"He has been sleeping all the way?"
After nearly a day's journey, the taxi had finally reached the border of Costa Rica.
After resting tonight, they would depart early tomorrow morning to cross into Nicaragua. At this time, Fugui had already gone to handle the paperwork.
In a secluded hotel at this moment, Zhang Wenxuan was holding a beverage and chatting with Xiao Rui and Linlin.
The two girls were tight-lipped about what had happened in the woods, a fact Zhang Wenxuan had discerned after testing the waters earlier, so he never asked again.
What he was asking now was only some normal things.
Xiao Rui nodded, "Yes, after chatting a few words with the guide, he just kept sleeping. He should be sleeping, anyway, he kept his eyes closed."
"Is he still sleeping now?"
"Yes."
"Can people sleep that long?" Zhang Wenxuan was full of doubt.
"Why are you curious about this?"
"Oh, we are friends," Zhang Wenxuan explained, "I'm just worried he might be sick. You know, if someone gets sick on the way..."
Xiao Rui and Linlin exchanged a glance.
He's sick?
From the way that man fought, he could probably remain unscathed even if everyone else fell ill.
"Probably not..."
"Okay," Zhang Wenxuan nodded and then added, "Thanks, I was just concerned about my friend."
"Don't worry, the guide is taking care of him."
After that remark, they each returned to their rooms.
Zhang Wenxuan entered his room, briefly mentioned Xiu Nuo to the two people inside, then made an excuse and walked out.
Standing in the parking lot outside, Zhang Wenxuan took out his cell phone, his expression hesitant.
Four people, twenty thousand US Dollars, he certainly didn't have that much money!
He dared not think about what the guide would do to him if he hadn't gathered the full sum once they reached the United States.
Well aware of the process, he knew that they would be detained in Mexico for a while and in the United States afterwards.
Who were the people in the Border Prison? They were people connected to the Snakehead guides. This money couldn't just disappear; if he couldn't come up with it by then, these people had ways to make him pay.
If he really had relatives in the United States, would he still be traveling this path?
If there were, and they could fork over twenty thousand US Dollars for him, he wouldn't need to be a smuggled person himself.
Looking at his phone again, Zhang Wenxuan took a deep breath and then dialed a number.
A moment later, a voice came through the phone, "Hey, I thought who it was. How's it going, Zhang? Enjoying spending that money?"
The other side was speaking English.
And Zhang Wenxuan replied in English, "I need your help."
There was a pause on the other end before the reply came. "Don't tell me you've run out of money, Zhang. That was a whole thirty thousand! In US Dollars!"
"Money always needs to be spent, doesn't it? I have people here, I just want to know how much I can get?"
"What people?"
"Two women and a man, or it can also be two women and three men."
There was some dissatisfaction in the voice from the other end, "Men aren't worth much."
"Aren't people worth something?"
"Alright, you convinced me. Where are you? Still in Vietnam? Or Ecuador? I remember you said you were going to be smuggled."
"Does the place make a difference in price?"
"Of course," the voice rose, "We have to pay the local brokers' fees. The fee isn't the same in every country."
"We'll be in Nicaragua tomorrow."
"Oh, the intermediary fee might be a bit more expensive for that place."
"What about Honduras?"
"That's a good place, and we just happen to have a cooperating organization there."
"Then Honduras it is. How much money can I get?"
"This isn't about the money. We don't want to offend the Snakeheads. I mean, those guys don't like us cutting into their business. You get what I'm saying, Zhang?"
Zhang Wenxuan narrowed his eyes, "I can assure you, these people have no connections with the Snakeheads, at least not the ones I'm delivering to you. They're fugitives."
"Regardless of how you managed it, six thousand US dollars, two women, three men."
"What!"
"Hey! Hey! Calm down, Zhang. If it were in Vietnam, I could give you three thousand more, but this is Honduras, and the locals also take a cut."
"This isn't about three thousand!" Zhang Wenxuan was turning red. "Last time it was thirty thousand for two people! And now it's five! Even organ sales would fetch more than this!"
"What are you talking about, Zhang? Is there even a comparison?" The voice over the phone sounded disdainful. "Last time, your wife was only worth five thousand, and the remaining twenty-five thousand was the price for your daughter. Do you have any more children over there? I wouldn't mind giving you another twenty thousand."
"Moreover, if I'm not mistaken, this time you're probably just responsible for leading people to the place, right? Or providing us with an address, just a piece of information, and then letting our people find them. Isn't six thousand US dollars enough? As for what those people are worth, what does that have to do with you!"
"I need money, Bill, I really do!"
"Then go earn it yourself. Or bring me more people." The voice on the phone was no longer enthusiastic. "So, are we doing business or not?"
Zhang Wenxuan hardly hesitated and immediately agreed, "Yes."
"Contact me in Honduras."
After hanging up the phone, Zhang Wenxuan let out a sigh of relief.
Next, it was time for 'friends' to contribute.
Inside the room.
"Was that all he asked?"
Xiao Rui nodded, "Yes, that's all Zhang Wenxuan asked."
Xiu Nuo looked out the window, where Zhang Wenxuan was making a call in the distance. From such a distance, Xiu Nuo couldn't hear what he was saying, although he could have if he wanted to, but there was no need right now.
"Interesting, you guys can leave."
"Okay then."
The two girls left, and Xiu Nuo continued watching Zhang Wenxuan from afar, already contemplating in his mind.
This guy obviously had more interest in the stuff in the woods and yet didn't inquire further; he could really hold himself back.
This was also why Xiu Nuo had Wang Fugui bring him along. A biting dog never barks. After some time of interaction with these people, plus Zhang Wenxuan's deep thinking, keeping him in the team was unpredictable for the arrival of drug dealers.
Thus, he had brought this guy along using the need for money as an excuse.
Looking at it now, he indeed had his own ideas; it's just, what was this guy currently up to?
Contacting drug dealers was unlikely, he didn't have the means.
That call certainly wasn't to reassure his family.
Contacting relatives in the US to send him money? From what he'd learned over the last few days, Xiu Nuo had a good idea of just what kind of people chose to take this route.
Whether he had relatives Xiu Nuo didn't know, but they definitely didn't have money.
Who would take this route if they had money? In Ecuador, there was a route that could bypass Panama but at a high cost.
"So, are you raising money?"
"Being in another country; the quick ways to raise money are just those; selling misery, selling oneself, selling... 'friends'."
Thinking this, Xiu Nuo felt relaxed, the smile returning to his face.
"I was actually worried that you were a real good person, after all, in my world the mortal 'good people' are protected by the Great Way, that Vast Righteous Qi could hurt spirits and curse immortal cultivators."
"Although I don't know if this world has it, being cautious is always good. Now that I've confirmed you're not a good fellow..."
"Then... I'm relieved!"