Chapter 27

Gu Changzheng, who was racing downstream, received a report from Team Three—they had found the rubber-sealed bag containing the money!

Gu Changzheng was initially delighted, but immediately sensed something was wrong. Too easy? “Team Three, retrieve it immediately! Team One, scan the river surface again—look for any suspicious boats!” He feared a trap, so he assigned one team to retrieve the bag while the other continued pursuit.

At this moment, Liu Baoshan and Ren Jia had already driven away from the riverbank in a small truck, heading toward the city center, where they arrived at a cold-chain logistics park. Under Liu Baoshan’s direction, the truck pulled up outside a small freezer.

They got out, carried a crate inside the freezer, and were hit by a bone-chilling cold that made Ren Jia shiver. The freezer was stacked with frozen pork.

Is the money hidden here? Ren Jia silently praised: This is an excellent spot! In a bustling market in the city center, traffic is immense—countless delivery trucks come and go daily, allowing money to be smuggled away unnoticed. Liu Baoshan really knows his stuff! He must have accomplices—just none have surfaced yet.

Thinking this, Ren Jia grew even more cautious. Liu Baoshan would strike only when the moment was right. How could he turn the tables and strike first?

Liu Baoshan, seeing the money crates fully transferred into the freezer, turned to Ren Jia and said: “Ren Zong, you now know where the money’s hidden. We’ll stay here tonight. Tomorrow, there’s a route to Diannan—we’ll join the convoy. Once we leave Zizhen City, we’ll head straight to Pumian with the cash!”

Ren Jia nodded, glancing around. Before he could speak, Liu Baoshan added: “Of course we’re not sleeping here—that’d freeze us to death! Come on, I’ll take you to the back.” He pulled Ren Jia out of the freezer and into a small adjacent room. It looked like a place for issuing delivery receipts—a narrow, straight room divided by two upright cabinets into inner and outer sections, with a simple curtain blocking the inner part from view.

Ren Jia looked around, puzzled. Liu Baoshan laughed heartily: “Ren Zong, don’t worry. The old saying is true—the most dangerous place is often the safest! The police are busy searching the Qingjiang River for us—they won’t think I’m still inside the city. Oh, by the way, they don’t even know you’re my accomplice, so their search for you focuses on train stations and major transit points. Right now, this is the safest place!”

In just a few moments, the two entered the inner room. Ren Jia saw a small square table piled high with food and alcohol.

Ren Jia glanced at Liu Baoshan, who grinned: “Haha! Yes, I have helpers—but you’d better not meet them! Come, let’s drink—to celebrate today’s perfect operation!”

Ren Jia couldn’t guess his intentions, so he sat down and waited to see what happened.

“Come on! We’ve shared hardship now—we’ve exchanged our blood oaths. Neither of us fears the other turning informant! Hahaha! Right, Ren Zong?”

Ren Jia chuckled: “Big Brother Shan, from now on, you’re my elder brother. Please stop calling me Ren Zong—just call me Jiahe. I’m counting on following you after we get out.”

“Hahaha! Do you even know me? You’re ready to follow me? Aren’t you afraid of me?”

Liu Baoshan set down his cup and fixed Ren Jia with a pair of fierce, unblinking eyes.

Ren Jia was startled. He had planned to flatter him, get him drunk, then strike when he was vulnerable—but this guy’s moods shifted unpredictably. As he scrambled for a reply, Liu Baoshan burst into another loud laugh, grabbed his cup, tilted his head back, and swallowed the entire two-ounce shot of baijiu in one gulp.

“I’m in a good mood today—I’ll tell you my story. After you hear it, decide whether you want to follow me!” Liu Baoshan poured himself another full cup. Since sitting down, he hadn’t eaten a single bite—but had already downed four ounces of baijiu.

“Drink! Eat! What? Afraid to eat?” He pointed at the dishes before Ren Jia.

Ren Jia was starving. Pressed by Liu Baoshan, he hastily grabbed a few bites of braised pork head meat and shoved them into his mouth. Liu Baoshan watched him coldly, then picked up a large chunk of meat, crunched it slowly, and swallowed. He wiped his mouth and grinned: “Eat! Listen to my story while you eat!”

As he spoke, a thick, muscular hand slammed heavily onto Ren Jia’s shoulder.

“I was born in the northernmost part of China! As a child, my family was desperately poor. My father almost couldn’t find a wife—if he hadn’t, I wouldn’t exist!”

Liu Baoshan’s hand remained on Ren Jia’s shoulder as he continued speaking…

This is Liu Baoshan’s account:

My birthplace had another name in ancient times—Ningguta! It was said to be a place where criminals were exiled. I don’t know if my ancestors were banished there. But since I could remember, my family—my grandfather, my father, my aunt—always wore sour faces and terrible tempers. When my grandfather flew into a rage, he’d curse my father and my aunt. Once, when my aunt was in a rare good mood and chatted with me, I learned that when my grandmother was alive, my grandfather would beat her. Once, he beat her so badly that, while bringing him water late at night, she poisoned his teapot to kill him! Hahaha!

At the time, I thought: if anyone ever beat me to death, I’d poison them too. But fate was cruel—just as my grandmother was dropping the poison, my grandfather had to urinate. He saw her entire act. Yet he stayed calm. Without a word, he returned to bed. When my grandmother brought the water, he grabbed her head and forced the entire pot of poison down her throat, saying: “Let’s see how much grit you’ve got! The more grit you have, the faster you’ll die. I just hope you didn’t use a poison that won’t kill—it’ll be you who suffers!”

Soon after, my grandmother collapsed, blood pouring from all seven orifices, writhing on the floor until she died.

I didn’t believe it at first. I asked my aunt how she knew. She said she was young then, couldn’t sleep that night, heard my grandfather speak, and peeked through a crack in the wall—she saw it all.

I asked if she was afraid. She said yes—but she was more afraid he’d kill her too. She was already his least favorite, so even though terrified, she stayed silent and never told anyone.

I didn’t understand. I asked my aunt: why tell me?

She replied: Your father is just as cruel as your grandfather. Your mother didn’t want to marry him—and you were born less than eight months after the wedding. Why does he beat you so often? Don’t you have any idea?

I was completely stunned. I had no clue. But my aunt’s words slowly made me understand why.