The young man hung up the phone, but still felt unsatisfied. He swept everything in his room onto the floor, and only then did he manage to swallow his anger.
The young man didn’t know that Xu Ke, who he was so intent on plotting against, was standing right outside his door, clearly hearing all the commotion inside.
It was just his bad luck. Originally, Xu Ke wouldn’t have returned so early, but because of the incident at the market, Xu Ke lost his appetite and ca back early. Who would have thought he would stumble upon this matter as soon as he returned? Xu Ke raised an eyebrow, considering it a pleasant surprise.
Regarding the inexplicable targeting, Xu Ke only needed to connect the dots to understand the general idea.
"I was originally thinking about how to approach you, but you guys just ca along yourself," Xu Ke whispered to himself, looking at the cup on the table as he returned to his room.
Xu Ke ca back quietly and left without alerting anyone. Until Xu Ke returned for the second ti that evening, the young man thought it was Xu Ke’s first ti returning ho and did not suspect him at all.
What he didn’t know was that from this day on, his movents had been monitored by Xu Ke. Xu Ke left early and returned late each day, and the young man thought Xu Ke was just wandering around the town, never suspecting that he was being followed. anwhile, the boss was doing his best to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. When Xu Ke asked when the inn would be ready, he racked his brains to delay ti. Sending Xu Ke off was like surviving a tribulation, as if he had been reborn.
"How’s the task that was assigned to you coming along?" One day, the young man went again to the small pub where the older man stayed. As soon as they entered the room, the older man asked, leaving the young man feeling troubled and restless.
Noticing the young man’s impatient expression, he sensed sothing was wrong, "Don’t tell you haven’t taken any action yet?"
The young man avoided the old man’s gaze, and the older man felt a sinking feeling.
"I heard a few days ago that an old lady had a quarrel at the market and died of anger. Did you do this?" The older man didn’t let the young man off the hook, continuing to ask and observe his reaction.
The young man’s heart skipped a beat hearing this question. He knew this matter couldn’t be disclosed to anyone, or else it might be the end of him. Thinking about this, he grew even angrier at his accomplices, but he still denied it, "What nonsense are you talking? Don’t pin this on . People die every day; one old lady dying isn’t all that strange. What does that have to do with ?"
"It’s not strange for an old lady to die, but what’s strange is that this old lady wasn’t even from our town, and nobody knows where she ca from. Early in the morning, she went to the market to buy groceries, following a young man around, grabbing whatever he wanted." The older man spoke while watching the young man’s reaction, and seeing the slight twitch in his brow, he could almost confirm the situation.
"Are you out of your mind? How dare you do such a thing? Don’t you know that if word gets out that you were playing along behind their backs, it could cost you your life?" The older man exclaid, then lowered his voice, looking disappointed in him.
Seeing the young man was about to argue, the older man pressed down on the hand he was holding the wine glass with, "Denying it is useless. No one is a fool. Regardless of how high-ranking they are, nothing is beyond investigation if they wish to probe. When the ti cos, what kind of life will you lead? I understand you’re restless and unwilling to stay here wasting your life away with . I get that you want to venture out, but don’t gamble with your life for that."
The young man stared intently at the older man, "Did you call here today just to say these things? What was your purpose in saying all this to ?"
"What purpose could I have? We’ve been here together for years. I’m much older than you and see you not only as a partner but as a junior. If possible, I’d want you to have a steady, smooth life. I don’t want anything to happen to you."
The young man stared at the older man, trying to judge his sincerity, but the older man’s gaze remained unwavering, full of integrity, which ignited a sense of guilt in the young man’s heart.
"I was just being foolish for a mont. Don’t worry; I won’t target him anymore. I just hope you can keep this matter confidential." The young man spoke softly, looking hopefully at the older man.
"Silly child, I called you here today to talk about this because I never intended to rat you out. If I wanted to report you, I could have talked to the higher-ups directly. The first thing I want to discuss is about Xu Ke; most of the renovation at the inn is done. You need to hurry. The renovation won’t take much longer. Once it’s complete, if you haven’t brought Xu Ke over to our side, all our previous efforts will have been in vain, and the higher-ups may not be pleased with us." The older man paused before continuing with the second point.
"The second point is about the old lady. You must erase all evidence related to this matter. Don’t leave any proof that could be used against you, or else you could lose your life when you least expect it. As I have always told you, in our line of work, being cautious is crucial. Only with caution can you avoid mistakes, and only by minimizing errors can you safeguard your life. Do you understand?" The older man earnestly advised him.
"Don’t worry, I understand your point. I will swiftly handle these two tasks. I had misunderstood you before and even acted disrespectfully. I never expected you’d still be willing to help , reminding of such crucial matters." The young man’s expression was one of genuine regret, looking as if he wanted to change his ways.
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