Xie Sui calmly lit a cigarette, unfazed by the dagger behind him, and blew a smoke ring towards Gao Feng’s face. It lacked power but was deeply insulting.
Gao Feng recoiled instinctively, coughing, “You, you’re trying to die!”
Xie Sui scoffed, “Who’s trying to die? You want to kill the donkey after it’s done pulling the cart. But the cart isn’t even finished being pulled yet!”
He then realized something was wrong. Wasn’t he the donkey in this analogy?
He was so annoyed by this simpleton that he lost his train of thought. “You donkey-brain, is your head full of feed? Believe it or not, that guy surnamed Wang is watching us from upstairs. The second you leave, he’ll call the cops, you believe it?”
Gao Feng instinctively looked up. The curtains twitched. Indeed, someone was there.
Hu Yaohui interjected, “Alright, the main business is important. What do you suggest we do now?”
Xie Sui asked, “How can I be sure that once I give you the money, you won’t kill the donkey?”
*Damn it, am I destined to deal with donkeys today?*
Hu Yaohui declared, “I’ll guarantee it with the memory of my deceased family.”
“Your family is dead, so your guarantee is useless?”
Xie Sui found him amusing. *What does his family have to do with me?*
“My sister was accepted into university, but the village head’s daughter took her place. My parents went to confront him and were murdered by them. My sister was then defiled by the village head’s son. I was in jail for fighting someone. By the time I got home, there were only three coffins waiting for me. That’s when I swore I would never betray them in this life. So I killed the entire village head’s family, avenging my own. My family is my bottom line; no one can touch them, not even myself.”
Tears welled up in Hu Yaohui’s eyes as he exposed his deepest pain to Xie Sui.
Xie Sui flicked his cigarette butt to the ground and cursed, “You’ve made me cry, brother. You’re a man. Some mistakes can’t be undone. I was a scoundrel too, drinking and gambling, neglecting my wife and child. Fortunately, I woke up later and stopped messing around. I’m luckier than you; I still have a chance to start over. Alright, based on what you’ve said, I believe you. Thirty thousand, I want ten thousand. That’s not too much, is it?”
Hu Yaohui nodded, “It’s settled.”
Xie Sui motioned for them to return to the inn. On the way, he said, “Do you know how heavy thirty thousand is? Get some large duffel bags. We’ll move quickly with everyone. The longer we delay, the more things can go wrong. If that Wang guy snaps out of it and calls the post office, we won’t be able to withdraw our money.”
Gao Feng grumbled in dissatisfaction, “I knew we should have let that Wang guy withdraw it. This is too much trouble.”
“You call yourself stupid and you still don’t admit it. If he withdrew it himself, he knows too many people; he wouldn’t dare even if he were beaten to death. If it got back to the factory, he’d be dead even faster.”
Following Xie Sui’s instructions, Hu Yaohui packed up, bought the bags, and they all went to the post office.
This time, Xie Sui wore sunglasses to the post office, acting like a mob boss. He slammed his hand on the counter and demanded, “Get your general manager here.”
The counter staff trembled, “Wh-what do you want?” *Are they here to rob us?*
Xie Sui spoke in a Hong Kong accent, “We’re here to withdraw money. I’m from Hong Kong. Don’t you offer withdrawal services? Is the mainland this backward?” He had an arrogant, condescending tone, looking at them like country bumpkins. At this time, people from Hong Kong held this impression of the mainland, still believing it was struggling to even maintain basic sustenance – a synonym for backwardness and poverty. And many young people fell for it. For the next decade, the trend of worshipping foreign things was rampant, with the moon being rounder abroad than at home.
The staff member was one of them, immediately showing an envious gaze, “I’ll go get the manager right away. Please follow me to the VIP room.”
“You should have done this sooner. Is this little bank even worth robbing? That little bit of money wouldn’t even be enough to fill their teeth!”
“I apologize, it was my oversight.”
The manager quickly arrived. Xie Sui slapped a check down, “Withdraw it all. I’m here to pick up a batch of goods in your city. Don’t delay my delivery time.” Xie Sui crossed his legs, smoking, an impatient expression on his face.
The manager examined the check, confirmed it was genuine, and respectfully asked, “May I please see your identification?”
“Troublesome. Zhao Youliang. Do you know the Li family in Hong Kong? That’s my uncle. Do you know the Huo family? That’s my cousin-in-law. Anyway, you wouldn’t know about these things. My documents are at the inn, and it’s a lousy inn far from here. I don’t have a car either, it’s very inconvenient.” Xie Sui narrowed his eyes at him, “Are you doubting my identity? Call Director Wang Fugui at the First Steel Mill. We’ve been cooperating for years; he can vouch for me.”
“Okay, please wait a moment.”
“Hurry up. Can you afford to compensate me if you delay my business?”
Hu Yaohui and the others exchanged glances. This guy was even more arrogant than they were, and they were fugitives. Yet, he was surprisingly intimidating, and these people actually fell for it.
Wang Fugui naturally wouldn’t dare to deny it. The post office quickly counted the money, stacks of banknotes filling half the counter. Hu Yaohui’s breathing quickened. Xie Sui remained impassive. *Is this all the money?*
He threw them several duffel bags, “Ten thousand per bag. Pack it up.”
An hour later, the group walked out of the post office with the bags, feeling as if they were dreaming.
In a secluded spot, Xie Sui extended his hand, “My share.”
The atmosphere immediately turned tense. This was ten thousand yuan! Who would be willing to part with it?
A sharp glint flashed in Gao Feng’s eyes. Xie Sui looked steadily at Hu Yaohui. If he refused to give him the money, he would accept it anyway; it was ill-gotten gains. He’d be content if he got it and accepting if he lost it.
“Give it to him. Brother Zhao, I can see you’re no ordinary person. I, Hu Yaohui, will befriend you.”
Gao Feng reluctantly handed him a bag. Xie Sui was silent for a moment, then said, “Brother Hu, since you’re keeping your word, I’ll tell you something too. You’ve left the country. Head south, to Pengcheng, then through Guangzhou, and find a man named Zhao Dalong. He’s a snakehead. Use this money to get to Hong Kong.”
Hu Yaohui looked deeply at Xie Sui, “What do you know?”
“I know that with your current situation, you’ll eventually be unable to escape. I sympathize with your plight, but I don’t agree with your actions. Go and cause trouble for the people of Hong Kong; you’ll live better there.”
“Alright, farewell, we’ll meet again.”
Xie Sui shook his hand, “We won’t meet again. Take care on your journey. I’ll write you the password; otherwise, they’ll mistake you for a spy and throw you into the sea.”
Hu Yaohui sighed, “You little rascal, you’ve got a head full of wicked ideas. If I hadn’t given you this money, would you have tried to kill me?”
“Why would I? I don’t have that ability. Brother Hu, hurry up and go. Seriously, I’m not tricking you this time. Those who are loyal and keep their promises are heroes.”
Hu Yaohui laughed heartily, “This is the first time anyone has called me a hero. I’m leaving.”
He hugged Xie Sui tightly, the force almost squeezing the air out of him. Xie Sui grimaced, “Brother, I can’t breathe! I’m not a pretty girl, why are you using so much strength?”