"Back to the dormitory!"
Wrench saw us standing there in a daze and told Bayi and Screwdriver to drag us to the dormitory building. We went to the new dormitory shared by Bayi and me.
Chen Weiqiang appeared calm on the outside, but inside, he was falling apart. I couldn't imagine how he had endured these four years. Now, I was beginning to understand.
Lulu dared to come to the park and meet us because, first, she had the upper hand, and second, the Chinese police couldn't catch her. We were in Myanmar, and our families had no idea how we got here. So, this wicked woman could still easily travel across borders.
Thinking about this made me furious. This malicious woman disregarded any past friendship and purely treated us as strangers and tools for making money!
There's a saying that when people are extremely angry or sad, they can't cry or speak...
Chen Weiqiang and I were in that state now. We sat silently on the ground, staring at the ceiling. Chen Weiqiang didn't let anyone touch him, not even Wrench, to tend to his wounds. His bloodshot eyes were lifeless.
Bayi, Wrench, and Screwdriver guarded the door tightly, staring at us to prevent us from doing anything foolish.
The atmosphere was oppressive. In the dormitory, there was no sound other than our tense breathing.
"Knock, knock, knock."
After a while, there was a soft knock on the door. They exchanged glances, and Screwdriver and Bayi stood by the door while Wrench opened it a crack.
"Deputy Supervisor Yang, what brings you here?" Wrench asked in surprise as he opened the door.
"Is Little Bottle inside? I need him to come to my dormitory," Yang Lianting said, leaning against the door and trying to peek inside.
"Bang."
Without another word, Wrench closed the door.
"&$#" A curse in a thick dialect came from outside.
"What's he doing here?" Screwdriver asked, puzzled.
"Uh, you should ask him." Wrench handed the question to me, looking embarrassed.
Screwdriver wanted to ask Bayi, but he remained silent.
Wrench walked over, grabbed me by the arm, and pulled me up. "You should go; he might have something important to discuss."
"Weiqiang, don't do anything stupid. Let Wrench treat your wounds. Your hair will grow back. I'll be back soon."
I nudged Chen Weiqiang's foot, struggling to find comforting words. My heart ached, but his pain was even greater. He had once deeply loved his first love, even dropping out of school and eloping with her... Only to end up disillusioned.
That woman hurt him the most and wished him dead!
"Hair can grow back, but what about a dead heart?" Chen Weiqiang asked bitterly.
I turned to Wrench. "I've never been in love, so you try to comfort him. I'm going out now."
Yang Lianting coming to find me at the dormitory meant he had urgent business. I avoided Bayi and the others' curious glances and quickly stepped outside.
"Damn, what took you so long?" Yang Lianting scolded, annoyed.
"Personal matters," I said, walking toward the stairwell. "What do you need?"
"We'll talk in my dormitory."
Yang Lianting frowned and followed, asking, "Do you know the woman who came to the park today selling girls?"
"Yes, a college classmate."
News traveled fast in the park, so everyone must have known.
Lulu must have had more reasons than just buying girls to come to the park.
"I need to kill someone, and I need your help."
As soon as we entered his dormitory, Yang Lianting got straight to the point.
"Me?" I was surprised. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely! This person must die!"
Yang Lianting nodded solemnly, his usually greasy face unusually serious.
"Who is it? What's your plan? You're not expecting me to risk my life and take them out directly, are you?"
"I wouldn't ask you to risk your life. We plan to create a bigger park together in the future..."
"Enough, I'm not here to daydream with you. Get to the point."
I interrupted him and stood by the large glass window, looking down at the park, feeling a surge of anger.
"Help me kill Boss Cai. He stole my woman and wants to dominate me. I need him dead."
Yang Lianting walked up beside me, seething with hatred.
"You like men, don't you? Besides, how am I supposed to help you? I can't even get out of here!"
His reason for wanting to kill someone shocked me. I wasn't about to agree to anything that might get me killed. Who knew if he was serious?
"I do like men, but I also fancy some women! That bastard raped a new girl in the park. She was a virgin, and I hadn't even touched her. How could I let Boss Cai take her? Now, he and Liu Shiyi are plotting against me, trying to make me work for him. I won't tolerate it anymore. There's a saying: 'One mountain cannot have two tigers.' The park can't have two supervisors either! Do you understand?"
Yang Lianting's reason for killing Boss Cai was outrageous. The girls weren't his property, so why couldn't others touch them? Boss Cai was hateful, and so was he!
As for his claim that Liu Shiyi wanted to sell him out, there might be other private deals involved.
Ning Ge trusting Liu Shiyi showed how solid their relationship was. Yang Lianting was now like a stray dog, always at risk of being kicked out.
When a tree falls, the monkeys scatter.
With his backer gone and his power diminishing, he would end up like us, mere tools for the higher-ups.
"I get your point, but your plan is risky. I can't agree lightly. Besides, I have no grudge against Boss Cai. Why would I kill him?"
I shrugged, waiting to see what he would offer in return.
Honestly, I also wanted Boss Cai dead. Only the dead keep secrets. If he ever remembered I helped Yan Yun escape, it could get Wrench and the others killed.
"I have gold bars left by my old boss. How many do you want? Don't worry, I've thought this through; it won't backfire on you..."
Yang Lianting turned to open his safe.
"I don't want gold bars; they're too heavy. Carrying them around slows me down in a fight."
I sat on the couch and grabbed a cigar from the table. "Hey, we've never smoked these. I'll take a few for the others to try."
Yang Lianting paused, then sat beside me, saying, "Help me kill him, and I'll give you something even better."