Chapter 29 Clues to the Traitor

“Horse King…that night…the convoy…Kwai Chung…” Fragmented words drifted in, mixed with a certain hall master’s raised questioning.

Fang Che was getting anxious, wishing he had super hearing.

"I don't understand this at all! It's driving me crazy!"

Just as I was concentrating on being a "human eavesdropping device," I heard a soft cough behind me.

Fang Che was startled and sat up abruptly, almost straining his back. When he turned around, he saw that A Gui was standing behind him, arms crossed, giving him a look that said, "I knew you weren't behaving yourself."

"Ahem... Brother Gui," Fang Che quickly stood up straight and forced a smile, "Let me check if this door is sturdy. Hmm, the wood is quite good..."

Ah Gui ignored his excuse and simply pointed with his chin to a distant corner.

Fang Che awkwardly touched his nose and moved to the corner sofa, looking back every few steps, before finally sitting down.

The smugness that came from signing the contract was quickly dispelled by the spectacle and the word "traitor."

He hugged his knees and began to examine himself:

"Fang Che, Fang Che, what are you so smug about? You think you're all that just because you've achieved a little success? Brother Li is handling serious business, something that concerns the survival of the club. You think you can just barge in with a stack of contracts? Do you think you're delivering a banner of appreciation?"

"Is that Northeastern recklessness again? It needs to change! It absolutely needs to change! From now on, I need to learn more from Brother Li what composure really means!"

“But… Brother Li just said ‘one of us’!” Fang Che felt a warmth in his heart when he thought of this.

"He even spoke up for me! That shows he considers me a brother! It's worth it!"

He was struggling with his thoughts when the conference room door creaked open.

Fang Che immediately jumped up and looked over nervously.

Several hall masters came out first, their expressions varying.

Fat Li remained expressionless; the hot-tempered one was still indignant; Horse King's face turned even paler, sweat beaded on his forehead, and his steps faltered.

Li Ruoxue followed behind, her face as cold as frost, and her gaze sweeping over Fang Che was even more icy.

Finally, Li Hanzhou and A Gui appeared.

Li Hanzhou's expression remained cold and stern, but his brows betrayed his weariness.

He walked to the window, lit a cigarette, and silently gazed at the chaotic street scene outside.

Ah Gui walked up to Fang Che and whispered, "You're lucky. Brother Li isn't in the worst mood today."

He paused, then added, "If you misbehave again, I'll be the first to throw you out."

Fang Che shrank back, not daring to utter a sound, and finally felt relieved.

After a while, Li Hanzhou stubbed out his cigarette and turned around.

His gaze swept over Fang Che, and he instructed Ah Gui, "Speed ​​up the progress on Portland Street. Jiang Tianqi won't give up."

"Understood, Brother Li."

Li Hanzhou's gaze then fell on Fang Che: "You, 'Chefeng Express,' can you use it?"

"Yes! Absolutely!" Fang Che puffed out his chest. "Don't worry, Brother Li! My team knows every rat hole in Portland Street and how many offspring there are! They're absolutely professional at sending messages and keeping watch!"

"Hmm." Li Hanzhou replied calmly, "The garbage collection on the two streets under Ma Wang's command will be your responsibility from now on. How you do it is up to you."

Fang Che was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed!

Garbage collection? It might not sound like much, but it's real territory and business!

Although it's at the bottom level, it's a good channel for contacting all sorts of people and gathering information!

Brother Li is giving him a chance to practice on his own!

"Thank you, Brother Li! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" Fang Che was so excited he almost patted his chest, but remembering his lesson from earlier, he forced himself to hold back.

Li Hanzhou didn't say anything more and turned to walk into the inner room.

Ah Gui patted Fang Che on the shoulder: "Kid, do a good job, don't let Brother Li down."

"Absolutely!" Fang Che grinned, rubbing his shoulder.

...

For the next few days, Fang Che was extremely busy.

He took over the garbage collection for those two streets.

The process did not go smoothly. Ma Wang's henchmen were polite on the surface, but they did a lot of sabotage behind the scenes.

But who is Fang Che?

He has the soul of a typical office worker from Northeast China, plus the newly crowned "King of Express Delivery" from Hong Kong Island!

He led Cheng Tieniu and several key members, personally following the garbage trucks, chatting with the street sweeping grandmothers, and getting close to the night market vendors.

They quickly figured out the flow of people, the turnover of shops, and even some rumors on these two streets.

He also came up with a unique idea: "Designated Garbage Disposal Points and Street Cleanliness Competition." Although many gangsters initially complained about it, "What the hell is this?", it was eventually promoted under Fang Che's twisted logic that "good sanitation leads to better business and more protection money."

The streets are indeed much cleaner now, which has won the favor of the long-time residents.

"Look! This is the will of the people!" Fang Che said smugly to Cheng Tieniu and Xi Rong. "Jiang Tianqi only knows how to use money and intimidation, but this is what sustainable development is all about!"

Xi Rong nodded vigorously, admiring Che Ge to the point of complete awe.

Her "little informants" also took advantage of the opportunity to collect garbage and run errands to gather up bits and pieces of information.

That day, Xi Rong mysteriously approached Fang Che: "Brother Che, I've found something!"

"What discovery? What mischief is Jiang Tianqi up to now?" Fang Che was checking the "garbage management fee" accounts without looking up.

“It’s not Jiang Tianqi, it’s Uncle Ma…” Xi Rong lowered her voice, “One of my underlings overheard one of Uncle Ma’s men complaining at a tea restaurant yesterday that Uncle Ma has been in a bad mood lately, lost a lot of money, and even cursed something about ‘the sand in Kwai Chung being uncomfortable to walk on’…”

"Kui Yong?" Fang Che looked up abruptly, his heart skipping a beat!

He recalled the words "Kwai Chung Wharf" that he had vaguely heard outside the conference room that day!

Brother Li asked Brother Ma why they should have gone to meet Uncle Long's convoy, but instead changed course and went to Kwai Chung instead!

When Ma Wang's men mentioned "Kwai Chung" at this time, along with "losing money" and "being in a bad mood," was this merely a coincidence?

Fang Che's expression turned serious.

He realized that he might have inadvertently stumbled upon the tail of the "traitor".

He took a deep breath and pressed down on the agitated Xi Rong: "Who else knows this news?"

"It was just me and that underling; I didn't tell anyone else!"

"Good! Well done!" Fang Che praised solemnly. "This news is very important. Don't spread it around yet. Keep an eye on things, but be sure to stay safe!"

After Xi Rong left, Fang Che sat there, unable to calm down for a long time.

Should we tell Brother Li right away?

But what's the evidence? Just a few words from a child?

What if we alert the enemy?

Will Brother Li think he's making a mountain out of a molehill, or... suspect that he has ulterior motives?

He recalled the various hall masters in the conference room, each with their own agendas.

The internal workings of the gang were far more complex than he had imagined.

He is still young and inexperienced. Would it cause trouble for Brother Li if he rashly got involved in the core struggle?

Could I become the next target to be eliminated?

An unprecedented sense of crisis enveloped him.

On the other hand, Li Hanzhou's trust and protection made it impossible for him to stand idly by.

If Ma Wang is truly the mole, then he is an accomplice in the deaths of Uncle Long and Li Hanzhou's godfather! This is an irreconcilable enmity!

Fang Che scratched his head in frustration, turning it into a mess.

"Damn it, being a brother is hard, being a brother with brains is even harder!"