Chapter 11: Wang Chao’s “Idea”
Upon hearing that Fatty Liu was in trouble, Zhang Ze grew anxious. He offered a few words of comfort to the old man over the phone, then quickly set out with Baldy and Li Tian.
On the way, Zhang Ze dialed Liu Fatty’s cell phone.
…
“Remember to bring the goods back. As for this fat guy suffering a bit, I won’t make things hard for you.”
As expected, as soon as the call connected, Wang Chao’s voice came through.
“Heh…”
“That fat guy, do as you please. Did you really think I’d return all those pills to you?”
Though his tone was light, Baldy could still see the worry clouding Zhang Ze’s brow.
“No need for idle talk.”
“Abandoned Factory No. 2, on the outskirts of the county. I want to see you before seven tonight.”
Wang Chao’s words were edged with suppressed fury. No sooner had he finished speaking than he hung up.
Hearing the conversation, Baldy frowned. “Need any help?”
“No,” Zhang Ze replied quietly. “Just drop me at the factory and then leave.”
…
Inside the abandoned factory.
“Tell me, do you think he’ll come to save you?”
“Those pills aren’t exactly a small fortune.”
Wang Chao glanced at Liu Fatty, phone in hand, and asked softly.
Fatty said nothing in response.
“Come to think of it, that kid’s background isn’t so different from mine. And he managed to become a martial artist early on—I have to admit, I admire that.”
“It’s a pity, though. We didn’t get to work together before things ended up like this…”
Just as Zhang Ze had guessed, Wang Chao had his own reasons for wanting to meet him.
…
At the same time.
Detective Division, Mengyang County.
In the office, Li Sanqing and Wang Ting both frowned slightly at the newcomer.
The man before them sported a large belly and an oily appearance. Though a second-tier martial artist, Luan Yuan’s combat strength was hardly worth mentioning.
Still, Wang Ting was respectful. “Director.”
Li Sanqing also knew who he was, but his attention was more drawn to the young man behind Luan Yuan.
“Wang Chao is hiding at the abandoned factory outside town,” Lin Dong announced, his swollen face making every word painful.
As the young master of Anqing Province’s Pill Company, Lin Dong had never been beaten like this before. Resentment toward those rural people made his voice tremble with anger.
“Don’t hold back. As long as he’s breathing, bring him in.”
“Senior Li, today I must see Wang Chao kneeling before me.”
As a trainee in the Anqing Martial Bureau, Li Sanqing had little regard for people like Lin Dong. Hearing his tone, Li Sanqing grew even more displeased.
“I understand,” Li replied coolly, turning to leave without another word.
Watching him go, Luan Yuan finally spoke, “Young Master Lin, Li Sanqing is quite well-known in the Anqing Martial Bureau. You ought to mind your manner of negotiation.”
“Hmph,” Lin Dong snorted, his anger blazing too fiercely to care. His voice was icy. “Those fools in Chen Family Village—you’d better teach them a lesson. Attacking a pill company convoy, trying to steal pills—you know what to do.”
His eyes glinted, as if he could already see the people of Chen Family Village begging for mercy.
…
As dusk fell, Baldy dropped Zhang Ze at the appointed spot.
“Be careful. Reaching the level of a martial artist isn’t easy,” he advised softly, then he and Li Tian drove off.
Surveying the deserted factory, Zhang Ze dialed Liu Fatty’s number again, not noticing a shadow quietly tailing him from not far away.
…
“Heh…” Wang Chao feigned surprise as Zhang Ze entered the factory. “Honestly, I thought you’d run off with the pills.”
“I came,” Zhang Ze replied, “but unfortunately, your pills are gone.”
Seeing Liu Fatty’s dejection, Zhang Ze felt a pang of guilt, but his voice remained steady.
“As expected,” Wang Chao shrugged. “If it were me, I’d have gotten rid of them too. But I didn’t expect you to become a martial artist in just two days.”
“Is that why you wanted to see me?” Zhang Ze asked quietly, ignoring the rest.
“If I told you I admire your methods, would you believe me?”
Zhang Ze studied Wang Chao, puzzled.
When Zhang Ze didn’t answer, Wang Chao shrugged with a touch of pride.
“Huang Ming and I are both second-tier martial artists. Delivering a shipment of pills hardly requires outsiders. To be honest, I was watching to see how you’d react.”
“That’s how we find new partners.”
Wang Chao pointed at Zhang Ze.
Zhang Ze’s brows drew together, surprised by this revelation.
“With that woman’s help, we can easily find plenty of people with clean backgrounds. The rest is seeing who among them has the guts to stand out—and of course, the potential to become a martial artist.”
Wang Chao looked at him with unconcealed satisfaction.
“So you were trying to recruit me from the start?” Zhang Ze couldn’t help but chuckle. “When did I become such a hot commodity?”
“No, you always were.”
By now, Wang Chao made no attempt to hide his intentions.
“An orphan, bold enough to walk into the provincial detective headquarters, with the potential to become a martial artist… and now, you’ve already broken through. That’s why I’ve been watching you.”
Though being targeted by another man left Zhang Ze uncomfortable, he understood that Wang Chao must have had his eye on him for some time.
“In that case, let’s stop beating around the bush. Let my friend go, tell me how you want to cooperate—maybe it’s not impossible.”
Zhang Ze’s words drew a mocking laugh from Wang Chao.
“But you got my brother arrested. That’s not something I can just let go.”
“Do you think there’s still any chance for us to work together?” Zhang Ze gestured impatiently toward Liu Fatty, his curiosity about Wang Chao’s intentions all but gone.
“How about this?” Wang Chao said, feeding a green pill to Liu Fatty.
“A Recovery Pill.”
With his own system, Zhang Ze instantly recognized the pill. That eased his expression somewhat.
“Say what you want me to do.”
“You still don’t understand,” Wang Chao replied slowly as Zhang Ze’s brows knit in suspicion. “I need a partner I can rely on, for the long haul…”
“In this world, ordinary people give everything just to become martial artists, and those who succeed only yearn for more. But the martial world isn’t so easy. Every step forward, every breakthrough, costs a fortune.”
“For martial artists like us, how far can we get if we don’t support each other?”
“Bang—”
Wang Chao’s speech was interrupted by a dull thud.
“He’ll never get mixed up with the likes of you…”