Knowing that Hou Biao meant what he said, Qingmu realized that not shooting him directly was already more than enough, so he told Old Wang, "Untie his ropes."
Old Wang and Auntie Zhang meekly went to untie Jiang Deguan's ropes.
Jiang Deguan stood up, rubbed his wrist, and shouted into the phone, " Monkey, I've already kicked you out, what are you doing back here?"
Hou Biao said on the phone, "It's your business if you want me to leave, it's my business if I save you."
Jiang Deguan said, "If you shoot him now and kill him, avenging my brother, you won't owe me anything. If they kill me next, you can finally be free."
Hou Biao ignored his words and instead said, "Go out from the north gate of the factory, into the woods on the left, where your brothers will meet you."
Jiang Deguan glanced at Qingmu, knowing that if he didn't kill him today, he would hardly have another chance. He sighed and turned to walk north.
Just as Huang Ziqiang was about to walk over and ask Qingmu if they should secretly chase after them, a cloud of dust was kicked up by his foot with a loud thud.
Hou Biao's voice came through the phone. "None of you move."
Huang Ziqiang was so frightened that he quickly shrank back. Bi Shenghua, who was about to walk over, also had to retreat, looking at Qingmu with worry. Only the crooked tree in the darkness went unnoticed. The Crow on the treetop flew up silently and disappeared into the dark night in an instant.
About five minutes later, the sound of a car engine could be heard outside the factory area, then it quieted down again.
Knowing that Jiang Deguan had already driven away, Qingmu said into the phone, "He's gone."
"Don't move!" Hou Biao shouted.
Five minutes later, a "Huh?" suddenly came from the phone, followed by a series of banging and clanging sounds, and then a busy tone.
Qingmu guessed that Li Wei and Hong Kui had probably found Hou Biao's location, so he put the phone back in his pocket.
He turned around, just as Bi Shenghua ran over. The two of them asked almost simultaneously, "Are you alright?"
Qingmu scratched his head and chuckled, "It's nothing, it's nothing, what could possibly be wrong with me?"
Tears suddenly welled up in Bi Shenghua's eyes. She punched Qingmu hard in the chest and cursed, "When the hell are you going to stop bothering me? Don't let me see these sleazy people anymore!"
Qingmu pretended to be in pain from her hit, coughing and clutching his chest, "Cough cough... I know... I understand... From now on, I will obey the boss lady's orders!"
Bi Shenghua chuckled, "You little punk, so easily beaten!"
Qingmu leaned close to her ear and asked, "Are you really alright? They didn't... touch you roughly when they kidnapped you, did they?"
Bi Shenghua blushed and said, "No, I just pushed you a few times from behind."
Qingmu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank goodness, it was so dark, they probably couldn't tell the front from the back."
Bi Shenghua was stunned for a moment, and unconsciously patted her chest. Suddenly realizing what was happening, she roared, " Qingmu, you bastard!" and kicked Qingmu in the leg.
Qingmu cried out "Ouch!" and nearly fell over.
Bi Shenghua stormed past him, stood in front of Old Wang and Auntie Zhang, hands on her hips, and yelled, "It's all your fault! How are we going to settle this score?"
Old Wang and Auntie Zhang were already paralyzed with fear, trembling as they pleaded with Bi Shenghua, " Huahua, Huahua... we're all neighbors..."
Bi Shenghua was furious and didn't care about their attempts to be friendly. She yelled, "Neighborhood my ass! You've been my neighbor Tushu over ten years, and you've sent someone to kidnap me? Damn it!"
Auntie Zhang immediately knelt down and said, " Huahua, whatever you say, just let us go, okay?"
Old Wang also knelt down and begged for Bi Shenghua.
Bi Shenghua then asked, "Are you still renting the shop?"
"Rent, rent, rent... No, no, I won't rent... I won't charge you rent..."
Bi Shenghua said, "Listen carefully, I will still pay the rent at the original price, but you will definitely lose your shares."
Old Wang and Auntie Zhang nodded repeatedly.
Bi Shenghua emphasized again, "No one is allowed to tell anyone about what happened today. Not a single word will be uttered..." She picked up a knife from the ground, searched among the people lying haphazardly for a while, found the white-clad man who had been cursing and pushing her, and plunged the knife into his chest. "Don't say I don't recognize my neighbors; if we're going to do this, we'll be neighbors in the Yellow Springs!"
Old Wang and Auntie Zhang were already frightened, but Bi Shenghua terrified them so much that they soiled themselves, a foul odor suddenly emanating from the ground, and they were so trembling that they dared not utter a word.
Even Huang Ziqiang, standing to the side, was astonished, thinking to himself that the people around Qingmu were truly not to be trifled with. He also felt that Jiang Deqian's death was not unjust; of all people to offend, he had to provoke such a person.
Bi Shenghua clapped her hands, turned to Qingmu and said, "Anyway, it's already a mess, one more won't make a difference, right?"
Qingmu had witnessed Bi Shenghua's ruthlessness firsthand. Not to mention his feat of chasing after thugs causing trouble at a bar with a knife and hacking them down two streets, there was also the time when he had a drinking contest with Jiang Deqian, where he smashed a bottle over someone's head without hesitation.
But this is the first time I've seen her stab someone with a knife, even though the guy on the ground was already dead or alive.
Qingmu couldn't help but suspect that the guy in the white shirt had once intended something improper, but had simply mistaken the proprietress's front and back.
However, Bi Shenghua's actions actually helped him a lot; otherwise, Old Wang and Auntie Zhang would have had a hard time dealing with the situation. They were all neighbors and had no deep-seated hatred for each other, so killing them was out of the question. But if they didn't kill them, how could they guarantee that what happened tonight wouldn't get out? Although no one might believe it if they did, it was always better to have as few people as possible who knew about such things.
Now that Bi Shenghua has stabbed them, I'm sure those two will never utter a word about what happened tonight.
Li Wei and Hong Kui are back.
Li Wei said, "We found Hou Biao's location, but he still got away. He knows the terrain very well, and there are residents around, so we didn't fire."
Hong Kui added, "That guy's pretty sharp; he spotted us the moment we touched him."
Qingmu said, "Forget it, let him go." He glanced at the ground, frowned, and asked, "What about these people?"
Li Wei glanced at Huang Ziqiang and said, "You're the best at cleaning up these kinds of messes, aren't you?"
Huang Ziqiang quickly replied, "Don't worry, leave this to me."
Li Wei said, "The outer perimeter must also be thoroughly cleaned, including weapons and eggshells; leave no trace. Those who are dead can be let go, but try to keep the living ones. It'll be good for you to take over Jiang Deguan's forces; I'll give the eldest son of the Xia Family a heads-up."
Huang Ziqiang was overjoyed. Li Wei's words were tantamount to handing over Jiang Deguan's business to him, and not just that small amount of influence in the underworld, but more importantly, the business at the Shenzhou Wharf. Jiang Deguan's backer was Dong Cheng, and Dong Cheng's backer was Xia Bozhou Xia Family, the eldest son of Xia Wenyuan, whom Li Wei had mentioned.
After explaining everything, Li Wei took his leave and went home.
Hong Kui invited Qingmu and Bi Shenghua to stay overnight at the hot spring resort.
Qingmu knew he was still worried about his father's condition and wanted Qingmu to stay there. Qingmu thought it was a good idea; it would allow Bi Shenghua to soak in the hot springs and calm her nerves.
Back at the hot spring resort, they had some late-night snacks. Qingmu and Hong Kui went to Hong Zhenlong's room, while Bi Shenghua soaked in the hot spring in the room arranged for her by the resort's servants.
The hot spring water was indeed refreshing. The warm water flowed around her, soaking her smooth skin and infusing every pore with vitality. After soaking for a short while, Bi Shenghua felt all her fatigue disappear, replaced by an indescribable sense of languor and comfort.
As she was enjoying herself, she suddenly heard the sound of footsteps behind her. She was lying naked in the pool, which was filled with natural hot spring water. Although the water wasn't as clear as artificial water, it had a yellowish-brown tint, but if you got closer, you could still see the bottom of the pool clearly.