The dust has settled

“Yes, they’re gone, Brother Han. You finally came out. We all couldn’t find where you were hiding just now!” Li Dadan said with a displeased expression.

“You all had knives and guns in your hands, and I was unarmed, so I could only find a place to hide!” Zhao Dongchuan said indifferently, spreading his hands.

Li Dadan thought, that seemed right. In that situation, an honest businessman would have been scared out of his wits. The fact that Zhao Dongchuan could still be here chatting with him, whole and unharmed, was already quite remarkable.

Moreover, he thought that if it hadn't been for Zhao Dongchuan’s early warning, their group might have been caught off guard and wiped out. Not to mention the boat, they might have lost even the truck and their lives there.

Thinking of this, Li Dadan’s expression softened slightly, and he said, “Brother Han, I’m sorry for dragging you into this trouble!

And I have to thank you for the early warning; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Regardless of the outcome, we owe you this favor!”

“Hahaha, Boss Li, you flatter me. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I dare not take credit!”

“Oh, by the way, Boss Li, my goods?” Zhao Dongchuan asked, his expression turning serious.

“Brother Han, there’s no rush now. Let’s clean this up first, and then we can discuss it in detail somewhere else!”

With that, Li Dadan quickly instructed his subordinates to carry the injured brothers and the few who had lost their breath into the truck, and to load the damaged cargo boxes onto the vehicle.

Those who could ride normally were told to follow their original planned routes, disperse into smaller groups, and go to their nearest hideouts. They had set up many simple shelters in hidden places nearby, where they could make do for a night.

They were all local residents, each with their own connections.

Zhao Dongchuan didn’t dwell on it and followed Li Dadan into the truck. Compared to their composed demeanor on the way there, everyone was gloomy on the way back, especially some of the injured, who couldn't help but groan softly. Coupled with those who had clearly lost their breath in the truck, the whole atmosphere was very eerie.

Although everyone kept their voices down, the space was small, and the sounds were still quite loud. Li Dadan also kept comforting them.

Although it was Zhao Dongchuan’s first time experiencing such a scene, he wasn’t overly afraid. In his original world, the various battle scenes in movies and TV shows were much more terrifying than this. Although they were acted, the makeup was very realistic, which had made him somewhat immune now.

On the way back, Li Dadan arranged for the driver to take a small road and specifically instructed a subordinate to get out and clear away the tire tracks on that section of the road!

Zhao Dongchuan looked at Li Dadan’s arrangements and nodded repeatedly in his heart. He was indeed a seasoned “businessman,” possessing a strong anti-reconnaissance awareness, which was probably why he was put in charge of the mainland operations.

As the truck continued to drive, after more than an hour, they finally returned to the courtyard where they had originally gathered.

Everyone got out of the truck and carried the injured into the inner room. A man took out a box from the inner room, which contained disinfectants, gauze, and other items, and began to treat the lightly injured patients.

Those with serious injuries would probably have to be sent to the hospital. Zhao Dongchuan just watched and had no intention of helping. He only knew some basic traditional Chinese medicine, and he couldn't handle these injuries, nor could he take responsibility.

At this moment, Li Dadan had already instructed his subordinates to start inventorying the goods.

Fortunately, most of the cargo from the boat had already been loaded onto the truck, and combined with what was on shore, essentially all the goods were here.

“That group’s main goal was to hijack the boat to Hong Kong. Money was probably secondary. Seeing that they had lost the initiative, and also fearing the Six Doors people…” Zhao Dongchuan analyzed silently.

“Brother Han, you’re really lucky. All your goods are here, it’s just that some of the packaging was damaged, and some of the contents might have been ruined!”

Li Dadan had now returned to his usual smiling self and walked over to Zhao Dongchuan, saying.

“That’s great! Then, Boss Li, could you please help me tally them up and transport them away?”

Li Dadan pondered for a moment, then said, “I can do that, but have you found a warehouse? I’ve been asking around for you these past few days, and there’s nothing suitable. How about you leave them with me for now? You can move them once you find a good place!”

Zhao Dongchuan heard this and realized it was true. He had guessed early on that such a situation might arise. It seemed Li Dadan had other intentions…

As for his suggestion to temporarily store them with him, Zhao Dongchuan didn't believe a single punctuation mark of it.

With the goods in his hands, he would be at their mercy and easily manipulated.

“I’ve already found a warehouse. Boss Li just needs to help me transport them there. Once we arrive, we’ll exchange money for goods!” Zhao Dongchuan chuckled softly, a slight smile on his face.

“Oh?”

“Brother Han, you were indeed well-prepared. It seems I can't help you with this. Alright, tell me the address, and I’ll personally escort the truck and deliver them to you later!” Li Dadan narrowed his eyes and said with a forced smile.

“You go ahead and be busy. I’ll tell you once we’re in the truck!”

Li Dadan nodded, then was about to turn and leave, but suddenly turned back and asked, “You fired that gun, didn’t you?”

Zhao Dongchuan smiled slightly and said, “I don’t know what Boss Li is talking about. I’ve never fired a gun!”

Li Dadan had noticed that particular shot earlier. The firing direction was not from their side, and it clearly hit the target, causing that group’s rhythm to be disrupted and revealing a flaw.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but take a deep look at Brother Han. Indeed, his previous feeling was correct; Brother Han was not simple at all… He always felt an inexplicable apprehension when facing him.

Afterward, everyone went about their duties and tidied up. Zhao Dongchuan’s goods were also tallied and placed separately on the truck.

Zhao Dongchuan and Li Dadan got into the truck, which then drove off according to the address Zhao Dongchuan provided.

………………

“Brother Han, how did you find this place? This spot is really quiet!”

Li Dadan looked at the secluded courtyard and laughed.

“Boss Li, you make fun of me. I just like peace and quiet, so I asked someone to find this place!”

“It seems Brother Han has quite a few acquaintances here too!”

“No, just a few friends who were quite helpful!”

Then, several people worked together to unload the goods from the truck and place them in the courtyard.

“You handle these goods however you see fit. Let’s settle the payment!” Li Dadan wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Zhao Dongchuan chuckled, walked into the inner room, and came out with a satchel.

“Here’s the payment, count it!”

Li Dadan took the bag and, without speaking, began counting. Each stack was a thousand, so over twenty thousand was more than twenty bundles. Li Dadan and the driver took quite a while to finish counting.

“The count is correct. It was a pleasure doing business! Boss Han, next time you have a need, please consider our business again!” Li Dadan said with a cheerful smile, holding the money.

“Hahaha, absolutely, absolutely!”