Lao Tie quietly asked me about the situation, and I couldn't get much out of him. He suggested we use our connections. I understood what he meant; Qing Zi had a past, and the police could easily summon him for questioning. People like him, though tough with us, would crumble in minutes with the police.
"Brother Zhu Zi, do you have any pies?"
"Not made yet."
"I'm hungry. Make me a few first, and bring two bottles of beer."
With that, I pulled Lao Tie to a table and sat down. I ran my hand over the surface, finding none of the usual greasiness of a pie shop. This pie shop opened at noon, but they were working diligently from early morning, and the cleanliness was impressive. People who were so dedicated to their pie shop wouldn't stoop to illegal activities.
Qing Zi glanced at Zhu Zi, who smiled and said, "Guests are welcome. Qing Zi, go make some pies."
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Zhu Zi then came over with the menu. "Pies are ten to a pound. Our prices are reasonable; three pies per person should be enough. Three yuan per pie. Do you want soup? Egg drop soup, seaweed soup, or do you not have wontons yet?"
"Do you have cold dishes?"
"Tiger skin, peanuts, shredded tofu, shredded kelp..."
"One plate of each. By the way, Brother Zhu Zi, can I ask you something? What were you doing at the airport?"
"We were just following your wife. Believe me, brother, we had no other intentions. My child is in elementary school this year. Do you think I could do anything bad?"
"Who asked you to follow her?"
"I can't say. I can only tell you it was a benefactor of Qing Zi's. That's all I can say. Is the beer at room temperature or chilled?"
Lao Tie seemed a bit dissatisfied. I suppressed him with a look and smiled, "Where is the room temperature beer kept?"
"There's no space inside, so it's on the balcony."
"Then never mind. Room temperature is too cold. Just get me two bottles from the refrigerator."
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...
When Zhu Zi went inside to help, Lao Tie unhappily asked, "Is this the time for eating?"
"If you're hungry, you have to eat."
"Old Tang, what exactly are you trying to do? We could have just taken these two to the police station, and they'd talk. Pretending to have brotherhood like this, what era are we in? Risking your life for a brother? Don't kid me!"
I sighed, and the image of Old Ghost surfaced in my mind. He had taught me so much, allowing me to reach my own level as a schemer. I smiled at Lao Tie. "I just learned a new trick recently."
"What?"
"Do good deeds and ask no questions about the consequences."
Lao Tie was stunned. "What does that mean?"
"I don't fully understand it myself. Anyway, let's cross the river by feeling the stones."
"Your wife is still being held by them?"
"No."
"What do you mean? Wasn't Lin Han captured?"
"It seems they didn't catch her."
"Then why hasn't Lin Han contacted you?" Lao Tie didn't believe my assessment.
I smiled slightly. "Actually, I don't know why Lin Han isn't contacting me, but I know one thing. A wife follows her husband, a dog follows its master. My wife has been with me for so long, it would be a disservice to our marriage not to scheme for her."
Lao Tie looked at me intently. I wondered what he was thinking and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I can't understand you anymore."
"Nonsense. Didn't we grow up together, sharing everything? If I fart, you know the smell, right? How can you not understand me?"
"Seriously, before you went to Hong Kong, I understood you. Now, I don't."
Just then, Zhu Zi brought the beer and appetizers. I poured Lao Tie a beer. "Lao Tie, I went through a lot in Hong Kong, and it made me understand many things. It's nonsense for a schemer to see the future. Meet force with force, and block water with earth; that's the reality. I remember someone once told me, 'The grand scheme is for wealth, the small scheme is for hearts.' But often, small schemes are hidden within grand schemes. The best way to deal with a small scheme within a grand scheme is with sincerity."
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"What does this have to do with you eating pies here?"
"Nothing."
Lao Tie looked at me displeased, as if I were being deliberately mysterious. I ate the appetizers and drank the beer. He stared at me, and I took another drink, looking at him. "Aren't you drinking?"
"I'm letting my stomach settle."
I laughed. "You have a stomach?"
"My legs are made of iron, are my internal organs also made of iron?"
I burst out laughing. "Lao Tie, you've changed too. You can tell a joke so seriously."
The pies arrived, golden brown and glistening, with a fragrant filling. I ate three and was still wanting more. Seeing Lao Tie eating slowly, I took another one from his plate. After finishing, I still felt a lingering desire in my stomach.
"These pies are really good. Brother Zhu Zi, can we talk?"
"I really don't know anything."
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"I'm not asking about that. I know my wife isn't someone ordinary people can handle. Brother Zhu Zi, your pie shop is doing well. Have you opened any branches?"
Zhu Zi looked a bit embarrassed. "This little shop is doing well, but where would I get the money to open another branch?"
"I have it."
"Tang Nan, I understand what you mean. You want to sponsor me to open a branch, but I still can't tell you. This puts me in a difficult position. How about you listen to Tie Zhi Shan and call the police?"
I watched Lao Tie quietly eat his last pie, my stomach rumbling. I said, "Brother Zhu Zi, where did you get that idea? We're talking business here. Let's use our city as a base and gradually expand our branches into the three northeastern provinces."
Zhu Zi chuckled awkwardly, looking at me as if I were a drunken fool.
Ignoring him, I pulled out my phone and dialed Qin Sisi. "Sister Sisi, how is that small matter progressing?"
"I've contacted him for you. His name is Ning Cai Shen. He was framed by Mr. Cao Shi for fraud years ago and served five years in prison. After being released early, he turned over a new leaf. Because he lacks a formal education, he's been working as a laborer on construction sites."
I was puzzled. "Where did you find such a talented person?"
"We attended Teacher Li Jiu's training together back then."
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"How many people were in that training session?"
"Me, Liu Chen Xi, the Agent, x Driver, Ning Cai Shen, the Gambler, Leng Yan, Mr. Ke, Quick Mouth Duck, Leng Yu, Train K, and Tu Ke La. Among them, Leng Yan and Leng Yu had their own small classes. They were specifically responsible for training assassins. You've met the Butterfly, who graduated from the assassin training organization."
These names brought back some memories. I asked, "I remember there was someone named Lina, wasn't she there?"
Qin Sisi denied it on the phone. "Lina joined later. By the time she arrived, Teacher Li Jiu was no longer in charge. In the first training session, x Driver, the Agent, and the Gambler were the first to graduate. They, along with Teacher Li Jiu, built the initial framework for 'Logical Paradox.' I graduated in the second batch, along with Liu Chen Xi and Train K. After that, we each took on our own tasks and never saw each other again. By the way, although Leng Yan has been an assistant schemer in Beijing, Leng Yu is not. She was the teacher responsible for training assassins. The Butterfly you encountered graduated from the assassin training organization."
I listened, baffled. "When these big figures had their 'Logical Paradox' collapse, why didn't I hear about it?"
"These people only recognized Teacher Li Jiu, which is why they stayed with 'Logical Paradox.' Ning Cai Shen told me that after Teacher Li Jiu died, everyone left 'Logical Paradox' because they didn't respect Zhu Guang and didn't consider him important."
"When did you hear this from Ning Cai Shen?"
"I met him in prison. Since we were all major fraudsters, we were in the same prison. Although men and women were housed separately, I behaved well, and when I had the opportunity to work in public areas and chat with Ning Cai Shen, we would talk."
I truly admired Qin Sisi. In my heart, Sister Sisi was no ordinary schemer. I thought for a moment and asked, "How was Ning Cai Shen caught?"
"Ning Cai Shen was very lazy. When I was arrested, he hadn't graduated yet. However, he was later forced to graduate by Teacher Li Jiu and assigned a mission. In Sichuan, he orchestrated a counterfeit money scam, which was broken by Mr. Cao Shi and Cao Qian, leading to his arrest and a five-year sentence."
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Counterfeit money scam. I knew about this scam. When Li Jiu was setting his plan for me, Ning Cai Shen used this scam to lure Old Ghost and Cao Qian to Sichuan. Unexpectedly, I had this connection with this Ning Cai Shen and now had an opportunity to collaborate.
"Sister Sisi, when will this Ning Cai Shen report to me?"
"You'll have to contact him. He's lazy. I've promised him a basic salary; you can negotiate the other terms. But you have to contact him for him to work for you."
"How much is the basic salary?"
"5,000 yuan, paid at the beginning of the month. I've already covered it for this month."
I smiled. "A salary of 5,000 yuan is too low for such a prominent figure. He'll definitely contact me."
"Don't think that way. Ning Cai Shen couldn't graduate because of his laziness, not his talent. He also had a basic salary at 'Logical Paradox' back then, which was only two thousand. He received it for over ten years. If Teacher Li Jiu hadn't forced him to scheme, he might still be receiving basic wages in the 'Monster Forest.'"
"Alright, I understand. Thank you, Sister Sisi. How are things on your end?"
"Cao Qian is no ordinary person. To deal with her, our entire team exerted 200% of our effort."
"And the outcome?"
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"The outcome is unknown. I'm busy. I'll send Ning Cai Shen's phone number to your phone. If I weren't so busy here, I'd definitely find you a good financial manager. This one will have to do. Remember this: do whatever he instructs, and if he doesn't instruct, don't do anything. You need to use him wisely."
"Okay, okay!"
I hung up the phone and saw Lao Tie's displeased look. I forced an explanation. "Do good deeds and ask no questions about the consequences. Perhaps I know who the Four-Colored Old K is now?"
"Ah, how did you know?"
"Quick Mouth Duck, Mr. Ke, Train K, Tu Ke La. These names all have a 'K' in them. Perhaps one of them is the Four-Colored Old K, or perhaps all four of them are."
"How do you know that?"
I didn't know, but I was afraid Lao Tie would say I was talking nonsense.
"I was thinking of investing in the pie shop. Qin Sisi helped me find a financial manager. It's rare that she'd say so much, mentioning some old individuals, which made me realize there are still powerful schemers in this world."
After I finished speaking, Lao Tie looked at me with disbelief and whispered, "Is this your 'do good deeds and ask no questions about the consequences'?"
I smiled sheepishly. Actually, I didn't know either. If he said so, then so be it.