twenty two
Cheng Xi nodded and said, "After they enter the restaurant, we will go in an hour later and book a private room in the Zhuqinglou, preferably one close to the central courtyard. We will occupy the place first and wait until nightfall, then have Li Lai lead the group there."
This was their plan. The two groups met at Pinfang Pavilion to discuss the matter and booked a quiet private room.
First, they set up a banquet and asked a girl to sing some songs. When people arrived, they drove out the outsiders and continued to "talk" until the early morning, leaving before daybreak.
This is basically the favorite process of the wealthy people on the sea. If there is business that can only be discussed on shore, nine out of ten people will choose to meet privately in a brothel, only eating but not staying in the hotel.
Even if the madam or the guards saw it, they would not dare to disturb it.
The plan was certainly sound, but Sun Erlang hesitated. "It's not difficult to sneak into Meixiang Tower from Zhuqing Tower. We can even carry our belongings up the stairs. But only women can move freely in Pinfang Pavilion. Men must be accompanied. Even at night, we might be discovered along the way, which would be troublesome."
"It's okay, just get yourself a set of maid's clothes." Cheng Xi said.
"Hey, the host has to dress up as a woman?" Sun Erlang didn't know what he was thinking, and his face looked a little embarrassed.
Cheng Xi shook her head: "No, I was originally a woman."
Wha… what?! Sun Erlang almost suspected that he had misheard. He stared over with wide eyes. What he saw was an extremely calm and handsome face. The man's expression did not change, as if he had said something that was a matter of course.
Sun Erlang swallowed his saliva, turned his head stiffly and looked at Lin Meng. The boy was also a little surprised, but after noticing Sun Erlang's inquiring gaze, he nodded seriously.
Now Sun Erlang felt that the world had changed. He could kill people, fight wars, do business successfully, and even build an entire boat gang, which convinced everyone.
Such a person, unexpectedly not a man? What they were planning today was even more brutal than murder, and it was actually thought up by a woman!
Even though Sun Erlang was usually careful and measured, he felt that he could not stand any longer.
Seeing Sun Erlang's shattered worldview, Cheng Xi sighed in his heart.
Now that a shipping gang has been formed, these three captains are the real confidants.
Lin Meng and even the elders of the Lin family knew her gender, so it would be inappropriate to hide it from the other two.
This is a good opportunity to make things clear, which will make it easier for them to take action.
But he still had to give it a push, so Cheng Xi simply asked, "Sun Er, can I be trusted?"
Is he... is she... trustworthy? Sun Erlang felt the turmoil in his brain suddenly cool down. He squeezed his palms hard and whispered, "The leader's plan is trustworthy."
When they arrived in the city, they changed the title of "leader" to "host" to avoid being seen.
Now Sun Erlang has changed the name back, and the meaning is self-evident.
Seeing him calm down, Cheng Xi also smiled: "Now the only problem has been solved, what else is there to worry about?"
No. Even if he asked himself, Sun Erlang couldn't find any flaws.
Seeing that he didn't answer, Cheng Xi stood up and said, "In that case, let's have a good fight tonight and let them know how powerful we are!"
"You little bitch, who do you think you are? You've opened your legs, and yet you still act like a troublemaker! You'll never be disciplined unless you're beaten!" The woman who was getting dressed cursed and suddenly raised her leg and kicked, "You're something neither your parents want, and you still dare to kick around? Why weren't you stubborn when your father was trying to exchange you for money? You might as well just hit your head against a wall and die!"
The kick was so heavy that the little girl kneeling in front of him fell to the ground and couldn't get up for a long time.
However, the woman continued to talk non-stop: "I am so unlucky. I have only been recuperating for two months and you kicked me out to the bamboo house. You are so stupid! Look at how depressed you are. You are bringing bad luck to me!"
Even powdering herself in the mirror couldn't stop the increasingly foul language. The little girl struggled to her feet and knelt motionlessly beside him, her two tiny hands clutching the hem of her skirt, gripping it tightly. Her body ached, yet she didn't even cry out.
The beatings and scoldings from the pimp, the humiliation from the security guards, and the days of being locked up in the woodshed covered in filth without even a sip of water finally taught her to shut up.
If you close your eyes, life will be the same. At least as a maid you can have a cold meal.
With a wooden face, she lowered her head and followed the woman, moving out of the house step by step.
"Oh, Tao'er is here! Hurry! There's a guest in the bamboo building, in the room on the west corner of the second floor. I'm afraid he's a wealthy man, so you'd better serve him carefully." As she said this, the brothel owner pulled Tao'er to make her behave more.
Tao'er's face changed. When people in the building said "Dahao", they didn't mean rich, but a strong man from the sea. I haven't seen him for two years, why did he show up again?
When she thought of the tragic things her sisters had said, she couldn't help but panic. She forced herself to say, "Mom, I haven't recovered yet..."
"Bullshit! People just want to listen to some music, why are you meddling in other people's business? I don't even want to stay in the bamboo house anymore!" The madam glared at Tao'er, and immediately choked back all the words in her mind.
Forced to smile, Tao'er quickly said, "Mom, I'll go right away, right away!"
As she spoke, she turned around and glared at the little girl who was struggling to hold the pipa.
It’s all this misfortune brought about by this unlucky star. If things really get out of hand later, I’ll take the blame on you!
She was flustered, but Tao'er didn't dare disobey orders. She hurriedly took the maid to the guest room. When she entered, she didn't even dare to smile. She only said cautiously: "The guests are having a banquet, and I have come to help with the fun."
As she spoke, she took a peek inside and took in the situation. She saw two men sitting at the table, all dressed in black, with swords at their waists. Their faces weren't too fierce, but they did look unfriendly.
There was a servant standing behind him. He was not tall and had a blue birthmark on his face.
She didn't dare to look closely and quickly lowered her head. This looks okay, it shouldn't cause any trouble, right?
"Just sing anything that's cheerful."
A dime of silver fell towards her. Tao'er was delighted and quickly picked it up.
She pinched it, it wasn't much, but she was happy to get paid even if she didn't have to drink. Playing music wasn't a big deal.
Taking the pipa, Taoer picked a cheerful tune and began playing it, not daring to play anything too lascivious, just to have fun. Sure enough, the tune seemed to please the two men, and without further ado, they resumed eating and chatting, just as they would in a restaurant.
It was just right that I had no time to bother with her! Tao Er finally breathed a sigh of relief and began to sing obediently.
Unexpectedly, she sang for an entire hour, and even as it was almost midnight, the two men refused to let her stop. Her throat was burning, her nails ached, and Tao'er could barely hold back her smile. Just as she was worrying about a line going awry, someone suddenly pushed the door open and walked in.
He quickly pressed the string, and Tao'er looked up with a smile on her face, only to find that the person coming was a big man in linen clothes, with a scar on his face, and an air of banditry that could not be suppressed. She was so scared that she immediately lowered her head again, not daring to look.
"Go out and wait!" someone shouted at her.
Tao'er quickly put away her pipa and hurriedly hid away with the maid. If they really had something to discuss, if anyone accidentally overheard it, they might even lose their lives!
Sitting at the door, Tao'er still felt her heart pounding and her throat became increasingly dry.
She swallowed her saliva and said to the maid beside her, "I'm going to go drink some water and take a rest. If the guests come, you can help me!"
She didn't want to stay here any longer. After this group of people finished talking and started drinking, who knew what they would do! She would rather be scolded by the brothel owner than lose half her life.
Isn't this girl a bitch? Just let her suffer.
Without even bringing her pipa, Tao'er lifted her skirt and hurried downstairs.
The girl couldn't stop him and could only watch him run away.
Listening to the noises in the room gradually becoming quieter, she shrank her body and hid in the shadows, not daring to even breathe.
Inside the room, however, the scene was quite different. The three of them sat around the table, untouched by a single drop of wine. The servant who had been standing by fetched them some tea, wiped the birthmark off their face, and then went behind a folding screen to change his clothes.
It didn't take long before he came out again. He had changed into a dress, the style of which was not much different from the little girl holding the pipa just now. However, because he was a little dark, had thick eyebrows and buck teeth, he looked even uglier.
Sun Erlang had never seen Cheng Xi dressed like this before, and was so frightened that he stopped talking for a moment. Fortunately, with the help of the other two, the room did not become quiet.
Cheng Xi ignored the three people and took the food box that Zao Zao had prepared. He whispered, "If I'm not back in an hour, you guys should leave first."
"head……"
Lin Meng had just said a word when Cheng Xi pressed him back: "Don't worry, I can get away by myself."
After saying that, without waiting for their reaction, Cheng Xi bundled the food box onto her back and jumped out the window. This was the second floor, not low at all, but the figure landed silently like a civet cat. After a quick assessment of her position, she lowered her head and walked away, carrying the food box.
Only then did Sun Erlang take a breath, exchanged glances with Lin Meng and Li Lai, and began to act properly again.
It was already early morning, and it was already dark. Most of the guests in the building had gone to bed, and there were not many windows with lights on.
Cheng Xi didn't walk fast, but she hunched her shoulders and looked inconspicuous. She walked most of the way in the yard, and no one even looked at her.
She walked all the way to Meixiang Tower, looked around quickly, and hid behind the building in a flash.
Because it was used to entertain distinguished guests, the rooms in Meixiang Tower were significantly larger than those in other buildings. Not only did they have a pavilion for the owner's entertainment, but they also had an annex for the guards. After taking a quick look at the location, Cheng Xi strapped the food box to his back, grabbed hold of the wooden wall, and quietly climbed up.
After several months of training, her strength had improved significantly, and this classical wooden building, with its countless carvings and decorations, was very easy to climb.
It only took her a few minutes to climb up to the third floor. A VIP like Wan Quan had a private room in the brothel, and once he came, he would not move to another room, so he was very easy to find.
After listening quietly for a while by the window, Cheng Xi opened the window and went into the house.
This bedroom is a suite. The rooms on both sides are similar in size, separated only by a small corridor in the middle. It is covered by a screen and can allow the owner and guests to live next to each other, which is very convenient for "communication".
At this moment, the two distinguished guests were already fast asleep. The room was dark, with only the strong stench of alcohol and fishy smell.
Squatting in the corner, she listened carefully to the noises in the room for a few minutes. Cheng Xi then took down the food box, lifted her skirt, tied a long cloth in front of her, put on the gloves she had prepared in advance, and then gently opened the lid of the box.
Inside the box was a wild dog's head, recently chopped off, with some blood still lingering on the broken neck. Next up was a rooster, its beak tightly bound, its wings and legs tied so tightly that it couldn't stir even in the food box.
Cheng Xi held the dog's head in one hand and the rooster in the other, and walked quietly to the big bed.
Looking over, I saw the fat man lying face down on the bed, with a woman in his arms, her hair disheveled, also soundly asleep.
Wine and sex are the best things to help you sleep. Even thunder wouldn't be able to wake them up at this moment.
Cheng Xi raised his hand and placed the dog's head next to the fat man's pillow. Then he drew out his knife and slashed the rooster's neck. The chicken blood immediately splashed on the dog's head and sprayed all over the ground.
After most of the blood had flowed out, Cheng Xi took out a rope, tied it to the chicken's head, walked to the corridor where the two rooms met, and hung the half-dead chicken on the beam.
The chicken's neck was half broken and blood was flowing continuously, dripping down the twitching wings and forming a pool.
Cheng Xi dipped his gloved hand in some blood and started writing on the pink wall of the room. Soon, a line of bloody words appeared on the wall.
"Whoever harms my brothers will be killed!"
This is a death threat, coupled with dead chickens and dogs and blood all over the room, it is enough to shock people.
Death isn't actually scary; the possibility of dying in your sleep at any time and anywhere is the most frightening thing. That's why gangsters love to use this tactic, like the bloody horse head in "The Godfather" or the severed hand in a delivery box.
The more cruel the threat is, the more effective it is. On the contrary, it is the madness in silence that is the most frightening.
After taking a look at the situation in the room, Cheng Xi quietly returned to the window, took off his bloodstained gloves and apron, and put them in the lunch box.
She was very careful in doing this, not leaving even a single handprint or footprint.
When she left the room, she even gently restored the window to its original position. Without a responsible investigator with criminal investigation experience, this group of people probably wouldn't even know how she got in.
Without hesitation, Cheng Xi quickly climbed down the stairs, lowered his head and hunched his shoulders again, and returned slowly along the same route.
Sitting in the shadows, the little girl squeezed her legs together tightly. The "big guys" had been coming for nearly two hours, and she was so frightened, and even if she hadn't had a drop of water, it wouldn't stop what was coming. She was so desperate that she couldn't hold it back, almost peeing on her skirt.
But she didn't dare.
The guests in this room were obviously not simple. If they dirtied the floor and angered them, they would probably be beaten to death. Unfortunately, Tao'er never returned, so she couldn't even find a replacement.
Low-class maids like her all relieved themselves in the toilet downstairs, but there were also convenient places upstairs.
Unable to hold it back any longer, the little girl involuntarily looked towards the corner of the building, where there was a corner room specially provided for ladies to use.
In the past, she would not have been qualified to go, but now it was late at night and no one was watching. If she moved quickly, it should be possible.
After a struggle, the urge to urinate finally got the better of her. She gently got up and rushed into the corner room in two steps.
There was no light in the room, but she didn't care and sat on the toilet in the moonlight.
The sound of rushing water finally relaxed her expression and she looked forward involuntarily.
This corner room had a window through which one could see obliquely the west side of Zhuqing Tower and the back of the elegant pavilion where she was guarding.
It was late at night and she should not be able to see anything, but when she raised her eyes, she saw a figure climbing up quickly and entering through the window.
The little girl covered her mouth in fear, almost screaming! Someone had sneaked into the room? Was it an assassination attempt, or a robber? What should she do?
Just when I was at a loss, I suddenly heard the sound of cups breaking from the room over there.
The little girl jumped up, and before she could tie her belt and run away, she heard someone shout, "Someone come!"
Someone was calling out from inside, but she was the only one outside. This corner room wasn't close to the stairs, so even if she pushed the door open and ran, she wouldn't be able to escape from this floor.
Despite having nowhere else to go, she managed to calm herself down, quickly put on her clothes, and left the corner room.
No one knew what she saw. If there was no trouble, it was probably someone asking someone to clean up. She just had to pretend nothing happened.
However, no matter what she thought, the moment she pushed open the door, the little girl was still covered in cold sweat and her legs were shaking. Fortunately, everything in the room was normal, except for a wine jar that had fallen to the ground, and the whole room was filled with the smell of alcohol.
The people in the room didn't care who came and just ordered, "Clean it up."
The little girl quickly squatted down to clean up. She was quick and deft, and in a moment she had stacked up the broken porcelain. Just as she was about to stand up with her hands in her arms, she suddenly saw a figure coming out from behind the screen.
It was that boy who had been in the room for a long time, not daring to look at the guests. She had indeed glanced at him twice, but now that she saw him face to face, her heart skipped a beat.
How can a person's birthmark change? Wait, that red spot on the collar, could it be blood?
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