RNP Chapter 107 Meeting the Guessing Master
Chapter 107 Meeting the Guessing Master
Chapter 107 Meeting the Guessing Master
Ah Bao loved Song Zhaowen's utterly shocked expression. He chuckled and said, "Brother Zhaowen, listen to me. Even if you become a gangster and become the leader, how much can you really collect? A few million Hong Kong dollars at most! You still have to watch the cops' faces and keep an eye on other gangs that cross the line! Isn't it exhausting?"
"The boss of the Guessing Game—his business is number four. The entire southeastern coast is his territory! Do you know what that's like? US dollars! Hundreds of millions of US dollars every year! Easily!"
"Damn, so you sell drugs. No wonder you said making tens of millions was a piece of cake. Turns out you're in the business of killing people! Your boss's name... I feel like I've heard it somewhere before... Hmm... I remember now, he's a major drug lord in Southeast Asia." Song Zhaowen's eyes lit up.
Seeing Song Zhaowen's expression, Ah Bao smiled smugly: "It's good that you know him! My boss has connections, a powerful background, and the goods are genuine with stable channels. Ordinary people wouldn't even have a chance to get on this bandwagon."
"But I'm different. I'm Chai Ba's confidant. I was in there because the mainland cops were raiding the place, and I took the blame for my boss. Now that I've escaped, as long as I can safely return to Myanmar, my boss will never treat me unfairly, much less treat my savior unfairly."
Song Zhaowen sneered.
"So, all you're trying to do is get me to escort you back to Myanmar?"
"Yes." Ah Bao nodded. "I won't lie to you, the journey from here to the border won't be peaceful. The cops are chasing us, and there might be other troubles. I need an expert like you to protect me."
"What can I gain once I arrive in Myanmar?"
Seeing that Song Zhaowen seemed convinced, Ah Bao held up two fingers: "First, the ten million US dollars we just mentioned, not a penny less. Second, I'll introduce you to the boss. As long as he agrees, you can get the exclusive agency rights for the Southeast Asia to Hong Kong route. We'll give you the goods at cost price, and you can even get credit for the first year, payment after delivery. What's ten million US dollars? With this connection, you can earn at least that much a year."
He held up one finger.
Song Zhaowen narrowed his eyes: "One hundred million?"
"US dollars," Ah Bao added. "How big is the Hong Kong market? With this route, you can distribute your goods to Japan and South Korea, to Myanmar, to Australia—at that time, Song Zhaowen won't just be some rising star anymore; you'll be Mr. Song of Southeast Asia." With a stomp of your foot, half of Asia's black market will tremble.
"This road must be difficult to travel," Song Zhaowen said calmly, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger.
"The easy path isn't for people like us." Ah Bao's eyes burned. "Brother Zhaowen, are you content to be a local tyrant in that tiny corner of Hong Kong? Or do you want to seize the opportunity to truly stand on the mountaintop and see the view?"
After a long silence, Song Zhaowen finally spoke: "How do I get there?"
Ah Bao grinned and patted Song Zhaowen on the shoulder: "Let's get out of here first. I've planned the route. We'll get to the border where someone will meet us, then we'll fly straight to Phnom Penh to see the boss!"
"Okay." Song Zhaowen nodded. "But if something happens, follow my lead. I know more about saving your life than you do."
"Deal!" Ah Bao stretched out his hand.
One week later, Phnom Penh, Myanmar.
The dark-colored jeep carried a tired-looking Ah Bao and Song Zhaowen. Outside the window, there was an endless jungle and the occasional simple bamboo house passing by.
Ah Bao leaned back in his seat, looking at the familiar scenery outside the window, and let out a long sigh of relief: "Almost there—damn it, finally back. Zhao Wen, you really went through a lot of trouble on this journey. Without you, I probably would have been riddled with bullets by the border guards."
It seemed that he was thinking back to three days ago when the two of them were caught by armed border police while trying to cross the Nu River. Fortunately, they had a strong man by their side who carried them and climbed three mountains overnight before they escaped.
Song Zhaowen opened his eyes, his gaze unwavering, and simply uttered a soft "hmm".
"Don't worry, I promised you, I won't shortchange you a single penny." Ah Bao patted his chest: "Once I see the boss, I'll have him arrange the transfer immediately. Ten million US dollars, enough for you to buy half a street in Hong Kong."
"Money is a small matter." Song Zhaowen looked out the window, his voice calm. "I need to see Cai Ba, and discuss that connection. You'd better make sure you still have influence with him."
Ah Bao's face stiffened slightly, then he forced a smile: "Of course it's significant. I took the blame for him before going in. Boss is all about loyalty, and besides—" He lowered his voice, "I brought this little gift back with me. A Hong Kong triad boss wants to get in touch with us; this is a big deal. Boss will definitely see you."
Song Zhaowen remained noncommittal and closed his eyes again.
The jeep drove for about half an hour before turning onto a more secluded forest road. At the end of the road, a manor built against the mountain appeared, with high walls, electric fences, and numerous sentry posts. Armed guards vigilantly scanned the approaching vehicles.
Myanmar is a place where all sorts of people mingle.
You can buy anything with money, including private armies.
The car stopped in front of the large iron gate. A dark-skinned guard in camouflage stepped forward, spoke a few words to Ah Bao in Burmese, lingered on Song Zhaowen for a few seconds, and then waved for them to pass.
The manor was larger inside than it appeared from the outside. After several checks, the jeep finally stopped in front of a three-story main building. The building had a mixed architectural style, with elements of local bamboo houses and Western-style concrete structures, making it look more like a military fortress than a residential villa.
It seems that Cai Ba is extremely insecure.
"We've arrived." Ah Bao took a deep breath, straightened his wrinkled collar, and got out of the car.
Song Zhaowen followed behind him, his gaze subtly sweeping over the surroundings. Overt sentries, covert sentries, cameras—the security here was astonishingly tight.
As the two stepped onto the stairs, the main building's doors were pushed open. A man in a floral shirt, thin and with eyes as cold as a viper, walked out. He looked to be in his forties, a cigar dangling from his lips. His gaze first fell on Ah Bao, then shifted to Song Zhaowen.
"Leopard Strong, welcome back." The man spoke, his voice hoarse and thick with a Chaoshan accent.
Ah Bao seemed a little unfriendly to this man: "Viper, let me introduce you to Song Zhaowen, the leader of the Zhengxing Gang in Hong Kong, my savior. Without him, you wouldn't be where you are today."
The man nicknamed "Viper" narrowed his eyes, sizing up Song Zhaowen: "Song Zhaowen? You managed to escape from a labor camp in the interior with Ah Bao, crossing the border all the way here. You're pretty impressive! Ah Bao, are you stupid? Bringing just anyone back?"
"Damn it, Viper, what do you mean? You doubt my brother? I swear on my honor he's absolutely innocent! Why the hell am I saying all that? Where's the boss?"
Viper chuckled: "Of course you can see the boss, Leopard, but as for him... who knows if he's a cop? Same old rule, let's keep him in the wooden building for a while."
7
The wooden building in Caiba is not a normal place to stay. It is a waist-deep water room where your hands are handcuffed and your lower body is submerged in water. You can be bitten to death by mosquitoes at night.
However, Viper completely failed to notice that Song Zhaowen's expression was becoming increasingly grim.