The buzz-cut man's brows drew even tighter, and his grip on the knife tightened.
He stared at the two approaching figures, weighing whether he should strike first.
Only when the two had come within a dozen meters did Mu Qi suddenly lower his voice and utter a highly abrupt password.
"Darkness beneath the lamp."
The instant he heard the password, the vigilance in the buzz-cut man's eyes vanished, and his grip on the knife loosened as well.
He waved his hand, and the lackeys beside him froze for a moment.
Two seconds later, the lackeys came to their senses and hurriedly put away their weapons. One of them moved too quickly while sheathing his knife and nearly cut his own hand.
"So they're our own people. You scared the hell out of me." The lackey who had screamed earlier patted his chest and let out a long breath.
"I thought they were people from the law-enforcement agencies. I figured we'd be starting a fight before we'd even begun receiving the goods." Another short, chubby lackey chimed in, forcing a smile onto his face.
Once they confirmed the newcomers weren't enemies, the tense atmosphere eased at once. Even the sound of wind passing through the leaves seemed to grow gentler.
After Mu Qi and Zhang Zhao stopped, their gazes fell on the buzz-cut man.
The man took several steps forward, his shoes crunching crisply over the gravel.
A hint of a smile appeared on his face. He extended his hand and introduced himself. "Greetings, gentlemen. My name is Gu Qiang. Just call me Little Gu."
His palm was broad, with a thin layer of calluses covering it. Anyone could tell he had trained with a blade for many years.
Mu Qi reached out and shook his hand. Their palms touched, then