Chapter 34 was attacked from both sides.
At this moment, in a room on the second floor of Xinglong Hotel, Lu Che stood by the window, looking at Portland Street through binoculars.
His face no longer held the gentleness he had shown at Heyi Hall; only the calmness of a policeman remained.
A voice came through the earpiece: "Captain Lu, the proposal has arrived. What's Li Hanzhou's reaction?"
“I accepted it, but I didn’t believe it completely,” Lu Che said in a low voice. “He asked me to investigate ‘Fatty Cong’ as a test.”
Do you need support?
“No need, proceed according to plan.” Lu Che put down his binoculars. “Also, that Fang Che… is more interesting than the information suggests.”
"That kid next to Li Hanzhou? The information says he came from the mainland illegally, and his background is simple."
“He’s not simple.” Lu Che shook his head. “There’s something in his eyes, and he seems particularly wary of me.”
"Feeling guilty?"
“It doesn’t seem like it.” Lu Che’s lips twitched slightly as he recalled how Fang Che had been so eager to get rid of him. “It seems more like… he knows something he shouldn’t know.”
He walked to the table and picked up a secretly taken photo...
Fang Che was dancing in the square on Portland Street, his smile bright and his movements exaggerated, making him stand out dazzlingly against the gloomy street scene.
Lu Che tapped the photo lightly with his finger.
"Fang Che..." he murmured to himself, "Are you really stupid, or are you pretending?"
Playing dumb?
He has been handling cases for many years and has met many people...
Truly foolish, pretending to be foolish, or wise beyond their years.
But this Fang Che is like a mixed stew, with everything mixed in, resulting in a flavor that is hard to fathom.
From Liaocheng?
His accent was authentic, but that look in his eyes... Lu Che recalled how Fang Che had blocked his way with wide eyes in the front hall of Heyi Hall, like a cat guarding its food, baring its teeth at a wolf even before its claws were sharp.
Too hasty.
He was so anxious, unlike a typical gangster, that it seemed more like... he knew the man's intentions were not good.
“Interesting.” Lu Che put the photo into the drawer, picked up the jacket from the back of the chair, and said, “Fatty Cong, right? I’ll meet you first.”
He had to do as Li Hanzhou instructed; this was the first step in gaining trust.
As for Fang Che... there's plenty of time.
---
At the same time, deep inside Portland Street, the mahjong parlor was filled with smoke.
Mad Dog slammed down the cards.
"Nine of Bamboo!" His forehead veins throbbed. "Damn it! Another one going out of bounds!"
The thug opposite him shrank back: "Brother Qiang, bad luck... let's play another day?"
"What a load of crap!" Mad Dog kicked over the stool, and several gamblers quietly slipped away.
He lit a cigarette, and his henchman came over to light it.
After smoking half a cigarette, Mad Dog Qiang finally suppressed his anger and asked, "That pretty boy, still jumping around?"
"They're always running around like crazy," the henchman muttered. "They're always taking that big guy and a bunch of little ones around the streets, calling it 'cleaning up.' They even went to the docks once, and Scarface saw them. He actually pulled out a garbage collection flyer to fool them..."
"Collecting garbage?" Mad Dog laughed forcefully. "Li Hanzhou treats him like a treasure, and he goes to collect garbage? That's ridiculous!"
“That’s right,” the henchman chimed in. “But Brother Qiang, didn’t Young Master Jiang instruct us not to touch him yet?”
"Young Master Jiang! Young Master Jiang!" Mad Dog forcefully stubbed out his cigarette. "What does he know! That kid stole our goods and is still performing some kind of charlatan act on Portland Street, fooling the neighbors! If we let him continue like this, will this territory still belong to the Jiang family?"
The henchman dared not respond.
A ruthless glint flashed in Mad Dog Qiang's eyes.
Jiang Tianqi treated him like a dog, and he accepted it.
Even a cornered dog will jump over the wall.
What's more, someone handed over a knife.
Late last night, a man wearing a baseball cap quietly came to his door and handed him a note that clearly outlined Fang Che's route for the next three days, even marking the times.
“One of Horse King’s men.” Mad Dog recognized the dockwork clothes.
He was happy to watch the infighting within the Heyitang.
Ma Wang wanted to use him to get rid of Fang Che, so as not to offend Li Hanzhou and to stir up trouble.
Perfect.
“Ah Long,” Mad Dog Qiang lit another cigarette, “call the brothers. Tomorrow afternoon, Fang Che is going to ‘check out the garbage dump’ at the abandoned warehouse at the end of Portland Street. Young Master Jiang won’t let us move? I’ll do it anyway! If anything goes wrong, blame it on Ma Wang!”
He licked his lips, as if he could already see Fang Che's face stained with blood.
"Pretty boy, let's see who can protect you this time."
Fang Che was completely unaware of this.
He squatted in the backyard, writing and drawing on a broken blackboard, his face covered in chalk dust.
"Here, the garbage dump." He circled a dot with chalk. "Here, the old residential area. The fastest way through is this alley, but..." He drew an X, "...it's too narrow, cars can't get in, we have to use a tricycle to transport the garbage. Xi Rong!"
“Hey, Che-ge!” Xi-rong looked up from a pile of armbands.
"Is there anyone who can ride a tricycle? Someone strong is needed."
"Yes! Ah Ming knows how; he used to help transport vegetables at the market!"
“Okay, I’ll remember that.” Fang Che turned to Cheng Tieniu. “Tiezi, come with me to the abandoned warehouse at the end of the street tomorrow afternoon. There’s a pile of construction waste there; clearing it out might be able to use it as a temporary storage area.”
Cheng Tieniu was loading sacks onto his tricycle when he heard this, and nodded: "Okay! I'll go."
Fang Che brushed the dust off his hands and looked at the "Portland Street Garbage Collection Optimization Map" on the blackboard.
Although he started by gathering intelligence, he gradually became quite engrossed in the task.
The streets were a bit cleaner. The old ladies and gentlemen smiled at him, and the children had work to do and food to eat!
This feels even more real than receiving project bonuses in my previous life.
"This is what building a beautiful community is all about."
Ah Gui was passing by when he heard this. He gave a "this person is hopeless" look and shook his head before walking away.
Fang Che didn't pay any attention, humming "We workers have strength," and continued drawing his picture.
Unbeknownst to him, Li Hanzhou was quietly watching the backyard from behind the window in the inner room.
The boy's slender back as he squatted down exuded an indomitable spirit.
The crooked lines on the blackboard may seem ridiculous at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they are actually quite simple and practical.
“Brother Li,” Ah Gui walked in and whispered, “Ma Wang is making a move. His men went to Kwai Chung twice today, it seems like they were settling accounts. Also… Mad Dog Qiang’s men are stockpiling weapons.”
Li Hanzhou's eyes turned cold.
"Jiang Tianqi can't control it?"
“You can suppress him for a while, but not forever,” Ah Gui said. “Mad Dog Qiang is a mad dog; he holds grudges. Fang Che confiscated his goods and made him lose face on Portland Street. He won’t tolerate it for long.”
Li Hanzhou remained silent for a moment.
Where is Fang Che going tomorrow?
"An abandoned warehouse at the end of the street, they say it's for viewing construction waste."
"You follow."
Ah Gui was taken aback: "Me? Brother Li, I have to go collect it tomorrow..."
"Let A Biao go," Li Hanzhou interrupted him. "You stay with Fang Che. Don't let him find out."
A hint of reluctance flashed across Ah Gui's face, but he still nodded: "...I understand."
Being a bodyguard for that pretty boy? How humiliating.
---
The next afternoon, the sky was somewhat gray.
Fang Che and Cheng Tieniu pedaled their dilapidated tricycle, creaking and groaning, toward the end of Portland Street.
The truck was loaded with shovels and sacks, as well as Fang Che's little notebook covered in scribbles.
Xi Rong wanted to go with him, but Fang Che stopped her: "You stay home and help the children distribute armbands. Also, keep an eye on Lu Che's side."
The end of the street is even more deserted than the main street.
The old building is vacant, the walls are covered with moss, the warehouse gate is rusted, and most of the window glass is broken.
"Right here." Fang Che jumped off the tricycle and pointed to the dusty warehouse ahead. "I heard it's full of demolition debris. Let's see what we can get..."
He hadn't finished speaking.
Seven or eight people suddenly sprang out from the shadows on the side of the warehouse!
The bald man at the head of the group, his fleshy muscles jiggling, was none other than Mad Dog Qiang!
"Fang Che!" Mad Dog grinned, revealing his yellow teeth. "I've been waiting for you for a long time!"
Fang Che's heart sank; he'd been ambushed!
Cheng Tieniu reacted quickly, pulling Fang Che behind him and grabbing a shovel from the car, holding it across his chest: "What do you want to do!"
"What do you want?" Mad Dog grinned maliciously. "Invite Young Master Fang for a cup of tea and a chat!"
His henchmen behind him brandished their weapons!
Fang Che felt a chill run down his spine. The other side had a large number of people and came prepared.
There were only two of them, Tie Niu and one shovel...
run!
The thought had barely formed when the other alleyway was blocked, and four henchmen emerged, cutting off their escape route.
A pincer attack from both sides.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com