In the early hours of the morning, after discussing the escape plan, Camel and I, along with our respective people, left Hu Yiwen's clinic through a secret door that very night.
When Cheng Minglang left with Zhu Wenjing, the latter was in a semi-conscious state.
It wasn't surprising that Zhu Wenjing wasn't in good spirits. She had faced bloodshed on the streets the previous night and a terrifying ordeal in the middle of the night tonight.
After two consecutive nights of turmoil, if I hadn't suppressed my sleepiness and kept smoking intermittently, I might not have been able to endure it.
Following Camel to the Longxi train station by taxi, the five of us checked into a guesthouse near the station.
The train station was a hub of activity, a place where those with ill intentions could easily blend in. While the risk of exposure was high, if we kept a low profile, we would be hard to find.
After all, registering for accommodation at a guesthouse only required a fake ID to get by.
If we were truly concerned, we could bribe the owner and staff to help us cover our tracks and keep an ear out for any suspicious activity.
In this day and age, no respectable person would stay in a guesthouse. Only those from the underworld, or people with troubles on their minds, would dare to do so.
The next morning.
Having noted the bank's opening hours, Camel and I headed straight for the bank closest to the guesthouse.
As per our prior agreement, after transferring eighty percent of the fifty thousand yuan escape fund to the account of a snakehead named Dabao, whom Camel had introduced, I paid Camel the remaining ten thousand yuan in cash.
Shortly after receiving the transfer, Dabao called me, asking me to inform Cheng Minglang to await contact at a location he specified.
I thought I had been swift in handling the aftermath for Cheng Minglang, but I didn't expect...
Tianci Building's actions were even faster!
...
After I relayed Dabao's instructions to Cheng Minglang, I sent him a text message after hanging up the phone.
"Minglang, parting is for a better reunion next time! I've already lost one brother, don't make me experience this feeling again! Take good care of Zhu Wenjing and stay away from the center of this storm, Longxi! Brothers forever! Take care!!!"
Not long after sending the message, Cheng Minglang replied.
"I'm sorry!"
After reading the message, I didn't reply. Instead, I kept replaying Dabao's provided route in my mind to confirm its safety.
According to Dabao, he would use a private car that transported goods to take Cheng Minglang and Zhu Wenjing out of the Longxi region to Tongwei County, where they would take a green-skinned train.
After all, at that time, most cities didn't have the concept of high-speed rail. To travel far, one either had to fly or take a regular green-skinned train.
As long as they could successfully leave Longxi, the rest of their journey would be incredibly smooth...
In the morning, around eleven o'clock.
Shortly after parting ways with Camel and his apprentice, Cheng Minglang called me to say that he and Zhu Wenjing had arrived at the Tongwei County train station and were about to buy tickets to Anhai.
Honestly, at that moment, I naively believed that Cheng Minglang and Zhu Wenjing were safe.
I never imagined that just as I was about to check out after hanging up the phone, the door to my room was kicked open with extreme violence!
Bang!!!
The moment the door panel shattered, I instinctively flinched, and then quickly deleted the call records and contact information for Cheng Minglang.
After completing these actions, I reached into my pocket, tightly gripping the corner of the steel plate, ready to fight.
After the door was breached, a middle-aged man who bore a striking resemblance to Xiao Tianyu, dressed in a black suit, strode through the doorway.
Without even needing to guess, I knew who the person before me was.
Xiao Tianci!
I never expected to meet Xiao Tianci in such an unexpected way, as if by fate.
As expected of a legitimate citizen who had gone legitimate, Xiao Tianci had no trace of underworld aura about him. Instead, he exuded the subtle "presence" of someone in a position of power.
"Allow me to introduce myself!" Xiao Tianci said in a lukewarm tone after entering the room. "My name is Xiao Tianci! Xiao is the Xiao in Xiao Tianci, Tian is the Tian in Xiao Tianci, and Ci is the Ci in Xiao Tianci!"
This domineering self-introduction made my eyelids twitch uncontrollably.
After a brief flicker of emotion, I feigned composure and said, "I've heard a lot about you! May I ask the purpose of your visit, Mr. Xiao?"
"Heh heh~ Stop pretending, Chen Xiang!"
With a cold smile, Xiao Tianci stared at me with eyes like swords and said, "Since I've found you here, you have no need to harbor any侥幸心理!"
"I will only say the following words once!"
"Hand over the person under your command named Cheng Minglang to me, and the grievances between Tianci Building, or rather, Tianyu, and you will be settled directly!"
"Don't rush to refuse! Since ancient times, debts must be repaid, and murder must be avenged!"
"As Tianyu's only blood relative in this world, it is only natural for me to avenge his death!"
"As a person's status and position increase, the aspects they need to consider also increase."
"If it weren't for so many eyes watching me in the entire Longxi, I wouldn't have given you any chance to sit here and have a conversation with me as an equal!"
"By nine o'clock tonight, I want to see Cheng Minglang appear at Tianci Building, otherwise... you will bear the consequences!"
After speaking, an extremely sharp expression flashed across Xiao Tianci's face, but his eyes remained remarkably calm as he looked at me.
He who has thunder in his chest but a calm face like a lake can be a great general!
No wonder Xiao Tianci could accomplish things. His own brother was stabbed to death, and even though he knew who the killer was and had come to confront them, he could still suppress his anger. Most people couldn't do that.
While I was lost in thought, Xiao Tianci had already turned and walked out of the room.
"Do you know why I didn't have anyone make a move against you?" Xiao Tianci suddenly turned and asked me as he walked out the door.
Seeing that I was still in a daze, Xiao Tianci let out a strange, cold laugh. "A living gambler is far more valuable than a dead one!"
They say merchants pursue profit, and it's absolutely true.
Hearing this, I calmed my emotions and asked with a hint of doubt, "Mr. Xiao, I am very sorry about your brother's matter, but I apologize!"
"I truly don't know what happened, nor do I know what Cheng Minglang did to your brother!"
"Also, Cheng Minglang is not my subordinate. He and I are just ordinary friends. His departure or stay has nothing to do with me, because I couldn't decide his movements in the first place!"
"Oh~ is that so?"
"Since you say so, then I know how to get my subordinates to do their job!"
"I regret this, Chen Xiang! It seems you don't consider this conversation between us very important."
"I hope... you don't regret your decision!"