Chapter 25: Hereafter

It was ten o'clock at night. The streets of the county town were already quite deserted.

A tricycle driver parked his vehicle at the entrance of an alley and stepped inside to relieve himself. No sooner had he entered than he heard footsteps following him in.

He turned to look and saw a man wearing a peaked cap. The brim was pulled low, obscuring most of his face. In the dim light, one could barely make out his thin, pursed lips, which exuded an unfeeling indifference.

The driver paused, thinking nothing of it, and stood by the wall to undo his trousers. At that exact moment, the footsteps seemed to reach his back in an instant. Before any sense of alarm could rise within him, he felt a sharp pain in his neck, and then he knew nothing more.

A few minutes later, Zhong Yuan strolled out of the alley with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He glanced left and right casually before taking a few long strides to the tricycle parked by the roadside, where he lowered his head and climbed in.

The engine of the tricycle roared to life, and it rattled away until it vanished at the end of the street.

Zhong Yuan did not immediately go to rendezvous with Zhong Da and the others.

At this time, the roads on the outskirts of the town were crawling with people searching for them. They rode in pairs on motorcycles, roaring past. At several key intersections, men were crouched in wait.

Zhong Yuan parked the tricycle in an inconspicuous corner, locked it, and walked away.

Time ticked by.

In the pitch-black woods, Xiao Hua and Dong Cuo huddled under a patch of vines; the constant pestering of mosquitoes made their situation unbearable.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the distance. Someone had entered the woods.

Xiao Hua and Dong Cuo held their breath, their bodies tensing up. Xiao Hua slowly drew his pistol from his waistband, disengaged the safety, and raised the muzzle slightly, aiming toward the direction of the noise.

The rustling grew closer.

The two men became increasingly nervous; sweat even broke out on Xiao Hua’s forehead.

Just then, a familiar voice drifted softly through the tangled brush and reached their ears: "It’s us!"

Xiao Hua froze for a moment before his shoulders slumped in relief.

"Over here!" Xiao Hua called out.

A few seconds later, Zhong Yuan and Zhong Da appeared in their field of vision.

"There are people looking for us everywhere out there. We’ll have to tough it out in these woods tonight; we’ll move again when dawn approaches," Zhong Yuan said.

As he finished speaking, Dong Cuo, who had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the journey, suddenly spoke up: "Why don't you guys go on ahead? Just leave me some food and water. I’ll hide here for a couple of days, and once the heat dies down, I’ll have someone come pick me up."

Zhong Da frowned upon hearing this, about to retort, but was stopped by Zhong Yuan before he could utter a word. Zhong Yuan smiled and said, "Dong Cuo, things have reached this point, and I don't want to debate who is right or wrong. But don't ever talk about us leaving you behind again. You’ve been friends with Da Zi for so many years; you should know exactly what kind of person he is. The reason I didn't stop Brother Ma’s men when they came for you on the boat was because I wasn't confident that I could ensure everyone’s survival during the conflict. Zhong Da didn't stop them because he is used to following my lead. So, there is no need to hold a grudge against him; if you want to blame someone, blame me."

Hearing these words, Dong Cuo looked up in surprise. However, when he met Zhong Yuan’s calm yet piercing gaze, he instinctively averted his eyes.

"Brother Yuan, I didn't mean to blame you..." he murmured, lowering his head in embarrassment.

Zhong Yuan didn't let him finish, interrupting, "You have every right to blame us. Since we’re talking about it now, I’d like to discuss what happens next."

Dong Cuo’s body stiffened slightly.

"We are heading toward Wuni City. If everything goes smoothly, we should reach the vicinity by tomorrow night. But once we get there, I don't advise you to contact your relatives immediately," Zhong Yuan said.

Dong Cuo was stunned, looking up at Zhong Yuan with a flash of alarm and anger on his face.

Zhong Yuan knew what he was angry about. He sighed softly and said, "I don't doubt that your relatives were innocent regarding that boat; I told you that at the time. But now, it is very likely that Brother Ma has already contacted your relatives through the boat owner. People who were fine then may not be so now. My idea is that once we arrive, I’ll find you a place to stay and recover. Once your wounds have healed, you can decide whether you want to contact your relatives or return to your home country."

Zhong Yuan paused, scanning Dong Cuo’s now-dazed face before continuing: "Personally, I think it would be better for you to go home. If you go back, whether you want to find a job or open a shop, I can have someone help you. But if you choose to stay in Wuni City, I won't be able to provide much help. Of course, you don’t need to answer me right now; there is still time for you to think it over."

The dazed expression on Dong Cuo’s face gradually faded, replaced by a complex mix of emotions.

He looked at Zhong Yuan, then glanced at Zhong Da, and finally lowered his head.

"I will think it over carefully."

Zhong Yuan said no more.

In truth, Dong Cuo had been loyal enough as a friend. Even when he was being tortured by Brother Ma’s men, he hadn't revealed Tan Wei’s whereabouts.

However, his temperament was overly sensitive. If he continued to stay with them, the loyalty he felt today might not remain so steadfast as time wore on.

Furthermore, their conflict with the Buddha Hand Gang was not something they could easily escape, even if they left the gang's sphere of influence. With Dong Cuo currently immobile, keeping him along was not a good choice for them, nor for him.

Therefore, parting ways was the best, and arguably the only, option.

Beside them, Zhong Da kept his head down. Zhong Yuan looked at him, let out a helpless sigh, and gave his shoulder a firm pat. "Go ahead and keep watch. Those people have been searching for so long; they’ve likely turned over everything they could in the area. It won't be long before they focus on these woods." He then instructed Xiao Hua, "Carry Dong Cuo on your back. We’ll move deeper into the woods and find a higher vantage point."

Xiao Hua nodded, crouched down to hoist Dong Cuo onto his back, and followed Zhong Yuan deeper into the forest.

It was past four in the morning.

In the internet cafe, Brother Bird, who had been dozing off, suddenly jerked his head and woke up. He squinted at the time and turned to nudge his subordinate, who was fast asleep, asking, "What’s the situation? They’ve been searching all night—still no news?"

The subordinate was dazed for a moment before hurriedly picking up his phone to make inquiries. But after a round of calls, everyone reported nothing.

Brother Bird’s expression grew darker with every reply. Unable to contain his frustration, he swung his arm and smashed the keyboard off the table.

With a loud clatter, most of the people sleeping in the cafe were jolted awake.

"A bunch of useless trash! Four grown men, and you couldn't find them all night? Did you all go chasing skirts instead?" Brother Bird roared.

His subordinate trembled, not daring to make a sound. After a long while, seeing that Brother Bird had calmed down slightly, he tentatively suggested, "Brother Bird, could it be that the white guy lied to us?"

Brother Bird froze.

But upon reflection, he thought it unlikely. After all, nobody had leaked the clue about the Chinese men to that vagrant.

However, the subordinate added, "The news that a few Chinese escaped from Ma Ao’s side has been circulating among the men for the past two days. It’s very possible that the white guy overheard it somewhere and deliberately used that information to swindle us for money!"

Brother Bird listened, his face grim, and remained silent. After a long while, he cursed and then ordered, "Call everyone back. It’s been all night; even if the tip was real, those people have likely already made their escape!"