Chapter 903: Scouting

After the fat man left, Zhou Xiao told Tao Yueyue to put on the small backpack, which now contained 600,000 yuan in cash, about the same weight as a schoolbag full of books.

They wound through alleyways until they came to a narrow lane where a few tattooed thugs were squatting, smoking with hostile looks. Tao Yueyue’s heart raced, especially knowing she had a huge sum of money on her.

The thugs suddenly stood up, putting out their cigarettes, and began to follow them. Tao Yueyue tugged on Zhou Xiao’s sleeve, whispering, “Uncle Zhou, there are bad people behind us.”

“I know,” Zhou Xiao responded calmly.

The thugs got closer and closer, but Zhou Xiao remained unperturbed. They reached a dark stairway, and Zhou Xiao instructed Tao Yueyue to go upstairs and find the third door on the left to buy an “ear.”

Tao Yueyue nodded and hurried up the stairs, glancing back to see the thugs surrounding Zhou Xiao. She sped up, reaching the door. It was a phone shop with no sign, looking desolate. The shopkeeper sat behind a desk, engrossed in picking his nose.

KK had told her about such places—people in the underworld would use stolen identities to get SIM cards and sell them to those in need.

Tao Yueyue put the backpack down, took out a bundle of cash, and approached the shopkeeper. “I need two ‘ears.’”

The shopkeeper sized her up, wiped his nose-picking hand on his shirt, and pulled out two old-fashioned phones from a drawer. “Four thousand.”

As they spoke, the sounds of a fight echoed from downstairs, but the shopkeeper didn’t seem to care, as if used to it.

Tao Yueyue counted out a stack of bills and placed it on the desk. “I’ll give you five thousand. If anyone asks, tell them I bought one.”

The shopkeeper grinned, took the cash, and nodded. “Got it.”

Outside the door, Tao Yueyue eagerly turned on one of the phones, checking that it could make calls. She dialed Chen Shi’s number but hesitated before hitting call, eventually deciding against it.

She turned off the phone and hid it beneath the money before heading downstairs.

Zhou Xiao had already subdued the thugs, using his knife to threaten one of them. “You think you can claim the bounty on me? Scram!”

The thugs scrambled away, muttering threats.

Zhou Xiao took the phone Tao Yueyue handed him and dialed a number. “Nowadays, every punk in town wants my bounty. We need to finish this job and leave town. I might need a new face again,” he said, touching his own.

“Why not leave now? We have money,” Tao Yueyue suggested.

“I’m a killer, not a con artist.”

When the call connected, Zhou Xiao said, “Old Four, get me a car and bring it to XX Road.”

They waited in a nearby café. Half an hour later, a second-hand car arrived. Zhou Xiao took 50,000 yuan from Tao Yueyue’s backpack, handed it to the man, took the keys, and called Tao Yueyue to follow.

The car was worn, with torn seats, but Tao Yueyue felt comfortable—at least they didn’t have to walk.

She soon grew tired, curling up in the seat and falling asleep. Zhou Xiao smoked constantly, making her cough in her sleep, dreaming that her school was on fire.

When she woke up, the sun was setting. They were parked near some demolition sites. Zhou Xiao was gone, and the doors were locked from the outside.

The passenger seat had a bag with water and bread.

Watching the golden sunset, a sudden sadness overwhelmed Tao Yueyue. Feeling weak, she took out the hidden phone and dialed Chen Shi’s number. After three rings, she hung up.

No, it’s too soon to call Uncle Chen. He wouldn’t support this risky plan.

She turned off the phone, hoping it couldn’t be traced, and decided that tonight was the night to capture Zhou Xiao and give Chen Shi a big surprise.

She hid the phone under the seat cushion, ate some bread, and drank water. As the fiery clouds faded, she watched night fall for the first time, noting the sky’s transformation from golden to a deep velvet blue.

With the last light gone, the streetlights flickered on, and Tao Yueyue’s melancholy lifted. She found peace in the night, feeling like it was her true time.

At eight o’clock, Zhou Xiao returned. “Let’s go somewhere,” he said.

He drove to an upscale residential area, parking outside. This was the address of the fat man’s ex-wife. Tao Yueyue was surprised. “But tomorrow is Saturday!”

“We’re scouting. Do you think I’m just a thug with a knife?”

“Oh…”

Zhou Xiao took out some items from under the seat, asking Tao Yueyue to remove her shoes. He melted a glue stick with a lighter, smeared it on the soles, and dusted them with white powder to obscure the tread pattern. He did the same to his shoes.

Then he coated her fingerprints with a transparent film, which felt suffocating.

“Did Song Lang teach you this?” Zhou Xiao asked, smiling smugly.

“We didn’t need to.”

“He only taught you child’s play. Simulating a crime isn’t the same as committing one under real pressure. It’s like the difference between watching porn and having sex.”

Hearing Zhou Xiao belittle Chen Shi infuriated her, but she kept her anger in check and nodded along.

They exited the car, and Zhou Xiao led her to a tree next to the wall. He climbed up, pulled her up, and they entered the complex unnoticed.

At the villa, Zhou Xiao picked the lock and checked each room. Tao Yueyue noted the stairs, balconies, and rooms, thinking this would be a good place to take down Zhou Xiao.

In a bedroom, Zhou Xiao found a laptop. It had surveillance software showing their entry.

“Clever,” Zhou Xiao muttered, deleting the footage and checking for remote connections.

“Uncle Zhou, why don’t we stay here tonight? We can wait for them.”

“What’s your angle?” Zhou Xiao eyed her suspiciously.