After Manjing was injured, Qinghuai sent him to the same hospital where Monkey had received treatment.
When we arrived at the hospital, he had already completed the surgery.
According to the doctor, Su Jiaming's modified shotgun wasn't very powerful, and given Manjing's thick skin, the bullets didn't hit any vital organs. They only left a dozen or so iron pellets in his right buttock and thigh, which have been successfully removed. Based on his physical condition, he should be fine after a week or two of rest.
In the corridor, Lin Que breathed a sigh of relief after hearing the doctor's explanation: "Thank goodness Manjing is alright! This guy has no parents, only his grandparents back home. If something had happened to him, how could I explain it to the two old folks!"
"Thanks to you and Manjing for what happened today. Don't worry, I will never forget this kindness."
I reached out and patted Lin Que's arm: "You must have been terrified by what happened to me today, right?"
"Yeah, we used to mess around in society, but if we ran into someone with a knife, we were pretty tough. Scenes like this where someone just pulls out a gun and starts fighting are something we've only ever seen in movies."
Lin Que recalled the copper smelter incident with lingering fear: "But even if we're scared, we have to stand up when it matters! Manjing and I are just two laborers, belonging to the lowest rung of society. Although we come from humble backgrounds, we can still tell who is good to us. You helped me before, big brother, and helped me pay off my debts. This is a huge favor, and I must repay you."
I never expected Lin Que, who seemed so immature, to say something like that. After thinking for a moment, I asked, "If I let you and Manjing stay by my side, would you be willing?"
"Brother, may I ask what you do for a living?"
Lin Que blinked: "Actually, based on what happened last time, I can tell something. You must be involved in a honey trap, right? But other people who commit honey traps are afraid of being discovered, so why are you wielding knives and guns?"
I smiled and said, "What happened today has little to do with me. I got involved by accident. As for what I do, I can't tell you for now. And I have to be honest with you, there will be danger with me, but there will also be very generous rewards. I'll give you and Manjing a monthly salary of 10,000 yuan each, with extra pay for the work. Can you accept that?"
"Ten thousand yuan? That's a lot!"
Lin Que was taken aback: "Does it provide pension insurance?"
I chuckled and said, "I can provide it if you need it."
"I'll do it! I'm just a worthless person anyway, so I'll seize the opportunity to climb up the ladder!"
Lin Que agreed to my terms without hesitation: "Then I'll call you boss from now on, okay?"
"Whatever you want."
I didn't dwell on it and transferred 50,000 yuan to Lin Que's WeChat: "Take this money. 30,000 yuan is compensation for Manjing, and the remaining 10,000 yuan is for each of you. Recently, you two only need to do one thing: apply for passports and visas to Russia. You can have a travel agency or scalper handle the invitation letters and other formalities for you. If you can't get a visa on your own, just book a visa-free travel agency. Call me when you choose your destination, and I'll give you the address."
Lin Que sniffed, her big snotty nose snorting, and stared at me with her innocent little eyes: "Big brother, is your business really that extensive? You've even gone so far as to set up honey traps in Russia?"
"When working with me, observe more and ask less."
I gave a knowing answer, then quickly changed the subject: "Also, this matter must be kept strictly confidential. Don't mention it to anyone, understand?"
Lin Que instinctively clenched his pants: "Don't worry, big brother, I may not have many other good qualities, but I'm extremely tight-lipped!"
...
After the copper smelter incident, the negotiations between the Su family and the Qing family officially got on track.
The next day at noon, Su Gouzi had someone deliver Mr. Leng's bronze zun to me. After confirming that the item was genuine, I met with Song Laosan.
"Is this the Gongxin Zun that Mr. Leng has been longing for?"
Looking at the rhinoceros-shaped vessel in the brocade box, Song Laosan looked somewhat disappointed: "I thought it would be some exquisitely crafted treasure, but now it seems that the style and workmanship are quite ordinary. I'm afraid the most valuable thing on it is the beautiful story of Yi Qi ceding the country."
“Mr. Leng is a true connoisseur. He didn’t want this item for the money, but to collect that period of history. This kind of spirit is what makes it a truly priceless treasure in the eyes of a collector who doesn’t value money.”
I handed the item to Song Laosan: "Now that we have fulfilled Mr. Leng's request, I'll trouble you to make a trip to the capital and deliver this to him. As for his two million reward, we'll split it in half."
Old Song reminded him, "Xiao Duan, Mr. Leng's favor is worth far more than two million. You've done him such a big favor, why don't you go and meet him in person?"
I shook my head: "The hardest debt to repay in this world is the debt of gratitude! I have already helped Mr. Leng, and he will always owe me this favor. It doesn't matter whether I go or not. Besides, the He family is looking for me right now, so it's better for me to show my face less. If I stay in Luoyang, the Qing family will protect me."
“That makes sense, but we can’t stay in Luoyang forever, can we?” Song Laosan unscrewed a bottle of mineral water. “We came here to track down Duan Jinyan. Didn’t Su Jialiang tell you anything?”
"No, Su Jialiang is currently focused on negotiating with the Qing family. I plan to talk to him after he's finished with his work."
I replied calmly, "Go to the capital to take care of your business first. I will continue to investigate. If I find any clues, I will let you know."
"Alright, Mr. Leng is a troublesome person. I'll send the things back to him first, just in case things get complicated."
I dismissed Song Laosan and then dialed Wei Shengnan's number.
I called her the night before, but her phone was switched off until now.
After the call connected, there was no sound from the other end, so I had to speak first: "This is Duan Shenxing."
Wei Shengnan's cold voice came through: "Is there something you need?"
“After you left the copper smelter last night, I kept calling you, but I couldn’t get through. I just wanted to make sure you were safe.”
"You wanted to see if I'd been caught by someone else, didn't you, Duan Shenxing? Are you disappointed that I was able to leave so easily?"
“You’ve misunderstood. I’m not with Su Jialiang. I was one of the people he kidnapped. He only came to me because he wanted the Judge’s Record.”
"This has nothing to do with me, but I must tell you that I will not give up on finding Duan Jinyan. To be honest, I don't dislike you, but you are you, and Duan Jinyan is Duan Jinyan. I will personally collect the debt he owes my second uncle! We can never reach an agreement on this matter!"
"Beep...beep..."
Wei Shengnan said a few words, and then the phone went dead.
Seeing Wei Shengnan's attitude, I breathed a sigh of relief.
The fact that Wei Shengnan was so angry, instead of trying to calm me down, shows that she hasn't found Duan Jinyan's whereabouts yet.
In this way, I was already one step ahead of them.
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