Chapter 164

There were no further delays along the way, and they successfully entered the Sino-Myanmar buffer zone. Here, the convoy could not go any further, as there was a border post guarded by Myanmar troops ahead. He Qiang and Lao Gui had been waiting here for a long time. Seeing the convoy arrive, they both showed joy. Xie Wendong got out of the car and walked over with a smile. After greeting He Qiang briefly, he turned to look at Lao Gui and asked with a smile, “Have your wounds healed?” Lao Gui chuckled and said, “Thanks to you, my wounds healed quickly since you left.” San Yan, who was familiar with Lao Gui and had dealt with him before, walked over smiling and said, “Lao Gui, long time no see!” Upon seeing him, Lao Gui was surprised and said, “Good heavens, you’re here too?” He quickly said to He Qiang, “Colonel, this is San Yan, an extraordinary person.” Then he introduced San Yan to He Qiang. The two exchanged polite handshakes. He Qiang took Xie Wendong aside, while San Yan and Lao Gui wisely stepped back to chat. He Qiang said with a smile, “Brother Xie is truly impressive—having an army escort. I was really surprised when you first arrived.” Xie Wendong raised the corners of his mouth and said, “Colonel, you’ve seen all kinds of military formations; how could you be afraid of just a few soldiers?” They smiled at each other. He Qiang then said seriously, “The goods delivered this time are correct, right?” Xie Wendong replied, “They match exactly the records given to the general. Colonel, you can check them yourself.” He Qiang glanced at the containers and patted Xie Wendong’s shoulder, saying with a smile, “What are you saying, Brother Xie? Our general trusts you completely, so I have no doubts at all.” Then he pointed to the two container trucks behind him and said, “Your goods are in those trucks.” Xie Wendong laughed and said, “The general truly keeps his word. This is our first cooperation, and I’m sure we’ll need your help again in the future.” “Brother Xie, you’re too kind,” He Qiang said. “It’s me who should thank you. These items have been a great help to our group.” He pointed at the weapons brought by Xie Wendong, his eyes gleaming. Xie Wendong smiled and said, “This is just the beginning. There are more surprises waiting for you in the future.”

The two groups exchanged their cars. Since the containers were too heavy to move, Xie Wendong had no choice but to hand over the ten cars carrying the containers to He Qiang. He Qiang was extremely grateful and promised to have Lao Gui return them soon. Ten boxes of weapons were exchanged for two boxes of heroin—one box had to be returned to the Black Belt faction, as it was a key condition for them to supply weapons, while the other box was for Xie Wendong’s own profit. The profits involved were astonishing. Xie Wendong said he was just a middleman, but no other middleman in the world could make as much money as he did. He initially dealt in drugs by the gram, but now he dealt by the kilogram.

After the transaction, Xie Wendong politely declined He Qiang’s attempts to keep him and drove away with the two loads of drugs back to the mainland.

When no one was around, Zhou Yu asked him, “Brother, you must have made a lot of money this time—maybe eighteen or twenty million.”

Xie Wendong smiled and glanced at San Yan. San Yan laughed and said, “Is eighteen or twenty million really enough to warrant all this effort from us?”

Zhou Yu was shocked and asked, “So… how much then?”

San Yan shook his head, took out a check from his pocket, and stuffed it into Zhou Yu’s pocket. “Just a small token. You and the soldiers have worked hard along the way. Use this money to have some fun when you get back to Kunming and relax.”

Zhou Yu opened the check and saw that it was for one million. He shook his head and said with a bitter smile, “This money is enough for me to enjoy for a lifetime.”

San Yan said proudly, “That’s why I say—men may not have power, but they must have money. Otherwise, they won’t be able to enjoy many things.”

Zhou Yu gave Xie Wendong a deep look, opened his mouth, but ultimately stayed silent. He wanted to say he wanted to follow Xie Wendong, but he also knew that without being part of the Political Department, he would mean nothing to Xie Wendong. So, after much hesitation, he still couldn’t speak up. Xie Wendong patted his shoulder and laughed, “I’m generous and honest. As long as you truly help me in the future, you won’t be shortchanged at all. In fact, I can even help you climb to a higher position in the Political Department. And I’m very practical—those who try to undermine me secretly will face my coldest methods. I believe I have the strength for this. Do you believe me?”

Zhou Yu instinctively lowered his head and murmured, “Of course you have the strength. You’ve helped me, so I’ll definitely help you too. We’re all on the same side!”

“On the same side! Hehe!” Xie Wendong smiled narrowed-eyed. “You’re right. People on the same side should help each other.”

Upon arriving in Kunming, Xie Wendong sent the soldiers out in groups to have some fun, leaving at least a dozen of them with Sanyan to guard the goods in the vehicle. He took a taxi to the city police station on his own. Last time in Kunming, he had been assassinated by Ma Feng; without the help of female police officer Qiu Ningshui, he wouldn’t have escaped so easily. Now that he was passing through Kunming again, there was no reason not to visit her. Xie Wendong was actually quite conservative in his thinking—he remembered those who opposed him clearly, and he would never forget those who had truly helped him. Standing at the entrance of the police station, Xie Wendong hesitated for a moment, feeling somewhat guilty for coming empty-handed.

He wandered around the nearby streets. Xie Wendong rarely bought gifts for others, and now he really didn’t know what to buy for Qiu Ningshui, let alone what she liked. Suddenly, a delicate fragrance wafted through the air—light and fresh, sweet but not cloying. Looking up, Xie Wendong saw a flower shop. He smiled, snapped his fingers, and said to himself, “Flowers are good. At least everyone likes them.”

Entering the flower shop, he found it small, filled with various fresh flowers, so compact that the fragrance filled the entire space. The clerk was a young girl who, upon seeing a customer, quickly asked, “What kind of flowers do you need, sir?” Xie Wendong looked around and said, “I want to give them to a friend. I’m not sure what flowers to choose.”

The girl asked, “Is your friend a man or a woman?” Xie Wendong smiled and said, “A woman.” “Oh!” The girl nodded knowingly and said, “Then buy these. Red roses.” Xie Wendong shook his head and said, “We’re just ordinary friends.” The girl rolled her eyes and pouted innocently, “Ordinary friends can still give roses!”

“Oh?” Xie Wendong really didn’t know that. He scratched his head and said, “Well then, roses it is!”

The girl smiled happily and said, “If you give roses, you should give ninety-nine—so that friendship lasts forever!” Seeing Xie Wendong raise an eyebrow, she quickly added, “Friendship lasts forever!”

He didn’t understand these things but didn’t want to show it in front of the girl. He nodded and said, “Hmm, that makes sense. I’ll go with your suggestion.”

The girl happily took out the roses and began to pack them. In just a few minutes, a bunch of fresh red roses appeared before Xie Wendong. Surprised by the large quantity, he said, “There are so many.” The girl smiled and said, “Of course, it’s ninety-nine in total!” She took out a calculator, typed for a while, and said, “Ninety-nine roses cost 495 yuan in total.” Xie Wendong nodded, handed her 500 yuan, thanked her, and turned to leave.

The girl watched his back and said, “Good luck. What a coward. It’s just your girlfriend—there’s nothing to be shy about. Let me help you instead.” Xie Wendong, who had already walked far away, didn’t hear her words; otherwise, he would have rushed back to spank her. Walking on the street, the curious gazes made him feel uncomfortable, so he quickened his pace and headed to the police station. Letting out a long sigh, Xie Wendong shook his head with a bitter smile. Was it really that strange to carry a bunch of roses on the street? He slowly walked to the duty room at the entrance and politely asked, “Excuse me, which office is Qiu Ningshui in?” The officer on duty was a middle-aged policeman. He sized Xie Wendong up, shook his head, and replied impatiently, “Third floor, on the right.” Xie Wendong nodded in thanks and strode off. The middle-aged policeman sneered and muttered to himself, “Another fool who dares to come!” Qiu Ningshui was a renowned police officer known far and wide, with many pursuing her. There were many like Xie Wendong who brought flowers, only to be driven away by her. Of course, the police station also had a group of “protectors” who would show special kindness and comfort to those who were driven away, though in a rough manner—using fists and leather shoes. Xie Wendong was unaware of this. Since entering the building, every policeman he met had looked at him strangely. If looks could be knives, Xie Wendong knew he would have lost at least two layers of skin by now. He didn’t care and didn’t take those policemen seriously; he was just puzzled. Pushing open the office door, he saw Qiu Ningshui bent over, reviewing documents. Last time at her home, the room was dim, and Xie Wendong hadn’t seen her closely. Now, he couldn’t help but marvel—heaven was truly generous to her; there wasn’t a single flaw on her face. A woman with such beauty could be proud. Xie Wendong quietly approached her and suddenly placed the flowers in front of her, smiling as he said, “Sister Qiu, it’s been a few days—how have you been?” Qiu Ningshui frowned and raised her head, ready to get angry, but then saw a young and delicate face, with eyes narrowed and lips curled upward. She opened her mouth in surprise, saying, “How is it you?” Xie Wendong sat down across from her, smiling, and asked, “Why can’t it be me?”

Qiu Ningshui asked, “Weren’t you saying you were going back to City T? Why did you come back so quickly?” Xie Wendong scratched his head and said, “It’s for work. But I can only stay here for a day; I have to rush back to City T tomorrow. Since I came to Kunming, I felt uncomfortable not seeing you.” With that, he handed her the flowers and said, “I wasn’t sure what gift to give you, so I ended up choosing this.”

Qiu Ningshui took the roses with a smile and teased him, pointing at his head, “You’re really thoughtful. But I’m not interested in a much younger man than me.” Women tend to hold grudges, and she was no exception—she still remembered what Xie Wendong had said at her house last time.

Xie Wendong was stunned and said, “I’m not pursuing you. Whether you’re interested or not has nothing to do with me.”

Qiu Ningshui’s face turned red as she snapped, “Then what does it mean to give me roses?” Xie Wendong remained calm and said, “I just wanted to express my friendship with you.”

Qiu Ningshui felt a pang in her heart—she wasn’t sure whether to be angry because of his so-called friendship or because of his carelessness. Her already fiery temper flared up as she stood up abruptly, pointed at his nose, and shouted, “How about that? Let’s see how you try to tie me up this time!”

Qiu Ningshui’s face turned red, her eyes narrowed as she pinched her waist and puffed out her chest. She shouted, “Go ahead! Let’s see how you tie me up this time!”