Chapter 81 Thieves
In Liang Feng's home, a messenger from the gang turned to Xu Er and said, "I also find this strange; we just got off the phone, and it hasn't even been ten hours before he arrived. Brother Er, do you think this kid could have noticed something in the photo? Some of them have injuries on their faces."
"What could he see? Do you think this is a photography studio where everyone poses for a family portrait in a neat row, sitting straight and properly?" Xu Er waved his hand dismissively, "It was a staged photo; he won't be able to tell anything."
Liang Feng thought for a moment, then interjected, "I... I don't think he knows where my house is, because there's no mutual acquaintance between us, and it would be difficult for him to find out."
"If he knows you're in this village, how hard would it be for him to inquire about you?" Xu Er, an experienced figure in the underworld, pondered for a while and then immediately ordered, "Let Xia Gou come alone by car to pick up Liang Feng and go to the meeting place. The rest of you lie low nearby, and I'll leave through the back door in a bit and follow you."
"Understood!" the messenger nodded.
—---
Five minutes later.
An ordinary SUV parked in front of Liang Feng's house. After turning around, the driver honked at the small courtyard gate.
After a short while, Liang Feng came out alone, bent down, and got into the car.
The driver glanced at Liang Feng, "There are people around your house, so don't try anything funny, or you know the consequences."
"Yes!" Liang Feng obediently nodded.
The expressionless driver drove toward the meeting place.
Upstairs, Xu Er peeked through a corner of the curtain and squinted at the departing car, "Leave two men here later, just in case that kid tries to outsmart us."
"Understood!"
The residential village where Liang Feng's house was located wasn't large, so the meeting place arranged by Old Hei was quite close, only about three kilometers away.
The car drove for five or six minutes, and Liang Feng had already reached the meeting place. He took out his phone and dialed Old Hei, but the latter did not answer.
After pondering for a while, Liang Feng tactfully asked the driver, "Shall I send him a text message?"
"Just do it; you're already here," the driver replied.
Upon hearing this, Liang Feng complied.
—---
Inside the residential village, Old Hei looked down at his phone, his eyes filled with cunning. His current actions were not a display of intelligence or wit, but rather a reflection of an experienced thief's expertise.
In Old Hei's line of work, a moment of carelessness could mean losing one's head. Furthermore, Old Hei's team wasn't a highly professional, fixed group. Its composition was complex, mainly based on personal connections and introductions. The members involved in each operation were scattered and inconsistent. Some would leave once they had earned enough money; others were newcomers, and their character was unknown.
Under normal circumstances, Old Hei would never take on a job from his own underlings, because not knowing his higher-ups would increase the risk substantially, especially since Liang Feng hadn't been with him for very long.
However, Old Hei was currently in dire need of money, so he had no choice but to give it a try.
In the dimly lit area, Old Hei looked down at his phone and didn't reply to Liang Feng's message.
About five minutes passed, and Liang Feng grew increasingly anxious. He called Old Hei again, but there was still no answer.
At the same time, Xu Er, who had been waiting in Liang Feng's house, felt that it was about time. He jumped out of the second-floor window alone, glanced around, and upon seeing nothing unusual, climbed over the wall and walked briskly toward the meeting place.
Time passed by the second, and Liang Feng, who had been waiting in the car, was sweating. He frowned and asked the driver, "I... I haven't shown any unusual behavior, have I?"
The driver expressionlessly glanced at him, "Send Old Hei another message, and directly ask him whether he's coming or not. If he's not coming, we'll leave."
"Alright!" Liang Feng took his phone and started composing another message.
"Ding-a-ling!"
Before he could send the message, Liang Feng's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and immediately pressed the answer button, "Hello? Big Brother!"
"You're there?" Old Hei asked.
"Yes, I called you earlier, but you didn't answer!"
"How many lit signboards are at the crossroads?" Old Hei asked in a low voice.
Liang Feng glanced around and saw several storefronts with their lights still on, then replied, "Five signboards are still lit. Big Brother... don't you trust me?"
Old Hei paused slightly, "In our line of work, carelessness can cost us our heads. Being cautious is good for both you and me."
"Yes," Liang Feng echoed.
"Alright, you can go back now. I'll contact you in the next few days," Old Hei said calmly.
Liang Feng was baffled, "What do you mean?"
"I can't make it today; there's something going on at home, and I can't get away," Old Hei replied softly, "A friend of mine from Sinaro has gone there. He saw your car and sent me a message."
"You..." Liang Feng was somewhat speechless.
"Remember, better safe than sorry. In the next couple of days, I'll come with some people. If everything's alright, we'll leave immediately," Old Hei frowned and said, "Don't turn off your phone. I'll contact you when I arrive. That's it."
With that, the two ended the call.
"What did he say?" the driver asked.
"He said he didn't come, but one of his friends saw our car already," Liang Feng replied.
"Damn, this old fox is not easy to catch!" the driver cursed and dialed Xu Er's number, "Big Brother, he didn't come."
"What?"
"The other party said that he sent a friend over who saw our car and left, but he himself didn't show up. He said he'd contact Liang Feng in a few days," the driver explained.
"Damn!" Xu Er cursed upon hearing this, "But I'm already out here!"
"What should we do?"
"…!" Xu Er thought for a moment, "This kid is pretty cunning. Here's what you do: retrace your steps, drop Liang Feng off at his front door, then drive the car farther away and don't return to the hiding spot."
"Alright, understood."
The two ended the call, and the car returned to Liang Feng's house, while the ambushing Ma Gang members also retreated.
In a dark alley of the Village of Life, Old Hei quickly moved away from the vicinity of Liang Feng's house and immediately called a friend, "Hello!"
"What's up?"
"...One of my underlings seems to be trying to set me up," Old Hei said as he walked.
"Set you up? What do you mean?"
"This guy worked with me a few times before, but they were all small deals, nothing significant," Old Hei replied softly, "If he's in trouble, it might be related to that incident at sea."
The other party was stunned upon hearing this.
"Are you sure?!"
"I'm not certain," Old Hei said hoarsely, "I was originally at home for the New Year, and this kid said he had a big job for me. It seemed abrupt because he hasn't been with me for long, but I needed money, so I came. I received the call that day and arrived the same day. When I entered the village, I called him, and as soon as he picked up, the lights in all three rooms of his house came on. Moreover, during the New Year, there were no firecrackers or fireworks boxes in his yard, which I found strange, so I didn't meet with him…"
—---
Five minutes later, at Bai's house.
Su Tianyu gestured for everyone to be quiet and answered the phone, "Hello, Yuan-ge!"
"Damn, there's an emergency. It seems that our operation at sea last time has been discovered," Yu Mingyuan's voice rang out.
Chapter 81 Thieves
In Liang Feng's home, a messenger from the gang turned to Xu Er and said, "I also find this strange; we just got off the phone, and it hasn't even been ten hours before he arrived. Brother Er, do you think this kid could have noticed something in the photo? Some of them have injuries on their faces."
"What could he see? Do you think this is a photography studio where everyone poses for a family portrait in a neat row, sitting straight and properly?" Xu Er waved his hand dismissively, "It was a staged photo; he won't be able to tell anything."
Liang Feng thought for a moment, then interjected, "I... I don't think he knows where my house is, because there's no mutual acquaintance between us, and it would be difficult for him to find out."
"If he knows you're in this village, how hard would it be for him to inquire about you?" Xu Er, an experienced figure in the underworld, pondered for a while and then immediately ordered, "Let Xia Gou come alone by car to pick up Liang Feng and go to the meeting place. The rest of you lie low nearby, and I'll leave through the back door in a bit and follow you."
"Understood!" the messenger nodded.
—---
Five minutes later.
An ordinary SUV parked in front of Liang Feng's house. After turning around, the driver honked at the small courtyard gate.
After a short while, Liang Feng came out alone, bent down, and got into the car.
The driver glanced at Liang Feng, "There are people around your house, so don't try anything funny, or you know the consequences."
"Yes!" Liang Feng obediently nodded.
The expressionless driver drove toward the meeting place.
Upstairs, Xu Er peeked through a corner of the curtain and squinted at the departing car, "Leave two men here later, just in case that kid tries to outsmart us."
"Understood!"
The residential village where Liang Feng's house was located wasn't large, so the meeting place arranged by Old Hei was quite close, only about three kilometers away.
The car drove for five or six minutes, and Liang Feng had already reached the meeting place. He took out his phone and dialed Old Hei, but the latter did not answer.
After pondering for a while, Liang Feng tactfully asked the driver, "Shall I send him a text message?"
"Just do it; you're already here," the driver replied.
Upon hearing this, Liang Feng complied.
—---
Inside the residential village, Old Hei looked down at his phone, his eyes filled with cunning. His current actions were not a display of intelligence or wit, but rather a reflection of an experienced thief's expertise.
In Old Hei's line of work, a moment of carelessness could mean losing one's head. Furthermore, Old Hei's team wasn't a highly professional, fixed group. Its composition was complex, mainly based on personal connections and introductions. The members involved in each operation were scattered and inconsistent. Some would leave once they had earned enough money; others were newcomers, and their character was unknown.
Under normal circumstances, Old Hei would never take on a job from his own underlings, because not knowing his higher-ups would increase the risk substantially, especially since Liang Feng hadn't been with him for very long.
However, Old Hei was currently in dire need of money, so he had no choice but to give it a try.
In the dimly lit area, Old Hei looked down at his phone and didn't reply to Liang Feng's message.
About five minutes passed, and Liang Feng grew increasingly anxious. He called Old Hei again, but there was still no answer.
At the same time, Xu Er, who had been waiting in Liang Feng's house, felt that it was about time. He jumped out of the second-floor window alone, glanced around, and upon seeing nothing unusual, climbed over the wall and walked briskly toward the meeting place.
Time passed by the second, and Liang Feng, who had been waiting in the car, was sweating. He frowned and asked the driver, "I... I haven't shown any unusual behavior, have I?"
The driver expressionlessly glanced at him, "Send Old Hei another message, and directly ask him whether he's coming or not. If he's not coming, we'll leave."
"Alright!" Liang Feng took his phone and started composing another message.
"Ding-a-ling!"
Before he could send the message, Liang Feng's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and immediately pressed the answer button, "Hello? Big Brother!"
"You're there?" Old Hei asked.
"Yes, I called you earlier, but you didn't answer!"
"How many lit signboards are at the crossroads?" Old Hei asked in a low voice.
Liang Feng glanced around and saw several storefronts with their lights still on, then replied, "Five signboards are still lit. Big Brother... don't you trust me?"
Old Hei paused slightly, "In our line of work, carelessness can cost us our heads. Being cautious is good for both you and me."
"Yes," Liang Feng echoed.
"Alright, you can go back now. I'll contact you in the next few days," Old Hei said calmly.
Liang Feng was baffled, "What do you mean?"
"I can't make it today; there's something going on at home, and I can't get away," Old Hei replied softly, "A friend of mine from Sinaro has gone there. He saw your car and sent me a message."
"You..." Liang Feng was somewhat speechless.
"Remember, better safe than sorry. In the next couple of days, I'll come with some people. If everything's alright, we'll leave immediately," Old Hei frowned and said, "Don't turn off your phone. I'll contact you when I arrive. That's it."
With that, the two ended the call.
"What did he say?" the driver asked.
"He said he didn't come, but one of his friends saw our car already," Liang Feng replied.
"Damn, this old fox is not easy to catch!" the driver cursed and dialed Xu Er's number, "Big Brother, he didn't come."
"What?"
"The other party said that he sent a friend over who saw our car and left, but he himself didn't show up. He said he'd contact Liang Feng in a few days," the driver explained.
"Damn!" Xu Er cursed upon hearing this, "But I'm already out here!"
"What should we do?"
"…!" Xu Er thought for a moment, "This kid is pretty cunning. Here's what you do: retrace your steps, drop Liang Feng off at his front door, then drive the car farther away and don't return to the hiding spot."
"Alright, understood."
The two ended the call, and the car returned to Liang Feng's house, while the ambushing Ma Gang members also retreated.
In a dark alley of the Village of Life, Old Hei quickly moved away from the vicinity of Liang Feng's house and immediately called a friend, "Hello!"
"What's up?"
"...One of my underlings seems to be trying to set me up," Old Hei said as he walked.
"Set you up? What do you mean?"
"This guy worked with me a few times before, but they were all small deals, nothing significant," Old Hei replied softly, "If he's in trouble, it might be related to that incident at sea."
The other party was stunned upon hearing this.
"Are you sure?!"
"I'm not certain," Old Hei said hoarsely, "I was originally at home for the New Year, and this kid said he had a big job for me. It seemed abrupt because he hasn't been with me for long, but I needed money, so I came. I received the call that day and arrived the same day. When I entered the village, I called him, and as soon as he picked up, the lights in all three rooms of his house came on. Moreover, during the New Year, there were no firecrackers or fireworks boxes in his yard, which I found strange, so I didn't meet with him…"
—---
Five minutes later, at Bai's house.
Su Tianyu gestured for everyone to be quiet and answered the phone, "Hello, Yuan-ge!"
"Damn, there's an emergency. It seems that our operation at sea last time has been discovered," Yu Mingyuan's voice rang out.
