The night rain had already started to fall in a light drizzle.
Ant, hunching his neck, followed behind me, then suddenly lowered his voice: "Brother Chen, did you see that? That bastard was about to make a move, but if it weren't for Brother Luo's sake..."
Where exactly is Lao Dao?
I couldn't be bothered to listen to his nonsense, so I grabbed the back of his neck and asked impatiently.
Ant suddenly coughed violently, leaning forward, and vomit splattered onto my leather shoes.
It was all undigested cigarette butts and cloudy bile.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, the veins on his Adam's apple throbbing: "Brother Chen... smell this. I've only swallowed a mouthful of cold water since yesterday morning..."
"Okay, let's eat."
I let go of his hand and pulled him into the barbecue stall at the alley entrance.
Under the greasy plastic shed, as soon as the owner put a case of beer and some kebabs on the table, the ants' eyes lit up like hungry wolves eyeing meat.
He grabbed a roasted lamb kidney and stuffed it into his mouth, oil dripping down his chin and into his collar.
He grabbed the beer bottle again, tilted his head back, and chugged it down, the sound of his Adam's apple bobbing mixed with the hissing of the overflowing foam.
"Where is Lao Dao? How do we find him?"
I lit a cigarette and asked casually.
Ant wiped his mouth, picked up a skewer of green peppers, and said, "Brother Chen, have you heard of the new casino that opened in the south of the city? The owner has a grudge against Old Knife, last month..."
"I'm asking about Lao Dao."
I interrupted him.
Ant scratched his head and stuffed another bite of roasted chicken wing: "By the way, do you remember Wang the Cripple from the auto repair shop in the north of the city? He was asking me about him the other day..."
“
"Ant."
I stubbed out my cigarette: "This is your last chance."
He suddenly pointed into the distance: "Look, isn't that blondie's car? Maybe he's even thinking of..."
"Bang!"
I overturned the table, and the kebabs and beer bottles rolled all over the floor.
The loud noise attracted many people to look in our direction.
The proprietress was also startled; she wanted to come up, but was afraid.
Ant screamed and backed away, his lower back pressed against the greasy stove, oil from the roasted lamb leg splattering onto his trousers.
I grabbed him by the back of the neck, slammed him against the wall, and pressed down on his throat: "I don't want to hear about casinos, cripples, or blondies. If you dare to go around in circles again, I'll nail you to this wall right now."
"I gave you a chance. If you don't talk now, go say goodbye to Huang Mao."
"No, no!"
The ant was trembling with fear, still clutching half a roasted eggplant it hadn't finished eating.
"Old Dao is in an unfinished building in the west of the city! There's a ventilation duct next to the elevator shaft on the third floor. Go in and turn left seven steps... But he said that if anyone asks, we have to talk enough nonsense for three incense sticks before we can tell you!"
I frowned and let go.
He slumped to the ground, panting heavily, and added, "It's the rule... Everyone in the underworld knows that the more eager you are to find out something, the more you need to disperse your yin energy first..."
"What nonsense about dispelling yin energy? Don't give me that crap. There's no such rule in the underworld!"
I grabbed him by the neck.
"Brother, Brother Chen, I just followed what he said, I don't know anything else."
The ants were terrified.
"stand up."
I kicked at the skewers of grilled meat beside his feet: "After you finish this meal, take me to see Old Dao. If you dare to try anything funny..."
Before he could finish speaking, Ant had already grabbed half a lamb leg and stuffed it into his mouth, his face covered in grease.
"Understood! Don't worry, Brother Chen. Although I, Ant, am a coward, I know what the rules of the underworld are!"
Seeing that he was honest and didn't dare to try anything funny in front of me, I lit another cigarette.
Q: "Don't you know anything? Why did Lao Dao hide? And why did he tell you all this?"
The ant hesitated for a moment before saying, "He said there are eyes watching everyone who comes looking for him!"
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