He Tiandou said, "We must get back everything they took. As for those people, you can deal with them."
Kongkong'er said, "So you don't really intend to cooperate with them?"
He Tiandou asked curiously, "What's wrong with you? Would I possibly cooperate with them?"
Kongkong slapped his forehead and laughed, "I'm a little confused right now. Okay, I'll go find out where they are now."
After Kongkong'er left, He Tiandou rubbed his temples and said, "I feel really bad. Xiaoqiang, did you use your mind-reading ability on Kongkong'er just now to see what he was thinking?"
I asked, puzzled, "Isn't he your godson?"
He Tiandou said, "I feel that he is no longer on my side."
At this moment, Wu Sangui, who was standing to the side, said slowly and deliberately, "It would be a miracle if Kongkong'er didn't rebel."
I sat bolt upright in shock: "What do you mean?"
He Tiandou waved his hand and said, "Don't be nervous, everything is still under control."
Wu Sangui said, "The other side shouldn't have released him so readily. Also, someone who has been unconscious for so long shouldn't have so much energy. Finally, his last sentence revealed his identity. He asked if we didn't plan to cooperate with the other side. This clearly shows that he had already been turned and was testing our inside man."
I said urgently, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Wu Sangui shrugged and said, "What good would it do me to tell him? Who among you is his match?"
I grabbed He Tiandou's arm and said, "Didn't you say everything was under control?"
He Tiandou smiled knowingly: "I had foreseen that I would face a calamity this year, but I never expected that it would befall him."
"So what's your plan?"
He Tiandou spread his hands (a gesture that all the characters in this chapter love): "The calamity has been fulfilled, but we haven't figured out a countermeasure yet."
I jumped up and shouted, "Is this what you mean by having everything under control?"
At this moment, Li Shishi chuckled and said, "To be precise, this should be called: utterly helpless."
Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Counterattack, Lei Laosi's Crisis
I looked around the room and asked, "Where's Brother Yu?"
He Tiandou said, "Stop looking. Even if Xiang Yu were on flat ground, he probably wouldn't be a match for Kongkong'er." He glanced at his watch as he spoke. "If Kongkong'er is going back to those foreigners, it'll be about time. I'll soon find out whether he's betrayed us or not."
Just then, the phone rang. It was Lei Laosi, who said in a gloating tone, "That foreigner surnamed Gu is very annoyed with your performance. Now he asked me to tell you that if you change your mind, you should tell me as soon as possible."
I covered the phone receiver and said to He Tiandou, "You guessed right, Kongkong'er is back to back with you."
I put down the microphone and asked, "What would happen if I didn't change my mind?"
Lei Laosi sneered, "Then you're in trouble. I'll join forces with them to deal with you. With new grudges and old ones added to the mix, if I were you, I'd be in a real headache."
I asked cautiously, "May I ask how you plan to deal with me?"
Lei Laosi said menacingly, "You used to be just a small-time hoodlum, but now you own quite a few businesses, right? Bars, wineries, beverage companies..."
I said confidently, "Then go ahead, and I wish you success." The reason I said that was because I was only affiliated with the winery and beverage company; I rented several production lines from them. If Lei Laosi were to vandalize these places because of this, it would be like stirring up a hornet's nest. They are big companies; would they let him vandalize them for nothing? As for the bar, I could have Sun Sixin close it now, but then I thought about it and realized that Lei Laosi needed an outlet for his anger. Besides, what if he set it on fire if I closed it? So I told Sun Sixin to keep it open as usual, but not to take in any customers.
Besides Xiang Yu, Li Shishi, Ersha, Wu Sangui, and Hua Mulan all eagerly rushed to the living room to hear the news. These people had all experienced life-and-death situations. To them, this little matter was like a child's tantrum, so they all looked relaxed. I wasn't in a hurry either. Let them smash the bar; as I said, I wasn't in charge of the other two places. As for Yucai, I was genuinely worried—what if Lei Laosi's men went and got killed there? Not to mention Yue Fei's army and the Liangshan heroes, even Duan Tianlang and Cheng Fengshou weren't easy to deal with.
Ten minutes later, I called the bar, and Sun Sixin said everything was normal there. Ten minutes later, I called the winery to ask if anyone was causing trouble there, and the person who answered just cursed "crazy" and hung up. Calling the beverage company was similar, except the operator just called me an idiot.
I sat on the sofa, annoyed, and muttered, "Why is Lei Laosi like this too? He promised to fight." Lei Ming did the same thing last time; he agreed to a duel with us, but then ran away. It seems this father and son have a genetic predisposition. I knew that once Lei Laosi got involved, he wouldn't escape unscathed. I've never liked him, so now I really hoped he would actually make a move, so he could get covered in this dung heap I'd created.
A few more minutes passed, and there was still no movement from any side. I wondered, "This doesn't make sense. Even if we had to find someone at the last minute, there would have been enough time. Could it be that he's considering giving up?"
Li Shishi suddenly asked, "Do you think he might make things difficult for Sister Baozi?"
As soon as she said this, Wu Sangui and the others stood up. My heart felt like it had fallen into an ice cellar. How could I have forgotten about this?
My hands were trembling as I dialed the number for the steamed bun shop. On the other end was a cacophony of voices, interspersed with the occasional call of a server ordering steamed buns to several tables. I breathed a slight sigh of relief and asked the server who answered the phone, "Where's your 'Sister Steamed Bun'?" This was the standard address used at the shop after Baozi became the owner.
The waiter recognized my voice and said in a somewhat ingratiating tone, "Sister Baozi was just in the store a moment ago, but she went out with two friends a few minutes ago."
"What friend?"
“I don’t know them. They came to see Sister Baozi, said a few words, and then Sister Baozi left with them.”
"Were those two men or women?"
"A man."
I put my hands on my head, thinking of one last question: "Were those two foreigners?"
The waiter said, somewhat puzzled, "No, Brother Qiang, is something wrong?"
I didn't have time to say anything else and hurriedly asked, "Did your Baozi sister have any special expression when she left?"
"...I didn't realize he was having such a good time."
I hung up the phone and stared intently at Li Shishi, who had also dialed Baozi's number at the same time. She put down her phone and said, "The call is connected, but no one is answering."
I slammed my fist on the coffee table: "These bastards!"
Wu Sangui also said regretfully, "We should have thought of this sooner. Last time, we hit Lei Laosi because of Baozi. He must know where it hurts the most when we poke you."
Yes, we should have realized that if Lei Laosi wanted to deal with me, he would likely target Baozi first. But our preconceived notions blinded us. Lei Laosi is, after all, a top figure in the underworld; we expected his actions to be swift and decisive. We never imagined he could be so despicable. If Li Shishi had personally experienced what happened with Baozi, her keen observation would have led her to this conclusion. Furthermore, if Liu Bang had been there, he would have immediately anticipated such a vile tactic. Unfortunately, people these days are either dim-witted fools or naive like Mulan. While Wu Sangui was cunning, a ruthless hero's mind is often focused on the bigger picture; he never imagined Lei Laosi would be so vile.
I was relaxed earlier because I didn't believe He Tiandou really couldn't handle Kongkong'er. As for the bar and stuff, those are just external things. I, Xiaoqiang, am content with my modest wealth; I have enough money for a lifetime. But now that Baozi is involved, my mind is completely in turmoil. Those who oppose us are either gangsters or the Mafia—they have no humanity. If it were those hitmen who help old ladies cross the street before carrying out their missions, it would be alright, but these are local gangsters. I know their character too well. Slaps, arm-binding, brick-stabbing—there's violence, but absolutely no beauty.