68: Chapter 68 I'm Really Not Afraid

In December, night came early in Changyuan County.

Huangcheng KTV, located in the middle of the busiest section of Jiefang Road in the county, is one of the oldest entertainment venues in Changyuan County.

The five-story building was decorated magnificently, with neon lights flashing at the entrance and all kinds of vehicles parked full.

Director Xu stood in the shadows across the street, wearing a black down jacket and a baseball cap with the brim pulled very low.

Beside him stood two plainclothes police officers: one was Deputy Captain Liu Jianguo from the Criminal Investigation Brigade, and the other was Deputy Captain Wang Tiejun from the Public Security Brigade.

"Director Xu."

"The tip-off says that people from Hengmo Logistics and people from the Dongting Club have arranged to meet here tonight to talk, and if they can't agree, they are going to fight."

"There are over twenty people from Hengmo, and about the same from Dongting."

Director Xu nodded and asked, "Have you figured out the situation inside?"

"We have."

Deputy Captain Liu Jianguo pointed to the KTV windows and then said, "They booked three large private rooms on the fourth floor. The people from Hengmo are in 888, the people from Dongting are in 999, with one room in between. Both sides have thugs loitering in the hallway."

Director Xu was silent for a few seconds, then said, "I'll go in and take a look first. You wait outside and listen for my signal."

Deputy Captain Wang Tiejun was stunned and said, "Director Xu, you're going in alone? Isn't that too dangerous?"

Director Xu smiled and said, "What's dangerous about it? No one recognizes this face of mine."

"You two are veterans of the Public Security Bureau; some thug might recognize you."

Before Deputy Captain Liu Jianguo could say anything else, Director Xu had already headed toward the KTV entrance.

Walking into the lobby, deafening music hit him.

Colorful lights flashed, scantily clad girls came and went, and the air was filled with a mix of perfume, alcohol, and cheap makeup.

Director Xu walked to the front desk and asked for a small private room on the fourth floor.

"Sir, are you alone?"

The receptionist looked him up and down, her eyes full of curiosity.

"Yes, alone."

Director Xu handed over a few bills. The receptionist took the money and gave him a room card.

"Fourth floor, the small room next to VIP888."

Director Xu's heart skipped a beat.

"VIP888!"

"Isn't that the room booked by the people from Hengmo Logistics?"

Director Xu nodded and walked toward the elevator with the room card.

The elevator was packed with people, mostly young men and women, with arms around each other, talking and laughing.

Director Xu stood in the corner, head bowed, trying not to attract attention.

When they reached the fourth floor, Director Xu stepped out of the elevator and walked along the hallway.

On both sides of the hallway were private rooms with their doors closed, but the music seeping through the cracks made the floor tremble.

When he reached the door of room 888, he slowed down and took a glance.

The door was slightly ajar, and the noisy sounds of finger-guessing games and women's laughter came from inside.

Several young men in black leather jackets stood at the door, smoking cigarettes, their eyes scanning passersby vigilantly.

Director Xu walked past them without changing his expression, took out his room card, and opened the door to the small room next to it.

The room was small, about a dozen square meters, with dim lighting. He closed the door, didn't turn on the lights, and instead pressed against the door to listen to the movement outside.

Someone was talking in the hallway; the voice wasn't loud, and he couldn't make out the content.

He listened intently when the room door was suddenly pushed open, and a young woman walked in.

She was wearing a black tight-fitting dress with a very short hem, revealing two fair, long legs.

Her long wavy hair fell over her shoulders. Her features were cold and beautiful, with a sharp look in her eyes. She was carrying a bottle of red wine, clearly having just come out of one of the rooms.

Seeing Director Xu, she was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

"Oh, little handsome guy, all by yourself?"

Director Xu looked at her, his mind racing.

He had seen this woman in a photo!

She was Financial Director Wei Xue, the younger sister of Hengmo Logistics boss Wei Heng. It was said she worked as the financial director at the company...

He nodded, wearing a perfectly measured smile on his face.

Financial Director Wei Xue walked a few steps closer and looked him up and down.

"You're quite handsome."

She sat down opposite him and crossed her legs.

"What's your name? Why did you come to a place like this alone?"

Director Xu smiled and said, "Just call me Little Brother."

"Little Brother?"

"How old are you?"

"Just past twenty."

Financial Director Wei Xue laughed, unable to close her mouth.

"Just past twenty? That's definitely younger than me. I'm twenty-eight, call me Sister."

"Sister."

Director Xu followed her lead, and Financial Director Wei Xue nodded in satisfaction, picking up the red wine in her hand and shaking it.

"Drinking alone is boring; how about having a couple of drinks with your sister?"

Director Xu looked at her, calculating quickly in his heart.

Room 888 had the people from Hengmo, and room 999 had the people from Dongting.

Both sides could fight at any moment. At this time, if he could stabilize the people from Hengmo, he could take the initiative.

And this woman in front of him was Wei Heng's own sister.

"Sure."

"Sister is treating, I'll drink with you."

Financial Director Wei Xue smiled, stood up, and pulled him out.

"Let's go, let's drink on my side. 888, big room, it's lively."

Director Xu followed her out of the room and headed toward 888.

The young men smoking at the door saw Financial Director Wei Xue and quickly put out their cigarettes, respectfully calling out "Sister Xue."

Financial Director Wei Xue waved her hand, pushed the door open, and took Director Xu inside.

Room 888 was very large, at least fifty or sixty square meters. Seven or eight people, both men and women, were sitting on the sofa.

The bald man in the middle, wearing a big gold chain around his neck, was Wei Heng, the boss of Hengmo Logistics.

"Brother."

Financial Director Wei Xue walked over, whispered something in his ear, and pointed at Director Xu.

Wei Heng's gaze swept over, lingered on Director Xu for a few seconds, and then he nodded.

Financial Director Wei Xue pulled Director Xu to sit on the sofa in the corner and poured him a glass of wine.

"Drink."

Director Xu raised his glass and clinked it with hers.

While drinking, he observed the situation in the room.

Wei Heng sat in the main seat, surrounded by several people who looked like thugs, their eyes vigilant, looking toward the door from time to time.

The others were drinking and playing games, but they were clearly distracted, looking at their phones from time to time.

Financial Director Wei Xue leaned over and whispered in his ear, "There might be a fight later, are you afraid?"

Director Xu turned his head to look at her; their faces were very close, and he could smell her perfume.

"With Sister here, I'm not afraid."

Financial Director Wei Xue smiled, her eyes curving into crescent moons.

"Your mouth is so sweet."

She leaned against him, one hand on his shoulder, her fingers gently stroking his neck.

Director Xu's body stiffened slightly, then relaxed immediately.

He knew this was a test; this woman was not simple.

Time ticked by, and the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly tense.

Wei Heng kept checking his watch, his expression growing darker.

The thugs had already taken off their jackets, revealing the T-shirts underneath and the tattoos on their arms.

At nine o'clock sharp, a thug pushed the door open, walked quickly to Wei Heng's side, and whispered a few words.

Wei Heng's expression changed. He stood up, waved his hand, and said, "Let's go."

Everyone followed him, standing up and walking out. The thugs pulled steel pipes and machetes from under the sofa, hiding them in their clothes.

Financial Director Wei Xue also stood up and looked at Director Xu.

"Little Brother, you stay here for now, Sister has some business to handle."

Director Xu grabbed her hand, and Financial Director Wei Xue turned back to look at him.

Director Xu smiled, a very sunny and lethal smile.

"Sister, I'll go with you."

Financial Director Wei Xue was stunned for a moment, then smiled, a meaningful smile.

"Alright, follow Sister."

In the hallway, the two groups were already in a standoff.

Wei Heng brought his people out of 888, and Chen Dong, the boss of the Dongting Club, brought his people out of 999.

The two groups were ten meters apart, eyeing each other like tigers.

Chen Dong was a thin, tall middle-aged man wearing a leather jacket with a cigarette in his hand.

Behind him stood over twenty young men, all holding weapons.

Chen Dong exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "Wei Heng, about the goods, are you going to give me an explanation or not?"

Wei Heng sneered: "Explanation? You motherfucker owe me money, pay me back first before we talk about the goods."

"Bullshit! The goods haven't even arrived, why the hell should I pay?"

"Whether they arrived or not is your problem. I shipped the goods, so the money must be paid!"

The two argued more and more fiercely, and the people behind them began to surge forward.

The situation was tense, ready to explode at any moment.

Financial Director Wei Xue stood beside Director Xu, staring closely at the movement opposite.

Her hand had grabbed Director Xu's arm at some point, gripping it tightly.

"They're going to fight."

She whispered, her voice filled with a bit of tension and excitement.

Director Xu didn't speak; he took his phone out of his pocket and pressed a button.

The next second, the stairwell doors at both ends of the hallway and the elevator doors opened simultaneously.

Dozens of SWAT officers wearing bulletproof vests and carrying submachine guns filed out.

"Don't move! Police!"

"Get down! Everyone get down!"

"Put down the knives!"

The shouts were thunderous. Wei Heng was stunned, Chen Dong was stunned, everyone was stunned.

Steel pipes and machetes clattered to the floor.

The thugs who had been aggressive just a moment ago all squatted down, holding their heads.

Financial Director Wei Xue stood where she was, motionless.

She looked at the police officers rushing in, looked at the black gun barrels, and suddenly felt that her hand was still grabbing a man's arm.

She slowly turned her head to look at Director Xu, and Director Xu was looking at her too.

On that handsome face, there was still a faint smile. But that smile looked particularly jarring at this moment.

"You... you are..."

Director Xu pulled his arm free from her grip, took out his ID from his pocket, and waved it in front of her.

"County Public Security Bureau, Director Xu."

Financial Director Wei Xue's eyes widened, her mouth open, but she couldn't make a sound.

She remembered calling him "Little Brother" just now, remembered leaning against him, remembered whispering in his ear, remembered telling him "don't be afraid."

She suddenly wanted to laugh, laughing at herself for being stupid.

Deputy Captain Liu Jianguo walked over, looked at Financial Director Wei Xue, and asked Director Xu: "Director Xu, this woman?"

Director Xu looked at Financial Director Wei Xue, his gaze calm.

"Take her back for questioning."

Deputy Captain Liu Jianguo nodded and waved to call two police officers over.

When Financial Director Wei Xue was taken away, she kept looking back at Director Xu.

Director Xu didn't look at her; he was giving instructions to Deputy Captain Wang Tiejun, his expression focused, his tone steady, like a completely different person from the young man who had called her sister just moments ago.

The moment Financial Director Wei Xue was escorted into the elevator, she suddenly smiled.

"With Sister here, I'm not afraid."

Now she understood; of course he wasn't afraid, because he was the hunter.

The elevator door slowly closed, and that handsome face disappeared from her sight.

In the hallway, the police were counting the suspects, taking photos, and registering them.

Deputy Captain Wang Tiejun walked over and handed Director Xu a bottle of water.

"Director Xu, this move today was beautifully done."

Director Xu took the water, took a sip, then shook his head and said: "It's not over yet, this is just the beginning."