Chapter 108: Business at the Door

Tang Shiya went upstairs to her room. It was unclear whether Liu Jingye’s words had dispelled her suicidal thoughts; ultimately, it was a battle she had to fight within herself.

While cleaning the table and heading to the door to discard the trash, Liu Jingye saw Tang Shiya still standing by the window. Her long hair was tossed by the cold wind, and her hazy, intoxicated eyes looked vacant as she stared blankly at the falling rain. No one could fathom her current state of mind.

After tidying up, Liu Jingye sat in the room watching television. Outside, the rain grew heavier, casting a gloom over his own mood. Fortunately, his phone rang—a guest calling to book a room for three days later.

"To think a guest would actually book a stay proactively; it seems my luck is turning," Liu Jingye thought, smugly recording the details. He mused to himself, "I just hope this one won't be another uninvited guest."

With the inn’s business finally showing signs of life, Liu Jingye set out to prepare. He took clean sheets and quilt covers upstairs, selected two south-facing rooms as requested, and began making the beds after a thorough cleaning.

Tang Shiya’s room was right next door. Liu Jingye could hear her movements; beyond the sobbing and sighing, there were occasional sounds of dry heaving. She was clearly heavily intoxicated, but other than the crying, her emotions seemed relatively stable, with no signs of wanting to end her life.

Liu Jingye felt reassured and continued his cleaning. Before he knew it, the room next door had fallen silent. There wasn't a sound to be heard.

"She’s drunk and distressed—did she fall asleep?" he wondered.

Just then, he heard a pained groan from next door: "This life is too short, it’s just too miserable!"

"What?" Liu Jingye was startled. "Could she have actually committed suicide!?"

He dropped his work, rushed over like a whirlwind, and kicked the door open. He then froze in his tracks.

"Ah..." Tang Shiya shrieked, instantly crossing her arms over her chest and snapping, "What are you doing?"

Liu Jingye looked at her; she had shed her long dress and was now wearing a delicate white camisole without a bra, paired with ultra-short shorts. She looked incredibly scantily clad—clearly her sleeping attire.

"Miss Tang, please don't misunderstand," Liu Jingye quickly explained. "I heard you say ‘this life is too short, it’s too miserable,’ and I was worried you were doing something foolish, so I rushed over to check."

Tang Shiya looked at him guardedly. Seeing that he was standing honestly by the door in a flustered state, she relaxed slightly. She kept one hand over her chest to prevent exposure and pulled the quilt up with the other, saying, "I just said that this 'quilt' is too short! It doesn't cover my feet when I pull it over my head—it’s so uncomfortable!"

Liu Jingye felt dizzy and nearly collapsed. He gave a wry smile and said, "Then I’ll change the quilt for you."

"Hmph!" Tang Shiya retorted testily. "You claim to run a 'conscientious inn' that is safe and reliable, but I think you’re just looking for excuses to pry. You were talking to yourself, so why were you eavesdropping? Are you just afraid I’ll die in your inn and cause you trouble?"

Liu Jingye smiled faintly. "I’ve never been afraid of trouble. I just don't want to see anyone die, because I’ve seen it too many times. Trust me, it’s a painful feeling—you wouldn't like it."

Tang Shiya stared at him blankly. In truth, she understood that he had only barged in because he wanted to save her.

"Don't worry, I don't want to die anymore," Tang Shiya said suddenly. "Look at you—covered in knife wounds and gunshot scars, your whole body broken and patched back together—yet you’re still full of life. It seems a beautiful life truly can ignite infinite vitality. I haven't lived enough yet!"

"Glad you’ve thought it through," Liu Jingye laughed. "Rainy days are the best excuse for laziness—curled up in bed, doing nothing, thinking of nothing, just sleeping away. It’s so cozy."

"Since you know I want to sleep, why aren't you leaving?" Tang Shiya asked.

"Are we still changing the quilt?"

"No need. The quilt may be short, but my life is still very long. I have to experience everything there is to try..."

Liu Jingye gave a thumbs up, turned around, and closed the door.

Tang Shiya looked at the door and silently pulled the quilt around her, no longer covering her face. She didn't want to hide the smile of rebirth blooming upon it.

Meanwhile, the conflict between the Japanese and the Vietnamese, ignited by Liu Jingye himself, was escalating. After the Vietnamese launched a surprise attack and injured the Japanese, the Japanese immediately retaliated by burning down a Vietnamese stronghold.

The police, realizing the severity of the situation, intervened forcefully, beginning to round up the individuals involved and launching a large-scale manhunt for both sides. The key figure in the incident, Huang Guangzong, had been abandoned by the Japanese and was now being hunted by the Vietnamese, his whereabouts unknown.

That evening, Liu Jingye received a call from the Big Sister, Lin Shengnan: "Do you have time? Come over."

Hearing her serious tone, Liu Jingye agreed immediately.

The rain continued to fall that night with no sign of letting up. The weather station predicted three days of rain and warned of flood preparations; such weather easily induced lethargy.

However, the rain could not dampen the enthusiasm of the youth. The nightclub owned by the Big Sister was packed, filled with noise, hedonism, and an explosive atmosphere.

Liu Jingye was led by a waiter into a private room. The Big Sister and Hu Ming were there, along with a man sitting opposite them.

*This guy looks really strange, like a monster that turned into a human,* was Liu Jingye’s first impression.

The man was around thirty, thin and gaunt with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks, but he had a pair of large, darting eyes. A thin mustache on his chin made him look like a goat spirit.

"Big Brother, you're here," Hu Ming said, standing up to greet him. Lin Shengnan, however, remained expressionless and didn't even glance at him, acting like a wife whose husband had just returned home from work, even complaining, "Why are you only here now?"

"The rain is too heavy outside, the roads are hard to travel," Liu Jingye replied, playing the part of the late-returning husband by making excuses.

The Big Sister hummed but said nothing. Hu Ming chuckled awkwardly and introduced them: "Big Brother, let me introduce you. This is Yang Zhi, everyone in the underworld calls him 'Brother Wire'."

"Brother Wire?" Liu Jingye asked, surprised.

The man stood up quickly, offered Liu Jingye a cigarette, and said with a beaming smile, "Not at all, not at all! I’m just a small-timer. The brothers in the underworld are kind enough to give me some face; I just help connect people and build bridges. Mutually beneficial, helping everyone get rich!"

*Oh...* Liu Jingye accepted the cigarette and nodded with a smile, thinking, *I’ve heard of this type of person. They are indispensable in the underworld—vast connections, the so-called ‘all-access line.’ They know everyone from all walks of life. If a brother gets into trouble, they help negotiate with the authorities; if someone needs to go on the run, they help buy tickets and settle them in; if someone needs manpower for a big job, they help coordinate and mobilize. Simply put, they are a jack-of-all-trades, a human lubricant—but absolutely essential.*

"Brother Wire, I've heard much about you," Liu Jingye said politely.

"Not at all, not at all," Brother Wire replied modestly. "It is I who have heard much of you. You’ve recently defeated both the Huangchao and the out-of-town gangs—you’re the rising stars, the talk of the underworld."

"We’re just playing around, trying to make a living. We can’t compare to you, Brother Wire," Liu Jingye said with feigned humility. "Since you’ve come to us personally, is there a big deal you’re looking to share?"

Liu Jingye cut straight to the point; he loathed empty, hypocritical pleasantries.

Brother Wire returned to a more serious tone. "As I told them earlier, there is indeed a big deal. The employer is offering a high price. Since you are the new powers with such impressive strength, I thought this job was best suited for you, so I took it on—and I also wanted to get closer to you all."

"Thanks for looking out for us, Brother Wire," Liu Jingye said.

Seeing that Liu Jingye was interested, Brother Wire continued, "The employer is offering three million for you to help with a small favor. It’s actually quite simple: just drive around tomorrow afternoon."

"Is it that simple?" Liu Jingye narrowed his eyes. "I’m sure there’s more to it. Please be clear, Brother Wire. Since we’re working together, we should be honest with each other, right?"

"Naturally," Brother Wire said. "However, I don't know the specific details myself. I only know the employer has a grand plan that requires some assistance. I personally think it’s better if you don't know the details. Just do your part. If anything goes wrong, you can claim total ignorance, and it won't involve you, right?"

This made sense. There was no better cover than true ignorance, especially in matters like this; of course, it was also a sign of the employer’s caution.

"So, what exactly do you need us to do?" Liu Jingye asked.

Brother Wire pulled a city map from his pocket and marked several symbols on the main roads and side streets. "It’s very simple. Just drive your cars along these three roads, fix your cars on the side streets, and maybe cause a few minor traffic collisions on the main roads."

Brother Wire spoke casually, but Liu Jingye understood instantly: *He wants us to deliberately cause accidents to block these two roads... But why block the roads? Is there a cash-in-transit truck passing by? Are they planning a robbery? Or something else?*

Seeing that Liu Jingye and the others were silent, Brother Wire pulled a stack of cash from his pocket—exactly 100,000 yuan. "This is the deposit from the employer. The rest will be paid in full once it’s done. The employer is very sincere, and you don't have to take any responsibility. Just drive, act a little, and the money is yours—how easy is that?"

Cold, hard cash on the table would tempt anyone. Lin Shengnan and Hu Ming were no exception; they were short on money and preparing to recruit new members—every item required funds.

Liu Jingye could not remain unaffected either. If it were truly as Brother Wire described, even he would be tempted. However, in these turbulent times, one had to be cautious and prudent.

He looked at Lin Shengnan, who was watching him, seemingly waiting for his decision. He looked at Hu Ming, who was also looking to him for guidance.

Since Lin Shengnan’s group trusted him so implicitly, he couldn't let them take risks lightly...