Chapter 61: Fragments
Chapter 61: Fragments
Old Mi, facing the dark barrel of the gun aimed at him, was also extremely nervous. He slowly raised both hands in surrender, indicating that he posed no threat, while pleading, "Wait, the item isn't with me. Even if you shoot me, it won't do any good..."
Ren Xiaotian seemed not to hear his words and continued, "I'm counting to three. If you don't take it out, I'll shoot. One..."
"No, don't shoot! I told you, it's not with me..." Old Mi sounded very aggrieved.
"Two..."
"Hey, I'm telling the truth. It's not with me..."
"Three!"
"Stop! I'll give it to you! I'll give it!"
Just as Ren Xiaotian was about to pull the trigger after counting to three, Old Mi realized he was serious and started to shout.
Ren Xiaotian paused, his finger still on the trigger, and stared at him. "The item!"
Old Mi said, "It's not on me. Wait, it's over there... I'll have them bring it over."
Under Ren Xiaotian's watchful gaze, Old Mi carefully freed one hand, slowly pulling out a piece of red cloth from his pocket. He held it above his head and waved it towards the back several times.
Chen Chuanyou observed that about two to three hundred meters away, two people emerged from underground, carrying a box-like object and walking towards them.
Ren Xiaotian didn't lower his gun, waiting until the two were about ten meters away before saying, "Put it on the ground and step back."
Old Mi hurriedly echoed, "Listen to him. Put it on the ground."
The two exchanged glances and placed the item on the ground, then cautiously backed away.
Chen Chuanyou glanced at the box and noticed it looked like a mechanical dial, entirely grayish-silver, but he couldn't tell what it was.
Ren Xiaotian pointed the gun towards the box and said, "Go and open it."
Old Mi grumbled, "That's the item, no mistake..." But he dared not disobey and walked over.
Ren Xiaotian signaled Chen Chuanyou to stay put and let Old Mi walk ahead. Once there, Old Mi bent down to pick up the item, holding it with both hands. He twisted the lid and opened it.
Chen Chuanyou took a look and saw the box contained something like broken shards, with faint red silk threads and a weak glow, making it hard to identify.
Just then, Chen Chuanyou sensed his Second Self slightly dissipating, and his eyebrows lifted slightly, indicating that something had caused him minor harm.
At the same time, Ren Xiaotian signaled Old Mi to close the item, and the dissipation of his Second Self also stopped.
Chen Chuanyou was now certain that the harm came from this item, but what was it? Radiation? Chemical contamination? Or something else?
Ren Xiaotian stepped forward and snatched the item from Old Mi, who hurriedly said, "I'm giving it to you. The trade voucher! The trade voucher!"
Ren Xiaotian took out a stack of Jiao Mountain trade vouchers from his pocket and said, "I'll give it to you. Step back."
He gestured with his gun for Old Mi to move back, then returned to the car, telling Chen Chuanyou to get in first. He threw the trade vouchers into the distance and quickly got into the car.
Chen Chuanyou noticed that almost the instant the trade vouchers were thrown, including Old Mi, three people immediately ran over and started counting the vouchers one by one.
Ren Xiaotian placed the acquired box into a prepared bag, zipped it up, and started the car, heading back the way they came.
Chen Chuanyou asked, "Brother Ren, have we completed this assigned mission?"
Ren Xiaotian replied, "Once we return it, it's done."
Chen Chuanyou had expected more twists and turns, but then he thought, if Ren Xiaotian hadn't been so decisive and exposed Old Mi's lie, things would have become much more complicated.
"How did Brother Ren know for sure that the item was on him?" Chen Chuanyou asked.
"I wasn't sure," Ren Xiaotian said. He paused for a moment, then spoke seriously. "We must never enter the village. Going in means certain death."
Chen Chuanyou thought about it and expressed his understanding. They were far from Yangzhi City, and the rules here were completely different. People could do anything to survive.
The client who assigned the mission bore all risks. If they had entered the village, they would have been responsible for any consequences.
(End of Chapter 61)
From a different perspective, these people clearly had malicious intentions, intending to lure their targets into the village despite already possessing the desired items. If one were not cautious and followed them, it would likely result in a dangerous situation.
This served as a valuable lesson for Chen Chuan.
He asked, "Senior Ren, may I ask what's inside the box?"
Ren Xiaotian shook his head. "I don't know. It's what the client requested. We've had similar cases before. After a while, he added, "It was found in the Jiao Mountain landfill."
Chen Chuan nodded. "Senior Ren, have you been to this place many times?"
"Seventeen times to the north, but this is my first time to the south," Ren Xiaotian replied.
Chen Chuan remembered clearly, but he was also curious about the contents of the box.
Although he was intrigued, he didn't feel the need to find out immediately. Instead, he subtly warned, "Senior Ren, I don't have a good feeling about that item."
Ren Xiaotian glanced at him and nodded seriously. "I won't take such jobs in the future."
On the way back to the city, Chen Chuan noticed that Ren Xiaotian didn't take the same route back. Instead, he deliberately headed south, taking a detour, seemingly preparing to return to the city from the southern direction.
Although Ren Xiaotian didn't provide specific explanations, Chen Chuan realized from this action that he was likely taking precautions against competitors or perhaps even against the company itself.
This also indicated that Ren Xiaotian's clients and those of Wei Chang'an were quite different, and the nature of their dealings with the public varied as well.
Chen Chuan asked, "Senior Ren, do you have a weapon permit for your gun?"
"Yes," Ren Xiaotian replied, turning to look at him. "The weapon permit is very important."
Chen Chuan acknowledged, and Cheng Zitong had also repeatedly emphasized this point.
During a meal together, Cheng Zitong had told him that if he were more extreme, he would attend Wu Yi Academy primarily to obtain the permit. Even if he didn't excel in his studies, he could always learn elsewhere after graduation. However, these permits could only be obtained at Wu Yi, and missing the opportunity meant never getting them.
Furthermore, some permits required a basic permit as a prerequisite, and the weapon permit was one of them.
While driving, Ren Xiaotian was vigilant, observing his surroundings. Along the way, he spotted a modified convoy from a distance, possibly housing an illegal organization. Fortunately, they didn't pay any attention to them.
The rest of the journey back to the city was uneventful, and they arrived smoothly at a parking lot near the city center, located at the entrance of a shopping mall.
Ren Xiaotian made a call, and soon after, a car arrived and parked at a distance. Two robust men in security uniforms without any insignia emerged from the vehicle.
Ren Xiaotian carried the package and allowed these men to inspect it. After confirmation, one of the men signed the duplicate form that Ren Xiaotian handed over and took the package, quickly driving away.
Upon returning, Ren Xiaotian gave Chen Chuan a copy of the form. "It's done. I'll take you back to school."
Chen Chuan kept the form. "Thank you, Senior Ren."
Chen Chuan realized that he had essentially accompanied Ren Xiaotian on this task, completing a commission mission.
However, there were many intricacies involved, and a novice might easily fall into a trap while handling such assignments.
After the SUV left, it headed towards Wu Yi Academy, as it was not far away. Within minutes, they arrived at the school and slowly approached the dormitory building.
Chen Chuan noticed a familiar figure carrying something and running swiftly towards the building. With quick strides, he climbed the stairs in a few steps and disappeared from sight.
Ren Xiaotian parked the car. "We're here."
"Thank you, Senior Ren," Chen Chuan said.
Ren Xiaotian gripped the steering wheel and looked ahead. "You're welcome. Don't mention it."
"Goodbye, Senior Ren," Chen Chuan said as he opened the door and headed into the building.
Ren Xiaotian turned to look at Chen Chuan and waited until he entered the building before driving off.
...
...
Chapter end
Report
