Chapter 199: Struck It Rich

As soon as He Yuzhu pulled open the door, Xu Damao squeezed in, bringing the cold wind with him.

"Why are you here so early? Want to eat breakfast at my place?" He Yuzhu rubbed his sleepy eyes.

"It's a disaster! It's a disaster!" Xu Damao grabbed He Yuzhu by the arm. "After I left your place yesterday, I went to my stepfather's house. He told me they are going to send my Siqiang to the execution ground first thing tomorrow morning! Brother Zhuzi, is there still time for you to make arrangements on your end?"

He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm on the surface. "The execution is tomorrow? That is a bit tight, but since you entrusted this matter to my sister, don't you worry about it. Let's stick to the original plan today and go see your Siqiang."

"Alright then!" Xu Damao had no other choice at this point and could only follow the arrangements.

The prison's tall gray walls stood in the snow, exuding a grim chill.

As soon as He Yuzhu reached the entrance, he stated his name, and a prison guard led the way in silence.

Xu Damao was taken straight into a room designated for meetings, while He Yuzhu was brought to Jin Hai's office.

Xu Damao stood in the prison visiting room, staring blankly at a cold iron railing.

Not long after, the sound of heavy chains dragging along the floor approached from afar.

Hu Yunbin was escorted out by two prison guards; not only were his feet shackled with heavy fetters, but his wrists were also locked in Handcuffs.

He had grown much thinner, his eye sockets deeply sunken, but the moment he saw Xu Damao outside the railing, his dull eyes instantly sparked with a glimmer of light.

He lunged toward the railing, stretched out his shackled hands through the gaps, and gripped Xu Damao's hands tightly.

"Damao, did you go to Tianjin?" he asked in a voice kept extremely low, carrying a final shred of hope.

Xu Damao's nose stung, and his eyes turned red immediately. With a choked, aggrieved sob, he said, "My senior uncle... he said, he said he can't handle this matter."

The spark in Hu Yunbin's eyes extinguished instantly. He sat down dejectedly on a bench and muttered, "It really is Heaven punishing me..."

Xu Damao interrupted Hu Yunbin's self-muttering and said in a low voice, "I asked my stepfather, and he said... the Kong Family is demanding fifty thousand Big Ocean, or for us to hand over that sword."

"Even if I die, I won't swallow this humiliation! You go tell them, there is no way I will agree to this condition! Bastard, son of a bitch, Kong Lingchen, may you die a horrible death..." Hu Yunbin cursed through gritted teeth.

Seeing that his Siqiang understood he was in a desperate situation, Xu Damao leaned in closer and whispered in a breathy voice only the two of them could hear: "Siqiang, I recently met a 'friend from the underworld.' He... he has one last trick. Would you be willing to try it?"

"What kind of method?" A flicker of wariness flashed in Hu Yunbin's murky eyes.

Xu Damao pressed his mouth almost against his Siqiang's ear: "There is a Bandit Gang that says they can raid the execution ground and rescue you, but you would have to live under an assumed name afterward. They are asking for ten thousand Big Ocean. What do you think..."

Hu Yunbin's pupils contracted. He pondered for a long while before asking, "Are these people... reliable?"

"They should be! I met one of the Big Boss's concubines. The display was immense—she was riding in a United States sedan, followed by several Bodyguards carrying guns. They definitely have the strength!"

Hu Yunbin still had doubts: "They aren't just putting on a show for you, are they?"

"I don't think so. The fact that I could come in to see you is because they pulled strings. They have a deep connection with Jin Hai. However, they want half the deposit first. Once they rescue you, we pay the other half!"

"No, this is definitely a scam!" Hu Yunbin refused.

"Siqiang, they know Jin Hai, they shouldn't be lying!"

Hu Yunbin lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then said, "You can pay them at most five hundred Big Ocean first. I'm not going anywhere anyway."

"This... I'm afraid they won't agree to that!" Xu Damao said, feeling troubled.

"Damao, it's not that Siqiang doesn't trust you, it's that I don't trust them. In Baihua Shenchu, at the number nine courtyard, under the old locust tree in the Houyuan, three feet to the east, there is a water vat buried. Inside, there is exactly ten thousand Big Ocean. In case... in case the raid on the execution ground fails, don't treat them poorly; give them at most five thousand Big Ocean, and keep the other half for yourself. It will be enough for you to live on for the rest of your life." He stared fixedly at Xu Damao, giving his final instructions.

Xu Damao shed tears and choked out, "Siqiang, you are too good to me. You will definitely be fine, and we will work together again! I still want to serve you for the rest of my life!"

Yet, in his heart, he cursed: *Old thing, you're in this state and still won't tell me the whereabouts of that Bronze Sword. You are truly selfish to the bone. *

On the second floor, in the Prison Warden's office.

Jin Hai lit a cigarette, took a few deep drags, and said with a grave expression, "The situation has changed. It was originally scheduled for execution by firing squad in three days, but it has suddenly been moved up to tomorrow, and they are taking 8 people at once."

"Eight people? What did they all do?" He Yuzhu asked curiously.

"Besides Hu Yunbin, they are all die-hard elements..." Jin Hai shook his head. "Anyway, you all be careful. There should be quite a few guards on the transport vehicle."

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu stopped asking. He nodded and said, "Don't worry, Jin Ye, I know my limits. If all else fails, I'll just give up!"

Jin Hai nodded. "That radio you gave Dayingzi, it's a United States product, right? I can't take your things for nothing."

"Jin Ye, aren't you slapping me in the face?" He Yuzhu feigned displeasure. "Then I really must be going; there's still a lot to do!"

As soon as He Yuzhu stepped outside, he saw Xu Damao already waiting at the entrance, anxiously rubbing his hands.

"Do you know where your Siqiang's money is? Buddy, you have to pay some deposit first, right? Otherwise, the brothers won't have any motivation!" He Yuzhu pressed him.

"Don't even mention it!" Xu Damao immediately put on a face of extreme frustration and grievance, saying with a sob, "My Siqiang... he still didn't trust me in the end. He'd rather die than tell me where the money is hidden! I've been running around, pouring my heart out, what exactly am I doing this for?" He rubbed his eyes hard to make them look redder.

He Yuzhu patted his shoulder understandingly and comforted him, "People who have been in the underworld for a long time are like that—they don't release the hawk until they see the rabbit. Forget it, it's useless for me to pressure you. Just remember, if you rescue the person and don't pay, your whole family will be left to rot in the wilderness!"

"Understood!" Xu Damao nodded.

"You take a rickshaw and go first," He Yuzhu gestured toward the rickshaw on the side of the road. "I'll stroll back slowly."

Xu Damao knew he was going to deliver the message to that "bandit's mistress," so he didn't ask any more questions and left alone in the rickshaw.

He Yuzhu was in no hurry to go home. He walked slowly along the dirt road outside the prison, appearing to be wandering, but in reality, he was surveying the surrounding environment.

After walking about three miles, a slightly dilapidated stone arch bridge appeared ahead, with a nearly dried-up riverbed beneath it.

The bridge was not high, and the deck was narrow, barely wide enough for one car to pass through.

Surrounding the bridge was a sparse poplar forest. The terrain here was quite uneven, making it easy to hide people and an ideal spot for an ambush.

Xu Damao did not go straight home but instead sneaked around to number nine, Baihua Shenchu Hutong.

The courtyard walls were very high, but the inside had been abandoned for many years.

He quickly found the old locust tree. Following his Siqiang's instructions of "three feet to the east," he pulled a worn-out shovel—left there by someone unknown—from the corner of the wall and began to dig, his heart pounding.

After digging about two feet deep, he hit a wooden board.

He pried the board open, and underneath was a coarse pottery water vat.

Inside the vat were silver dollars, neatly stacked and wrapped in oilcloth.

Xu Damao's eyes widened as he looked at the bundles of silver dollars. He lay on the ground and rolled around a few times, whispering, "I'm rich! I'm rich!"