As the saying goes, no coincidence can make a story. At first, Zhao Xingyun's comrade had the idea of working for the Liao family, but at that time, Liao Chengde was extremely busy. Zhao Xingyun tried several times to talk to him about it but never got the chance, so the matter was dropped.
It wasn't until recently that Zhao Xingyun's comrade gradually established himself in the gang and no longer thought about the matter. One day, after getting drunk, he told his subordinates about this past event, which attracted the attention of someone with ulterior motives.
The man with the gun was named Song Deyi, known as Ah De in the underworld, a man with a bit of cunning. He gathered a few brothers who usually worked under him, conducted a thorough investigation, and found that the Liao family always had bodyguards around, making it difficult to make a move.
Ah De had one good quality: he was more patient than the usual gangsters. While he had his subordinates continue to investigate, he also obtained a handgun through illegal means. In Hong Kong, the triads rarely used such weapons; the most they did was fight with knives. If guns were used, it meant someone was about to be killed.
Hong Kong's public security was not as chaotic as depicted in later movies, but it was not a peaceful era either. The triads in Hong Kong and Taiwan, heavily influenced by Japan, considered themselves maintainers of underground order. Their conflicts were mainly over territory, protection fees, and smuggling. After all, they still had to survive on this land. If it involved major crimes like drug trafficking, arms dealing, or robbery, the gangs would often inform the police.
The reason was that most of these crimes were committed by outsiders, and the Hong Kong police had a very low tolerance for such activities, which also severely affected the image and reputation of the gangs. Just like when the American Mafia was heavily suppressed by the authorities, a legendary Mafia leader made a movie based on a certain godfather, which completely changed the image of the Mafia. The same principle applied to these gangs.
Regarding kidnapping, Ah De thought very clearly. As long as no blood was shed, it was the best. After all, Liao Chengde was a person of some importance. If blood was shed, he would have to flee to Southeast Asia.
Finally, he found his opportunity. Liao Chengde and Zhong Shi went out in a light car without any bodyguards. For such a golden opportunity, Ah De, who had been waiting for a long time, naturally wouldn't let it slip, and thus the kidnapping occurred.
However, Ah De didn't expect that just as he was feeling triumphant, a bullet from nowhere ended his life. He never figured out what had happened.
What Ah De didn't understand, Lu Hu understood very clearly. He was 100% sure that the people in front of him were mercenaries, and they had retired from a very elite unit.
Realizing this, he didn't dare to be careless. These mercenaries were not ordinary gangsters, and he could only take things one step at a time.
"So that's how it is. We stumbled upon the right thing and even saved a few more people!" After hearing the kidnappers' account, the man with the Desert Eagle chuckled.
Hearing the kidnappers' explanation, the white man also laughed lightly and whistled to the forest. Soon, a low bird call came from deep in the forest, as if in response.
Not long after, six more people emerged from the forest. One of them was dressed in camouflage, holding an American M16 rifle, with blue eyes, clearly a white man. Behind him were five young Asians, all around twenty years old, looking like students. They were dressed poorly, in cheap polyester clothes with many tears, clearly torn in the forest.
As these young people approached, they saw the bodies by the fire. Surprisingly, none of them showed any surprise or asked any questions, making the atmosphere extremely eerie.
"Who are these people? They look like students from the mainland," Zhong Shi examined them carefully and understood.
"What should we do with them?"
After the white man explained the situation to the newcomers, he glanced at these unexpected guests with a hostile look and made a throat-cutting gesture.
They were speaking French, which Zhong Shi didn't understand, but he could guess from their gestures what they meant.
"No!"
Just as the two white men were discussing, a pretty young woman among the students suddenly spoke.
"We're already in Hong Kong, and your mission is almost complete. As long as we board the ship and leave, everything will be smooth. These people just happened to be here. Let them go after we leave, and no one will be harmed!"
She spoke fluent Beijing dialect, very fast, which ordinary locals might not understand, but Zhong Shi had no problem. This further confirmed his earlier suspicions.
The young woman's words resonated with the other young people, who nodded in agreement.
"Zhou, what do you think?"
After listening to the students, the white man blinked and asked the man who translated for him. This man, holding the Desert Eagle, clearly spoke French, understood Mandarin, and spoke Cantonese fluently, serving as a bridge in the team.
"We are mercenaries, not a killing organization. Besides, we'll be far away after this job. There's no need to make things difficult for a few strangers."
The Asian man holstered his gun, stared at Zhong Shi and the others for a moment, and then said calmly.
Hearing his words, the students breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the weight of his words and guessing that the matter was settled.
Sure enough, the two white men exchanged a glance and agreed. They put away their guns, and the men in military uniforms lifted the kidnappers and Zhong Shi and the others. They found some ropes and tied everyone tightly, including Liao Xiaohua lying on the ground.
Throughout this process, Zhong Shi and the others remained silent and did not struggle. The kidnappers also understood that these were not royal police but real outlaws who wouldn't hesitate to kill. They cooperated obediently, fearing that a change of heart would cost them their lives.
After tying everyone in a circle, the multilingual man whispered in Cantonese, "Forget what happened today. This guy died in vain, and the Hong Kong police won't trace it back to us. Consider yourselves lucky. When it gets light, someone will find you. Understand?"
Everyone nodded hurriedly.
After everything was settled, the men in military uniforms extinguished the fire and quietly hid in the darkness, as if nothing had happened. Only the faint breathing and the strong smell of blood nearby reminded everyone of what had just occurred.
After about two or three hours, a low voice said, "It's time, let's go!"
Footsteps echoed in the darkness and soon faded away. The bound group, not daring to be careless, waited another half hour before daring to make a sound.
"Who are these people?"
The military-style binding couldn't hold Lu Hu. They heard a few clicks, and then everyone felt a release. Lu Hu had managed to free himself.
After being in the dark for a while, their eyes had adjusted, and they saw a dark figure dart out from among them, feeling around on the ground for a while. Soon, they heard the sound of metal clashing, followed by a crisp slide of a gun.
Lu Hu, in near blindness, had managed to reassemble a gun from its parts.
After freeing himself, Lu Hu's first action was not to free Zhong Shi and the others but to secure the weapon. He was afraid that the men might return, and he couldn't fight them unarmed.
The kidnappers, who had initially had some thoughts, were now utterly disheartened. Seeing the driver they had overlooked display such skill and handle the gun so proficiently, they were drenched in cold sweat again.
"I don't know. I think they are foreign mercenaries." Lu Hu squatted under a large tree, staring in the direction where the men had disappeared. After a long time, he answered Liao Chengde's question. He thought for a while and added, "Don't ask too many questions. This is not something we can get involved in. You'll understand in the future!"
Liao Chengde, understanding, closed his mouth and said nothing more.
Zhong Shi, however, knew more. In the future, he learned that at this time, there was an operation in Hong Kong called "Operation Yellow Sparrow," symbolizing "the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the sparrow behind." Some countries and local organizations used unknown means to secretly transport people from the mainland to other countries.
This was why the mercenaries were here.
What Zhong Shi didn't know was that among the people he had seen earlier, there was an ordinary-looking young man who later went to the United States, obtained a Ph.D. in finance, and joined the famous Berkshire Hathaway investment company, becoming a key figure alongside Warren Buffett.
Twenty years later, already famous, he met Zhong Shi again in Hong Kong, and Zhong Shi realized that they had once shared this connection.
But that's another story.
Lu Hu stayed hidden until dawn, finally confirming that the men wouldn't return. He retied the kidnappers and then went down the mountain to call the police, capturing all of them. (To thank everyone for over 2,000 recommendation votes, I'm fulfilling my promise to add an extra chapter. Thank you all for your support!)