The hospital called earlier, two of the injured we sent there are in critical condition and require a responsible party to sign for surgery.
I told Jing Lei, "Take me to the hospital. Two of our people need surgery, and I need to sign."
Jing Lei quickly got up and walked out with me.
By the time we arrived at the hospital, both critically injured men had already been taken to the operating room. One had a fractured rib, and the other had fractured legs, both severe comminuted fractures.
I signed a ledger and asked the doctor if there would be any long-term effects after their recovery. The doctor said it was hard to say, which was why they required our signature. If surgery wasn't performed to remove the bone fragments, local necrosis could occur, posing a life-threatening risk.
I took out a stack of bills and handed them to the doctor, asking him to do his best to ensure they didn't end up disabled. They were all so young, their beautiful lives hadn't even begun, and to be crippled like this, how would they live the rest of their lives?
The doctor refused to take my money, saying they would do their best to save them. As for whether there would be lasting issues, it depended on the surgical outcome, and no one could guarantee it. He also said he couldn't accept the money, as there were regulations, and accepting a bribe would result in disciplinary action.
Regulations were regulations, and which doctor didn't accept bribes? I found it strange that he was so adamant about refusing.
I had no choice but to force it into his hand and turn to leave.
I went to see the other lightly injured individuals. Most of them had been treated and were waiting for the company's vehicles to take them back.
Wen Siqiang was more seriously injured. Although he didn't have any fractures, some of his soft tissues were damaged from being beaten, and he was currently receiving an IV drip.
I went in to see him. He was lying on a small bed in the emergency room. Seeing me, he signaled, perhaps due to the severity of his injuries, he couldn't even lift his arm and tried several times without success.
I went over and said to him, "Someone will arrange your hospitalization shortly. Rest well, and you can come out after you've recovered."
Leaving the hospital, my mood was heavy. Prince's repeated troublemaking required a solution quickly to make him stop. A simple back-and-forth fight wouldn't solve the problem; it would only give him a reason for his next counterattack. A permanent solution was needed to completely neutralize him.
Sitting in Jing Lei's car, I remained silent. Jing Lei knew I was still upset and didn't speak to me, focusing solely on driving.
This was a critical period, and no more mistakes could be made. If another one occurred, we wouldn't be able to open for business and would have to declare failure.
I told Jing Lei, "Let's not go back to the winery first. Take me to Commander Kang's company."
Jing Lei didn't ask why. She drove ahead, made a U-turn, and turned left in another direction.
Commander Kang's company was the same place where we apprehended him last time. It was located near the border crossing because his primary business was with the Burmese, and being close to the border saved considerable trouble.
The company's main gate was tightly shut. Since he wasn't importing rosewood from across the border anymore, we couldn't see any vehicles coming or going, nor could we tell what was happening inside.
Since he had let it be known that he would be holding a raw stone trading fair, he must be making preparations. His timeline was the same as ours, and the time remaining for him was not much.
We parked the car at a distance, and I asked Jing Lei to turn off the engine. We waited there for a while, hoping to observe something.
Time ticked by, but the company's gate remained shut. No one came out, and no one or vehicle went in.
At that moment, I saw a Burmese cargo truck approaching. The engine sounded strained, indicating it must have been carrying a heavy load to produce such a noise.
There was nothing visible on the truck bed. It certainly wasn't wood; although wood was also heavy, it was easily identifiable. This truck's cargo was likely raw stones.
I told Jing Lei to drive our car forward to get closer and get a better look.
The truck was moving very slowly, its load clearly exceeding its horsepower, crawling forward with difficulty.
I said to Jing Lei, "Drive up and force it to stop!"
Jing Lei didn't hesitate, accelerating and driving towards it.
This road was quite secluded. Besides Commander Kang's company, there were a few other furniture businesses. There were very few people on the road, and it was quiet.
Seeing a bright red car suddenly appear ahead, the truck driver panicked and braked hard. It took a considerable distance for the truck to come to a halt.
I stood on the running board next to the driver. Besides the driver, there was another person inside. Both of them were dark-skinned, typical Burmese.
I asked, "What cargo are you carrying?"
The driver seemed flustered. The person accompanying him said, "We're from the Phakant mining area, delivering raw stones to Boss Kang."
I asked, "How much is in this truckload?"
The same person replied, "Fifteen tons."
Good heavens, a five-ton truck carrying fifteen tons, no wonder it was struggling so much.
I said, "Unload this truck at the depot. There's no space here. Turn around, and I'll tell you where to go."
The accompanying person said, "Boss Kang told us to unload it here. Why the sudden change of plans? He should have told us in advance."
I said, "A few trucks of wood have just arrived here, taking up all the space. They urgently asked me to come and notify you."
As I spoke, I handed each of them a stack of money, about two to three thousand yuan. Such an amount was a fortune to the Burmese, and no one could resist it.
The driver looked at the accompanying person, who nodded. The driver released the brake, shifted into gear, and began to turn the steering wheel.
I remained on the running board without moving. The truck was moving slowly, and it was quite safe for me to stand on it.
My mind was racing. These raw stones couldn't be unloaded at the winery. Taking them back openly was out of the question; they needed to be stored in a hidden location.
Suddenly, I remembered Jing Lei mentioning her family's ancestral home, which was quite remote, and most of the villagers had moved away, leaving the old houses empty.
I had a rough idea of the place and directed the driver to proceed.
Jing Lei seemed to have understood my intention. She overtook us and led the way.
Although I didn't know how many raw stones Commander Kang would have at his trading fair, losing this one truck might not have a significant impact. However, fifteen tons was not a small amount. More importantly, losing the raw stones would frustrate him, which was the result I wanted.
The distance from the border to his timber company was only a few kilometers. He would never have dreamed that such a short distance would present any unexpected issues. He hadn't even arranged for anyone to receive the goods, simply telling them to deliver it themselves.
I decided that if these stones could be secured successfully, I would keep not a single one. I would use them to compensate those injured by Prince, and the rest would be used to form a security team.
As the truck entered an even more remote village, the two Burmese men started murmuring to each other. I knew they were getting nervous, so I quickly said, "Don't worry, I will guarantee your safety. You'll be allowed to leave immediately after unloading."
On the way, I notified Da Kui to send ten workers to wait for us. We had a truckload of goods to unload.
After driving a bit further, Jing Lei stopped ahead. She got out of the car and directed the truck to park in the designated spot.
The two men in the truck were no longer chatty. The driver skillfully maneuvered the truck to a position where it wouldn't obstruct anything.