I instructed Jin Yan to do something simple: no matter what method she used, she had to confirm Xiao Tianci's movements in Longxi as soon as possible.
Compared to Ying Baolin and Yu Shuang, Xiao Tianci, who had a blood feud with me, was the one I should guard against the most at the moment.
As soon as I finished speaking, I heard Jin Yan interject, "I've heard of Xiao Tianci. He made his fortune by opening casinos!"
"The big shot you told me about earlier, the one you couldn't afford to offend, are you referring to Xiao Tianci?"
Upon hearing this, I replied half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Xiao Tianci isn't my only enemy! It's just that right now, I need to focus on keeping an eye on him!"
"If you're worried about being implicated by me, it's not too late to back out now!"
Jin Yan smiled and shook her head, saying, "You gamblers are so cunning!"
"After all this, you're still trying to test my sincerity?"
"Don't worry, Liang Kuan! I, Jin Yan, am definitely not an ungrateful wretch! Since I said I owe you a favor, and you've already asked, I will definitely repay this favor!"
"Leave your business to me, and I'll find someone to handle it for you! If you have any difficulties later on, remember to let me know anytime!"
After receiving Jin Yan's assurance again, I nodded with a smile.
After a few more pleasantries, Jin Yan signaled the driver to start the car.
On the way down the mountain, Jin Yan, without any reservation, made several phone calls in front of me, professionally and efficiently arranging for people to help me gather information.
As we left the mountain and entered the county roads, and were not long from reaching Ge Village...
Suddenly, Jin Yan looked at me and asked softly, "After you get the 'tu chong zi' (firearm), will you be leaving Ge Village next? Have you thought about where you're going?"
Upon hearing this, I first nodded subconsciously, then shook my head.
After answering Jin Yan's question with a nod and a shake of my head, I immediately turned to look out the window, avoiding direct eye contact with Jin Yan.
I had to admit that Jin Yan was a very smart woman.
Judging by her expression when she asked the question earlier, she was likely trying to win me over.
A thousand pieces of gold are easily obtained, but a general is hard to find!
People who are involved in this line of work understand this principle.
If I had carelessly taken the bait, I might have been led by her rhythm without realizing it.
After all, compared to men's methods of winning people over, women have a unique advantage.
Their bodies!
The way Jin Yan spoke softly and coyly earlier, with a hint of hesitation... If she had used some verbal tactics and physical advances, I truly wouldn't have been able to resist!
That's why I chose to remain silent.
Seeing that I wasn't falling for it, Jin Yan smiled helplessly, and a look of regret and disappointment flashed in her eyes.
Then, she stopped speaking and also turned her gaze to the outside of the car window, just like me.
About ten minutes later.
We successfully arrived at Ge Village, and the car stopped at the entrance of the small courtyard Jin Yan had bought.
After a polite farewell, I hurried along the road towards Fan Li's house.
About two or three minutes later.
Just as I reached the entrance of Fan Li's small shop and before I could knock to get someone to open the door, my ears suddenly twitched.
Immediately after, the sound of light footsteps approached me from behind.
Without time to think, my first reaction was to pull out a steel plate from my pocket, clamp it in my palm, and prepare to turn around and throw it...
"Wait a moment! It's one of us!"
The moment the voice fell, I looked closely.
I saw a man standing upright on the open ground less than three meters away from me, with a shoulder bag slung over his right shoulder.
As soon as he saw me, the man smiled in a friendly manner, "Heh heh~ Brother Chen Xiang, we meet again!"
The man was none other than He Guan, the instigator of the explosion at Tianci Tower the night before yesterday!
I never expected He Guan to have also escaped to Ge Village.
The thought had barely formed in my mind when I immediately dismissed it.
No! He Guan definitely didn't just arrive! He... was following me!!!
As I thought this, He Guan walked up to me on his own accord, still smiling, and said, "Brother Chen Xiang, the enemy of my enemy is my friend! From today onwards, we are friends, and we will fight side by side!"
Ignoring He Guan's almost blatant overture, I looked at him and asked coldly, "Have you been following me all along?"
My speculation as to why He Guan suddenly appeared in Ge Village was as follows...
The night before yesterday, after escaping Tianci Tower with explosives, He Guan cleverly played a trick of "hiding in plain sight."
To put it bluntly, after escaping Tianci Tower, he didn't rush to flee but found a place to hide.
And that hiding place was definitely not far from me.
This way, I became the only readily available target in Xiao Tianci's eyes.
Uncle Tuo had once told me about this kind of escape method used by people like He Guan, calling it a "scapegoat trap."
This was a higher-level escape method than "the golden cicada shedding its shell," only conceived by top-tier gamblers, perfectly designed, and bravely executed!
In other words, from the moment He Guan agreed to gamble with me for Xiao Tianci, he had already planned all his backup moves.
If he won, I would be openly killed by Xiao Tianci!
If he lost, through the "hiding in plain sight" scapegoat escape method, I would be caught in his trap without even realizing it!
.........
As expected, He Guan's subsequent answer was exactly as I had deduced.
"Yes, I've been hiding in a dark place not far from you since I escaped from Tianci Tower the night before yesterday!"
"Wherever you went, I hid there!"
"As long as you die, I... can live!"
Upon hearing this, I asked with a cold expression, "Then why are you showing yourself now?"
"Because of tonight's gamble!" He Guan blurted out without hesitation. "I saw everything that happened tonight!"
"You were able to turn a certain death trap around with a move called 'creating something from nothing,' which proves that my loss the night before yesterday was not unjust!"
"Therefore, I want to follow you!"
Shaking my head, I said sternly, "You treated me as a scapegoat, and you still want me to lead you? Do you think I'm too easy to talk to?"
"Let's go our separate ways!"
"Since I'm in a good mood now, you should disappear from my sight immediately, and I can pretend nothing happened! But if you don't know what's good for you..."
"I'll immediately call Longxi and leak the news that you're hiding in Ge Village, Tongwei County!"
To my surprise, He Guan not only didn't get angry at my words but still smiled and said, "No! You won't do that!"