voice was incredibly firm.

Two men had already slipped to within two meters of the two girls. I was sure they could hear me even speaking at that distance. I couldn't let things remain unclear, I couldn't hesitate any longer. I had to…

Thinking this, I bit my lip hard, using the pain to suppress my inner turmoil, as if forcing something stuck in my throat down. I hardened my heart and growled, “Chen Jing, are you out of your mind? I was just playing around with you. Do you really think someone like me would hang myself on one tree? Don't be so conceited. I have plenty of women. You're just someone I like, and I've been playing with you for a while, understand? Don't call me again. A good horse doesn't turn back to eat the grass it already grazed. I always discard women after I'm done with them. I'm not interested in you anymore!”

“You…you…”

Chen Jing's heart, already on the verge of collapse, could hardly bear my torment at this moment. Her chest heaved violently, and she couldn't utter a word for a long time. Suddenly,

a heart-wrenching scream rang out as she forcefully slammed Jiang Shan's phone to the ground, then buried her face in Jiang Shan's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

The two guys who had followed her heard everything I said. Seeing Chen Jing scream and smash the phone, they didn't show the shock or instinctive avoidance typical of passersby; instead, they acted as if nothing had happened and walked past the two girls.

Seeing this, I couldn't bear it any longer. I slumped weakly onto the floor of the phone booth, covering my mouth and sobbing softly. As the call ended with a dial tone, I felt a cracking sound inside my body, like something shattering—I knew it was my heart. I

don't know how much time passed before I slowly recovered from the grief of separation, the pain of being so close yet unable to see each other. I wiped my face, slowly stood up, and leaned against the glass wall. I saw that Chen Jing and Jiang Shan were no longer on the street corner. Four or five of the guards had also left; only two people remained, squatting under a tree, occasionally glancing at the entrance to the residential area. I guessed the two girls had already returned to Chen Jing's house.

For a long time, a question had lingered in my mind: why did Jiang Shan, such a striking beauty, so easily escape Shen Dongcai's clutches? Having known Shen for a while, I realized he wasn't the type to give up easily. For him, a rare beauty like Jiang Shan wouldn't be someone he could rape once and then abandon.

Although I couldn't understand the reason, one thing I was certain of was that Jiang Shan must have had something that Shen Dongcai had to give up. Now, as I was about to leave for a distant place, I could only hope that this barrier would also benefit Chen Jing!

A deeply unforgettable love had been cruelly severed by me. Was there anything else I couldn't let go of? No, there was more!

I suddenly remembered the Bi sisters, with whom I was like siblings. I had to say goodbye to them before leaving Tianjin; they were my only family. With my back to the door, I put the only one-yuan coin I had into the coin slot of the public phone and dialed Bi Jie's cell phone number.

"Beep...beep..." The call connected, but no one answered.

Suddenly, I felt a chill on my neck, followed by a cold voice behind me saying, "Brother Jesus, put down the phone!"

The voice was steady, cold, and arrogant, a complete command.

The chill on my neck was different from the one I had used to scare the black cab driver earlier; besides the coldness, there was a slight stinging pain, as if it were sharp and trying to pierce my flesh. I knew the other person was holding a real weapon, so I didn't dare to disobey and slowly put down the phone, raising my hands.

The man behind me was cautious. Seeing that I didn't hang up but instead let the receiver slip from my hand, swinging it up and down on the cord, he carefully adjusted the cord and placed the receiver back on the landline before continuing his command: "Turn around slowly, don't try anything funny, the weapon in my hand isn't for show!"

From his words and actions, I already sensed that this man was no ordinary person, so I slowly turned around as instructed. When I turned around, I saw clearly that there were now seven or eight people standing behind me, all between twenty and thirty years old, each holding a weapon.

One of them was half a head taller than me, wearing casual clothes of shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, his face covered in pimples but his eyes gleaming, his facial muscles twitching with a malicious smirk. He had one foot outside and one foot inside the phone booth, holding a cold, menacing dagger, its blade pressed against my throat.

"The famous Jesus, your name has been all over town these past few days. Everyone's been looking for you, and I, Liang Ying, never expected to run into you! It's like finding a needle in a haystack!"

The man chuckled smugly, his eyes never leaving me.

Judging from his tone, he seemed to be a local gang leader, and ridiculously, he seemed quite proud of capturing me. With a knife to my throat, I had no choice but to try and calm him down: "Buddy, let's talk this out. We're complete strangers, there's no need for this, is there?"

This wasn't the first time someone had a knife to my throat. I recalled a similar situation six months ago on the street outside Shen Dan's house. There were two policemen with me then, but I was terrified. But now, months later, surrounded by powerful enemies, I suddenly felt that this kind of thing wasn't so scary after all. At least my brain was still functioning perfectly.

"Hmph," I chuckled inwardly, sensing the change in myself. It seemed that adversity truly could bring out a person's potential!

Just as I was devising a plan to escape, the man who called himself Liang Ying suddenly twirled the knife in his hand, pressing the blade against the protruding part of my throat. He then said, "Don't be so polite. We can't accept such a high-ranking person like you speaking to me so humbly!"

As he spoke, he curled the four fingers of his free hand, gesturing for me to come closer. He then withdrew his foot from the phone booth and took a step back, but the knife remained firmly against my neck.

"Brother, be careful! Knives don't have eyes! You…you shouldn't use so much force!"

Seeing the situation, I already had a plan in mind, but I feigned timidity as I spoke.

Seeing my trembling voice, my head tilting back desperately to avoid the blade, and even my legs shaking, Liang Ying cast a disdainful glance at me, curling her lip in contempt as she said, "Damn, I thought Jesus, who mobilized the whole city, was some kind of awesome guy, but he's just a coward!"

She then chuckled twice to the crowd outside the pavilion, before turning back and ordering fiercely, "You better behave yourself and come with me obediently, don't make me worry!"

With that, she slowly retreated.

I guess these guys spotted me when I was about to call Bi Jie, but the phone booth was cramped, so only Liang Ying, the leader, could come in to arrest me, while the others surrounded me at the door. I had already figured this guy was a tough one, but his arrogant attitude—calling me "Brother Jesus" instead of "Brother Jesus"—showed how cocky he was, so I deliberately pretended to be timid to lure him into lowering his guard.

Now that I had shown weakness, and because they wanted to force me out of the phone booth, the knife in Liang Ying's hand was already four or five centimeters away from my neck. As I followed his instructions, I stammered, "Yes...yes, Brother Ying, I'll be honest. You...you want me alive, there's no need...no need to kill me, I know! I'll go with you, I..."

I started to step out of the phone booth, but my steps faltered due to fear. Suddenly, my toe hit the doorframe, but my body continued its forward momentum. Suddenly, I fell forward, my neck colliding with the blade, and I

cried out, "Ouch!"

"Hey!"

Liang Ying, just as I had implied, only wanted to catch me and didn't want to kill me. Seeing me lose my balance and lunge at the dagger in his hand, he cried out and quickly withdrew his knife-wielding hand. At that moment,

as I seemed about to fall, I suddenly grabbed the doorframes on either side, and my body jerked back up.

"Kid..."

Liang Ying had just sheathed his knife when he saw me straighten up. He immediately realized he'd been tricked and hurriedly reached out his left hand to grab my clothes.

I reacted quickly, following our pre-arranged plan, grabbing the doorknob of the phone booth and forcefully pulling the door shut, trapping his left hand in the crack.

"Ah, damn it, let go!"

Liang Ying screamed in pain, desperately pulling the door shut from the outside, but I was pulling with both hands, stronger than his single hand, and he couldn't break free. Seeing me clinging to the door like a trapped beast, Liang Ying's left hand ached terribly. Knowing I wouldn't easily break free, he turned around and cried, "Quick, come help me!"

The crowd outside, seeing their leader suddenly attacked and about to rush forward, swarmed at the sound of my voice. Some tried to pull the door shut, while others brandished weapons to smash the glass and get in to subdue me.

Just as they approached the phone booth and were about to act, I suddenly changed the direction of my force, instantly transforming from pulling inwards to shoving the door outwards. Previously, Liang Ying and I had all exerted almost equal strength, but suddenly the force converged in one direction, and the glass door of the phone booth swung open violently, smashing into Liang Ying and his men who were trying to rush forward.

The door shattered into pieces, shards of glass scattering on everyone. The force of the impact sent Liang Ying staggering backwards, falling into the arms of the men behind him. For a moment, everyone was thrown into disarray, some knocked down, others knocked over by Liang Ying. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I leaped out of the phone booth and ran away as fast as I could.

"Ah, fuck your mother, fuck..."

a curse rang out behind me, followed by a sudden burst of footsteps. Those people chased after me, yelling, "Don't run! Stop right there! You fucking can't

escape!" But I paid no heed to their foul language; only one thought occupied my mind: to run for my life.

The terrain was rugged, and it was dusk, so visibility was low. I thought I could escape easily, but these people were like shadows, impossible to shake off. There were many of them, and they seemed very familiar with the area. No matter how I twisted and turned, I could always hear the shouts and curses from behind. After a while, my strength began to give out. My vision started to blur, and although I was panting heavily, it couldn't keep up with my heart's demands. My appendix also started to cramp.

Somehow, I wandered into a farmers' market. This must have been a side aisle, with stalls selling seafood on one side and several small restaurants on the other.

It was rush hour, and many people with baskets and carts were shopping, slowing me down. The shouts from those behind me grew closer, and despite pushing and shoving, I couldn't move quickly. Fortunately, their pursuit slowed due to the large number of people, temporarily saving me from danger.

In a moment, I saw the exit was thirty meters ahead. Delighted, I jumped over a bicycle lying across the road and sped forward. Just then, two men suddenly appeared near the exit, one of whom was none other than Liang Ying, whom I had tricked earlier.

They were both carrying weapons; Liang Ying was still holding that short dagger, while the other held a short, thick wooden stick.

I glanced back at the pursuers. Two were guarding the entrance, and the other two were less than twenty meters away. I was truly trapped, with no way forward and pursuers behind. Feeling deflated, I slumped against a nearby stall, my face contorted in despair, clutching my ribs and panting heavily. Seeing me

caught in the middle, the pursuers grinned maliciously, slowing their pace and approaching me. They strolled towards me, fiddling with their weapons, seemingly convinced I couldn't escape.

Seeing their apprehension, I mustered my last bit of strength and darted into a small restaurant across the street. The men surrounding me, noticing my sudden escape, rushed towards me.

It was dinnertime, and the restaurant was quite crowded, with several waiters moving about. Suddenly, someone burst in, running recklessly inside. One of the waiters, knocked askew by my collision, yelled, "What are you doing? In such a hurry to be reborn…?"

But before he could finish, four or five men followed, slamming him onto a nearby table. His white uniform was stained with soup and vegetable juice. Furious, he scrambled to his feet, cursing, "What the hell is going on today? Dead men don't wait in line to be reborn, they're robbing people…"

But before he could finish, he saw the men rushing in behind him, their faces grim, each armed, and immediately shut his mouth.

I rushed into the back room without thinking, hoping to find an exit. At the end of the dark, narrow corridor, I saw a dilapidated wooden door and, without a second thought, pulled it open and squeezed inside. But once inside, I realized this wasn't the legendary back door I'd been dreaming of.

It was a room of about twenty square meters, with several tables lined up around the perimeter, fully equipped with pots, pans, and utensils. There were three large freezers on the side, and a long cutting board in the middle led straight to the door, with several stoves on it, some with pots still burning. The strong smell of soy sauce and chili told me this was clearly a kitchen.

Just then, the shouting and yelling behind me started again. I knew they were almost there. Without thinking, I quickly crouched down in a corner, hiding behind two garbage bins that were over a meter high.

Just as I concealed myself, the kitchen door was flung open with a bang, followed by Liang Ying's shout: "Damn it, search him! If you find him, beat him up to vent your anger!"

"What are you doing? Who let you in?"

Unexpectedly, a deep, gruff male voice rang out from another corner of the kitchen.

My heart skipped a beat. Could there have been someone else here? If so, this would be terrible. These thugs could save the effort of searching if they just asked! It's my fault! How come I didn't notice anything after entering the house?

"Nothing, we're here to arrest someone, it's none of your business!"

Liang Ying said arrogantly.

A heavy footstep sounded from where the voice had been coming from inside. Then I saw a tall, muscular figure blocking the doorway. The man's voice was booming; he panted heavily as he shouted, "Arrest who? It's just me. Don't cause trouble, or I won't be polite!"

That's strange. I was in a panic and didn't try to hide my footsteps at all. Even if I hadn't, it would have been impossible for the person who had been staying here to not have noticed me. So why did he say that there was no one else besides him? Was he intentionally covering for me?

I was still suspicious when the thugs, upon hearing this man's words, burst into arrogant, lewd laughter. One of them asked, "You fatso, who the hell are you? What business is it of yours what we do? We clearly saw that kid come in, but you're saying we didn't? Looking for a beating, huh?"

The tall man blocking the doorway didn't seem intimidated by the thugs and loudly replied, "I'm the cook here, a Sichuan chef!"

"Damn, hahaha!"

Everyone burst into laughter. Soon, the laughter subsided, and one of them cursed and yelled, "A cook...you're asking for trouble?"

At this point, two crisp metallic clanging sounds rang out, as if he were fiddling with a weapon. He continued, "Get out of here, or else...hmph!"

Another man joined in with laughter and curses, "Dear chef brother, let me tell you, do you know who this is? Ever heard of Liang Ying from Xigu? This is him! You want to die? Talk to me!"

"Hehe..."

Liang Ying seemed quite confident in his reputation, but after a burst of smug laughter, seeing that the imposing chef remained unmoved, he lost face. Pushing the chef aside, he impatiently cursed, "Get out, get out! I don't have time to waste with you!"

"You're the ones who should get out!"

the chef shouted, forcefully pushing the thugs out the door with his body.

"Damn it, hey hey..."

the thugs yelled, but they couldn't stop his massive body and shoving; they were practically blasted out.

Liang Ying, as the leader, had lost all face. He glanced back at his three or four men, steeled his resolve, raised the dagger in his hand, and shouted, "Get the hell out of my way, or believe me, I'll stab you!"

With a loud thud, I peered through the gap between two slop buckets and saw a gleaming, extra-large, thick-backed, wide-bladed, tapered kitchen knife now on the cutting board by the door. The tip was embedded five or six centimeters into the board, and the entire blade, along with the thick cutting board, was still vibrating and humming.

"Fine, you want to fight me? Come on, let's see whose knife is faster and more ruthless!"

The cook yanked the knife out again, the trembling ceasing as his booming voice rang out.

"Fine...fine, fine, you win! You wait, see how I deal with you when I get back!" This move clearly intimidated the seasoned thugs. After a few seconds of silence, Liang Ying, the leader, spat out a few words through gritted teeth and led his men away angrily.

After he left, the cook peeked out and looked around, then quickly closed the door, placed the cleaver aside, and turned to walk towards me.

Seeing his large feet coming this way, I felt a surge of tension. This fierce guy had scared away so many thugs; what did he want with me? Thinking this, I became fully alert.

Unexpectedly, the cook adopted a kind tone, lowering his voice as he approached, saying, "Brother Yang, Brother Yang, come out, they're all gone, everything's alright, come out!"

As he spoke, he reached the two slop buckets and leaned over to peer at me from behind them.

I heard his voice approaching and looked up to see a large, imposing figure standing before me, at least 1.9 meters tall. This man was not only tall but also very robust, though his large belly and thick waist gave him a somewhat chubby appearance. Fortunately, despite his large head, his face had a kind and gentle expression, and he was even wearing a friendly smile; otherwise, he would have looked like a fierce demon.

"Brother, thank... thank you for saving me. How did you know my surname is Yang?"

I stammered, straightening up, wondering if even a cook now knew my name, Yang Ziyang Jesus.

The man chuckled and said, "Brother Yang, you seem to have a bad memory. Don't you remember me?"

Looking at his round, smiling face, I had a vague sense of familiarity, but I couldn't quite place him. I could only smile apologetically and scratch my head, saying, "Brother, hehe... you look familiar, but... hehe..."

Seeing that I was stammering and clearly hadn't remembered, the cook didn't take it seriously. He pulled me out of the room and said, "You forgot? Half a year ago at Hongqiao... at night..."

Just then, a commotion erupted outside. It seemed like at least a dozen people were rushing towards us, and someone was shouting, "Where are you? Where are you? Don't let that bastard Jesus get away!"

The fat cook heard this too and immediately took back his words. He pulled me inside, saying, "Quick, there's a window here. There's a wall outside. If you climb over the wall, you'll be on Rongye Street. You have to get out of here!"

Trapped here, I was completely lost and didn't care about finding out his identity anymore. I followed him and jumped onto a freezer.

The cook moved aside a large box filled with odds and ends, revealing a broken wooden window. He pushed hard against the window, knocking off the latch, and pointed outside, urgently shouting, "Quick, climb out! Climb over the wall!"

I saw a brick wall about a meter away, but the top of the wall was at least two meters above the windowsill. At this angle, it was impossible to jump from the windowsill; I couldn't climb it at all. Anxiously, I said, "This...this is too high!"

"Step on my shoulder!"

the cook said, placing one foot on the edge of the windowsill

and bending over, pointing to his back. In this urgency, I didn't have time to ask why he was going to such lengths to help me. Without another word, I kicked his bent knee, grabbed the top of the window, and stepped onto his shoulder.

He stretched his body out the window, my hands just touching the top of the wall. I then pushed off him, finally managing to sit astride the wall.

"Brother, what are you going to do? They won't let you get away with this!"

Seeing that I was out of danger, I finally remembered to worry about my benefactor below.

The cook chuckled simply, shrinking back to close the window as he said, "Brother Yang, don't worry, you saved me. This is a life for a life. Besides, they'll just beat me up to vent their anger; they won't kill me!"

He then closed the window and blocked it again with the cabinet.

At that moment, sounds of smashing and shouting came from the kitchen; clearly, Liang Ying had arrived with more people. To save my own life, I didn't care about anything else. Seeing that there was a small grove of trees outside the wall and no one was paying attention, I immediately jumped down and fled in panic.

Once out of danger, I recalled the cook's words. Half a year ago in Hongqiao District? I saved his life? Thinking about his figure and appearance, it suddenly dawned on me.

Oh, it was him, Chen Jinshui!

Six months ago, on my first visit to Shen Dongcai's house to tutor Shen Dan, a man chasing the police at night threatened me with a knife. I pretended to have an asthma attack and secretly untied his shoelaces, helping Jiang Qiu and her partner apprehend the robber. Later, I learned he was suspected of murder, and in a moment of impulse, I cleared his name, helping him escape charges of murder and wiping out his entire family, thus exonerating him. This man's name is Chen Jinshui. I

never expected that he would be the one to step forward and help me in my time of need. It's truly a case of good deeds being rewarded. I've done a handful of good deeds, and I've already met one of the beneficiaries who has gone to such lengths to help me.

Ah, it seems doing good deeds really does have its benefits!

Thinking back to what Chen Jinshui had said, it was clear he hadn't just saved me out of guilt for hurting me; he was doing it to repay a debt of gratitude. That meant Jiang Qiu must have told him about me clearing his name. It seemed Jiang Qiu wasn't a bad person after all, not taking credit for my exoneration.

The thought of that alluring policewoman sent a surge of excitement through me. Her full, round buttocks were so tempting, as were her flirtatious winks and her police uniform—truly irresistible. But I quickly composed myself; this wasn't the time for distractions. Many dangers awaited me.

My current destination was that dilapidated bungalow by East Lake at Tianjin University. I hid all my most important belongings in this inconspicuous little shack, even boldly leaving the key in a crack in the bricks by the door. I refused to believe anyone would suspect I'd left my manhood in such a place. Sometimes, being blatant is more effective than being overtly suspicious.

Once I've settled these things, I can feel a little more at ease. Even if Shen Dongcai finally catches me, he won't dare to touch me easily before he gets his hands on these things.

But given the current situation, if I continue to swagger around like this, someone will probably come to arrest me again within half an hour. After thinking it over, I found a secluded place to hide. As night fell and the number of pedestrians on the street gradually decreased, probably past midnight, I cautiously made my way towards the North Gate of Tianjin University.

The proportion of ordinary people in Tianjin is higher than in other cities, and the usually congested traffic becomes unusually quiet after midnight. I'm glad I made a wise decision, because no one noticed me all the way until I entered the alley where the dilapidated house was located.

The key was still in the crack in the bricks. I took it out, opened the door, and went inside, but I didn't dare turn on the light. I tiptoed towards the bedroom, thinking that I could finally find a safe place to catch my breath.

Unexpectedly, the moment I stepped into the bedroom, I sensed something was amiss. Moonlight streamed in through the window, and a beam of light flickered as it touched something. There was also a faint smell of smoke in the room.

I hadn't smoked in a long time, and for a smoker like me, this smell was incredibly sensitive. And I remembered clearly that the last time I came here, the curtains were definitely drawn before I left.

Oh no, someone's definitely in here, or at least someone's been here.

Ugh, what an idiot! I knew Gu Zhenhai was Shen Dongcai's man, and he knew this place well, so why didn't I do some scouting before coming in?

Thinking this, I immediately turned to pull the door shut, but it was too late. Suddenly, someone slammed the half-closed bedroom door shut from the side, followed by another person pulling the light switch, instantly illuminating the room.

There, in the tiny room of less than ten square meters, were eight or nine people huddled around me, staring at me with smug eyes. Sitting on the bed directly in front of me was a man whose towering height was undeniable even while seated. His sleeveless black shirt with gold floral patterns revealed his thick arms and muscular biceps, and the wide-open collar showed his broad, hairy chest and faint tattoos on his shoulders.

Looking at his face, his face was ruggedly fleshy, with faint eyebrows but unusually prominent brow bones, highlighting his menacing eyes that were fixed on me. Even just that was enough to describe him as ferocious, but the twitching of his facial muscles caused his bald scalp to tremble as well, making him even more chilling in the current environment.

The man toyed with a cold, menacing knife in his hand, a chilling, sinister smirk playing on his lips: "Hmph, you bastard, I've been waiting for you here for ages!"

The short knife that had just shone a beam of light onto my face seemed familiar; it was the very same knife that had almost pierced my hand in Shen Dongcai's office. And this man was none other than Hou Yongzhong, the villain who had a blood feud with me for injuring my brother and whom I had publicly humiliated on the top floor of the Emperor Hotel!

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