Chapter Thirty-Four: The Dimming Tide

Huang Xing hesitated for a long time, still unable to make the call. Liu Jingye, meanwhile, was in no rush. With him here exerting pressure, Huang Xing wouldn’t dare try anything against Wei Xiaorou.

Before long, his phone buzzed—a text from Wei Xiaorou. She was safe, had met up with her parents, and was waiting for him.

All that remained now was for Huang Xing to turn himself in. Liu Jingye picked up his phone, about to urge him again, when—

A deafening blast from a ship’s horn cut through the night. A massive cargo vessel was leaving the anchorage, passing between the lighthouse and the tower. For a moment, it completely blocked Liu Jingye’s line of sight.

“Damn it!” Liu Jingye swore under his breath, raising his gun. The ship had blocked his view just as he feared. By the time it moved on, Huang Xing was gone from the window, and the phone beside him had been hung up.

He quickly called Wei Xiaorou. The moment she answered, he spoke urgently: “Leave this city right now. Go immediately! Best to make up a reason and ask for police escort directly to the airport—don’t delay for anything.”

Wei Xiaorou was not the indecisive or hesitant type. She immediately sensed the gravity of the situation and asked, concerned, “What about you? What will you do?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll handle things myself. Without needing to split my focus to protect you, I’ll be even more effective,” Liu Jingye replied, hoping to put her at ease.

Wei Xiaorou was silent for a moment, then said with resolve, “I will definitely come back.”

“When you do, come find me in Sheep Village,” Liu Jingye joked, borrowing the famous line from Grey Wolf.

Wei Xiaorou couldn’t help but laugh. Then, in a gentle voice, she wished him well and hung up.

Liu Jingye dove into the sea, swimming swiftly back to shore, then hopped on his little scooter and sped away.

Huang Xing, for his part, had already guessed Liu Jingye’s location in the lighthouse. If he’d gathered his men immediately, he might have run into Liu Jingye. But he was still reeling from the shock—this was the first time in his life he’d faced a direct threat to his life.

So, when he called his men together, it wasn’t to intercept Liu Jingye, but to protect himself.

“Useless! Worthless trash!” he roared at the hundred or so toughs assembled in the hall. “You eat and drink like kings on my dime, but when it matters you’re as good as corpses! I was nearly shot by an assassin just now—didn’t any of you notice? What the hell do I pay you for?”

Huang Xing was beside himself with rage and fear, venting it all on his subordinates.

One of them replied meekly, “Boss, we really didn’t hear any gunshots. Besides, you told us not to go up to the rooftop at night unless you gave the order.”

“So now this is my fault?” Huang Xing sneered. The man shut up at once but still caught a slap that knocked him flat.

“Find out who did this. Use every means necessary—turn the city upside down if you have to, but find me that assassin!” Huang Xing bellowed.

“Yes, boss!” The men prepared to disperse, but one spoke up, “By the way, boss, that new batch we processed with the latest formula has already been distributed.”

Huang Xing’s eyes lit up. “How’s the response?”

The man hesitated, “Well…”

“Spit it out!” Huang Xing snapped.

The man stammered, “The feedback’s not good. I had some addicts try it—they say it’s nothing like the old stuff, bland as puffing a cigarette.”

“That’s impossible!” Huang Xing roared. “That’s the latest formula from our supplier, and it’s been a hit in South Asia and South America, made them a fortune. Maybe we botched something in processing?”

“No, boss,” the man replied. “Our veterans handled it—the best in the business.”

“Then the formula itself must have been tampered with!” Huang Xing’s eyes flashed murderously. “Back when things got tense, I hid the formula in Yuan Xiaoying’s earrings. Figured it’d be safest on a cop. Who could’ve guessed she’d run off, leave the earrings in that Liu Jingye guy’s hotel? Did they find it and swap it out?”

Huang Xing paced the hall, deep in thought.

“How much of the batch was processed?” he demanded.

“Everything,” a subordinate answered, trembling.

“What?” Huang Xing exploded. “With a new formula, you always try a small batch first! If it’s been swapped, millions are down the drain. Useless fools, you’re all fish food if this goes sour!”

He was shaking with rage—first terrorized by Liu Jingye, now facing catastrophic losses. Were he older, he might have suffered a heart attack.

“Find Yuan Xiaoying. Use whatever means are necessary to get the truth out of her. And that Liu Jingye—so skilled, isn’t he? Dig into him. Get every detail before making a move,” Huang Xing ordered, showing some leadership despite his fury. “And Wei Xiaorou—send people to the airport and stations. Do not let her leave. Use force if you must.”

The orders were received and his men departed, leaving dozens still guarding him—even in the restroom, he had company. He was truly rattled.

Half an hour later, worse news arrived, sending Huang Xing into a fury.

Tests by seasoned users and addicts confirmed that the new batch had essentially lost its potency—barely better than flour.

“Goddamn it!” Huang Xing roared like a wounded beast, smashing everything in his office. “That was millions’ worth of product, and now it’s just flour! Contact the supplier—see what they have to say. And Yuan Xiaoying—she must have swapped it. Only a pro could sabotage the formula so thoroughly.”

He lit a cigar, then set it down, hands trembling at the memory of earlier events.

He spat on the floor, muttering, “Why has luck turned on me? I planned for a windfall, but now I’m ruined. Got rid of a minor player, but Wei Xiaorou witnessed it, brought the cops down on me, got attacked by an assassin, Yuan Xiaoying is still fighting me… Am I cursed today? If I really lose these millions, what then? And I still owe millions to the supplier, and those lunatics won’t let it go.”

The sum made his head spin. Just then, a subordinate spoke up, “Boss, we still have another batch. If we move it all, we can cover the loss.”

“You mean those?” Huang Xing mimed a pistol with his hand.

The man nodded.

Huang Xing frowned. “North Africa’s a mess right now, Southeast Asia too. Even the Kim regime on the peninsula sent feelers. I was hoping to hold out for a price surge—but maybe I should sell now to patch the hole.”

“But the brokers we worked with seem to have vanished overnight. We don’t have direct buyers,” the subordinate said.

“Don’t forget, boss—last time a guy with a long scar on his face approached you, offered to connect us to the Arabs,” the man reminded him.

“You mean Li Yue?” Huang Xing’s face darkened. “He came by all right, but I hated his attitude, like he didn’t give a damn about me. The last meeting ended badly.”

“Boss, we’re in this for the money, not pride. If you don’t want to see him, I can go talk,” the subordinate suggested.

Huang Xing considered. “Fine. Go and contact him. Remember—get as much for it as you can.”

“Don’t worry, boss.”

After the man left, Huang Xing pulled out a fourth phone from his drawer, dialed a number, and spoke in a low voice, “I need a true professional. Money is no object. I want someone who can guarantee my safety—and who isn’t afraid to kill.”

Meanwhile, Li Yue and Liu Jingye—the very man they were discussing—had just finished breakfast at a local restaurant.

Li Yue clapped Liu Jingye on the shoulder. “Well done, kid. I knew you had a strong sense of loyalty and justice. You’d never stand by and do nothing—always ready to help.”

Liu Jingye could only smile wryly. “Brother, if you know me that well, why didn’t you tell me the truth from the start? Why drag me to the bathhouse, and pretend to send Wei Xiaorou and me off for the night?”

Li Yue grinned mischievously. “Who knows? Maybe the act became reality?”

Liu Jingye was caught off guard. This wasn’t something he could easily discuss, especially considering Wei Xiaorou’s feelings. Flustered, he changed the subject, “Brother, with your skills, you could have solved this crisis yourself. Why get me involved?”

Li Yue frowned slightly, then smiled. “I still have business with the Huang Dynasty—I can’t afford to antagonize them. Anyway, you’ve been up all night; go get some rest.”

“He’s eager to get rid of me,” Liu Jingye thought. “Doesn’t seem like an arms dealer—seems more like he’s targeting the Huang Dynasty specifically. Wei Xiaorou said she saw him and Huang Xing have a furious argument.”

But Li Yue was clearly unwilling to say more. People like him had their pride. Liu Jingye could only say, “Brother, if you ever need anything, you can count on me.”

“I know,” Li Yue smiled. “In fact, you’ve already helped me a great deal. With you involved, things always get easier for your friends and comrades.”

Liu Jingye didn’t quite understand, but Li Yue said no more.

A sense of foreboding crept over Liu Jingye. Whatever was coming, he would soon find out. For now, all he wanted was a good sleep.

But when he returned to his small inn and opened the door, he was stunned…