Chapter 501: Taking Zhou Jie to the Qi River Mine

Sewer.

I immediately thought that when we rescued Zhou Jie from Sijiucheng before, he and Zhao Xiaoguo had taken the sewer.

He wouldn't go back to the old road again, would he?

I hurriedly said to Shi Yong, "Shi Yong, let's go check the sewer."

"That thing smells terrible, what are you looking at?" Shi Yong was somewhat reluctant.

"Zhou Jie might be hiding in the sewer," I said.

After I finished speaking, I hurriedly looked toward the opened sewer manholes.

The first one had none,

the second one also had none.

I kept looking until the last one; the first thing I saw was a half‑bald head,

hidden beneath the sewer manhole.

Perhaps the manhole was so foul that Zhou Jie's head was sticking up.

Our eyes met.

When Shi Yong saw Zhou Jie hiding here,

he immediately cursed, "You damn dog, why did you run here, how come the stink didn't kill you?"

Zhou Jie just blinked and said nothing.

I crouched at the well opening for a while, and the stench made my eyes water.

This guy has been squatting down there so long, he really got his comeuppance.

I looked at Zhou Jie and said, "Come up, Young Master Zhou. Regretting being down here, aren't you?"

Zhou Jie nodded.

Zaocheng's sewer is different from Sijiucheng's.

In Sijiucheng, the sewer is very spacious underground, and one person can walk back and forth easily.

Zaocheng's sewer is just a simple ditch. Not even a rabbit could squeeze through, let alone a person.

Zhou Jie thought all sewers were the same; after he ran downstairs,

he panicked and rushed into a sewer manhole,

thinking he could escape through the sewer.

But after getting down there, he realized it was impossible.

Moreover, the manhole opening is small,

and once Zhou Jie went down, he got trapped,

unable to go up or down.

He could only inhale the foul air.

I guess his brain is already suffocated from the fumes.

If we don't get this kid up soon,

he'll definitely die of poisoning down there.

I said to Shi Yong, "Go find a rope,

and we'll pull him up."

Shi Yong quickly fetched a rope,

I tried to toss it onto Zhou Jie's body,

but it only caught his neck.

If we pull, it would strangle him outright.

We have to thread it under his arm.

I had Shi Yong lie at the sewer manhole opening and pass the rope under Zhou Jie's arm.

Shi Yong vomited from the stench.

You can imagine how foul the sewer was.

I quickly called Ding Li over,

and the few of us pulled together, finally hauling Zhou Jie out of the well.

Zhou Jie lay upright on the ground, covered in feces and urine.

The whole neighborhood shut their windows because of the stench.

I told Ding Li to quickly fetch water from his house and splash it on Zhou Jie,

otherwise no one could get near him at all.

It took over a dozen buckets of water to clean Zhou Jie.

The cold water shocked him awake; Zhou Jie became much clearer. Looking at us,

he whispered, "I won't run anymore, I've changed."

Shi Yong came up and gave him two big slaps,

"Damn it, I've broken my legs chasing you. Today I'm going to beat you properly."

"Please, Brother Shi, I won't run anymore, I've changed, okay?" Zhou Jie begged.

This Zhou Jie now looks a bit pitiful.

I told Shi Yong not to hit Zhou Jie again; what if he gets hurt?

Ding Li helped Zhou Jie back home and gave him Ding Li's old clothes.

I told Ding Li to pay money to everyone who helped.

After returning home,

I'm exhausted, sitting on the sofa smoking.

Shi Yong is also so tired he doesn't move.

Zhou Jie lowers his head and says nothing.

After Ding Li finishes his work and comes back,

I say to Ding Li, "Ding Li, you can't stay here; it's too unsafe. Zhou Jie has already been exposed."

"What should we do then, Zhao Ge? You tell us, where should we go?" Ding Li asks.

"I originally planned to return to Niushiling, but the houses there aren't built yet.

I thought of a place: Qi He Kuang. It's now overseen by Little Phoenix."

"I'll go there temporarily; once Niushiling is finished, we'll move back to live there."

"That's right, Qi He Kuang, I have my Security Team there,

and when the time comes, who dares to capture Zhou Jie? I, Shi Yong, call the shots at Qi He," Shi Yong shouts.

I ignore Shi Yong,

and just tell Ding Li, "I'll leave right now; we don't want the residents to call the police and cause trouble."

"Alright, Zhao Ge, let's go. We set off; besides, we don't need to take anything," Ding Li says.

I ask Shi Yong to escort Zhou Jie, but Shi Yong refuses to do anything.

Because the foul smell on Zhou Jie hasn't gone away.

So I have Ding Li escort Zhou Jie away.

We quickly get into the car,

after getting in we must roll down the windows; otherwise we wouldn't be able to detect the odor inside the car.

I drive toward Qi He Kuang.

Since I came back, I haven't been in touch with Little Phoenix.

I also don't know what Qi He Kuang is like now.

After Kong Shi was captured, Chairman Jianjun is finished without a doubt.

A few days ago I negotiated with Tian Shi; his meaning was clear: the matter of Qi He Kuang still needs Wen Han's approval.

After Tian Shi finishes his inspection of Da Heng Group, I'll take Zhao Xiaohua to see Wen Han, and then bring up Qi He Kuang to hear his opinion.

If he disagrees, I have no way.

Now Wen Han's influence is formidable.

We drive quickly and arrive at Qi He Kuang,

the security guard at the entrance of Qi He Kuang still won't let us in.

It's the same cross‑eyed guard from before.

Shi Yong gets angry the moment he sees that guard,

he gets out of the car and immediately shouts at the junior guard,

the junior guard is very stubborn; no matter how Shi Yong shouts,

he refuses to open the door for Shi Yong, still staring with his cross eyes.

Shi Yong reaches out his palm to slap that guard.

I'm quite angry, so I tell Shi Yong, "Shi Yong, you can't act like this; you act tough everywhere, and no one buys your tricks."

"Besides, they don't even know you. Section Chief Shi, that's in the past; why do you keep bringing it up?"

"Ding Li, bring a box of cigarettes for the little brother."

Ding Li gets out, tosses two boxes of cigarettes to the junior guard, and the guard quickly opens the mine gate. Shi Yong swaggeringly walks in through the gate,

then loudly shouts, "I'm Shi Yong, I'm back; everyone come out to welcome Section Chief Shi."

This Shi Yong really can't change, sigh,

I quickly roll up the windows and tell Ding Li, "Watch over Zhou Jie; what's with Shi Yong's loud bluster? I'm getting out to teach him a lesson."

Ding Li nods.

After I park the car,

I quickly get out of the car,

and say to Shi Yong, "Shi Yong, can't you keep your voice down? What are we here for?"

"What for? We're here to take over Qi He Kuang.

I wanted to be low‑key, but our strength doesn't allow it. Damn, the first thing I did as Section Chief was to open the gate for that kid at the entrance,

which made me lose face twice."

Shi Yong says indignantly,

"Fine, it's his duty to not let us in; what right do you have to open for him? Who said we were going to take over Qi He Kuang?

Don't you know what business we have? Stop talking nonsense. Now get out of here."

When Shi Yong hears me speaking to him seriously, he immediately falls silent,

lowering his head, following behind me.

At that moment, Little Phoenix comes out of the office building,

seeing us, her expression changes,

she covers her mouth, about to cry.

Then Shi Yong rushes over,

"Little Phoenix sister, don't cry; it's a huge matter, but you have Brother Yong to support you."

Shi Yong became arrogant again.