Yan Yun dared to ambush Boss Cai on the road, so there must be someone coming to assist him.
Killing him impulsively before figuring out his true identity would be detrimental and not beneficial to me. I don't need to get entangled in the local warlords' disputes or the power struggles between different camps. Besides, having another friend means having another path.
My master always said that when you are away from home, you rely on friends. In life, as long as it doesn't touch your bottom line, you should always leave room for maneuver. This way, you can meet again in the future.
I put the jade pendant in my pocket. "It's not impossible to let you go, but you need to help me cover this up. Even if I let you go, others might still catch up to you. In that case, both of us could end up dead."
"You don't have to worry about that. The people I killed are over there. I have someone coming to pick me up. If you let me go, I won't be caught," Yan Yun said weakly, pointing towards the tree.
"Alright, then I feel better. Don't break your promise. We Hunan people never go back on our word. Here's something to ease the pain. Go ahead," I handed him a cigarette and lighter, then used my foot to cover the bloodstains with some fallen leaves.
"…Thank you," Yan Yun took the cigarette and lighter and walked towards the dense forest.
After dealing with the bloodstains, I fired a shot towards the tree where Yan Yun had been hiding.
Yan Yun paused for a moment but then saw me smiling at him. Gratefully, he nodded and quickly disappeared into the forest.
I blew on the smoking gun barrel, gathered some fallen leaves, scattered them around the footprints, and ran towards the tree.
After running for about three hundred meters, I found Boss Cai lying unconscious on the ground, along with his bodyguard who had been shot in the head. Nearby, I saw the body of Yan Yun's bodyguard, shot three times in the chest. He likely died saving Yan Yun by taking a fatal bullet.
The number three auction woman was nowhere in sight. I guessed she had fled during the gunfight, possibly hiding in the nearby grass. Her scream earlier had given it away.
There's no rush to chase her; she won't get far. Right now, I need to think about how to cover this up and hope Yan Yun doesn't get caught.
"Where's the woman?" Wrench found me first, his primary concern being the woman. If she was kidnapped, the camp's reputation would be tarnished.
"I didn't see her, maybe she's in the grass over there," I said. In Burma, AK-47s all look the same, and no one would scrutinize the details.
"Are they all dead?" Wrench first checked Boss Cai's vital signs and breathing.
"The two bodyguards are dead. As for him..." Wrench stood up, "He's still alive, just unconscious."
"…How tough is he? Shot twice and still not dead?" I loaded my gun, aiming at Boss Cai's head to finish him off.
"You can't kill him. If he dies, the camp will take the blame, affecting the upcoming auction. They'll definitely kill us to cover it up," Wrench pushed my gun away, shaking his head.
"…He's lucky!" I suppressed my anger and put the gun away. Wrench stopped me because of the consequences. KK camp only cares about profit. If their interests are threatened, not even ten of me would be enough to kill.
"Even if he doesn't die today, he will eventually. I'm just curious…" Wrench looked at me, knowing there was something I was hiding.
"Brother, what do we do now?" I changed the topic, throwing the problem back to him.
"We find the number three auction woman first," Wrench said, not pressing further since I didn't say anything.
"Are they all dead?" At this point, Abu and Ba Yi also caught up.
I pointed to Boss Cai lying in the blood, "That one is still alive."
"Hurry and carry him away, or we'll have no proof," Abu told Ba Yi to carry Boss Cai. Though reluctant, Ba Yi had to carry Boss Cai back. He could drive, so Abu went with him to take Boss Cai back to the camp before coming back for us.
"We'll look for the woman," Wrench and I continued forward.
We walked in silence, each lost in thought. Wrench was annoyed, sensing I was hiding something from him, while I didn't dare speak in the jungle, fearing someone might overhear.
After about ten minutes, we came across an unspeakable scene on a flat area. A man in local attire was assaulting the number three auction woman. Her long hair, pale skin, and silver handcuffs made her easily recognizable.
"Shoot him," Wrench frowned and turned to me.
The man was so absorbed he didn't notice our presence.
"Who do I shoot?" I hesitated, not wanting to kill the woman.
Wrench stared at me for a second, then raised his gun and fired at the man, blowing his head off.
"Ahhh!" The woman was splattered with blood, screamed, and fainted.
I stood there dumbfounded, a hundred meters away, my mind blank.
"When you're with me, you can slack off a bit. But next time, be more alert with others," Wrench said, running towards the scene.
I snapped out of it and followed. Wrench stripped the man and threw him into a pit, covering him with leaves and mud.
"Bang," he fired at the man's face, disfiguring him beyond recognition.
"Bang," before I could react, he shot the auction woman too.
"Brother…" I held my gun, feeling terrible, even thinking he was heartless for a moment.
"Do you think I'm too cruel?" Wrench hit the nail on the head, leaving me speechless.
"If I didn't kill them, would you prefer Liu Shiyi skinning you alive? Did you let the imposter go?" Wrench asked angrily, seeing through my lie.
Nothing escapes his eyes, and I never intended to hide it from him.
"…Yes, Brother. Don't be angry. I didn't want to say it here, fearing someone might overhear," I said, head down like a scolded child.
"You're too grown up for me to handle!" Wrench glared, then called the other goons to send someone to carry the bodies.
"Brother, don't be mad! I really didn't want to hide it from you. Let's find a place to talk tonight, and I'll tell you everything, okay?" Wrench was truly angry, his dark face flushing red.
Anyone else would have been dead under his gun by now.