"What are those old geezers standing out there for?" the driver, wearing a heavy coat, breathed out puffs of white vapor.
The man in the passenger seat frowned. "I'll go down and take a look."
The ice on the ground hadn't melted yet, and visibility was poor in the dark. Driving was already frustrating enough without people suddenly darting out into the road.
The man walked toward the villagers, his brow furrowed tightly. "What are you guys doing?"
The lead villager clamored, "Do you know the rules or not? You have to pay a toll to pass through here, got it?"
Hearing this, the man's temper flared. "We're leaving..."
A villager in the back coldly raised a homemade hunting rifle, and the man instantly shut his mouth.
"If you don't know the rules of the road, don't pass through here. This is Boss Jiang's territory," the villager sneered coldly.
He looked at the vehicle behind them. "Pay up or unload the goods. Take your pick."
Seeing the situation, the driver naturally understood what was happening. He yelled down at the man, "Ignore them! They're just a bunch of thugs. Delivering the goods is more important!"
The man immediately jogged back and got into the vehicle.
But to his surprise, the villagers didn't try to stop them. They just stood quietly and watched them drive away.
As the vehicle drove further away, the driver spat out the window. "See, nothing happened, right? Why were you even talking to them?"
The man gave an awkward smile. "I was just afraid they might do something extreme."
Just as they were turning a corner, a group of villagers suddenly jumped out from the side of the road, violently throwing something onto the surface.
The driver frowned deeply. "What crazy stunt are they pulling now?"
The man squinted and caught sight of something glinting. His face turned deathly pale, and he screamed, "Stop the car! They're throwing nails!"
"Stop the car!"
"Bang—"
A massive crash completely shattered the tranquility of the late night, shaking the snow off the roadside trees onto the ground.
The villagers immediately swarmed up. Ignoring the bleeding and battered men inside the vehicle, they stripped them of their clothes.
"Search them for money."
"Forget it, forget it. Unload the goods first."
After a long while, the road fell silent again. Aside from the howling of the cold wind, nothing could be heard.
When Wang Jie found out about the incident, he immediately went to tell Qin Du.
"Brother Qin, our goods were intercepted, and the driver is dead."
His face looked terrible.
The goods had been moving for so many days; why intercept them suddenly? Wasn't this an obvious attempt to send a warning to Brother Qin?
Qin Du's expression remained unchanged. Biting on a cigarette, his voice was incredibly hoarse. "Take some money to his mother. Make all the necessary arrangements."
He lowered his eyes, wiping the gun in his hand. "Come with me this afternoon."
Wang Jie froze for a moment, then hurriedly nodded.
The letter sent by Ji Zhaoxi had already arrived, but it sat for several days before anyone picked it up.
"Where's Brother Qin?"
"Brother Qin went out to handle that mountain road business. What's up?"
"Someone sent something for Brother Qin. Where should I put it?"
A few men gathered around, examining the writing on the envelope.
"It's sent all the way from Shanghai. Look, what does this say?"
"Shanghai International Studies University. I didn't know Brother Qin knew someone so modern."
"Stop looking, stop looking. Just put it on Brother Qin's desk."
It wasn't until evening that Wang Jie returned with Qin Du. His face was ghastly pale.
If following his previous bosses had only involved physical torment, following Qin Du was a dual torture of both body and soul.
As soon as Wang Jie returned to his own room, the mere thought of the scene he had just witnessed made him vomit uncontrollably.
Honestly, in their line of work, seeing blood was as normal as could be.
But the way Qin Du treated people couldn't even be called human; it was more like how one would treat livestock...
He had been with Qin Du for a long time, and he noticed that Qin Du rarely showed normal human emotions. Sometimes, it truly gave him the creeps.
As soon as Qin Du entered his room, the noise faded away.
Qin Du calmly wiped the blood off his knife, just as he used to clean his tools after a hunt.
He walked over to the desk and paused when he saw the item resting there.
Only after washing his hands and scrubbing the bloodstains from between his fingers did he sit down and pick up the letter.
Qin Du gently stroked the familiar handwriting. When he opened it, a faint fragrance lingered on the paper, completely out of place in the stark room.
He read about her troubles in the letter. Seeing that she had cried, his heart tightened. Qin Du's fingers brushed over the words, his heart growing heavier by the second.
He had crossed a point of no return. He couldn't stay in contact with her anymore. If he had any conscience left, he couldn't treat her the way they used to interact.
A look of deep dejection washed over Qin Du's face. One last time. He would reply just this one last time, and then he would stay away from her.
Those hands, so accustomed to gripping a gun, now seemed clumsy holding a pen. Qin Du lowered his eyes, forcing down his inner agony, and finally began to write.
[Xi Xi, you're just starting to learn and haven't adapted yet. It's just like when you were preparing for the college entrance exams. Once you find your rhythm, you'll improve very quickly. I believe in you.
Xi Xi, I know you must be anxious, but don't put too much pressure on yourself. This is only the beginning, and you have plenty of time. You should go visit the scenic spots from that book with your classmates.
I will protect myself well, so don't be sad. You need to take good care of yourself, too. Remember to wear more clothes when it's cold, and eat your meals on time, otherwise your stomach will hurt. Make sure to stay warm.
Xi Xi, you don't need to tell me how much money you spend, and don't try to be frugal. There are many things to spend money on in Shanghai. If you ever run short, you must write and tell me.
The photo is beautiful. Did you curl the ends of your hair? It's very cute. I really like this picture. Thank you for sending it to me, Xi Xi. I might not be able to write to you often in the future, but I will read the letters you send. If there's anything you need me to do, please let me know.]
The next day, Qin Du had someone procure a Sanyo double-cassette recorder—an item that was out of stock even in Shanghai. He also bought some original English tapes smuggled in from Hong Kong and overseas.
Qin Du felt a pang of guilt; he should have prepared these for her before she left for college.
Reading in her letter that she had to borrow her roommate's recorder made his heart ache with bitterness.
Wang Jie stared dumbfounded at how carefully Qin Du handled the items.
He asked tentatively, "Brother Qin, is this the new merchandise we'll be dealing in?"
"No."
The package was wrapped tightly in layer upon layer. Wang Jie watched in complete bewilderment.
Qin Du wiped the blood off his hands again, then went into the post office. He handed a thick stack of cash to the counter and filled out a remittance slip.
Seeing that large stack of money, the teller glanced at Qin Du several times.
An unbelievable thought popped into Wang Jie's mind. He whispered, "Brother Qin, are you sending this to the sister-in-law?"
Qin Du didn't speak.
Wang Jie seemed to understand and instantly shut his mouth.
