Qin Feiyang leaped from the bed the moment he heard Ah Bao wanted to kill them, putting on his shoes to rush out, but Zhang Hui pulled him back.
"Captain Zhang, why are you stopping me? I won't just sit here and wait for death. I'll take one down with me even if I die."
Qin Feiyang didn't understand why Zhang Hui was holding him back. His personality was much like Yang Jian's; he'd rather break than bend, and would resist even with a gun to his head.
Zhang Hui pushed him down onto the bed. "Don't be impulsive. Their firepower is too strong. If we rush out, we're just walking into our deaths. These people are murderers who kill without batting an eye. Even if we took a hostage or two, the others would still open fire without hesitation."
"But if we let them have their way, and they take photos of us soliciting prostitution and gambling, won't we be under their thumb forever? If this gets back, not only will the organization punish us, but we won't be able to face our families."
"Let's calm down first and discuss this properly. Mr. Yang, what's your opinion?"
Zhang Hui needed Yang Jian's stance now, as Yang Jian was the one who brought them here.
"Captain Zhang, Xiao Qin, this isn't China. They will actually kill people here. I don't think it's worth losing our lives for a moment of pride."
"But the photos are a huge threat to us. He could even use them to extort us."
"Captain Zhang, that shouldn't happen. I'm the guarantor. I won't let them extort you, nor will I let you report them. I'm investing over ten million here as a guarantee fee."
"Since you're guaranteeing it, let's do as they say."
Zhang Hui recognized the situation. Compromise was the only option at this point.
Qin Feiyang was still unconvinced. Zhang Hui patted his shoulder. "Xiao Qin, don't worry. I'll explain the situation to my superiors. The organization won't punish us."
Qin Feiyang, who had only recently graduated from the special police academy, was most worried about this incident affecting his future. Hearing Zhang Hui say this, he no longer insisted.
After convincing the two police officers, Yang Jian went out to make arrangements with Ah Bao.
Ah Bao had people separate Zhang Hui and Qin Feiyang into two rooms, then called two girls to enter their rooms. Under the threat of guns, they were forced to pose in various positions for photographs.
Afterward, they were escorted to the casino downstairs, where they were photographed gambling again.
Once these procedures were completed, Ah Bao returned Zhang Hui and the other's phones, passes, and ID cards. He also informed Xiao Yu to release Peng Yu.
As for Yang Jian's investment, it would only be finalized after Yang Fan returned.
Menghai County, Dalou Town.
Wu Laizi returned to his rented room from Xiao Mengla and found Brother Mao waiting at the door with four young men.
"Brother Mao, everything went smoothly on my end. Did you receive the goods here?"
Wu Laizi was unaware of Yang Jian's subsequent actions and thought Brother Mao was there to check on him, as smuggling out of the country carried some risks.
"Old Wu, we received the goods, and the quality is good. But the person who delivered them to you ran into trouble."
Brother Mao kept observing Wu Laizi's expression as he spoke.
Wu Laizi naturally feigned surprise. "The delivery person? What happened? I saw them leave the hotel, and I even noticed they were carrying guns."
"The two people who inspected the goods for you were shot dead, and one was kidnapped. The entire town of Xiao Mengla is buzzing about this. Brother Nan even suspects we did it."
"Those two young men were shot and kidnapped? How could that happen? Even if it was a robbery, they didn't have any cash on them. Brother Mao, is Brother Nan the boss of the other party? Why would they blame us for this?"
Wu Laizi finally heard of someone named Brother Nan, likely an acquaintance of Brother Mao's here.
"He just suspects. I explained later that since we had no motive for the crime and those two had no cash on them, there was no possibility of us double-crossing them."
"Exactly. I think it was a dispute between their own gangs, or just a robbery."
"Did you notice anything unusual when you were staying at the hotel?"
"No, everything was normal. Everything operated according to your arrangements, and our goods also crossed the border smoothly. Their trouble has nothing to do with us."
Brother Mao nodded. "You're right. Everything went smoothly on our end, and the horse caravan didn't notice anything. This incident should be their own problem."
"Brother Mao, what do we do next?"
"Do nothing. Take this ten thousand yuan and use it. Eat, drink, and be merry, but don't get into any fights. I'll notify you for the next transaction."
Brother Mao handed him a wad of cash and left without mentioning how much this transaction would earn or how the profits would be divided, which left Wu Laizi feeling frustrated.
Fortunately, he was now a police informant, so he didn't care how much Brother Mao gave him, as Yang Jian would pay him a sum anyway.
Only after Brother Mao and his men disappeared from sight did Wu Laizi call Yang Jian and report the situation, specifically emphasizing the person named Brother Nan.
After the photography incident, Ah Bao resumed his enthusiastic demeanor towards the two police officers. Zhang Hui maintained a superficial courtesy towards him, while Qin Feiyang simply ignored him.
Ah Bao didn't care about their attitudes and took Yang Jian to the animal trading market to look for Brother Nan, as Peng Yu was injured and wouldn't have any news for a while.
As Peng Yu had said, the Xiao Mengla wildlife trading market was indeed Asia's largest supermarket for endangered wildlife. Here, one could see all sorts of rare animals and their products, such as tigers, black bears, pangolins, and pythons. There were live animals sold for meat, as well as decomposed products like elephant skin, tiger bones, and bear paws.
"Boss, fresh tiger meat. Want to buy some to try?"
As Yang Jian and Ah Bao walked through the market, vendors constantly called out to them. They also discreetly inquired about Brother Nan but found no leads. At this moment, they were stopped by a vendor.
Ah Bao glanced at his stall, which besides tiger meat, also had bear paws. He asked, "I want to buy a few bear paws to take back to China. How can I get them there?"
"You're a tourist, right? It's very simple. As long as you buy a lot, I can arrange for the horse caravan to deliver them to Dalou Town for you. You just need to pick them up there."
Currently, the Dalou border crossing was closed by the state due to the rampant gambling and drug problems in Xiao Mengla. Only local border residents with identification could cross, and tourists on organized tours could enter Xiao Mengla for a day trip but not stay overnight. Tourists were not allowed to carry animal products across the border.
"Brother, I'm asking about someone. If you can provide any clues, all this money is yours."
Ah Bao took out a thousand yuan and whispered to the vendor.
A thousand yuan had strong purchasing power in this place. The vendor was clearly tempted. "Tell me, who is it? From over there?"
"A horse caravan leader named Brother Nan. Have you heard of him?"
"Brother Nan? Yes, I know him. He's from Dalou Town and has some influence here."
Ah Bao was overjoyed. "Help me find him, and all this money is yours."
The vendor shook his head. "Brother Nan has considerable influence here. I dare not take you to find him, or I'll lose my life."
"Here's another two thousand. You just need to point him out discreetly. He won't know you sold him out."
Ah Bao increased his offer, believing the vendor would be tempted. Discreetly identifying someone for three thousand yuan was a very profitable deal.