dmims Chapter 20: The End of the Game at Houhai
Chapter 20: The End of the Game at Houhai
As Cheng Xiaojin stepped out of the vermilion-lacquered gate, the wind from the north shore of Houhai Lake rushed into his neck, carrying a fishy smell.
Zhou Banxian followed behind, his Zhongshan suit buttoned up to the top, the stack of manuscript paper covered in tiny characters still in his pocket.
"Little Gold, which way to go?"
Don't go back the way you came.
Cheng Xiaojin walked at a leisurely pace, but her eyes were never idle. She scanned from the east wall of the alley to the west wall, and then glanced up at the second-floor window. The curtains did not move at all.
Zhou Banxian lowered his voice: "How do you know the road we came from wasn't clean?"
"Tong Kexin just sent me a text message saying that two more people came to the door, entering from the east alley, and I haven't seen them before."
As Cheng Xiaojin spoke, he turned a corner, not taking the main road through the narrow alley west of Yinding Bridge, but instead heading east along the stone-paved road on the north bank, and entering an even narrower alley on the east side of Yinding Bridge.
The alley was so narrow that two people had to turn sideways to walk sideways. On both sides were old blue brick walls covered with withered vines. Two streetlights shone sparsely, casting fragmented shadows on the ground.
Zhou Banxian jogged a couple of steps to catch up: "You mean someone's watching us?"
"It's hard to say, I'll go first and we'll talk later."
Cheng Xiaojin took out his phone and sent Tong Kexin a single word: "Move".
The phone vibrated, and Tong Kexin's reply came almost instantly.
Cheng Xiaojin glanced at the screen and slowed down a beat.
Zhou Banxian leaned over and took a look, his eyes darting around behind his reading glasses.
"Blocked on three sides?"
"Yes, there are four at the east entrance of the alley, three at the west exit, and the ones chasing after us have already reached the alley entrance."
Cheng Xiaojin put his phone back in his pocket, turned his head to look at the narrow alley behind him, and heard footsteps approaching.
It wasn't just one person; judging from the frequency of their footsteps, there were at least three.
Zhou Banxian's expression changed, and he clenched the manuscript paper in his hand with a rustling sound: "Little Jinzi, these old bones of mine can't run very fast. If I really get caught, my old arms and legs can't withstand the steel pipe."
"No need to run."
Cheng Xiaojin grabbed Zhou Banxian's sleeve and turned right, entering through the side door of a small restaurant in the middle of the alley.
The restaurant had closed long ago; the side door was ajar, and the smell of stale cooking oil wafted out.
Cheng Xiaojin navigated the corridor filled with beer crates with practiced ease, kicked open the curtain of the kitchen, squeezed through the gap between the stove and the freezer, and at the very back was a rusty iron door with two green trash cans leaning against it.
"How did you know there was a back door here?" Zhou Banxian was dragged along by him, stumbling and falling through the kitchen, almost tripping over the mop bucket on the floor.
"I used to drink with Zhao Defa in this alley. I used to go to the toilet by going through the back door. That bastard got drunk and fell into the trash can. I had to fish him out."
Cheng Xiaojin pushed open the tin door, and outside were the stone steps on the north shore of Shichahai Lake, with the dark water below.
A night breeze blew, and the sweat on their bodies cooled down.
Cheng Xiaojin turned his head and listened in the direction of the alley. The footsteps had reached the vicinity of the restaurant's side door, and someone was pushing the half-closed door.
"Uncle Zhou."
"Um?"
Cheng Xiaojin took the canvas bag off his shoulder and stuffed it into Zhou Banxian's arms.
Zhou Banxian quickly reached out and caught it, the heavy canvas bag causing him to stumble forward: "What are you doing? You're trying to stuff 800,000 into my hands? I can't take that responsibility."
"Keep walking forward, don't look back, follow the stone path on the north bank eastward. Once you pass the intersection near Shichahai Sports School, you'll see the main road. Take a taxi directly to Master Qi's place on Gulou Back Street. Leave your bag with him for now."
"And what about you? Are you going to stay here all by yourself?"
"I'll distract them with their tails."
Zhou Banxian glared at him, his reading glasses dangling on his nose. "You alone? What are you going to use to lure them? They're all carrying steel pipes, and you're going to fight them bare-handed?"
"Get out of there." Cheng Xiaojin patted him on the shoulder. "You should leave now, Uncle Zhou. These people aren't after you, they're after me."
"You're strolling around Houhai with 800,000 yuan in your pocket, and someone intercepts me, leaving me nowhere to cry. Are you going to compensate Tieguai Li for his 200,000 yuan then?"
"That won't do either. How can you be so reckless? If Master Ma finds out, he'll skin me alive."
Zhou Banxian opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something.
The sound of metal clashing came from the kitchen. Someone had already pushed open the curtain and was walking inside, cursing.
"Walk!"
Cheng Xiaojin shoved Zhou Banxian and then turned and ran in the opposite direction down the stone steps.
Zhou Banxian paused for a second, clutching his canvas bag, gritted his teeth, tightened his grip on the bag strap, and walked into the shadows to the east.
He hadn't walked ten steps when he heard someone shout "Over there!" behind him. The footsteps split into two groups, with the large group chasing after Cheng Xiaojin, while only one person hesitated for two seconds without moving.
Zhou Banxian didn't turn around, but quickened his pace, his reading glasses almost falling off his nose.
Cheng Xiaojin ran west along the north shore of Shichahai Lake. The stone steps were uneven, and his sneakers almost twisted his ankle when he stepped on the slippery cracks in the stones. But since he didn't have his canvas bag with him, he ran much more smoothly.
The footsteps behind me were very close, and judging from the noise, there were at least two people.
He had run less than two hundred meters when one of the streetlights ahead went out.
It's not broken, it's been turned off; the cover of the distribution box on the streetlight base is open.
The instant the light went out, he saw clearly the person standing under it.
buzz cut.
He was a little over 1.8 meters tall, with his back straight, and his right hand gripped a shiny steel pipe with two circles of black tape wrapped around the end.
Behind the man with the buzz cut stood two men, both wearing black T-shirts. They carried no weapons, but their muscular arms were clearly not to be underestimated.
There were obstacles blocking their way ahead and pursuers behind.
Cheng Xiaojin stopped walking, took a couple of breaths, and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
The man with the buzz cut switched the steel pipe to his left hand, rummaged in his pocket with his right hand, pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, then tried to light it with his lighter but failed.
He didn't rush to order; he slapped the steel pipe twice in his palm, the sound carrying far across the water.
"Cheng Xiaojin".
Cheng Xiaojin stood still, his hands hanging naturally at his sides.
"Mr. Sun said that the money is not required, but you have to crawl back from here on your knees."
"Oh? When did Fatty Sun become so generous, just giving up 800,000 like that?"
Cheng Xiaojin scoffed, "Let me tell you, Fatty Sun is stingy, not generous. He's afraid that Boss Lin will find out about his underhanded dealings and cut off his source of income, so he doesn't dare to openly rob people."
The man with the buzz cut frowned, and slapped the steel pipe even louder in his palm.
"Stop talking nonsense. Either kneel down yourself, or we'll break your legs and make you crawl. You choose."
"I'll choose your mom!"
Cheng Xiaojin put both hands into his pockets.
"Do you think the rules of Panjiayuan are just for show? Intercepting someone after the transaction is complete—if word gets out, how will Fatty Sun do business anymore? Aren't you afraid Master Qi will break his legs?"
"Third Master Qi? What business does he have with our Boss Sun's affairs? Even if Boss Ma came today, you'd have to crawl back home."
The man with the buzz cut took a step forward, and the two people behind him also moved forward.
"I advise you to be sensible and not force us to take action. You won't gain the upper hand if a fight breaks out."
"Really? I have a feeling you're the ones who aren't getting any advantage."