I had thought that Ma Quezi's secret digging of the pit would attract Su Gouzi's attention, but I never expected the other party to act so quickly, let alone that this matter would result in a death so soon after it started. I pressed on, "Can you confirm that this matter is related to Su Gouzi?"
"It's precisely because I can't find any connection that I find Su Gouzi even more suspicious!"
Old Song handed me a cigarette: "The people who vandalized Ma Quezi's antique shop were a group of masked men. When they were fighting, they deliberately shouted some things, trying to steer the conflict towards unfair competition. Also, the truck driver who killed Ma Quezi's henchman had been working at a factory for five or six years, but according to the information the Qing family found out, this driver was diagnosed with a terminal illness three months ago."
"This is too coincidental to be a coincidence. It looks like Su Gouzi is giving Ma Quezi a warning."
The smell of evaporating vinegar made my eyes water, and I walked away, asking, "What does the Qing family have to say about this?"
"Qinghuai was very worried about our situation and said that he could provide us with security if we needed it."
Song Laosan smiled and said, "Of course, rather than worrying about us, Qinghuai is more afraid that his previous investments will all go down the drain."
"It's only natural for people to be anxious. The Qing family's cash flow was already tight, and now they've thrown tens of millions into our hands. Anyone would be worried. After all, their goal is to make money, not to do charity. If I hadn't gotten in touch with the Four Gates, I probably wouldn't have earned this much money in eight lifetimes."
I sat down on a rock: "What do you think about this?"
“Su Gouzi is a desperate criminal. We’re coming to his territory and messing with his business. This is a provocation. I think we should accept Qinghuai’s help.”
Old Song handed him a cigarette: "Forging bronze artifacts is a big business. Human life is the least valuable thing in it. It's always good to have a backup plan."
"Tell Qinghuai our location and let him deploy manpower around us. At least it will be a safeguard in a critical moment."
I thought for a moment and said, "Once this batch of bronzes is buried, we'll both retreat down the mountain. We should try to keep a low profile for the time being to avoid following in the footsteps of that cripple's men."
Song Laosan grinned: "We think the same way on this point. I rented a house in a nearby town in advance and prepared rice, flour and cooking oil. Today, the two of us brothers will spend the New Year together, so we can keep each other company."
...
In the blink of an eye, it's already the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.
Early that morning, I was still asleep in bed when I was woken up by a phone call from Ma Quezi.
I groggily opened my eyes, yawning as I spoke, "Uncle Ma, you're so old, how come you still have so much energy every day? It's only six in the morning, why aren't you sleeping, and you won't let others sleep?"
After spending some time together, I've become quite familiar with Ma Quezi, and we sometimes exchange a few jokes. But today, his tone was unusually serious: "I'm heading towards the brick factory. I have something urgent to discuss with you. Are you on the mountain?"
I sensed something was off about Ma Quezi's tone, so I quickly replied, "I'm here! What happened?"
"I'll be there in half an hour, let's talk when we meet."
I heard the busy tone on the phone and quickly woke up Song Laosan. The two of us, without even washing our faces, rode the second-hand motorcycle he had bought to the brick factory.
These past few days we haven't been on the mountain. The workers that Song Laosan hired have been guarding the brick factory. We're just here to make a show for Ma Quezi, so we're not worried about things getting stolen.
Less than ten minutes after I arrived at the brick factory, Ma Quezi's Land Cruiser stopped in front of the caretaker's room, and then he rushed into the room.
I was stunned when I saw that Ma the Cripple's hands were wrapped in thick bandages and his face was covered in bruises: "Uncle Ma, how did you get these injuries? Were you in a car accident?"
Ma the Cripple didn't answer my question at all, and went straight to the point: "Little Dong, how long before that batch of goods in the pit can be unearthed at the earliest?"
I replied according to the previously agreed plan: "Master Ma, didn't I promise you that the goods would definitely be available before the first month of the lunar calendar? There are still more than twenty days left. Pit rusting is a tedious job, and you must have enough patience."
The cripple retorted unreasonably, "I don't care what methods you use, the time must be brought forward, before the 20th... no, before the 15th of the first lunar month, I must see this batch of goods!"
Old Song also noticed Ma Quezi's odd behavior and interjected with a smile, "Master Ma, aren't you making things difficult for him? Biting rust isn't like cooking. You can't just serve it half-cooked because the guests are in a hurry. No matter how much you rush us, we still have to wait for the chemical reaction, right?"
Ma the Cripple tapped the ground with his cane: "I know this request is unreasonable, but you have to do it. I've been in talks with distributors in East and North China recently, and everything is going smoothly. Now they all want to see the goods, and they're giving me a tight timeframe. The people I've contacted are all influential figures in the industry, and I'm not the only one hoping they'll help sell the goods. Before they agree to cooperate with others, I have to show them the products and win them over first."
Hearing this flawed explanation, I had a pretty good idea of the real reason.
If nothing unexpected happens, the injury on Ma Quezi's face was most likely done by Su Gouzi's men.
Although we don't know what he went through, the fact that he's in such a hurry to ask us for goods means there must be a problem with his downstream distributors. He needs to provide a batch of goods to stabilize his distributors.
If my hypothesis is correct, it means that a huge rift has appeared in the relationship between Ma Quezi and Su Gouzi.
However, I was hesitant for a moment when faced with Ma Quezi's request.
We set up this rust pit precisely to trap him. The reason we set the time to take him out of the pit at the end of the month is because nothing of substance can be found in this pit.
The reason Ma Quezi is asking us for things right now is to protect his supply line.
I am well aware that we can only achieve our goal by making him a threat to Su Gouzi. But if I agree to his request, it means that the Qing family will have to get involved and bring back another batch of counterfeits.
Even if the Qing family agreed, Qing Huai probably wouldn't be able to get so many things back in such a short time, let alone whether the Qing family would be willing to spend that much money.
Having come up with no solution, I could only cast a pleading look at Song Laosan.
Old Song understood immediately, blinked and said, "Master Ma, the proportions of our Rust-Biting Potion are fixed and the time cannot be changed. If you are really in a hurry, I have a way to solve your problem that will satisfy both parties."
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