The General picked up the phone and said, "Hello?" I asked, "General, how many men do you still have available to deploy?"
My question was direct, as the situation was perilous and left no room for negotiation.
The General grunted, paused for a few seconds, and then said, "How many do you need?"
My guess was correct; he did have a trump card.
I replied, "Chen Liben's objective is to keep us occupied so we can't interfere with his supply chain. I need a contingent of troops to restrain him and thwart his plans. Currently, I have a unit of three hundred men. While their numbers are significant, they are only suitable for general defense. They are not adequately equipped to deal with the assassinations and ambushes of Country A's underground organizations. What I require now is a small squad capable of countering Country A's underground elements. They don't need to be many, just ten to fifteen people."
The General said, "Alright, at eight o'clock tonight, I will send fifteen men to report to you. These individuals have no official identification, so you will need to receive them through your own channels. Furthermore, they must remain in the shadows. You must provide an absolutely discreet residence for them, and they are not to leave it under any circumstances unless they are on a mission!"
I understood. I also mentioned that I was in contact with Old Burmese and would inform him immediately once I received a response.
He acknowledged this, handed the phone to Wu Lao San, and after we discussed the pickup location, we hung up.
Returning to my office, I informed the Senior about Wu Guodong's deployment.
The Senior said, "This is excellent. I will send four disciples tomorrow. They are all top-tier experts. This should be sufficient to handle the current situation."
I checked the time and said, "Let's go see the factory, the one that produces ethnic handicrafts."
The Senior agreed. I asked Wen Siqiang to prepare the car and told him to bring his younger brother along. Then, I notified Wu Lao San's mobile unit to position themselves around the handicrafts factory for an ambush.
Wen Siqiang called the mobile unit, and then the rest of us went downstairs to pick up Qian Fugui, and we drove off.
In the car, a new idea suddenly struck me, and I shared it with the Senior, "We need to disguise ourselves. We can't go like this. You will pose as an overseas wealthy merchant specializing in import and export business, and I will be your assistant. We'll go to discuss business with them."
I instructed Wen Siqiang that our current attire was not suitable for our roles. I told him to drive to Jing Lei's family mall and have her quickly find clothes for the Senior to alter his appearance.
Wen Siqiang made a U-turn and headed towards the mall.
I called Jing Lei and asked her to come downstairs to take us to a suit shop to try on clothes.
I then called a car rental company to inquire if they had any decent vehicles. They mentioned a black Rolls-Royce, but the rental fee was very expensive, one thousand per hour. I said it was not a problem and that someone would come to handle the paperwork shortly.
Wen Siqiang dropped us off at the entrance. I asked him to park the car in the mall's parking lot and instructed him and Qian Fugui to take a taxi to the rental company to use Qian Fugui's fake ID to rent the Rolls-Royce I had just arranged.
Qian Fugui was unregistered here, so even if they checked, they wouldn't find anything.
At that time, advanced identification systems were not as sophisticated, and the first generation of ID cards was easily forged, with the fakes looking even more authentic than the real ones.
Jing Lei was waiting for us at the entrance. Seeing us get out of the car, she led us to look at clothes.
Jing Lei helped the Senior pick out a floral patterned suit that was quite suitable for overseas individuals and a pair of dark sunglasses. I wore a dark suit. Then, Jing Lei took us to her office and styled our hair with hairspray. Indeed, after the styling, we genuinely resembled overseas Chinese!
No, the Senior did. I looked more like his attendant.
Even Jing Lei and Lan Ya were stunned. It truly lived up to the saying, "Clothes make the man, and saddles make the horse; clothes determine status."
Jing Lei was very thoughtful and took out her father's treasured cigars, placing them in my handbag along with a small pair of scissors and a lighter, and also instructed me on how to use them.
We also prepared suits, sunglasses, and leather shoes for Wen Siqiang and Qian Fugui. To put on a convincing act, details determine success or failure.
At this point, Wen Siqiang informed us that they had parked the car downstairs. I told him to park it properly and then come upstairs with Qian Fugui to our office.
When they arrived, Jing Lei had them change into the clothes in the inner room and then styled their hair. After they put on their leather shoes, they were instantly transformed into respectable-looking individuals. Looking at our group, I felt a bit unaccustomed to it. Forget outsiders; even we found ourselves unfamiliar.
I declared, "Alright, we can go discuss business now."
Jing Lei said, "Don't leave yet. I have business cards left by Hong Kong clients from previous dealings. Take them; you can use them to maintain appearances when necessary, but be careful to ensure your stories match the cards."
I glanced at the business cards and told the Senior, "You are now Fan Dingjun, Chairman of an overseas financial and trading company."
The Senior nodded, and we all went downstairs together.
In the lobby, many people stopped to look at us. After all, our peculiar attire made it impossible for anyone to guess our identities.
I asked Wen Siqiang if his men were in position. He confirmed they were ambushed around the factory. I said, "Good, let's go!"
The factory was quite far from Ruili, located in Nongdao Town, the very place where Wen Siqiang and I were first apprehended during our initial collaboration.
As the car drove through the outskirts, I looked at the lush greenery along the roadside and felt a sense of emotion. A year ago, Wen Siqiang and I were merely underlings, driving a broken van to the border to pick up goods. Any slight mistake would result in us being insulted and beaten, with no dignity whatsoever.
A year later, it was still Wen Siqiang and me, revisiting the same place. We were no longer anyone's underlings, nor did we work for anyone. Although we still faced danger and death daily, our fate was now in our own hands, no longer like caterpillars at the mercy of others.
Wen Siqiang looked ahead and said to me, "Boss, this place is quite memorable for us."
I replied, "Yes, it's because of this place that we went from enemies to brothers. It's also because of this place that we received our first major life lesson. Thinking back, it feels like it happened just yesterday."
Wen Siqiang said, "Yes, if I hadn't met you, I would probably still be inside with them. My life as Wen Siqiang may not have had a good start, but because I made the right friend, my trajectory changed. I have no other skills except to work hard and risk my life for you in return."
I said, "You're going too far with that. I don't want anyone to be bound to me and live for me; that's too much of a burden. You are you, and your life is your own. Choose the path you want to take and walk it steadily."
Wen Siqiang grunted and fell silent, concentrating on driving.
Qian Fugui listened to our conversation, not knowing the backstory. He looked at me curiously, then at Wen Siqiang.
The Senior sat upright, his eyes closed in repose.