Chapter 26: Suspicion Arises

The police officers beside Gu Changzheng were stunned when they heard him shout, “The money’s downstream!” Gu Changzheng grabbed the radio and urgently ordered: “Group One, Group Three, this is Gu Changzheng. Immediately search downstream from the Jiangbei Wharf as your reference point! The suspect has almost certainly fled downstream! Move fast! Pay special attention beneath the surface! Request frogman support from the SWAT team!”

At this moment, those with sharper minds had already figured it out: the suitcase thrown into the Qingjiang River must have been carried downstream by the current!

The Qingjiang Riverbed, shaped by years of sand mining, was complex and riddled with underwater currents that accelerated the flow. Gu Changzheng had long suspected Liu Baoshan had bribed a boat captain to use a sand-mining vessel on the river to drag the money away, so he’d focused the search on boats moving across the surface. Suddenly, he remembered Liu Baoshan’s reason for insisting the money box be sealed in a rubber bag—not just for waterproofing. The nearly 600 kilograms of cash, stuffed into the bag, still left one-third of its volume empty. If the opponent had calculated precisely, the rubber bag acted like a simple diving device: once the heavy box was sealed inside, gravity would drag it swiftly to the riverbed; at the bottom, the unused one-third space still held ample air. When buoyancy equaled gravity, the bag would hover suspended in the water, invisible from shore. It was summer, and upstream water releases had made the current faster than ever—the money was long gone from its original spot!

Upon receiving Gu Changzheng’s order, the first and third search teams immediately redirected their efforts downstream.

Thirty minutes earlier, the two men who had left Jiangpan Haoting sped toward the downstream Jiangbei Wharf on a motorcycle!

Liu Baoshan had meticulously planned how to remove the cash: he created diversions to mislead the police, then hurried downstream with Ren Jiahe to retrieve the submerged money bag using a prearranged boat, hide it on-site, and later retrieve it in batches.

Everything unfolded exactly as he’d planned. The police’s attention was indeed drawn to rescuing Jiang Yuanqi and searching for him—no one considered the possibility that the money underwater might simply “slip away” on its own!

Liu Baoshan reached the prearranged boat downstream, changed into a wetsuit from the cabin, and instructed Ren Jiahe to control the vessel while he dove underwater, waiting for the money bag to drift toward him.

Less than ten minutes underwater, he spotted a dark shape drifting toward him. With his dive light, he confirmed it was the rubber bag he’d placed on the abandoned boat at Jiangbei Wharf. He immediately pulled his rope in a rhythmic pattern; on the surface, Ren Jiahe, seeing the rope move, followed the plan and dropped a grappling hook into the water…

On the pitch-black surface of the Qingjiang River, a medium-sized iron-hulled boat silently glided downstream. Liu Baoshan rested inside the cabin while Ren Jiahe steered toward the shore.

As Liu Baoshan had promised, one-fifth of the money was to go to Ren Jiahe. Now, seeing the police still clueless about how they’d retrieved the cash, they had already successfully swapped the 17 pre-prepared suitcases!

Previously, Ren Jiahe had only thought Liu Baoshan was ruthless and merciless. Now, witnessing his actions, a chill ran through him: this man was terrifying—his mind was too meticulous. So many police officers had been fooled, yet he never overlooked a single detail. Even after successfully retrieving the cash, he still planted another smoke screen…

Ren Jiahe had always considered himself cautious, but now he realized this killer was terrifyingly thorough. He couldn’t help but worry for his own safety!

Liu Baoshan appeared to be dozing with half-closed eyes, but internally he was calculating: they couldn’t possibly take all the money today. But Ren Jiahe now knew where it was hidden—he’d surely come alone to steal it later. This man had killed his own bed partner without hesitation, broken his word, and even murdered the hitman he’d hired. Such a person had no bottom line. He couldn’t be allowed to live…

Inside the seemingly quiet cabin, Liu and Ren each plotted how to kill the other.

The boat had now reached shore. The two men exchanged glances, saying nothing. The air in the cramped cabin seemed to freeze. Liu Baoshan held an absolute advantage in weapons, but he dared not fire—drawing police attention would mean certain capture.

Ren Jiahe feared Liu Baoshan’s physical strength. Even if Liu didn’t use a gun, Ren wasn’t sure he could win in direct combat.

“Brother Shan, we’ve reached shore. What’s next?” Ren Jiahe broke the silence.

“Hah! I’ve already prepared everything. Let’s move the money first, then we’ll come back for it another day.”

“Oh? When do we leave? Have you arranged it, Brother Shan?”

Ren Jiahe was referring to Liu Baoshan’s promise to take him abroad.

Liu Baoshan understood exactly what Ren Jiahe was probing for. He smiled and said, “Of course. I have friends in Southeast Asia—it’s no problem to get out. But right now, we must prioritize moving these 17 suitcases. If we linger too long, the police might find us!”

After testing him, Ren Jiahe realized Liu Baoshan was merely buying time to keep him calm. “Sigh!” he thought to himself. “Then I’ll have to deal with you too.”

As Ren Jiahe plotted how to ambush Liu Baoshan, he spoke: “Brother Shan, at my point now, the money doesn’t matter—I only want to leave with you. I can’t stay in China anymore. I’ve saved some money myself. Take me to a small Southeast Asian country—I can live on what I have.”

He paused. “Under these circumstances, you’ve given me a lifeline. How could I ever dare to have ulterior motives?”

Liu Baoshan stared straight at him, smiling without warmth. “Good. I’m glad you see it clearly. I promise you—once the money’s secured, I’ll contact Pumian and get you sent over. There’s gold everywhere there, endless opportunities to get rich. With your skills and brains, I’ll be following you around someday! Hahaha!”

Both men harbored murderous intentions, using words to placate each other.

Ren Jiahe, hearing Liu Baoshan’s words, smiled faintly and glanced at the cabin’s suitcases. “Brother Shan, where should we put these?”

Liu Baoshan stared at the dark shore, lifted one suitcase, and heaved it onto land. He turned to Ren Jiahe. “First, move all the suitcases ashore!” Then he lifted another. Seeing this, Ren Jiahe joined him, hauling them one by one.

In just five minutes, all 17 suitcases were moved to shore. Liu Baoshan pulled out a key and handed it to Ren Jiahe. “There’s a box truck hidden in the small grove ahead. Go get it. Don’t turn on the headlights!”

Ren Jiahe nodded, surprised: this guy had prepared everything so thoroughly—he’d clearly planned this for a long time!

He crept through the darkness to the grove 200 meters away and found a white Wuling mini-truck parked inside. He quickly started the engine and drove it out of the grove to the shore.

On the other side, after ordering the two teams to search downstream, Gu Changzheng summoned Luo Fei, Gao Ye, and others, and raced swiftly along the Qingjiang Riverbank toward the downstream direction.