Chapter 311: Driving the Wolf to Fight the Tiger

Ge Ge Shuqin had thought Yan Brother Jiecheng had developed feelings for her, but she never expected him to ask such a question.

Just as she was about to stand up to answer, Yan Brother Jiecheng pressed down on her shoulder and said, "Don't move; that person is monitoring me."

Yan Brother Jiecheng was no fool regarding the big man's purpose in staying here; what protection? Did anyone protect by looking sideways?

"What do you mean?"

Pressing his hand on Ge Ge Shuqin's shoulder, Yan Brother Jiecheng said, "Ma San'er and his lot cannot defeat Li Li Xuewu; Ma San'er and the others are bound to die. If they make a desperate counterattack now, or if I don't contact Li Li Xuewu immediately, we'll both end up dead later."

Yan Brother Jiecheng's words startled Ge Ge Shuqin; although she didn't fully trust him yet, she was willing to consider the words of this man who would be hers in the future.

"Why would Ma San'er kill the two of us?"

Leaning close to Ge Ge Shuqin's ear, Yan Brother Jiecheng whispered, "They haven't killed me yet only to keep Li Li Xuewu stable; your role is not just to threaten me, but also to frame us."

"Think about it: we came from Jingcheng to handle a case, and now a prostitute is found dead alongside us... so you are equally certain to die."

"Never mind that those two killed our comrades; didn't you understand that phone call just now? They're already preparing to take the money and flee. Even if they win, do you think they'd leave us two witnesses alive?"

"Then..."

Just as Ge Ge Shuqin was about to cry out in shock, Yan Brother Jiecheng covered her mouth; afterward, looking at him, she asked softly, "Then what do we do?"

"Kill the man at the door, then hurry and send word to Li Li Xuewu."

"H-how do we kill him?"

Ge Ge Shuqin had never done such a thing; just hearing about it was terrifying.

Yan Brother Jiecheng whispered softly, "I still have the gun, but he has one too. You lure him out first, then back in; while he's off guard, I'll fire."

Perhaps because the two had been whispering for a bit too long, the big man standing at the doorway called over, "What are you talking about, so secretive? Ge Shuqin, do you want to tell me too?"

"Tell your grandfather!"

Ge Ge Shuqin stood up, holding onto the armrests of the chair, and said to the big man at the door, "Do I need your permission to talk to my own man?"

"Oh, oh, oh, Sister Ge Shuqin turns her face and forgets old acquaintances; got a new brother and forgotten the good old brother, huh?"

"Roll away to your grandfather's! Let me say it again: stop bringing up this kind of stuff with me in the future."

Speaking thus, Ge Ge Shuqin put on her jacket and said to the big man, "I'm going to the toilet first; you go in a while."

Seeing nothing wrong with what Ge Ge Shuqin said, the big man nodded, signaling her to go ahead.

In this era, regardless of how luxurious the guesthouse rooms were, the toilets were all located at one end of the corridor.

After Ge Ge Shuqin went to the toilet first, she returned to the room and said to the big man, "Hurry up and go; I need to sleep, I'm exhausted."

The big man glanced at Yan Brother Jiecheng, then said to Ge Ge Shuqin, "Take good care of your little man; don't do anything dangerous."

"Roll away, you egg-spawning bastard!"

After cursing once, Ge Ge Shuqin lay down on the bed; seeing Yan Brother Jiecheng also lying on the bed, the big man assumed the two were about to ignite heaven and earth with their passion.

Snickering once, he opened the door and left.

Hearing the sound of the door closing, Yan Brother Jiecheng quickly rose, pulled the large Da Da Wusi from his waist, checked the bullets, racked the slide, and switched off the safety.

Watching Yan Brother Jiecheng's trembling actions, Ge Ge Shuqin felt somewhat unconvinced that he could take out that second-rate ruffian.

But now the arrow was on the string and had to be released; she could only choose to trust fate.

It was trusting fate, not trusting Yan Brother Jiecheng.

Yan Brother Jiecheng walked to the door and stood behind it, waiting for the big man to return so he could shoot from behind.

This was truly the most adventurous thing Yan Brother Jiecheng had ever done in his life.

Though it took only the time needed to urinate, to Yan Brother Jiecheng it felt as long as ten thousand years.

Hiding inside the bed, Ge Ge Shuqin was also trembling with nervousness.

"Click-clack."

The door handle turned; as the big man walked in, he said, "If you two are doing business..."

"Damn!"

Seeing only one person on the bed, the big man immediately knew something was wrong, but just as he reached for his gun, a tremendous roar sounded from behind him.

"Bang!"

The big man felt as though the gun had been fired right next to his ear, and then instantly all sensation vanished.

The gun had indeed been fired right next to the big man's ear; fearing his hand might shake, Yan Brother Jiecheng had held the gun almost pressed against the back of the big man's head when he pulled the trigger.

As for the effect, it was very good, very thorough.

The instant close-range headshot gave Yan Brother Jiecheng the urge to vomit everything in his stomach.

Frightened by the gunshot and hiding under the covers, shaking like a sieve, Ge Ge Shuqin trembled for a while before realizing that outside there was only the sound of Yan Brother Jiecheng dry-heaving.

She threw off the quilt in one motion and saw Yan Brother Jiecheng squatting on the floor, retching.

Not knowing what was wrong with Yan Brother Jiecheng, Ge Ge Shuqin jumped off the bed intending to check on him, only to discover the big man lying on the floor.

The big man lay face down; a large chunk of the back of his skull was missing, with red and white matter mixed together by the bullet.

"Ugh~"

Ge Ge Shuqin could not bear this scene either.

Fortunately, Yan Brother Jiecheng still had some strength left; he kicked the door shut with his foot, otherwise this sight would surely have terrified everyone outside.

Even just the gunshot would arouse suspicion; perhaps someone would come up shortly.

Yan Brother Jiecheng wasn't afraid of that; the urgent task was to contact Li Li Xuewu, but while his mind wanted to act, his body refused to allow it.

Yan Brother Jiecheng felt the world spinning; every time he looked at the person on the floor, nausea overwhelmed him.

It was only after Ge Ge Shuqin dragged a cotton quilt to cover the big man on the floor that the two of them finally recovered somewhat.

Supporting himself against the wall, Yan Brother Jiecheng walked over to the telephone intending to make a call, but just as he touched the phone, the ringtone sounded.

"Hello?"

"What's wrong with you?"

Li Li Xuewu, worried about Han Zhan and unwilling to wait for the appointed time, called Brother Brother Jiecheng from Fu Fu Haibo's hiding spot.

The moment Brother Brother Jiecheng answered, Li Li Xuewu detected something wrong; the man's tongue was practically tripping over itself in his mouth.

"Have you been drinking, damn it?"

Brother Brother Jiecheng cried out in grievous injustice; drinking? He had nearly attended his own funeral banquet.

"Li Kezhang, trouble has arisen; Ma San'er attacked this place, captured Han Zhan, and ordered you to meet him after five o'clock at the Nan Director Guan Red Star Bathhouse."

"What the hell?"

Veins bulged on Li Li Xuewu's forehead; one was already lost, and if another were lost, he might as well not return to Jingcheng, but simply find a block of tofu and smash his own head against it.

"Ma San'er contacted Fu Fu Haibo, saying he intends to kill you; Fu Bin tipped them off."

Li Li Xuewu glanced at his watch and asked Nie Nie Liansheng beside him, "How far is it from here to the Station Front Guesthouse?"

"A few minutes by car."

Li Li Xuewu spoke into the phone, "Wait there for me; I'll be there immediately."

Having spoken, Li Li Xuewu hung up the phone and ran out with Nie Nie Liansheng.

Several men jumped into the vehicle and drove toward the station front.

In truth, Gangcheng was not large, though the roads were difficult to traverse; here, however, was a rare stretch of flat road, and the convoy arrived at the station front within minutes.

Li Li Xuewu leaped from the car and ran upstairs; upon reaching the upper floor, he saw bloodstains on the ground near the stairwell entrance.

Uncertain of the situation, he walked to the room door and knocked.

Brother Brother Jiecheng, gripping his gun, slowly opened the door to peer outside, but before he could clearly see who it was, the door slammed "Clang!" against his forehead.

Without needing to think, only Li Li Xuewu would act so rashly; Brother Brother Jiecheng did not even entertain the thought of firing his weapon.

Li Li Xuewu cursed, "If you can't shoot, why are you carrying a gun?" then shoved past Brother Brother Jiecheng and entered the room.

"Damn!"

Li Li Xuewu saw a burly man lying face down on the floor, his head buried in the quilt, surrounded by blood.

He turned back to look at Brother Brother Jiecheng and asked, "Did you do this?"

Brother Brother Jiecheng awkwardly raised the gun in his hand and said, "I was scared half to death myself."

Li Li Xuewu looked at the Miss standing in the room, who appeared timid and submissive.

Nie Nie Liansheng peered into the room from behind Li Li Xuewu and was also startled by the quilt Li Li Xuewu had just pulled back.

"Ugh~"

The Miss, whose face was terrifyingly pale, stumbled out, pushing past Li Li Xuewu and the others as she ran for the toilet.

Brother Brother Jiecheng, equally pale-faced, averted his eyes and looked toward the doorway.

Frowning, Li Li Xuewu stepped aside to make way for Nie Nie Liansheng, gestured to Brother Brother Jiecheng, and walked out the door.

Staff from the guesthouse arrived; upon seeing the condition inside, they let out a cry of "Ah!" before being escorted away by the men Nie Nie Liansheng had brought.

Li Li Xuewu led Brother Brother Jiecheng out, and Nie Nie Liansheng followed.

Now, due to Li Li Xuewu's mission, six lives had already been lost, placing immense pressure on Nie Nie Liansheng.

Stopping at the edge of the stairs, Li Li Xuewu asked Brother Brother Jiecheng, "Explain."

Brother Brother Jiecheng, gripping the stair railing and meeting Li Li Xuewu's sharp gaze, hesitated before saying, "Then I will start from the beginning."

Brother Brother Jiecheng dared not play games with Li Li Xuewu; he recounted everything from the moment he finished the call with Li Li Xuewu to how Ge Ge Shuqin had lured him upon hearing the knock at the door.

He detailed how he ended up in bed, how he was photographed, how Ma San'er threatened him, and recounted nearly every word of his conversation with Ma San'er.

During this time, Ge Ge Shuqin, having returned from vomiting in the bathroom, walked with her head bowed to stand beside Brother Brother Jiecheng, silently listening to his account.

After Brother Brother Jiecheng explained how he and Ge Ge Shuqin beside him had cooperated to kill the burly man in the room and urgently contacted Li Li Xuewu, Li Li Xuewu turned his gaze to Ge Ge Shuqin standing next to Brother Brother Jiecheng.

Nie Nie Liansheng stood aside listening silently; Li Li Xuewu's questions were so incisive that he needed no supplementation.

"Your name is Ge Ge Shuqin? Is that your real name or a false one?"

Ge Ge Shuqin's complexion had not yet recovered; she replied in a somewhat hoarse voice, "Re... real name."

Frowning, Li Li Xuewu continued to ask, "How much do you know about Ma San'er's affairs?"

Ge Ge Shuqin glanced at Brother Brother Jiecheng, hesitating whether to speak.

But Li Li Xuewu had no time to play interrogation games with her here.

"Team Leader Nie, hand this one over to you; interrogate her."

Nie Nie Liansheng looked at Ge Ge Shuqin and said, "I do not know where you are from, but let me tell you now: him interrogating you and me interrogating you are two entirely different matters."

Seeing Ge Ge Shuqin raise her head, Nie Nie Liansheng said with a serious expression, "If you speak to him, then you are a relevant party to this case in Jingcheng; if you speak to me, I will interrogate you based on the deeds you have committed, which could be very severe."

Brother Brother Jiecheng secretly nudged Ge Ge Shuqin with his hand; understanding the signal, she knit her brow and hastily said, "I'll talk, I'll talk!"

Seeing Li Li Xuewu's impatient expression, Ge Ge Shuqin spoke quickly, "I am from that courtyard Ma San'er runs; normally... normally I rely on that place to earn money. They also gamble with mahjong, pai gow, and poker; I was coerced by him into doing this."

Frowning, Li Li Xuewu asked, "Where is Ma San'er's courtyard located?"

"At Number 14, Second Street, Sanshan Road."

Before Li Li Xuewu could speak, Nie Nie Liansheng whispered a few words to a man standing nearby, and that person ran downstairs.

Li Li Xuewu had naturally noticed Brother Brother Jiecheng's small gesture earlier; this was precisely the reason for Li Li Xuewu's frown and anger.

Could this bastard truly have been blinded by that Yao'er Sister?

"Do you know anything else?"

"N... no, I don't know anything else."

Ge Ge Shuqin was also frightened by Li Li Xuewu's aura; previously, she had not felt that a Department Director or Deputy Director was particularly intimidating, but now seeing it firsthand, they were truly different from ordinary people.

Li Li Xuewu glanced at Nie Nie Liansheng; Nie Nie Liansheng understandingly looked at Brother Brother Jiecheng, then turned to examine the person being carried out from the room.

Li Li Xuewu grabbed Brother Brother Jiecheng by the collar and said to Ge Ge Shuqin, who was trying to follow, "You stay here and wait."

Seeing Li Li Xuewu's unfavorable expression, Ge Ge Shuqin halted her steps, her eyes fixed tightly on Brother Brother Jiecheng, fearing he would abandon her.

He walked to the inner spot and shoved Yan Brother Jiecheng against the wall.

"Do you know where you are right now? Do you know who you are? Do you know what you're doing?"

"S-sorry, Li Kezhang."

With Nie Nie Liansheng's men watching and that Comrade Ge Ge Shuqin looking on, Li Li Xuewu really couldn't bring himself to lay a hand on Yan Brother Jiecheng; otherwise, he would have knocked him out cold with an electric punch.

"We're fighting for our lives out there, and you're fighting for your 'life' in the guesthouse?"

"S-sorry, Li Kezhang."

"Damn it."

Seeing that Yan Brother Jiecheng could only repeat that one phrase, Li Li Xuewu couldn't be bothered to waste any more breath on him.

"What do we do about this?"

"What?"

Hearing Li Li Xuewu's question, Yan Brother Jiecheng froze for a moment, then realized Li Li Xuewu was asking about Comrade Ge Ge Shuqin.

"S-section Chief... I... I..."

"Enough, enough, enough!"

Li Li Xuewu waved his hand and said, "I understand what you mean."

Having said his piece, Li Li Xuewu turned and headed out, preparing to find Ma San'er to rescue Han Zhan.

"Li Kezhang, what should I do?"

"Deal with it yourself!"

After taking two steps, Li Li Xuewu looked at the "Miss" before him named Comrade Ge Ge Shuqin, gritted his teeth, turned back, and said to Yan Brother Jiecheng, "Go back inside and stay there until I finish handling matters."

Without even glancing at Comrade Ge Ge Shuqin, who was looking at him with pitiable eyes, he nodded to Nie Nie Liansheng and hurried downstairs.

There was truly no other way; since Yan Brother Jiecheng was someone he had brought along, Li Li Xuewu had to bring that Wang Ba back safe and sound even if the sky fell, otherwise he would never be able to face Yu Li.

Furthermore, that bastard was still somewhat human; his loyalty to him was truly steel-hard, as he had not betrayed him despite sexual temptation, material inducements, or threats to his life.

Among all those following him, Li Li Xuewu truly dared not guarantee that anyone else could be so loyal.

To tell the truth, Li Li Xuewu really couldn't quite comprehend Yan Brother Jiecheng's train of thought.

Damn it, one could make mistakes, but one must not betray him.

While descending the stairs, he said to Nie Nie Liansheng, "Ashamed, ashamed."

Nie Nie Liansheng shook his head and said, "Which team doesn't have someone this careless? Our own work wasn't sufficient either."

Nie Nie Liansheng's mood improved slightly; previously, the security personnel from the Steel Plant participating in crimes and the carelessness of the street station officers had made it impossible for Nie Nie Liansheng to lose his temper with Li Li Xuewu.

Now, seeing that one of Li Li Xuewu's subordinates had caused trouble, Nie Nie Liansheng chose to turn a blind eye, refusing to take over the handling of Comrade Ge Ge Shuqin and framing the incident as mere carelessness, which was the greatest face he could give Li Li Xuewu.

What is called carelessness? People in later generations explained it quite vividly: I merely committed a mistake that all men in the world would commit.

Truly, that was incredible! Since it was just carelessness, then he was a comrade who could still be saved.

With full support already given, plus such a huge gift of face, would Li Li Xuewu still pursue their issues?

With any luck, they might even earn a commendation for cooperation.

Li Li Xuewu, for his part, had exactly this intention; aside from the fact that he currently lacked sufficient manpower, simply being on someone else's turf meant he absolutely had to give the due face.

Cooperative case handling had become Li Li Xuewu's only option.

Li Li Xuewu now only wanted to capture Fu Fu Haibo, so he prepared to hand over people like Ma San'er to Nie Nie Liansheng for processing, which also served as an opportunity for cooperation.

Moreover, this Fu Fu Haibo was merely the beginning.

"Captain Nie, for the Jingcheng case we only need Fu Fu Haibo, while the mistakes committed here by Fu Fu Haibo, Ma San'er, and the others I suggest you investigate."

This was not shirking responsibility or burden; this was offering benefits to Nie Nie Liansheng.

Nie Nie Liansheng naturally understood Li Li Xuewu's intent and, looking at Li Li Xuewu, said, "I agree with your suggestion; what arrangements do you have?"

Li Li Xuewu frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "As long as it involves the Jingcheng case, count it as cooperative handling, and during trial we will recommend a joint trial; for those not involving Jingcheng, count them as yours alone."

"Thank you!"

Nie Nie Liansheng understood Li Li Xuewu's meaning: Jingcheng only wanted the person, while all other confiscated assets could be left to the local authorities.

It had to be said that Li Li Xuewu was truly straightforward in how he handled affairs; indeed, those from Jingcheng possessed a different caliber of magnanimity.

Li Li Xuewu waved his hand and said, "Now let's go find Ma San'er; he called me here, so he might try to make a move on me or he might negotiate; you control the perimeter first, and if things look wrong, you charge in."

Nie Nie Liansheng frowned and said, "Why not use our operational personnel instead?"

Li Li Xuewu shook his head and said, "My comrade is still in his hands; there are too many uncertainties, and I dare not gamble with my comrade's life."

Seeing the worried expression on Nie Nie Liansheng's face, Li Li Xuewu smiled and said, "It's fine; my skills are decent."

"Very well."

Seeing the confident expression on Li Li Xuewu's face, Nie Nie Liansheng could only agree, after all, this was Li Li Xuewu's case.

"As soon as anything goes wrong, we go in."

After the two had settled their plan, they hurried toward the Nanguan Bathhouse.

Nanguan Bathhouse.

Ma San'er led a group of people into the bathhouse; without saying a word to the front desk, he headed straight for the back.

Upon entering the changing room, Ma San'er shouted toward the inside of the cloth curtain, "Get the hell out, all of you! I'm counting to three; anyone who isn't out by then doesn't need to come out."

At that moment, some people had just arrived to bathe, some had just entered the pool, and others had just lathered up with soap, but upon hearing the shouting from outside, everyone froze.

That damn Ma San'er is here again!

Before Ma San'er could even finish counting to two, everyone in the bathhouse had fled; those in the pool jumped out and ran, while those covered in soap suds didn't bother rinsing off and simply squeezed their eyes shut, stumbling along as they rushed out.

Ma San'er hadn't even reached the count of two before the bathhouse was completely empty.

The sight of people running out naked and making complete fools of themselves caused the several burly men behind Ma San'er to burst into loud laughter.

Ma San'er waved his hand to signal his brothers to get to work, while he himself took off his clothes, preparing to soak in a hot bath.

The northeast bathhouses are a different style from those in Jingcheng, and the biggest difference is their size.

Northeast bathhouses are truly huge; saying they're like lakes is exaggeration, but they're definitely bigger than those in Jingcheng.

The reason might be that showers hadn't been introduced yet—people sat on the edge of the pool, scrubbed themselves, then rinsed off with the pool water.

If the pool were built too small, there wouldn't be enough water to rinse.

Some didn't care and scrubbed right in the pool; there were many such people, and the water's surface often floated unmentionable things.

Ma San was soaking in the pool, watching Han Zhan hanging from the ceiling beam, took a sip of ice-cold beer, and let out a loud belch.

"Burp~~~"

The fact that Ma San could drink beer here is one of the differences of northeast bathhouses.

Here you can order radishes, sunflower seeds, peanuts, beer, fruit wine, tea, and more.

Radishes are eaten like fruit after bathing, to replenish fluids; peanuts and sunflower seeds are for chatting, relaxing, and killing time.

Back then, the men who unloaded coal at the train station relied on this to survive.

They earned one jiao per car of coal unloaded, spent two mao on a bath ticket, and after soaking, ordered a plate of crisp radishes—the kind that crack even if you handle them gently.

Then they ordered a plate of peanuts, a plate of sunflower seeds; drinkers ordered beer in large pitchers, non-drinkers ordered a pot of tea.

Tea was cheap—this whole set cost only two mao; beer was expensive, costing three mao.

This set was usually too much for one person to finish—it was too luxurious, so two or three people took turns treating each other.

This unspoken understanding didn't need to be spoken: after one meal, the next time you'd eagerly treat them.

This had nothing to do with the trust crises of the future; back then, trust among coworkers was beyond imagination.

After drinking until your belly was full, you'd sleep in the lounge, then get dressed and head home, handing over the remaining five or six mao to your family—this day was done.

Han Zhan was now awake, just a bit dizzy.

The aftereffects of that blow still lingered; though he couldn't feel the back of his head, he sensed a large bump had formed.

Right now, he wasn't suffering much—the bathhouse temperature was tolerable—his clothes were just damp.

"What you lookin' at?"

Ma San, annoyed that Han Zhan kept staring, scowled and asked him: "What you lookin' at?"

Han Zhan didn't snap at Ma San, didn't ask pointless questions like "Why?", didn't ask why Yan Brother Jiecheng had betrayed him.

What's done is done; the actions of a dying man aren't worth mentioning.

"Nothing. You're good-looking."

"What the hell!"

Usually, when a northeasterner asks "What you lookin' at?", the next line is "So what if I am?"

Then comes the "mutual affection and gift-giving" scene—readers are encouraged to try it.

But this Han Zhan didn't follow the script—he said something that made Ma San feel embarrassed.

His own mother had never called him good-looking.

"Don't think flattering me means I won't beat you."

Ma San picked up the big beer pitcher, poured himself a cup, and sneered: "I don't even care about you."

Han Zhan watched Ma San sip beer and munch peanuts—damn, he looked so relaxed.

"The ones who shot at us—were they your men?"

Ma San tilted his head, sneering, refusing to answer, and kept drinking.

Han Zhan knew the answer, so he didn't mind Ma San's indifference.

He glanced around the bathhouse—Ma San had picked a clever spot.

The big pool was two or three hundred square meters, completely open, no cover anywhere.

Whether Ma San wanted to kill Li Li Xuewu or negotiate "safely" with him, this place was perfect.

Because you came in naked—no weapons could be smuggled in.

Ma San didn't wait for Li Li Xuewu—he got Fu Fu Haibo instead, the very man Li Li Xuewu had been desperately searching for.

Ma San had deliberately left time open, to prepare properly.

He hadn't expected Fu Fu Haibo to find him here.

"Why are you here?"

"If I hadn't come, were you going to switch sides?"

Fu Fu Haibo hadn't taken off his clothes—he wore a dark blue cotton cap and a long wool coat.

His slender frame in the black coat looked even more refined.

Fu Fu Haibo and Li Li Xuewu were both rare tall men of nearly 1.8 meters in this era, but their builds were different.

Li Li Xuewu had broad shoulders, long arms, large hands, long legs—his whole body was evenly muscular, built for strength.

Fu Fu Haibo had narrow shoulders and a slim frame; though tall and lean, his actual physique gave off an ominous aura.

Some might say he resembled those flashy Korean idols or some "Opa" from the future—but Fu Fu Haibo carried a cold, ruthless edge.

In short, his wife thought the two looked similar at first glance, but the more she looked, the less alike they seemed.

His black leather shoes tapped on the cement floor with a "piapia" sound of splashing water.

This created an inexplicable pressure on Ma San.

"What are you talking about? What do you think I, Ma San, am?"

Frowning, he grabbed his cup and gulped down beer, masking his inner unease.

Fu Fu Haibo stood at the pool's edge, hands in his coat pockets, watching Ma San soaking inside.

"Why didn't you deliver the man to the address I specified?"

Fu Fu Haibo asked bluntly; Ma San's temper flared.

Thinking of the news he had learned from that good-for-nothing Yan Brother Jiecheng, he angrily shouted at Fu Fu Haibo, "How am I supposed to deliver it?"

While speaking, Ma San'er excitedly slapped the water surface, then said, "Your old uncle, that son of a bitch Wang Ba, plotted against me; he wanted to use me as a chamber pot—do you think I don't know it?"

Fu Fu Haibo frowned and said, "I've already told you, that was a misunderstanding; perhaps he simply didn't receive the message."

"Stop spouting nonsense!"

With a sinister expression, Ma San'er gritted his teeth and said to Fu Fu Haibo, "Your old uncle, you, and including..."

As he spoke, as if he had mentioned someone taboo, Ma San'er hesitated for a moment and slurred over the rest.

"You all used me as a chamber pot; when making money, you treated me like a person, but when danger arose and someone was needed to smooth things over or take the fall, you tossed me out like a stray dog."

The burly men guarding Han Zhan, who was hanging from the roof, all turned around, daring not to watch the conflict between Fu Fu Haibo and Ma San'er.

Looking at the frenzied Ma San'er, Fu Fu Haibo felt no anger; instead of shouting wildly like Ma San'er, he calmly watched him act out.

Yet it was precisely this tolerance, or rather this cultivation and calmness of Fu Fu Haibo, that made Ma San'er most apprehensive.

The cadres of the Steel Plant knew little about Fu Fu Haibo's situation, the guards of the Security Section knew even less, and even those as close as Fu Fu Haibo's wife or Yang Zhao's wife were unaware of Fu Fu Haibo's true nature.

But Ma San'er understood Fu Fu Haibo; he knew this pervert all too well.

From the day Fu Fu Haibo captured him, to being directed by Fu Fu Haibo to pull off their first job and earn their first pot of gold.

Then, when competitors appeared, Ma San'er watched firsthand as Fu Fu Haibo manipulated them effortlessly, finally ordering Ma San'er to bury that person alive.

He watched Fu Fu Haibo personally peel back the scalp of the buried man whose head was the only part exposed, watched Fu Fu Haibo's excited, evil smile as he observed blood spraying from that man's head like a fountain, and watched the expression on Fu Fu Haibo's face as he listened to that man's screams as if they were music...

From that moment on, Ma San'er developed a psychological shadow regarding Fu Fu Haibo, including during their cooperation that followed.

Fu Fu Haibo was responsible for planning, while Ma San'er was responsible for action.

Starting from nothing, one a soldier and one a thief, the two of them somehow thrived within this Steel Plant.

Fu Fu Haibo became the Deputy Director of the Security Section, while he, Ma San'er, also became a famously formidable figure locally.

Now, Ma San'er felt that the look Fu Fu Haibo gave him was the same as the one he had given that "fountain" back then; unable to stop his shouting, he sat dejectedly into the bath pool.

Seeing that Ma San'er had finished his tantrum, Fu Fu Haibo glanced at the hanging Han Zhan, then asked Ma San'er, "What do you want to do?"

"I want money."

Scalded by the hot water in the pool, Ma San'er suddenly regained strength; steadying his expression, he picked up the large jar used for beer and, without using a cup, gulped down a huge mouthful with a "glug-glug" sound.

Urine-yellow beer flowed from the corners of Ma San'er's mouth into the hot water of the bath pool, a sight that made Fu Fu Haibo frown deeply.

"Where am I supposed to get money for you right now? Didn't we agree that you help me deal with Li Li Xuewu, and then I'll prepare the money for you? You can continue working with me if you want, or you can leave if you prefer."

"I don't care; I won't do any work until I see the money."

Ma San'er placed the large jar on the edge of the bath pool and said to Fu Fu Haibo, "We've cooperated for so long; we've been together for more than just a day or two, so let's not fool each other."

While speaking, Ma San'er leaned his head back, resting it on the Mao Jin laid out on the pool's edge, and in a comfortable posture said to Fu Fu Haibo, "Once the money is in place, I'll eliminate Li Li Xuewu; if I don't see the money, then I'll go have a talk with Li Li Xuewu about you."

Facing the shameless Ma San'er, Fu Fu Haibo's face turned gloomy, his shadowed eyes fixed on Ma San'er as he said, "You don't trust me."

Splashing water with his hand, Ma San'er said indifferently, "Just as you have never trusted me; after working together for so many years, I don't even know where the money is."

Now Ma San'er finally understood Fu Fu Haibo's predicament; plainly put, he was in the same boat as himself—a homeless dog.

If Li Li Xuewu caught him, Fu Fu Haibo would surely die; otherwise, he wouldn't have called on Ma San'er to help him make a desperate last stand.

Ma San'er now believed that holding Han Zhan as a bargaining chip allowed him to negotiate with Li Li Xuewu to trade Fu Fu Haibo plus Han Zhan in exchange for his own life.

Fu Fu Haibo truly wanted to pull a pistol from his coat pocket and shoot this bastard dead, but reason told him that he could only stabilize this madman for now.

"Very well, I'll give you the money."

Looking at the shiftless Ma San'er, Fu Fu Haibo said, "You must give me time, and moreover, I must take this person away with me."

"Cut the crap!"

Ma San'er sneered and said to Fu Fu Haibo, "Who are you trying to fool? If I hand over the person, will I ever see the money?"

"Heh heh."

Ma San'er pointed at the hanging Han Zhan and said, "If I can't get the money and I also lose the person, what the hell do I have left?"

Fu Fu Haibo leaned forward, placing both hands on the edge of the bath pool, and looking at Ma San'er said, "Just as you said, I don't trust you; I don't believe you will help me eliminate Li Li Xuewu, so I must take away your backup plan for negotiating with Li Li Xuewu."

"Damn it."

With a gloomy face, Ma San'er said, "So I'm just a complete fool, right? Kill Li Li Xuewu, and then I won't even know where to find you to collect my money?"

While speaking, Ma San'er shifted his body, splashing through the water until he was in front of Fu Fu Haibo; staring into Fu Fu Haibo's eyes, he said, "Do you also want to kill me? Burn the bridge after crossing the river?"

Fu Fu Haibo narrowed his eyes; like a fox, he looked at Ma San'er and said, "You will definitely not lack for money; if you don't trust me, fine, if you don't trust my old uncle, okay, but surely you must trust Factory Director Luo, right?"

"The Monk may be able to run, but his temple cannot, can it?"

Seeing Ma San'er's eyelid twitch slightly, Fu Fu Haibo continued, "You hold evidence against me, don't you? Then you also have evidence against Luo Jiaping; the three of us are grasshoppers tied to the same string—how could I possibly kill you?"

Ma San'er bumped his head forward and said to Fu Fu Haibo, "Just kill me; once I'm dead, you'll be at ease, and it will save me from fighting to the death with Li Li Xuewu."

Seeing Ma San'er say this again.

Taking a deep breath of stale air, Fu Fu Haibo stared at Ma San'er and said with complete seriousness, "Whatever words need to be said can be discussed slowly once we pass this difficult hurdle; there is no need to shout about killing and fighting."

Fu Fu Haibo picked up another beer jar, poured a cup for Ma San'er, and then poured one for himself.

"Besides, why would I want to kill you? As you know, I haven't done this kind of thing in a long time."

Having said this, Fu Fu Haibo raised the poured beer, toasted Ma San'er, placed it in front of him, and then lifted the cup before himself.

【293】 "The Gangcheng you see is only a sky as big as this bath pool; if you are willing, come with me to Jingcheng, where there are benefits beyond your imagination; we can continue to cooperate! Just as you suggested before, a fifty-fifty split."

"The Steel City you see is merely a sky the size of a bathtub; if you are willing, come with me to Jingcheng, where there are benefits beyond your imagination, and we can continue our partnership! Just as you proposed before: a fifty-fifty split."

While speaking, he gestured toward the hanging Han Zhan, then generously said, "As for what you just did, let it go!"

Fu Fu Haibo had already revealed his "great gift," which was to give Ma San'er half of the future profits of their business; this condition was indeed extremely generous.

Now it all depended on Ma San'er.

If Ma San'er drank the wine, then both parties would be delighted!

They would eliminate Li Li Xuewu and head for the City of Four-Nine.

Fu Fu Haibo held his wine cup, looking at Ma San'er in the bath pool.

However, the situation he expected did not arise—Ma San'er directly pushed the wine cup before him aside.

This was refusing a toast!

Slowly setting down the wine cup in his hand, Fu Fu Haibo's eyes became tinged with a hint of killing intent and ferocity, yet he still appeared every bit the refined gentleman.

"You will definitely kill me!"

Having drilled himself into a dead end, Ma San'er acted as if possessed, using this sentence to frantically test the limits of death against Fu Fu Haibo.

"After I take out Li Li Xuewu, you won't give me the money; tonight you will kill me!"

Perhaps Ma San'er's words, repeated like a broken record, were simply too annoying, for Fu Fu Haibo truly became enraged.

Once again letting out a long breath, he straightened his body, shook his head, and looked at Ma San'er in the bath pool as if viewing a dead man.

"If I kill you, what will become of your wife and children?"

"... You!"

With a loud splash, Ma San'er rose from the hot water of the bath pool, looking at Fu Fu Haibo with a face full of shock and anger.

"Very surprised?"

Fu Fu Haibo inserted both hands back into his overcoat pockets, looked at Ma San'er with contempt, and then said, "I didn't expect that after committing so many sins, you would still be thinking about continuing your family line."

Ma San'er gritted his teeth while staring at Fu Fu Haibo, his eyes filled with red bloodshot veins, looking as if he wanted to devour the person before him.

Fu Fu Haibo, however, was completely unafraid and said with a cold smile, "You secretly ran off to the countryside; did you think I didn't know?"

"Heh heh."

Looking at the fiery gaze in Ma San'er's eyes, Fu Fu Haibo shook his head and said, "Despite looking like a ghost yourself, your son is actually quite handsome; when I said I'd bring him to the city to play, he even thanked me."

"What exactly do you want?"

Fu Fu Haibo chuckled, glanced to his left and right, and then said, "I'll take the person away; you stay here. Take out Li Li Xuewu, then come find me to get your money and your son back."

Speaking thus, Fu Fu Haibo stared at Ma San'er and said, "If you cannot take out Li Li Xuewu, or if you get taken out by Li Li Xuewu, then your son will have lost his father, lost the pillar supporting his life; so tell me, what do you think will happen to him?"

Ma San'er looked at Fu Fu Haibo with fury, clenched his teeth, and ordered the subordinates looking over: "Give him the person."

Although these brothers of Ma San'er watched Fu Fu Haibo threaten their Third Brother, no one dared to wade into the muddy waters between these two, so they all worked together to untie Han Zhan from the roof beam.

Fu Fu Haibo looked at Han Zhan standing on the ground, walked over to his side, turned around, and said to Ma San'er, "I and your son will be waiting for news of your victory."

After finishing with Ma San'er, he turned to Han Zhan and said, "Li Kezhang Han, I'm afraid I must trouble you to come with me; can you walk?"

Han Zhan smiled at Fu Fu Haibo and said, "No problem; it's been a long time since we last met, I was just thinking of you, so this is a perfect chance to catch up on old times."

Fu Fu Haibo smiled but said nothing, pointing toward the outside of the bathhouse.

Han Zhan twisted his handcuffed hands slightly and walked out of the bathhouse first.

Watching the two leave, Ma San'er's underlings looked at each other, then all turned back to gaze at their Third Brother standing in the bath pool.

With a cold expression, Ma San'er said, "Order the people outside: when Li Li Xuewu arrives shortly, tell him to take off his clothes and come in; I am inviting him to take a bath."

One clever underling ran out immediately to relay the message.

Ma San'er said to the remaining men, "In a moment, follow my command; as soon as I say 'fire,' you all shoot at Li Li Xuewu."

"Understood."

The five burly men remaining in the bathhouse all responded in unison.

Night fell a bit earlier in Gangcheng than in Jingcheng; when Li Li Xuewu parked his motorcycle in front of the South Gate Red Star Bathhouse, he checked his watch: five ten.

Looking at the two burly men standing in the brightly lit hall, Li Li Xuewu smiled and gestured, asking, "Is Ma San'er here?"

One of the men pointed toward the bathhouse and said, "Third Brother said he is inviting you to take a bath."

Li Li Xuewu nodded and laughed, "I've heard people from the Northeast are hospitable, but I didn't expect Brother Ma San'er to be so hospitable; knowing I'm weary from travel, he still thinks to invite me for a soak."

The burly man looked at the fearless Li Li Xuewu, curled his lips, and said, "He wants you to take off your clothes before going in."

"Good, no problem; when taking a bath, who wears clothes?"

Right before the two men's faces, Li Li Xuewu tossed the Type 56 assault rifle he was carrying into a basket and began undressing without the slightest hesitation.

Seeing Li Li Xuewu stark naked and swinging his 28-inch baton, the man jerked his chin, signaling Li Li Xuewu to enter the bathhouse.

Li Li Xuewu smiled, turned, and walked straight into the bathhouse.

Stayed up until now just finished writing.