Chapter 781: Chapter 766: Factory Phenomena (Part 3)
After careful consideration, Tang Xiaoquan confirmed that he had nothing more to offer Old Xu; he had already told him everything he could think of.
And he, along with Old Zhao and Wang Qiang, chose to stay in place to avoid encountering factory personnel on the route back to the villa to support Old Xu and his group.
So, everything that follows will have to be faced by those in the villa alone. However, the three of them will continue to closely monitor the situation at the factory and stay in timely communication with the villa. If necessary, they could serve as a surprise force to support the others.
Due to the tense situation, Tang and Zhao, who were busy communicating with Old Xu, didn’t realize they had been on the rooftop for a full half hour. Wang Qiang, who was responsible for guarding the entrance and watching the vehicles downstairs, had long grown impatient. If he didn’t worry about disturbing their surveillance, he would have definitely spoken up, questioning why they watched for so long without any clear direction.
As time dragged on, Wang Qiang, eager to return home, became more and more restless. Finally, after another five minutes had passed, he could no longer control his emotions and shouted out, "Have you figured it out yet? What’s the situation that’s making this take so long? If we weren’t wasting time here, we could have already been back at the villa by now. Quit dawdling and let’s hit the road."
If it weren’t for Wang Qiang’s shout, Tang and Zhao, focused on the factory issue, wouldn’t have recalled that Wang Qiang was lingering downstairs.
The two exchanged a smile, and Old Zhao patted Tang Xiaoquan on the shoulder, saying, "You keep watching, I’ll go down and explain to little Wang."
Tang Xiaoquan nodded decisively in agreement, realizing that Old Zhao going down was certainly better than himself doing so.
Even though he and Wang Qiang were close like brothers, given the circumstances, if he were to go explain, Wang Qiang would definitely consider it as an intentional attempt to delay their return.
To prevent the issue from escalating, it was more appropriate for Old Zhao to handle the trouble.
Old Zhao spoke with reason and emotion to calm Wang Qiang’s eagerness to return to the villa, though the latter remained firm in his stance to return for rescue, unwilling to stay.
Helpless, Old Zhao had to expend significant effort to explain the dangers of going back now. To add weight to his argument, Old Zhao listed the benefits of staying, such as reporting on the factory’s movements and acting as reinforcements in a feigned attack.
Indeed, Old Zhao’s words made Wang Qiang realize that insisting on returning could bring greater danger to the villa, and he reluctantly agreed to Old Zhao’s suggestion to stay.
The two subordinates sent out to search for supplies chatted and laughed along the way, but the snow-covered roads significantly slowed their progress, easily leading them to vent their boredom and frustration on the captive accompanying them.
The captured subordinates, like docile lambs, endured punches, kicks, and verbal abuse without resistance.
There was no trace of life in their hollow eyes. The harsh reality had long made them bow their heads to their fate. Death was the only thing they yearned for now, as living brought only pain. Yet, even this simple, near-desperate wish was not something they could indulge in.
Liu Fugui lay back on the sofa leisurely sipping tea. Due to his feigned injury, he had to act as if he had limited mobility and remain seated to avoid raising suspicions among Old Xu and the others, ensuring his actions remained undiscovered.
After his meal, Liu Fugui hadn’t even finished his cup of tea before noticing that everyone in the villa had suddenly become busy, bustling up and down the stairs. Their tense expressions signaled that an urgent situation seemed imminent, for which they were preparing.
Just then, Old Xu came downstairs. Liu Fugui quickly called out to him, asking, "Captain Xu, seeing everyone so busy, has something happened?"
To allay any doubts, he added, "Is there anything I can help with?"
However, Liu Fugui didn’t realize that his extra actions only solidified Old Xu’s suspicions of his ulterior motives.
While Old Xu internally disdained the other’s performance, treating him like a fool, for the sake of the bigger picture, he feigned a smile and explained, "Oh, it’s nothing, Director Liu—just routine drills. As you see, the situation is unstable now, and Spring Xiu’s group could strike at any time. So, having everyone practice preparedness is quite necessary to avoid chaos during an actual encounter. Otherwise, it could become a big headache."
Old Xu’s concern was justified, and his arrangements were indeed correct. Liu Fugui was quite relieved that he hadn’t heeded the advice from Huang Yong, He Lei, and their ilk to become enemies with the villa; otherwise, his situation could have been worse.
"Oh, I see! Your arrangements are indeed necessary. Well, I don’t have anything to do now. I’m idle anyway, so if you need any help, feel free to ask me to do anything," Liu Fugui offered with a smile.
Old Xu shook his head, politely declining, "It’s all training; there’s nothing requiring doing. Director Liu, if you’re truly idle, why not join me for some tea, Mr. Xu."
"Sure, I’d be happy to. I’ve been wanting to learn a bit about military tactics from Captain Xu. If you are willing to share your insights!" Liu Fugui always tried to heat up the atmosphere, hoping to bridge the gap between himself and Old Xu.
Unknowingly, up until now, he had done his best to avoid suspicion or doubt regarding the purpose of his presence among those in the villa.
Yet, contrary to his wishes, he could distinctly feel the deliberate distance kept by the others.
Despite the seemingly warm treatment from Old Xu and Old Lin, with his years of navigating the underworld, Liu Fugui could still clearly sense their actions were merely a show.
Old Xu was in no mood to play along with the other. With a faint smile, he sipped his tea, occasionally glancing at Liu Fugui as if to ensure the latter wouldn’t escape.
Understandably so, as Old Xu believed the middle-aged man before him was the mastermind behind all the events, and as long as he could confirm the factory personnel’s involvement, he could use the evidence to apprehend Liu Fugui, coercing the others into retreat.
Liu Fugui had no inkling of the great danger he was in. Instead, he curiously inquired about Tang Xiaoquan, "Captain Xu, I remember that a young man came with you to the factory earlier. If I’m not mistaken, I think his surname is Tang, but I haven’t seen him around?" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you’re welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users can visit m.qidian.com to read.)
