Jiang Tianliang was so furious his balls ached. If this weren't the camp, he'd have pulled out his gun and shot Liu Tiezhu without a second thought. But under the current circumstances, he had no evidence in hand. Even if he did, he wouldn't dare act openly in the camp.
"Liu Tiezhu, just you wait. If I don't take you down, my name isn't Jiang." After a moment's deliberation, Jiang Tianliang could only grit his teeth and leave.
Liu Tiezhu shouted after him, "Take it slow. Don't let anyone cut off your retreat again."
At those words, Jiang Tianliang's leg nearly gave out, and he almost stumbled. "You son of a bitch, just wait for me." He shot Liu Tiezhu a vicious glare, his old face dark and grim as he hurried away.
No sooner had he left than Guo Qixing walked over. "Brother Tiezhu, that move of yours was absolutely brilliant. Now that news of Mingxuan Pawnshop being looted has spread, the whole place is in chaos. All the pawners are rushing in with their receipts to redeem their items. At this rate, Jiang Tianliang's going to take another huge loss."
Hearing this, Liu Tiezhu showed no surprise. He was already plotting how to bleed Jiang Tianliang dry a second time. Besides Mingxuan Pawnshop, Jiang Tianliang secretly commanded a small unit, led by his brother-in-law. The unit had about a hundred men, many of them rejects from the Ming family's assessments. According to what Guo Haishan revealed before he died, this unit was stationed at the foot of Zhuangdong Ridge. Besides their pay and daily supplies, that place also served as a small warehouse. Jiang Tianliang had stashed a lot of his cash and gold there.
This time, Liu Tiezhu planned to go solo. But he still needed to figure out how to get those goods out. With Jiang Tianliang having just lost Mingxuan Pawnshop, he'd surely tighten security, so now wasn't the time to strike. After some thought, Liu Tiezhu decided to postpone the move until after he passed the third round of assessment.
Seeing Liu Tiezhu unresponsive, Guo Qixing assumed he wasn't interested, so he pulled out a stack of bills. "Brother Tiezhu, this is your share." After tallying everything last night, all the items from Mingxuan Pawnshop were worth 130,000. Guo Qixing had cashed it out directly and handed it to Liu Tiezhu.
"So much?" Liu Tiezhu was taken aback at the sight of the hundred-yuan notes. He'd estimated the pawnshop's value at 70,000 to 80,000 at most, which was already staggering. He hadn't expected it to exceed his guess by half.
"Brother Qixing, hold onto this money for me. I'll come to you when I need it," Liu Tiezhu said. Carrying that much cash on him wasn't safe, and leaving it with Guo Qixing was undoubtedly the best option.
"Sure, whenever you need it, just let me know." As Guo Qixing pocketed the money, he added, "I suspect Jiang Tianliang is in cahoots with the Li family."
"Are you sure?" Liu Tiezhu perked up. If he could get proof of Jiang Tianliang colluding with the Li family, he could finish him off directly.
Guo Qixing nodded. "I don't have evidence yet, but I'm certain Jiang Tianliang has dealings with the Li family. This morning, I had someone watch Mingxuan Pawnshop's every move. They spotted Li family members blending into the crowd and eventually leaving with Jiang Tianliang's brother-in-law."
"Where did they go?" Liu Tiezhu asked.
Guo Qixing said, "Those people are too cunning. My men lost them not far into the chase. Brother Tiezhu, if you want to pursue this lead, I can find a way."
Liu Tiezhu thought it over and waved his hand. "Your people can't act anymore. Since they managed to shake off your men, you've already tipped them off. Do you know where Jiang Tianliang's brother-in-law lives?" He didn't want to trouble Guo Qixing further and planned to go straight to the brother-in-law himself. This was a direct strike at the heart. If he could get the brother-in-law to talk, he'd have a way to kill that snake Jiang Tianliang.
"Brother Tiezhu, he lives at 75 South City Street. Are you planning to go after Jiang Tianliang's brother-in-law directly? If so, I can arrange a few people to help you discreetly." Guo Qixing was sharp; hearing the question, he knew exactly what Liu Tiezhu intended.
"No need." Liu Tiezhu waved off the offer. He didn't want to owe the Guo family any favors. Besides, if those people could shake off Guo's men, it meant the Guo family was under surveillance too. Having them tag along would only speed up his exposure.
Hearing this, Guo Qixing didn't press further. After telling Liu Tiezhu to be careful, he left.
Meanwhile, in a dim, secret chamber, Jiang Tianliang stood with his head bowed, looking respectful in the center of the room. Across from him, on a stone chair, sat an old man. Over seventy, he wore a black robe, his hair completely white, his face hidden in the robe's shadow. His eyes were as cold and piercing as a viper's fixed on its prey. The old man stared at Jiang Tianliang for a long while, only looking away when Jiang Tianliang's scalp began to tingle.
"I don't want to call you useless, but this business with Liu Tiezhu has left me deeply disappointed. I gave you detailed intel and plenty of support, yet you can't even handle a little brat. Should I start doubting your abilities?" At these words, Jiang Tianliang's face turned ashen. The old man doubting his abilities meant he was considering replacing him. Recovering, he quickly waved his hands. "Uncle Li, the intel you gave me was completely off. Liu Tiezhu's strength surpasses mine. I sent two waves of men and still couldn't take him out. Look—"
The old man cut him off, refusing to hear his excuses. "I'm giving you one month. If you still can't eliminate Liu Tiezhu, I'll replace you immediately. Also, the losses from Mingxuan Pawnshop are on you." With that, he dismissed Jiang Tianliang with a wave, offering no further explanation.
Jiang Tianliang bent over and slowly backed out, not daring to show any displeasure. Only after leaving the chamber did he start cursing under his breath. If the old man replaced him, it would mean his ruin. He'd worked so hard to get where he was, amassing hundreds of thousands in wealth—he wouldn't let himself be butchered. "Old dog, since you're being ruthless, don't blame me for being disloyal. Trying to control me? Your tricks aren't nearly enough."
The old man in the chamber was Li Chenyang, the head of a Li family stronghold. Three years ago, they'd struck a deal: Jiang Tianliang provided valuable intel to the Li family, and they repaid him with wealth. But as a cunning old fox, he knew the Li family's treachery and never fully trusted them. Before partnering with the old man, he'd already taken precautions. That's why he'd secretly raised a unit of several hundred men at Zhuangdong Ridge.
"Liu Tiezhu, you bastard. Since you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish." Jiang Tianliang muttered a few more curses, then turned and headed toward Zhuangdong Ridge.