Chapter 363: Give Me Back My Things
The man's face was grim. Not only had he failed to get his hands on the item, but he now found himself tied up tight.
The chair he was in felt as if it were bolted to the floor; he couldn't budge it.
Panic gripped the man, and his voice trembled. "Y-You... give that back to me!"
"Also, this is false imprisonment! You'll go to jail for this!"
To Xiao Ye, this was hardly a threat.
The person who could put him in jail probably hadn't been born yet.
"Talk. Where did you get this?"
"I... I don't know!" How was the man to know where it came from? He hadn't even opened it to look.
Xiao Ye could tell he wasn't lying. "Who gave this to you? What did they want you to do? Tell me the truth, or else..."
"Your life ends here today!"
The man was just delivering something for someone else; he didn't want to die for it!
Without a second thought, he spilled everything he knew.
"I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! Just please don't kill me!"
"Someone found me and asked for a favor. They told me to go to that bar and pick something up."
"Then... I just had to leave it at a designated location. That's it! I don't know anything else, I didn't even open the box to look!"
Xiao Ye leaned in, staring into his eyes.
SHING!
In his other hand, a dagger had appeared!
The man's face went deathly pale. If not for the ropes, he probably would have slid right off the chair.
"Y-You can't kill me!"
"Then stop hiding things! Talk!"
This time, the man was truly terrified and told him everything from beginning to end.
He belonged to an organization called the Tianzhu Association, which was kind of like a church. They chanted sutras once a month, but that was about it.
The members of this Tianzhu Association were also divided into ranks.
A guy like him was on the second-to-last rung.
The reason he joined the Tianzhu Association was because of the woman in the next room.
"We were... we were just bed partners! She's the one who pulled me in. It was only later that I found out you could make money after joining the Tianzhu Association!"
"For jobs like today's, if you do them well, you get paid! The person who gave me this job promised me ten thousand!"
Ten thousand to transport something worth tens of millions.
The mastermind behind this was certainly bold.
It was obvious there were others operating in the shadows, or perhaps the other party thought this method was less likely to expose them.
Moreover, the names Tianzhu Association and Angel Association were suspiciously similar, and with its connection to the fate of the nation, he couldn't help but feel there was more to it.
"Uh... she knows more than me! Go ask her!"
The man showed no mercy, selling out the woman instantly. "She joined over a year before I did. I was her recruit; I'm her downline!"
Seeing the man had nothing more to say, Xiao Ye got up and left.
「In the next room.」
Jin Mingzhu had also learned the truth from the woman.
The two met up in the living room.
Jin Mingzhu didn't stand on ceremony, immediately grabbing a boxed meal from the table. She ate quickly, but not unattractively; in fact, her gusto was rather appetizing.
"I've gotten the full story. That woman is a member of the Tianzhu Association, Rank Seven. Basically just a gofer."
"Someone contacted her by phone and told her to go to a specific place to pick up the item."
"I also had someone trace the phone number. It's a virtual number, so it can't be accurately located. However, judging by the transmitter, the call likely originated from overseas."
A minor group like the Tianzhu Association was using virtual numbers and overseas transmitters.
Xiao Ye also picked up a boxed meal. "Looks like this Tianzhu Association really is connected to the Angel Association!"
Jin Mingzhu nodded. "More than just connected. I suspect the Tianzhu Association *is* the Angel Association!"
"They're just operating under a different name. And I found out the Tianzhu Association worships a Great Angel, who also happens to be a pivotal deity in the Angel Association."
"With so many details matching up, it has to be the Angel Association."
Xiao Ye ate as his mind raced, the food tasting like sawdust. "A new name lets them operate openly."
"They're actually cultivating their own grassroots-level personnel."
Jin Mingzhu put down her boxed meal. "Right, that's what I was thinking too. A lot of the time, grassroots personnel are far more useful than those so-called celebrities and wealthy elites."
It was true. With enough people on the ground, there was so much they could do.
And those celebrities and others that the Angel Association put on the surface were fundamentally unsuited for public-facing operations.
Xiao Ye finished eating too. "In that case, let's cast a long line to catch a big fish."
"While I was dealing with the woman, I didn't spot anyone watching."
Jin Mingzhu smiled faintly. "Me neither."
"If that's the case, let's head to the so-called designated location right away. We might find something."
The two were in perfect agreement. They put on their jackets and set out separately.
The park was pitch-black at night.
Only a few scattered streetlights cast a faint glow.
The exercise equipment, so popular with people during the day, now looked like monsters in the dark.
Xiao Ye slowly placed the item on a bench, then retreated into the darkness.
From start to finish, his men had been scanning the area, confirming it was clear.
Xiao Ye hid silently in the darkness, waiting without a sound.
「About two hours later.」
It was now late into the night when, finally, a figure appeared.
He walked quickly to the bench, picked up the box, and checked it with a flashlight. After confirming everything was in order, he turned and left.
Xiao Ye followed silently behind him.
The person left the park, got into a car, and sped off.
Xiao Ye maintained a steady, unhurried pace behind them.
Meanwhile, his people had cast a wide net around the area, ensuring they wouldn't lose the target.
Over forty minutes later, the car stopped in an old residential complex.
Xiao Ye followed and saw the figure enter a specialty goods store.
From the outside, it looked like the kind of shop that rarely got any customers. The sign was also very old.
Xiao Ye slipped inside and found that although there was plenty of merchandise on display, most of it was expired. It was clear the place hadn't been properly tended to in a long time.
Further in was a passageway leading to a warehouse in the back.
Beyond the warehouse was another door, which led to an adjacent shop.
"You're back," a raspy, aged voice called out.
The back room in the adjacent shop was thoroughly sealed, both light-proof and soundproof.
Inside, an old man was seated, flanked by two young attendants, who looked to be in their teens.
Hearing the old man speak, the figure finally produced the box. "Yes. I've got it."
"Just give it to me. You can go. Leave this place for now, find somewhere to lay low."
"Come back in a month."
"Yes, sir." The figure nodded respectfully, but as he turned, he froze on the spot.