508: trade

"The reason I'm suspicious is because each and every one of you could be a variable," Li Shiya's face was as dark as the sky before a storm.

He knew Second Brother's mind was complex, but he never expected that even after working together for so long, this person's wariness towards him was so deep!

"Is it me he trusts the least?" Li Shiya pondered inwardly, yet his composure was deep, and he didn't show the slightest bit on his face.

The moment Second Brother spoke, Li Shiya understood that after this job, there would be no possibility of them working together again. Perhaps this was precisely why Second Brother spoke frankly; otherwise, with his sullen personality, how could he easily reveal his true thoughts?

Third Brother's expression was a mix of emotions at this moment. He took a deep breath and walked up to Second Brother fiercely: "What do you mean by that? You suspect everyone, but you specifically call me out? Do you think I would pocket that ten million?"

"What a joke!" However, his indignation didn't resonate with others; even Fourth Brother, who usually stood by him, remained silent.

Second Brother sneered, "Who knows?" His voice wasn't loud, but it was clearly audible. Words that strike at the heart couldn't be more potent.

Third Brother gritted his teeth, seemingly on the verge of exploding. He continued fiercely, "Then what are your thoughts? Aren't you afraid that we'll suspect you too?"

Facing Third Brother's question, Second Brother calmly patted the handbag: "Of course I'm not afraid, this thing is still in my hands, and ultimately, I'm the one who saved it. You have no reason not to believe me. I won't take it all for myself; there's too much money, no one can handle it. I never had such intentions, so I won't take it privately."

"Otherwise, with a string of coincidences, even if I didn't say anything, wouldn't you still suspect me?"

Hearing this, Third Brother was speechless. He said no more, merely turned around, leaving behind a remark: "After we take the money this time, let's not contact each other again. You guys... are truly terrifying."

At this moment, Li Shiya stepped in to mediate: "Alright, alright, everyone is brothers..." However, the moment the word "brothers" left his lips, his tone weakened, and he changed to say: "Anyway, the item isn't damaged, so our two and a half million is still there. We can discuss whether to stay together or split up when the time comes."

"As for President Wang..." Third Brother interrupted: "Forget about President Wang, let's not complicate things further. That's just a small amount of money anyway."

Li Shiya nodded: "Alright then. We'll proceed according to the original plan. Go to the usual place to get the explosives. Tonight, we're going to make a fortune!"

According to Li Shiya's plan, they intended to go to the Cuihang Mountain cave in advance and set up explosives there. Once they saw the money, they would immediately leave with it and then blow up the cave. This way, with no evidence and even bones difficult to find, they wouldn't have to worry too much.

They would have ample time to escape. The operation thus began.

...

Meanwhile, at the Municipal Bureau.

Xiang Haitian was looking for information about those two waiters. He suspected that the text message was likely sent by one of them. Although he didn't know them, in Guangzhou, if someone inquired carefully, they could still find out his mobile number.

Therefore, if they could find information about these two waiters, it might be possible to uproot this black industrial chain!

However, these two waiters seemed to have known about the cameras for a long time and never showed their faces directly. Facial recognition couldn't draw conclusions based on such data either. The lead was broken again.

"To catch these tomb robbers, we must find their transaction location..." Xiang Haitian thought, "But Guangzhou is so big, even if we're looking, where should we look?"

A big question mark formed in his mind. However, since Xiao Xiao was tracking Alec, perhaps they would ultimately find the answer.

But Xiang Haitian didn't give up on searching. The man and woman who acted as waiters always made him feel something was off. It seemed there were more secrets waiting to be unearthed surrounding this antique.

...

Time passed minute by minute. The Municipal Bureau, Jiang Si's team, and the tomb robber gang were all making their final preparations. Tonight's transaction would be a major event.

Amidst the preparations of all parties, time quietly reached seven o'clock in the evening. The last trace of the sun's afterglow had dissipated, and Guangzhou City entered the night.

Xiao Xiao sat in the lobby of the Yorson Hotel all day, but her patience hadn't worn thin. She kept an eye on the elevator entrance. Alec lived on the twenty-third floor, and if he came down, there were only these three elevators he could take.

"Twenty-third floor?" Her gaze noticed that one of the elevators had stopped precisely on the twenty-third floor. Xiao Xiao immediately realized that her operation should begin.

Soon after, a slightly stout middle-aged white man walked out of the elevator, followed by two bodyguards who looked very sturdy, and a middle-aged man wearing glasses and a suit.

Xiao Xiao had investigated; these two bodyguards were excellent local bodyguards he had hired, seemingly spending a lot of money. And the middle-aged man in the suit was a translator.

She watched these people leave the hotel and immediately followed. The luxurious Land Rover drove out of the hotel, and Xiao Xiao's BMW followed closely behind.

"Where are they going?" This question formed a question mark in Xiao Xiao's mind. Moreover, based on the professionalism of those two bodyguards, her tracking could easily be discovered.

But Xiao Xiao wasn't without options. In heavy traffic, she would follow closely; but if the traffic was sparse, she would rather pull over to the side of the road. It was just that this BMW was too conspicuous, so later Xiao Xiao even took a taxi to continue tracking.

During this time, she also contacted Xiang Haitian: "I'm tracking Alec; they will likely conduct the transaction tonight. Be prepared."

Xiang Haitian replied directly: "Okay."

...

In the Cuihang Mountain cave, the atmosphere was a bit cold. Although the space wasn't small, it was relatively long and narrow.

Li Shiya and his group, who had been preparing all afternoon, were resting in the cave. They hadn't spoken to each other for a while, and even the distance between them was quite far.

These few people knew clearly in their hearts that this was their last time working together, and there would be no more after this. After the transaction was over, their lives would no longer intersect.

The sound of an engine echoed in the mountains. Li Shiya stood up and said, "They should be here. Get ready, this is our last job. After we finish, we can enjoy life."

As he said this, his eyes flickered uncertainly.

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Alec's car stopped steadily at the foot of the mountain. Although his Land Rover had excellent performance, it couldn't continue on the rugged mountain road. He could only drag his obese body and walk with difficulty towards the cave on the mountainside.

The two bodyguards almost used all their strength to pull him up the mountain; even the translator's physical strength was much better than Alec's. However, Alec didn't complain after going up the mountain, apparently already used to this situation.

He stood in front of Li Shiya, panting heavily, and greeted him warmly, "Hi, my friend," extending his hand to shake Li Shiya's hand.

Then, without any hesitation, he walked directly into the cave. Li Shiya, however, frowned and asked directly, "Where's the money?"

Alec looked back at the translator, and the translator dutifully conveyed Li Shiya's question. After hearing it, the fat on Alec's face moved, and he smiled: "Don't worry, as long as the item is genuine, you won't get less money."

After hearing the translator's words, Li Shiya grabbed the foreign fat man. The two bodyguards immediately became tense and took a step forward. Li Shiya shouted carelessly, "Money in one hand, goods in the other! Don't try any tricks!"

"If I don't see the money, don't even think about seeing the goods!"

Alec still maintained his gentlemanly demeanor; even when someone was pulling his collar, he didn't show any unnecessary emotions. He nodded: "Alright, alright... Money, my friend, is my purpose in coming here across the ocean to rob your things?"

"Relax, don't be nervous."

Li Shiya felt it was reasonable and loosened his grip slightly. Alec also had one of the bodyguards bring up the money. Then, all eight of them entered the cave.

There was no table in the cave, only a slightly flat large stone. Li Shiya took out the celadon crouching sheep and placed it on the stone. And Alec placed the money in front of him for him to count.

Second Brother brought over a few camping stools and placed them on the ground, and a few people sat down. Since ten million was too large a sum, they chose to trade in US dollars, which converted to about 1.42 million US dollars at the current exchange rate.

Although trading in US dollars felt a bit troublesome to Li Shiya, fitting ten million in cash into two suitcases... was simply impossible. He didn't say much else and began inspecting and counting the money, while Alec took out specialized equipment to verify the authenticity of the antique.

Alec had some understanding of this group's background and knew what they did. He had enough confidence in his own judgment, and besides, trying to forge a replica that could fool his eyes in such a short time... was simply a pipe dream.

Soon, both sides finished inspecting the other's situation. Alec's expression looked very happy; he stood up with some effort and extended his hand towards Li Shiya, saying, "Pleasure doing business with you."

However, Li Shiya didn't move a muscle. He sneered and shouted sternly, "Do it!"

Hearing this command, the two bodyguards immediately reached for the collapsible batons on their waists, but they didn't have time to react at all. Third Brother and Fourth Brother had already prepared!

Third Brother and Fourth Brother knocked out the two bodyguards almost instantly with handkerchiefs soaked in ether. Seeing this sudden change, Alec was completely stunned. The translator even fell directly to the ground, not expecting such a thing to happen.

"What are you going to do?" Alec asked with a trembling voice. "We're doing a hand-to-hand exchange... otherwise, who would dare buy your things in the future?"

Li Shiya closed the money box lid with a grim expression and then said, "Am I going to trade again? This is my last job."

"I won't kill you; dealing with it afterward is too troublesome."

"Wait half an hour after we leave before you go, otherwise don't blame me..." His words were filled with killing intent.

Alec understood what these words meant without needing a translation. He lost his initial composure; he knew very well what desperadoes were. Moreover, in the process of such illegal transactions, if one party truly wanted to double-cross the other, someone like him, an outsider, had no capital to resist at all.

But he had clearly investigated these people before, and they were all law-abiding; he never expected that he would happen to encounter this very last time.

Just then, footsteps suddenly came from outside. Beams of flashlights shone into the cave. Li Shiya's eyes widened; he immediately stood up and even pulled out a crude handgun from his chest.

Several shouts came from the cave entrance: "Don't move!" "Don't move!" "Hands on your head, squat down!" "We are from the Municipal Bureau!"

Hearing this sound, Li Shiya was completely stunned. "Ti Xing Si? They actually followed us here!?" He even gave up the idea of shooting. He hadn't been caught with evidence of murder before, but if he really shot now, he was afraid he'd be chased to the ends of the earth.

He squatted down with his hands on his head, unwillingly. Second Brother's voice rang out beside him, "What goddamn bad luck! Who did it!? Who the hell leaked this place!?" Second Brother, who usually didn't show his emotions, now had boundless rage in his voice! But he had also squatted down.

Li Shiya's gaze immediately turned to Third Brother. "Third Brother! Was it you!?" He gritted his teeth but didn't dare to shoot. But Third Brother's voice also cursed back, "Stop spouting bullshit! Wouldn't I rather take the money and leave? Why the hell would I call the cops!?" His cursing voice was slightly trembling.

Several Ti Xing Si Officer Si in uniform rushed in, and at this moment, Li Shiya also saw what the other party looked like. It was precisely the waiter he had encountered at the restaurant during the day! Not just the waiter, but also the man and woman he had met in the courtyard that day, the ones who went to talk to President Wang! So they were all from Ti Xing Si!?

His brain somewhat froze; so he had been targeted for a long time? "Damn it!" he cursed again angrily. However, at this moment, Second Brother's voice came over again, "Damn it, I wondered who it was... It was you guys!" He picked up the gun Li Shiya had dropped on the ground and stood up directly. "Damn it! Fuck!"

Li Shiya, on the other hand, was full of fear. "Are you goddamn crazy?" The voice from over there came again, "Don't move! Squat down! Hands on your head! Or we'll shoot!!"

Hearing this sound, Second Brother laughed out loud. "Hehehe... Hahaha!!!" Then the laughter abruptly stopped. "Shoot? Go on, shoot? Fuck!" At this moment, he was somewhat manic. "Do you really think I'm an idiot? Shoot!!!!" His furious and frantic roars echoed in the cave, and the situation changed again!

Jiang Si was stunned. She didn't expect her identity to be recognized directly! How was that possible? As a thief, how could this tomb raider not be afraid of the Ti Xing Si people? But the guns in their hands were, of course, fake!

Jiang Si's breathing felt somewhat frozen; she completely lost control of the situation! Although she hadn't not thought about being recognized, how could these thieves react so quickly in such a sudden attack!? Her mind was blank at this moment, especially when the other party's gun barrel was raised!

As Second Brother's roaring echo disappeared in the cave, the entire scene fell completely silent. At this moment, Li Shiya also understood the situation; he just felt like he was being played for a fool. "Damn it..." His voice came out, so low it was somewhat terrifying. "Damn it!!" Li Shiya cursed angrily. "Others can live, but you must die!" "Third Brother, Fourth Brother, tie them up!" "Grab the stuff and let's go!"

Third Brother and Fourth Brother immediately stood up from their position with hands on heads. Since the other party hadn't shot the entire time, their identities were naturally confirmed. Third Brother and Fourth Brother immediately took action and tied them up. Under the threat of firearms, they naturally couldn't do anything more. The four people had their hands tied, and Third Brother and Fourth Brother were in charge of guarding them; they no longer had a chance to resist. In the end, it was they four who were squatting on the ground...

Jiang Si was very unwilling; she asked with a trembling voice, "How did you find out about me?" Second Brother's voice came over, "Damn it, if you were from Ti Xing Si, why the hell would you pretend to be waiters at noon today? Do you really think I'm retarded?" "You wanted to scare us, right? You wanted to take the money? Dream on!"

Hearing this, a flash of inspiration struck Jiang Si's mind! She said abruptly, "You are Mr. Wang?" Hearing this, the air in the cave froze again. Li Shiya immediately looked at Second Brother, his expression seemingly showing a hint of sudden realization.

While Second Brother was momentarily stunned, he directly snatched the gun from Second Brother's hand and pointed it directly at him. "I knew something was goddamn off about you..." "Now that you mention it, I do remember..." "You little punk!" Second Brother looked panicked and quickly waved his hands. "No! Don't listen to her goddamn nonsense!"

However, just at this moment, there was a sudden muffled sound. Thump! Immediately followed by a cracking sound. The light hanging at the cave entrance shattered, and just as Li Shiya looked over, there was another crash, and the camping light placed on the table behind him also shattered! It was just for an instant, and the entire cave was left with only the light from the flashlights...

A series of footsteps rapidly approached. The focused beams of the flashlights didn't allow anyone to see the specific situation clearly, only that the footsteps were fast! Very fast! Thump! Thump! There were two more muffled sounds. Then the light came on again. Third Brother was grabbing Li Shiya's bald head with one hand, and with the other hand, he lit the backup camping light. At this moment, Li Shiya's face was covered in blood, his nose bridge broken, and he seemed to have fainted.

He took the gun from Li Shiya's hand, then sat on the large rock, a faint, playful smile on his face. "Excuse me..." "I, am Mr. Wang."

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