Chapter 26: Familiar Face

Just past five in the morning, the group of young people who had been loitering on the road suddenly vanished.

In the distance, the first light of dawn began to shimmer.

Zhong Yuan woke up Xiao Hua, who was dozing off, and whispered, "The people on the street have cleared out. Head out from the west side; I’ve sent the location of the tricycle to your phone. Pick up the vehicle and buy some food on your way."

Xiao Hua nodded, rubbed his aching neck, and stood up to walk out of the woods.

About an hour later, the four of them split into two groups, got into their vehicles, and headed straight for Wuni City. They drove for nearly five hours almost without stopping until they finally crossed out of Surat Thani Province. Once past Surat Thani, they were officially out of the Buddha Hand Gang's sphere of influence.

At this point, the four of them finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.

But it was still too early to call it safe.

After driving for another four hours and bypassing Man City, they finally reached the outskirts of Wuni City as the sun began to dip below the horizon.

Zhong Yuan had Zhong Da and the others get out of the vehicle near a small town, while he drove off alone along a side road toward Man City.

Once in Man City, Zhong Yuan deliberately circled through two intersections equipped with security cameras to leave a trail before disappearing once again.

Night fell.

As the capital of Southern Thailand, Man City was a bustling hub of neon lights and constant movement.

In the city center, on Royal Avenue, the streets that had been deserted during the day were now coming alive. Men and women, dressed either fashionably or provocatively, were ready to embrace the night’s revelry.

On the eighteenth floor of the Taicang Hotel, the spa was equally busy yet eerily quiet.

A faint, elegant scent of incense permeated the luxurious space.

Attendants in Japanese-style attire moved with lowered heads, appearing and disappearing in a hurry.

Inside a private suite, a man in a bathrobe sat slumped in a chair, his robe hanging open. He leaned his head back with his eyes half-closed, his face filled with a look of intoxicated pleasure.

Suddenly, the phone on the side table buzzed a few times.

The man didn't seem to hear it. After a long moment, he reached out, grabbed the woman’s hair, and pressed her down firmly. A moment later, he let out a muffled groan and relaxed.

After the woman moved beneath him for a while longer, she silently retreated.

The man pulled his robe shut before finally reaching for the phone to check it.

At the sight of the screen, he frowned.

"Brother..." He stood up, calling out as he pulled back the curtain to address the man lying on a massage table nearby. "Take a look at this!"

The man on the bed lifted his head and looked toward him.

He handed over the phone. "This guy looks very familiar, doesn't he?"

On the phone screen was a cropped photo. In it, Zhong Da’s eyes were closed, his face flushed, appearing drunk and unconscious.

The man stared at it for a moment, then narrowed his eyes and looked up. "Where did this photo come from?"

The younger man didn't answer immediately. He turned to look at the woman nearby, gave a dismissive grunt, and waved for her to leave. The woman understood and immediately bowed out.

Once the door was closed, the man on the bed sat up. The younger man grabbed a bathrobe from the rack, handed it to him, and replied, "Brother Tian sent it over. He says the Buddha Hand Gang has been hit by a few people recently, and quite a few of them are dead. Now, the gang is searching everywhere for them." He frowned, staring at the young man on the screen again. "Brother, I remember this guy seems to be one of Qin San's men. I just can't remember his name!"

"Puda!" the man replied, his eyes narrowing. "Call Little Tian and ask him exactly what happened. Call him now!"

The younger man did as he was told.

Soon, the two of them heard the gist of the story from "Brother Tian."

It was said that a group of four had suddenly appeared, wiped out one of the Buddha Hand Gang’s strongholds in Krabi, and killed over a dozen of their men. All four were highly skilled, and the oldest among them was not only a formidable fighter but also an expert marksman.

As he listened to the description, the man suddenly interjected, "Do you know the name of the oldest one?"

Brother Tian thought for a moment and replied, "I think they said his name is Zhong Yuan. And there’s another one named Zhong Da—they’re said to be brothers!"

Zhong Yuan?

Hearing the name, the man instinctively thought of another name: Wang Yuan!

He paused for two seconds and then asked, "Is there a photo of this Zhong Yuan?"

Brother Tian was taken aback but immediately said, "I don't have one on hand, but I'll ask the people at the Buddha Hand Gang. They might have one!"

"Fine, send it to me when you get it."

"Got it!"

After hanging up, the younger man asked curiously, "Brother, is there something wrong with this Zhong Yuan?"

The man pursed his lips, pondering for a moment before saying, "I'm not sure yet. The name just sounds a bit familiar."

Zhong Yuan?

Familiar?

The younger man tried to recall, but the name didn't ring any bells in his memory.

At this moment, the man suddenly said, "Contact our people back home. Tell them to look into where Xu Shi went after he left Tao County, and what he’s been up to. Tell them to be thorough!"

Upon hearing the name Xu Shi, the younger man was startled. He suddenly remembered that when Xu Shi first arrived in A County, he had used the name Wang Yuan.

Wang Yuan... Zhong Yuan...

Could it be that this Zhong Yuan was actually Xu Shi?

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he voiced it.

The man didn't confirm or deny it, only telling him to hurry and make the call.

The younger man suppressed his shock and went to contact their people back home.

Half an hour later, news came back from Brother Tian.

He sent a headshot. The photo was blurry from being enlarged, and after staring at it for a while, a flash of disappointment crossed the man's eyes.

It wasn't Xu Shi.

While this person looked somewhat like Xu Shi, it definitely wasn't him.

The man chuckled to himself.

To be honest, perhaps life here had become too comfortable; he found himself missing the old days back home. Although the risks were high, it was incredibly thrilling—especially the final game of wits against Xu Shi and Qin Zhenzhen. Even now, the memory made his blood boil. It was too hard to find opponents like that, so much so that even as enemies, one couldn't help but admire them.

"Brother, what’s wrong?" the younger man asked.

The man shook his head and said, "Zhong Yuan is not Xu Shi."

"Should we still have them look into things back home?" the younger man asked.

The man thought for a moment and said, "Keep looking. I want to know if that Xu Shi is dead or not. If he isn't, we'll give him a helping hand and send him to paradise all the sooner!"

The younger man’s eyes lit up. "Then I’ll have to go to the temple and light a few incense sticks to pray that the Buddha keeps that Xu Shi alive!"

The man squinted with a smile. He, too, hoped Xu Shi wasn't dead—so that he could be the one to kill him himself!