The Eagle Cat, initially displeased by the guard's flustered demeanor, froze upon hearing the word "situation."
Eagle Cat's expression shifted slightly. "What is it? Speak slowly and in detail!"
Driven by his instincts as a master, Eagle Cat had sensed something was amiss when he emerged. At the time, lacking any other discoveries, he had dismissed it as a mere illusion.
The guard, without hesitation, recounted everything he had seen and heard, word for word.
Unbeknownst to Li Chonglou and the other, a new leader had arrived from the island nation, a fact known to everyone in the Eastern District.
This was because, upon his arrival at Donghai Island, the newcomer had come directly to seek cooperation. A minor conflict had ensued due to his attitude.
Therefore, members of the three gangs in the Eastern District had all heard the name Shikan Daisaku.
Coincidentally, among the few people who had seen him, the present guard was one of them.
"Brother Cat, it's definitely him! I wouldn't mistake him!"
The man became increasingly excited as he spoke. The thought of a major figure from an opposing faction being hunted and fleeing to this location, only for him to encounter it, was enough to make anyone thrilled.
This was because, according to their gang's rules, those who discovered significant intelligence would receive additional rewards!
Eagle Cat's pupils contracted sharply, and he said sternly, "Are you sure you didn't see wrong? Is it really that Shikan Daisaku from the island nation?"
"Brother Cat, how could I possibly joke about such a thing! That guy is so猥琐 (wěisuǒ -猥琐) looking; I'd recognize him even if he were reduced to ashes!"
Eagle Cat couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. "Kid, if this is real, you've earned a great merit! Quickly tell me, which way did they go?"
The man pointed in a direction, and Eagle Cat, without another word, immediately gave chase.
The man, meanwhile, returned to the group's hiding place. After all, Eagle Cat was not his gang leader; he belonged to the Blue Crocodile Gang.
After chasing for less than a minute, Eagle Cat heard a strange sound from a patch of dense grass.
He immediately concealed his presence and crept forward stealthily.
It wasn't that he knew the situation, but rather that everyone knew Shikan Daisaku was a master of the seventh level, and in their midst, only Blood Hand could contend with him.
Although Eagle Cat was a gang leader, his strength was merely at the peak of the sixth level. To take action, he naturally had to do so covertly.
What he hadn't expected, however, was to hear a colossal secret before even seeing the person.
"What kind of lousy gang is this, not even showing up at the agreed-upon time!"
"They've even let people from the main bureau infiltrate. This cooperation needs reconsideration!"
Initially spoken in Japanese, the words were later repeated in Chinese with a different phrasing, making it sound natural.
Furthermore, the tone was filled with resentment, allowing anyone to roughly guess the situation.
Eagle Cat continued to creep forward, peering through the grass to see the other person's appearance.
It really was him!
As a gang leader, Eagle Cat had naturally seen Shikan Daisaku, and the person before him was identical!
At this moment, Shikan Daisaku, no, Chen Pingfan, was so nervous that sweat beaded on his palms.
"He shouldn't attack directly, should he?"
Because he had been vigilant beforehand, Chen Pingfan knew of Eagle Cat's arrival and even his approximate location.
At this moment, he was leaning against a large tree, appearing to be waiting for someone.
In reality, the plan between the two was not too complicated.
The core of the entire plan, in simple terms, was to impersonate Shikan Daisaku, sow discord among the gangs in the Eastern District, and then find an opportunity to impersonate Shikan Daisaku to kill someone, shifting the blame onto him.
However, to achieve this, other details were necessary. For instance, at this time, people from their main bureau could not appear to draw attention. In fact, it would be best to give others the impression that they were too preoccupied to bother, thus dispelling doubts.
Therefore, the first thing the two did was to return and talk to Wu Di and the others about cooperation.
The two of them would be responsible for creating disturbances in the front, while their group would be responsible for tying up the people from the main bureau here.
And this was only part one.
The key to part two was to truly sow suspicion among the people in the Eastern District.
And Chen Pingfan was the linchpin in this regard.
Seeing that enough time had passed, Chen Pingfan suddenly straightened up and muttered, "It seems I'll have to choose tomorrow night. He should come tonight."
After speaking, Chen Pingfan carved some secret marks on the large tree behind him, though they were merely words he had randomly concocted, and then prepared to turn and leave.
According to their plan, with the people he had just seen, the pursuing master would likely let him leave to catch a bigger fish.
As long as this step succeeded, this plan would be about seventy percent successful!
The most crucial point was that as long as this step was passed, even if the next steps failed, he would no longer be in any life-threatening danger!
Therefore, Chen Pingfan was extremely nervous after turning around.
"Please don't move, please don't move!"
Ideals are often beautiful, but reality can be harsh. Perhaps as the old saying goes, you fear what will happen, and it does. Chen Pingfan was about to use his movement technique to escape when he suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice.
"Shikan Daisaku!"
Eagle Cat actually walked out from the grass!
This scene caused Li Chonglou, who was hiding elsewhere, to feel a pang of anxiety, though it was still within his expectations for now.
Li Chonglou had already prepared for the possibility of the other party making a move.
However, he had not anticipated the subsequent development.
Eagle Cat, upon emerging, did not attack. Instead, he smiled and looked at Chen Pingfan.
At this moment, Chen Pingfan dared not leave. He knew perfectly well that he was impersonating a seventh-level master. If he left now, everything would be exposed!
It had to be said that Chen Pingfan's acting skills were quite good.
"Who are you?"
The appropriately displayed confusion also tied into what he had just said. Eagle Cat smiled and said, "We've met before. I am the leader of the Eagle Cat Gang. You can just call me Eagle Cat."
Chen Pingfan said sternly, "I don't have any cooperation with your Eagle Cat Gang. Goodbye."
Chen Pingfan understood Eagle Cat's intentions by not attacking. Although he appeared extremely natural, he was actually panicking internally.
He only knew the names of the three gangs in the Eastern District; he knew nothing about their leaders or members! The more he spoke, the more likely he was to be exposed.
However, Eagle Cat continued, "Shikan Daisaku, since you've decided to cooperate with us, why be so sneaky?"
Chen Pingfan's eyes darted, and he quickly responded, "Heh, don't you know why I'm being so cautious?"
Eagle Cat chuckled, "Old Blood is Old Blood. Although we temporarily defer to him, the Blood Hand Gang doesn't have the final say. The person you're waiting for is from the Blue Crocodile, right? If I'm not mistaken, it's Old Feng?"
Chen Pingfan's expression was one of surprise, but he remained silent.
Eagle Cat continued, "Old Feng is a fence-sitter. Do you dare to trust him?"