Chapter 273 - 185: How Did the Fire Spread to My Place?
That evening, Lin Jiang took them to a unique barbecue joint, and Zhou Jingliang ate to his heart’s content.
"You son of a bitch!"
Zhou Jingliang threw an arm around Lin Jiang’s shoulders and said,
"I thought yesterday was the peak, but you brought another total knockout today!"
"I can’t help it. My mom’s greatest wish is to have a house full of grandkids. I’ve been a filial son since I was little, so I just have to do what she wants."
"Bullshit!"
Laughing and chatting, the four of them got into the car. Since Lin Jiang had been drinking, Li Zhiyi took the wheel.
Zhang Jingjing sat in the back, her mind heavy with thoughts.
She had planned on sending Lin Jiang some signals tonight, but she hadn’t expected him to bring another woman. Her original plan was now ruined.
’But on second thought, this might actually be a very good sign.’
’Lin Jiang is just like any other rich guy. As soon as he got money, he started chasing skirts.’
’That means he’s not exactly a saint, so I have a huge opportunity!’
’If I just give him a little taste and flirt a bit, he’ll probably take the bait.’
At this thought, Zhang Jingjing’s mood brightened considerably. ’Tonight, I’ll just take a peek at Zhou Jingliang’s phone and find Lin Jiang’s WeChat ID.’
’Once I add him as a friend, everything else will fall into place.’
They drove and dropped the other two off first. Lin Jiang was getting ready to head back to Century Triumph with Li Zhiyi, hoping to find an opportunity for a little... outdoor fun along the way.
[Elite Monster has appeared. Player, please be on guard.]
Seeing the prompt in his mind, Lin Jiang immediately said,
"Stop the car!"
"What’s wrong, Brother Jiang? Are you not feeling well?"
"I’m fine."
Lin Jiang replied dismissively, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
The last few times a similar prompt had appeared, it was always tied to a fixed location. This time was different.
For the prompt to appear while they were still driving was highly unusual.
After scanning the area, Lin Jiang noticed that his noodle shop, which was currently under renovation, was right across the street. A faint sense of danger pricked at him.
’Could they be targeting my noodle shop?’
’It seemed like the only possibility.’
"I have something to take care of. You head back first."
"Where are you going? I can drive you."
Li Zhiyi was perceptive enough not to press him for details.
"No need. You head home first. Just take my car."
With that, Lin Jiang got out of the car and headed toward the side of the road alone.
’The prompt appeared, which means the elite monster is nearby.’
’And it said ’Elite Monster,’ not ’Elite Wild Monster’.’
’Based on past experience, these so-called Elite Monsters are the kind that exist in dungeons.’
’It must be related to the Pan Family and the Wang Family.’
’And considering their business holdings, the Wang Family is the most likely culprit.’
Taking a roundabout route, Lin Jiang reached the back door of his noodle shop. He took out his key, unlocked the door, and slipped inside, preparing to trap a turtle in a jar.
"Holy shit!"
As Lin Jiang stepped inside, the glow of a cell phone screen flared up in the darkness, making him jump.
It was Yan Ming, playing on his phone inside the shop.
"What are you doing here? And why the hell aren’t the lights on?"
"We left the windows open to air the place out during the day. Brother Yang told me to come by tonight to close them and check if we’re missing anything. I got here and wasn’t in a rush to leave. Besides, keeping the lights off saves a little on the power bill."
Yan Ming looked at Lin Jiang.
"Brother Jiang, how come you’re here all by yourself?"
"Was I supposed to bring someone?"
"I just figured you might be here looking for some... excitement," Yan Ming said with a sly grin. "Some ’outdoor combat’."
"Get lost," Lin Jiang said.
"I’ve got a bad feeling about tonight. I think someone might show up."
"Someone’s coming?"
Yan Ming’s expression turned serious. "You mean someone’s coming to cause trouble?"
"It’s a possibility."
"I’ll call Brother Yang and Brother Chun and get them over here."
"Good idea. The more the merrier. But tell them to take the long way around. Tonight, we’re trapping a turtle in a jar."
"What’s that mean? We’re catching turtles?"
Lin Jiang was speechless.
"Just get them here."
"You got it."
Yan Ming stepped aside to make the call, and Lin Jiang pulled up a chair and sat down.
’The so-called elite monster will most likely show up at night. To complete the kill mission, I can’t leave.’
The dim yellow light from the streetlamps only illuminated a small patch of floor by the door and windows. The rest of the shop was pitch-black.
The interior renovations were nearly finished. All that was left was to air out the place and give it a good cleaning before they could open for business.
He checked the time. It wasn’t even 11:00 p.m. yet, and there were still occasional passersby on the street.
It wasn’t the right time for them to make a move. Lin Jiang guessed that Wang Xianping’s men were probably already lying in wait nearby, just biding their time for the right opportunity.
’It’s unlikely they’ll come through the front door. The back door and the windows are their best options.’
’I should open the windows and the door. I don’t want them to fucking break my property.’
Quietly, Lin Jiang opened the back door and windows. Now, all he had to do was wait for the fish to bite.
Before long, Yang Tao and Zheng Jiachun arrived.
"Brother Jiang."
"Don’t get flustered. Just stand guard here."
"Should we go out for a look? See if there are any suspicious people around?"
"No need."
"Brother Jiang said we’re just supposed to catch turtles in here," Yan Ming said.
"This is a noodle shop. What kind of turtles are we gonna catch in here?"
"I don’t know. That’s what Brother Jiang said."
"It’s called ’trapping a turtle in a jar,’ you idiot."
Since the kitchen was semi-enclosed and not visible from the outside, the four of them went in and started a game of online mahjong.
They didn’t stop until after two in the morning, when Yang Tao’s phone died.
"Old Yang owes me 80, Jiachun owes me 210, and Xiaoming owes me 104. Send me the money later."
"Good thing we were playing for small stakes, or I’d have worked this whole month for nothing."
Just as Lin Jiang was about to speak, the game prompt appeared again.
[Elite Monster has appeared.]
[Boss Name: Lang Zhenglian]