The large truck rumbled toward the eastern outskirts of Ming City, an area mostly filled with farmland and factories. Because it was near the national highway, there were plenty of auto repair shops.
Soon, the truck turned into a rather large repair shop on the east side. As soon as the truck and the two vans trailing behind entered the factory's gate, two burly men in black vests rushed over and slammed the heavy iron gate shut.
The taxi that had been trailing from afar also stopped. Alex Easton, Jake Jewel, and Danny Dean got out. The moment they stepped out, the middle-aged driver quickly turned his car around and sped off—he was worried Alex might change his mind, so he figured running was the safest bet.
"Boss, the gate's closed. What do we do now?" Jake Jewel asked Alex Easton, looking at the shut gate.
"Obviously, we need to find a way in! Danny, give me a smoke," Alex Easton turned to Danny Dean.
Danny Dean quickly pulled out his pack of Yuxi cigarettes, handed one to Alex, and lit it for him. Then, nervously, he said, "B-Boss, there might be wolfdogs or Tibetan mastiffs in there. If we go in, aren't we just delivering ourselves as snacks?"
Alex Easton shivered at the thought, his right hand trembling so much that his cigarette nearly fell. He swallowed hard and said, "Yeah, that's definitely a possibility!"
"Uh—if there really are, we wouldn't stand a chance against those fierce dogs. B-Boss, maybe we should just go back—" Danny Dean stammered nervously.
"Smack!" Alex, annoyed, kicked Danny Dean and pulled a hundred-yuan bill from his pocket, saying, "Damn it! Is that all you’ve got? If you’re really scared, just go catch a cab home! Brothers, huh? You talk a good game!"
Danny Dean quickly rubbed his leg and explained awkwardly, "Boss, don’t get me wrong, I was just saying!"
Jake Jewel said, "Boss, should we climb the wall to get in? But what if they recognize us?"
Alex Easton glanced around and spotted a can of red car paint by the gate. His eyes lit up, and he walked over to check—there was still about half left. "Guys, I've got an idea!" he said.
Alex grabbed the can of red paint, dipped his hand in, and started smearing it on his face. Danny Dean and Jake Jewel immediately followed suit—
Meanwhile, inside the repair shop, the big truck had parked in a spacious warehouse. Five or six thugs from the two vans got out. Two of them went to the back of the truck, opened the rear doors, and lowered two iron ramps. A red Aston Martin slowly rolled out along the ramps.
After parking the Aston Martin, one thug got out of the driver's seat and dragged an unconscious young man out by his collar, like hauling a dead dog, and dumped him on the floor.
Then he went back to the truck, grabbed Lilian Grace by her long hair, dragged her out too, and tossed her next to the young man—no sign of pity at all. Lilian Grace had also passed out during the crash.
When he finished, the thug pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and said, "Juice King, we've got them!"
As soon as he hung up, a man in his thirties strolled out of the office in the warehouse. He was tall and skinny, wearing an open plaid shirt that showed off a fierce wolf-head tattoo on his chest, camo beach shorts, wooden clogs, and his hair was dyed in wild colors. His face was sharp, with thick arched eyebrows and narrow eyes that flashed with cunning. He had a cigar in his mouth and looked every bit the wicked villain—this was Juice King.
Juice King sauntered over to the unconscious man and Lilian Grace. His eyes landed on Lilian’s ample chest, and he grinned wickedly, raising his eyebrows and licking his lips. "Damn, top shelf! Top shelf! Who knew Nelson Liu could have such a gorgeous daughter! Heh heh—"
A thug beside him quietly reminded, "Uh—Juice King, the boss told me to remind you, you can't touch her yet! Once the job's done, you can do whatever you want—boss won't care."
Juice King's face darkened at the reminder. He spat out his cigar, then suddenly jumped up and smacked Country Grunt on the back of the head—"Smack!" The sound echoed through the warehouse.
"You punk, do you know why I hit you? Huh?!" Juice King slung his arm over Country Grunt's shoulder and asked after the slap.
Country Grunt rubbed his stinging head and shook his head, looking confused.
"I was just admiring her boobs with my eyes, not touching her! How did you see me lay a hand on her, huh?! Speak up!" Juice King clamped Country Grunt’s neck and barked.
Country Grunt’s face flushed, but Juice King really hadn’t touched Lilian Grace, so he just stood there awkwardly, not daring to argue.
Suddenly, Juice King’s face changed again—he broke into a wide grin, let go of Country Grunt, straightened his rumpled clothes, then pulled out a wooden cigar box from his shorts. He took out a cigar and handed it to Country Grunt, grinning slyly, "Heh heh, Country Grunt, I was just messing with you! Here, have a smoke—this is a Cuban Havana laced with Number Four! One puff and you’ll feel like you’re floating!" (Note: Number Four—No. 4 heroin, one of the purest forms of the drug)
Country Grunt quickly waved his hands, "Uh—no thanks, Juice King. I—I don’t smoke!"
Juice King shot him a look and snorted, "Country Grunt, were you brainwashed when you were a soldier? You don’t know how to enjoy the good stuff, won’t touch women, so why the hell did you join the mob?!"
Country Grunt stammered, "Juice King, I—I—"
Juice King's face turned cold. He narrowed his eyes at Country Grunt and continued in a sinister tone, "Heh, Country Grunt! Tell me—are you an undercover cop?!"
Country Grunt’s expression changed drastically, but he quickly recovered and shouted, "I’m not! I’m not an undercover cop!! Juice King, you’ve got to believe me!"
Juice King's chiseled face broke into another grin—the guy could change expressions faster than a chameleon. He patted Country Grunt on the shoulder and said, "Heh heh! Relax, Country Grunt! I’m just messing with you. I know you’re not a snitch, just testing you out—that’s all. You know me, I hate traitors most! You’re not one, so that’s good. Heh heh—"
Country Grunt looked terrified, "Juice King, please don’t joke like that—I’ll get scared silly!"
Juice King rolled his eyes and cackled, "Heh, you’re already silly! All right, let’s get to work! Wake up these two treasures from Nelson Liu’s family!"
Country Grunt waved at the other thugs, "You heard him? Go get two buckets of cold water, now."
The thugs sprang into action, and soon returned with two plastic buckets of cold water. They stood in front of the unconscious young man and Lilian Grace, dumping the icy water over their heads.
Splash—! As the cold water hit, the young man and Lilian Grace slowly regained consciousness.