I followed Xiao Si to a hotel and met Guan Zhenwan in a suite.
On the way, I was very confused. Why was this woman looking for me?
Could it be that she really wanted to recruit me to work for her?
Since when did I become so popular?
After Xiao Si brought me to the room, he left. The room was heated, and Guan Zhenwan was wearing a bathrobe with some water stains on her hair, obviously having just showered.
She sat on the sofa, with her legs crossed, holding a ladies' cigarette.
Seeing me arrive, she smiled and gestured for me to sit.
I sat down and asked with a smile, "Sister Guan, what do you need me for?"
She pouted and exhaled a puff of smoke, looking at me and saying, "You're not Master Qu's nephew, are you?"
I frowned, not understanding what she meant.
She continued, "I've already inquired. You only recently started working under Qu Chuan, and you have three friends who are still with him, right?"
I was taken aback and couldn't help but ask, "Sister Guan, what do you mean by this?"
"Xiao Si is someone I placed by Qu Chuan's side, so he gathered information about you," Guan Zhenwan said. "I'm looking for you today to make a deal."
"Make a deal?" I became more and more confused. What did this woman want to do?
"Qu Chuan is a very suspicious person. He trusts almost no one..."
I interrupted her, "What do you want me to do for you?"
"I want the Guandong Army treasure."
I frowned. She continued, "I know he has already found the Guandong Army treasure..."
"You want me to take you there?" I asked.
She smiled and said, "I want a list of the Guandong Army treasure..."
I didn't react immediately. "A list?"
"Yes. You need to help me record anything they find, and then give me the list."
I couldn't figure out what this woman was up to and hesitated for a moment.
"Don't worry, I won't ask you to do anything else. As long as you give me the list, I can give you a hundred thousand," she said confidently. "Besides the money, I can also guarantee your safety and that of your friends."
I didn't know what her intentions were and asked, "Why me?"
"Because you are not Qu Chuan's person."
"It's that simple?"
"Yes, it's that simple," she said, taking a drag from her cigarette. "This is a piece of cake for you. You can get money and ensure your safety."
"How will you guarantee my safety?" I asked.
She smiled and said, "First, tell me, are you willing to help me with this?"
I thought about it and nodded, "Yes."
"Alright, after you go back, you'll know how I'll guarantee your safety."
With that, she stood up and said, "I need to rest. You can go now."
What on earth was this woman up to?
I was completely clueless.
However, the current situation didn't seem to pose any problem for me.
She wanted a list, and I would give it to her.
As for what was between her and Old Man Qu, it wasn't my concern.
Two days later, Old Man Qu took me back to the mountains.
Fatty hadn't seen me for two days and was very worried, asking where I had gone.
I didn't tell him about Guan Zhenwan's matter, mainly because the whole thing left me utterly confused.
Why did that woman want a list? And how could she guarantee my safety?
After this shipment, Old Man Qu's attitude towards me changed significantly. He would often invite me over for chats and tea.
One day, as I was leaving Old Man Qu's place, Da Kui found me. He was holding a bottle of Erguotou and said he wanted to have a drink with me.
During this period, Da Kui and I rarely spoke. Why would he want to drink with me today?
I didn't want to agree, but he insisted on dragging me to his place.
When we got inside, he closed the door and looked at me with a smile, saying, "Brother Xiang, if you handle the matter for Boss Guan well, you won't be shortchanged."
I was startled and stared at him, blinking a couple of times. "You are..."
He made a "shush" gesture and whispered, "You know, you don't need to say it."
Now I understood what Guan Zhenwan meant by guaranteeing my safety.
I didn't expect Da Kui to be her person!
Could it be that the woman wanted to play a double-cross?
It was quite possible!
If that were the case, wouldn't Da Kui be planning a coup?
Damn, that was really exciting!
"Brother Xiang, don't mind unnecessary things. Just do what Boss Guan arranged for you," Da Kui said, his gaze turning cold. "You'd better not have any crooked ideas, otherwise, you and those friends of yours..."
I grinned and said, "Brother Kui, I've already promised Boss Guan. How could I go back on my word? I don't care what you guys are doing. As long as I complete Boss Guan's instructions, that's fine."
He had a look of "You know what's good for you," and patted my shoulder. "To avoid arousing suspicion from that surnamed Qu, we'll do things the same way as before."
"I understand, I understand."
After returning to my accommodation, I felt a bit shaken.
I never expected to encounter such a situation while looking for someone.
Now I understood why Guan Zhenwan had me do this.
I wasn't Old Man Qu's person, I understood antiques, and I was easy to control.
Therefore, having me do this was the most suitable.
I wasn't worried about anything else right now, except hoping that Guan Zhenwan was a trustworthy person.
These guys were all bad people. To be safe, I still needed to find a foolproof fallback.
After the passage to the military base was opened, Old Man Qu sent several people to investigate the situation, but something went wrong!
Four people went in, and only half a person came out!
That's right, half a person!
The entire lower half of his body was missing. When he was pulled out by a rope, the only word he managed to say before dying was "Run"!
All sorts of rumors started to spread. Some said there were traps below, some said there were biochemical weapons, and some said the place had been cursed by the Japanese...
In any case, the more it was spread, the more outlandish it became, causing widespread panic.
I hadn't seen Old Man Qu for a few days. Da Kui, however, had seen me twice. I privately asked him what was going on.
He looked conflicted and after a long while managed to squeeze out five words: "It's eerie down there!"