Chapter Seventeen Being Followed

  Leaving the brilliance, Zhao Zhi always felt like someone was following him. He called out to a newsboy running down the street and bought a newspaper. As he paid and received his change, Zhao Zhi casually glanced over his shoulder but didn't notice anything unusual. He smiled secretly to himself and walked slowly across the street to the other side. Using a storefront window as cover, Zhao Zhi pretended to adjust his tie while discreetly scanning the road behind him.

  Across the street, people were coming and going as usual, but Zhao Zhi focused his attention on a man wearing a duck-tongued hat who was buying cigarettes. The man was standing sideways to Zhao Zhi across the street, wearing a black duck-tongued hat, a plaid suit, and a pair of English-style leather shoes, which were said to be worth 200 yuan, just like the ones Han Te had.

  The brim of the duck-tongue hat was pressed very low, making it impossible to see his face clearly. He seemed to be sizing up Zhao Zhi across the street unintentionally. Zhao Zhi chuckled and turned into the clothing store he was standing in front of. Since you're willing to follow, then just stand outside properly. The Shanghai-style tailor's craftsmanship is excellent, able to make both Chinese and Western styles. Under the service of a young apprentice, Zhao Zhi measured his size while looking through the glass window at the street opposite, where the duck-tongue hat was still standing, extremely bored, smoking, with several cigarette butts already on the ground beneath his feet.

  After finishing the measurements, Zhao Zhi left a deposit to make a suit and two Chinese-style jackets. With nothing better to do, Zhao Zhi brought along his entourage and started a big shopping spree, but in reality, he just bought some snacks and small trinkets for home use, all of which were cheap goods.

  As the sun approached noon, Zhao Zhi didn't show any signs of fatigue and was still strolling enthusiastically on the main street, going wherever it was lively. The duck-tongued hat that had been following Zhao Zhi couldn't keep up and almost lost him several times, but fortunately, Zhao Zhi reappeared unknowingly each time, so he wasn't lost.

  "Damn it, wait a while until we get to a secluded place, and see how I'll deal with you!" The duck-tongued hat glared at Zhao Zhi's back, uttering vicious words, his facial muscles twitching along with it. The duck-tongued hat was called Yang Gu, openly a street urchin, but in reality an undercover detective from the police station, making a living by providing information to the police station, and also doing some swindling and cheating on the side to make ends meet.

  A few days ago, Yang Gu brought the patrol house to catch some thieves in the French concession and got some reward money. Yang Gu, who had always been fond of gambling, hadn't even warmed up the money before entering the Huang Guang Casino, where he spent three consecutive days inside, losing all but one dollar left in his pocket. Just as Yang Gu was desperately searching for money everywhere, he happened to see Zhao Zhi, who unknowingly had just sent a letter and walked out of Huang Guang, wearing a well-fitted suit and looking pleased with himself, making him appear to Yang Gu like a gambler who had just won money at the casino.

  The biggest source of income for the "green skins" is those gamblers. When the gamblers are in a good mood after winning money, they go up and say a few auspicious words to cheat some reward money, which is still a decent way to do things. For someone like Yang Gu with a police background, the "green skin" simply directly asks for it openly. As long as you don't give them money or give too little, they will follow you to a more secluded place and rob you by force.

  It wasn't Yang Gu who met Zhao Zhi, it was as if he had bad luck for eight lifetimes. Zhao Zhi thought Yang Gu was a spy and believed that helping Xie Xiuyun send the message had brought trouble. As Zhao Zhi shopped, he secretly planned to lure Yang Gu to a secluded place, where he would ask him questions or get rid of him. The two men's thoughts were surprisingly similar.

  After wandering for almost 2 hours, Zhao Zhi still didn't call a rickshaw, but instead carried his things into a small alley. Yang Gu, who had been following him with great difficulty, was overjoyed to see this and followed Zhao Zhi into the alley, which although narrow, seemed to be a dead end. Patting the dagger at his waist, Yang Gu confidently entered the alley, wanting to see which house Zhao Zhi would enter.

  Just as Yang Gu stretched out his hand to lift a few clothes drying in the alley, he felt a sudden darkness in front of him, and a fist as big as a rice bowl came straight at his face. A crisp "crack" sound accompanied by a miserable cry rang out, and Yang Gu was already plastered against the wall with a bloody face, his nasal bone had been broken by Zhao Zhi.

  "Who told you to follow me?" Before Yang Gu could react, Zhao Zhi lifted his foot and pressed it against Yang Gu's stomach, pinning him tightly against the alley wall. "What are you talking about? My family lives here." Seeing that Zhao Zhi was more powerful than himself, the arrogant but cowardly Yang Gu became frightened first, and his mouth trembled as he made up a lie.

  "That's good, tell me which door is your home?" Zhao Zhi exerted a bit more force with his foot and glared at Yang Gu. Originally, Yang Gu was already enduring the intense pain in his nose, but seeing that his careless words were ineffective, he decided to reveal his true identity: "I'm from the police station, you'd better let me go now, or you'll be held responsible!"

  "Police station?" Zhao Zhi was also confused, if Huang Hanlin's matter had been exposed, it should have been solved by the Green Gang, not by getting a police officer to cause trouble. Zhao Zhi thought carefully and didn't seem to have left any clues in the small building, so what did this police officer want? He searched Yang Gu thoroughly, damn, after becoming a hoodlum, he was so poor that all he had on him was a pack of cigarettes and a few coins, with only a dagger at his waist.

  "To be honest, are all the police officers now carrying knives to solve cases on the streets?" Grabbing Yang Gu's hair, Zhao Zhi wielded a dagger in one hand and sneered at Yang Gu. Looking at the dagger that seemed like a spirit snake in Zhao Zhi's hands, Yang Gu knew he had messed with someone he shouldn't have. Damn it, when things don't go well, even drinking water can get stuck in your teeth.

  "Master, I'm just a small-time hoodlum from the Green Gang, only seeking wealth and not intending to cause trouble for you. Since we've met by chance, I hope you'll be magnanimous and spare my life this once. I'll repay your kindness in the future." Yang Gu's words were accompanied by a proper bow, his face covered in blood, tears, and snot, but still managed to convey some of the Green Gang's spirit.

  "Wait, wait" Zhao Zhisong opened Yang Gu's hair, and Yang Gu's words made Zhao Zhi a bit dizzy. This guy who had been following him was not a police officer or an agent, but just a thug who robbed people. Damn, this joke has gone too far!

  "Tell me clearly, who are you? What's your business?" Zhao Zhi was already getting impatient, and the dagger in his hand moved more quickly.

  "Sir, I really just wanted to grab some money, nothing else. The mention of the police station was just to scare others," Yang Gu hastily replied, wiping his face with his sleeve a few times as Zhao Zhi's tone relaxed slightly.

  Zhao Zhiqi's face darkened, and he kicked out with his foot. "Damn it, you're not a special agent, but you've been following me for half a day, isn't that delaying things?" With a dull thud, Yang Gu had already been kicked in the neck by Zhao Zhi, and he fell to the ground with a thud. Even someone skilled in martial arts couldn't withstand such a heavy blow, let alone Yang Gu, who was just a roughneck.