The car finally stopped jolting. After twenty minutes of driving, we made it to a smooth road. Zhu Zi's driving skills were impressive; he managed to drive at sixty miles per hour on the mountain road, arriving on the highway twenty minutes early.
I was holding Wang Gui tightly. He had already closed his eyes, his dry mouth opening and closing, the peeling lips looking terrifying. Qian Guang and Qian Lao Wu weren't in much better shape; both had pale faces, and the atmosphere in the car was heavy.
"Hey, Ah Li, get me a private doctor to my house...
"At Nankang's house, right, hurry up, we'll be there in about twenty minutes, get the medicine ready, someone's been shot..."
Boss Wei gave a series of instructions, then hung up the phone. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Hold on, everything will be okay..."
Nobody spoke; everyone was enduring in silence. I closed my eyes and prayed. I didn't want anything to happen to Wang Gui. He was the only brother I've truly trusted and shared life with, and even though we hadn't known each other long, we had been through many struggles together. I hoped he could still walk with me...
Twenty minutes seemed like an eternity, but we finally made it. The car stopped in front of a secluded single-family villa. We got out of the car, and Boss Wei held the box tightly as he knocked on the door. The barking of a dog broke the peaceful night. After a while, I saw a woman coming to open the door with a flashlight.
"Oh dear, why are you here at this time, and there's blood everywhere, what happened?"
"Don't waste words..." Boss Wei shouted, opened the gate, and Zhu Zi drove the car in.
After the car entered, Zhu Zi got out, opened the door, and said, "Brother Guang, we're here..."
Qian Guang tried to get out of the car, but he had no strength left. Zhu Zi didn't say a word and helped Qian Guang and Qian Lao Wu out. He didn't bother with me; in his eyes, Qian Guang and Qian Lao Wu were the most important.
I looked at Wang Gui; I had no choice but to carry him on my back. But I was too tired and exhausted. I tried several times but failed to carry him. Boss Wei was even worse off; he might have been too lazy from his comfortable life, even walking was a problem. But he still helped me by pulling Wang Gui onto my shoulders. I gritted my teeth and carried Wang Gui towards the house.
Inside the house, I laid Wang Gui on the sofa, panting from the effort. At that moment, another car arrived. Boss Wei went out and soon brought in a few people, a man and three women. As soon as they entered, they got to work.
I watched as they were doctors, speaking Burmese, a language I didn't understand. Boss Wei was communicating with them. Soon, the doctor used scissors to cut open Wang Gui's clothes, and a nurse administered an anesthetic shot.
I felt a bit apprehensive, it was really simple and rough. There were no dosages, no measurements, nothing. They just gave an anesthetic, removed the bullet, stitched up, and it was crazy. But I didn't care about the details; saving Wang Gui's life was the most important thing right now.
I sat on the floor, unable to help. Qian Guang and Qian Lao Wu were both being stitched up. I leaned against the wall, very tired and exhausted. This kind of life wasn't what I wanted, but I was dragged into it. Really, there was no way out. I knew there would be more danger in the future; this was just the beginning.
The path of gambling on stones is inherently filled with thrills. I couldn't regret it; I told myself I couldn't regret it...
My eyelids were heavy, and I don't know when I fell asleep. I was vaguely woken up by an argument.
"What are you doing? Bringing these people to our home, do you know it's dangerous?"
"Shut up, they are my friends. Clean the house, if you don't want to live here, get out..."
I opened my eyes and found myself lying on the sofa. I quickly got up to check on Wang Gui. His face was still pale, with a blood bag hanging, but thankfully, he was still alive.
I looked at Qian Guang and the others; they all looked at me weakly. Zhu Zi said, "He's lucky. The bullet didn't hit his heart; it just got stuck in the bone, and it was his useless hand. No need to worry."
I breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, Boss Wei came over and said, "I've arranged the car. When are we going back?"
Qian Guang said, "The sooner, the better..."
Boss Wei looked at Wang Gui and didn't say much. We all went out. I held the blood bag, Zhu Zi carried Wang Gui, and we got into a spacious off-road vehicle, leaving the villa after we were ready.
It took less than an hour to get from Nankang to Sister'så. Boss Wei said, "When we cross the border, we will be charged and inspected. Gunshot wounds will be caught, and we will be investigated, so we must remove the blood bag when crossing the border."
I frowned upon hearing this. Wang Gui's condition was still uncertain, and removing it was too dangerous.
But there was no other way; we had to remove the blood bag to avoid getting caught. A few minutes later, Zhu Zi stopped the car, Boss Wei removed the blood bag, threw it out the window onto the road, covered Wang Gui with a suit, and Qian Guang and Qian Lao Wu pretended to sleep.
Soon, we arrived at the border crossing. I was very nervous. I watched Zhu Zi calmly open the window and hand a toll card to the toll collector.
I saw the toll collector's smile, revealing eight teeth, and I was extremely nervous. I was afraid of being exposed and investigated. I had killed someone, albeit in self-defense, but I would still go to jail. My mother would definitely not be able to accept my imprisonment.
So, I was even more nervous than last night, but the toll collector just glanced inside, still smiling, and let us pass. Zhu Zi calmly drove away.
I watched the toll booth getting farther away and breathed a sigh of relief. I felt I wasn't suited for doing bad things because everything was written on my face. I really admired Zhu Zi; he was not only physically strong but also had thick skin...
The car drove into Ruili city, and I felt much more relaxed, but I was still heavy-hearted. We went to the hospital, a private one owned by a friend of Boss Wei. Although the conditions were not as good as a regular hospital, it was safe.
I looked at Wang Gui on the hospital bed. The doctor said he had an infection and needed treatment. I said to cure him no matter the cost...
Qian Guang and Qian Lao Wu were both seasoned fighters. Although they had wounds on their backs, they were re-dressed, and the two put on their clothes as if nothing happened and left the hospital with me.
We came to Boss Wei's shop. Boss Wei took pictures of the stones and uploaded them online. He said, "I've already put the stones on my website. Many people are interested in such top-grade stones. There will be results within a week. The price, I set for the two stones, is at one hundred million."
We were disheartened, but hearing the number one hundred million, we became happy again. After all, this time we returned victorious. I could at least get ten million, a number I never dared to think about.
Qian Guang said, "Boss Wei, you handle the stones. We're going back..."
Boss Wei nodded, saw us downstairs, and we left Boss Wei's shop, returning to the bar. Qian Guang, his face pale, still grabbed a bottle of wine, clinked it with me, and Qian Lao Wu drank by himself.
After taking a sip of wine, we felt refreshed, and smiles finally appeared on our faces. Qian Guang said, "Together, we only won forty million, while Boss Wei took the lion's share, winning sixty million. It's very enviable. If it were just us gambling, then the hundred million would all be ours."
I nodded, but I said helplessly, "We don't have the capital, the connections; we can only blame ourselves for needing this partner."
Qian Guang shook his head and said, "Yes, but we will get rid of him sooner or later. Boss Wei is a businessman, not like us. He doesn't have brotherly loyalty; only interests can drive him. He treats you well just to make you win money for him. Do you understand?"
I nodded. Although Qian Guang initially used me the same way, I gradually found that he was indeed different from Boss Wei. He had brotherly loyalty and determination to go all out for me. He could risk everything to save me, mortgage all his properties to the bank, and even pull me out in a critical moment. These were qualities Boss Wei did not possess.
Boss Wei would only guard that box of stones...
"Big brother, who do you think messed with us?" Qian Lao Wu said fiercely.
"Apart from Liu Qiang, I can't think of anyone else. This gambling devil, d*mn it..." Qian Guang cursed through gritted teeth.
I rarely heard Qian Guang curse, so I felt he was really angry this time. Qian Lao Wu said fiercely, "Big brother, we are not people who will just let others set us up and let it go. You don't let me fight, but this time it's different. We can't endure it."
Qian Guang said, "I know, but don't rush. Wait until we recover and get the money. Zhao Fei, you go to Xiaomi's place to hide for a while, don't show your face, and wait for me to find you."
I nodded, stood up, and left the bar. Regarding fighting and revenge, I couldn't help, so I let Qian Guang handle it. Now, my inner excitement and fear continued to seek someone to appeal to and vent on.
I took a taxi to Xiaomi's house. When I arrived at the community, I knocked on the door. Soon, Xiaomi opened the door. I entered, locked the door, and looked straight at Xiaomi. She didn't shy away from my gaze. I said fearfully, "I killed someone, and I'm scared..."
The fear of that night tormented me, but the joy of the harvest made me ecstatic. Now I don't know what mood I'm in. I just want to vent and tell everything in my heart to someone.
Xiaomi came over, reached out and cupped my face, and said, "It will pass..."
"I want to be happy, can you make me happy?" I asked earnestly.
Xiaomi smiled and said, "Yes."
"Zhao Fei, don't be afraid, I'll let you... feel it!" Xiaomi pressed against me with her body, then quietly reached out her jade-like hand and touched my waist, slowly sliding down.