Chapter 893: A Deal
Chapter 893: A Deal
Regarding Zhao’s situation, after encountering an incident of betrayal among criminals, Zhao immediately reported the matter to his superiors. As a result, the issue did not cause much of a stir. The deaths of those three individuals were not pursued by anyone, and likewise, no one intervened with the batch of goods they had seized, leaving it entirely to them to handle. However, the rules cannot be abolished.
Zhao’s knife wound was not very deep, and he was discharged from the hospital after resting for a few days.
"Pack up today and come with me to deal with that batch of goods."
While Xu Ke was doing some simple sit-ups in his room, Zhao returned home, bandaged, and directly pushed open Xu Ke’s door to inform him.
"Oh, and don’t wear your suit this time; wear something loose, preferably suitable for exercise."
After giving instructions, Zhao was about to leave, but Xu Ke called him back, "Around what time will we head out tomorrow?"
"Eight o’clock, you can have a good sleep tomorrow," Zhao replied.
Although Zhao’s wound wasn’t very deep and didn’t affect his movement, it didn’t mean he wasn’t in pain. His face was already a bit pale after holding on from outside, yet he didn’t want to show weakness in front of Xu Ke, so he kept enduring.
After answering Xu Ke’s question, Zhao didn’t give Xu Ke any more opportunities to ask questions, "We’ll talk about anything else tomorrow, I’m going back to my room to rest. Don’t disturb me unless it’s important." With that, Zhao slammed Xu Ke’s door shut.
Listening to the footsteps gradually fade, Xu Ke resumed the previous activity while Zhao collapsed onto the bed. However, the large movement while falling onto the bed accidentally pulled at his wound, causing Zhao to grit his teeth in pain. He quickly took a painkiller pill and lay back down, quietly waiting for the medication to take effect.
The next day came particularly fast. Xu Ke sat in the driver’s seat, wearing a loose sportswear outfit, while Zhao sat in the passenger seat.
"I’ve set up the destination; just follow the navigation. Today, you’re the main force; my injury hasn’t healed yet. If anything happens, you’ll have to take charge. Remember to call me when we reach the last stop," Zhao instructed.
"Got it."
After Zhao spoke, he closed his eyes, seemingly resting. The dark circles under his eyes and the pallor of his complexion clearly showed that he didn’t sleep well the previous night. So, Xu Ke drove steadily to ensure a smooth ride so Zhao could get some rest in the car—truly considerate.
The place they were headed was in the city, but because it was in Lin City, they only reached the designated location by Zhao in the afternoon.
"Zhao, we’re here," Xu Ke said, patting Zhao on the shoulder.
Zhao opened his eyes, glanced at their current position, and finally felt refreshed.
"What’s the time now?"
"Two o’clock in the afternoon."
"Let’s have a meal first, and come back around four o’clock this afternoon." With that, Zhao gave Xu Ke an address and then closed his eyes again, but this time, he didn’t sleep; he simply rested with his eyes closed.
The two of them went to the designated restaurant Zhao had chosen, each ordered a bowl of beef noodles, finished their meals, and rested for a while. Finally, when it seemed about time, they returned to the previous location.
This was a club, but compared to the clubs Xu Ke had visited before, this one was much lower in grade. It was just a simple, commonplace club; from the exterior, it looked tacky. When Xu Ke and Zhao entered, expecting something unique inside, they were disappointed. The interior decor matched the exterior, evidently crafted by the same designer, given the uniform aesthetics.
As soon as they entered, a person dressed like a manager came over, face full of an appeasing smile, "Zhao, you’re here. We’ve kept your room prepared as always. Is it the same rules as before?"
Zhao nodded and handed the manager a card, "Charge tonight’s expenses to this card. No password."
Upon seeing Zhao’s card, the manager’s smile grew even more ingratiating, "Alright Zhao, please."
Without needing any guidance, Zhao headed directly to the elevator, "Stick close, don’t get lost," he told Xu Ke who was standing behind him.
Xu Ke, following behind, casually said, "Don’t worry, I won’t." However, he thought to himself, considering Zhao and the manager’s familiarity, this place must be frequented often, likely one of their transaction spots.
Why does Xu Ke think it’s just one spot, not the only one?
No reason, just the way cunning foxes have multiple burrows.
Xu Ke continued following Zhao while discretely observing the surroundings. Soon, the elevator stopped at the fourth floor, and Zhao led Xu Ke to open up a private room door and walked inside. Not long after, a server in uniform pushed a cart in, taking items one by one off the cart—a variety of drinks and snacks—and placed them on the table.
Throughout the process, the server maintained a calm demeanor, evidently well-trained.
"Everything’s been prepared for you. If you need anything, just ring the bell and call me." The woman said as she bowed in Xu Ke and Zhao’s direction before turning to leave, silent both coming and going.
"When will the person we’re waiting for arrive?" Xu Ke asked.
"Soon."
Zhao’s "soon" proved literal; barely a minute after the server left, the private room door reopened, and in walked three men—broad shouldered, long legged, wearing glasses, looking scholarly and emitting intellectual vibes.
"Am I late?" The man in front asked with a friendly smile after glancing at the time.
"No, we arrived fairly early this time," Zhao said, standing up from the sofa.
After greetings and exchanging some pleasantries, the two sat down.
"Aside from the previous batch of goods, I have a new shipment. I’m sure you’ll be interested," Zhao said mysteriously to the man.
"Oh? Really? I wonder what the goods are." The man’s expression was perfectly poised with curiosity and interest.
Zhao followed up by taking a few stacks of medication out of his clothes pocket, handing them over while speaking, "These, take a look."
The man took what Zhao handed over and passed it to the men behind him. One of them pulled out the medication, opening the topmost capsule to reveal the drugs inside.
Examining the colorful particles inside, the man behind sniffed and tasted some before nodding in confirmation.
"How much of this medication do you have?" The man asked after receiving confirmation from his team.
"I have a box of each just shown to you. If you want them all, given our long cooperation, I can offer you a discount," Zhao smiled slightly as he replied.
"Alright, I’ll take it all then," The man agreed with Zhao’s proposal.
novelraw