Chapter 19: Don’t Be Impulsive

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Zhong Yuan’s words were a sign of concession to Brother Ma, indicating that they had no intention of making enemies with the Palm Hand Gang. After all, it made no sense for Zhong Yuan and his group, outsiders, to pick a fight with a prominent local gang in all of South Thailand.

The reason Zhong Yuan spoke this way was to lower Brother Ma’s guard.

At the same time, it planted a seed of doubt about Old Pu in Brother Ma’s mind.

Look, we wouldn’t dare cross you Palm Hand Gang, so how could we possibly have anything against Tan Wei! Now that you’ve captured our men and we haven’t revealed Tan Wei’s whereabouts, it shows we truly don’t know where he is!

Humans are creatures adept at undermining themselves.

Especially those who are naturally suspicious; they may not trust what others tell them, but whatever they deduce themselves, they believe without question!

Of course, Zhong Yuan knew this tactic wouldn’t fool Brother Ma for long. The fact that Tan Wei had crossed the sea to Krabi town last night surely was known to others as well. Brother Ma only needed to investigate a little to uncover the full truth.

Therefore, they had to quickly find a way to escape from these men.

If they could get away even temporarily, Zhong Yuan was confident he could lead these troublesome kids out unscathed.

The cars Brother Ma arranged arrived promptly, and Zhong Yuan and his group were split into two vehicles: Zhong Yuan with Xiao Hua, and Zhong Da with Dong Cuo. Before getting in, Zhong Yuan called Zhong Da over and cautioned, “Hold back, don’t act rashly.”

Zhong Da shot a cold glare at Brother Ma, then nodded silently at Zhong Yuan.

They boarded the vehicles at a deserted stretch of coastline, the coastal highway winding endlessly into the distance.

Brother Ma sat in the front passenger seat, reaching up to adjust the rearview mirror so that Zhong Yuan’s entire face was visible from his angle.

Brother Ma had heard from Old Pu that Zhong Yuan was quite skilled, but just how skilled, Old Pu couldn’t say, and he hadn’t fully believed it either. Still, to be safe, he had brought plenty of men.

Luckily he had, because otherwise, these four might not have been kept alive.

The scene on the boat where Zhong Yuan and his brother fought had left a deep impression on him. Especially Zhong Yuan’s speed and skill—it was so fast that even now, recalling it made Brother Ma uneasy.

Someone with such strength was no ordinary person. This was the main reason Brother Ma was willing to take a step back. As for Zhong Yuan’s claim regarding Old Pu, Brother Ma didn’t fully believe it, but he wasn’t without some suspicion either.

At this moment, whether Old Pu was involved was less important than who exactly these brothers were.

With that thought, Brother Ma narrowed his eyes slightly.

As for the scrutiny from Brother Ma visible in the rearview mirror, Zhong Yuan pretended not to notice and closed his eyes to rest as soon as he got in. Xiao Hua, squeezed in behind, did the same.

The car sped on, and about twenty minutes later, it entered an abandoned industrial area surrounded by dilapidated corrugated iron buildings.

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Soon, the car turned into a courtyard and stopped.

Zhong Yuan and the others were ordered off the vehicle roughly.

He glanced around; the courtyard was sizable, enclosed by tall walls topped with barbed wire and iron spikes. Not far off were the corrugated iron buildings, where a few people seemed to be inside.

This place looked like a long-term base for the Palm Hand Gang.

While he was surveying the area, two men emerged from one of the iron structures and approached upon seeing Brother Ma’s group.

“Brother Ma!” they called out, then shifted their gaze over Zhong Yuan and the others, scanning them before asking Brother Ma, “Brother Ma, who are these people?”

They spoke in the Southern Thai dialect.

Brother Ma’s face remained cold. “Don’t ask too much. Where’s Patong?”

“Brother Patong is inside.”

“Go get him!” Brother Ma pointed at one man, then turned to the other. “Clear out two rooms in the back, make it quick!”

The two men nodded and hurried back into the building.

Brother Ma turned to Zhong Yuan.

“Zhong Yuan, I hope everything you said earlier is true.”

Zhong Yuan smiled faintly. “Brother Ma, rest assured, no one dares to gamble with their life in a matter of life and death!”

Brother Ma stared at him for a moment, snorted, “It better be so!”

Zhong Yuan just met his gaze with a smile and said nothing.

At that moment, another figure appeared from inside the iron building.

A young man with typical Southeast Asian features, dark complexion, slightly deep-set eyes, short stature, and a slender build. A small golden earring shaped like a vajra hung from his left ear.

Brother Ma, seeing him approach, instructed his men to take Zhong Yuan and the others to the back to be locked up.

“Move!” One of the men standing behind Xiao Hua and Dong Cuo suddenly stepped forward after receiving orders, pressing the barrel of his rifle hard against Xiao Hua’s back.

Xiao Hua was supporting Dong Cuo, who had most of his weight on him. The sudden push caused Xiao Hua to stumble forward, nearly causing Dong Cuo to fall as well.

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Fortunately, Zhong Da reacted quickly and grabbed Dong Cuo’s arm, steadying both of them.

Then Zhong Da suddenly delivered a fierce kick to the man’s waist, sending him crashing backward.

Immediately, the metallic clicks of seven or eight gun barrels all aimed at the four men.

“Dazi, don’t be so impulsive!” Zhong Yuan shouted at Zhong Da, then looked at Brother Ma. “Brother Ma, your men were the first to be rude!”

Brother Ma pursed his lips, stared at him for two seconds, then turned to the man who had been kicked and was still down. “You’ll take your punishment later!”

The man’s face, already pale from pain, turned even whiter.

“Zhong Yuan, don’t disappoint me!” Brother Ma said sternly before waving his hand and stepping aside.

Zhong Yuan smiled slightly at him, then led Zhong Da and the others forward, surrounded by the barrels of guns, toward the iron building.

However, they did not enter the building but circled around it.

Passing the building was a sizable open yard with scattered wooden crates, contents unknown.

Beyond the yard was a row of single-story rooms, about a dozen in total.

Zhong Yuan counted carefully: six rooms on each side, with a staircase in the middle leading to the rooftop.

Twelve rooms in all, each window fitted with iron bars and iron doors.

Clearly, the use of these rooms was likely not lawful.

The four were split into two groups, just like in the car. Zhong Da and Dong Cuo were locked in the second room on the right, while Zhong Yuan and Xiao Hua were confined to the third room on the left.

Inside the room was only a single iron-framed bed with a striped mattress faded beyond recognition. The floor was relatively clean, free from trash, but the walls and floor bore stains and spots that made one uneasy.

The room had no windows at the back.

As soon as they entered, the door was locked from the outside.

Xiao Hua stood by the door watching the guards walk away, then returned to Zhong Yuan’s side and whispered, “Brother Yuan, what do we do next?”