Chapter 771: Chapter 756: Ready to Act (Part 5)
"Are you sure? Did you see clearly? Only three people? Over!" He Lei was just confirming after receiving the message from his men, just in case.
"Brother Lei, only three people came out of the car, and they all climbed over the gate into the factory. Over!"
"Is Spring Xiu there?" He Lei asked excitedly. If the person was indeed on the scene as he previously suspected, then with such a small number of people, it would be easy to capture them.
The men seemed a bit troubled. Trying to see clearly in this snowy night through the bundled-up winter clothing of the three was not an easy task!
Moreover, the five surveilling had never seen Spring Xiu’s face before. Helplessly, they replied, "Brother Lei, it’s hard to confirm. The snow is too heavy to see clearly, and we don’t know what Spring Xiu looks like. But judging from the assertive actions of one person in front, it seems he’s a leader. It looks like he’s the one commanding on site. Over!"
He Lei silently pondered for a while, "If we cannot confirm Spring Xiu’s presence, this operation’s value is greatly discounted. But from the report combined with the analysis from Spring Xiu’s previous calls, the leader directing must likely be Spring Xiu. Sigh, never mind, let’s gamble this time. If that damned Spring Xiu isn’t there, taking out these three subordinates would still weaken his power."
Thinking this, He Lei picked up the hand-held radio again and commanded, "Listen carefully, try to get to the factory gate without being discovered and hide in their car. Don’t let Spring Xiu’s group escape. Unless your cover is blown, don’t engage. Your task is to hold the gate until reinforcement arrives. If you screw this up, hmph... Over!"
A cold snort conveyed everything. The five surveilling instantly responded, "Yes, Brother Lei, we will do our utmost to hold the gate and stall them. Send reinforcements quickly from your side. Over!"
Through contact with his men at the factory, He Lei got a basic grasp of the situation. He instructed Qiao Shan, who was always waiting at the desk, "Go now with seven people directly. Twelve against three, and damned if you can’t handle those three, don’t come back to see me."
He Lei’s temper was well understood by Qiao Shan. Instead of setting an oath with his superior, he cleverly found himself a way out, "Brother Lei, if the brothers’ report is accurate, I will ensure the three in the factory won’t escape. But regarding Spring Xiu, if he is among them, Brother Lei, do you want him captured or killed?"
"Dead or alive, it doesn’t matter. Of course if you can bring him back alive, that would be best!" He Lei had not forgotten Spring Xiu’s insults towards him. If Qiao Shan can capture him, Spring Xiu’s future days will be easily foreseen.
Spring Xiu was blissfully asleep, but his two subordinates were far less fortunate. The guard tasked with exploring upstairs was inching his way with a tiny flashlight through the pitch-black corridors, creating an eerie atmosphere; even the sound of his footsteps was enough to send chills down his spine.
Compared to the horror trip upstairs, the situation for the guard downstairs was much more relaxed. Yet the exhaustion from travel, the hard battle, and Spring Xiu’s constant scolding had already left him mentally drained.
Now, in this pitch-dark environment, overwhelming sleepiness constantly eroded his mental threshold.
Finally, after a faint snore, the last trace of alertness in the guard vanished, and he fell into a deep sleep.
The five men surveilling Spring Xiu’s movements had stealthily reached the gate, shielded by the night and snowfall. After confirming there were no abnormalities inside the car, their tense nerves finally allowed some relaxation.
He Lei spoke lightly, having tasked them with guarding the gate and preventing Spring Xiu’s escape. Yet he failed to consider that with the factory guarded by solid walls, a conflict would leave his side helpless to get inside. Driving through the gate would be like ringing their own death bell, drawing zombies from all around.
After squeezing into the cramped vehicle, the five men promptly reported their situation to He Lei. Qiao Shan and others, already en route, also received this news.
He Lei unsurprisingly reiterated his previously mentioned key precautions, sounding an alarm for all involved in the mission, urging them to take it seriously.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night for Old Xu, though he was long accustomed to such occurrences. Yet today’s events were starkly different from the past, a series of suspicious incidents urging him to muster all his energies to tackle whatever might unfold.
Liu Fugui was known for valuing his so-called midday nap, thus he disliked being rudely awakened. Owing to this habit, his sleep quality was usually high. He didn’t notice even when his door was quietly opened from inside.
Liu Yunpeng tiptoed out of his room, gently shutting the door behind him. Having done so, he leaned against the wall a bit to catch his breath.
By the monitoring room screen, Bi Dahu was humming a tune to keep himself awake when a black shadow suddenly flashed in the corridor on the second floor, alarming him into sitting up. The night vision made the surreptitiously moving figure appear particularly sinister.
He promptly enlarged the image, correlating the location and facial features. It was clearly Liu Fugui’s son, Liu Yunpeng.
What’s this about running around late at night instead of sleeping, and acting so sneakily, casting doubt on his true motives.
Could Liu Fugui be plotting something? This unfavorable thought immediately surfaced in Bi Dahu’s mind.
He quickly picked up the radio to report to Old Xu, but he found the latter had already foresightedly appeared behind him, surprising Bi Dahu into greeting, "Old Xu, you’re here!"
Old Xu nodded, cutting straight to the chase, "What’s up? Dahu, I heard from Shen Lian that Liu Fugui is making moves?"
No wonder, it seemed Xiao Li’s surveillance work was diligent. Bi Dahu secretly admired Shen Lian and Li Xiaoxin’s dedication to their mission, still closely watching Liu Family late at night.
"Yes, look at Liu Yunpeng, he’s sneaked out of his room late at night."
Following Bi Dahu’s pointing direction to the screen, a green shadow halted near a room not far from his own. Old Zhang subconsciously asked, "Whose residence is this?"
Just as they contemplated, the door opened. Though just seconds, that long hair immediately identified the occupant.
"It’s Yang Xue’s room!" Bi Dahu exclaimed, while Old Xu quietly nodded, then patted Bi Dahu’s shoulder, "Dahu, don’t mention this matter for now, especially not to Qiangzi. I’m worried he’ll overthink once he knows, causing trouble."
"Sigh!" Bi Dahu resentfully punched the monitoring table, understanding Old Xu’s deeper implications.
The gossip about Yang Xue and Liu Yunpeng was long whispered among the villa, jesting Wang Qiang’s pursuit of Yang Xue as reversing fortunes for an underdog.
Yet now it seemed this reversal might be a tragedy or comedy, "Got it! Old Xu, should we do something?"
Old Zhang helplessly shook his head, wondering what could be done. He too wished to take measures, but how should he handle this, he couldn’t just pull Liu Yunpeng aside and forbid contact with Yang Xue.
If this matter came to light, where would Wang Qiang’s dignity go? It’s tantamount to saying Wang Qiang can’t control his woman.
Moreover, relationships were consensual matters, not for outsiders to meddle, especially in unclear circumstances. This late-night rendezvous might merely be for chatting, though far-fetched, Old Xu felt remaining silent might presently be the best approach. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian [qidian.com] to vote for recommendations or monthly tickets; your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)
