Chapter 666

535. Lying Low in Cangbei, Returning Home Later

Ning Chen's marksmanship was extremely accurate; many different people had experienced it long ago.

Even when dealing with mercenary bands and Gulf families before, Ning Chen could defeat them easily, let alone Liu Zi, who merely relied on brute force and foolishly thought to fight him.

Ning Chen did not choose to kill the man directly; instead, he easily shot him in the leg.

Compared to giving him a quick death, bringing him back to the country and subjecting him to a fair trial was more important.

Xu Si's reaction was also fast; seeing Liu Zi fall to the ground, he knew the surroundings were no longer a threat, so he quickly walked over, took the handcuffs from his pocket, and cuffed Liu Zi's hands.

Liu Zi's face was extremely pale and desolate at this moment; he already knew he was now Ning Chen's defeated subordinate.

He would never have thought that Ning Chen had actually been hiding his true strength from start to finish; he had pretended to be a genuine fresh-out-of-college university student throughout, and that disguise had prevented him from reacting.

Thinking of this, Liu Zi's eyes turned blood-red; at the very moment the police lifted him from the ground, he turned his head and looked at Ning Chen with eyes full of hatred and gloom: "Actually, you have been on their side from start to finish, right? But it doesn't matter; soon this news will leak out. You wanted to meddle in other people's business, didn't you? Then you will soon experience the feeling of drawing water with a bamboo basket."

After speaking, Liu Zi tugged at the corners of his mouth and let out a cold sneer; although his face looked a bit unpleasant, the smile revealed a touch of mockery and triumph.

Ning Chen looked down at Liu Zi's face; he had already realized something from these words. Xu Si was still holding Liu Zi, so Ning Chen nodded slightly toward Xu Si: "Take him away; I have something to say to you in a moment."

Xu Si immediately handed Liu Zi over to the police behind him.

At this moment, Liu Zi's left leg was still bleeding; the bullet had already embedded itself in his flesh, and the wound looked extremely gruesome.

"I believe you should be able to hold on until the time we return to Huaguo, right?" Xu Si said, then turned around and did not even look at Liu Zi.

Ning Chen raised an eyebrow: "Still, be careful; don't kill him."

Xu Si nodded.

After this, the police took Liu Zi away from the first floor and, considerately, closed the door.

Only then did Ning Chen look directly at Xu Si and say: "You did well this time. But I hope next time you won't act on your own initiative; I chose to lie low here to obtain some intelligence from him and then infiltrate Cangbei's interior. What you did will obviously make those criminals sense something is wrong and flee early."

Xu Si's expression stiffened: "... We indeed just wanted to come to Cangbei first and wait for your orders; it seems this time we really did startle the snake by beating the grass."

"Startling the snake is a small matter; what I fear is that we won't be able to return to Huaguo at all," Ning Chen said. "You and I both know what the nature of the people here is like. This place is not under our jurisdiction; if we forcibly intervene, it will only make those people resentful, and besides, the people you brought are not many."

Xu Si let out a dry laugh: "Isn't there still you?"

Ning Chen shook his head: "I won't stay here for too long, you know. The reason I ran all the way from Huaguo to come here is to find someone. Currently, I have no leads at all, and it is impossible for me to return in the short term."

Hearing Ning Chen say this, Xu Si also understood his meaning: "The situation on Liu Zi's side is not good, so I cannot stay here for too long; I must return as soon as possible. Rest assured, we will arrive safely in Huaguo."

Hearing Xu Si say this, Ning Chen also breathed a sigh of relief: "I believe in your efficiency. However, if you want to stay here, it is meaningless; after all, those who colluded with Liu Zi heard the wind long ago and must have already fled. Since that is the case, it is better to return first and rest."

Xu Si nodded: "I think the same as you. But most importantly, this place is not safe; returning to Huaguo as soon as possible is the best outcome."

Ning Chen gave no definite answer, paused for a moment, and asked again: "What about that Gao Zhongsheng?"

"Oh, outside," Xu Si looked toward the door, thought for a moment, and said, "That should be a hostage as well. I noticed he doesn't look very old; if this were in Huaguo, we would need to contact his parents."

Hearing this, Ning Chen chuckled softly: "Don't. Don't do something unnecessary. That person is not what he appears to be on the surface; he is probably also a wolf in sheep's clothing. For now, just ignore him."

"Hmm."

"Alright," Ning Chen clapped his hands and handed the gun back to Xu Si. "If we want to return, we must do it quickly; perhaps those people haven't prepared yet and will still try to kidnap you."

Xu Si had actually already prepared the transportation needed for the return trip long ago; they also needed to bring a criminal back. Xu Si was handling this kind of cross-border case for the first time, so he felt a bit nervous in his heart: "No way; how could it be that coincidental?"

Ning Chen just said meaninglessly: "Don't underestimate the people here; they will do anything."

After hearing this, Xu Si indeed did not stay long; after bidding farewell to Ning Chen, he quickly walked to the door, assembled the team, and headed east.

Ning Chen leaned against the door, watching their backs, with a thoughtful look in his eyes.

After staring for half a minute, Ning Chen turned his head casually and saw Wu Mu standing quietly on his right.

Ning Chen's brows furrowed slightly.

At this moment, Wu Mu's eyes were not disguised in any way; he was just looking at Ning Chen calmly.

He was no longer that perfectly disguised Gao Zhongsheng, but someone like Ning Chen, lying low beside Ning Chen with some unspeakable purposes.

But, Ning Chen guessed Wu Mu had just recently come of age at most.

He couldn't help but feel a bit of interest in Wu Mu; then he walked in front of Wu Mu and spoke with interest: "What exactly do you want to do? Is it convenient to tell me?"

Wu Mu looked at Ning Chen's face, as if pondering something.

After a long while, he withdrew his gaze and looked down at the ground beneath his feet.

"Why should I tell you these things?"

It seemed he was still unwilling to speak.

Ning Chen smiled: "You and I are not enemies after all; I am just interested in you. By the way, I was indeed deceived by your simple-to-the-point-of-stupidity appearance before. In fact, before meeting you, I never knew such a person existed in the world."

Wu Mu's expression finally changed: "What do you mean?"

Ning Chen spread his hands somewhat innocently: "It doesn't mean much; I was just praising you for disguising yourself well. Your persona was a bit stupid, but your acting skills were good."

After hearing this, the expression on Wu Mu's face became slightly better: "I also want to know; what exactly do you want to do?"

Ning Chen was slightly stunned and smiled: "I will tell you the truth; I am here to find someone."

536. Sleeping on the Street for the First Time

Wu Mu's brows furrowed; he obviously did not believe this story: "... Finding someone in such a godforsaken place? You should make up lies that are a bit more realistic."

"Godforsaken? I think there are quite a few people who go missing inexplicably in this place. What's wrong with coming here to find someone? But you are just a Gao Zhongsheng; why come to a place like this to find a job? You can't tell me you just came here for fun, can you?"

Who would have thought that after Ning Chen said this, Wu Mu's expression actually changed: "How do you know?"

Ning Chen stiffened.

Immediately, an expression of disbelief slowly appeared on his face: "How old are you?"

Wu Mu said somewhat unnaturally: "... Just came of age, I guess."

Ning Chen slowly widened his eyes.

"Do you know what kind of place this is?" Ning Chen even felt like laughing. "Do you think this is a place for children to play house?"

Wu Mu stubbornly set his face: "I know, but I won't die; what is there to fear?"

Ning Chen actually understood; children of that age love to play rebellious games; he was someone who had been through it.

Originally, he didn't want to meddle, but hearing Wu Mu say that, he finally took a breath: "Forget it. I'm not your father, nor your mother. Why should I bother with you? Come if you want, leave if you want. We'll meet again in the Jianghu."

Ning Chen was busy. Since arriving in Cangbei, he had spent almost all his time searching for targets. Currently, his only target was to find Chu Muyu; he didn't have so much time to play around with a child here.

So, after saying this, Ning Chen didn't bother waiting for Wu Mu's response. Instead, he walked past Wu Mu on his own and headed toward the space behind him.

Who knew that Wu Mu suddenly called out to him: "... Wait!"

Ning Chen's figure paused for a moment, and he slowly turned his head.

"Where are you going...?" Wu Mu opened his mouth and asked, his voice somewhat pale.

Ning Chen looked at Wu Mu: "I'm just staying here. I'm not going anywhere."

Wu Mu seemed somewhat confused: "You keep saying this place is dangerous and were so eager to tell me to leave, yet you yourself want to stay here. Isn't this double standards?"

Ning Chen couldn't help but laugh.

He said, "Did I ever tell you that I came here to find someone?" After saying this, Ning Chen's lips gradually straightened, and his expression, at first glance, seemed slightly mocking. "Take care of yourself."

Ning Chen didn't want to say more and strode away from the place.

Wu Mu's expression suddenly sank, and the pair of hands hanging by his sides had unknowingly clenched into fists.

Ning Chen's next plan was to try his luck on the main street.

Although the police in Hua Country had already been dispatched, Ning Chen still wanted to take a gamble.

Cangbei is a place of sin; here, there is no lack of those vicious and evil villains. When pushed to the brink, someone will surely step forward and show their face.

Moreover, their main industry is extortion and blackmail.

Ning Chen walked onto the streets of Cangbei. Although this place wasn't very crowded usually, at this moment it seemed even more desolate.

It was as if no one wanted to linger on the street, so when Ning Chen looked from the end of the street to the beginning, he could only see one or two people standing by the roadside talking.

Ning Chen gritted his teeth.

He simply didn't believe that all those people had hidden themselves away.

Looking at the uncollected cardboard boxes on this street, Ning Chen suddenly had an idea.

If he couldn't find anyone during the day, then he could try his luck at night.

Public security here is chaotic, and the police basically don't do their jobs; night is when most villains come out.

Just after that incident, calculating the time, it was nearly afternoon.

Night in Cangbei comes quickly; often, without noticing, the sky gradually turns dark.

And those people, just like rats, mostly choose to come out at night.

Ning Chen thought for a moment, walked to the street corner, and saw a thick layer of cardboard laid out there, guessing this must be a makeshift bed set up by that homeless man.

Although Ning Chen had never slept on the street from childhood to adulthood, this would be a novel experience.