Chapter 58
Liang Yanfeng walked up to Jiang Mu, who instinctively took a step back. San Lai slowly stood up and stared at him warily. Liang Yanfeng shot San Lai a guarded glance before saying to Jiang Mu, “Can we talk inside?”
Liang Yanfeng was someone from the alliance, so Jiang Mu didn’t dare let her guard down. She turned and took two steps toward the repair room. Liang Yanfeng quickly followed and asked, “How much do you know about the Youjiu race?”
His bluntness caught Jiang Mu off guard, but she didn’t dare reveal too much. Her eyes guarded, she asked, “Why are you asking about that?”
Liang Yanfeng looked nothing like the flippant man she’d met before; instead, he seemed rather serious and said, “I need you to come with me.”
Jiang Mu frowned. “Why should I go with you?”
“I can’t reach him right now. If you want Youjiu to stay alive, you have to come with me.”
“How do I know you’re not lying to me?”
As she spoke, Jiang Mu had already pulled out her phone to call Jin Chao. As expected, a voice message said the number was out of service range.
By now, San Lai had walked to the garage entrance, arms crossed, eyeing this flashy young man with open hostility.
Liang Yanfeng lifted his wrist to glance at the time on his watch. Then he suddenly stepped closer to Jiang Mu, his eyes filled with intense pressure as he lowered his voice, “Officer Lu sent me to find you.”
Jiang Mu’s pupils widened sharply. Liang Yanfeng followed up with, “Can we go now?”
Jiang Mu hurried back to the lounge to grab her keys and phone. By the time she returned, Liang Yanfeng was already waiting in the car. She locked up and was about to leave when San Lai grabbed her arm and demanded, “Where are you going?”
Jiang Mu replied gravely, “Not sure. Something’s happened with Jin Chao.”
San Lai didn’t let go and instructed her, “Turn on location sharing for me.” Then he glanced at Liang Yanfeng and said, “I’m worried you won’t be able to handle it alone.”
“Alright.”
Jiang Mu didn’t know exactly what had happened on Jin Chao’s end, but she didn’t dare waste time. After a few quick words with San Lai, she rushed into the car. Liang Yanfeng reminded her, “Buckle your seatbelt.”
As soon as Jiang Mu fastened her seatbelt, Liang Yanfeng slammed on the accelerator, and the car sped through the streets. Jiang Mu had only ever ridden in Jin Chao’s fast car but with him, she had absolute trust in him, so she never felt afraid. But this man in front of her was a complete stranger, and at this speed, she couldn’t help but grip the car door tightly.
Yet at this moment, more than fear, it was worry that filled her. As soon as she got in the car, she asked, “What happened to him?”
“How much do you actually know about what Youjiu is doing?”
“I have a rough idea.”
Just then they hit a red light. Liang Yanfeng slammed on the brakes, then pounded the steering wheel and cursed, “Damn it.”
Then he turned to Jiang Mu and said, “Youjiu can’t follow the original route.”
Jiang Mu’s heart skipped a beat, and she released her grip on the car door. “What do you mean?”
“Someone suspects there’s a cop infiltrating the alliance. Right now, we can’t pinpoint who it is. If he runs the route as planned, he’s finished.”
The green light flashed on, and the car shot forward again. Jiang Mu’s mind jolted with every lurch of her body.
As the speed increased, Jiang Mu’s thoughts instead grew clearer. She recalled the final moments of the last snatch race, how several cars charging toward the finish from different directions, Jin Chao kicking up a cloud of dust using the terrain to slow some of the vehicles, but it didn’t shake them all. It wasn’t until Liang Yanfeng caught up and blocked the others from behind that they had a clear shot to the end. Just as they were about to get the bag, Jiang Mu remembered glancing into the rearview mirror and seeing Liang Yanfeng’s car had stopped.
At the time, she’d assumed he’d simply given up, thinking he had no chance of winning. But looking back now, it was possible he never intended to win that race. She still remembered the moment they secured the goods and how Liang Yanfeng had flashed her a “six” hand gesture. Back then, she had no idea what he meant. Only now did Jiang Mu realize that it stood for “666.” He was saying they’d pulled it off beautifully. But why would he do that? There could only be one reason.
Jiang Mu turned her head and asked bluntly, “With your background, you don’t lack anything, do you? So why risk working for the police?”
Liang Yanfeng’s face slipped back into that carefree playboy expression as he told her, “For justice.”
“Heh.” Even Jiang Mu felt that line was beyond perfunctory.
The car had been driving for over fifty kilometers, well beyond Tonggang. Jiang Mu kept checking her phone to make sure location sharing with San Lai was still active. It wasn’t until the sports car turned onto a deserted, unlit dirt road that her expression began to tighten with unease.
Liang Yanfeng’s face had also darkened ominously and spoke abruptly, “Three years ago, my best buddy died on this very road.”
A chill ran down Jiang Mu’s spine and she turned to look at him. Liang Yanfeng’s brows were furrowed tightly, and his tone was filled with bitterness and rage, “He shouldn’t have died. Two bastards forced him until he had no choice but to crash into a tree. The official ruling said it was an accident caused by speeding. Bullsh*t… an accident? It was man-made. I begged my old man to step in, but he told me those people were untouchable. Why? Because they’re tied to something bigger.”
“I figured if I couldn’t count on my old man, I’d get in and investigate myself. Dig up enough dirt to bury them all. My buddy’s life wasn’t something to be written off. I won’t let him rot in the underworld as some nameless ghost.”
He didn’t say the rest, but Jiang Mu could guess the rest. After that, Officer Lu approached him, and he didn’t hesitate to join in.
The night grew heavier. Over an hour later, Liang Yanfeng pulled the car to a stop at the end of a deserted dirt path and asked Jiang Mu, “See that mountain?”
The darkness outside blanketed everything like a curtain. Beyond the reach of the headlights, nothing was visible, only the faint outline of a mountain could be made out. Jiang Mu’s voice tightened with urgency, “Is the race happening on that mountain?”
Liang Yanfeng nodded and told her, “Go through that bamboo forest, and you’ll see a few small houses. Head in the opposite direction, and you should reach the foot of the mountain. The race starts in just over forty minutes. If you hurry, you’ll make it in time. Find Youjiu, tell him and he’ll know what to do.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Jiang Mu unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. Liang Yanfeng didn’t leave. Instead, he turned off the headlights and left the car parked where it was, rolling down the window and calling after her, “I’ll watch you go through the bamboo forest.”
Jiang Mu turned back and asked, “You’re not going?”
Liang Yanfeng curled his lips in a mocking smile. “If I could go, I wouldn’t have gone through all the trouble to bring you here. Officer Lu said if anyone around Youjiu knew the truth, it’d be you.”
It wasn’t until he said this that Jiang Mu suddenly realized that Liang Yanfeng’s identity might already be exposed. The route he received in advance might’ve been deliberately leaked and meant to lure out not just him, but any racer who might have received the same intel. That’s why he couldn’t meet Jin Chao, and even more so, why he couldn’t appear anywhere near him.
In high-stakes races like this, communication gets cut off to prevent anyone from calling the police mid-race or causing unnecessary trouble. By the time Liang Yanfeng got the intel, he could no longer reach Jin Chao.
To deliver the message inside, Jiang Mu was the only viable option. She wasn’t a stranger to the scene, many people had seen her before and knew she was with Youjiu. If she carried the message in, it wouldn’t raise much suspicion.
Having sorted through the risks and logic, Jiang Mu didn’t say another word. She turned and ran straight toward the bamboo forest. At night, the bamboo grove was thick with moisture, and the muddy ground was uneven with every step. The wind stirred the bamboo leaves into a rustling whisper like snakes flicking their tongues. But at this moment, no matter how many snakes, bugs, or rodents there might be, Jiang Mu couldn’t care less.
The bamboo forest wasn’t large and she made it out in just over five minutes. Her shoes were caked in mud. When she turned back, she could no longer see Liang Yanfeng’s car, but she had indeed found a few small houses. In the opposite direction from the houses was a narrow path, and without a moment’s hesitation, she took off running down it.
At the end of the narrow path was a relatively wide road. The mountain pass at night was eerily quiet, without streetlights, without any nearby farmhouses. For a moment, Jiang Mu even had the illusion that she was the only person left in the vast world.
Fear and urgency pushed her to quicken her pace. The outline of the mountain grew clearer and clearer as she ran toward the stretch of road that led to the foot of the mountain.
From the other side of the mountain came a muffled sound. It was distant and unclear, echoing through the valley, but Jiang Mu could tell it was the roar of racing engines.
She was sweating all over from anxiety when suddenly a pair of headlights flashed twice behind her. Jiang Mu turned around and saw a familiar Honda driving toward her. Her heart skipped a beat in panic, and she immediately stopped in her tracks. San Lai slammed the brakes and pulled up beside her, asking, “Well? What’s going on?”
Jiang Mu quickly ran to the passenger seat and pointed ahead. “Take me to Jin Chao, now!”
San Lai stepped on the gas without another word, and the Honda roared toward the mountain. But they had barely driven two minutes when a sleek sports car shot out of the side road in the rearview mirror, tearing after them at full speed. San Lai glanced at the mirror in surprise and floored the gas pedal.
Unfortunately, this beat-up car though decked out in flashy custom work was all show and no go. It couldn’t outrun a million-yuan sports car. Within seconds, Liang Yanfeng had forced them to a stop.
Jiang Mu rolled down the window and gave him a slight nod. Liang Yanfeng spun the car around with a drift and sped off in the opposite direction.
San Lai cursed under his breath. “What the hell’s wrong with him? Chasing us down just to stare? Think I’d sell you out or something? Who even is that guy?”
Jiang Mu looked at the increasingly distant taillights in the rearview mirror and replied, “An unsung hero.”
……
But before their car even turned onto the mountain road, they saw from afar that a line of cars was parked right at the mountain pass, lined up side by side like an impenetrable wall, completely blocking the way up.
San Lai let out a sharp hiss. “Guess I’ll have to pull off some stunt driving to get through?”
As soon as he said it, he actually started speeding up. Jiang Mu, clutching her seatbelt, exclaimed in alarm, “You can’t be serious! How are you going to fly over that?!”
Just as she was so terrified she thought her heart would leap out of her throat, San Lai suddenly slammed the brakes and stopped right in front of the row of cars. Jiang Mu was thrown forward into the windshield, only to be yanked back by the seatbelt and slammed into the seat. She nearly threw up. Then she saw San Lai pull out his oversized sunglasses, snap them onto his face, turn to her, and say, “My car doesn’t have wings, how the hell am I going to fly? Didn’t you see? It’s just a bunch of car guys hanging out. Gotta put on a show, can’t lose face. Come on, let’s go take a look.”
With that, San Lai immediately opened the door, swung one long leg out, and stepped down with a cool swagger. His face was instantly replaced with a chill, aloof expression. Someone already called out, “Who are you?”
San Lai lazily glanced at the group. Some stood around in threes and fives, smoking; others lounged in their sports cars with headphones on; a few leaned against scissor doors flirting with girls. But now, everyone had turned to look at him. And as if the stares weren’t enough, their high beams flared to life in retaliation, blinding against San Lai’s own headlights.
In an instant, the headlights of over a dozen cars turned on them, illuminating San Lai and Jiang Mu like spotlights on a stage. Jiang Mu shielded her eyes, unable to open them from the blinding brightness. San Lai, on the other hand, cursed loudly, “What is this, a damn light bulb factory? Are you trying to light up your grandma’s underwear? We’re heading into the mountains to find someone. Move it! Good dogs don’t block the road!”
The two or three dozen people across from them just stared in silence. Not a single one budged. San Lai irritated, scoffed, “If you don’t let us through, don’t blame me for plowing right through you.”
One second… two seconds… three seconds… The whole place remained dead silent, the crowd just silently sizing up the old beater San Lai had boasted would bust through them. Then, at the fourth second, the entire group erupted in laughter.
Jiang Mu, though no car expert, could clearly tell that any one of the vehicles in front of them could easily crush theirs. She tugged at San Lai’s sleeve and whispered a warning, “Say something more realistic.”
The commotion drew attention, and soon people from the other side came over to see what was happening. Jiang Mu instantly recognized Wan Shengbang in the middle of the group, potbellied, bald-headed, and unmistakable even though she’d last seen him in winter. She’d recognize that man even if he were reduced to ashes.
While Jiang Mu’s expression grew more wary, San Lai acted like he’d just run into an old buddy. He enthusiastically approached and greeted him, “Isn’t this Uncle Wan? What a coincidence, out for a walk?”
Wan Shengbang glanced at San Lai, then looked past him at Jiang Mu, his brows furrowing. “A walk? What are you doing here?”
Without missing a beat, San Lai grabbed Wan Shengbang’s pudgy hand, gold-ringed hand and shook it with exaggerated warmth. “We’re here to deliver dinner!”
Wan Shengbang pulled his hand back with a look of distaste and reminded him, “Kid, if you want to talk, just talk. Don’t go grabbing people. What food are you delivering?”
“To my buddy, of course! Isn’t he in there about to race? How’s he supposed to compete without a full stomach, am I right?”
Wan Shengbang opened his mouth, likely to curse, but after remembering that San Lai was Old Lai’s son, he swallowed the insult and said instead, “Just leave. Don’t stir up trouble.”
San Lai plopped himself down on someone’s red sports car nearby, completely shameless, and said, “I just don’t get it. What’s the big deal about me delivering a meal to my buddy? What, you’re scared I spiked his food or something? Do you think this is the goddamn Olympics? Should we call up the International Olympic Committee to oversee it for you? Let me be clear. Today, I, San Lai, am delivering this meal no matter what. My brother’s picky and he only eats the braised meatballs I make. If I don’t get this food into his hands today, I’m not leaving.”
Jiang Mu, at her wits’ end, scratched her head anxiously. While San Lai went off on his rant, she tried to quietly slip toward the side of the road and sneak into the mountain. But a tall, burly man with rugged features suddenly stepped in front of her, blocking her path. He grabbed her by the neck with one hand. Jiang Mu let out a raspy gasp.
San Lai immediately turned his head and shouted, “Let her go!”
But the man clearly didn’t take San Lai seriously. Still gripping Jiang Mu by the neck, he began dragging her toward the middle of the road.
San Lai, hands still in the pockets of his black pants, slowly stood up from the sports car and repeated coldly, “I’ll say this one last time. Let. Her. Go.”
The burly man in the sleeveless vest turned around and held Jiang Mu in front of him, both hands tightening around her neck. Her breathing grew more labored, her face already paling, but he treated it like a game and said casually, “This little girl? I could strangle her with one hand. It’s quite fun. Do you want to go in? Fine, leave her here for us.”
The group of men nearby all burst into lewd, suggestive laughter. San Lai, expressionless, walked toward him step by step until he stood right in front of the man and said, “That won’t do. The food can wait. But the girl stays with me. Give her back.”
The burly man, losing interest, let go of Jiang Mu and shoved her hard in the back. She lost her balance and stumbled forward, but San Lai caught her with one arm and in the same motion, kicked the man square in the stomach.
The six-foot brute staggered backward from the impact. Just as he raised his fist to retaliate, a pair of headlights suddenly flared behind him.
Everyone straightened up, staring at the line of cars approaching from the far end of the road. The burly man, baffled, also turned to look. Leading the pack was an utterly ordinary Volkswagen, nothing special at all but the cars behind it were anything but ordinary.
Two Wuling Hongguangs flanked the road, one on each side, like escorts. Behind them rolled a pink F0, its headlights adorned with eyelash decals. Then came a chaotic assortment of family cars, SUVs, hatchbacks, and even a seven-seater minivan. But the real absurdity was at the back, a long-distance bus with “Tonggang–Xingwang” plastered on its side, followed by yet another dump truck.
San Lai smugly pushed his flashy sunglasses up onto his head and patted the sleeveless brute on the shoulder. “Step aside.”
Then he strolled forward, waving his arms like a traffic controller, directing the incoming cars to park.
All the mismatched vehicles lined up in formation. San Lai directed the dump truck driver, guiding him to pull right up to the front, positioned squarely opposite the scissor-door sports car.
Finally, he returned to center stage, like a symphony conductor, raising both arms high and shouting, “Turn on your headlights, light ’em up!”
At San Lai’s command, the motley fleet of vehicles switched on their headlights in unison. Bathed in the harsh glow, San Lai slowly turned around with a sinister grin, his back haloed by the blinding lights as he eyed the opposing crowd. He looked toward the group across from him and said leisurely, “So… who was it that laughed at me just now? Come on, step forward. Let Grandpa take a good look. I promise I won’t be the first one to hit you.”
As if on cue, the dump truck driver behind him flashed a bucktoothed grin and blasted two deafening honks from his horn.
Silence. Not a single soul dared to move.
Then, the man from the Volkswagen stepped out. He was just as broad and potbellied, even sporting the same shaved-head look as Wan Shengbang. His expression was grim as he shot San Lai a disapproving glare. But San Lai, for once, greeted him respectfully, “Dad.”
Jiang Mu stared in stunned silence at the legendary “Old Lai” of Tonggang. He was already up there in age, wearing a loud floral shirt, polished pointy leather shoes, and an impossible-to-ignore gold “LV” logo belt. At that moment, Jiang Mu finally understood exactly where San Lai’s over-the-top flair had come from, it was inherited.
Old Lai walked up to San Lai, pointed at him, and scolded, “Always stirring up trouble.”
San Lai, arms crossed, replied coolly, “Well, if you can’t handle it, just pay them back.”
The words had barely left his mouth when Old Lai instantly switched to a kindly smile, as seamless as a Sichuan opera face-change, and casually strolled toward Wan Shengbang.