Chapter 106 Gold Chain Floral Shirt
Temple Street is awakened in the morning by the smell of cooking oil and the cries of vendors.
Fang Che leaned against the small window in the attic and looked down.
The wonton noodle stall downstairs was steaming, and the owner was pulling the noodles like he was practicing kung fu, while the shrimp were rolling around in the soup.
"Brother Li," he swallowed hard, "where are the shrimp? We agreed on three servings."
Li Hanzhou wrapped his arms around him from behind, rested his chin on his shoulder, and said in a low, hoarse voice, still sounding like he had just woken up, "Wait a little longer. Uncle Chen will be here at nine, so there are still ten minutes."
"Hungry." Fang Che's stomach growled. "I threw up on the boat, I could eat a whole cow now."
"No beef, but plenty of shrimp." Li Hanzhou laughed and kissed his earlobe. "Bear with it."
Just then, footsteps came from the stairs.
Li Hanzhou released his hand and pressed it against his lower back.
Fang Che also reached for the dagger under his pillow. His waist still ached, but his hand holding the knife was very steady.
The door was pushed open.
Ah Gui was the first to come in.
His left arm was in a sling, and the scar on his face was particularly noticeable in the morning light, but his eyes were very bright.
Upon seeing Li Hanzhou, his eyes instantly reddened.
"Brother Li!" Her voice choked with emotion, "I knew it... the newspapers were all nonsense! How could you possibly be dead!"
He tried to go forward, but it aggravated his wound.
Li Hanzhou supported him and patted his right shoulder: "How's your injury?"
"It's nothing!" Ah Gui laughed, but his face contorted with pain. "I killed two of the assassins Jiang Tianqi sent. I couldn't stay in the hospital, so I sneaked out."
"Nonsense." Li Hanzhou frowned. "Why are you running around like this when you're not fully recovered?"
"If we lie down any longer, Portland Street will really belong to the Chiang family!" Ah Gui said anxiously. "Brother Li, while you were gone these past few days, those people..."
"Sit down and talk." Fang Che moved a stool over, then looked at the stairs. "Where's Uncle Chen?"
"Here it is."
Uncle Chen carried a box that looked like an old radio and slowly walked up the last few steps.
He was dressed in a faded Tang suit and wore reading glasses, looking like an ordinary old man from the temple street.
But the box contained a modified radio and decryption equipment.
"Ah Che," Uncle Chen looked him over, "you've lost weight, but you seem to be in good spirits. What about your back injury?"
"Almost done." Fang Che grinned. "Your gear...it's kind of retro."
“Nostalgia is the safest approach.” Uncle Chen opened the box, revealing a sophisticated circuit board inside. “Now that there are surveillance cameras everywhere, digital signals are easy to trace. An old-fashioned radio and a codebook are the most reliable.”
He adjusted the knob, and the radio emitted an electrical hum that quickly transformed into an encrypted human voice.
"...Target confirmed dead. Repeat, confirmed dead. Young Master Jiang instructs: next step, full-scale land acquisition, budget capped at 300 million..."
It was a phone call between Jiang Tianqi and a real estate developer.
Fang Che and Li Hanzhou exchanged a glance.
"Uncle Chen," Li Hanzhou asked, "can you locate it?"
"Yes, but it will take time." Uncle Chen pushed up his glasses. "Jiang Tianqi used frequency hopping, he was very careful. But... I intercepted the key information."
He pulled out a handwritten note with numbers and place names on it.
“Jiang Tianqi’s total budget for land acquisition is 300 million yuan. 200 million yuan is a loan, 50 million yuan is public funds from the triad, and another 50 million yuan is a private loan.” Uncle Chen’s tone turned serious. “His cash flow is already stretched. As long as the land price exceeds the budget, he will collapse.”
Fang Che's eyes lit up instantly: "Brother Li! There's a chance!"
“We need to know which auction he made his move at first.” Li Hanzhou looked at Uncle Chen. “When? Where?”
"Tomorrow at 3 PM, at the Land Auction Centre, Kowloon Tong C-12 plot." Chen Bo paused, "But Jiang Tianqi has already made arrangements; all the other bidders have been 'persuaded to withdraw.'"
"Then we'll go with the non-refundable one," Fang Che sneered. "Brother Li, how much money do we have at our disposal?"
Li Hanzhou gave a number.
Fang Che did the mental calculations and shook his head: "Not enough. The entry deposit is at least 150 million."
A moment of silence.
Ah Gui suddenly spoke up: "Brother Li, before Xi Rong disappeared... she gave me something."
He took out a paper package from his pocket, which contained several overseas bank drafts and a handwritten list of assets.
“This is…” Li Hanzhou took it.
“The assets that Li Ruoxue transferred.” Ah Gui lowered his voice. “Xi Rong said she found them when she was following Miss Li. The items were hidden in the stronghold of the city walled city, and Xi Rong took a copy out in the chaos.”
The list includes the Li family's former assets: two properties in Kowloon, a villa in Mid-Levels, and overseas accounts, with a total value of over 80 million.
Fang Che stared at the list, his fingers tightening: "What exactly is she trying to do? Help Jiang Tianqi while transferring family assets?"
“Playing both sides.” Li Hanzhou’s eyes turned cold. “No matter who wins between me and Jiang Tianqi, she can preserve the foundation of the Li family. A clever plan.”
"Then this money..." Ah Gui asked.
“Use it.” Li Hanzhou said decisively, “Ache, use these as a deposit for the auction tomorrow. I’m going to see someone else.”
"who?"
“Mr. Zhao.” Li Hanzhou looked out the window. “Zhao Yongchang of Yongsheng Group is Jiang Tianqi’s biggest partner. If he wavers, half of Jiang Tianqi’s plan will collapse.”
Fang Che blinked: "Brother Li, why don't you go and negotiate?"
“No.” Li Hanzhou turned back, a hint of a smile in his eyes. “You’re the one who’s going.”
"I?"
“There’s a party at the Regent Hotel tonight, and Zhao Yongchang will be there,” Li Hanzhou said. “You’ll dress up as a wealthy businessman who’s returned from Southeast Asia and go talk to him about ‘business cooperation’.”
Fang Che was stunned: "Me? Pretend to be a rich businessman? Brother Li, my face..."
“So you have to act convincingly.” Li Hanzhou pulled a suitcase out from under the bed, opened it, and inside were a floral shirt, a gold chain, a fake beard, and gold-rimmed glasses. “Thirteenth Sister is ready. She will pretend to be your goddaughter and help you out.”
Fang Che picked up the fuchsia floral shirt, his lips twitching slightly: "Isn't this sense of style... a bit too conspicuous?"
“That’s what makes you stand out.” Li Hanzhou shoved the shirt into his hand. “The more extravagant you are, the more people will notice your outfit, not your face. Jiang Tianqi was at the party too; he saw you. We have to keep it a secret.”
Fang Che looked at the pile of gear and took a breath: "Fine! For three servings of shrimp, I'll risk it all!"
Ah Gui couldn't help but laugh: "Fang Che, you've made quite a sacrifice."
"Shut up." Fang Che glared at him. "You'll have to wear it too when you're better."
Amidst laughter and conversation, the plan was finalized.
In the afternoon, Thirteen Sister arrived.
She was wearing a dark green cheongsam, with her curly hair cascading down her shoulders. When she walked in and saw Fang Che applying a mustache in front of the mirror, she laughed.
“Little A-Che,” she walked around him, “I must say, this appearance… is quite unique.”
Fang Che straightened his crooked beard, looking pained. "Sis, stop laughing. My beard is itchy."
"Bear with it." Thirteen Sister took out a small bottle from her handbag. "Peppermint oil. Apply it to your philtrum to stop the itching and refresh you."
She lowered her voice: "There are our people at the party, including the bartenders and waiters. But Jiang Tianqi brought eight bodyguards, and we're being careful not to get too close."
"Understood." Fang Che nodded and rubbed his lower back again.
My back injury hasn't fully healed, and it hurts when I stand for too long. But I have to hang in there tonight.
Li Hanzhou walked over, placed his hand on his waist, and gently rubbed it: "If you can't hold on, find an excuse to leave first. Safety first."
"It's nothing." Fang Che grabbed his hand. "Brother Li, how about you over there?"
“I’m going to the walled city.” Li Hanzhou looked out the window. “This is the last place Xi Rong was seen before she disappeared. If she’s still alive, she must have left a mark.”
Fang Che's heart tightened: "I'll go too..."
“No.” Li Hanzhou interrupted, “You are now Charlie Chan, a wealthy businessman from Southeast Asia. Wealthy businessmen don’t go into Kowloon Walled City.”
He cupped Fang Che's face in his hands, his thumb tracing the edge of his fake beard: "A-Che, trust me. I will find her."
Fang Che looked into his eyes and finally nodded: "Be careful."
"The same to you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com