Chapter 135: Cop or Thug?

“You talk too much!” Brother Yang scolded the skinny man. “The boss is ready to meet our new member.”

“I thought it was going to be tonight,” Chen Shi said.

“The boss usually meets people during the day. We go out at night to have fun,” the skinny man replied.

“Let’s go!”

As they got out of the car, Chen Shi pretended to adjust his seatbelt while quickly dialing Xu Xiaodong’s number on his phone, then stuffed the phone under the car seat.

Xu Xiaodong should understand this was to help the police locate them.

Finally, it was almost over, but Chen Shi reminded himself to stay vigilant through this last hurdle.

They reached the top floor of a duplex apartment. A woman in pajamas opened the door, putting a finger to her crimson lips. “The boss is still sleeping.”

A commanding voice came from inside, “Ning’er, I’m awake.”

Once inside, the skinny man grinned and said, “Sister-in-law, you still have such a great figure,” and then he pinched her butt.

“Are you looking to die? King Kong, slap him,” the woman said coldly.

King Kong swung his massive hand, slapping the skinny man hard enough to make his mouth bleed. The skinny man begged, “I was just joking, just joking.”

“Serves you right,” Brother Yang muttered.

They went upstairs to a spacious bedroom where an elderly man with silver hair and a stern demeanor sat on a bed, dressed in silk pajamas. The woman pressed a button on the wall, and the ceiling slowly opened to reveal the sky, visible through a layer of tempered glass.

So this was the mastermind? Chen Shi imagined him in a prison uniform, shaved bald, and couldn’t help but smile.

“What’s your name?” the elderly man asked.

“Chen Shi.”

“You don’t look very honest!”

Brother Yang and the skinny man chuckled.

“Xiao Yang, you’ve got a good eye for talent this time. Found a real gem.”

“Thank you for the praise, boss.”

“In the insurance business, the key is patience and caution.” The old man gestured, and the woman handed him a cigar and lit it for him. “Do you know why I chose this line of work?”

Chen Shi replied, “Probably because it’s an untapped market, no competition.”

“That’s part of it. But also, I hate insurance companies. Ten years ago, I got seriously ill and tried to claim my insurance…”

“Here we go again,” the skinny man muttered.

“If you don’t like it, get out,” Brother Yang barked.

“Then I’ll go to the bathroom.”

Fed up with hearing this entrepreneurial tale, the skinny man slipped out and went downstairs. He retrieved drug paraphernalia from the car’s glove box and got high, feeling a wave of relief. Suddenly, he heard a noise from under the car seat.

Bending down, he found a phone, still on a call. Realizing the implication, he broke into a cold sweat, quickly turned off the phone, and ran back upstairs.

“At that time, I only had 33 yuan in my pocket, not even enough for groceries the next day…” The old man was still droning on about his hardships when he saw the sweaty, panicked skinny man burst in. “What’s the matter with you?”

“There… there’s a phone in the car… Someone must have planted it… We have a mole!”

Everyone froze in shock, Chen Shi breaking out in a cold sweat. He suddenly pointed at King Kong and shouted, “I just saw him put something under the car seat!”

King Kong’s eyes bulged with anger and confusion, “I am King Kong!”

“Was it you?”

“I am King Kong!”

“Stop pretending!”

Chen Shi’s sudden accusation distracted everyone, all eyes focusing on King Kong’s frantic denials.

Chen Shi grabbed a bottle, knowing King Kong was the most dangerous one. He needed to take him out first. He smashed the bottle on King Kong’s head, but King Kong, though drenched in liquor, was unharmed and looked enraged.

“Damn!”

With a roar, King Kong grabbed Chen Shi and threw him against the liquor cabinet. Bottles shattered, and the room filled with the smell of alcohol. Chen Shi’s hand, pressing against broken glass, was cut and bleeding.

Everyone else was still in shock, but Brother Yang quickly realized what was happening. “Damn it, we’ve let a wolf into the house.”

“I am King Kong!!!”

King Kong roared, stomping towards Chen Shi. Chen Shi rolled away just in time, King Kong’s boot crunching on the glass shards.

Chen Shi got up, finding himself cornered between the bed and the window. He vaulted over the bed, causing the old man to scream, “My leg!”

“I am King Kong!”

King Kong grabbed a ceramic horse and threw it. Chen Shi dodged, and it smashed onto the bed, making the old man cry out in pain, “My leg is broken!”

Chen Shi reached the door, and Brother Yang, with a contorted face, ripped off his tie and tore open his shirt to reveal a tiger tattoo on his chest. “I’ll show you the might of…”

“Get lost!”

Chen Shi punched him in the face, shattering his glasses and knocking him down, revealing the terrified skinny man behind him.

“You tricked me!” the skinny man whimpered.

“Want a beating?” Chen Shi glared.

The skinny man moved aside, letting Chen Shi step on Brother Yang’s stomach as he dashed outside.

That stomp cleared Brother Yang’s head just in time for him to see King Kong’s foot coming down. He rolled away, and King Kong’s boot thudded onto the floor.

The sounds of fighting echoed from the living room. Brother Yang adjusted his bent glasses and clutched his stomach as he stood up. “Boss, we need to get out of here. The cops are coming!”

“There’s a gun in the safe,” the old man said grimly.

Brother Yang nodded and slipped out, seeing Chen Shi and King Kong locked in combat. Chen Shi twisted and kicked King Kong in the stomach, forcing the giant back a few steps.

“Military combat techniques?” Brother Yang muttered.

King Kong charged, lifting Chen Shi and squeezing him like an orange. Chen Shi screamed in pain, digging his fingers into King Kong’s eyes until the brute let go, screaming.

Once free, Chen Shi grabbed a teapot from the table, throwing it and its hot contents into King Kong’s face.

Brother Yang’s face twitched. “Damn it, is he a cop or a thug?”

Remembering his mission, Brother Yang stopped watching and sneaked into the study.

Chen Shi threw anything he could find at King Kong, finally dazing him. He then removed his belt, jumped on the couch to even their height difference, and wrapped the belt around King Kong’s neck, pulling tight.

King Kong struggled, scratching at his neck and the belt, leaving bloody marks.

“Seven, eight, nine!”

At nine, Chen Shi let go, and King Kong collapsed, only unconscious.

Chen Shi sighed with relief. The fight had exhausted him, leaving his body aching. When he looked up, he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun…