Chapter 26: Big Fei

Xiao Ziguang had to admit that after his rebirth, he possessed a sense of fearlessness, a lack of reverence for authority, and even a touch of unbridled audacity. In his past life, he had grown accustomed to lurking in the shadows and performing deeds that could not see the light of day.

In this life, Xiao Ziguang began to experiment with the idea of fighting fire with fire. If one could prevent crimes through unconventional means, could a wicked act be transformed into a virtuous one? From the perspective of judging actions rather than intentions, this could certainly be justified. After all, by pretending to be a villain to punish other villains, one could make life just a little bit easier for the honest folk.

Tianhai City was named as such because one of its townships bordered the sea. However, this particular coastline was jagged and riddled with sharp rocks; it was unsuitable for tourism and even worse for building a wharf, as the abundance of reefs prevented large vessels from docking. Such harsh conditions made the area obscure. Occasionally, someone would discover that small speedboats could navigate the reef zone and land securely on the rocky beach. Consequently, those involved in smuggling soon began modifying their speedboats into high-powered "Da Fei" vessels, smuggling electronic goods, pork products, and even contraband. Over time, this stretch of rocky shore became a vital gateway for smuggled goods. Although no formal wharf had been constructed, the sheer volume of cargo passing through when business was booming was astonishing.

Xiao Ziguang set his sights on this location. He spent money to rent a small fishing boat and took Zhou Huajian out to sea.

As the sky gradually darkened, the stars began to blink playfully. Xiao Ziguang scanned the sea through night-vision binoculars, chatting idly with Zhou Huajian. "Brother Huajian, are your friends reliable? Are they really planning a special operation tonight?"

"Ziguang, never doubt the connections of an old policeman. You have no idea what I’ve been through over the years or how many life-or-death bonds I’ve forged. Since I made the anonymous report, they will certainly have a special operation underway."

*Vroom, vroom, vroom...*

Amidst the moaning wind and rolling waves, the sudden roar of a motor echoed across the water. Xiao Ziguang saw a "Da Fei" speedboat racing across the distant sea. Its seven motors were running at full capacity, the boat moving so fast it seemed to fly over the surface, leaving a white wake carved into the black water.

Following closely behind were two coast guard vessels. Though not as fast as the speedboat, they formed a pincer movement from the left and right. The pilot of the "Da Fei" sensed the danger and frantically began throwing contraband into the sea. This served two purposes: first, it lightened the load, allowing the boat to reach higher speeds; second, since one needs evidence to catch a thief, if they couldn't escape, the lack of smuggled goods on board would mean they could only be charged with illegal modification. At worst, they would lose the boat, but the people would remain free.

Seeing the cargo boxes being pushed into the sea, Xiao Ziguang immediately turned to Zhou Huajian. "Brother, let’s go. Your friend will turn a blind eye, won't he?"

"What are you thinking? He’s a coast guard! Turning a blind eye to such things is against his principles!" Zhou Huajian replied, before his tone shifted abruptly. "But if we retrieve the goods and leave before they return, we won't be forcing them to violate any principles."

That was one way of looking at it—what the eyes don't see, the heart doesn't grieve over! If the people don't report it, the officials have no reason to investigate.

On the pitch-black sea, five large crates were bobbing in the water. Xiao Ziguang tied a rope around his waist, jumped into the sea, and helped haul the crates onto their boat. In the distance, the chase had yet to conclude. The "Da Fei" was accelerating, appearing on the verge of breaking through the coast guard's encirclement, when a brilliant beam of light from the sky suddenly illuminated the vessel. A coast guard helicopter was hovering at a low altitude, its gunner gripping the machine gun, aiming at the speedboat. He had already received orders: if the "Da Fei" dared to flee further, he was authorized to open fire.

"Is such a grand display really necessary? Those in the water can’t outrun those in the sky," Xiao Ziguang muttered as he pushed two more crates aboard and climbed up. "Turn off the lights, we’re leaving immediately!"

The small fishing boat turned and sped away from the perimeter. Salvaging the smuggled goods was only the first step; bringing them back safely was the crucial second step.

After his legs were paralyzed in his previous life, Xiao Ziguang’s favorite pastime had been watching television. Later, in the internet age, he had spent countless hours scrolling through short videos. This had greatly broadened his horizons, allowing him to catch glimpses of the hidden origins of some successful people through various anecdotes. For instance, a certain aquatic products tycoon had made his first fortune by salvaging smuggled goods. He had managed to snag two containers of cigarettes—the easiest items to flip for cash—and had vaulted from being debt-ridden to a multi-millionaire overnight.

After seeing an advertisement for the Xiaolingtong (Personal Handy-phone System), smuggling was the first thing that came to Xiao Ziguang's mind, leading him to target the rocky beach and use Zhou Huajian’s connections to report the cargo boat. Now that he had harvested the fruit, he began to pray that he could leave safely and complete his initial capital accumulation.

Even as a reincarnated soul, one still had to bridge the gap from zero to one. Without this initial seed money, no matter how many opportunities arose in the future, he would be unable to grasp them.

The fishing boat's diesel engine hummed rhythmically. As the coastline drew nearer, Xiao Ziguang prayed silently: *Once you catch them, you won't be able to catch me! Let the other guy suffer; just don't let it be me!*

Perhaps the heavens heard his plea. The fleeing "Da Fei" finally slowed down and, caught in the blinding searchlight, drifted alone on the sea, drawing the full attention of the coast guard.

The small fishing boat finally docked. Xiao Ziguang jumped ashore and drove over a van. Once loaded, these crates would belong to him! In the vastness of the sea, finding five crates would be no different from finding a needle in a haystack. Besides, with so many wealthy people in the world, what would it matter if one more were added? After all, once these items were converted into cash, they would be immensely useful to him.

Although this was his first time partnering with Xiao Ziguang, the two shared a tacit understanding. Once the crates were moved, they covered the fishing boat with nets, disguising it to look as if it had never left the shore.

Back at Zhou Huajian’s house, once the door was locked, Xiao Ziguang sliced open the waterproof tarp on the crates, muttering to himself, "Xiaolingtong, Xiaolingtong, please let it be Xiaolingtong!"

The crate opened, revealing the contents. Rows of grey plastic casings sat neatly inside. Pressing the power button, the black-and-white screens flickered to life, and the sound of a 24-chord ringtone echoed through the small room.

There were 200 Xiaolingtong units in one crate. Five crates meant 1,000 units. At 500 per unit, that was 500,000!

One had to remember that it was the year 2000. China’s economy had yet to experience its explosive growth; the average annual disposable income in Shanghai was only 11,718 yuan, and housing prices in the city hovered around 3,300 per square meter. 500,000 was a massive sum of money that could accomplish a great deal. And this was money Xiao Ziguang could spend however he pleased!

With resources finally in his hands, Xiao Ziguang decided to go all out. But before he could make his big move, he had to sell these Xiaolingtong units first. Who should he turn to? Suddenly, a suitable candidate came to mind.