dmims Chapter 26: Strangers
Chapter 26: Strangers
Cheng Xiaojin sat at the stall all day, his buttocks feeling like they were nailed to the ground.
After that black Land Rover drove away, his mind couldn't stop racing.
Zhao Defa peeked over from next door, holding half a sesame seed cake in his hand.
"Little Jinzi, what's wrong with you today? You haven't sold a single thing all morning, you look like you've lost your soul."
"It's nothing, I just didn't sleep well last night."
"You didn't sleep well and you still came to set up a stall? Alright, you don't need to stay here. I'll watch the stall for you for a while. You go and do what you need to do."
Cheng Xiaojin stood up, stretched his legs, and patted Zhao Defa on the shoulder.
"Brother Zhao, that's great! I'm going out for a bit, I'll be right back."
Zhao Defa chuckled.
"Go out for a stroll if you want, but don't bring back any big news that spreads throughout Panjiayuan, saying you intercepted Fatty Sun's business deal, worth 800,000 yuan."
Cheng Xiaojin turned around and glanced at him.
Zhao Defa waved his hand.
"Don't look at me like that. This place is so small, even a fart from someone can travel three miles. I didn't ask around; someone told me on their own."
"Brother Zhao, watch your mouth."
"Don't worry, don't worry, I'm only mentioning it to you. I wouldn't say a word to anyone else."
Cheng Xiaojin didn't respond and walked along the passageway on the south side of the market toward the two-story building of the management office.
Miao Daqing's office was at the very back of the second floor. The door was half open, and the smell of smoke and sunflower seed shells wafted out from the crack in the door.
Cheng Xiaojin knocked on the door frame twice.
"Director Miao."
Miao Daqing peeked out from behind the newspaper, cracking sunflower seeds into his mouth, with a small pile of sunflower seed shells on the table.
"Hey, Little Jinzi, what a rare guest! It's been a while since you've been here. Are you here to pay your stall fee?"
"Of course, you paid five hundred last time, this time I'll make up the difference for you."
Cheng Xiaojin took out two packs of Zhonghua cigarettes, placed them on the table, and pushed them towards Miao Daqing.
Miao Daqing rolled his eyes, spat the sunflower seed shells into the wastebasket, reached under the table, and deftly stuffed two packs of cigarettes into the drawer.
"Alright, go ahead, what is it?"
"Director Miao, I have a question for you. Did you know that a black Land Rover was parked at the market entrance this morning?"
Miao Daqing blinked and thought for a moment.
"You mean that car? I know it. It came here this morning and then again this afternoon. It circled around the market twice but left without coming in."
"Did you see the license plate clearly?"
"It started with 京A, I didn't remember all the numbers after that. I'm not a regular at Panjiayuan. It's too conspicuous for this kind of car to be parked in front of us. The security guard even went over to ask, and the person rolled down the window and said they were waiting for someone. They drove away after waiting for about ten minutes."
"Who's in the car?"
Miao Daqing tilted his head and recalled for a moment.
"There was just one person, young, around thirty years old, with short hair, and quite energetic-looking. I couldn't see anything else clearly because the tint on the car window tint was too deep."
Cheng Xiaojin nodded.
"Director Miao, please don't mention this to anyone else."
"Who am I supposed to mention this to? I get about ten groups of people coming in every day asking all sorts of questions, how am I supposed to remember them all?"
Miao Daqing grabbed another handful of sunflower seeds and stuffed them into his mouth.
"Did you offend someone?"
"No, it's just that I'm being a little more cautious."
Cheng Xiaojin left the management office and headed straight for Huguosi Street.
Tong Kexin's braised pork stall was still not repaired. The old iron pot, which had been kicked into a hole, was placed at the base of the alley wall and covered with a plastic sheet.
She borrowed a stove from a family deep in the alley, set up a new pot, and temporarily set up her stall. Several plastic stools were stacked next to the stove, and the aroma of braised food wafted out of the alley.
When Cheng Xiaojin walked over, Tong Kexin was stirring the soup with an iron spoon. The red mark on her face had mostly faded, leaving only a faint pink trace.
"Want some braised pork belly?"
Tong Kexin didn't even look up.
"I'm not eating, I have something to ask you."
"What do you want to ask?"
Cheng Xiaojin sat down on the plastic stool, propped his elbows on his knees, and lowered his voice.
Did you see a black Land Rover parked at the entrance of Panjiayuan this morning?
Tong Kexin paused in stirring the soup, and the iron spoon clinked against the edge of the pot.
"I saw it."
Her voice was noticeably harder than usual.
"I know all of Fatty Sun's men, from the crew-cut guy to his underlings, none of them can afford a Land Rover."
"So whose do you think it is?"
Tong Kexin placed the iron spoon on the stove, wiped her hands with her apron, and leaned close to Cheng Xiaojin's ear.
"It sounds like the same approach as Boss Lin's. Remember those two bald guys standing guard at the entrance of the Houhai Club last time? I saw one of them get into an identical black Range Rover across the alley."
Cheng Xiaojin's back tensed up.
Are you sure?
"I'm not blind. That bald head is so shiny it reflects light under the sun. How could I be mistaken?"
"Has Boss Lin left yet?"
"I don't know about that, you'll have to ask Master Qi."
After finishing her sentence, Tong Kexin picked up the iron spoon again and stirred the soup, her voice lowering.
"Cheng Xiaojin, listen to me."
"you say."
"You're getting on more and more bad side. Fatty Sun is one group, Boss Lin is another. You're just a street vendor, how many groups can you fend off with the little money you have?"
Cheng Xiaojin didn't reply, but stood up and dusted off his pants.
"Kexin, don't pack up your stall alone these next two nights. Have Aunt Zhang keep you company."
"I don't need anyone to accompany me."
Tong Kexin's iron spoon made a clanging sound as she stirred the pot.
"I'm afraid you might need it."
Cheng Xiaojin chuckled and turned to leave the alley.
After closing up his stall in the evening, he headed straight to Gulou Back Street.
Uncle Qi was still the same as always, wearing a vest, shorts, and plastic slippers, leaning against the door frame with an enamel mug in his hand.
"Little Jinzi, you're here again? You've been really diligent lately, coming twice a day."
"Third Master, I just have one question. Has Boss Lin left yet?"
Third Master Qi was eating melon seeds.
"The person has already flown back. I had someone inquire about yesterday's flight. The ticket was for a first-class ticket through Beijing Capital International Airport, and it was for one person."
"Did he keep anyone in Beijing?"
Qi Sanye stopped eating half of his melon seeds, leaving the shells stuck to his lips.
"You're quite well-informed; I actually heard about this."
"explain."
"President Lin booked a long-stay room at a hotel outside Jianguomen. There was only one person staying there. I don't know who he is, but an old acquaintance of mine at the hotel reception said that the person never went out or ordered food. He just stayed in the room all day and occasionally went out in a black Land Rover."
Cheng Xiaojin's hand touched the Zhonghua cigarette behind his ear and squeezed it a couple of times.
"Third Master, what did that person look like?"
"My old acquaintance said he was in his thirties, had short hair, didn't talk much, and spoke fluent Mandarin, unlike someone from the south."
"Is there a scar on the bridge of your nose?"
Master Qi was stunned for a moment.
"You didn't say that, how did you know?"
"I saw him this morning."
Uncle Qi leaned the enamel mug against the door frame and spat out the sunflower seed shells.
"Little Jin, listen to what Third Master has to say. President Lin doesn't do things the usual way. He spent 800,000 to buy your stuff, and after he left, he left someone in Beijing to keep an eye on you. This isn't the way an ordinary businessman behaves."
"What does Third Master think he's trying to do?"
"I don't know, I'm just a messenger. But let me tell you, after the Houhai deal, Fatty Sun was quiet for a day, not because he'd figured things out, but because President Lin called him before he left."
"What did they say on the phone?"
"I don't know the specifics. But after making the call, Fatty Sun didn't send anyone out again, as if he was being held back."
Cheng Xiaojin said goodbye to Master Qi and left Gulou Back Street.
As I reached the entrance of the alley, my cell phone rang.
The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number, and the area code was not Beijing (BJ).
He stood under the streetlight for three seconds, then pressed the answer button.
There was a two-second silence on the other end.
Then a voice spoke, slowly, with a Southeast Asian accent.
"Boss Cheng, I brought the items back but haven't opened them yet. I'd like to ask you to look after one more thing for me. Tomorrow afternoon, same place."
Cheng Xiaojin held his phone tightly, his shadow pinned to the base of the wall by the streetlight.
Mr. Lin's voice sounded calm, without any questioning, anger, or mention of counterfeit goods.
What does he really want?