With the provision of a vehicle, I had Camel and Gao Jing make multiple trips to procure essential daily necessities.
I was acutely aware that every day leading up to the official commencement of the Thousand King Tournament was of paramount importance.
The phrase "living on borrowed time" would likely be the norm for these coming days.
Therefore, thorough preparation was crucial.
Once all escape routes were meticulously laid out, Gao Jing began his task of gathering information about Yu Shuang as per my instructions.
After a full day, there was still no progress.
Moreover, Gao Jing returned with some unwelcome news.
It was reported that the scene where I confronted Shi Jianguo with explosives outside the Shunhe Hotel on Qiming Street the evening before last had been reported to the authorities by some busybodies.
The officials were furious, stating that such incidents had not occurred in Haojiang for many years.
They condemned my actions as severely endangering public life and property safety, and having an unpredictable impact on the upcoming Thousand King Tournament, ordering that I be severely punished without leniency!
To put it plainly, within the span of just one night, I had simultaneously attracted the attention of both the underworld and the authorities in Haojiang!
For me, this news was a bolt from the blue.
This is because those involved in illicit trades are most wary of attracting the attention of the authorities.
While one could resist being pursued by those in the underworld, once the authorities were involved, any resistance would only compound the crime!
Upon hearing this news, I immediately made the decision to leave.
Although Gao Jing's rented accommodation was far from the main urban area of Haojiang, in such a chaotic and mixed environment, one never knew how many people from various walks of life might be hidden.
Therefore, we had to leave!
That night, the three of us moved out of our residence.
In the car, Camel asked me what my next move should be: should we find a place to hide first, or should we track down Yu Shuang.
Hearing this, I sighed heavily and replied, "To be honest, I don't know what to do now!"
"My original intention for coming to Haojiang was to get rid of trouble, but I never expected to stir up even bigger trouble!"
Upon hearing this, Gao Jing, who was sitting in the back seat, suddenly spoke up, "Boss, based on my many years of experience living in Haojiang, the authorities are quite easy to deal with."
"As long as we can find a safe place to hide and lie low until this storm passes, given the authorities' usual behavior, if they can't find you, they'll likely just let it go!"
"The real problem now is Mr. He!"
"The Thousand King Tournament is about to kick off in just a few days. At such a crucial juncture, given Mr. He's inability to tolerate any imperfections, your confrontation with someone on the street with explosives tied to you is undoubtedly a direct affront to him!"
"Instead of worrying about being entangled by the authorities, it would be better to think carefully about how to get past Mr. He!"
Nodding noncommittally, I gave Gao Jing a look, signaling him to continue.
"I certainly don't have a solution!" Gao Jing spread his hands and said in a low voice, "In Haojiang, Mr. He is the absolute ruler; no one can disregard his authority, let alone insult him!"
"My only suggestion is that from now on, do not answer any calls you receive!"
"If possible, it would be best to get a new SIM card. I also know someone who sells unregistered SIM cards!"
Gao Jing's words immediately made me understand his underlying meaning.
The authorities were forced to act because someone had reported the incident, but Mr. He was different; he genuinely intended to punish me!
This was due to my previous actions, which, on the eve of the Thousand King Tournament, were tantamount to slapping him in the face.
Therefore, he wanted to deal with me, or even ruin me.
If I didn't want to be caught by Mr. He's men, the best course of action was to sever all contact with the outside world!
This was because any contact with others carried the risk of exposure.
It wasn't that the people I contacted might betray me, but rather that Mr. He had eyes and ears everywhere and could directly track my movements from the source.
To put it bluntly, by having the telecommunications company monitor my calls, once the call duration met a certain threshold, my location could be directly pinpointed.
...
After a moment of thought, I decided to accept Gao Jing's suggestion—to get unregistered SIM cards.
I had to admit that Gao Jing was quite efficient.
Seeing that I had accepted his suggestion, Gao Jing immediately called his friend who specialized in selling unregistered SIM cards. At double the market price, he purchased three unregistered SIM cards and arranged for the subsequent pick-up time.
Gao Jing's friend had initially intended to complete the transaction that very night and pocket the money.
However, given the uncertain situation, I did not have Gao Jing agree, and instead, we rescheduled.
"Birds die for food, and men die for wealth"—this is an eternal truth.
Since I had already become "well-known" in Haojiang, it was likely that most of the people involved in illicit trades circulating in this city had heard of me.
Therefore, the character of Gao Jing's friend still needed to be carefully investigated...
According to my requirements and Gao Jing's guidance, Camel drove the used Passat from the easternmost part of our rented accommodation to a small town on the southernmost coast.
Then, at the hotel front desk, Gao Jing, using his own ID, checked into a standard twin room.
I don't think I will ever forget the way the young lady at the front desk looked at the three of us, intentionally or unintentionally, as she accepted the money and registered, and the intense disgust mixed within her gaze.
However, at this critical juncture of escaping for survival, I could no longer afford to bother with these irrelevant people.
After checking into the room, without even the inclination to wash, I collapsed into sleep.
Since arriving in Haojiang, I hadn't had a single peaceful night's sleep.
This feeling was unprecedented.
Previously, no matter whether I was facing Yu Shuang, Ying Baolin, or Xiao Tianci, I had never experienced the kind of constant, nerve-wracking anxiety where my mind was completely on edge and I dared not relax, as I had in the past two days.
I was perfectly aware that the reason for this situation was entirely due to Mr. He's strength and standing. He was simply not on the same level as the previous three.
Mr. He was not a big shot, but a titan!
A super titan who had started from illicit trades and now possessed a net worth of hundreds of billions, whose every word and action could influence the economy of a city and the friendly relations between two shores!
Having provoked this titan, was there any room or possibility for negotiation?
I couldn't think about it anymore, nor did I dare to continue thinking.
Closing my eyes, I forced myself to relax and enjoy the tranquility that belonged solely to the night.
However, just then, a knock suddenly sounded from outside the door...