Chapter 134: Stalemate

Below the Leijiang Stadium lies an area resembling a flea market. Over the past few years, as the market for pet dogs has surged, half the street has transformed into a dog market. Everything is available, from Saint Bernards and Great Danes weighing a hundred pounds to tiny pearl dogs and Chihuahuas weighing barely a pound. Snakes, turtles, fish, and soft-shelled turtles also crowd the stalls. A few local teahouses in the area are bustling with activity, packed with people from all walks of life. If you want to know the latest neighborhood gossip, this is the place to be—not to mention the movements and private affairs of officials and the wealthy.

Kang Ning, dressed in a washed-out, worn-out work uniform, sat at a round table under a large tree near the teahouse entrance. He blended in perfectly with the common folk around him, sipping a large cup of coarse tea that cost only a dollar, reading a newspaper with feigned interest, while his ears carefully filtered the chatter of those nearby, screening for any useful information.

Kang Ning was no longer the handsome, dashing young man he once was. He had evenly applied ten-yuan dark brown eyeshadow—purchased earlier—to his face and neck. He had used a five-yuan eyebrow pencil, meant for money-conscious girls who wanted to look pretty, to draw faint lines on his forehead and the corners of his eyes. At a glance, he appeared ten years older, transformed into a typical, struggling manual laborer living hand-to-mouth.

As noon approached, Kang Ning saw the crowd beginning to disperse after he had finished his pot of tea. Just as he was about to stand up to return and rest, he passed by a table where two young men were whispering, catching his attention.

Kang Ning recognized one of them clearly: he was the leader of the thugs who had violently beaten the village chief’s nephew at the nightclub that night. Kang Ning did not stop as he passed them; instead, he headed toward the open-air restroom behind the teahouse to relieve himself, then quietly returned to a table near the two men, turned his back to them, and ordered another cup of tea while keeping his eyes on his newspaper.

Even though the two men spoke in low voices, their words were crystal clear to Kang Ning.

"Is Brother Seven not back yet?"

"How could it be that fast? I heard they couldn't even find a trace of the guy in Chengdu. Brother Three scolded him like a dog over the phone last night. If there’s no news by tomorrow, mark my words, Monkey—Brother Seven’s position won't be safe!" The leader pursed his lips, projecting an air of arrogance and authority.

"That’s strange! I heard that bastard used to be a mechanic at an auto repair shop. Why was it necessary to send over a hundred people to drag him back?" Monkey asked the leader, who was called Brother Qing.

The leader sighed. "It wasn't just our hundred-plus men. Captain Yang and Deputy Xie from the bureau, along with five others, went too. They went to Jinxiu Garden in Chengdu, pried open the door, and didn't see a soul. They almost got into a fight with the owner, who came rushing back, and even the Chengdu 110 police showed up. Guess who the owner is? She’s the daughter of the Director of the Department of Construction! Seven or eight of them were hauled off to the station. Luckily, Captain Yang revealed his identity and they showed some respect, but we still had to pay three thousand yuan in compensation and apologize before we could slink away. In my opinion, Old Seven and Captain Yang are complete idiots. To mess up a simple task like this—no wonder Brother Three is furious."

Monkey paused before asking, "By the way, Brother Qing, when you and Brother Six went to smash up that repair shop, did you see that pretty boy?"

The leader shook his head. "No, but judging by Brother Three’s tone, it seems that pretty boy has some skills. He injured four people when he caused trouble down south, two of whom were cops. He won't be easy to deal with. Honestly, I think the 500,000-yuan bounty Brother Three put up is a hot potato!"

After saying this, the leader ignored Monkey’s gaping mouth, stood up, and warned, "Brother Three is meeting someone at the Xiaoyao Pavilion tomorrow night. You’re the manager of this sauna, so be sharp and have a few pretty virgins ready. Brother Three’s temper is short lately, so don't provoke him. Alright, I need to go back and see what instructions Brother Three has. You get back too, and tell your girl to stop selling those mutts here—isn't she embarrassed for a few pennies?"

Monkey smiled and agreed, and the two left together. Kang Ning watched as Monkey walked across the street and spoke to a woman with heavy makeup selling dogs. Seeing her talk back with an unhappy expression, Monkey didn't say another word and turned away, striding off in a huff.

Kang Ning now understood that his identity had been completely exposed. It seemed Du Jianwu’s analysis was correct; the problem lay with Fang Xiong. Given the current situation, it was highly likely that Fang Xiong had already established contact with the forces in Guangxi. During this stalemate, his next move would depend entirely on what Fang Xiong did next.

***

Kang Ning knew that Lu Jing and Mengmeng were temporarily safe in Chengdu. With the help of Gao Qinghua and Du Jianwu, Ni San would not dare to openly escalate the situation. Until Fang Xiong returned tomorrow, the overall landscape would remain stable.

Thinking this, Kang Ning sent a text message to Gao Qinghua as planned, returned to his rented room, took a shower, and went to bed to catch up on sleep. The daytime was too dangerous; for a rejuvenated Kang Ning, the night was the best time to operate.

However, Kang Ning did not anticipate that just as he was going to bed, Fang Xiong had returned to Leijiang in his Chongqing-plated stretched Cadillac. As soon as he entered his home and went upstairs to the second floor, he immediately called his mole.

The news from the mole left Fang Xiong quite disappointed. A group of people from both the underworld and the police had charged toward Chengdu with murderous intent, but not only had they failed to find a trace of Kang Ning, they had also been reported to the provincial department's political office by the Chengdu police for cross-border arrests without following procedure and trespassing on private property. The Leijiang police chief had been scolded like a child by the hot-tempered director of the political office. With a national crackdown on police discipline currently underway, the chief, caught in the crosshairs, had furiously recalled the two team leaders, suspended them, and ordered an investigation.

Meanwhile, Ni San’s men at the West China Hospital, having seen Gao Qinghua and several men in police uniforms chatting and walking in and out of Lu Jing’s ward, did not dare to approach her floor. With the police who had come from Leijiang hitting a wall in Chengdu, Ni San had no choice but to withdraw his underlings to the periphery of the hospital, waiting twenty-four hours a day for Kang Ning to appear, while reporting the situation truthfully to Fang Xiong.

After careful consideration, Fang Xiong picked up his home landline and dialed Zheng Yi’s mobile number.

"Old Fang, you're back?" Zheng Yi’s voice sounded surprised but weary.

Fang Xiong asked with a warm, intimate laugh, "Just got in. You’re in Chengdu? You must be tired."

"Just arrived not long ago. I'm exhausted." Zheng Yi replied, then told Fang Xiong with excitement, "I haven't even seen Sister Jing yet; she was taken into the delivery room this morning, and it looks like the baby is coming soon. Sister Jing said it's a boy. I really want to see the baby soon. Since both parents are so good-looking, the child must be beautiful!"

Fang Xiong felt a pang of pain, and the corners of his mouth twitched. It took a moment for him to regain his composure before he said in his usual gentle tone, "That’s great news! Is young Wu with Lu Jing? I’m happy for him too!"

A soft sigh came through the phone. "Old Fang, young Wu might have been scared off by the police; no one knows what hole he's hiding in. Old Fang, can we help him? Sister Jing is so pitiful—her husband can't even be by her side while she gives birth. I heard from Mengmeng that Sister Jing has been crying secretly these past few days. She’s so worried about young Wu."

Fang Xiong was silent for a moment. "It’s not that we don’t want to help, but we don't know the situation, so we can't intervene. How about this: after you see Lu Jing and the baby, come back. Then we can discuss it properly. Also, you must tell Lu Jing to let us know the moment she has any news about young Wu so we can figure out how to help, right?"

"Alright, I'll come back as soon as I see that Sister Jing and the baby are safe. Goodbye!"

Fang Xiong wanted to smash the receiver. He slammed it down, turned, and sank into the sofa, his face turning the color of soy sauce. He lit a cigar, but it took him a long time to get it going. After finishing half of it, he finally calmed down and fell into deep thought as he faced the stalemate.

Fang Xiong recalled his mole’s reminder: before Kang Ning was elevated to a national wanted status, he needed at least an official request for assistance from the Guangxi authorities to justify his actions.

***

Fang Xiong had originally intended to capture Kang Ning before giving Lan Jianguo a surprise, but it now seemed that path was difficult to pursue. The best method was to contact Lan Jianguo, inform him of Kang Ning's movements in Leijiang and Chengdu, and have him find a way to escalate the arrest warrant. At the very least, he needed the Lanning police to issue an official request for assistance to facilitate a wider pursuit.

Furthermore, Fang Xiong believed that even if he didn't catch Kang Ning this time, Lan Jianguo would be grateful and owe him a favor. This would strengthen their relationship, which would have immeasurable benefits for his future development.

Having made up his mind, Fang Xiong walked into his study, took out a distinct mobile phone from his briefcase, found Lan Jianguo’s business card, and dialed.

A secretary named Song answered, asked Fang Xiong for details, and then politely told him to hang up, promising that the mayor would return the call shortly.

Secretary Song kept his word. In less than five minutes, Fang Xiong’s phone rang. He straightened his posture, wiped the smile from his face, and pressed the answer button. After a few polite exchanges, Fang Xiong detailed the situation and suggested that Lan Jianguo escalate the warrant and fax a request for assistance to the Sichuan authorities immediately.

During the ten-minute call, Lan Jianguo’s tone remained calm and composed, which Fang Xiong admired. Nevertheless, through the several brief silences and polite expressions of gratitude, Fang Xiong sensed Lan Jianguo’s surprise and anger. In particular, when Lan Jianguo told him that a "special task force from the Lanning police" would arrive in Leijiang and Chengdu as soon as possible to cooperate in capturing the fugitive, Fang Xiong felt deeply satisfied.

He felt Lan Jianguo’s gratitude. The shift in address from "Mr. Fang" to "Little Fang" signaled that from this day forward, he held a significant place in Lan Jianguo’s estimation. Fang Xiong was pleased to see that Lan Jianguo was, just as he had judged, even more anxious than he was.

After the call, a spirited Fang Xiong immediately phoned Ni San, strictly ordering him to make the hospital where Lu Jing was staying the focal point of their surveillance. Under no circumstances were they to slack off, and if Kang Ning appeared, they were to bring him back to Leijiang at any cost.

Afterward, Fang Xiong called his mole again, demanding full cooperation, promising that he would take responsibility for any consequences.

Having hung up, Fang Xiong felt completely relieved. Based on his judgment of Kang Ning’s character and what he had heard from Zheng Yi, Kang Ning was a man who valued sentiment and loyalty—which, to him, simply meant a "pretty boy" who couldn't stay away from women. Once Lu Jing gave birth, Kang Ning would surely risk appearing. Moreover, Fang Xiong believed Kang Ning was unaware of his true situation and certainly didn't know about the connection between himself and Lan Jianguo.

Therefore, Fang Xiong believed his chances of successfully capturing Kang Ning were very high. It fit his consistent style: "If you're going to do something, do it to the best of your ability." Once Kang Ning was caught, everything else would fall into place. As for Lu Jing and her child, they would be easy to handle. Later on, he could take them in and gain a reputation for "benevolence and love." If it truly was his fate never to have children of his own, then the child who had lost his father would eventually carry the name Fang!