When they saw the boxes of high-end Chinese tea, Cuban cigars, and Yunnan Baiyao ointments I had taken, their expressions became even more peculiar.
"Don't look at me like that. I'll explain later. Right now, I just need to ask you one question: are you afraid of dying?"
"Qiang, you don't need to answer. This isn't something you can handle," I said, glancing at the door and lowering my voice.
Seeing my mysterious demeanor, they exchanged glances for three seconds before responding in unison, "Who do you want us to kill? Just say it!"
Chen Weiqiang suddenly stood up, looking at me with a fiery anger in his eyes. "What, you think I'm useless?"
"Calm down and let me explain."
I pulled his pale self back to sit down and recounted my conversation with Yang Lianting, word for word.
They were stunned into silence, taking a moment to process what I had said.
"Brother, this is dangerous. I'll go! You stay here and rest up for the Mid-Autumn Festival!" Ba Yi volunteered, thumping his chest confidently.
"You're too tall. You'll be too easy to spot. I know the terrain better, so I'll go with Spanner," Wrench opposed, making a solid argument and dampening Ba Yi's enthusiasm.
"Ping'an, let me go with Wrench. With him leading, we can't go wrong. What do you think?" Screwdriver also didn't want to be left out and insisted on going with Wrench, urging me to stay behind.
In theory, they could handle it alone, but I needed to gather some information. Besides, if I didn't go, Yang Lianting might get suspicious and change his mind.
"To ensure nothing goes wrong, I'll go with Screwdriver. Wrench can stay here and cover for us. If I don't go, Yang Lianting might change his plan, and more importantly, I need to find out about someone..."
I looked at Chen Weiqiang, who was visibly upset. "We'll stay in the dormitory starting this afternoon and wait until that bastard leaves."
Wrench, being the head of security, disappearing for a day would surely arouse Liu Shiyi's suspicion. Especially with Mao Dinglun constantly watching our movements, we couldn't give him any reason to suspect us.
"Do what you think is best, but be careful. I'm heading back to my dorm to sleep," Chen Weiqiang said, looking defeated as he left.
I felt the same frustration; our revenge was still unfulfilled. But life had to go on, even if it was like living as pigs and dogs.
"Wait, help me check if this stuff is real or fake!"
I opened the wooden box, letting the scent of sandalwood fill the room.
"Damn, that smells good! Yang Lianting gave you these prayer beads?" Screwdriver exclaimed, admiring the shiny black beads.
Ba Yi took the beads, lightly biting one, then mocked, "Yang Lianting, a believer in Buddhism? That's ironic!"
Screwdriver rolled his eyes. "It's not gold. Why are you biting it?"
Wrench remained silent, thinking about what I had said.
"This is rosewood, and it looks top-grade," Chen Weiqiang said, taking the beads and scratching them lightly against the wall. A red mark appeared instantly.
"It's real. If crafted by a master, it would cost at least a hundred thousand yuan. This stuff is outrageously overpriced."
He handed the beads back to me, confirming they were genuine and valuable.
"Yang Lianting's former boss got these for 1.08 million yuan from an Indian royal temple."
I removed the velvet cloth, revealing the silver Desert Eagle underneath.
"!!!"
Wrench's eyes lit up upon seeing the gun. "He gave you this too?"
"Yes, to show his sincerity."
Ba Yi covered his mouth, shouting, "My God, Yang Lianting has quite the stash. No wonder everyone fights to be the supervisor."
"There's no ammunition. That cunning bastard," Wrench said, inspecting the Desert Eagle meticulously. He then quickly disassembled and reassembled it multiple times.
After several rounds, he concluded, "It's a real gun, not a replica."
"Damn, I haven't held a gun in so long. I've dreamed of having one for self-defense and fighting our way out," Screwdriver said, grabbing the gun and repeating Wrench's actions.
As they played with the gun, I noticed a glimmer of excitement in their eyes, which dimmed once they put it down.
I knew they were reminiscing about their days in the army.
"Brother, can you teach me how to shoot?" Ba Yi asked, looking longingly at the gun.
Guns, after all, are a man's true love.
Their smooth handling of the gun made me envious.
Chen Weiqiang was different. He was a technician, and back in Kokang, he had bodyguards, so he didn't need to handle weapons.
"I'd love to take this out and shoot a few rounds, test myself against you," Screwdriver said excitedly, miming shooting.
Since Wrench had served in the army longer and was the senior, he held a special place in Screwdriver's heart.
"Sure, when I take them for training, I'll bring you along to the range," Wrench agreed, smiling.
He was lonely here, so finding a kindred spirit was rare.
With Yang Lianting now genuinely cooperating, Screwdriver, working under him, would have more freedom to come and go from the compound.
"What if something goes wrong outside? You don't know the routes well. What then?" Chen Weiqiang asked, frowning with concern.
"Well..." Wrench pondered for a second. "I'll have Abu meet you in the forest to ensure more security. If Yang Lianting tries to double-cross you, kill him too."
Chen Weiqiang nodded, "I agree. Better safe than sorry. Yang Lianting is crafty. Once he's in power, he'll be no better than Liu Shiyi."
"Yang Lianting is ruthless. He treats the women here like dogs and ruins all the handsome men. He was after me too, but didn't get the chance before the compound changed hands."
Screwdriver, being from Yang Lianting's compound, had the most to say about his cruelty.