Kang Gong was already tied up by Da Kui. He tried to argue, but I stuffed a towel in his mouth. Da Kui then pushed him out.
The car drove to the entrance of the courtyard. Brother Bao's men had already cleaned up the scene, and there was no sign of Kang Gong.
As we got out, someone had already opened the car doors for us. Da Kui and I got into the car, one on each side, with Kang Gong sandwiched between us.
Kang Gong's lumber mill was very close to that place, separated only by a river. We quickly drove to the other side, taking only a few minutes.
We continued driving forward, about ten kilometers, and reached a border checkpoint for smuggling inspections.
I saw Bo Gang leading dozens of government soldiers, armed to the teeth, ready for action. Upon seeing our car, they all raised their guns and aimed at us. I pulled the towel out of Kang Gong's mouth and said to him, "We've completed the mission. Whether you live or die now depends on your fate."
He lowered his head and said, "I understand the laws here. They will definitely kill you if they can. Young man, I underestimated you today. I have nothing to say. I hope you leave some room for others in your future endeavors, and your path will be wider. Remember my words; they might be useful to you."
Then he raised his head and said to me, "I am ready. I can get out of the car now."
Da Kui got out first and pulled him by the arm to come out. At this moment, two soldiers approached, untied his ropes, and put handcuffs on him.
An officer, holding several papers, stood before him and spoke a few sentences in Burmese. Then a translator told him, "You are suspected of stealing a large amount of precious timber from our country, violating our laws. You are now being detained according to the law. You have the right to remain silent, and we will proceed with judicial procedures as soon as possible."
After speaking, two soldiers escorted him to a military vehicle.
He twisted his head hard to look at me, without saying another word, and got into the car with the soldiers.
I knew Kang Gong had many grievances, or rather, he felt he hadn't lost yet. After all, he had been deeply entrenched on the other side for so many years, with complex connections. This tree wouldn't fall so easily.
I also felt that things today had gone a bit too smoothly. Although I had used three parties to capture him, once he was in the hands of the Myanmar authorities, their handling of him was beyond our control. Perhaps, in the face of immense profit, they would compromise, impose only symbolic sanctions, and release him unharmed.
This possibility was not out of the question, because this was Myanmar.
I went over to bid farewell to Bo Gang. Bo Gang told me, "Remember our agreement. I might be busy for a while, but someone will contact you later."
This Bo Gang was truly despicable. We had paved such a good path for him, and he could have waited to claim credit and await promotion. Yet, he hadn't forgotten his illicit dealings and was still risking his life for it.
I thought to myself, since we could deal with Kang Gong, if you want to die, we'll deal with you just the same!
I nodded, gave him an okay sign, and got into the car to leave.
I was really tired and slept in the car until we reached Da Shi Jie.
Brother Bao was waiting for me on the sofa. Seeing us return, he asked, "All done?"
I said, "It's done, but I feel it was too smooth, and I'm a bit uneasy. Kang Gong gave me a meaningful look when he got into the military vehicle. I have a feeling he was very confident about the outcome."
Brother Bao: "I was thinking about that when you sent him off. Yes, this matter was indeed too smooth, which makes us a bit uncertain. We prepared so many people; I expected a bloody battle today, but we captured him so easily. It's quite unexpected."
Lan Ya stood up and said, "We've handed him over to the Myanmar authorities. Let them deal with him. If he comes back, we'll just do it again!"
Brother Bao: "That's true. If he comes back, we'll be in the open, and he'll be in the dark. His fate today will be our example tomorrow."
I nodded, "Yes, do you know what Bo Gang told me when we left? He asked me to remember the agreement. When he said that, I suddenly felt something was wrong. What does that mean? In a country where everything is measured by money, anything is possible if there's money, and Kang Gong happens to be very wealthy!"
They wouldn't let his money go to the grave. Even if they punished him, they would first squeeze all his money dry. If Kang Gong played his cards right, he could use his wealth to negotiate his freedom.
Lan Ya fell silent, and Brother Bao also fell into thought. We were all thinking the same thing: handing Kang Gong over to the Myanmar authorities might have been a wrong decision.
However, he committed no crime here, and we had no right to punish him. At best, we could have a fight. But what would a fight accomplish? It would only lead to an endless cycle of revenge, with both sides suffering losses. Our businesses didn't overlap, so fighting would be meaningless, only causing mutual harm.
Moreover, we had involved Brother Qing today. Although he sent people without a word of complaint, these were debts that would be settled one by one.
Especially Bo Gang, who seemed to have me completely cornered today. The thought of it was sickening.
This battle, though it saved my arm, had sown a great hidden danger.
It wouldn't erupt immediately but would fester in the darkness, its onset unknown.
Uncertain danger was the most terrifying.
Brother Bao said, "Let's take it one step at a time. Everyone, keep an extra eye out from now on. Monitor all suspicious targets closely and don't let any subtle clues slip by. Alright, the sky is getting light. Let's each find a place to rest and meet again at noon." With that, he and Da Kui left the room, leaving only Lan Ya and me.
I hadn't paid attention to Xiao Hong today. I didn't know if she had returned to the hotel or moved into the dormitory. The apartment Jing Lei found for me had been tidied up, but I hadn't received the keys yet. I checked the time; it was just past five in the morning. She would surely be asleep at this hour, so I shouldn't disturb her. I said to Lan Ya, "I'll just make do in the private room for a while. What about you?" Da Feng Novel Network
Lan Ya: "Let's share a room. I'm so tired; it would be good to lie down quickly."
It wasn't the first time we had shared a room. We opened a room across from the office, hung a "do not disturb" sign on the door, locked it, and went inside to sleep.
I had slept a bit in the car, which had relieved some of my fatigue. Seeing Lan Ya collapse onto the bed, I went to the washroom for a quick shower. I came out in my sleepwear and, seeing Lan Ya fast asleep, covered her with a light quilt before going to sleep on the sofa myself.
Before long, I too drifted off to sleep.
After an unknown amount of time, I felt someone nudging me. Instinctively, I moved closer, feeling her hugging and kissing me. I thought I was dreaming, perhaps it was Jing Lei, so I responded passionately. Then I felt my sleep robe being pulled open by Jing Lei, and everything felt so natural, making me surrender.
I was still not awake, continuing to have various dreams.