Chapter 184

At nine at night, San Shui drove his own car into a residential compound and pulled up beneath a single-unit building.

He embraced the girl in the car and kissed her affectionately before letting her get out, parting with reluctance.

She was San Shui's new "girlfriend," originally just a pitiful girl he'd paid for sex, but over time he'd become utterly obsessed.

In the dusty backwater of Qingshui County, where had he ever seen a woman so alluring? Sometimes San Shui even wondered if he should really marry her and bring her home as his wife.

Savoring the taste on his lips, San Shui turned on the car stereo and spun the vehicle around with a burst of engine noise.

But as he turned the wheel, he spotted a figure rushing toward the headlights—it was Er Gou, whom he hadn't seen in two days.

Startled, San Shui cursed: "Er Gou, are you crazy? Running into my car at this hour? If you want to die, jump into the Pearl River yourself—I don't want blood on my car."

Er Gou said nothing, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and climbed into San Shui's car, then lowered his head and said: "Brother San Shui, Ge Peng kicked me out. I need to stay at your place for a couple days."

"Why come to my place?"

San Shui instinctively refused, then chuckled: "You're such a good kid—why'd Ge Peng kick you out too?"

"Isn't it because of you?" Er Gou didn't look up. "Ge Peng told me to find you at all costs—if I couldn't bring you back, I was to die outside. Are you willing to come back with me?"

"Go screw yourself—I'm not going back!"

San Shui shifted gears and floored the accelerator, shooting off.

After driving a while, San Shui turned off the stereo and glanced sidelong at Er Gou, who sat there looking hollowed out.

"Er Gou, if I never go back, will you really never return to Ge Peng's place?"

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Er Gou huddled in his seat, pitifully. "Ge Peng yelled at me for withholding information, but I didn't even know you were smuggling! You were busy making big money and dragged me down with you."

"Don't call it smuggling—that's such a crude word," San Shui said brazenly. "It's special-channel importation, filling domestic gaps. A digital watch for thirty yuan? Cheaper than a mechanical one costing over a hundred. I'm doing the people a favor!"

Er Gou shifted his butt and muttered gloomily: "But your motorcycle still sells for three or four thousand—more than a Happy 250, and it's used!"

"My used bikes are better than new ones! They're all top brands—Yamaha, Honda."

San Shui shot back a few retorts, then said: "Fine, fine—so you're still mad I didn't sell you one cheap? I'll give you one tomorrow, okay?"

Er Gou lifted his head, staring at San Shui in disbelief.

San Shui was shrewd—he always kept accounts clear even with blood relatives. Why was he being so generous now?

Sure enough, San Shui continued: "Er Gou, since Ge Peng's tired of you now, I might as well point you toward a better path."

Er Gou gripped his backpack and asked: "What path?"

"Work with me," San Shui said, tapping the steering wheel. "After this mess, I'm definitely out of favor—but once Ge Peng's gone, you'll still run the Guangzhou wholesale division."

"Then we team up—you ship my goods to Dongshan Railway Station. Each time, I pay you a thousand yuan."

"."

Er Gou thought for a long while, then asked confusedly: "Why didn't you do this before?"

San Shui looked at Er Gou like he was an idiot, snarling: "Because you were always watching me!"

"That Hao Jian made us monitor each other—you acted like a dog sniffing my every move, forcing me to pay big money to find couriers every time!"

Er Gou stared at San Shui for several seconds, then quickly lowered his head—he feared if he didn't, he'd punch San Shui right then and there.

The little guilt still lingering in his heart vanished like smoke.

San Shui noticed Er Gou's expression and realized he'd said too much, so he added soothingly: "Alright, that's all past now. From now on, work with me—I guarantee you'll buy a car in a year. Just like this one."

"Look—Toyota. Better than the boss's car back in Qingshui County. Think about it—if you had a car like this, wouldn't you have no trouble finding a wife?"

San Shui slapped the steering wheel, beaming with pride.

"Is smuggling really that profitable?" Er Gou muttered. "Aren't you just borrowing this car from Boss Zhang?"

"You actually believe that?" San Shui sneered. "Let me tell you—when I go back to my village, even the village cadres I'd spit on if they tried to hold my shoes—they're too clumsy to even touch them."

"."

San Shui drove, turning left and right, until he pulled into a courtyard in the old district.

"Thud~"

As Er Gou got out, his backpack bumped the car door, making a dull thump.

San Shui asked curiously: "Er Gou, what's in your bag?"

Er Gou opened it and pulled out two bottles of liquor and a roasted goose with two packs of braised dishes.

"Ge Peng kicked me out today—I didn't even get a letter of introduction, and I didn't eat. I bought food and drink, but couldn't bring myself to eat."

"Then I remembered you told me Ah Xia lives in HP District. Why don't you live with Ah Xia?"

"What do you know?" San Shui snatched the roasted goose, took a bite, and said: "It's called having three dens. Otherwise, wouldn't Ge Peng have dragged me back long ago?"

"True—this place is hard to find."

They entered the house. Er Gou glanced around and spotted motorcycle parts and several televisions.

"Brother San Shui, are you smuggling televisions now?"

"I told you—it's not smuggling," San Shui snapped. "These are broken. They got soaked during the water route—need repairs before I can sell them."

"Oh~"

Er Gou nodded, laid out the food and drink, and began eating.

San Shui, likely worn out from too much exertion, was hungry too, and joined Er Gou for drinks.

San Shui couldn't hold his liquor as well as Er Gou; halfway through, he slumped onto the sofa and passed out.

In his dream, he became a big boss—Jin Peng, Hao Jian, even Li Ye, whom he wanted to punch every time he saw him—all came to respectfully offer him shoes.

He'd also married a wife, had a son—the boy was beautiful, though he didn't look much like him.

"Plop~"

Cold water suddenly splashed across San Shui's face, shattering his dream.

"Leaking roof?"

San Shui looked up at the ceiling, dazzled by the bright overhead light.

He closed his eyes, trying to adjust, but immediately opened them again.

Because the room was full of people.

Jin Peng, Hao Jian, Wang Qiang, Zou Zhiguo, and several unfamiliar young men—all stared at him with sharp eyes.

San Shui turned his head, bewildered, toward Er Gou.

Er Gou met his gaze for a second, then turned away, repulsed.

San Shui understood everything.

"Hehehehe~"

"Boss Zhang was right—the most unreliable thing in the world is damn brothers."

San Shui sneered, then smiled at Jin Peng: "Brother Peng, I avoided you to preserve our bond. If you really wanted to see me, just tell Er Gou to say the word—I'd have come to you willingly. No need for these tricks."

Jin Peng stared at San Shui with a complex expression, then finally said gravely: "San Shui, take my advice—turn yourself in."

"You're a first-time offender. We can find connections—you'll serve a year or two and be out. As long as I've got food, you won't starve."

You're a first-time offender; we'll find some connections—you'll only serve a year or two, and as long as I, Jin Peng, have food to eat, I won't let you starve.

San Shui's eyes widened, staring at Jin Peng in disbelief.

He knew Jin Peng—he might break his legs in a rage.

But to turn him in? To hand his own brother over to the authorities? That was unthinkable.

Yet now he was telling him to turn himself in?

Even Pan Jinlian fed Wu Dalang poison before killing him!

"Brother Peng? Are you joking? I didn't steal, didn't rob, didn't kill, didn't swindle… Why should I turn myself in? For what?"

"Oh, right—last year, I fought with Wu Liuxiu from Dongcheng with you. I cracked his skull with a brick. If you mean that, let's turn ourselves in together—be cellmates?"

San Shui was fully sober now. He smiled lightly, reciting the speech he'd rehearsed countless times in his mind.

Ever since he started smuggling, he'd prepared daily for the chance of being caught—even if manacled, he'd say exactly this.

The few items in the room meant nothing—hundreds in Guangzhou did the same thing. Unless they caught the source, nothing happened.

Jin Peng said nothing, just pressed the play button on a cassette recorder on the table.

Only then did San Shui notice—the recorder wasn't his.

"Work with me—I'm definitely out of favor, but once Brother Peng's gone, you'll still run the Guangzhou wholesale division. Then we team up—you ship my goods to Dongshan Railway Station."

I'm clearly no longer trusted by you, but once Brother Peng leaves, you'll still be in charge of Yangcheng's wholesale division; then we can work together—you ship my goods to Dongshan Railway Station.

"Brother San Shui, are you smuggling televisions now?"

"I told you—it's not smuggling… These are broken. They got soaked during the water route—need repairs before I can sell them."

I told you it's not smuggling. These units are damaged—they took on water during the river journey due to rough weather and need repairs before we can sell them.

He never imagined Er Gou was this cunning—he'd secretly recorded him.

In 1982, not 2022, people had no awareness of recording tricks. Even in the 2000s, movies still used this as a fresh plot twist!

By 2022, every HR department guarded every word during employee talks, terrified of leaving evidence for arbitration.

So San Shui wasn't wronged—he got what he deserved.

But Jin Peng's face turned blacker.

He knew San Shui was a risk—but never imagined he was this dangerous, still scheming to drag everyone down with him.

He knew San Shui was a risk, but he never imagined San Shui was this dangerous—he still had the audacity to drag everyone down with him.

"Er Gou, you piece of shit—you'll die a miserable death, and in your next life too…"

Ergou, you piece of shit, you'll die a miserable death in this life, and in your next one too—

A bottle of liquor flew through the air and smashed against San Shui's forehead.

A wine bottle flew through the air and smashed into San Shui's forehead.

It was Jin Peng; his hands were trembling, yet he gripped another bottle of liquor and raised it toward San Shui.

"San Shui, when you left Qingshui with me, what did you say? And what are you doing now? You're actually planning to cheat me with Ergou?"

"."

"Of course I remember what I said—but haven't you forgotten what you promised?"

"You told us back then: share fortune together, face hardship together. But have you lived up to that?"

San Shui wiped the blood from his face and snarled: "How much do you make each month? How much do you give the brothers? You earn at least tens of thousands a month, while we get a few hundred—this is your idea of sharing fortune?"

"That money was earned by us for you. Now you act like a landlord, skinning us laborers alive."

Jin Peng glared, furious: "Then why don't you talk about those back home who earn only a few dozen a month? If you didn't act like an idiot, you could be earning tens of thousands in a few years—why are you so impatient?"

"Don't give me that crap," San Shui sneered at Jin Peng. "If you're not loyal, then don't stand in my way to wealth. If you push me too far, I'll expose all your speculative dealings—we'll all burn together."

"Uhh~"

"Wocao~"

Jin Peng's second bottle smashed directly onto San Shui's head.

San Shui roared in rage, suddenly sprinting toward the wardrobe, yanking out a tubular weapon, and aiming it straight at Jin Peng before pulling the trigger.

"Ding~"

The sharp click of the firing pin echoed loudly in the silent room.

Jin Peng froze. Hao Jian froze. Wang Qiang froze—even San Shui froze.

"See? I told you he'd fire!"

A faint voice rose from behind the sofa.

San Shui whirled around and saw Li Ye, sitting calmly in the corner behind him on a chair.

"It's you again!"

San Shui clearly remembered: last time in Pengcheng, it was this Li Ye's glance that made Jin Peng beat him senseless.

And this time, Jin Peng's decision to turn him in was surely because of this bastard.

But before San Shui could finish cursing, five or six men pinned him down and beat him mercilessly.

While he'd been passed out drunk, the experienced Hong Shu had already searched the entire house and found the five-shot shotgun—but Li Ye had said, "Remove the bullets and test it," and now this had happened.

"Enough. Stop beating him—he'll die if you keep going."

Li Ye, seeing the ex-soldiers going too hard, told Hong Shu.

But Hong Shu replied: "No problem. They know their limits. Once he's inside, they'll appreciate this kind of mess."

Li Ye: "."

To be fair, Hong Shu was right—the ex-soldiers knew their limits.

After half an hour of beating, San Shui's limbs were intact; most injuries were superficial.

Then Hong Shu arranged for men to escort San Shui to the authorities.

Legally, "escorting to relevant authorities" isn't classified as brawling.

The complainant was Ergou, who, having lived closely with San Shui, found him suspicious and triggered the chain of events that followed.

As for how to handle the details, Li Ye left it alone—he trusted Hao Jian to manage it.

But as San Shui was being dragged out the door, a small incident occurred.

He turned his head and shouted at Jin Peng and the others: "Do you believe me? I'll walk in, and walk right back out!"

"."

After Hong Shu and Ergou left, Jin Peng collapsed, drained, slumping to the side. He reached for a cigarette, but his hand shook uncontrollably.

Li Ye lit one for him and said: "Not worth it—for a man like him."

Jin Peng smoked the cigarette in three gulps and smiled at Li Ye.

"Don't comfort me. I swear this is the last time."

"My last time."

Today's update is late—apologies again. Lao Feng is anxious too; one day late means days to catch up.

Thank you to the reader who tipped 500 coins, and to reader "Leishenbb" for the 500-coin tip—thank you, brothers.

(End of Chapter)