Fang Zhao's actions stunned the two men. This was not part of their plan.
The man blocking the door cursed his employer's ancestors in his heart. Wasn't this kid just an artist?!
He might have believed it if the person in front of him was a killer, but he wouldn't believe it if he was a composer.
With his head pressed against the muzzle, he swallowed the words he was about to say and lowered the electric baton he was about to raise.
They had been in the black street for a long time and had taken on a lot of jobs. They could tell what kind of person they were, whether they were putting on an act, whether they were putting on a brave front, and whether they were cowardly on the inside. They could tell from their target's every move and even their eyes.
The way Fang Zhao held the gun and the way he looked at him made the back of his neck break out in a cold sweat. Of course, he could tell that Fang Zhao's calmness and casualness weren't an act. He was also sure that if they made the slightest move, the gun would really be fired.
So the man behind him stopped in time. He didn't dare make a move before he had a clear picture of the situation. Otherwise, he might end up collecting the corpse of his teammate.
However, for people like them who took on a lot of work, they had one advantage: they were flexible.
"Big brother, it's a misunderstanding. It's a misunderstanding! Don't get worked up, please don't get worked up! " The man blocking the door squeezed out a smile and switched off the electric baton. The sound of electricity disappeared and he raised his hands high. He didn't feel any pressure calling someone younger than him "big brother."
"I'm not worked up. Let's go inside and have a good chat," Fang Zhao said.
"No, no, no. We won't disturb you anymore. We'll leave now, right now." The man blocking the door had just lifted his leg when he noticed Fang Zhao's finger was about to pull the trigger. He pulled his leg back and put on a smile that was uglier than crying. The sinister animal tattoo on his face looked comical.
"It's fine. Go in. I'll just ask you a few questions. Open the door. "As soon as Fang Zhao's voice trailed off, the door opened automatically.
Fang Zhao had changed the door's settings to two-factor authentication. If the bracelet could be sensed within five meters and Fang Zhao's voice command, the door would open automatically.
Under the threat of the gun, the man went in with a sullen face.
The other person was a large man over two meters tall. His tattooed arms were bare in the cold weather. His body was very muscular, and he was very sturdy. From the sound of Fang Zhao's footsteps closing in, he could tell that this person was not as simple-minded as he looked.
"Stand over there." Fang Zhao gestured to the big guy.
"Find a place to sit. Don't stand on ceremony. I just want to ask you a few questions. I'll let you go after I'm done." Fang Zhao dragged over the only intact chair in the small room and sat down.
The two of them looked around and could see every corner of the room in one glance. There was no place to sit, only two low stools.
Although the stool was a little short, it was better than sitting on the ground.
The two stools had been used as footholds to reach things in the upper cupboard, and Curly had sat on them in the sun. Now, two adult men, one of whom was a big man, were sitting on two palm-sized, 20 centimeters high stools. At first glance, they looked like they were huddled together.
"Don't touch the knife behind your butt," Fang Zhao said.
The man with the tuft of red hair had already reached for the knife behind his waist when he dragged the stool over and sat down. Fang Zhao's words nearly made him jump.
Damn, I've run into a veteran.
The red-haired guy lowered his head and cursed silently before pulling his hand back.
"Ask whatever you want. It's our fault for falling into your hands. We accepted the job without knowing the ins and outs," the red-haired guy said. "But don't ask us who paid. We don't know either."
"We don't know, but you have your guesses." Fang Zhao did not want to hear them beat around the bush. "Out with it. How much did Fang Sheng ask you to do?"
The red-haired guy raised an eyebrow when Fang Zhao said Fang Sheng's name. Since he had already laid it out, he did not beat around the bush.
"You should know that we only take orders, which means we work for money. Someone paid us 30,000 for your bracelet. The person only left a text message, and the contact number is a black number, but I can guess who it is. It should be the 'Fang Sheng' you mentioned. He hired a friend of mine to keep an eye on you. "The red-haired guy looked at Fang Zhao, trying to gauge his reaction. Unfortunately, he did not get a reaction.
The red-haired guy told Fang Zhao everything he knew about Fang Sheng, but they did not know that Fang Sheng had stolen Fang Zhao's songs. Fang Sheng had been very careful not to let anyone else know.
"Other than the bracelet, did he ask for anything else?" Fang Zhao asked.
The red-haired guy wanted to say no, but he glanced at Fang Zhao and chose to tell the truth. "He said if we taught you a lesson, he would pay us an extra 10,000."
"He didn't ask you to kill me?"
"No, no, no. We don't take lives." The red-haired guy hurriedly explained. He even raised the stun baton in his hand. "This is just to scare people. Really, we never take lives when we take orders. The number of people who take lives on the black street can be counted on one hand. Plus, they're very picky. Most people can't even get in touch with them, and they pay ridiculously high prices. One order is worth decades of hard work for both of us. "Stun batons were strictly regulated, but on the black street, they were easier to come by than guns.
The big guy sitting beside him nodded vigorously. They really did not take lives. They were afraid of dying too. They were just trying to make a living. Why would they risk their lives?
As long as they did not cross the line, nobody would bother with them. But it was different when they took lives. That was not something that could be easily avoided.
Fang Zhao watched as the two of them tried to explain themselves and push all the blame onto Fang Sheng. Don't be fooled by their listless appearance, as long as they were a little careless, or if they were a little weak, they would be able to take advantage of the loopholes and make a comeback. These two were not newbie gangsters. They were too experienced. A simple fight was not enough to intimidate them. That was why Fang Zhao had pulled out his gun. Intimidate them first, then talk. That way, it would be easier, and it would make the two of them more cautious.
"Actually, we're just collecting debts. We haven't done anything outrageous!" the red-haired guy wailed.
"Then why are you here?" Fang Zhao asked.
Noticing Fang Zhao staring at him, the red-haired guy choked and rubbed his hands. "It's … it's almost the New Year. I want to get more out of it. " Thirty thousand was a good price on the black street. It was tempting. Plus, Fang Sheng had sent someone to keep an eye on Fang Zhao. They had thought it would be easy. When they received word that Fang Zhao had returned, they had hurried over to stop him. They had not expected to meet their end here.
As they were speaking, the doorbell rang.
It was Yue Qing.
Yue Qing had heard a customer say he had seen a man with a beast tattoo on his face go up to the second floor. He had to see with his own eyes to confirm that Fang Zhao was fine.
"I heard that there's a person with a beast tattoo on his face …" Yue Qing had just started speaking when he saw two people squatting … no, they were sitting inside. Yes, two men with beast tattoos on their faces.
"Who are they?" Yue Qing pointed at the two men in the room.
"Dropping by for tea," Fang Zhao said.
The two men sitting on the stools cooperatively picked up the cold, disposable cup of tap water in front of them.
As people who had grown up on the black street, they knew Yue Qing. That was why they had avoided Yue Qing's shop and taken a detour. Who would have thought they would bump into each other again?
Were Fang Zhao and Yue Qing that close?
The red-haired guy's eyelids drooped to hide the haze in his eyes. One Fang Zhao was enough of a headache. Even if they managed to snatch Fang Zhao's bracelet, would Yue Qing avenge them?
They didn't have enough information on the target. If they had known this earlier, they wouldn't have accepted this mission. Fang Sheng had tricked them!
But when he lifted his head, the red-haired guy flashed what he thought was an honest smile and a mouthful of neon green teeth.
Yue Qing carefully sized up the two men. The two men with beast tattoos on their faces were sitting on two stools, like two elementary school students listening to a lecture. If it wasn't for their appearances and the beast tattoos on their faces, Yue Qing would have thought that they had suffered some grievances if they had been replaced by someone else.
This made Yue Qing a little puzzled.
Did Fang Zhao really know them?
The two men were familiar faces on the black street. They weren't from their building, which was two streets away. Yue Qing remembered that they had shopped at Yue Qing's shop before.
Looking at Fang Zhao, he didn't look like he was threatened. Someone had to keep an eye on the shop on the first floor. Yue Qing's wife hadn't gotten off work yet, so he couldn't leave the shop for too long. If he was gone for more than five minutes, the people in the shop wouldn't behave themselves.
"Then … if you need anything, just shout for me. I can hear you downstairs," Yue Qing said.
"Okay, thanks."
"Sure. You guys … carry on with your tea." Yue Qing thought it was ridiculous as he headed downstairs. He shook his head. Young people these days were getting more and more incomprehensible.
After Yue Qing left, the red-haired guy continued to defend himself. He wanted nothing more than to call Fang Zhao grandpa, as long as Fang Zhao let them off.
Fang Zhao listened in silence, then said, "I remember there's a popular saying on the black street: 'No grudges last overnight.'"
In the black street, this didn't mean that a grudge would be forgiven overnight. It meant that today's grudges would be avenged today.
The red-haired guy reacted quickly and said, "We really want to talk to Fang Sheng, but … but we don't have his address."
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