Chapter 172: Revenge (Part 1)
The Wuliangye liquor was excellent, and the dishes at Shuiyuanju were fragrant. Xiaojia, Zhao Xiu, and Su Tang'er ate with great relish. Hou Weidong and Su Mingjun clinked glasses, taking turns until they finished the entire bottle.
Su Mingjun was a typical cadre from the Organization Department. Even after drinking, he remained as steady as a mountain. His speech was always half-spoken and half-withheld; he conveyed his meaning, yet upon closer reflection, there was no explicit content to grasp.
After the meal, Xiaojia affectionately linked arms with Zhao Xiu and went to Zhao Xiu’s home to play mahjong. Hou Weidong and Su Mingjun chatted briefly in the central courtyard before returning to their respective homes.
Back home, Hou Weidong turned on his newly purchased computer. He didn’t have a strong affinity for computers, so after browsing the news for a while, he lay down on the bed. Suddenly, the dream from the afternoon emerged again from some unknown corner of his mind. The bloody bullet hole in his chest was still vivid in his memory. Having had two similar dreams in one day left Hou Weidong deeply depressed. He turned over, got up, and called his eldest brother, Hou Weiguo.
"Big Brother, how is the investigation into that shooting case going? My good friend Qin Jiangang was killed by gunfire. The public security organs must give an explanation." In front of his brother, Hou Weidong spoke directly and bluntly.
Hou Weiguo was also in a foul mood. Recently, his wife, Jiang Chu, had suffered heavy losses in the stock market. He heard she had taken another fifty thousand yuan from the third brother, only to have it trapped at the peak of the market shortly after.
Losing money in stocks was one thing. As long as she didn’t sell at a loss, it wasn’t a realized loss. But after Jiang Chu came home, she either wore a mournful expression or pored over a thick book known as the "Bible of Stock Trading." She became careless and sloppy with household chores. When Hou Weiguo returned from handling cases, he often found himself washing vegetables and doing housework.
It wasn’t a big deal for a man to do some chores, but doing so long-term bred resentment. Hearing the poor tone in Hou Weidong’s voice, he shouted loudly, "Little Three, do you have too much money? If you give it to Jiang Chu for stock trading and she loses it, don’t expect me to pay you back."
Hou Weidong’s ear hurt from the volume through the receiver. He hurriedly said, "Big Brother, keep it down. You’re going to rupture my eardrums."
After letting out that shout, Hou Weiguo’s anger subsided somewhat. He said, "Your sister-in-law is now obsessed with stocks. Don’t give her any more money. She can lose any amount. She’s sulking at home right now and hasn’t even cooked dinner. I’m a grown man, just back from handling a case, yet I’m sitting in the kitchen sorting vegetables. It’s laughable."
Hou Weidong recalled his sister-in-law Jiang Chu’s stubborn demeanor and laughed. "Big Brother, forget it. Don’t cook. I know what’s bothering her. Drive your car to Xinyue Tower. There’s a Shuiyuanju restaurant outside. The food is good. Let me treat you both to dinner."
With a free dinner on offer, why not eat? Hou Weiguo put the vegetables back in the basin, walked into the bedroom, and saw Jiang Chu sitting at the desk. On a large sheet of white paper, she had drawn fluctuating curves. Drawing stock market charts every night was a mandatory task for Jiang Chu. She was extremely serious, meticulous in every detail.
Hou Weiguo stood at the door and knocked. "Let’s go." Jiang Chu’s black hair touched the table as she leaned forward, predicting tomorrow’s stock trends. She refused without hesitation, "I’m busy. I’m not going." Then she realized something and asked, "Who’s treating? Little Three?"
Hearing it was Little Three treating, Jiang Chu said, "If Little Three is treating, of course, we must go."
At Shuiyuanju, Jiang Chu had re-styled her hair. She looked refreshed, sweeping away the gloom from the house. She proactively greeted them and asked, "Why isn’t Xiaojia here?" Hou Weidong thought, She looks in good spirits. Outwardly, he said, "Sister-in-law, Xiaojia was invited to a mahjong game. She won’t be back until after twelve."
Hou Weiguo was already starving. As soon as the cold dishes arrived, he devoured a plate of Husband and Wife Lung Slices like a whirlwind. Hou Weidong, whose stomach was already full, leaned close to Jiang Chu’s ear and whispered a few words. Jiang Chu’s expression brightened, and she showed gratitude, saying, "Little Three, you’re so good."
Hou Weiguo looked suspiciously at Jiang Chu and Hou Weidong. "Little Three, what are you up to?" Hou Weidong smiled. "It’s a secret that cannot be revealed."
Hou Weiguo guessed part of it but didn’t press. He finished the last slice of Husband and Wife Lung Slices and said, "The cold dishes at Shuiyuanju are indeed good, better than those at the Shazhou Hotel. However, the main courses are just average."
Hou Weidong recounted his dream and asked, "Big Brother, is there any lead on the two black guns in Yiyang?"
Hou Weiguo was focused on attacking the shredded chicken with chrysanthemum petals. He said, "I knew you’d ask about this. My people have been recalled. The matter of the black guns has been handed over to the Yiyang Public Security Bureau."
In fact, Hou Weiguo had held back thirty percent of the truth. The Shazhou Criminal Investigation Detachment had not abandoned the case. It was just that they couldn’t break it immediately, and they sensed some complexity within the Yiyang Public Security Bureau. So, they withdrew their personnel in public but continued to follow the lead in secret. As a veteran criminal investigator, he knew exactly what could and could not be said. He was very measured in his words. Even with a brother as close as Hou Weidong, he would not violate work discipline.
Hou Weidong expressed his dissatisfaction. "The Yiyang Public Security Bureau handles cases in a baffling way. They ignore the shooting of a grassroots party branch secretary but focus tightly on the matter of Heiwa’s hand being chopped off. Does a grassroots party branch secretary really weigh less than a triad member?"
Hou Weiguo was accustomed to the dark side of society and the ugliness of human nature. He said, "You have to look at this from different angles. I know about Heiwa’s situation. He was once the big boss in Yiyang. Now that his hand is disabled, his subordinates have split into several factions, none submitting to the others. Recently, both public order incidents and criminal cases in Yiyang have risen significantly. From the perspective of public security, keeping an eye on Heiwa is obviously more valuable than focusing on Qin Jiangang’s family."
"Of course, this is purely from the perspective of solving the case. As for social impact, that is mostly the government’s concern. Specific case handlers won’t worry about that." He added, "You are not a public security officer. You’d better not interfere randomly with case matters. Since you are good friends with Qin Jiangang, taking care of his family in your daily life is enough to fulfill your duty as a friend."
Jiang Chu interrupted, "You two brothers shouldn’t talk about these things. It’s too heavy. You bought a computer. Can you go online?" Hou Weidong was unfamiliar with going online. He said, "I bought it, but I still don’t know how to use it well. I’ve been reading the manual these past two days." Jiang Chu was delighted. "I’ll teach you. I attended a computer class and am already in the second session. Let’s go check out your new computer."
Hou Weiguo said from the side, "Wait a moment. There’s still so much food left unfinished." Jiang Chu, trying to maintain her pure image and slender figure, ate little at dinner. She only drank some fish soup and ate some seasonal vegetables. Seeing her husband had consumed most of the shredded chicken, she said, "Husband, you should eat less meat at night, or you’ll grow a belly."
Hou Weiguo ignored her. Eating as he spoke, he said, "With my job, I’m exhausted all day long. It’s really not easy to gain weight." Jiang Chu disagreed. "Don’t say that. There are plenty of big fat guys in your squad."
After the meal, the three went up to Xinyue Tower. Hou Weiguo found a copy of the latest version of True Lies, turned on the stereo, and enjoyed it alone.
Jiang Chu and Hou Weidong went into the study. As Jiang Chu skillfully opened web pages, she said, "Little Three, I’m trapped again. I can’t return the money anytime soon. I’m really embarrassed." Hou Weidong knew Jiang Chu had this psychological burden. He said, "Sister-in-law, don’t feel burdened. I never expected you to pay me back. Just be very careful, as the stock market carries high risks."
Jiang Chu nodded frequently. Soon, she downloaded a software program. After installing it, she said, "Little Three, this is Qianlong software, specifically for stock trading." Her fingers moved deftly across the constantly changing Qianlong interface.
For Hou Weidong, this was an unfamiliar field. He looked on, half-understanding, and listened, completely confused. Seeing Jiang Chu’s enthusiasm, he said, "Take your time looking. I’ll go to the living room." Jiang Chu said, "Okay, go ahead."
Back in the living room, the two brothers chatted casually again.
Hou Weiguo said, "I know Chen Jianyong from the Yiyang Criminal Investigation Detachment. He is experienced and has strong case-handling abilities, though his temper is a bit foul."
Hou Weidong had had two unpleasant encounters with Chen Jianyong. He said, "Chen Jianyong concluded that someone from Shangqinglin chopped off Heiwa’s hand without any evidence. That’s too arbitrary."
"You should trust Chen Jianyong’s professional competence. His conclusions are based on evidence; he just won’t bring them into the open before the case is solved."
His brother’s statement drew Hou Weidong’s attention. He pondered silently, If it really was Shangqinglin, who would it be? Not Qin Gan, then Zeng Xiangang? In his heart, he leaned more toward Zeng Xiangang. After the incident at home, Zeng Xiangang’s single eye had grown increasingly gloomy, always reminding Hou Weidong of a wild wolf in the night. And wolves eat people.
At that moment, Zeng Xiangang was indeed a wild wolf. Clutching a homemade mobile phone in his chest pocket, he hid in a concealed spot on a small path, patiently waiting for his enemy, the Tall Thin Man, to return.
The failure to eliminate the ringleader had always been a thorn in Zeng Xiangang’s side. After chopping off Heiwa’s hand, things had been calm. After waiting for more than half a month, he went to the Tall Thin Man’s hometown again. This time, he struck lucky. From afar, he saw three people walking out, one of whom was the Tall Thin Man, a face he knew by heart. Although enemies meeting face-to-face usually leads to intense hostility, Zeng Xiangang saw that the Tall Thin Man was accompanied by two others, so he didn’t act impulsively. Instead, he followed them secretly.
The Tall Thin Man and his friends had played mahjong all day at a farmhouse. During dinner, the room echoed with loud drinking game shouts. After the shouting stopped, the sound of shuffling mahjong tiles resumed. The mahjong game finally ended at eleven o’clock.
Having fled outside for several months, the Tall Thin Man felt the heat had died down. Plus, his money had run out, so he sneaked back. He was someone used to playing around outside and couldn’t stay at home. He invited a few brothers who usually drank, played cards, and indulged in vice with him. When the card game ended, he had won over two hundred yuan. With a slight buzz of alcohol, he happily headed home.
He had no idea that danger had descended. Climbing a steep slope, he was panting from exhaustion when a loud bang suddenly rang in his ears. He felt a shock on his head and immediately lost consciousness.
Zeng Xiangang was very calm. He turned on his flashlight and shone it on the body. Seeing the head was a mess of blood and flesh, he pressed his pistol against the Tall Thin Man’s head and fired again. After the shot, he shone the flashlight on the head again. It had now become a disgusting mass of bloody flesh. Zeng Xiangang did not linger. He walked quickly east along the small path. After about ten minutes, he retrieved his motorcycle from a corner thick with weeds. He started the engine and sped away.
Zeng Xiangang had planned this revenge for a long time. Today, the execution was exceptionally smooth. Having killed his enemy, he did not feel happy. Instead, he felt a deep sense of loss. He revved the motorcycle throttle loudly. The cold wind hit his face, and his eyes seemed to flash with light in the darkness.
In Yiyang City, Xiao Pi, leading more than twenty subordinates and carrying long machetes, arrived at an empty lot on the outskirts of the city. This was a known battleground for Yiyang triads. On the other side, also former subordinates of Heiwa, now led by a man called Brother Yong (Da Yong), waited with more than twenty subordinates in the empty lot.
These two groups had previously been associates. Seeing that both sides were evenly matched, some people stepped forward as mediators, with intentions to divide the territory. After the mediators passed messages back and forth for a long time, Xiao Pi, Brother Yong, and the mediators finally approached each other separately.
"We are all brothers. We should make money together. Why must we use knives and guns here?"
Xiao Pi said, "How about this? The West City area will be mine. Brother Yong’s people had better not come over." West City was a concentrated commercial district, much more prosperous and profitable than other areas. Brother Yong sneered twice. "Good things shouldn’t be monopolized by one person. Unless you give me the orchards outside the city." The two could not reach an agreement, and the atmosphere stiffened again. The mediators continued to persuade them.
They had barely reached an agreement when several gunshots suddenly rang out. Xiao Pi felt a pain in his stomach and squatted on the ground, saying, "I’m not finished with you." The mediator was also shot in the arm. He asked Brother Yong, "Did you do this?" Brother Yong also squatted on the ground. "I’m standing right here too. Am I an idiot? Would I shoot myself along with everyone else?"