Chapter 122: Preparation

Although Monk Wei possessed considerable skill, he had never learned how to put it to proper use. He was always getting into trouble, and by chance he joined a gang of tomb raiders, embarking on a career in grave robbing. Later, when the spoils were divided unfairly, Monk Wei lost his temper and injured several of the others. Taking the valuables and money with him, he broke away and became a lone tomb raider. He was genuinely capable, and in his youth he had been fearless and willing to fight for his chances. Before long, he made a great name for himself in the trade. For a time, he was famous throughout the underworld, bringing up several highly lucrative tombs, making a fortune, and establishing an operation of his own.

Later, after offending several powerful factions—including members of the Four Gates—he was framed and sent to prison, where he spent five years. Even so, thanks to his former reputation, he remained well regarded in the trade after his release. He had met Black Sunglasses during a tomb raid, and when Black Sunglasses saved his life, Monk Wei accepted him as a friend. The two had kept in touch ever since, helping each other whenever necessary.

My impression of Monk Wei was that he was loyal and straightforward. He said whatever was on his mind and never concealed anything. People like that were the easiest to deal with. I had always admired him from the bottom of my heart, and even when I called him “Big Brother,” it had gradually become sincere.

We drank quite a lot of beer—so much that I lost count. In the end, Monk Wei asked what I planned to do next and advised me, “Little Brother, judging by your appearance, you haven’t been in this trade very long. If you ask me, you’ve already made quite a haul this time. While you’re still young and have so much money in your hands, you ought to start an honest business. Let me tell you, the longer you stay in this trade, the more addicted you become, and the harder it is to stop. By the time you truly want to quit, it’ll already be too late. Listen to your older brother—when the time comes to stop, stop as soon as you can.”

I gave a bitter smile. I could tell that he meant those words sincerely and truly had my best interests at heart. But I said nothing. After a brief silence, I lifted another bottle of beer and drank it down in great gulps. When I set the bottle aside, I smiled and said, “Big Brother Wei, I understand what you’re saying, and I can take it to heart. But there are still a few things I have to do. I can’t tell you the reason for now, but I’m really not doing this for money. Do you believe me?”

“Believe you? Of course I do! Hahaha. Your older brother understands. There were plenty of times when I wasn’t doing it for money either. All right, enough about that. Don’t worry—I’ve accepted you as a friend. If anything comes up in the future, come to me!”

At that, a thought suddenly struck me, and I asked, “Big Brother Wei, to be honest, I really am going away this time. I don’t know whether you’ll believe me, but I’m going to save someone. I’ll be leaving tomorrow night.”

Monk Wei asked where I was headed. I told him Yunnan. Then he asked how he could help. I hesitated, but in the end I decided to trust him.

“I need to acquire some equipment. There may be danger on this trip. You know how the equipment sold on the open market is only meant for expeditions. If something really happens, we’ll need to get our hands on something else.”

Before I could finish, Monk Wei made a gesture telling me to stop. He understood everything. Then he narrowed his eyes and fell silent for a moment.

“How about this? Before noon tomorrow, I’ll send a message to your phone. Once you arrive, call the number in it. As long as you’re somewhere in Yunnan, the equipment will be delivered directly to you. But you’ll have to take care of the money yourself.”

I was instantly delighted. “No problem. Of course I will.”

I agreed without hesitation. With someone willing to make the arrangements, the equipment problem was solved. As for the money, I was not worried in the slightest. A large sum would be coming into my hands tomorrow, and together with what I already had, I could honestly say I was in no shortage of cash.

Monk Wei continued, “Little Brother, helping you is only right. I’ve accepted you as a friend, after all. If you wanted me to go with you, that wouldn’t be impossible either. Unfortunately, I have business to attend to here and can’t leave the capital. Still, you can’t go handle things without anyone at your side. How about this? If you’re willing, once you get there, I can ask around and put you in touch with a few young hands. Maybe I can arrange some manpower for you. But naturally, they’ll cost money. You can negotiate the price when the time comes. Whether you use them or not is up to you.”

I smoked as I considered Monk Wei’s suggestion. Having a few people to help me would obviously be ideal, and I did not mind spending the money. The problem was the quality of the people he could find—their character, their skills, and every other aspect of their capabilities.

Still, Monk Wei had said that those who took such work were generally of a high standard. Otherwise, they would never have entered the trade. Most of them were experienced tomb raiders, with nothing lacking in either skill or experience. This line of work had existed for a very long time, and many prominent tomb-raiding families regularly hired such groups. The prices were high, but the arrangement was convenient. They were paid to get a job done, so naturally they put their hearts into it. That was how they made their living.

After thinking it over, I realized that this trip could not really be called tomb raiding. I was only going to find someone. But Li Ling might well have been taken by force, and conflict was therefore unavoidable. If matters reached that point, it would be very difficult for me to manage alone. No matter how good the equipment was, it would be useless without enough people to use it. Besides, my current situation was extremely precarious. I had already offended two of the Four Gates, and they were searching for me everywhere, even following me. Having a few helpers by my side would give me considerably more peace of mind.

So I told Monk Wei that he could help me find a few capable men and that money was no issue. In addition to finding people locally, however, I also wanted to bring a few with me from the capital. Monk Wei readily agreed. He told me that among the businesses he currently ran, one operation specialized in exactly this sort of service. The people under him were hired hands who needed to make a living, and he merely took a commission. In my case, he said, he would waive the commission and help me contact several reliable men.

Monk Wei had done me so many favors that it was obvious he was doing it entirely out of regard for Black Sunglasses. I felt somewhat embarrassed, so I considered giving him something in return. He scowled and gave me a sharp reprimand instead. It was clear that he was an exceptionally loyal man—the kind who, once he took a liking to you, would do anything for you.

That night, Monk Wei drove me back to his residence. It was an auto-repair shop, at least on the surface. Only after entering did I discover that there was far more to it than met the eye. The inner courtyard was filled with warehouses, every one of them securely locked. Several burly men who plainly possessed extraordinary fighting skills patrolled the premises.

I did not ask what was stored inside the warehouses, and of course Monk Wei did not volunteer the information.