Chapter 34: Kidnapping, Part 1

Cao Chuan had a feeling — the kind you get playing Three Kingdoms into the late game, when you just can't push any further and hand your power base over to the AI.

Except this time it was the live-action version, so from the very start, he was prepared to hand it over.

Unknowingly, his mind had wandered far; when he snapped out of it, he wiped the drool from his mouth, went back upstairs, poured himself a beer, lay down on the sofa, and began to seriously consider the problem at hand: how to make one person vanish from the world without alerting the Organization?

At first glance, this problem didn't seem hard — countless people vanish from the world every day, and who the hell knows where they all go.

But when it came down to himself, it suddenly seemed very hard.

No matter the method, there would be one person in this world who disappeared after contact with him. Once or twice might be fine, but in his plan, at the very least a hundred or two hundred men would need to go over just to hold the fort, and depending on the situation, there might be even more later, if everyone felt the numbers weren't enough.

That being the case, without a foolproof method, sooner or later he would be noticed — that was inevitable. What if family members reported it? What if there were witnesses? What if the astronaut left behind a final message beforehand?

As a man carrying a huge sum of money of unknown origin, and with a heaven-shaking secret on his finger, he was doing his utmost to avoid anything that might draw the attention of those with intent. His roots were in this world; he still had to live here. He did not want to be taken away for dissection and scanning, so this matter had to be planned thoroughly — cautious, cautious, and then cautious again.

Evening, three days later.

On a quiet street, an inconspicuous gray Hyundai sedan was parked.

Cao Chuan was inside the car, using the AG Advanced Combat Optical Scope attached to his assault rifle to aim at a dead-end alley off the street, constantly observing something.

The car was rented under a false name; the license plate and identity card were both things he had Li Douzhan procure — back when the counterfeit money business was slow, the guy occasionally crossed into other lines, taking document jobs to make ends meet.

He was afraid the Range Rover would be too conspicuous, especially when tailing someone. Watching cop shows always made this kind of thing seem simple; in reality, when a rookie actually started doing it, he discovered the job was very hard, even if the target had no counter-surveillance awareness — and of course, a beggar couldn't possibly have that skill.

Embarrassing as it was to say, after racking his brains that day, Manager Cao had ultimately made the shameful decision — to kidnap a beggar first, just to practice.

He had no choice; it was the only profession he could think of where, after someone disappeared, roughly no one would care.

The one he was observing right now was, after three days of successively eliminating other targets, the candidate best suited to his requirements.

First, this Beggar Sect hero was of a suitable age, around thirty, neither disabled nor an idiot.

He had personally confirmed this point days earlier — feigning to pass by, he tossed down ten yuan, and the two had even exchanged a few words. He discovered the hero was quick-witted, sharp-tongued, and even a full set of divine gear couldn't hide his spirited air; clearly a man with a story.

Second, this man was not part of the Beggar Sect, nor was he one of those Clean Clothes Faction heroes with a house and land back home.

Cao Chuan had also figured this point out through his own observation: if he were a man with a crew, he wouldn't only work the remote streets — one must know that in the Beggar Sect, those who fail to meet their daily quota are subjected to the family law by the Elders.

Moreover, this guy still showed up for work every day even during the New Year, never hawked for money once out, and no matter the hour, as soon as he'd begged enough for the day's meal, he would pack up. From this point alone, the man could not be one of those Clean Clothes Faction types who build houses in the village and earn income in the city.

In short, this was a lonely, homeless, and perhaps hope-lost man.

Watching the target sitting alone in the alley, Cao Chuan was resolved — he would make his move tonight.

As for the method, he had already thought up a whole spiel. Of course, if the soft approach failed, he'd go hard. In any case, he couldn't make this trip for nothing.

He waited in the car until eleven at night. Seeing the time was about right, and with hardly anyone left on the streets during the New Year, after one final check to confirm there were no cameras in the alley, Cao Chuan began to prepare.

From the Ring, he took out a towel for gagging and plastic zip ties for binding hands, placed both items in the back seat, then took out the Beretta, screwed on the suppressor, checked the magazine, clicked the safety on, and stowed the pistol back into the Ring.

Last was an electric baton. He had gone to buy it yesterday from the same company where he'd purchased his bulletproof vest. The Factory Manager, seeing a familiar face from the demolition company, even gave him a discount. After testing that the baton worked properly, Cao Chuan also stowed it into the Ring as backup.

Staring straight ahead, he took a few deep breaths and silently encouraged himself: "It's just kidnapping a guy. Cao Chuan, you're a man who's going to restore the Han dynasty someday — you've killed plenty of living men before, so tying one up is nothing!" After psyching himself up, he shoved the door open abruptly and got out, eyes fixed on that dark lump in the alley, and strode forward with big steps.

The beggar brother was at the very back of the alley, half-lying on a tattered Simmons mattress against the wall, rolling the grime off his chest with one hand while gazing up at the starry sky with the other.

Hearing the footsteps, he roused from his contemplation. Tilting his head and seeing the approaching figure, the beggar brother quickly and expertly shouted a line: "Don't come any closer — if you need to piss, do it right there; if you need to shit, go behind the dumpster."

That shout failed to stop the man's steps. After hearing a soft chuckle, the beggar's vision dimmed as a person crouched down in front of him.

After the two stared at each other for a few seconds, Cao Chuan smiled and asked, "Brother, don't you recognize me?"

"Is there a necessity for me to recognize you?"

"I even sponsored you ten yuan a few days ago — forgotten so quickly?"

"Anything under a hundred, I don't bother to remember."

"What the hell!"

Was the opening approach wrong? This brother seemed quite guarded, his words laced with a hard edge. So Cao Chuan coughed once and decided to get to the point: "Here's the thing — I've got a job at hand and I'd like you, brother, to make a trip. Compensation will be generous."

As he spoke, he pulled a stack of hundred-yuan bills from his pocket, slapping them in his hand, smiling as he looked at the other man.

Who'd have thought that upon seeing the cash, the beggar would say nothing and instead turn his head away. Despite the dim light, the utter disdain on his face was still clearly visible.

"Could it be he thinks the money's too little?" Cao Chuan thrust the money in his hand forward and continued with great sincerity: "Brother, take these twenty thousand first. After it's done, another thirty thousand."

The beggar sighed and slowly turned his face back. With that motion, his nest of weeds — the Beggar Sect's signature shamate hairstyle — shook along with it, like a lion's mane. Then came a cold laugh: "So tell me, is it running errands delivering 'goods,' or is there some case that needs a man to take the fall?"

Cao Chuan's outstretched hand froze in place. Faced with a senior so deeply versed in the perils of the underworld, for a moment he truly couldn't easily explain. He couldn't exactly say, "Brother here has come specially to invite you, hero, to go conquer the Six States," could he?