"It's true!!"
Qin Chuan reacted quickly, and after a moment of daze, he immediately said with an extremely firm tone.
"Whoever can provide clues about the murderer will receive a reward of five hundred yuan!"
"If anyone catches the murderer, all three thousand yuan will be theirs!"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Chengdao's eyes, usually deep beneath his scruffy face, suddenly shot out two sharp beams of light.
Qin Chuan saw the change in Zheng Chengdao's eyes, and at that instant, his hairs stood on end, and goosebumps covered his entire body, as if he were being stared at by a wolf.
"How is this possible?"
"How can a person's gaze change so drastically?"
"This Zheng Chengdao seems really not simple!"
Qin Chuan's thoughts drifted, and he suddenly recalled some words his second brother, Qin Gang, had once said: this Zheng Chengdao was involved in underworld dealings and was very tough, very skilled in fighting. For some reason in recent years, he had quietly retired from the martial world.
"Brother Dao, are you perhaps planning to catch this murderer?" Qin Chuan asked hesitantly.
Zheng Chengdao's gaze had returned to normal. Upon hearing this, he said lightly, "What? Is that not allowed?"
"No! That's not what I meant!" Qin Chuan quickly waved his hand. "I'm just surprised... Brother Dao, you wouldn't be short of money again, would you?"
A hint of awkwardness finally appeared on Zheng Chengdao's usually calm face, and he said irritably, "What business is it of yours if I'm short of money!"
Qin Chuan ignored the vulgarity. People involved in underworld dealings would never shed their tough exterior, but in fact, it made them easier to deal with than some hypocrites.
"How is it not my business?" Qin Chuan corrected. "We are in a cooperative relationship now. I am your patron, and the money you spend is from me. Now you're asking about the bounty price, and if I don't agree, you won't get the money!"
"Don't you think that's the case?"
Zheng Chengdao was speechless, his face darkening.
"Brother Dao, are you in trouble lately? If you're really short of money, I can help you!" Qin Chuan suddenly changed his tone.
Zheng Chengdao froze, staring intently at Qin Chuan. "Kid, did my ears play tricks on me? You want to help me?"
"Yes, why? Is that not possible?" Qin Chuan smiled broadly, his expression unreadable.
Zheng Chengdao's eyes turned sharp again, as if trying to see through Qin Chuan. However, no matter how he stared, Qin Chuan maintained a harmless, smiling expression.
"Talk is cheap. If you want to help me, then do it! Give me three thousand yuan first!" Zheng Chengdao suddenly extended his palm, holding it out in front of Qin Chuan.
Qin Chuan grinned and really took out a thick wad of cash from his bag. It looked like over ten thousand. Now that he was a boss, he definitely carried cash with him, and not a small amount.
Under the envious gazes of everyone present, Qin Chuan quickly counted out three thousand yuan and placed it in Zheng Chengdao's palm.
"Here's three thousand yuan, use it!"
Looking at the solid three thousand yuan in his palm, Zheng Chengdao's expression was truly complex this time. He gave Qin Chuan a deep look, turned, and walked away, quickly disappearing.
"Brother Qin Chuan, why did you give that guy so much money?"
"Aren't you afraid he'll cheat you?"
"Yeah, that guy doesn't look like a good person at all!"
"He's dressed sloppily, his hair and beard look like they haven't been washed in months, and he stinks!"
After Zheng Chengdao left, the employees of the flagship store who had witnessed the entire scene immediately began to chatter, finding Qin Chuan's actions difficult to understand. That was a full three thousand yuan, equivalent to a year's income for an ordinary family, and Qin Chuan just gave it away so casually. It was outrageous! They felt that money would have been much better spent on them.
"Do you know who the owner of this shop we're renting is?" Qin Chuan asked with a mysterious smile as he listened to the employees' chatter.
A group of them shook their heads, indicating they had no idea.
"It's him!"
"If I give money to the landlord, am I afraid he'll run away?"
The employees were stunned, unable to imagine that the disheveled man who looked like a beggar was their landlord. Qin Chuan watched their surprised faces, a subtle smile playing on his lips, filled with mystery.
In the afternoon, the news that Jin Die Clothing's storefront was smashed and splashed with paint overnight spread throughout the town. Many people came specifically to watch the spectacle. As a result, there were people outside Jin Die Clothing all day long, a continuous stream of onlookers. Qin Chuan, drinking tea in a small restaurant opposite the shop, was not angry at all. Instead, a smile lingered on his lips. Although the shadowy saboteur was despicable and shameless, it had indirectly served as advertising for Jin Die Clothing. Now, no one in the entire county didn't know the name Jin Die Clothing!
As night fell, Qin Chuan and Li Ya were having dinner at a restaurant, in a private, secluded room. Having just crossed that boundary, there was naturally a lot of intimacy. Although the day's events were unfortunate, they couldn't dampen the passion of young lovers. The meal lasted nearly two hours, during which Li Ya's face was flushed for about forty minutes. By the end, Li Ya's legs felt weak, and she couldn't stand up. She looked at Qin Chuan, who was smirking, with a hint of playful resentment.
"You little rascal, I can't believe I took the initiative last night, and yet you, with your seemingly decent face, are so lecherous. I misjudged you!"
Qin Chuan pecked Li Ya's rosy lips and asked with a smile, "Do you like me when I'm bad, Sister?"
Li Ya's delicate face turned even redder. Her eyes were like water. She wrapped her fair arms around Qin Chuan's neck and whispered, "I do!"
"Whatever you want, Sister likes it!" Qin Chuan laughed heartily and tightly hugged Li Ya's slender waist. He was very satisfied with her answer.
One was a sophisticated older woman who tasted love for the first time at twenty-seven, and the other was a soul that had lived two lives, confined for twenty-two years without experiencing physical intimacy. Everything indicated that war was constantly burning, with lightning striking fire, and after returning home, there was naturally a period of unrestrained passion. Much later, everything quieted down, and the young couple, sweaty and exhausted, embraced each other and fell asleep.
Ring ring ring!!!
Just as Qin Chuan was about to fall asleep, the annoying phone call rang again, waking the tired lovers who had just finished their intense encounter. Qin Chuan angrily picked up his phone, noticing it was almost midnight. He answered with a hoarse voice, agitated, "Who is it?!"
"Come to the abandoned factory on Ximen Street!" a hoarse male voice said from the phone.
Qin Chuan found the voice somewhat familiar. After a moment of thought, he exclaimed in surprise, "Is that Zheng Chengdao?"
"It's me!" Zheng Chengdao replied.
"No, why are you asking me to go to the abandoned factory on Ximen Street so late?" Qin Chuan was confused.
"Didn't you want to catch the murderer? I caught him!" Zheng Chengdao said concisely.
"What?" Hearing this answer, Qin Chuan's sleepiness vanished completely. He sat up in bed, then said excitedly, "Okay, okay, okay, wait for me, I'm coming over immediately!"