Chapter 889: Skipping the Bill at the Dumpling Shop

As Tao Yuanyuan drifted off in the smoky car, the monotony of the night road gradually dulled her senses.

The jolt of the parked car woke her abruptly. Zhou Xiao said, “Get out!”

Rubbing her eyes, Tao Yuanyuan found herself inside a building with several grubby, half-naked men holding wrenches and hammers. In the middle of the room lay a dismantled car.

Zhou Xiao spoke to a man with a crescent-shaped scar on his face, “Brother Dong, get me a replacement.”

The scar-faced man approached and inspected the car Zhou Xiao had driven. “There’s only a used Jinbei van in the garage, but it’ll cost extra.”

“Let me have it on credit,” Zhou Xiao retorted.

The scar-faced man sneered, “No can do. You’re a wanted man now. What if the cops nab you? Who will we go to? Oh, who’s this pretty girl?” His eyes fell on Tao Yuanyuan, who cowered behind a pillar in fear.

Zhou Xiao pushed the scar-faced man, “I’ve been on the run for over a decade. Have I ever been caught? I’ll give you the money in a couple of days, as promised.”

The scar-faced man turned, grabbed a cigarette from a lackey, took a few puffs, and grimaced. “We’re trying to run a business here, Zhou. Don’t make it hard for us.”

Zhou Xiao’s forehead vein pulsed as he asked darkly, “What are you implying? Without Mr. Zhou, could this dump of yours stand on its own on the streets?”

“Times change. Mr. Zhou is gone now. You’re just a lone wolf. We still need to make a living, you know.”

“Can all the favors Mr. Zhou did for you be repaid with just a car?”

“You’re making it sound easy. We have our own troubles, Zhou. We have families to feed. Please understand.”

“Give me a damn car already!”

“Pay up first!”

Tension mounted as Zhou Xiao’s men closed in, tools in hand, their faces grim. Tao Yuanyuan nervously gripped her clothes.

The scar-faced man relented, “Alright, we’ll change the plates for free.”

Zhou Xiao smirked and gave in, “Then get me a fake driver’s license too!”

“No problem.”

With a nod to his lackey, the scar-faced man opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of plates from a pile of old ones, fixing them onto the car.

Zhou Xiao was then led to a wall painted blue for a photo, where the lackey smoothly operated a computer, printing a fake license, stamping it, and sealing it in an envelope, all with practiced ease.

Tao Yuanyuan suddenly realized she was in a car dealership catering specifically to criminals.

Later, the scar-faced man opened the rolling gate to let them out. It was already bright outside, but not a soul was on the street. As they drove out, the gate clattered shut behind them, and Tao Yuanyuan silently noted down the name of the dealership.

Zhou Xiao reversed the car onto the opposite sidewalk, facing the dealership’s gate. He pressed both the brake and gas pedals, the tires screeching on the ground.

Realizing Zhou Xiao’s intent, Tao Yuanyuan’s heart pounded. This man couldn’t swallow the humiliation and was preparing to crash the car, killing those people.

“Uncle Zhou, please calm down!”

Startled, Zhou Xiao almost released the brake, “This is adult business, kid!”

“Everyone’s looking for you in town. If you provoke your ‘friends’ again, there’ll be nowhere left to hide.” Tao Yuanyuan feared Zhou Xiao would be beaten to death here, and she’d be next.

Zhou Xiao sighed, first easing off the gas and then releasing the brake, slowly pulling the car back onto the road. He lit a cigarette, saying, “Are you really concerned about me?”

“I was scared of you yesterday, but after spending some time together, I’ve started to trust you,” Tao Yuanyuan replied honestly.

“Sharp-tongued!” Zhou Xiao chuckled. “Let’s go eat. What do you want?”

“Anything…”

With this incident, Zhou Xiao became more talkative. He mentioned on the way, “Ling Shuang was just like you at first, willing to do anything for us except kill. The teacher locked her up with a man, gave her a knife, and inside she screamed, cried, begged. Suddenly there was silence, and when I opened the door, she was kneeling by the man’s body, repeatedly stabbing him. She looked up, and I’ll never forget her expression, she smiled so happily, like… like a virgin experiencing her first time. When you plunge a knife into another person’s body, you taste that wonderful feeling that nothing can replace.”

Tao Yuanyuan shivered, not just from fear but also because she surprisingly resonated with Zhou Xiao’s description.

She recalled Chen Shi’s words, that everyone had to be their own jailer, the prisoner who needed to be closely guarded, whose name was “nature”!

Zhou Xiao reached over and ruffled Tao Yuanyuan’s head gently, saying warmly, “Maybe you can replace Ling Shuang, become my good partner, my friend. Of course, you have to pass the test first.”

“Uncle Zhou, I have my high school entrance exam the day after tomorrow. Can I go home tomorrow…”

“You can, depending on your performance tonight!”

“Gulp!” Tao Yuanyuan nervously swallowed saliva.

With the start of a new day, pedestrians and vehicles gradually increased. While waiting at a red light, the driver of a neighboring car asked Zhou Xiao for a light. Seeing Tao Yuanyuan, he said, “Taking your daughter to school?”

“Yeah! I think we’ll be late again today. The traffic’s a nightmare.”

“XX Road’s under construction. Sigh, it takes me an extra hour to get to work every day.”

They chatted about traffic until the green light, then smiled and bid each other goodbye.

Tao Yuanyuan thought, the driver who struck up a conversation would never have guessed that this man was a notorious serial killer. Chen Shi said most murderers gave the impression of being mild-mannered and well-organized. Zhou Xiao, chatting with the driver, gave Tao Yuanyuan a good demonstration.

They arrived at another quiet street, where a dumpling shop was open for business. Steam billowed from the big aluminum pot outside, but there were no customers inside. The owner greeted them warmly, “What can I get you two?”

“Two bowls of dumplings.”

“Alright, have a seat. There’s tea on the table.”

As they sat down, Zhou Xiao lit another cigarette, and Tao Yuanyuan silently calculated that from last night until now, he had smoked thirty-four cigarettes.

“Uncle Zhou, you probably don’t have any money on you. How do you plan to pay?”

Zhou Xiao used the end of his chopsticks to clean his ear and laughed, “Isn’t it simple? After we finish eating, I’ll just drag the boss into the kitchen and kill him.”

Tao Yuanyuan’s hands turned cold with fear. Glancing back at the boss, who was serving dumplings, his face steamed red from the heat, she said, “That’s not good. It’ll attract the police.”

“The police are like dumb pigs. They only investigate who the man fought with, who he solicited, who can inherit his estate. They’ll never think I didn’t want to pay for dumplings. What crime psychology, crime reconstruction, crime sociology—so many big words, all just for show. The most badass cop standing right here, looking at the fat man’s body, can he deduce that the motive for murder was me not wanting to pay for dumplings? Haha, ridiculous!”

Tao Yuanyuan felt sorry for the owner. When the dumplings arrived, she ate slowly, pondering if she could save the owner’s life.

Suddenly, an idea struck her. Holding half-eaten dumplings, she walked to the cashier’s table and said, “Uncle, can I have some more soup?”

“Haha, just say so while sitting, and Uncle will get it for you!” The owner said with a teasing tone.

As the owner turned to scoop soup, Tao Yuanyuan swiftly took a fifty-yuan note from the cash register, hiding it in her palm. She returned to her table, thanked him quietly, and told Zhou Xiao, “Uncle Zhou, I have money now. We can pay the bill.”

“You’re sharp!” Zhou Xiao took the banknote, his expression changing. “Boss, this girl just stole your money!”