"Familiar Faces" on the Street Corner
The afternoon sun is cut and reflected by the city's dense glass curtain walls, casting dappled light and shadow on the clean commercial street. The air is filled with the mixed smells of coffee, baked goods, and car exhaust. Well-dressed men and women hurry by, occasionally pausing in front of boutiques or cafes on street corners, creating a typical urban scene.
Lü Yi squatted beside an inconspicuous silver Nissan sedan parked by the roadside, frowning as he wiped a fresh, unsightly scratch on the passenger door with a soft cloth—not long, but quite deep, with the paint peeling off. It wasn't a big deal; he'd been grazed by a delivery tricycle that squeezed past him while turning in a narrow, multi-level parking garage. The other vehicle was long gone, so he could only accept his bad luck and find a place to get it fixed temporarily to avoid being nagged by his boss (though his boss probably wouldn't care) or Old Liu when he got back.
He cleaned it carefully, his fingers brushing over the scratch, wondering whether to find a place to touch up the paint or simply wait until the next maintenance to do it together. The sunlight was a bit dazzling, so he tilted his head slightly, his gaze habitually and aimlessly sweeping across the street.
In that instant, his movements froze.
Across the street was an old-fashioned pawnshop with a faded sign, next to which was a cheap mobile phone repair shop with little business. Beside the telephone pole in front of the pawnshop, plastered with various small advertisements, four or five men stood or squatted. They wore ordinary jackets, jeans, or sportswear, looking no different from any other idle lad on the street, smoking, chatting, and occasionally bursting into rough but not very loud laughter.
But Lü Yi's eyes, like the most sophisticated scanner, instantly captured several key features.
The bald man at the head, who had his back to him and was speaking to a tall, thin man, had changed into a newer-looking leather jacket, but his thick neck, the familiar, twisted blue birthmark on the back of his head, and the habitual tilting of his head and shrugging of his shoulders when he spoke...
No mistake. It's "Da Fei." The petty boss of that fraud gang who staged a car accident in the parking lot, was knocked down by him with pepper spray, and was later dealt with swiftly by the boss and Mr. Lin.
The Skinny squatting next to Da Fei, smoking a cigarette and darting around with his eyes darting around, is "Monkey." The burly man standing on the other side, leaning against a telephone pole, with a fierce face, taking pictures of the street scene with his phone, is "Iron Tower."
Several key figures matched up.
Lü Yi's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained expressionless. He lowered his head and continued to slowly wipe the scratches off the car door, while the corner of his eye, like a steady surveillance camera, remained fixed on the other side.
He noticed something different.
There are more people now. This group used to have only three or four core members, but now, judging from the situation, there are at least five or six in front of us, and it seems there are two more lookouts at the street corner in the distance.
His demeanor had changed. Although he still had that reckless, roguish air, his clothes were noticeably more "respectable," at least clean and tidy, unlike his previous slovenly appearance. They gathered there, seemingly casual, but their positions were subtly organized. When Da Fei spoke, the others laughed, but their eyes were always on their surroundings, especially the pawn shop entrance and the street corner. The way "Iron Tower" was taking pictures with his phone was also very natural, as if he were filming a street scene, but the camera angle always seemed to intentionally or unintentionally sweep over passersby, especially those who looked older, dressed plainly, or were alone.
"Business upgraded?" Lü Yi sneered inwardly. It seemed they weren't just "returning to their old ways," but had upgraded their equipment and gone "tech-savvy"?
Just then, an old man wearing a worn-out Zhongshan suit, carrying a cloth bag, and looking somewhat uneasy came out of the pawnshop. The old man hesitated at the door for a moment, seemingly wanting to leave but also hesitant.
The squatting "Monkey" immediately stood up, a wide, almost fawning smile plastered on his face, and moved closer. From a distance, it was impossible to hear what he was saying, but judging from his Monkey, chest-thumping, and pointing at the pawnshop, it seemed he was "enthusiastically" introducing something or "helping" the old man.
The old man seemed to be persuaded, or rather, he was so pestered that he had no choice but to follow "Monkey" into the pawnshop. At the door, Da Fei and "Iron Tower" exchanged a knowing glance, and a smug smile appeared on their lips.
Lü Yi understood immediately. This pawnshop was probably just a front, or even part of their "business." They would scout out locations, identify targets (especially elderly people who seemed inexperienced and easily fooled), and then have someone like "Monkey," who didn't look particularly menacing, approach them, lure or coerce them inside. What followed would likely be various schemes involving "appraisal fees," "handling fees," forced sales at low prices, or even outright extortion.
Their methods are more covert and targeted. And judging from their fearless attitude, they've probably found a new "backer" behind them, or they feel the heat has died down and dare to act up again.
Lü Yi's anger flared up instantly. It wasn't because he had been scammed by them before, but because he saw these scumbags harming people again, especially ordinary people like the old man from before. He almost wanted to rush over immediately and teach them a lesson with his fists, just like last time.
But he held back.
He's not the Lü Yi as before. He's Lin Feng's man now. You can't act just for the sake of momentary pleasure.
He took one last look at the group of people outside the pawnshop, memorizing their appearances, clothing, approximate numbers, as well as the pawnshop's location and sign. Then, he stood up, casually tossed the car rag back into the car, opened the door, and got in.
The car started and smoothly drove away from the roadside. He didn't look in that direction again, as if he were just an ordinary driver passing by to fix a scratch.
The car turned two blocks and stopped at a relatively quiet temporary parking spot.
Lü Yi took out her phone, brought up a specific, encrypted communication application, and dialed Lin Feng's number.
The phone was answered after only one ring.
"Boss," Lü Yi's voice was calm, but her speech was slightly faster than usual, "It's me. I just saw an 'old friend' at the intersection of Fuxing Road and Xingye Street."
On the other end of the phone, Lin Feng's voice came through, carrying a hint of barely perceptible doubt. "An old friend?"
"Those same scumbags who staged accidents before," Lü Yi said with disgust, "Da Fei, Monkey, Iron Tower, a few familiar faces are all here. There are even more of them, probably seven or eight. Judging by their demeanor, they're back, and..."
He paused, organizing his thoughts:
"It seems their business has 'expanded.' They're camped out in front of a pawnshop called ' Gathering Treasures,' and I saw them targeting an old man. I guess they're up to a more 'sophisticated' scam, with a whole set of tactics for scouting and luring him in. Judging by their brazen attitude, they're even more arrogant than last time. They might have really climbed some new 'high branch.'"
He briefly and concisely reported the details he had observed.
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, with only Lin Feng's steady breathing.
Then, Lin Feng's voice came through, revealing little emotion, but every word was clear and calm:
"Understood. Confirm the location and the person. Come back first, don't alert them."
"Understood, boss," Lü Yi replied readily, then hung up the phone.
He started the car and merged into the traffic. In the rearview mirror, the street corner had long since disappeared, but he knew that now that the boss knew about this, he would definitely not let it go with a simple reprimand like last time.
This time, it seems they'll have to uproot it completely.
He stepped on the gas, and the silver sedan accelerated, heading back the way it came.