Chapter 1: The Entanglement of Fate and Enmity, Haicheng's Solitude

  How much should a man love a woman? Li Huqiu was very good to girls, so he could agree to the request of a middle-aged man for Gao Chufeng, who had only known him for one day. But at the same time, he also knew what principles and bottom line he needed to follow. From an early age, he had seen too many cruel and unreasonable things, those few boys whose arms and legs were broken by Hao Qiuzi were still trapped in Haicheng begging for food, their lives had ended, leaving only a broken body. Hao Qiu taught Li Huqiu the Jianghu code of conduct that he himself did not follow, but to Li Huqiu it was a golden rule, even beauty could not shake it. Just like Li Shimin who loved beauty, yet still governed the country well, Li Huqiu could control himself.

  The middle-aged man was not in a hurry to express his requirements for Li Huqiu. He glanced at the time and said, "Wait a bit longer." About twenty minutes later, that door opened again, and Li Yaorong stepped in with a ferocious expression. The middle-aged man looked at the time again and said to Li Huqiu, "He's also slower than you by a little bit. Alright, it's just the three of you now."

  A middle-aged man clapped his hands, and a person walked in from outside. He was slender and refined, with a hint of silver at the roots of his hair, looking to be over fifty years old. This person walked in with his hands behind his back, followed closely by Gongfu High Hand Chu Lie. The latter beckoned to Li Huqiu and the other two, saying "Follow me." Da Dingzi, who had not spoken since entering the house, was the first to move and follow him, seeming to understand that he was already a fish on someone else's chopping board. Li Huqiu glanced at Li Ya Rong, shrugged his shoulders, and followed, with Li Ya Rong closely behind.

  After the three went out, a short old man who walked in asked: "How is it? Have you decided?" The middle-aged man stood up and nodded, saying: "Thanks to Qin for his help." The newcomer waved his hand and smiled: "What are you talking about? It's a matter of course. Our friendship doesn't need to mention helping or not. You've found the person you need, and the rest is what I want. I'll take them away directly. This net has caught more than ten AB-level thieves, it was worth it." He also said: "I'll leave first, and you can deal with the follow-up matters with Little Chu."

  Chu Lie led Li Huqiu and the other two to another room. Along the way, Li Huqiu carefully observed the terrain in the house and suddenly felt that his hopes of escaping were slim. After entering the room, Chu Lie's gaze remained fixed on his face. Li Huqiu smiled and calmly stared back at him. The young police officer finally couldn't hold back and asked: "Two and a half years ago in Haicheng, someone stole my wallet, was it you who did it?"

  Li Huqiu replied: "With your keen senses, even if a mosquito lands on you, you'll know. What skills does an ordinary little thief like me have to steal from you?"

  Chu Lie nodded and said, "Alright, I'll let it slide this time. You don't have to admit it, but I've already made up my mind about you. Hao Cuizi from the Dongbei Tiger Gang is dead, and you're his legitimate disciple. Two and a half years ago, the Dongbei Tiger Gang was defeated on the China-Russia train line. Do you know who did it?" Li Huqiu smiled and said, "It wasn't me who pulled the needle, so what if I don't know? I'm a law-abiding citizen."

  Chu Lie turned back to Li Huqiu before leaving and said, "You'd better pray that you'll be chosen soon, otherwise if it falls into my hands, you will suffer."

  Da Dingzi and Li Yaorong were like fire and water, not speaking was fine, but once they opened their mouths, they would definitely quarrel. Both of them wisely chose to remain silent. The two old foxes were thinking about the ins and outs of this matter, and in their hearts, they had already estimated the correct answer to be around 80 or 90% accurate. Unlike Li Huqiu's naivety when he was young, both old rivers felt that this matter was unusual. Firstly, the demeanor of the short and thin old man made them fearful. Secondly, the young man in front of them, who was clearly from the official side, made them feel uneasy, with a pair of particularly bright eyes. Both of them were experienced and knew that people with such eyes possessed real skills. Such a police officer was just a follower, the person behind this matter had too much power.

  Two old thieves were nervous, while a young thief was carefree. The ignorant are fearless, and the two old thieves thought that the young thief was so carefree because he had not yet experienced the severity of proletarian dictatorship. A middle-aged man walked in, and Da Dingzi and Li Yaorong quickly stood up, while Li Huqiu remained seated. Da Dingzi pulled him, but he still didn't move. Da Dingzi secretly sighed, thinking that this young man did not know how to advance or retreat. The middle-aged man waved his hand, indicating for the two to sit down, and said straightforwardly: "I've called you here to steal something. You three are experts in this field, so discuss among yourselves how to do it. I can tell you the approximate location of the thing and the security measures. Once you get the thing, Da Dingzi and Li Yaorong, I can help you gain merit and redeem your crimes, giving you a chance to start anew. The promise of five million is still valid - as long as you get the thing, the three of you can split it!"

  Dà Dǐngzi and Lí Yàróng exchanged a glance. Lí Yàróng had tricked Dà Dǐngzi, but he himself didn't end up in a good situation either, being ridiculed by Bāo Wénjìng for being the most chaste man, which was definitely not pleasant. The two of them looked at each other, cooperating? Was this possible? The middle-aged man looked at them with determination, five million, divided among three people, and they could still wash away their past records. Such conditions were indeed tempting.

  The two finally nodded together. Among the three, only Li Huqiu had not expressed his opinion. He asked: "You haven't told us what to steal yet?" The middle-aged man said: "I need you to steal a painting called 'Crane's Call'." Li Huqiu asked: "Is it very valuable?" The middle-aged man replied: "It belongs to the national treasure-level cultural relics that are about to be lost overseas."

  Li Huqiu asked again: "Help you steal it back, how are you going to arrange this painting?"

  A middle-aged man smiled faintly and said: "Collect, sell to the country when the opportunity is suitable and the price is also suitable."

  Li Ya Rong asked: "You have such great energy, why don't you find a few special workers from national departments to steal?"

  "A middle-aged man smiled without thinking: 'Firstly, I may not have the energy to find someone like this. Secondly, even if I found them, they wouldn't be as professional as you, and finding them would put me at risk of falling into their hands. The political risks are too great. You're all seasoned thieves; if you get caught, I can just deny any involvement, and no one can do anything to me.'"

  "May I have your name?" asked Da Dingzi. The middle-aged man's smile suddenly disappeared, and he countered, "Are you sure you really want to know?"

  Dà Dǐngzi was taken aback and nodded: "Forget it, let's just forget it."

  "Alright, I'll take care of this!" Li Huqiu said bluntly: "Tell me where the thing is."

  The middle-aged man said, "Don't be in a hurry, let me show you something first." As he spoke, a young man with a refined appearance brought in a slide projector. After turning it on, an image of a building appeared on the wall. The surroundings were similar to this place, with mountains and water nearby. The middle-aged man continued to show slides, introducing them as he went: "This 'Crane's Cry' painting is a genuine work by our country's famous painter Yan Liben, which is stored in this building. Its current owner is an internationally renowned cultural relic dealer who specializes in selling Chinese cultural relics. This painting was unearthed from ???????"

  Li Huqiu interrupted him: "Get to the point, let's take a look at the picture, what's the internal structure of the house, what type of lock is it, what security measures are there? Talking about all these origins and stuff is just nonsense."

  A middle-aged man smiled and said, "I once asked an expert to investigate that house. Only one person came back smoothly, while the others were trapped inside. What I know is also what this person has described." Li Ya Rong suggested inviting the expert out to talk about it. Da Dingzi said, "Isn't that expert Bao Wenjing?"

  Bao Wenjing's hands had long been suspicious to Da Dingzi, who wanted to ask Bao Wenjing in person at the time, but unfortunately, Bao Wenjing made an excuse to avoid him by continuing her previous relationship with Xie Hongjun. He only casually said a few words to Li Huqiu, and then because of Lai Shu's arrival, the matter was diverted. Now, the whole thing has been confirmed to be a trap aimed at local bandits, no need to ask, Bao Wenjing must have already been used by the middle-aged man.

  In the eyes of men, Jianghu righteousness is a matter of life and death, it's about entrusting one's wife and children. But in the eyes of most women, it's not as good as roses, perfume, jewelry, and diamond rings, or even daily necessities like firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea. The once heroic Bao Wenjing has changed. It's just unknown what caused her to change.

  The middle-aged man nodded and approved Li Ya Rong's request. He waved his hand to signal the slender young man to go call someone. Before long, a knock on the door was heard. Someone pushed the door open from outside, it was Bao Wen Jing and Gao Chu Feng.

  Bao Wenjing looked slightly embarrassed, not daring to raise her head to look at the three former colleagues. Gao Chufeng, on the other hand, had a face full of anger and as soon as she entered the door, she stared straight at Li Huqiu. Bao Wenjing didn't dare speak without permission, but Gao Chufeng clearly didn't have this constraint. She walked up to Li Huqiu with a huff, questioning: "What do you mean by 'I'd rather kill her and eat her flesh, I wouldn't do it'? You made me plead for you in front of him! You said you're different from others, but actually, you're more despicable than all of them!" Her face was slightly red due to emotional agitation, with a hint of tears in her eyes, pouting at Li Huqiu, looking especially adorable.

  Li Huqiu smiled and said, "Your dad used your life to threaten me, I immediately surrendered. What's the relationship between us?" Gao Chufeng was taken aback and asked in surprise, "My dad? Who is my dad? Is it him?" pointing at the middle-aged man. Seeing her expression, Li Huqiu thought to himself that he might have guessed wrong, and the middle-aged man was not her father. The middle-aged man confirmed Li Huqiu's doubts, "Young man, you misunderstood, I'm not qualified to be her father." He then burst into loud laughter.

  "What are you laughing at? My dad asked you to take care of me, but you want my blood to splatter on that wall, and then you'll turn around and report back to him! And you, you little scoundrel with no conscience, do you think your skills are impressive? One day I'll surpass you!" After saying this, she viciously kicked Li Huqiu's foot, turned around and walked away, leaving behind a proud and arrogant silhouette.

  Li Huqiu gazed at her back, forgetting the pain in his feet. His eyes only held admiration and no expectation. This girl was clearly extraordinary, and he knew they were destined not to have too much contact between them. From the day Li Huqiu left Haicheng, he entered another kingdom, one with only darkness and no light, where there was only drunkenness and dog meat in winter, nothing that could be put on a wall or stage. Although Li Huqiu didn't like being drunk, he liked dog meat, so he had no intention of leaving this kingdom for the time being. And she, obviously came from a different world than him. No matter how many butterfly knives she armed herself with, no matter how many wallets her small hands had stolen, she would never become a person of this kingdom. Li Huqiu firmly believed that if he dared to have fantasies about her, he would definitely die as miserably as a stray dog run over by a car on the road.