Chapter 944: Hello, Gas Inspection

Old Knife remained silent.

Just outside the villa, he had already reported the information he gathered to the Smiling Tiger.

In Old Knife’s view, the whole situation might indeed be a misunderstanding.

If their informant was discovered and transmitted false information, there would be an excuse.

However, the information just received was something he investigated personally at the restaurant where the incident happened.

He carefully observed the place and it wasn’t an ambush spot.

The most crucial point was that no one knew about his and Smiling Tiger’s arrival in Haizhou City.

Even Zhao Kai, who returned to Haizhou City for this mission, didn’t know Smiling Tiger was coming.

Therefore, it was unlikely for the opposition to set up an ambush in advance.

As for whether the police knew about their arrival, it was probably unknown.

Otherwise, the police would be searching the streets for Smiling Tiger and him, not holding a conference.

Sitting next to Zhao Kai, he picked up a cup of tea and tasted it: "Domestic tea still tastes better."

Old Knife enjoyed drinking tea.

Though he had been abroad for years, he had plenty of domestic tea, but for some reason, tea abroad never seemed to taste the same.

"Is it someone’s fault?"

Making tea requires not only good tea leaves but also good water.

Old Knife shook his head.

Money to him was just a number, so he had not only good tea but also good domestic water.

Yet, the taste remained different.

"When I was with Uncle Kun, he had a tea master who was specially invited from the country to make tea for him."

Old Knife took another sip of tea: "The tea was the best domestic tea, the water was spring water from Wuyi Mountain, and the tea master was a top tea art master."

Old Knife took a deep breath: "But Uncle Kun said that tea didn’t have the aroma of the brick tea he drank as a child."

Zhao Kai didn’t respond.

He wasn’t really familiar with Old Knife.

Currently, the only one considered a confidant beside Smiling Tiger was Old Knife, while others were enforcers or subordinates—essentially tools.

But whether the truth was what Zhao Kai saw on the surface, he didn’t know.

Perhaps this was just a facade created by Smiling Tiger.

"Brother Knife, does my mission... count?"

Zhao Kai put down the teacup. He hadn’t asked about the other negotiation Smiling Tiger wanted him to participate in.

But inquiring about his own mission was indeed expected.

"After all, it’s a deal worth tens of millions."

Zhao Kai appeared calm, but the urgency in his voice was clearly audible: "Brother, if I complete this, the commission alone will be over a million!"

Smiling Tiger is different from other drug lords.

First, Smiling Tiger himself is incredibly mysterious and rarely shows his true face in front of his members.

Second, Smiling Tiger’s method of managing his group is very distinct from others.

When Uncle Kun was around, he was the undisputed boss in the organization, wielding life and death power over everyone.

However, Smiling Tiger, in controlling his organization, made a significant distribution of benefits.

In Smiling Tiger’s organization, everyone could go out and do business independently.

As long as they got his permission.

Moreover, if the business succeeded, the main participants could earn a commission based on the transaction amount.

Even if it failed, they wouldn’t be killed.

They just needed to compensate for the money.

This is one of the crucial reasons many international police organizations couldn’t infiltrate Smiling Tiger’s crime group with undercover agents.

Because anyone could potentially be an undercover agent.

But these undercover agents could only intercept Smiling Tiger’s goods, not people.

And if they intercepted his goods and wanted to continue surviving in the organization, they had to make up for the money from those goods.

Smiling Tiger didn’t care where the goods went—whether they reached the police or fell into the hands of lower-level dealers—as long as he got money.

This phenomenon resulted in a strange occurrence.

In Smiling Tiger’s crime group, everyone worked desperately because they felt they were making money for themselves, treating it as their own business.

Unlike other organizations’ members, who felt they were risking their lives for others.

"I can’t make the call on this; Brother Hu said to pause your mission, he must have a reason."

Old Knife didn’t say much more.

Smiling Tiger’s greatest strength was controlling the channels.

This trip to Haizhou City aimed to open the route northward and break into the northern market.

If this succeeds, Smiling Tiger’s organization could instantly become a massive group surpassing Uncle Kun’s past organization.

Zhao Kai was actually a crucial figure within.

Since the initial contact with the north carried significant risks, Smiling Tiger had sent him, already prepared to abandon the idea if necessary; if he died, so be it, but if there was the slightest gain, Zhao Kai would become an important figure in the group.

Fortunately, Zhao Kai succeeded.

This meeting was due to Zhao Kai’s initial achievements.

However, just when things were progressing, Smiling Tiger sent someone else for the contact.

If not to ensure a hundred percent success, Zhao Kai didn’t even need to show up.

Of course, this information was merely what Old Knife had learned.

No one knew what Smiling Tiger truly thought.

Ding dong!

While the two were speaking, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Zhao Kai and Old Knife’s movements stiffened simultaneously.

Old Knife’s hand was already at his waist.

It seemed any suspicious move from Zhao Kai and he would take action!

Zhao Kai indeed made a move.

"Is Brother Hu back?"

"Impossible!"

Zhao Kai denied his judgment immediately after he spoke, then whispered: "Brother Hu just left... Brother Knife! Did you have a tail when you returned?"

Zhao Kai’s urgent expression slightly eased Old Knife’s suspicion.

"Impossible."

Ding dong!

As there was no response from inside the villa, the doorbell rang again.

The two frowned, aware that Old Knife didn’t trust him, Zhao Kai asked, "Should I... go?"

Ding dong!

The doorbell rang once more.

Knowing this wasn’t abroad, Old Knife agreed to let Zhao Kai check.

The other nodded, got up, and shouted: "Coming!"

The villa door opened, and Zhao Kai saw a young man in a yellow uniform: "Hello, you are...?"

Lu Chuan grinned: "Good day, homeowner, we’re from the gas company, checking gas indoors."

As he spoke, he began putting on shoe covers: "Relax, it’ll just take two minutes."

This was the plan Lu Chuan and Chen Jiang had thought up.

Because the security at Bright Road villa community was quite private, if they didn’t reveal their police identities, there was no way to access surveillance footage.

Therefore, they came up with a method: entering each villa community in this attire and checking the gas in every villa.

Having already checked two villa communities, this was the third.