Chapter 733: Unyielding in the No Man’s Land

Book 733 – Did You Get My Consent? (Update 1)

An endless expanse of sky and earth. Lin

A desolate area averaging over 4700 meters in elevation.

You can see antelopes and wild oxen sprinting across the ground, and vultures soaring above.

Glimpses of a wintry wonderland intermingle with breathtaking grasslands…

An off-road vehicle races along a rugged, uneven highway.

Xiao Yu squinted as he watched the scenery outside the window.

They used to say that this no-man’s land was a place where terror and sin coexisted.

Mountain bandits, road marauders, robbers, poachers… you could find them everywhere.

Yet, you’d also see thrill-seekers coming here for dangerous adventures.

Here, every moment was ripe with the potential for the unexpected.

Some forces of nature are simply beyond anyone’s control.

And there are other dangers you can’t shield against either.

By incomplete count, there are over a hundred fatal incidents reported here every year.

‘Incomplete’ means many more cases remain undiscovered. Can you imagine how many?

“I have a bad feeling about this,”

observed Hua Kang, who had pretended to be asleep until he suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Xiao Yu.

“I feel the same,”

Xiao Yu replied calmly. “Unfamiliar places always set your nerves on edge.”

From the suspicious clues in Hua Kang’s dossiers to the fact that the criminal organization hadn’t been entirely mastered by him,

the case was full of puzzles after he took charge.

But none of that mattered to Xiao Yu now.

His priority was to track down the people manufacturing and selling drugs, locate their factory,

cut off the source, and then, in due time, dismantle the Drug Cartel.

“Aren’t you afraid?” Hua Kang asked, his tone laced with surprise.

In his mind he meant: How can you not fear death?

“Fear what?” Xiao Yu chuckled.

Whenever life tried to bring him down,

wasn’t it always he who put life in its place?

What about this barren land?

If the enemy is vicious, can they really be more ruthless than a scumbag?

“Youth is truly a blessing,”

Hua Kang laughed, shaking his head. “Too bad I can’t go back.”

“You can still get there,”

Xiao Yu almost couldn’t hold back a smile as he consoled him against his better judgment, “You’re still young.”

“Hahaha!”

Hua Kang’s laughter dissipated much of the tension and apprehension.

Meanwhile, the Glasses Man kept his focus on driving.

So the two avoided any extra discussion.

The off-road vehicle barreled further into the no-man’s land, heading towards a meeting place with these ‘drug dealers.’

After a solid thirteen hours,

Xiao Yu spotted, through a dust-covered window, a dilapidated building about a hundred meters away.

Do people really live in no-man’s land?

Of course they do.

This place isn’t truly empty; not only do people reside here,

you can also find along the way small inns, restaurants, repair shops, and gas stations…

Granted, the cost of living here is sky-high.

What’s sold outside this barren land gets charged double here.

Ever seen a bottle of regular mineral water for fifty bucks?

A single frankfurter for a hundred – would you try it?

Staying one night at an inn for just five hundred feels like a steal.

Even minor car repairs at a garage can set you back over ten thousand.

And as for a fill-up at the gas station…

Even if Steve Jobs were resurrected, he’d gush about the expertise here!

Sizzle!

The off-road vehicle eventually pulled up in front of the crumbling building.

The structure was enormous, a sprawling single-story building of at least 300 square meters.

As Xiao Yu stepped out and eyed the worn ‘Inn’ sign hanging on the door, a small smile crept onto his face.

“I’ve been here four years ago,” he remarked.

Hua Kang laughed at the sight of the dingy inn. “This place is a dump. If the owner weren’t a woman, I’d have loved to give her a good thrashing back then!”

Woman?

Running an inn in no-man’s land?

How has she managed to survive all this time?

Xiao Yu blinked slowly.

The inn’s door creaked open.

Out stepped a middle-aged woman.

She was plump, with a round, chubby face.

Inwardly, Xiao Yu admitted, she looked reassuringly safe.

“You’re back, buddy?”

The chubby woman beamed as she shot a pleasantly surprised look at Hua Kang. “Long time no see!”

“It’s been about four years, hasn’t it?”

Hua Kang grinned, replying, “I never thought the boss lady would recognize me right away.”

“Oh, the God of Wealth never forgets,”

the chubby woman exclaimed with a radiant smile that could light up a flower.

Yet, when she looked at Hua Kang, her eyes shimmered with something more.

It was as if a butcher admired a fat, juicy lamb.

Xiao Yu gave Hua Kang a peculiar look as his lips twitched involuntarily.

He mused silently: Could these two be more than just partners?

My goodness, is this twisted human nature or a complete moral collapse?

……

Inside the inn,

it was nothing more than a shabby little lounge.

Xiao Yu, Hua Kang, and the Glasses Man sat on small stools arranged around a little table.

On the table lay a bowl of pork head meat and three bottles of beer.

For all that, the bill was a thousand in cash.

Out here in a dead zone with no signal, forget about mobile payments.

Hua Kang handed a ten-thousand note over to the chubby woman.

Generous as if it were nothing – Xiao Yu watched as she gratefully collected the money.

“Hey, Boss Lady, has anyone come by recently?” Hua Kang inquired with a smile.

Paying attention to the cash in hand, the chubby woman grinned widely, flashing two rows of big yellow teeth, “You know the rules, buddy.”

“I know,” Hua Kang nodded. “This is just a precaution – to keep a record. If luck’s on our side, I might even repay you tenfold.”

“Oh, you can’t do that,” she retorted gently.

As she said this, her eyes sparkled with greed. “Seems like a group of five is here – and they don’t exactly strike me as good people.”

With that, the chubby woman cheerfully walked off.

“Let’s eat,” Hua Kang said.

Xiao Yu and Hua Kang exchanged glances, half-smiling, as they raised their bottles for a sip.

But as soon as Xiao Yu took a sip, his smile froze.

Something was off with the beer!

Still, Xiao Yu continued downing gulps of beer and meat.

During that, a seemingly simple-minded Young Man carried out a roasted lamb leg.

He claimed it was a gift from ‘the boss’ for everyone…

Xiao Yu grinned and ignored it, digging into the feast.

After over an hour,

in one room on a battered wooden bed, three men slumped asleep, snoring softly.

“Ma, is this really going to work?”

“Silly boy, one gets ten thousand, the other a hundred thousand – so, do you want ten thousand or a hundred thousand?”

“A hundred thousand? When are they coming?”

“A bit later – I’ve already sent the message.”

“I hope nothing goes wrong…”

“What could go wrong? Relax.”

In the darkness, Xiao Yu slowly opened his eyes.

Sure enough…

No matter the age, when money’s involved, everyone reverts to youth.

You just went ahead and sold us out.

Did you get my consent?