Chapter 408 - The Chemistry Teacher and the Box (1/2)

Zhang Heng grabbed the car key from Fox, and together with Little Boy, went up to the second bas.e.m.e.nt of the parking lot.

“Can you really tell if a woman is really jealous or just pretending?” he asked her as they approached a black Volkswagen Transporter that had seen better days.

Opening the creaky door, Zhang Heng slid into the driver’s seat, moved it to his position, and adjusted the rear-view mirror.

“No, why would I bother myself with such trivial matters?”

“I only said it to make him feel bad. Anyway, there’s no actual way to verify such things,” Little Boy said, “hey, do you really know how to drive?”

“It feels bizarre to have to answer the same question twice,” Zhang Heng replied

“It’s not too late to give up now. It’s better to admit defeat than to put on an act and then get caught later.”

“Yes, yes. I’ll try not to let the cat out of the bag.”

Zhang Heng started the car, and forty-five minutes later, the Volkswagen pulled up below a bridge. Under the glare of its headlights, a figure could be seen pacing anxiously by the pier.

Zhang Heng stopped the car, a little taken aback. Since it was a black job, he expected his employer to be someone from the underworld, but the man before him looked like a regular person in his forties or fifties. He was slightly bloated, had a slick of oily hair but was clean-shaven. With the frumpy windbreaker he had put on, he looked somewhat petrified.

Instead of climbing in right away, the man asked apprehensively, “Is this the car to the laundromat?”

“I’m sorry, the laundromat is closed,” Zhang Heng replied. It matched the agreed-upon code, and the man heaved a huge sigh of relief when he heard those words. He opened the car door and climbed into the front pa.s.senger seat. “Thank G.o.d, you’re finally here, I was so worried I nearly died,” he stammered nervously. He carried a cardboard box close to his chest, and it was evident that it was very important to him. He had his arms wrapped tightly around the package as it was the most precious thing in the world, not loosening his grip even as he settled down in his seat. “Where are we headed to?” The man gave Zhang Heng an address of a remote location, a place quite a drive away from where they were. Unfamiliar with the city, Zhang Heng did not react when he saw the address, but Little Boy’s brows furrowed when she heard where they were headed.

“Why are you going into the Albanian’s territory?”

“That, uhh…” The man wiped the beads of sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand, not knowing what to say.

“Is there a problem?” Zhang Heng asked. “Those guys are big-time criminals. They are inextricably linked to the red-light district business in the city, smuggling and tricking girls from their own country into coming here in the name of working abroad. They would then turn on them, keep them captive, before forcing them to provide services to men. Sometimes, they would even prey on female tourists who are traveling alone, planting good-looking members of their community at airports or train stations to strike up conversations with the girls. After they’ve gathered the target’s information, they decide whether or not to make a move. On top of that, they are also involved in other criminal activities—you’ll basically find them when there is money to be made.”

“I… I have some business with them,” the man stammered.

“It’s unwise to make the Albanians your business partner,” Little Boy said to the man. She then turned to Zhang Heng. “This is too dangerous. I suggest that we abort this job,” she said.