Special Forces Medic-Chapter 698 - 666: Why Haven’t You Died

Guo Guo sat beside Xiao Lin, accustomed to their usual laughter and banter, but the sudden serious atmosphere made her feel like escaping.

"What's the problem over at 'Black Crow'?" Xiao Lin stared at the cup in front of him, not looking up at Yi.

"Headquarters has confirmed that it's an action from Europe and the U.S. alone. I will go next week to coordinate this matter." Yi simply answered Xiao Lin's question; this was a territorial issue, mishandling it could lead to mutual slaughter.

"On my side, you just need to assign a few competent people to me."

"I can wait until you finish your business here before leaving."

"'Black Crow' is quite important." Xiao Lin rejected Yi, and the atmosphere became awkward instantly, even Guo Guo, who had been annoyed, stopped to observe the people in front of her. "Repeat what you just told me to them."

The first person to know Ah San was not Director Zhao, but Guo Guo. Once, while buying cement to fix the innkeeper's facade, she met him. It happened to be raining that day, and a hole dug by rats in one of the inn's doorways allowed water to form a small puddle inside. Her store, which stayed open at night, was the only one available.

Most hardware stores would close around six or seven in the evening, but the one Guo Guo ran also sold certain aphrodisiacs. Due to its location, business was quite good.

Ah San was a bit of a stutterer but spoke at a regular speed, coming and going several times before Guo Guo understood what he wanted. This interaction led to their acquaintance.

According to Guo Guo, the inn now was not the same as before because many things had changed, but she wasn't certain since she had only met Ah San one night in the rain. The cement Ah San bought couldn't be used, and since her store didn't handle returns, the boss asked Ah San to cover the costs himself. Guo Guo remembered the previous boss was harsh to Ah San, while the current one was entirely different, even providing meals and wages.

"When did you realize these two were different people?" Shou asked first, struggling to catch the key points in Guo Guo's rambling account.

"About a month later, when Ah San returned to me, he was cleaner, and had money in his pockets."

"Don't interrupt her; if you have questions, wait until she finishes, and pay attention to the details." Xiao Lin was hearing Guo Guo's story for the second time and didn't want to be interrupted.

The hardware store was located on Red Street, where most visitors were outsiders. Business was naturally less brisk compared to the neighboring pharmacy, so the owner considered changing trades. I thought I'd lose my job, but someone came to take over as soon as the ad was posted, even agreeing without bargaining.

Xiao Mei was a hostess from a place diagonally opposite our store. She rarely wandered around, but her rented place was above our store, and she occasionally came down to buy batteries or something—a nodding acquaintance, you could say!

Once, she approached asking if our boss was in. In truth, the people who bought the store weren't our bosses but someone else. After giving Xiao Mei a phone number, I never saw her again until a month later when the second boss appeared. Around that time, the innkeeper's attitude softened a lot.

Because wages were higher and Xiao Mei brought customers into the store, the unsold aphrodisiacs became a hot commodity in no time. Xiao Mei once asked the second boss if he was interested in bigger business. I don't know how they discussed it, but I remember the second boss soon had a large catalogue, and we stopped selling cement, switching to selling drugs, with commissions to boot.

The business blossomed, attracting jealousy from the pharmacy across, who once reported us for illegal trading. The police came many times, each time led by Director Zhao, confiscating a few items before everything returned in a few days. The second boss would ask me to hand over an envelope to someone, presumably containing money!

Xiao Mei had many customers and was quite beautiful. If you ask about her relation with Ah San, truth be told, they never met. I don't know why Director Zhao lied, but I never heard Xiao Mei mention having Ah San as a boyfriend.

Xiao Mei was kept by a wealthy man, she said as much herself, stating that she planned to get married and quit after the year. I even saw a black luxury car pick her up, with a somewhat older but very neat man inside.

The night Ah San died, if I recall correctly, it rained too. He came looking for rope in a daze, but since we didn't carry hardware anymore, he left hurriedly upon hearing there was none. I noticed bloodstains on him; he wasn't using an umbrella, so his clothes were smeared red, which was quite alarming.

Ah San is a bit foolish. I stopped him to ask what happened, and he just laughed sheepishly, saying he got money but later broke into tears. He behaved so erratically that night. I packed up around midnight and left; who came by afterward I have no idea.

For a long time, Xiao Mei didn't bring in customers. I assumed she truly got married and joked with the second boss about it. Unexpectedly, upon hearing Xiao Mei's name, he changed the subject, quite unlike his usual crude talk about her around me. That night, he acted possessed, desperately avoiding speaking of her.

The hardware store had money collected on the fifth and tenth of each month, but I never saw the big boss. It was only once, when the second boss was slightly drunk and happened to meet that luxury car on pickups, that he started swearing, hinting that Xiao Mei's benefactor was the big boss of the hardware store. But whether that's true or just drunken ramblings by the second boss, I can't say.

Subsequent events you know well: doctors came buying many drugs and later, Xiao Mei and Ah San's bodies were discovered, and the second boss was dead.

Oh, by the way, Zhang Qiang didn't have a sister named Zhang Qian. I know Zhang Qiang; he's quite handsome and came for collections, always with someone else, unlike the others. He stood aside while the other person collected the money.

Once, he came over on a day not scheduled for collections, said something utterly baffling to me, and drowned a few days later, now deceased too.

Guo Guo looked at the people sitting in front of her; their faces were grave. She swallowed several times and picked up her cup to drain a few gulps. "That's all I know." She looked at Xiao Lin, wishing she could walk her dogs if possible.

"What do you all think?"

"Logically, it doesn't add up!" said Hong, wearing a thick coat and seated in a chair. "Though it sounds coherent, there are many loopholes." He glanced at the others. "First, this lady's role is peculiar. You know everyone but are not involved intimately, which raises doubts."

"Second, Ah San and Xiao Mei were not acquainted, and from your account, he should be her killer, hence having money. But you mentioned the innkeeper provided him meals and wages. If a man's life is stable, he wouldn't crave more, especially since you also said Ah San was slightly stuttering and foolish. When he had enough to eat and some pocket money, why would he want more?"

"Third, replacing the hardware store owner – even if someone took over the business, the initial buyer wasn't your boss. The real boss you met only appeared when Xiao Mei approached you, and it coincided with selling illicit drugs; the second boss emerged around then. I can't comprehend what role the second boss played – a collector or a distributor?"

"Fourth, Xiao Mei's lover being your big boss is something you discovered through the second boss, yet your words suggested discord between your bosses, contradicting basic business logic."

"Fifth, what did Zhang Qiang say to you?"

Hong aired his misgivings in one breath. Zimu slid the warmed milk in front of him. Xiao Lin tilted his head, showing no reaction to Hong's concerns. "Shou, what were you thinking of saying earlier?"

"I haven't thought as deeply as Hong. I just wonder if the inconsistent behavior of the innkeeper means the previous owner is dead and the current one is someone Four Master planted in the North District, and the inn renovations might mark an alternative hub for him."

"I can answer that; both the innkeeper and his wife are imposters. The innkeeper's wife was killed by Zacks in the underground lab, and the current innkeeper's fate is unclear. As for whether there's another story at the inn, we'll discuss it later.

"I have a question!" Zimu glanced at Zacks. "All the key players in this matter are dead. If what was said is true, shouldn't you be the one who's most deserving of death?"

Zimu's meaning was clear: everyone involved is dead, so why has the person selling drugs all along not died? She surely knows the most, despite her claims of no relation to the others. Given Four Master's character, he wouldn't spare her.

"Girl!" Xiao Lin leaned back against the chair, which had a low backrest, suitable for people halfway their height, not very comfortable for someone as tall as Xiao Lin. (To be continued. If you liked this work, please visit Qidian.com to vote with recommendations or monthly tickets to support the author—it's their motivation.)