The next day arrived, and Li Qian was making thorough preparations for her evening appointment. Little did she know that several other major events would unfold today.
Early in the morning, at a train station in a city two hundred kilometers away from Three Rivers Estuary, a group of about ten people appeared. Each wore a shabby jacket and pulled a massive black suitcase half a person's height. They approached the entrance, presented their tickets and IDs, then lifted their suitcases onto the security scanner one by one. It was clear the suitcases were heavy—each person grunted with effort, holding their breath as they hoisted them up.
The security officer behind the scanner noticed unusual shapes in the luggage on his screen. Out of professional instinct, he quietly called over another security guard to take a look. After a few glances, the guard immediately stepped behind the security gate and raised his hand to stop the group. "Take the suitcases down and open them for inspection."
The group showed no signs of panic. The leader, a tall, lean man, signaled his companions to comply, opening the suitcases for inspection.
"Cultural relics?" the security officer exclaimed in shock.
Every suitcase was packed full of various artifacts—large items like vases, bronze mirrors, Buddha statues, wood carvings, stone sculptures, and dinosaur fossils, along with countless smaller items: bundles of silver coins, strings of copper cash, and more.
As the ten suitcases were lined up, all filled with relics, other passengers couldn’t help but stop and gather around, curious.
The leader casually picked up a porcelain bowl from a black cloth bag and handed it to the security officer with a grin. "Ming Chenghua Imperial Kiln."
Everyone took a closer look—it was indeed from the Ming Chenghua Imperial Kiln, as the base was inscribed: "Great Ming Chenghua, Imperial Kiln."
"One hundred bucks—want to take one for fun?" the man offered, turning it into a business pitch.
The onlookers stifled their laughter.
Still uneasy, the security officer checked more items in the suitcases. Though he wasn’t an expert, he could recognize a head-sized piece of Hetian jade and a fist-sized chunk of amber. After inspecting a few more items, he relaxed and asked, "What are you guys up to?"
The leader replied frankly, "We dug up some relics back home and are selling them around the country—just trying to make a little hard-earned money."
"And these are relics?" the officer teased.
"Little brother, see but don’t say. This trade has its own rules."
The officer waved them off. "Go on, go on. There’s a long line behind you."
The man chuckled, signaled his companions to close the suitcases, and they headed into the station.
North of Three Rivers Estuary, a manor villa stood beside a river. The estate spanned fifteen acres, enclosed by six- to seven-meter-high walls on three sides, with a row of isolation trees planted along the riverside to the north, shielding the entire property. The front featured an equally tall retractable metal gate, devoid of any signs or addresses. Inside, to the right, was a security booth manned by several burly guards in uniform. At the center of the estate stood a grand villa, flanked by parking lots filled with luxury cars. Behind the villa was another security booth, also staffed by multiple guards. Surveillance cameras were installed both inside and outside the perimeter walls, indicating the estate’s impeccable security.This was the luxurious mansion of Zhou Rong, the wealthiest man in Three Rivers Estuary. At the moment, Zhou Rong, Hu Jianren, and the Lang brothers—Lang Bowen and Lang Botu—were all in the villa. Besides them, there were also several members of Zhou Rong's company security department, who doubled as his bodyguards.
Two hours earlier, Hu Jianren had received a message from Zhu Yifei's subordinate, stating that Zhu wanted to meet with Zhou Rong today. At the time, Zhou Rong was handling company affairs. Not wanting to attract these artifact-trafficking criminals to his workplace, he arranged the meeting at his home and invited the Lang brothers to accompany him. After all, the other party was genuine underworld figures, and Zhou Rong felt more at ease with extra people around.
They discussed some details of the upcoming deal, but as time passed the agreed-upon meeting hour, Lang Bowen grew impatient: "Brother Rong, what's your status compared to this Zhu guy? He says meet, and we accommodate him once—that's already generous enough. But now he's late, no sign of him, not even a call to explain. What kind of attitude is this? For a deal worth tens of millions, lacking this basic professionalism—what kind of scum is he?"
Zhou Rong smiled, unfazed. "I suspect Zhu Yifei is already nearby, hiding in the shadows to observe and test us. In his line of work, the risks are high, so caution is understandable. Don't give him a hard time later—Zhu Yifei isn't someone to trifle with."
His younger brother Lang Botu asked, "Brother Rong, why do you say that?"
Hu Jianren chimed in, "When I arranged the meeting with them earlier, I was about to give them the address, but they said they already knew it and just told us to get here quickly."
Lang Botu immediately understood. "They've been watching Brother Rong all along?"
Zhou Rong nodded. "Zhu Yifei said he'd enter Three Rivers Estuary soon to meet, but I suspect he arrived days ago. He's been lying low, investigating us in secret, and only now—after confirming it's safe—is he ready to talk business. Think about it: when he called, he not only knew this address but also that I wasn't home. That means he's been tracking me, yet I never noticed. That alone shows Zhu Yifei has skills. That's why I called all of you—this is my first time dealing with a real underworld boss."
Lang Botu's gaze swept over the security team behind Zhou Rong. They were all burly, towering men—except for one lean, unassuming figure standing quietly to the side. Lang Botu studied him for a few seconds before grinning. "Brother Rong, Director Zhang is here too. Then we don't need to worry about Zhu Yifei trying anything funny."
The lean man was Zhang Debing, general manager of Rongcheng Group's security department and one of Zhou Rong's most trusted men. At Lang Botu's remark, he merely smiled politely without a word.
"I just wanted to be cautious, so I had Xiao Zhang bring extra men," Zhou Rong explained. "Zhu Yifei isn't dealing in ordinary artifacts—he's handling big business, and his people aren't pushovers. Have you heard of Liu Bei?"
Lang Botu shook his head, but Lang Bowen cut in, "That fugitive who killed a cop?""Yes, this time we managed to contact Zhu Yifei through certain channels, and he brought in Liu Bei as the middleman for the deal. If even a middleman has killed a cop before, Zhu Yifei's men must be even more formidable. I need to stay alert." He glanced back at Zhang Debing, who nodded with a smile, as if to say, "With me here, Boss Zhou can rest easy."
After waiting a while longer, the villa's butler came in to report that a car had arrived at the gate, and the people inside claimed to have an appointment with the boss.
Zhou Rong immediately instructed the butler to let the car in, then stood up and led his entourage to the side parking lot to greet them.
The car that entered was an ordinary silver sedan worth a few thousand dollars—neither new nor old, utterly unremarkable.
The driver who stepped out was equally nondescript—a man in his thirties with droopy, narrow eyes and plain clothing. After getting out, he walked to the rear door and opened it, revealing a man in his forties wearing casual attire and radiating an imposing aura.
Zhou Rong approached the charismatic man and shook his hand warmly. "Boss Zhu, is this your first time at Three Rivers Estuary? Are you settling in alright?"
To everyone's surprise, the charismatic man withdrew his hand, smiled, and stepped behind the driver. The driver suddenly straightened up, raised his head, and extended his hand to shake Zhou Rong's. "Boss Zhou, long time no see," he said with a laugh.
"You're Boss Zhu?" Zhou Rong was taken aback, staring at the driver.
"Hahaha…" The driver laughed heartily. "Even Boss Zhou didn’t expect me to be the driver. How could the mainland police ever track my movements?"
"The greatest concealment lies in plain sight!" Zhou Rong couldn’t help but marvel. "Boss Zhu’s methods are truly extraordinary!"
The group burst into laughter.
Then, the driver flashed a strange smile and stepped aside. The charismatic man from earlier stepped forward again, laughing loudly. "Boss Zhou, that was just a little joke. I’m Zhu Yifei—pleasure to meet you. He’s my most trusted subordinate—you can call him Xiao Zheng."
Zhou Rong nodded repeatedly, and the others chimed in, praising Zhu Yifei for his masterful deception—blending the art of hiding in plain sight with the classic switcheroo. Truly the mark of a master! Though inwardly, they were all cursing him for being a lunatic.
After the brief exchange, Zhu Yifei and his subordinate Xiao Zheng took a sweeping glance around Zhou Rong’s entire estate. Xiao Zheng’s sharp, triangular eyes scrutinized everyone present, the vehicles in the parking lot, and Zhou Rong’s entire entourage with particular vigilance.
Zhou Rong, unnerved by Xiao Zheng’s prolonged stare, coughed and invited Zhu Yifei inside for further discussion. Like leaders of two nations—one followed by a large entourage, the other by just a single aide—they walked toward the villa together.
Once seated inside, after a few pleasantries, Zhu Yifei got straight to the point. "Boss Zhou, I’m sure you’re aware of my situation—I can’t afford to show my face, especially on the mainland. This time, I came for two reasons: first, since you personally wanted to buy the goods, it would’ve been disrespectful not to show up; second, I couldn’t trust anyone else with a deal this big. I’ll be at Three Rivers Estuary for about two or three days—let’s wrap up the transaction during that time. As for the price and process, Manager Hu and I have already agreed. No issues, right?""No problem," Zhou Rong replied without hesitation.
Zhu Yifei had already sent detailed photos of the Chime Bells beforehand. Zhou Rong had experts from the museum verify their authenticity and even showed the photos to Fang Yong, who was satisfied. As for the price, transactions involving such artifacts were rare in the market, making it hard to set a standard. A set had been auctioned overseas five or six years prior for 150 million. The set Zhu Yifei possessed was smaller in scale and, being an unregistered artifact that couldn’t be publicly traded, they settled on a price of 30 million after negotiation. Zhu Yifei demanded that Zhou Rong prepare one million USD in cash on the day of their meeting, while he would bring the ninth small Chime Bell as proof of Zhou Rong’s sincerity. If everything went smoothly, Zhu Yifei would arrange the transaction for the remaining eight bells the next day.
"Is the deposit ready?"
Zhou Rong signaled to Zhang Debing, who entered the study and returned shortly with a bag containing neatly stacked one million USD. Zhu Yifei inspected the cash—no markings, nothing unusual. Satisfied, he nodded and glanced at Xiao Zheng, who stepped out to the parking lot, retrieved a medium-sized suitcase from his car, and brought it back into the villa, placing it on the table.
When opened, the suitcase appeared ordinary, filled with clothes and travel items. Xiao Zheng removed several stacks of clothing and miscellaneous items, revealing the empty interior. He pressed a small round button on the inner side, causing the bottom of the suitcase to retract halfway, exposing a hidden compartment. Xiao Zheng neatly arranged the stacks of cash inside before pressing the button again, sealing the compartment seamlessly—no trace of its existence remained.
The group was stunned. They’d only seen such tricks in movies, never expecting real-life criminals to be this meticulous.
Noticing their amazement, Zhu Yifei smirked proudly. "The suitcase has other hidden features too. Even security scans won’t detect the shape of the money inside."
Xiao Zheng repacked the clothes and closed the suitcase, lifting it off the table. Zhu Yifei checked his watch and stood. "Boss Zhou, I’ll take my leave now. The item will be delivered to your doorstep in half an hour."
Zhou Rong frowned. "Then I’d ask you to stay another half hour."
Zhu Yifei turned back. "Don’t you trust me?"
"I haven’t seen the goods yet."
A flicker of irritation crossed Zhu Yifei’s face. "Boss Zhou, the goods are never exchanged in my presence. That’s my rule. I’d appreciate your understanding."
Zhou Rong also stood, cutting straight to the point. "One million USD isn’t pocket change. Since this is our first deal, exchanging goods and payment simultaneously is a safeguard for both sides."
As he spoke, Zhang Debing and two underlings positioned themselves at the villa’s entrance, unmoving. Xiao Zheng held the suitcase with his left hand while his right slowly slipped into his pocket—the tension thickened instantly.
Zhang Debing stared at Xiao Zheng’s sharp, triangular eyes and suddenly asked, "Brother, is your surname Huo?"
Xiao Zheng’s expression shifted abruptly. Zhu Yifei’s face darkened for a second before he broke into a laugh. "Fine, I’ll make an exception this once. We’ll wait for the delivery. Xiao Zheng!"With that, Zhu Yifei walked back to the sofa and sat down. Huo Zheng slowly relaxed his right hand and returned to Zhu Yifei's side without a word.
Although no direct conflict had broken out, the earlier tension had left the atmosphere in the room heavy. To ease the mood, Lang Bowen smiled and took three cards from his pocket, handing them to Zhu Yifei.
Zhu Yifei looked at them—three prepaid cards for the Maple Forest Late Hotel, each with a face value of 10,000. Puzzled, he asked, "What's this?"
"Boss Zhu, I’m sure you and your men have your own arrangements for lodging, so we won’t trouble ourselves with that. Take these three cards. There’s a Hydrotherapy Club on the third floor of the Maple Forest Late Hotel. If you’re interested, have your men look for a manager there named Zhou. She’ll arrange everything for you—relax and try the services at Three Rivers Estuary."
Zhu Yifei chuckled and passed the cards to Huo Zheng behind him, signaling him to keep them. Huo Zheng slightly unzipped the suitcase and tucked the three cards inside. Of course, they wouldn’t actually go—it was just a goodwill gesture to ease the tension, and refusing would only embarrass the other party.
Afterward, the two sides engaged in small talk, chatting for over half an hour, but the delivery still hadn’t arrived. Gradually, the conversation ran dry.
Then, Huo Zheng received a phone call. Moments later, his expression darkened. After hanging up, he leaned in and whispered something to Zhu Yifei, whose face immediately changed.
A few seconds later, Zhu Yifei took a deep breath and turned to Zhou Rong. "There’s been a minor hiccup during transport. Boss Zhou, keep the money for now. I’ll contact you again once I’ve sorted it out."
Zhou Rong narrowed his eyes slightly, wary. "What kind of problem?"
"Nothing major, don’t worry. We’ll take our leave." He turned, took the suitcase from Huo Zheng, placed it back on the table, and then hurriedly left with Huo Zheng.
After seeing them off, everyone returned inside. Lang Bowen immediately said, "This is definitely a trick!"
His younger brother, Lang Botu, added, "Rong-ge, we need to be careful with this deal. Judging by their reactions, something’s gone wrong. Dealing in unearthed artifacts shouldn’t land you in trouble."
Zhou Rong pondered for a moment before turning to Zhang Debing. "What do you think?"
"I can’t figure out Zhu’s game, but I’ve got a rough idea about that Xiao Zheng he brought along."
"What does he do?"
"His name is Huo Zheng, nicknamed 'Agastache Rugosa Solution.' He used to be a professional hitman with several lives on his hands. He’s been wanted by the police for a while—no idea how he ended up under Zhu’s wing. I think we should hold off on this deal."
Listening to everyone’s opinions, Zhou Rong nodded silently. He couldn’t afford to get caught up in an unearthed artifacts scandal before even delivering Fang Yong’s gift. For now, he’d set the deal aside and enjoy the evening with that girl Li Qian.
"Fucking trash!" Back in a hotel suite, Zhu Yifei hurled a water bottle at the head of a man kneeling on the floor, then rushed forward and kicked him repeatedly. "That bastard Liu Bei took the Ninth Chime Bells! Were you all blind or what?!"Behind the man kneeling on the ground stood seven or eight men in tattered jackets, all bowing their heads in fear. The man on the ground trembled as he explained, "Each of us carried one box. We saw Liu Bei when we exited the station, but when I did a headcount afterward, he was gone. Xiao Hu said he excused himself to buy cigarettes and ran off. His phone is turned off too."
"Why would he steal the Chime Bells?"
"I don't know."
"That bastard! Liu Bei, that bastard!" Zhu Yifei fumed, pacing back and forth before pointing at the man on the ground and demanding, "What are you going to do about this?"
"I'll retrieve the ninth Chime Bell."
"And if you can't?"
"I... I think since the other eight are still here, losing the smallest one, number nine... the loss should be manageable."
"Manageable? Go to hell!" Zhu Yifei kicked him down again. "All nine are a complete set! Missing even one ruins the whole thing. Who the hell am I supposed to sell it to? It's like losing one shoe from a ten-thousand-yuan pair—who wants the leftover one? You want it?"
Zhu Yifei raised his hand to strike again, but Huo Zheng quickly stepped in to hold him back, saying, "Brother Fei, maybe there's still a way to fix this."
"What do you mean?"
"You had me install small tracking devices in the hidden compartments of each box, just in case. I just checked—the signal is still moving. Liu Bei doesn’t know there’s a tracker in the box."
Zhu Yifei bit his lip, thinking for a few seconds before his eyes turned cold. "Get the item back. Then take care of the man." Huo Zheng replied without hesitation, "Got it."
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