144: Chapter 144 Departure of the Second Company

Nine o'clock, at Old Kan's place.

Hao Hong pushed a bowl of lamb offal soup in front of Lin Ning, his eyes wide like copper bells. "I really owe you one. I'm telling you all the gossip, and I even have to treat you to a meal!"

Lin Ning slurped a mouthful of noodles without looking up.

A muffled voice sounded, "What are you doing? Hurry up and tell me!"

Hao Hong took a deep breath to compose himself, then his expression changed, and he began to chatter animatedly with Lin Ning.

At past three in the morning, gunfire rang out simultaneously inside and outside the town. It was crackling like New Year's; it was quite a spectacle.

"I ran out in my pajamas, rushing as fast as I could, but alas..." He let out a sigh of infinite regret.

"I didn't see anything. I only saw a bunch of cool-looking People's Armed Police wearing masks, stuffing people into vehicles."

He sighed again as he spoke.

Lin Ning rolled his eyes.

Chinese people, lifelong lovers of a good spectacle.

He couldn't help but think of the complaints from Westerners online about Chinese people—during a street shootout, everyone else runs away, while the Chinese run toward it.

It's just that they're usually protected too well, 1.4 billion giant babies!

Hao Hong set aside his regretful mood and continued describing the scene he witnessed.

"Me! I saw with my own eyes He Changcheng being carried out! You have no idea how pitifully he was howling. Tsk, tsk, tsk. He usually looks like a tough guy, but he couldn't even handle this!"

As he spoke, he suddenly lowered his voice and leaned closer to Lin Ning. "Do you know what people have been whispering since this morning?"

Lin Ning wasn't very interested, but he still gave his 'godson' some face. "What?"

"Pfft!" Hao Hong couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Some people are saying it's because He Changcheng offended you, so your girlfriend sent an urgent 800-mile dispatch for the Beijing People's Armed Police to come and arrest him..."

"Cough, cough, cough!" Lin Ning almost choked a noodle out of his nostril. "They've watched too many of those brain-dead short dramas!"

Damn! Why is my reputation in my hometown getting weirder and weirder?!

Hao Hong obviously knew it was impossible, but how could he let this chance to tease him slip by?

"Oh! Why is it impossible? The live-in son-in-law of a Beijing tycoon! Pfft, hahaha..."

Lin Ning was truly exasperated. "He's in trouble because..."

Lin Ning swallowed the rest of his words and slumped back to continue slurping his noodles. Forget it, let it be! It's better than letting people know he was involved in a drug bust.

Someone who offended him gets arrested and given a hard time, and then people unexpectedly find out he was a 'protective umbrella' and sentenced. Everyone would love that story.

And he would just be a man 'pampered' by the only daughter of a Beijing tycoon. As long as no one provoked him, nothing would happen. This persona was actually quite good.

He comforted himself, though the light gradually faded from his eyes.

Hao Hong waited for five seconds. Seeing that Lin Ning refused to talk, he got anxious. "Hey, why was it? Tell me!"

Hao Hong wished he could seize him and use torture to get the truth.

Lin Ning hesitated. Since it would be known eventually anyway, he gave a little information.

"A People's Armed Police drug bust. He Changcheng was the 'umbrella' and got caught." Lin Ning swallowed his noodles. "That's all I've heard. Don't go spreading it around."

Hao Hong's mouth hung open, unable to close for a long time.

Hao Hong was silent for three seconds, then his voice dropped. "Does it have anything to do with Wu Zhanmu?"

Lin Ning's chopsticks paused for a moment.

"If there's a connection, they'll definitely find it," he said. "No one will escape."

Hao Hong didn't ask further.

The two of them lowered their heads and ate half a bowl of noodles, chewing rhythmically as if they wanted to crush all the demons and monsters.

After a while, Hao Hong suddenly remembered. "Right, did Aunt go to your house yesterday?"

Lin Ning shook his head.

"At least she knows her place." Hao Hong sneered. "Our mom definitely won't be soft-hearted this time, right? They tried to kill her precious son."

Lin Ning didn't respond, only picking up another piece of lamb intestine with his chopsticks.

"Hey, what are we doing after we eat?"

Lin Ning swallowed and picked up the bowl to take a sip of soup.

"Going to Erenhot."

Hao Hong was puzzled. "Didn't you just get back? Going again?"

Lin Ning said helplessly, "I think I should lay low for a bit. Go and have some fun for a couple of days."

Hao Hong's eyes lit up. "I'm going too!"

"What are you going for?"

"Can't I be tired of running the restaurant?" Hao Hong said righteously. "My wife will help keep an eye on things at your mom's side. If anything happens, I can come back anytime."

Lin Ning looked at him—you're really something, dumping everything on your wife while you go out to play without her.

Hao Hong looked back—so what? My wife is willing!

"...Fine."

Hao Hong immediately took out his phone. "I'll have my wife bring some clothes over. Wait for me."

An hour later, the two of them were driving Lin Ning's car toward Erenhot.

Hao Hong sat in the passenger seat, adjusted the seat back, and crossed his legs.

"This car drives well. It's got power."

The grasslands outside the window receded patch by patch, and the sky was a dazzling blue.

Hao Hong suddenly reached out and turned on the car stereo.

A Mongolian song played, its melody wild and vast.

"This is the stuff!" Hao Hong turned up the volume. "Going to Erenhot, Daddy's going to take you for a good time. Lately... hehe..."

Lin Ning glanced at him sideways. "New girls in town? I'll help your wife take a good look and see if we can bring one home as a sister."

The lecherous expression on Hao Hong's face froze, and he said in exasperation, "Whose side are you on? No! That's not it! I'm taking you to see the world! How can your mind be so dirty? Why would it be new girls?!"

Lin Ning's lip curled all the way to his ear. As if he didn't know him!

Hao Hong stewed for a long time before shouting:

"See the world! Do you understand what seeing the world means?! That bunch of stone players has been quite active lately. There's some Meteorite Hunter who picked up one weighing over ten pounds in the Gobi Desert! You..."

Lin Ning didn't believe his clumsy transition, but he was interested in the 'Meteorite Hunter' he mentioned.

"Ten-plus pounds, how much is that worth?"

"That depends on the quality," Hao Hong gestured. "I heard people say that one in good condition can sell for this much—"

He held up five fingers.

Lin Ning looked for three seconds.

"Fifty thousand?"

Hao Hong rolled his eyes. "Fifty thousand is just the starting price."

Lin Ning's foot paused, and the car's speed slowed for a beat.

"For real?"

"Why would I lie to you?" Hao Hong said proudly. "This trip is perfect. My friend knows those hunters. We'll tag along for fun. What if we find one?"

Lin Ning didn't speak.

But Hao Hong saw the corner of his mouth twitch.

"Hey, stop acting," Hao Hong laughed. "You were so somber just now, but you couldn't hold it together as soon as you heard about money?"

Lin Ning stepped on the gas, and the car speeded up.

He might not be able to find a meteorite in the vast grasslands like a needle in a haystack, but if he picked a guy with a golden name and followed him, there shouldn't be a problem, right? The grassland is so big; it's not like it belongs to anyone!

Lin Ning was gradually getting excited.

Holy crap!

Besides what I thought of myself, my Golden Finger has other ways to be played!

Treasure hunters, or those guys who salvage sunken ships!!

Lin Ning's face grew redder and redder, and the car went faster and faster.

Hao Hong sang loudly in excitement.

Outside the window, the grasslands grew more and more vast.