"Brother Yang, we're sorry!"
"Brother Yang, we're sorry!"
Xiao Hu and the others watched as those two arrogant troublemakers swaggered away, their eyes reddening with frustration, faces filled with guilt.
They never imagined that a single misjudgment on their part would cost the supermarket a staggering twenty thousand yuan for no reason.
To put it in perspective, the total value of stolen goods in the supermarket over the past period hadn’t even come close to that amount.
Having just started working under Brother Yang, they’d already caused such a massive loss. They felt utterly incompetent.
"Alright, it’s not that big a deal," Yang Xin said, patting the shoulders of the dejected young men in front of him. "Those two will definitely come back. I’m sure next time, you’ll catch them red-handed!"
Xiao Hu and the others nodded firmly, their eyes reigniting with determination.
Just as Yang Xin was patiently comforting the boys, Yu Xin and Yu Mo happened to walk over.
From a distance, Yu Xin noticed Yang Xin talking with Xiao Hu’s group and curiously approached.
"Brother Yang, Xiao Hu, what are you all discussing?"
Xiao Hu and the others immediately greeted her.
"Hello, Sister Xin!" they chorused.
Yang Xin didn’t hide the matter from Yu Xin—there was no reason to. He briefly summarized what had happened.
After listening, Yu Xin looked thoughtfully at Xiao Hu. "Are you absolutely sure they stole something?"
"Without a doubt!" Xiao Hu insisted. "I saw them shove the stuff into their waistbands with my own eyes! But somehow..."
Once she had a clear picture, Yu Xin turned to Yang Xin. "Brother Yang, I think you’re oversimplifying this. Those two clearly came prepared. Catching them in the act later will be difficult—if not impossible."
Yang Xin sighed helplessly. "Then what can we do? We can’t just grab them in front of all those customers and interrogate them. That’d ruin the supermarket’s reputation."
"Who said anything about grabbing them at the supermarket entrance? If Xiao Hu’s certain they’re thieves, then it’s simple. Who says you have to catch them in the act?"
"What do you mean?"
Yu Xin smirked coldly. "If they’ve taken money from our supermarket, they’re going to spit it back out."
Yang Xin: "......"
He was starting to feel more and more that Yu Xin was adopting the same ruthless approach as the young mistress.
"Brother Yang, did they just leave?" Yu Xin asked.
"Yeah, not long ago."
An idea formed in Yu Xin’s mind. "Brother Yang, go ahead and handle your work. Leave those thieves to me."
Yang Xin couldn’t think of a better solution, so he nodded. "Alright, it’s in your hands."
With that, he turned and headed back into the supermarket.
Yu Xin was indeed more meticulous than Yang Xin. While questioning Xiao Hu earlier, she had picked up on some crucial details.
"Xiao Hu, you said people in the pickpocketing business hold grudges?"
"Yeah, Sister Xin. It’s an unspoken rule in the trade. Without it, thieves wouldn’t be able to operate in one area for long."
"Did those two say anything specific to you?"
"They said... we broke the rules..."
"Do you think they’ll come after you?"
"Maybe..." Xiao Hu and the others weren’t entirely sure. After all, they considered themselves out of that life—no longer part of that world.
What they didn’t know was that someone had been watching their every move from a distance.
Yu Xin: "Maybe means they will."
She no longer believed in probabilities or maybes. If there was even a hint of danger, she’d prepare for the worst.
She turned and carefully scanned the surroundings.
Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a man in a leather jacket leaning against a motorcycle behind a pine tree across the street, occasionally glancing their way.
She remembered seeing him there earlier when she and Yu Mo had passed by.
Of course, she only gave him a quick glance before looking away—no need to tip him off.
Then, she smiled at Xiao Hu and the others. "I’m scared of the dark at night. Wait for me to grab a few things, then can you walk me back to school?"
"Sure, Sister Xin!" they agreed immediately.
Yu Xin then called Yu Mo, and the two headed into the supermarket.
Meanwhile.
Rat lurked behind a telephone pole, noisily chewing betel nut, his eyes fixed on the supermarket entrance. When he saw those young punks and a girl get into a van, he immediately pulled out his phone and dialed.
"The kids are on the move. Judging by their route, they’re taking the shortcut through the park. Get into position. I’ll tail them from behind. When they arrive, strike immediately."
Rat spat out a mouthful of betel nut juice. "Once you’re in this business, you don’t get to walk away like nothing happened."
Every trade had its rules. Break them, and blood would wash it clean.
Inside the supermarket, Yu Xin pretended to browse casually while quietly reporting the situation to Liu Yutong over the phone.
"Sister Yutong, here’s the situation..."
After hearing Yu Xin’s suspicions and Xiao Hu’s explanation about the thieves’ code, Liu Yutong only gave a calm instruction.
"Don’t use the Wanlong Society’s name. Sometimes, leaving them room to imagine works better."
Liu Yutong had long since learned some inside information from Hua Muying—especially about Li Dayong, the ringleader of the pickpockets near the train station.
She’d even had people report it to the police, but it hadn’t amounted to much. A few arrests, then silence.
In her view, letting them fight among themselves was best. Only when things escalated would it be easier to wipe out those ruthless gangs for good.
To give them an easy opportunity—and to lull them into complacency—the van deliberately took a secluded route.
With its tinted windows and the cover of night, no one outside could see how many people were inside.
Yu Xin sat in the passenger seat, her eyes never leaving the rearview mirror.
Sure enough, before long, a motorcycle appeared, trailing them at a steady distance.
"Brother Yun, they’re following us."
Yun Cheng, who was driving, nodded indifferently.
Then, with a sharp turn of the wheel, the van veered onto a dimly lit, deserted road.
On either side stood abandoned factories, long decayed by time. The streetlights were broken, leaving only the pale moonlight casting a ghostly glow over the pothole-ridden road, adding to the eerie atmosphere.
