The man instructed his subordinate, “Handle it, don’t let anything slip.”
“Got it, don’t worry.”
After being dragged into the factory, Liu Hao was tied to a concrete pillar inside. The stench of Old Ghost’s blood still lingered around his nose.
He was awakened by the pungent smell of chemicals. Looking around, his dazed mind finally cleared up.
Directly opposite him, a man with a sinister appearance sat on a simple folding chair. The man looked to be in his thirties, tall and burly, with a northern accent. His hair was shaved short, like someone just released from prison. He sat there, with a dozen underlings standing behind him, very disciplined, hands behind their backs. If the man didn’t speak, they didn’t speak, not even joking or chatting idly.
“The police in Ningcheng are tougher than I thought. As expected from someone who’s seen the world. That was a shock, recovering so quickly?”
The man smiled while smoking.
Liu Hao sniffed desperately. The chemical smell seemed like diesel. He’d always felt his throat itch when smelling diesel since childhood. He couldn’t help coughing twice.
“Can’t stand the smoke? Sorry about that. I’ll finish this one and stop.”
The man showed Liu Hao the cigarette butt, took a last puff, then stubbed it out on the ground.
“What are you pretending? You’re kidnapping a national police officer now,涉嫌 assaulting police. Release me and turn yourself in while you still can.”
The man smiled. “I know all that. But I’m not smoking for safety reasons.”
He snapped his fingers, and someone behind him came forward with a fuel can, pouring diesel over Liu Hao’s head.
Liu Hao coughed desperately, the choking diesel making it hard for him to breathe.
“If I smoke, you’ll burn up, so I’m not smoking.” The man smiled in a feigned considerate way, making Liu Hao feel sick.
“Stop acting tough. If you want to kill or torture, do as you please.”
“Liu sir, don’t jump to killing or torturing so quickly. Let’s chat. It’s the New Year, why aren’t you at home celebrating? Coming here is so inauspicious.”
“Bah, damn you. You’re illegally manufacturing guns, of course the police will intervene!”
“Hehe, when the water is too clear, there are no fish. When people are too observant, there are no followers. The Dao De Jing says the great Dao is inaction.”
Liu Hao laughed. “Read a couple of books and think you’re hot stuff? Damn, you’re making me laugh. If we police are inaction, might as well close the station. Do you think before you speak? Stop with this nonsense. If you want to kill, hurry up. If I cry out today, I’m not a man.”
It was a lie to say he wasn’t afraid. Who isn’t afraid of death?
But for Liu Hao to beg these people, that was impossible. He’d rather die.
“Liu sir really has backbone. But your body and hair are received from your parents. Don’t you feel sorry for them? When your parents see your corpse, oh no, probably just a pile of ashes, what mood will they be in? Liu sir, can you bear to let your white-haired parents send off their black-haired child?”
Thinking of his parents’ faces, Liu Hao’s heart softened. Yes, what about Mum and Dad?
His momentary expression was caught by the man, who knew Liu Hao had wavered.
He turned and gave a look to the people behind him. Someone carried two large suitcases to Liu Hao, opened them, revealing neatly stacked bundles of hundred-yuan notes.
Liu Hao burst out laughing. “You want to bribe me with money?”
“Just making a friend. Talking about bribery hurts feelings.”
“I find you really imaginative, and thick-skinned too. Saying that without blushing. I’ve been a police officer for eight years, impossible to collude with scum like you.”
“Liu sir, we’re all civilised people. We must view things dialectically, affairs have good sides and bad sides.”
“That shaved head of yours is fresh from prison, right? Damn, did you spend all your time in the clink studying Marxism? Bah, shut up.”
Liu Hao spat towards the man’s face, but it was too far, not even reaching his shoe. The man chuckled lowly in amusement.
“We make these guns, but we don’t use them to harm our own people. They’re all sent abroad. Some places abroad are chaotic, these guns might not harm people, perhaps they’re for innocent people to protect themselves. You take the money, and save lives too, isn’t that good? Liu sir, don’t be too stubborn. Justice can’t rely on intuition.”
Liu Hao really wished he could scoop some faeces from somewhere and pour it on this guy’s head. Where did he dig up this crap theory? Shame he could say it out loud.
But come to think of it, he wasn’t that important. No one knew he came here tonight. If these people killed him, it wouldn’t be hard. Why go to such lengths to bribe him?
Liu Hao’s eyes darted around, his tone softening a bit. “Let me hear your terms.”
“No terms. I said, making a friend. I respect you as a real man, gold for a hero.”
Liu Hao thought, if I believe this nonsense, I’m a real idiot.
“I don’t like beating around the bush. If you insist on circling, forget it. Damn, burn me if you want. If you won’t do it, give me the lighter, I’ll do it myself.”
The man threw his head back and laughed, clapping his hands. “Liu sir is a real man. Me, I like making friends. I want to meet another friend of yours. Just introduce us.”
“Speak plainly, who.”
Liu Hao of course didn’t believe the making friends crap. Old Ghost was a prime example. This man probably wanted to use him to lure someone else, just like using Old Ghost to lure him.
But Old Ghost feared death, he didn’t, so they threatened Old Ghost, tempted him. From the diesel pouring, it was clear they meant to scare him too.
“Zhang Chao.”
Liu Hao asked directly. “Why?”
“Admired him for a long time.”
“Hehe, a man admiring another man for a long time, you don’t have that kind of fetish, do you.”
Liu Hao’s sarcasm didn’t affect the man at all. The man remained expressionless, as if accepting Liu Hao’s words.
Liu Hao wasn’t satisfied. He meant to provoke the man into revealing the truth. He escalated, sneering. “Didn’t expect it, you look manly, but like men doing your arse. All this effort, why not spend the millions on a rent boy.”
“Shut up.”
As soon as Liu Hao finished, an underling rushed up and punched him in the stomach. He retched, vomiting up his New Year’s Eve dinner.
The man still sat, but anger showed on his face. That was normal, no man could tolerate being said like that.
Liu Hao’s face was pale with pain, but he persisted in chuckling. “Or what? Just Zhang Chao, an ordinary person, worth all this effort.”
“You think Zhang Chao is ordinary? Hehe.” The man sneered. “He’s the most extraordinary one. He’s a thorn in all our sides.”