Chapter 6: The Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell

  Peng Haoming stood on the street, feeling a bit disoriented. He hadn't been in a real city for half a year now, and the familiar skyscrapers, bustling streets, and neon signs made him feel somewhat alienated.

  Peng Haoming was going to pick up the chemist that Zhu Meier had mentioned, and at this time, the chemist was waiting for him in a corner of the city - with countless pairs of vigilant eyes watching him.

  Peng Haoming needs to think carefully about how to quietly take him away from the surveillance of so many eyes, but so far, Peng Haoming seems not to have thought it through and hasn't gone to think about it. The several hours flight has made him look a bit tired, he needs to find a place to stay as soon as possible and get a good sleep first.

  Peng Haoming took out his ID card and quickly completed the check-in procedure, then lay down in the hotel's comfortable bathtub to wash away his fatigue. Afterwards, he sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, enjoying the delicious food brought by room service, and casually placed his phone on the table.

  Peng Haoming was drinking new tea when his mobile phone rang. He didn't even look at the caller ID before answering: "Hello..."

  "Is the accommodation okay?" It was Zhu Meier's voice.

  "Not bad, the food is also very good." Peng Haoming replied.

  "Why didn't you return my call?" Zhu Meier seemed somewhat displeased.

  "Because you will hit back." Peng Haoming replied cunningly.

  "His room is 907, and the police are already keeping an eye on him... Ming Ge, I'd love to see how you plan on getting him out of there." Zhu Mei'er said with a playful smile.

  This is a tough problem, but as long as there's enough profit, someone will come and solve it.

  "I went to knock on his door, then walked out of the hall... reported a travel group, passed customs, it's that simple." Peng Haoming heard Zhu Meier's sarcasm and also spoke in a playful and irreverent tone.

  "If it's that simple, why would I need you, Ming Ge, to make an appearance?" Zhu Mei'er said with some annoyance.

  "Huh? I was just joking, are you ready with what I need?" Peng Haoming thought he should get serious now, after all, it's about the future source of wealth.

  "You have two more days, think carefully about what to do during these two days." Zhu Meier hung up the phone without waiting for Peng Haoming to respond.

  Peng Haoming glanced at the "Call Ended" words on his phone screen, smiled, and continued to eat with relish - two days, he could take care of some personal matters.

  Peng Haoming ate all the food without leaving a single bite, then drank a cup of tea contentedly. He picked up his phone and dialed: "I'm in Liu Nan."

  "Arrived? And met with someone?" The boss seemed not surprised at all.

  "What I want hasn't arrived yet, and I still have two days, so I'd like to take care of some personal matters," Peng Haoming said.

  "You want to go back to Ning?" The boss guessed Peng Haoming's thoughts.

  "Why not?" Peng Haoming said indifferently: "I just told you."

  "Just go back and take a look, don't contact anyone." The boss knew that whatever he said was useless. It's only over 200 kilometers from Ning to Liuyang in the south, just a two-hour drive.

  "I understand." Just as Peng Haoming was about to hang up the phone, his boss added: "There are many eyes around Zhao Gong now, think carefully about how to contact him."

  "Let's get in touch with him first..." Peng Haoming seemed to have no specific plan.

  His phone has been tapped.

  "So I'll wait until the thing arrives, don't worry, I will safely take Zhao Gong away." Peng Haoming glanced at the time, it was already late, and he wanted to end the conversation.

  Peng Haoming slightly gathered himself, didn't return to the room, hailed a taxi and went straight to the car rental company they had agreed on, picked up the car and drove directly onto the highway towards Rui Ning.

  When Peng Haoming drove into the city of Guining, it was already evening. He looked at the familiar city and felt a little excited in his heart. It had been more than half a year since he last returned to this place. Everything here seemed unchanged.

  Peng Haoming drove the car to the entrance of a residential area, stopped in the parking space, but didn't get out of the car. He just sat there, listening to music and staring at the main gate of the community.

  Peng Sizhe's suspension from work had left him with nothing to do, so he had agreed to meet Luo Jingjian that evening to head back home and visit their parents. It was almost 11 pm when he dropped Luo Jingjian off at her place. His professional habit led him to notice a SUV parked on the opposite side of the road with its engine still running, but he didn't think much of it at the time. After sending Luo Jingjian home, Peng Sizhe had a good night's sleep and only got up when his stomach started protesting loudly around dawn. He lazily went out to buy some breakfast, but as he walked out of the residential compound, he noticed that the SUV was still parked there. Peng Sizhe found this strange because the parking spots across from the compound were usually used by residents, but during working hours, they were almost always empty. As Peng Sizhe thought about going over to take a look, a truck drove past and blocked his view. When the truck passed, the parking spot was empty, and Peng Sizhe looked up to see that the SUV had driven away. Peng Sizhe remembered the license plate number, which was from another province.

  Peng Sizhe felt something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He thought for a moment and then called Xiao Bin: "Xiao Bin, what are you up to today?"

  "What else can I do on suspension? Just wait..."

  "My old man is going fishing, come along and we can borrow your car for a spin."

  Xiao Bin thought for a moment, staying at home was also just staying at home, so he might as well go out and take a walk to clear his mind. He accompanied Peng Sizhe's old man fishing, and the time passed quickly. When sending the old man back home, the sky had already darkened. Peng Sizhe insisted on inviting Xiao Bin for dinner, and the two drove to find a small restaurant and casually ordered a few dishes.

  Peng Sizhe's phone rang when he had eaten half of his meal. He took a look and saw that it was Luo Jingjuan, so he answered the call: "Hello, Jingjuan, I'm having dinner with my colleagues, what's up?"

  "There's a car downstairs in my building, it's very strange," said Luo Jingjuan.

  "What car?" Peng Sizhe was stunned for a moment.

  "A jeep, when I got off work, it was parked at the entrance of my school, but just now, I suddenly saw it parked downstairs."

  "Can you see his license plate number?" Peng Sizhe raised this car very suspiciously.

  "Wait a minute... I'll go to the window..." Luo Jingjuan said, taking her mobile phone and walking to the window. From this angle, she couldn't see the entire license plate, only the front part: "Guangdong TA06...... The back is blocked by something."

  "Is it Yue TA06?" Peng Sizhe saw the same license plate number at the entrance of the community in the morning, and Peng Sizhe asked again: "Is it a Mitsubishi off-road vehicle?"

  "Yes..." Luo Jingjing sensed Peng Sizhe's tension and became a bit tense herself: "Sizhe, I think the people in the car are also staring at me..."

  The off-road vehicle was pasted with dark explosion-proof film, and Luo Jingqiu couldn't see the situation inside. But she truly felt that there was a pair of eyes staring at her from inside the car, which scared her away from the window.

  "Jing Qian, don't move, I'll be right there..." Peng Si Zhe said, hastily getting up and directly going to the service desk to pay the bill.

  "What's going on?" Xiaobin hasn't finished his meal yet.

  "Hurry, go quickly......" Peng Sizhe didn't have time to explain, and Xiao Bin didn't ask much either. He ran to the parking lot, got in the car, and drove straight to Luo Jingju's house according to Peng Sizhe's instructions.

  "What's going on?" Xiaobin asked, despite trying his best to suppress his curiosity.

  "Last night, a car was parked at the entrance of our community. This morning it was still there, which I found suspicious. When I wanted to go take a look, it drove away..."

  "Hmm? And then?" Parking overnight by the roadside wasn't anything special, Xiao Bin felt there was still a story.

  "A car with an out-of-town license plate, just now, Luo Jingjian called me and said that when she got off work, there was a car parked at the entrance of her school, and now this car is parked under her building..."

  "Is it that off-road vehicle you see?" Xiaobin also guessed.

  "Yes..."

  "What's the connection between them? Have you and Luo Jingjuan offended someone? Is it a revenge from an enemy?" Xiao Bin proposed several hypotheses.

  The police never believe in coincidences, they think all coincidences are arranged!

  Peng Sizhe was also thinking about the connection between them, and after a moment of silence, he said: "I think... my brother is back..."

  "Your brother?!" Peng Si Zhe's words startled Xiao Bin, his hand shook, and the car almost crashed into the median strip.

  "Your brother is back, why not be more open... This is his home..." Xiao Bin felt that Peng Si Zhe was a bit neurotic, as long as there was something suspicious, he would shift the blame to his missing brother.

  "Anyway, we'll know when we get there. Hey, how's your driving?" Peng Sizhe asked casually.

  "My driving skills? Hmm... during the police competition, I was first in special driving, doesn't that count as good?" Xiaobin said with a hint of pride.

  "Alright, if he wants to run later, you must think of a way to stop him." Peng Sizhe said.

  "Hey...... Peng Si Zhe, that's not right, you're a special police officer and I'm a narcotics detective. We don't have a superior-subordinate relationship, so why are you giving me orders?" Xiao Bin protested...

  "Because the car isn't mine, if it's damaged I won't be able to afford it..." Peng Sizhe smiled.

  "Damn... it seems I'm driving my own car to catch thieves for others..." Xiaobin muttered, but still stepped on the accelerator.

  That off-road vehicle seemed to know that Peng Sizhe was coming, and when Xiao Bin drove the car around the bend in front of Luo Jingju's house, the off-road vehicle started its engine and passed by Peng Sizhe's car, but Peng Sizhe only saw a man wearing a baseball cap in the driver's seat, but didn't see his face clearly.

  "Turn around... turn around..." Peng Si Zhe was getting anxious, Xiao Bin made a neat U-turn on the narrow road, stepped on the gas and chased after them, seeing from afar that the off-road vehicle had merged into the traffic.

  "Boss, are you asking me to tail him or cut him off?" Xiao Bin said with a half-joking tone. He had already clearly seen that the off-road vehicle knew it was being tailed. The off-road vehicle kept changing lanes and overtaking in the traffic flow. From its smooth operation, the driver seemed to be an expert too...

  It's not suitable to stop the off-road vehicle on a city road with heavy traffic, it's easy to cause a traffic accident. Moreover, Peng Si Zhe and Xiao Bin are both under investigation now, if they make another mistake, their police uniforms will be taken away for real. Peng Si Zhe didn't dare to take any risks, so he said: "Let's just follow..."

  "No problem..." Xiao Bin received the instruction, waited for an opportunity, and stepped on the accelerator to overtake a pickup truck that was blocking the way. The distance between his car and the off-road vehicle narrowed by two car lengths.

  The off-road vehicle was very familiar with the streets of Gui Ning, and several times Peng Si Zhe tried to take advantage of the red light time to get out of the car and intercept him, but he cleverly avoided the red light through the auxiliary road. Fortunately, Xiao Bin's driving skills were not bad, and he never lost sight of the vehicle. The off-road vehicle saw the tail following closely behind and turned a corner at an intersection, heading in the direction of the outer ring road.

  The vehicle drove onto the outer ring road, and Xiao Bin suddenly relaxed. There were fewer vehicles on the outer ring road at night, making it easier to find an opportunity to intercept him. Xiao Bin started accelerating, trying to catch up with the off-road vehicle, but the off-road vehicle seemed to see through Xiao Bin's intentions and also accelerated.

  Both sides chased each other on the outer ring, turning a whole circle, and Xiao Bin still couldn't stop the off-road vehicle. Several times, Xiao Bin accelerated and was almost parallel to the off-road vehicle, but was cleverly shaken off again. If this continued, it would probably become a racing competition. Xiao Bin became somewhat impatient, seeing that the off-road vehicle was blocked by a passenger car at a critical moment. He stepped on the accelerator, trying to squeeze in and force the other car to stop. This action was somewhat dangerous; if not done properly, the cars might scrape against each other. However, the off-road vehicle seemed confident, braking with one foot and narrowly avoiding Xiao Bin's car tail before accelerating again and leaving Xiao Bin behind once more.

  "My god... what a master...!" Xiaobin exclaimed, the other party's sense of speed and distance for the vehicle was simply incredible! Not many people can do such operations!

  Xiao Bin drove the vehicle with great concentration, but Peng Si Zhe remained silent. He increasingly felt that the person in the off-road vehicle was Peng Si Cheng, but why was he avoiding him?

  "It's meaningless to keep chasing him like this... Let's find a chance to force him to stop..." Peng Sizhe said.

  "Boss, haven't I been looking for an opportunity all along..." Xiaobin said, it's easy to say but hard to do, and the other party's driving skills are slightly better than his own.

  In the dead of night, except for a few passing buses and trucks, there were very few vehicles on the highway. Xiao Bin saw an opportunity and attempted to overtake from the right side, forcing the off-road vehicle to stop on the fast lane. Xiao Bin stepped on the gas pedal, and the engine roared as he squeezed past. For a moment, he didn't notice the situation on the auxiliary road, and just as he was about to catch up, a car suddenly appeared on the auxiliary road. Xiao Bin dodged too late, and the two cars' front ends made a harsh contact. The vehicle shook violently, and Xiao Bin had no choice but to step on the brakes, stopping before losing control. Peng Si Zhe was caught off guard, hitting his head against the dashboard. Xiao Bin saw that the off-road vehicle's brake lights came on for a moment, then slowed down slightly before accelerating again and speeding away.

  "Damn..." Xiaobin cursed and now thought that pursuing was definitely hopeless, so he got off to check the damage to the car.

  Xiao Bin got out of the car and took a look, his heart aching as he gritted his teeth. This was a car that his old man had bought for him less than a year ago! The entire right side headlight and bumper were completely destroyed. He turned around to find the perpetrator and settle the account.

  Peng Sizhe got out of the car, covering his head, and took a look at the damage. The driver who caused the accident also got out of the car. The auxiliary road clearly stated the traffic rules, no matter what, the auxiliary road was also mainly responsible. Xiao Bin and the driver were arguing, but the driver didn't argue back. Peng Sizhe walked over, looked, and was stunned for a moment before shouting: "Xiao Wu!"

  "Huh? You're... Peng Sizhe... what a coincidence?" Little Wu said in surprise, but Peng Sizhe felt that his surprise was feigned.

  "An acquaintance?" Xiao Bin asked Peng Sizhe in a puzzled tone.

  "Very familiar..." Peng Si Zhe looked at Xiao Wu and said with profound meaning.

  "Since we're familiar with each other, there's nothing much to say. Let's just report it to the insurance company." Since Peng Si Zhe said that, Xiao Bin also didn't have any reason to continue arguing.

  "Sorry, sorry...... I'll call the insurance company right away......" Little Wu apologized repeatedly.

  ……

  Peng Haoming drove his car speeding through the night, his phone rang, Peng Haoming pressed the Bluetooth headset: "Hello..."

  "Didn't I tell you not to contact anyone?" The boss's angry voice came from the headphones.

  "Just a little unexpected." Peng Haoming replied.

  "I don't want this kind of accident to happen again."

  "Don't worry, I've arranged everything. I know you've invested a lot of money in me..." Peng Haoming said.

  "And still you have energy! You'd better understand what you're doing!" The boss's words were even more severe.

  Peng Haoming didn't respond and hung up the phone.