Special Forces Medic

"What happened when Robert was killed?" Director Meisai lit a cigarette and asked bluntly. "Spots appeared on Tang’s body."

Spots! After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Lin immediately understood what Meisai meant. "Fourth Master is dead! That’s what you want to know, isn’t it!"

"Mm, Fourth Master was Mu Rongyun’s favorite subordinate. Killing her is the same as chopping off one of Mu Rongyun’s hands."

"So what?"

"What about Tang?"

"You’re worrying about someone who’s already as good as dead, don’t you think you’re the strange one here, Director Meisai? What Mu Rongyun wants to do is none of my business, and I didn’t cause Fourth Master’s death. If he wants to use that to threaten me, that’s exactly what I’m hoping for. You coming to talk to me like this about Mu Rongyun—don’t you find that strange? From where you stand, we’re not supposed to have this kind of heart‑to‑heart discussion."

"You’re just going to leave Tang alone?"

"Heh, as long as he can pose a threat to me, Mu Rongyun won’t leave him alone." Xiao Lin stared at the endless stream of traffic under his feet, feeling it a bit unreal. "But, Director Meisai, have you noticed something? Isn’t it strange that Casab suddenly came under attack?"

"I think so too. Casab is surrounded by your people, and that newly brought‑in batch of inmates are all felons and will be transferred out soon; they shouldn’t have been put together with ordinary prisoners."

"Mm, let me give you another reliable piece of intel: there’s another force hidden in Palermo. Although on the surface it has always looked like just a struggle between Shao Weihua and me, there was another team involved in that drug deal. I think this time it might be related to them. But I actually think you should listen to Tang’s opinion. It’s better if you don’t make a move yourself on anything." After saying that, Xiao Lin patted Meisai on the shoulder and calmly walked off the rooftop.

In a hotel directly opposite the hospital sat a man, brow tightly furrowed, fingers drumming hard on the tabletop. He looked like he was waiting for someone. A black case sat by his feet, his right leg bouncing nonstop. The coffee on the table in front of him hadn’t been touched; after the milk was added it turned a coffee color, with a layer of white foam floating on top, but it had collapsed from sitting too long.

The day’s newspaper he’d picked up at the entrance had been flipped through into a messy pile during the wait. Before long, two men came in through the main doors, glanced around, then quickly pushed through the crowd to the man’s table.

"What’s the situation now?" At the man’s gesture, the two of them sat down opposite him. "The original routes have all been scattered. Some were taken out by Robert from the very start, and a few others seem to have been threatened and don’t dare make a move. Several of our old clients have all shut their doors on us. Someone’s been pulling strings behind the scenes. Now, even if we cut the price, no one will come out to take the goods."

The man picked up his coffee, then set the cup back down. His brow was almost knotted into a mountain. "What about Nicholas? Robert’s death didn’t provoke any new moves from him?"

"No. In fact, this time we were using the name of a previous arms dealer to do the deal, so very few people know it’s us. But we still have some standing in Palermo. It’s just that this batch of goods..."

"What no one dares to take is the goods, not the people—is that what you’re saying?"

"You could put it that way. But the one restricting underground arms‑route deals isn’t Nicholas; it’s someone else."

The man drinking coffee was Dan Ning from the three northeastern provinces. The stuff in his hands had really turned into a burning hot potato, yet the situation was unexpectedly calm—too calm. It felt like the eve of a storm, a quiet that was all wrong.

"Let’s go, we’re heading back."

"Boss, we’re just giving up like this?"

"No. Whether money comes in or not doesn’t matter. We’re not short of this bit of cash." The two couldn’t understand how their boss, who’d just been frowning so hard, suddenly seemed to have had a moment of clarity. "Move it, kid. Tell the brothers not to do anything for the time being. Everyone’s on collective vacation."

Dan Ning’s plan was sound, but plans never keep up with changes. Before he even set foot in his base, someone came to tell him that a strange man insisted on seeing him, and had been sitting there an entire afternoon, not allowing them to make any calls.

"Oh? There’s a person like that?" Dan Ning’s curiosity was piqued. These days, weird things really did happen every day.

Dan Ning’s subordinates were at least competent; they had arranged this weirdo in the small sitting room on the first floor. Walking into the room, there was an immediate sense of pressure that made Dan Ning distinctly uncomfortable. From the back, the man looked unfamiliar, which only added to his unease.

Hearing movement behind him, the man who’d been standing turned around. A strange face smiled at Dan Ning. "From the three northeastern provinces, I’m Shao Qinyi."

Once the name was laid on the table, it made talking easier. When Dan Ning heard the three words "Shao Qinyi," he froze for a moment. This man from the Military Commission had come alone into his lair—his guts really were big enough.

"Shao Qinyi? A big name in the Military Commission. You didn’t come here just to drink tea and chat, did you? I’m the top wanted criminal on your life‑and‑death hit list. Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you now that I know?"

"If you’re scared, you don’t belong in this seat. I’m not afraid of letting my poor little heart suffer." Shao Qinyi’s calm, neither-humble-nor-arrogant attitude only made Dan Ning even less sure where he’d come from.

"Heh." Dan Qing gave a small laugh. The furnishings in the little sitting room were simple: one sofa set, a coffee table, a screen and a few decorations, nothing else. Clean and tidy, but cold as ice. "What did you come to me for?"

"I heard the three eastern provinces have been hitting walls everywhere lately, and you’ve got goods on your hands that are hard to move, right?"

"Yeah, the situation’s bad. In our line, we can only shut the door and take a break. Anyway, I’ve got enough money, nothing to worry about."

Shao Qinyi smiled. "If I say I can open a back door for you, I wonder if you’d be interested in working with me."

"What, Shao Weihua’s lost his right-hand men and now he wants to drag you into the water too? If you’re here to have me move against Xiao Lin, then there’s no need to talk."

"One way or another, we’re our own people. I can’t just stand by and watch Shao Weihua fall, can I? Xiao Lin’s already cleared out the two people closest to him. If I don’t do something, then our Shao Family will have no one left to carry the flag."

"That’s what Shao Junwei says, but our Dan Clan and Xiao Lin do have some history. Our Clan Leader’s life was saved by him. I can’t go against our Clan Leader’s orders just to help an outsider like you, can I?"

"Oh, I’m well aware of your awkward position. But I’m not here this time because of Xiao Lin. I’ve been entrusted with something, and given my current identity here it’s a bit awkward. If we were in Yanjing I could take care of it myself, but in Sicily I’m afraid I’ve got the will but not the means. What’s more, the people I could have used are either dead or missing. I really can’t find a suitable candidate."

Dan Ning cast Shao Qinyi a glance and chuckled twice again. "Shao Junwei is joking. With your reach, how could you possibly not find people? Me, I’m just an arms dealer, I only know how to do business. Killing people, that’s better left alone."

"What if I don’t pursue that batch of goods?"

"Ah..." Dan Ning let out a strange sound. "So Shao Junwei came prepared. Just in time too, I’ve been annoyed I had nowhere to stash those things. Since you’re here, just take them all away."

"Dan Ning, you’re not naive enough to think I’m the sort who walks off with the goods and calls it even, are you?"

"Of course I don’t see it that way. Anyway, the lifeline of our Dan Clan isn’t in your hands. One more strand in your grip doesn’t make much difference." Dan Ning paused. "But if we offend the Xiao Family over this, I’m afraid before you even make a move our ’Wagangnai’ will be wiped out here. Taking the deal would be even less cost-effective."

"Here’s the deal: I only want one man’s head. That batch of goods is yours, and as for the underground channels, I can decide on my own to hand half of them over to you. How about it?"

"Sounds pretty good. So who’s the unlucky bastard?"

"Ye Lishou."

"Ah. So in the end, you still want to move against the Xiao Family. Shao Junwei, you really are playing a fine abacus: cut down one faction and win back two. They say Quan Xianglin has a strategist by his side, and today I’ve had the pleasure of seeing him at work. But what good does killing one Ye Lishou actually do for you?"

"Taking Ye Lishou’s head is exactly what your Dan Clan wants to do, isn’t it? From what I know, anyone who kills someone from the Assassin Group will be hunted to the ends of the earth. I’m doing a losing deal here, and you don’t lose a thing."

"Mm, that’s true. But you don’t know that Xiao Lin has already taken this matter on himself? With your intel network, you couldn’t have missed a piece of news that juicy."

"Then I really must have a problem with my intel network. But even so, you’re not going to think it over? For you, this is as good a deal as you’ll find: you don’t offend anyone and you still make a profit."

"The deal’s good, the profit’s fat, but it doesn’t sit right. Shao Junwei, you’d better find someone else."

Shao Qinyi had never expected to be turned down. He couldn’t quite figure out what Dan Ning was thinking. "I still hope you’ll think it over carefully. I’ll be waiting for your final answer." He still didn’t give up, adding that line as he left.

"Can I at least know who wants Ye Lishou’s head?"

"Of course. But I’ll tell you after you’ve got his head in hand."

After Shao Qinyi left, Dan Ning fell into deep thought, slightly annoyed with himself for wasting such a good opportunity. Only, if he did this, someone would be hurt, and that was the last thing he wanted to see.

He opened the hidden door in the wall and slipped inside. The secret room was about fifteen square meters, with three big crates stacked inside, all filled with alien-looking weapons. When it came to guns, he could be called an expert, but with these things he really couldn’t make heads or tails of them. There was no way Shao Qinyi would give up so easily; thinking it over, there was really only one possible mastermind behind this. The man clearly just wanted to sit back and watch the show. But buying Xiao Lin’s favor was worth a lot more than giving face to Shao Qinyi. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)