Chapter 104: Moving Forward

We had arrived brimming with enthusiasm, only to leave dejected and drained. I knew, deep down, that everything had gone according to plan—that Xiao Mi had succeeded and that I should be feeling triumphant. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the lingering gloom in my heart.

"Damn it, that bastard! Someone ought to cut him down!" Malan cursed incessantly.

She offered no consolation, instead cursing Liu Qiang as if she might coax some solace for me from it. She didn't know the truth, didn't realize this act was all pretense, and simply assumed I was heartbroken.

By the time we returned to Mr. Wei's villa, dusk had already settled. Stepping into the yard, I noticed a truck surrounded by men—dressed plainly, yet each carried a gun and eyed us warily as we approached.

After entering the house, we were greeted by Kun Sang and Mr. Wei. Seeing us, they smiled and gestured for me to take a seat.

"Mr. Kun Sang, good evening," I said, nodding politely.

Kun Sang leaned back into the sofa and replied, "I've heard all about your situation. You struck Imperial Jade on my turf that day, a lucky find I'm pleased about. But for someone to rob you and kill my driver—such insolence! Such disrespect towards me! I've been investigating since, and if not for you identifying the culprit, I might have remained in the dark."

I chuckled lightly and replied, "Kun Sang, Liu Qiang is cunning. Taking him head-on would likely lead to mutual ruin. We Chinese favor strategy over brute force; I'd rather win without a fight."

Kun Sang nodded thoughtfully. "Brother Zhao Fei, I know you're a wise man. Mr. Wei's filled me in on your plan—it's flawless and requires my cooperation, which I'll provide. While Myanmar is chaotic, Mujie remains relatively stable. We're here to do business, not wage war. If we can dispatch that scoundrel quietly, I'm all for it."

I nodded. "Agreed. Now we just wait for Liu Qiang to take the bait. Once he enters your jade market, we'll lure him in."

Kun Sang agreed but added, "I'm willing to help, but I don't want any whispers circulating that would harm my reputation."

"Of course. This is a private vendetta of ours. All we ask, Kun Sang, is that you ensure our safety on your turf. We're unarmed here; we'll have to rely on you."

"Haha, you're too modest, Brother Zhao Fei. My men may not be numerous, but they're armed and can hold their own. As long as you're on my territory, you'll be safe," Kun Sang replied confidently.

I nodded, saying, "Then, for that stone, we'll pay a million…"

"No need," Kun Sang replied seriously, cutting me off. "The stone's on me. After all, I, too, have a vendetta to settle." With that, he rose swiftly. "I'll notify you soon."

He left abruptly, as brisk in his parting as his words. Watching the truck disappear, Mr. Wei commented, "Kun Sang is truly shrewd. That stone may be worthless now, but in the future, it'll be invaluable. We were hoping to profit from it, but it seems we'll have to forgo that now."

Listening to Mr. Wei, I felt a pang of regret. Though the stone might be worthless now, once we sold it to Liu Qiang, it would become priceless. I had hoped to profit from that transaction myself, but Kun Sang had seen through it and kept the stone, leaving us no choice but to let it go. Such is the price of dealing with people of his caliber.

Back inside, Qian Guang made a phone call—I knew it was to Four-Eyed Dog.

"It's me, Four-Eyes…"

The voice on the other end was anxious. "Why are you calling me? It's too dangerous…"

"I want you to tell me exactly how many men your boss has deployed," Qian Guang said calmly. "In a week, it'll be your child's birthday. You'd want to be around to celebrate that, wouldn't you?"

After a tense silence, Four-Eyed Dog replied in a shaky voice, "Thirty men are waiting at the base of Suluo Mountain, all armed. As soon as you move the goods down the mountain, they're ordered to kill. This time, he wants to annihilate you all."

Qian Guang pinched the bridge of his nose, frowning. "Four-Eyed Dog, we're past the point of no return. Don't try any tricks. If I die, you'll suffer too."

"Please…don't harm my family…" Four-Eyed Dog pleaded.

Qian Guang replied, "Once you're the boss, you'll be free. Choose your path carefully."

After hanging up, Qian Guang remained silent, and I fell into contemplation. His ruthless, calculating nature made it clear he was a true underworld leader. I felt relieved that he hadn't directed that cruelty at me; forced choices like these were too painful to endure.

Mr. Wei asked, "Can we trust Four-Eyed Dog?"

Qian Guang nodded. "I've already stationed men near his house. He'll know they're there."

Mr. Wei nodded as well. "Then we wait. Zhao Fei, the show's yours now."

I nodded, then retreated to my room. Leaning into the sofa, I pondered if my actions were right. Despite constantly reassuring myself, a faint resistance lingered in my heart.

Just then, Malan entered with two glasses of wine. She placed them on the bedside table, lit a cigarette for me, but I waved it away. She said, "Smoke one, vent a little. I know you're frustrated. That woman may not be your girlfriend, but I can see you care about her. Watching someone you care about betray you…it doesn't sit well, does it?"

I forced a smile. "Do you really want to help me vent?"

Malan grew serious, stuffing the cigarette into my mouth. I took a drag, coughing at the unfamiliar burn. Malan took a sip of wine, then offered, "I can help take down Liu Qiang. I'll ask my father…"

"No need," I said, discarding the cigarette. "I don't want Seventh Master's people involved. I can handle this."

I grabbed Malan's arm, and she looked up at me. "Did you forget what I told you?" she asked, annoyed. "Don't test my patience…"

"If you don't keep me happy now, I might lose tomorrow. Then it's on you," I retorted boldly.

"Are you threatening me?" she asked coldly.

"Yes," I replied defiantly.

Instead of anger, Malan quickly drew the curtains and locked the door. I pulled her close, watching her cheeks flush. She lowered her head, embarrassed.

"Malan, I'm not threatening you; I just…need to relax. I'm really frustrated," I murmured.

Hearing this, she wrapped her arms around me tightly…

How long does happiness last? Not long. It's fleeting, the kind you barely remember after you've just fallen asleep. In this world, there's nothing harder to hold onto than passion. No matter how long it lasts, it slips away.

I drifted into a deep sleep, only to be roused by a lingering kiss. Gasping for air, I awoke to find Malan, already dressed and glowing. I sat up, looking at the blazing sun outside. Even at just 9 a.m., the Myanmar sun was already scorching.

"Qian Guang said Kun Sang called. Liu Qiang's at his jade market now, so we should get going," Malan informed me.

I sprang up, dressed, and went outside to find Mr. Wei and the others already prepared. Qian Guang tossed me a gun. "Take it, just in case."

The weight of the weapon in my hand sent a chill through me. This time, Kun Sang was on board, allowing us to bring arms, but the gun still felt like an omen of death.

We climbed into the car and set off for the jade market. According to Four-Eyed Dog, the mountain was called Suluo, though its significance eluded me. I sat beside Zhao Kui, who eyed his gun with disdain. "A Type 54 pistol…only Myanmar still uses this outdated junk."

While Zhao Kui sneered, I thought having a gun was better than fighting with bare hands.

The ride was rough, and Malan complained, "Why the hell is this jade market in the mountains? What kind of idiot came up with that?"

I chuckled, staying silent. Zhao Kui explained, "This isn't so bad, Missy. Myanmar has banned private mines, so most jade markets are hidden away, deep in the mountains, sometimes only reachable on foot. And you have to watch out for local armed forces and bandits. Compared to that, we're lucky."

I raised an eyebrow and asked, "You seem to know a lot about Myanmar."

"More or less. Despite all the talk of unification, the private armies here don't want it. They're living well, like little emperors. Take Kun Sang, for instance. He rakes in millions every year. But unification will happen someday. They're all just making as much money as they can in the meantime."

I nodded. Myanmar's situation wasn't my concern, but I needed to understand it. You never know when that knowledge might come in handy, especially if business brings me here again.