Chapter 97: The Unknown Shadow
The intelligence Huang Ming had gathered proved fairly reliable. After lingering in Xiangcheng County for over an hour, the two of them headed straight for Wolf Fang Mountain.
...
“What are we doing out here in the middle of the night?”
Having just passed through an empty town, Huang Ming now led him into the mountains. Could the fat man’s heart not be pounding with anxiety?
“Heh heh~”
“With a body this big, and such a little courage?”
Huang Ming teased the fat man without a care as they walked.
Under the night sky, with the moonlight fairly bright, it didn’t take long before they had driven to the foot of Wolf Fang Mountain.
As soon as Huang Ming got out of the car, he grinned at the fat man. “Ever seen an alien?”
“If we’re lucky, maybe tonight I’ll show you one.”
The fat man quickly clutched his groin, feeling a chill down his spine every time Huang Ming spoke.
“Bro—”
“Once we get back, I’ll introduce you to some new girls. Just don’t bother me tonight, okay?”
He whispered with a hint of a whimper.
Another hour passed. Around half past eleven at night, Huang Ming brought the fat man up to Wolf Fang Mountain.
What could possibly be out here on a deserted mountain in the dead of night?
Looking around, aside from scattered stones, there was nothing else in sight.
This relaxed the fat man a little.
...
“Howl—”
The sound was low and guttural.
But the fat man’s heart trembled wildly all night, so he was extremely alert to any movement around them.
His voice trembled as he said, “Bro, did you hear that howl?”
“No way. Let’s head back tonight. I’ll help you find Brother Wang tomorrow.”
“Stop your damn whining!”
Unlike his earlier light teasing, Huang Ming’s face suddenly grew serious. He hissed at the fat man in a low voice.
“If you don’t want to get eaten for no reason, just stay right behind me.”
As he spoke, Huang Ming slowed his pace considerably.
It was clear he was on high alert.
...
Meanwhile.
After over two hours of discussion, the food on the table had gone cold.
“So, Brother Qian, do you think this plan can work?”
Zhang Ze’s eyes gleamed as he asked Yu Qian.
His excitement was undeniable at this moment.
Ma Cheng remained silent.
Yu Qian, however, was equally excited. Picking up where Zhang Ze left off, he said, “Exactly. As long as we find those shell companies under Chen Hao’s name, maybe we can slip our hands into the pot!”
Yu Qian was a lawyer by trade and had seen many things like this. He immediately pinpointed the crux of the matter.
After a pause, he added, “The only problem now is that my operation has to be swift.”
“If I can lock down those shell companies under Chen Hao’s name before the Detective Division moves, I can help you rake in a lot of profit!”
Seeing Yu Qian’s confidence, Zhang Ze couldn’t help but become excited as well.
After a long silence, Ma Cheng finally spoke.
As a former member of the Detective Division, he carried a strong sense of justice, which showed clearly now.
“Xiao Ze—”
“I don’t really recommend you go through with this plan.”
Seeing Zhang Ze about to interrupt, Ma Cheng raised a hand and continued, “First, I admit my views may be rigid because of my past profession, but I have to say...”
“Although this kind of action is far from a crime, you have to understand that funds linked to cults will inevitably be reclaimed!”
“You want to reach out now—”
Though Ma Cheng didn’t finish his sentence, Zhang Ze understood the implication.
...
Silence stretched for a long moment.
Zhang Ze suddenly felt like lighting a cigarette to appear contemplative.
Since he couldn’t pretend, he might as well speak plainly.
Furrowing his brow, Zhang Ze said in a low voice, “Brother Ma, I understand what you mean. But we’ve known each other for a while now, and you know my situation well.”
“If I don’t seize every opportunity to build up some capital for myself, how far do you think I can go?”
“Fourth rank? Fifth rank?”
“Or sixth? Seventh?”
All those thoughts of appearing deep and mysterious vanished.
At this moment, Zhang Ze was overwhelmed by helplessness.
He countered Ma Cheng, “Brother Ma, do you think our country lacks a sixth or seventh rank warrior?”
“Though I don’t know exactly what kind of enemy humanity faces, I want to live!”
At this, Zhang Ze spread his hands as if all the hardships and bitterness of his past life were laid bare before him. His voice trembled unconsciously.
“I don’t want to be like those ordinary people who don’t even have the right to know the dire straits we face.”
“I want to live—and live well, even if some of my methods aren’t exactly aboveboard...”
He stopped abruptly.
A sigh.
Ma Cheng no longer remained silent and gave a bitter smile. “Nowadays, many warriors think of themselves as heroes, but when it comes down to it, it seems few recognize their own shortcomings.”
An unexpected remark.
Then Ma Cheng looked at Zhang Ze and said softly, “Since you’ve made your decision, go ahead. I hope that when you truly grow, you’ll look beyond yourself.”
“Heh heh~”
Hearing Ma Cheng’s words, Zhang Ze suddenly thought of Brother Wang and smiled. “What you said reminds me of an old friend.”
...
“Bang—”
“Fatty—”
Huang Ming was flung backward by a terrifying force.
Ignoring the sharp pain in his abdomen, he hurriedly searched for the fat man’s figure.
“Bro—”
“I’m fine~”
Hearing the fat man’s voice, Huang Ming finally relaxed.
Then he shouted, “Stay put and watch me kill this beast.”
While speaking, Huang Ming drew a long knife over half a meter from his waist.
Because it was pitch black, the fat man had not noticed Huang Ming was carrying this weapon.
“Howl—”
The low growl grew clearer.
Though the fat man couldn’t make out what the creature was, he was wise enough to lie still nearby and pretend to be dead.
The black shadow moved on all fours, its body length probably two or three meters.
Crash—
With the sound of rolling stones, the black shadow lunged straight at Huang Ming.
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