I went downstairs. The entire base compound was quiet at this hour, with only a few security guards on patrol. Besides the chirping of birds, there was no other sound.
I checked my watch; it was only a little past five, no wonder it was so quiet.
I walked around the factory area. Every post was guarded by security, especially along the perimeter. Every fifty meters, there was a double guard post, and some of Qing Ge’s men were also involved in the watch, ensuring the site was completely secure.
I didn’t find anything unusual. Remembering that two of Wu Guodong’s men were still being held, I went to find them as Wen Siqiang had told me.
He said he had moved them to a room next to the canteen and assigned several guards to watch them.
The canteen was behind the office building, a two-story structure with an area similar to the office building. The first floor housed the kitchen and dining area, and the second floor was the dormitory, where Xiao Hong’s employees were currently staying.
I walked to the room on the first floor. The guards spotted me and, seeing me approach, opened the iron door, which was secured with a heavy chain, and let me in.
The two men had been untied. There were two mats on the floor, and they were lying on them.
Upon seeing me enter, one of them rolled over and sat up, nodding at me in greeting.
This was the one who had been with Wu Guodong with my cousin. I walked over and asked him, “After thinking all night, have you come up with anything?”
He shook his head, his face a picture of misery, and said, “No, the General is overly cautious and suspicious of everyone. He’ll behead anyone he suspects of even the slightest disloyalty. No one dares to betray him, especially since he has been kind to my cousin.”
I said, “You’ve misunderstood. I’m not asking your cousin to betray him. I just want your cousin to arrange an introduction. I simply want to meet the General.”
He said, “He’s come here to cause trouble for you multiple times. Even if you were sincere in wanting to befriend him, he wouldn’t believe it. So, you should abandon this idea. Not only do I not believe it, but I don’t believe it either.”
At that moment, the other one also woke up. Hearing his companion speak like this, he quickly said to me, “Don’t listen to him. I’ll handle my cousin’s situation. I can contact him. As for your intentions then, that’s your business. We have only one request: to atone for our crimes and be spared.”
I said, “My only request is that you can contact him. As long as I can meet him, I will change my mind and let you go home. Is that condition generous enough?”
The first man asked, “Is that truly your only request?”
I said, “I keep my word, and I will not force your cousin to do anything he doesn’t want to do. No matter how much I want to see Wu Guodong, if he is unwilling, I will give up immediately.”
The man said, “Since that’s the case, I’ll try. You’ll have to lend me a phone; I need to call him.”
I asked curiously, “Does your cousin have a mobile phone?”
Mobile phones were a rarity where we were. Myanmar was far behind us; they likely didn’t even know what a mobile phone was.
He said, “Yes, the General’s personal guards all have mobile phones, and they even have their own base stations. In many places in Myanmar, you can’t make a mobile call, but around our base, there’s signal everywhere.”
I hadn’t expected this. It seemed the drug trade also kept pace with the times, with high technology closely accompanying it.
I handed him the phone. He took it and skillfully dialed a number. It was the same as my number. It seemed they were even using our network, and the call wasn’t considered roaming.
The call was answered quickly. He said, “Is it convenient for you to talk?”
The other party said, “Weren’t you locked up? How can you still make a call?”
He said, “I was locked up, and we committed capital offenses, about to be executed. The boss asked if I had anything to say. The only person I care about in this world is you. So, I just wanted to have a call with you, so I wouldn’t have regrets when I walk the yellow springs. You need to live well in the future. If you can avoid fighting, don’t get involved. Don’t follow your cousin’s example and risk your life for money, only to truly lose it.”
The other party quickly said, “Cousin, don’t hang up the phone. Can I speak to the boss for a moment?”
I signaled him to hand the phone to me, so I could speak to him.
I took the phone and said to him, “My surname is Li. I am in charge of executing your cousin. Do you have any last words?”
He said, “I am Wang Dong. Can you listen to me for a moment? My cousin is not a bad person; he only risks his life for others for money. If possible, I am willing to pay any price to redeem my cousin. You can name any condition, as long as it is achievable, I will go through fire and water.”
I said, “Your cousin and his accomplice killed two of our girls. They are still in the hospital, their condition unknown. If these two girls were the General’s people, how would the General deal with the murderers?”
He said decisively, “Execution!”
I said, “That’s it. We are doing the same. We are about to send them on their way.”
Wang Dong said, “No, no, please listen to me for another moment. I believe it’s better not to kill them. That way, you will have leverage to negotiate with General Wu. I have some influence with General Wu. If you need my help, I will do my utmost!”
I thought to myself, this is exactly what I was waiting for. Since he believes they can be leverage, why shouldn’t I use it? I can use your connection as his personal guard to get closer to Wu Guodong.
I said, “Given your sincerity, I will keep them for a few more days. Let’s arrange a meeting somewhere. It’s better to discuss some matters face-to-face.”
Seeing a sign of compromise, he was very pleased and quickly agreed. He named a place and a time: three o’clock in the afternoon, in a small town opposite.
After hanging up, I saw both of them breathe a sigh of relief. I said, “Although your death sentences have been commuted, you just heard that our two employees are still unconscious. Your crimes have not been completely absolved, so you will have to endure some hardship for the next few days until I resolve everything. Only then will your matters be dealt with.”
When I left, I told the guards not to be too harsh on them. Let them eat and drink as usual, as long as they didn’t escape.
As I walked out, I saw Xiao Hong coming down from upstairs. She was in professional attire again today, different from yesterday. Yesterday, she wore a red professional suit; today, it was sky blue.
She looked even more beautiful, graceful, and captivating. She paused for a moment when she saw me, perhaps not expecting to see me here. Then she blushed slightly. I said, “You’re so early?”
She said, “It’s not that early. We still have training before work. It’s you who’s patrolling so early. You must not have rested well; your eyes are red.”
I didn’t expect her to notice so keenly. I hadn’t slept much last night due to Zhou Yingying’s call, so my red eyes were understandable.
I said, “I’m alright. It’s just for today. Once this is over, I’ll give myself two days off. Then, you’ll accompany me to Tengchong to soak in the hot springs.”
I recalled the time Jing Lei and Lan Ya accompanied me to Tengchong. Back then, there was no romantic relationship between us. Although it was a beautiful sight, I could only admire it, a true waste of good times.
Xiao Hong’s face blushed again. She quickly said, “I understand. You go and be busy. I need to go for training.”
I watched her retreating figure, marveling at the miraculous work of time. When I first met her, she was still a naive young girl. I didn’t expect that in such a short time, she had transformed into such a lovely young lady.