"Money laundering, you understand what that means, don't you!"
"Money laundering? You mean his drug empire?" Hearing the term money laundering, Zhang Liunian instinctively thought of Old Man Zhu's drug business.
The barefoot man looked surprised that Zhang Liunian actually knew the true source of Old Man Zhu's wealth. "That's right, drugs are his main source of income, his economic backbone. His food factory doesn't make much money annually."
Seeing that he had more to say, Zhang Liunian eagerly waited to hear what else he didn't know.
"Is there anything else? I want to learn more about Old Man Zhu."
"Besides that, it's his personal hobby. Married women are his favorite, especially those who have had children. If you want to deal with him, you can start there." The barefoot man's memory of Old Man Zhu's peculiar hobby was vivid. Because his preference was so unusual, something most people wouldn't have, he thought it was very exploitable.
Zhang Liunian remained silent. In fact, he had planned to find a breakthrough in the drug trade to eliminate Old Man Zhu. Although it was difficult, he felt that starting there would be more direct and effective than using a married woman as an intermediary.
"Looking at you, do you really intend to start with the drugs? Don't forget, this business involves a lot, and it's not something you can resolve in a short time." The barefoot man saw Zhang Liunian's intentions and cautioned him.
"I am indeed planning that." Zhang Liunian felt it was best for his revenge not to involve women, and finding a married woman in this era was difficult. Moreover, few people would act as they thought to deal with Old Man Zhu.
Relying on married women was ultimately not as good as exposing Old Man Zhu's drug empire directly.
"I advise you to drop that idea. Based on our analysis, this business is definitely not something he's doing alone. His other brothers must be involved. If you go after just him, regardless of success, you'll be pursued and cornered by the other three." The barefoot man was genuinely considering Zhang Liunian's welfare when he gave this serious warning.
Zhang Liunian knew he meant well. He glanced at his wife and said, "I know that, but Old Man Zhu is an enemy I must eliminate. No matter the consequences, I will do it."
Jiang Qingqing, receiving her husband's look, her eyes instantly reddened. Then, she turned her head sideways, unwilling to show her vulnerability.
She knew that Liunian wanted to eliminate Old Man Zhu because of her, because Old Man Zhu liked to steal other people's wives, and she had been kidnapped by him several times.
Liunian was afraid she would face danger again, which was why he wanted to get rid of Old Man Zhu.
What should she do? She was so touched, so moved. She reached out to cover her pounding heart, and tears uncontrollably streamed down her face.
Seeing his wife with her back to him, Zhang Liunian instinctively felt that she must be thinking of something unpleasant, perhaps Old Man Zhu's kidnapping of her. Thinking of this, he secretly vowed to eliminate Old Man Zhu as soon as possible.
"Why?"
The barefoot man was puzzled, but as soon as he asked, he noticed Zhang Liunian's eyes frequently sweeping towards his wife. A flash of realization hit him, and he blurted out, "You want to eliminate him for your wife?"
"..."
Zhang Liunian did not refute, tacitly acknowledging this reason.
The barefoot man looked at Zhang Liunian, then at Jiang Qingqing, who was wiping away tears of emotion with her head turned, and sighed. This Jiang Qingqing was definitely Zhang Liunian's true love. Back in Nancheng, he had gone to their door several times for this wife. To save his wife, he had truly acted without regard for the consequences.
"If you want to eliminate Old Man Zhu, it's best not to expose yourself." This was the barefoot man's final piece of advice.
Zhang Liunian nodded, "I'll try my best."
His words were somewhat reluctant, as he knew that some things couldn't be kept secret if you wanted them to be. As soon as he had someone investigate Old Man Zhu's crimes, there would inevitably be clues.
This was unavoidable. However, if he could find someone who wouldn't arouse suspicion or could help him achieve this goal most quickly, it might reduce a lot of trouble.
But who could do such a thing? Zhang Liunian began to ponder who would be most suitable to investigate Old Man Zhu. As he was thinking, he suddenly noticed the barefoot man in front of him and his eyes lit up. He blurted out, "Uncle, would you like to come work for me?"
The barefoot man, who had been leisurely crossing his legs and jiggling one, immediately stopped when he heard this and looked at Zhang Liunian. After a long pause, he said, "You want me to help you investigate Old Man Zhu's criminal evidence?"
"Yes, are you in? If this succeeds, I plan to establish my own intelligence network, and you can become the intelligence chief within it."
Zhang Liunian was not hiding anything; he indeed wanted the man to help him with such matters and indicated that he would establish his own intelligence network after success.
In his past life, he hadn't done anything like this, but in this life, he felt it was necessary to create a group to help him solve problems more effectively.
The barefoot man fell silent, unsure whether to agree.
Logically, he shouldn't agree. The Nancheng teahouse had suddenly closed. Although the boss hadn't forbidden them from working for others, if he helped Zhang Liunian, he would be gratuitously offering all the information he knew to the new boss. Moreover, once an intelligence network was established, it might impact his original boss's business.
If his former boss found out he was working for Zhang Liunian and competing for business, he might be angry, and the consequences could be severe.
"If you want me to work for you, have you considered if my boss will cause trouble for you?" The barefoot man stated the unpleasant truth upfront, implying that agreeing to this might mean facing the wrath of his former employer.
Zhang Liunian smiled, "My intelligence network is not for making money, but solely for my own business empire. There's no competition involved."
His ambitions weren't that grand. He just wanted to expand his businesses better; he didn't aim to become like the Nancheng teahouse.
Hearing this, the barefoot man understood. Zhang Liunian wanted to cultivate a group specializing in investigating matters for him. "You mean, we won't investigate everyone's situation thoroughly, but only investigate when you give the order?"
"No, to be precise, I need you to thoroughly investigate those who are on my side or specific individuals I need. This will help me formulate better plans and find solutions. We don't care about others."
"..." If it were just this, the workload wouldn't be much, and the barefoot man was confident he could lead it.
Seeing that he remained silent, Zhang Liunian continued to persuade him, "If you agree, I can advance your salary to help you pay off your debts, so you can work without any worries. You can also bring up any ideas you have with me."
Zhang Liunian felt a certain affinity for this barefoot man and genuinely wanted to recruit him to work for him.
The barefoot man remained silent, still contemplating. Just as Zhang Liunian thought he wouldn't agree, he spoke again.