Chapter 59: Lowered by Three Inches

A black Audi slowly pulled out from the Hanzhong Provincial Public Security Department, drove around in circles, and finally parked in a desolate, barren river beach.

The car door opened, and a man in his fifties with a full head of silver hair stepped out. He climbed over the hood onto the roof, gazed into the distance for a long time, and after confirming that there was no one around, he jumped down and pressed the car horn three times!

The horn sounded in a very rhythmic pattern: two long beeps followed by one short beep.

Not far away, on a grey mound of earth, a human silhouette suddenly appeared, writhing and twisting before revealing Zhou Huajian’s gleaming, polished bald head.

An Changming was a very stern man, so his facial features appeared rigid, and his brows were sharp and fierce—the very picture of an unyielding and merciless individual. However, upon seeing Zhou Huajian’s bald head, the corners of his angular lips couldn't help but curl upward.

"Little Zhou, you're always the one with the trickiest ideas. What’s the situation that made you reach out to me so urgently?"

An Changming was the Deputy Director of the Hanzhong Provincial Public Security Department, Zhou Huajian’s senior from the academy, and the direct superior handling Zhou Huajian’s single-line contact for this undercover mission.

"Director An, the situation this time is special and cannot be discussed over the phone." Zhou Huajian lowered his voice. "Xiong Yaohui has a sniper rifle in his possession. He is demanding that Xiao Ziguan assassinate Qiu Changtian."

"Qiu Changtian? The biggest drug lord in Xiling County?" An Changming’s fingers unconsciously stroked the steering wheel while his eyes flickered with deep thought. This complicated matters immensely, and made them exceptionally perilous!

If Xiao Ziguan refused to assassinate Qiu Changtian, he would lose Xiong Yaohui’s trust, rendering all their previous groundwork completely useless. But if Xiao Ziguan did assassinate Qiu Changtian, he would become a murderer, breaking the law!

This was a multiple-choice question full of traps; no matter what choice Xiao Ziguan made, he would ultimately fall into a snare.

An Changming let out a helpless sigh, pulled a cigarette pack from his pocket, tossed one to Zhou Huajian, and began to blow clouds of smoke.

Seeing An Changming’s predicament, Zhou Huajian spoke up, "Director An, I have an idea. See if this is feasible."

"This shot definitely has to be fired, or we won't win Xiong Yaohui's trust. So I think it must be shot, but it doesn't necessarily have to be a headshot. What if the aim is lowered by three inches and hits an arm or a thigh instead?"

"If Xiao Ziguan handles it cleanly and manages to frame someone else, igniting a turf war between two drug-manufacturing syndicates, wouldn't he be not only free of blame, but actually credited with a great achievement?"

An Changming’s eyes lit up. He took a deep, hard drag on his cigarette. "Those drug syndicates are lawless and shoot each other in the dark. Our police force is limited after all; if they don't talk, we certainly won't find out. Even if they do talk, we might not necessarily be able to investigate it—there are simply too many unsolved cases every year!"

These words were stated with a high level of tact. He neither agreed nor disagreed, taking such a large detour that it seemed as though he had said nothing at all, yet Zhou Huajian already understood the leader's intention.

He took out his phone and sent a text message to Xiao Ziguan: "Done!"

***

Inside the office of Xinxin Taxi Company, Yu Hu sat somewhat timidly opposite Xiao Ziguan. Xiao Ziguan put his phone into his pocket, took out an envelope, and pushed it toward Yu Hu. "This is your salary for the next half year. I'm advancing it to you."

Yu Hu opened the envelope and, looking at the stacks of crimson banknotes inside, felt his eyes well up with hot tears of gratitude. He bowed deeply to Xiao Ziguan. "Boss, from now on, my life is yours! Tell me to kill whoever you want me to kill. Tell me to take the fall for whatever crime, and I'll go take the blame. If I hesitate for even a single second, you have my permission to blow my brains out with a gun!"

This declaration genuinely startled Xiao Ziguan, prompting him to wave his hand dismissively. "Don't be so emotional, and don't make it sound so grand. I don't intend to treat you as a suicide soldier, but there is indeed a matter that requires your help."

Yu Hu’s eyes shone brightly like light bulbs. After accepting this money, he wasn't afraid of being given a task; his only fear would be having nothing to do and remaining unused.

Human interactions relied on equality and mutual benefit.

Yu Hu had a very clear understanding of himself: if Xiao Ziguan could find a use for him, he would undoubtedly embark on a smooth and prosperous path in the future, ensuring he could eat his fill at every meal.

If Xiao Ziguan had no use for him and he remained merely an ordinary driver, Yu Hu wouldn't stay in this position for long. He would never be able to cross social classes; at best, he would enjoy a few square meals before being beaten right back to his original state. Everything he currently possessed would turn out to be nothing more than a fleeting illusion.

Therefore, Yu Hu eagerly anticipated Xiao Ziguan's task. It was best if it was difficult and dangerous—only in a situation of near-death could he prove his worth and make Xiao Ziguan truly remember him!

"That gang of racing thugs wants to mess with me. If I don't retaliate, others will think I'm weak and easy to bully. So I'm thinking about kidnapping their boss, but I don't know what kind of preliminary preparations I should make."

Hearing this opening line, Yu Hu’s face beamed with joy. "Boss, I'm well-versed in this kind of thing. First, we need to stake out the target, figure out their movement patterns, and then formulate a coordinated, targeted plan."

"Let me give you an example: if the target travels with a convoy, we need to buy a large cargo truck to cut off their convoy, and then do this... like this... and then like that..."

Listening to Yu Hu rattle off one systematic plan after another, Xiao Ziguan couldn't help but marvel inwardly: Professional, this is truly professional!

On the surface, however, he began to tease: "You actually know so much about this. Could it be that you used to do kidnappings?"

"No! I used to be a reconnaissance soldier. Not only am I skilled in jungle reconnaissance, but I also received specialized training in urban reconnaissance. These are all capture plans formulated against enemy generals."

Xiao Ziguan looked straight into Yu Hu’s eyes. "Our target this time is Qiu Changtian from the Xiling County Sugar Factory. Are you afraid?"

"What is there to be afraid of? Does this fellow named Qiu have three heads and six arms?" Yu Hu was brimming with fierce, daredevil energy. "Boss, give me three days, and I'll go drag this guy over here."

"Don't act recklessly. I'm giving you two days off to settle things at home first. Then, go scout out this Qiu Changtian. I only want intelligence; you are not permitted to take matters into your own hands."

Xiao Ziguan raised his voice slightly. "Can you do that?"

Yu Hu immediately puffed out his chest and guaranteed, "I can do that!"

"Good. Go take your leave first. Once you've handled your family matters, I'll assign a car to you. I expect you to successfully complete this reconnaissance mission."

"Understood!" Yu Hu answered crisply, gave a military salute to Xiao Ziguan, and then turned and left the office.

After pondering for a moment, Xiao Ziguan called out toward the doorway, "Brother Jun, buy some fruit. Let's go to the hospital together and visit Xue Qiang."

Da Jun glanced at his wristwatch. "Then we'd better hurry. Xue Bin has a meeting this afternoon. If we go too late, we'll miss him!"

Xiao Ziguan’s visit to see Xue Bin was obviously about more than just the surface intent; his real goal was to see Xue Bin himself. After all, Xue Bin was the head of the Xue family, and since Xiong Yaohui had made such an outrageous demand, Xiao Ziguan definitely needed to brief the family head first.

After all, Qiu Changtian was no pushover. Once they made a move against him, no one could predict what consequences it might trigger. Precautions had to be taken well in advance!