After finishing dumplings with Old Ghost, I went to the internet café, topped up twenty yuan, played CS, watched movies, and kept QQ online, waiting for Boss Xie’s message. As expected, around four in the afternoon, ahem, Boss Xie’s avatar flashed.
Boss Xie: "Brother, Da Tou Wang’s efficiency is very high, there’s news about that swindler. [Smiling emoji]"
Me: "The police couldn't find him, how did you get news so quickly, could it be fake?"
Boss Xie: "Some things in the martial world can’t be discussed too much, but it’s normal to be more informed than the police through informants. Don't you trust Da Tou Wang? [Confused emoji]"
Me: "Mm."
Boss Xie was silent for about ten minutes before replying with a message.
Boss Xie: "Da Tou Wang has a dark background, you can’t afford to mess with him. If you don't sell him the material after he finds the swindler, then you’ll be in danger."
Me: "My brain is really messed up. This piece of material is clearly worth five million. I just need to get Old Tie money after he wakes up. Why am I seeking revenge for him and looking for that swindler? Boss Xie, can you do me a favor? When that swindler returns to Ruili, please give me a heads-up first, I’ll call the police, and then I'll sell you the stone for four million, and disappear thereafter."
Boss Xie: "Brother, you can’t do things like that, you can’t afford to mess with people in this circle."
Me: "Okay, if I can’t afford to mess with him, I can hide, right? That swindler hasn’t returned yet, has he? I’ll handle the transfer procedures for Old Tie tomorrow, go to Beijing, and disappear from then on. However, thank you anyway, Boss Xie, you are truly a good person. I’m going offline now."
After saying this, I immediately went invisible. Then, I looked at my hands typing on the keyboard, my fingers still trembling slightly from nervousness.
...
After the negotiation with Boss Xie, I returned to the hotel. The small engineering project in the hotel had been completed. Old Ghost had someone install a safe on the wall according to my plan. I tried the password, and sure enough, it was set according to my requirements. Finally, I looked up at the camera installed on the wall, which was directly facing the safe.
My scheme was gradually taking shape, and whether it would succeed depended on my performance next. The next morning, after making arrangements, I took a taxi to the hospital. Upon entering the hospital, I rushed towards the inpatient department without thinking. Before I could even complete the discharge procedures, I was stopped by two burly men. They grabbed my arms and dragged me outside.
"What are you doing? Who are you? I'm going to shout!"
"Da Tou Wang wants to see you."
As soon as we were outside, they shoved me into a car and drove to a machining factory. The factory had gone bust years ago and was rented by Da Tou Wang to process stones and counterfeit them. Upon arrival, they pushed me out of the car and dragged me into the factory.
"Slow down, Da Tou Wang wants to see me, he's not going to kill me?"
Da Tou Wang was sitting on a wooden chair, which creaked under his weight. The swindler Master Wang and Manager Lan were both wearing jackets and standing respectfully beside Da Tou Wang. Upon seeing me enter, Da Tou Wang laughed heartily: "Brother, did these two people swindle you? I asked them to find one, and I brought you two as a buy-one-get-one-free deal."
"Yes, it was these two who swindled me."
"The people are here, where's the material?"
I glanced around, there were five or six people, and Master Wang and Manager Lan also appeared relatively relaxed. Boss Xie wasn't there, so their acting was more casual. I observed the situation briefly and pretended to ask, "Do you have the money?"
"We'll see the material first, then the money. We haven't seen the material, so how can we give you money? You're in the business, don't you understand these rules?"
Da Tou Wang's words sounded plausible, but I didn't take him seriously at all. Instead, I stared at Master Wang: "Wang is your surname, and there are so many fake stones here. You two are in cahoots, aren't you?"
"No."
Master Wang quickly denied it. I looked at Da Tou Wang, who grinned, his expression slightly sinister: "If I don't see the stone today, then we'll settle this by the rules of the martial world."
I glanced at Da Tou Wang and sneered dismissively: "This factory is yours, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"You wouldn't have been involved if it wasn't for this, but now you can't escape."
Da Tou Wang didn't understand. Master Wang and Manager Lan heard the police sirens, and they clearly panicked. Da Tou Wang's expression also turned grim: "Did you call the police?"
"I called the police before you apprehended me. The police followed your car."
Master Wang and Manager Lan bolted. They had driven someone to their death, so they had a criminal record. They were supposed to be in hiding for a long time, but because of that imperial green glass-like jadeite raw material, they were brought back. Seeing the police, how could they not be afraid?
It was me who called the police, acting as the victim. The police took it very seriously; I saw police cars nearby when I arrived at the hospital. However, I didn't make a fuss, and the police cooperated with me to get here. The siren meant they were ready to make arrests.
Watching Master Wang and Manager Lan being pinned to the ground by the approaching police officers, I felt a surge of satisfaction. The thugs pretending to be gangsters also panicked, not daring to move, raising their hands in confusion.
Just moments ago, Da Tou Wang, who had been acting like a boss, was now trembling in fear.
Indeed, one cannot judge a book by its cover. This man, whom I had once considered Boss Xie's pillar of support, was merely a small player.
...
While the police were making arrests, I quietly walked up to the restrained Master Wang and said sternly: "Fraud, causing someone to jump to their death. As the main culprit, you'll be spending a long time in prison."
"I, I'm not the main culprit."
"Then who is the main culprit?"
"Uh~"
Master Wang dared not answer, his shifty eyes contemplating, his expression sinister.
...
At the police station, I stated that Da Tou Wang wanted to buy a piece of good material from me at a low price, which is why he found Master Wang and Manager Lan. Logically, Da Tou Wang was not involved in the fraud case, but that machining factory was a den for counterfeiting jadeite raw materials. Da Tou Wang would have to prove his lack of involvement with the factory to be released.
After a busy morning, I had a quick meal after leaving the police station and immediately went back to the internet café.
Shortly after going online, I heard a cough from QQ. I opened it and saw that Boss Xie was online.
Me: "Boss Xie, I have good news for you. That swindler has been caught. [Joyful emoji]"
Boss Xie: "Is that so? That's great."
Me: "I'll be going to Beijing in a few days and am preparing to book my flight tickets."
Boss Xie: "Why are you leaving so soon? Aren't you selling the material anymore?"
Me: "Da Tou Wang is a gangster, I can't afford to mess with him, so I'll just leave for now."
Boss Xie: "He's been arrested, what else is there to be afraid of? I know a friend who is very reliable and wants to buy your material for 3.5 million."
Me: "I don't trust him. In Ruili, I only trust you."
Boss Xie: "Then I'll buy it, but at a slightly lower price, three million. That's all I can afford, brother, please bear with me."
Me: "I'll consider it. I'm going offline now, I've been chatting with a very beautiful girl online recently."
...
Closing the chat window, a hint of coldness flashed across my face. To this extent, Boss Xie still hadn't given up on that stone. Three million? No, I will absolutely not sell it at that price. I sent private messages to those who had left comments on his forum.
Based on an uncertain count, Boss Xie had swindled at least 4.26 million yuan. Since I want him to return this money, my stone must be priced accordingly.
I calmed myself down in the internet café for a while, then went out to find an IC payphone to call Old Ghost: "Brother, I still need to borrow that piece of material."
"Okay!" I heard the sound of Old Ghost slurping noodles, this guy was always eating.
"Have you found the two people in the plan yet?"
"Found them, found them! When do we act?"
I smiled knowingly: "We'll act after Da Tou Wang gets out of the police station."