Chapter 618 - 618 Depart Immediately
Lin Tianhao looked at Ye Qing and said gravely, "Do you know who is the biggest drug lord in the whole Eastern Province?"
"Who?" Ye Qing asked.
Lin Tianhao said gravely, "The Beggar King of Tianhui City!"
"The Beggar King?" Ye Qing's eyes widened in shock. He had originally thought the Beggar King was just someone who earned money by having children beg, never expecting him to have such an identity.
"It's him!" Lin Tianhao said gravely: "Nearly seventy percent of the narcotics in the entire Eastern Province are supplied by him. That's why he needs more children than I do, because he needs more people to help him hide the drugs. Moreover, the number of people he has killed is definitely no less than mine. Ye Qing, if I deserve to die, then he deserves to die a thousand, no, ten thousand times over!"
Lin Tianhao was convinced that the Beggar King was related to this matter, so he spoke deliberately to stir up Ye Qing's anger, to make him kill the Beggar King.
Ye Qing was no fool. Having suffered a significant loss due to his misplaced trust in Lin Tianhao last time, he had become much more wary. He watched Lin Tianhao impassively and said, "If what you're saying is all true, then I definitely won't let him off!"
"Not a single word I've said is a lie; it's all true!" Lin Tianhao said: "Even that Old Bai used to work under him. Once, when he fell on hard times in Shenchuan City, it was I who saved him. He helped me out of gratitude, leading to the smuggling of so much merchandise. You might see me conducting these transactions in Shenchuan City, but actually, for every batch of goods I take, I have to kick back a portion of the money to the Beggar King. Otherwise, there's no way my business could have survived!"
Ye Qing frowned slightly. Lin Tianhao was highly emotive while saying this, which suggested that he was likely not lying. So, could the Beggar King really be the largest drug lord in the Eastern Province? Ye Qing had come to Lin Tianhao mainly to probe for some clues about the people Lin Yaqing had been in contact with. He didn't expect to find any clues, but instead, he uncovered such a huge secret about the Beggar King—an unexpected gain indeed!
Ye Qing said gravely, "To run such a big operation across the whole Eastern Province, he must have some backing, right?"
"I don't know about that." Lin Tianhao said, "The Beggar King is no simple character. It's said that when the East State Poisonous Mantis entered Tianhui City, she had an encounter with him. You know about Poisonous Mantis's methods. She hasn't been on the scene for long, but she's taken control of most of the Eastern Province. However, Tianhui City is different; she doesn't actually have control there. Tianhui City is still the Beggar King's territory. The Poisonous Mantis just has her people there, and they don't interfere with each other's business. You could say that aside from Shenchuan City and Xikou City, the Poisonous Mantis controls the whole Eastern Province, but in reality, she doesn't fully control Tianhui City either!"
"Is that so?" Ye Qing frowned. He had initially thought that the Beggar King was just an ordinary local thug like Lin Tianhao. But now, hearing Lin Tianhao speak, Ye Qing couldn't help but become more cautious. He was very aware of Huangfu Ziyu's tactics. If the Beggar King could clash with Huangfu Ziyu's people and still remain the top figure in Tianhui City, it was clear that he was no simple character.
Moreover, when Ye Qing had last seen Tian Hong, she was actually working for the Beggar King. And Tian Hong was a subordinate of the Xikou Fire Butterfly—a status not to be trifiled with. Regardless of why she was helping the Beggar King, it showed that he was indeed no ordinary person!
"What else do you know?" Ye Qing asked gravely.
Lin Tianhao said, "As far as I know, the Beggar King has good relations with the Golden Triangle. He goes there twice a year, claiming to visit General Tawang. So, some suspect that his backer actually comes from the Golden Triangle."
"The Golden Triangle?" Ye Qing's brows tightened at once. He was very familiar with the situation there. When he served as a soldier on the border, he saw plenty of drug lords coming from the Golden Triangle and even fought against some local drug lords there; he was well acquainted with the area.
Lin Tianhao said, "Yes, the Golden Triangle. The place is filled with desperados. If he's backed by people from the Golden Triangle, it's possible that even Poisonous Mantis can't suppress him!"
Ye Qing asked, "You just said that he has a good relationship with General Tawang of the Golden Triangle?"
"Right, that's what he claimed. He visits General Tawang twice a year." Lin Tianhao said, "And, I've heard that General Tawang is the strongest power in the Golden Triangle. I don't know how the Beggar King managed to connect with him, but within the whole Eastern Province, there are truly few who dare to provoke him!"
Ye Qing paid no heed to Lin Tianhao's words, as his mind was filled with doubts. Back when he served on the border, he was well-informed about the Golden Triangle. He knew General Tawang, whom Lin Tianhao mentioned, was the largest force in the Golden Triangle until two years ago. But, a mutiny occurred within his forces two years ago, and General Tawang was put under house arrest by his subordinates. His influence was now under the control of his former lieutenant, and General Tawang was merely a figurehead. If the Beggar King truly had a close relationship with him, something was definitely not right.
"You said he visits General Tawang twice a year; has he gone these past two years?" Ye Qing inquired.
Lin Tianhao thought for a moment and said, "Last year he still went twice; he even contacted me before he left. He has already gone once in the first half of this year; judging by the timing, he should be due to visit there soon."
Ye Qing's frown grew deeper as, in the past two years, the Beggar King still went to visit General Tawang in the Golden Triangle—certainly something was amiss.
Ye Qing further inquired Lin Tianhao about several matters, but Lin Tianhao didn't know much. However, he kept pleading with Ye Qing to help him find out the truth behind Lin Yaqing's murder. After Lin Tianhao was imprisoned, Lin Yaqing was the person who cared for him the most. Therefore, even if it meant setting aside his own pride, he was determined to avenge Lin Yaqing.
Upon leaving the prison, Ye Qing went straight back to Tian Sheng, but his mind was still pondering over the matters Lin Tianhao had mentioned. With General Tawang having fallen, it certainly wasn't possible that the Beggar King was simply paying him a visit. So where had the Beggar King been going on his yearly trips? Moreover, the Beggar King had the strength to confront Huangfu Ziyu, but who was backing him?
Ye Qing was filled with doubts. The lead on Xu Dingjiang had been cut off, but now new developments regarding the Beggar King were cropping up, leaving him feeling overwhelmed. Yet, he had no choice but to ponder the connections between these events, for he vaguely felt that they might be linked. Otherwise, Lin Yaqing wouldn't have set up a trap in Tianhui City to ensnare Black Bear and his crew.
Could the Beggar King be involved in this affair as well?
If that was the case, then Ye Qing had found a new lead—the Beggar King!
After contemplating in his office for a long time, Ye Qing suddenly stood up and called Black Bear Mad Dog Yue Peng and the others in.
In the afternoon, the three had selected men, now each holding a list in their hands. They had identified individuals who were rather sharp and skilled. More than thirty people had been gathered, ready to follow Ye Qing to Tianhui City at a moment's notice.
"Big Brother, we've gathered everyone; when are we setting off?" Yue Peng, excited, asked as soon as he entered. After the setback they had faced in Tianhui City, he had been itching for a chance at payback. Naturally, he was thrilled that Ye Qing was personally leading them back.
Ye Qing spoke in a grave tone, "We set off immediately!"
"What?" Now it was the turn of the three men to be surprised; Ye Qing was acting decisively and swiftly.
"Prepare the cars, we leave now!" Ye Qing grabbed his coat and threw it over his shoulders, commanding firmly, "Also, call Li and have him send another three hundred men. They must arrive in Tianhui City by dawn!"
"Captain, three hundred men?" Black Bear was moved and asked, "What are we going to do exactly?"
"Big Brother, are you planning to turn Tianhui City upside down?" Yue Peng's eyes widened in shock as well.
Only Mad Dog, true to his name, showed little surprise and seemed quite excited instead.
"I am going to turn Tianhui City upside down!" Ye Qing's voice was stern. "If I don't act, so be it, but once I do, I'll completely eradicate the Beggar King, making sure he cannot stand in Tianhui City!"
The three exchanged glances, each slightly shocked. Ye Qing's approach was extremely forceful, intending to root out the Beggar King in one go. Did he have such deep-seated hatred?
"Big Brother, the Beggar King has been established in Tianhui City for a long time, and he has many underlings. Even if Li sends three hundred men to aid us, we probably won't be able to eradicate him completely!" said Yue Peng in a low voice. "The Beggar King still has a strong influence there!"
"Don't worry, I have a plan!" Ye Qing said. "The three hundred men Li is sending are not for fighting to the death, but for cleaning up the battlefield and dealing with the aftermath!"
"What?" The three were even more astonished. Yue Peng's eyes bulged as he asked, "Then... who's going to fight it out with them? Just the thirty-some of us?"
"Enough talk, let's go!" Ye Qing slapped the table and led the way out of the office first.
The three exchanged looks again but still followed Ye Qing. They trusted him completely—whether facing throngs of enemies or charging into a sea of flames led by Ye Qing, they would have no fear!
Black Bear shared a car with Ye Qing and as soon as they got in, Ye Qing dialed the home number of Liu Changping. It was late, and Liu Changping's cell phone was switched off; calling his home was most appropriate.
During these days, Liu Changping had also returned from Xishan City to Dongzhou; Liu Guiting and Xiao Ding Ding were taken along. Furthermore, Lin Dade's family was brought to Dongzhou. Uncle Zhou's daughter had opened a furniture store, and Lin Dade and his wife now managed the store's supply and delivery, earning much more than they had in Xishan City. Above all, they didn't have to endure others' mistreatment, which was their greatest joy.
As for Liu Guiting, being brought back home by Liu Changping and embraced by his wife, she felt an even greater care than from Liu Changping himself, finally experiencing the warmth of family. However, her health was still frail, and after some rest, she would also help out at the furniture store, securing a rather stable job for herself.