novelsite Chapter 37 Mr. Zhou
Chapter 37 Mr. Zhou
Zhang Yiqiang took the photo and squinted to examine it closely. The photo was blurry, but the car's outline did resemble the style of the Iron Hand gang. If that's the case... then it really was that bastard Wolf who did it.
But Zhang Yiqiang felt something was off. It was too obvious, too deliberate. It was like someone was deliberately pointing the clues towards the Iron Hand Gang.
"Keep investigating." Zhang Yiqiang tossed the photo back onto the table, tapping his fingers on the surface. "But don't just focus on the Iron Hand Gang. Investigate other possibilities, especially... whether there have been any unusual projects recently, those using large quantities of steel and special materials."
The subordinate nodded and withdrew. Zhang Yiqiang sat alone in the room, turning his wheelchair to the window and looking out at the deep night. His warehouse had been burned down, and the batch of special composite armor plates he had painstakingly acquired from Eastern Europe had vanished—a devastating loss. If it was the Iron Hand Gang, then war would break out, a fight to the death. But if not… then things were complicated.
He picked up the satellite phone, hesitated for a few seconds, and then dialed an encrypted number.
The phone rang six times before being answered. A slightly hoarse but unusually calm voice came from the other end, devoid of emotion: "So late, what's up?"
"Mr. Zhou, I'm sorry to disturb your rest." Zhang Yiqiang unconsciously straightened his back, his voice carrying just the right amount of respect. "I've encountered a situation here and need to report it to you."
Mr. Zhou on the other end of the phone was one of the key figures in the Huaqing Gang in Western Europe. He had deep roots and acted discreetly, but his skills and influence far surpassed those of someone like Zhang Yiqiang. He hummed in agreement, indicating that he allowed Zhang Yiqiang to continue.
"My warehouse, number one in the east of the city, was set on fire last night." Zhang Yiqiang tried to keep his account concise and objective. "The losses were considerable. A batch of 'hard goods' that had just arrived at the port and hadn't even been unpacked yet were all gone. There were some traces left at the scene... At first glance, it looks like the work of the Iron Hand gang's Wolf."
"The Iron Hand? Wolf?" Mr. Zhou's voice was devoid of any emotion. Instead, he asked a seemingly unrelated question, "Have you offended him recently? Have you taken something from his business?"
"No, absolutely not." Zhang Yiqiang immediately denied it. "We've always kept to ourselves. I've never had anything to do with his loan sharking and underground casino businesses."
"That's strange then," Mr. Zhou said slowly, the soft clinking of teacups in the background adding to the noise. "Wolf is greedy, but not stupid. Without sufficient incentive, he won't bother with my people, especially those 'sensitive' items in your warehouse. Getting into trouble won't do him any good."
These words coincided with Zhang Yiqiang's own suspicions. "Mr. Zhou, you are wise. That's why I also find it strange, as if someone is deliberately muddying the waters. That's why I wanted to ask you if there's anything unusual... 'rumors' circulating underground lately? It might not be directed at me, but it could be related to the batch of goods I lost."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, broken only by soft breathing. After about half a minute, Mr. Zhou spoke again, his voice lowered: "There have always been rumors, but recently... there have been a few that seem a bit different. Whether it's directly related to your lost goods, I can't say for sure."
Zhang Yiqiang held his breath: "Please give me your guidance."
"Two things," Mr. Zhou said succinctly. "First, there are a few Ukrainians from the north, led by a guy named Andrei. He used to be a tough guy in the 'Eastern Battalion,' and he has seven or eight brothers, all veterans who have seen blood. They probably smuggled themselves in about three months ago, hoping to get some security or 'cleaning' jobs to establish themselves, but somehow they got into a fight with the Iron Hand. Wolf thinks they've stolen his business, or maybe he just doesn't like these Slavs, so he's looking for them all over Berlin, making quite a fuss."
A Ukrainian veteran? Zhang Yiqiang noted it down, but felt it had little to do with his goods.
"The second thing," Mr. Zhou changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat enigmatic, "is a bit interesting. I've heard through some channels that not only civilian warehouses, but also some official warehouses and military technical archives with low security levels have recently had 'thefts'. What was stolen wasn't cash or jewelry, but some... design drafts for special vehicle modifications, non-core composite armor parameters, and some restricted military-grade material procurement lists."
Zhang Yiqiang's heart skipped a beat. Special vehicle modification blueprints? Military material specifications? These, along with the missing composite armor plates and bulletproof glass, subtly pointed to the same purpose!
"Mr. Zhou, do you mean there might be another group of people systematically collecting these things? Not for resale, but for... their own use?" Zhang Yiqiang asked tentatively.
"I didn't say that," Mr. Zhou denied, his tone revealing a clear implication. "I'm just telling you that the undercurrents are more complex than they appear. Your warehouse might just be a scale accidentally brushed off by some big fish swimming by. As for whether that fish wants to grow a new suit of armor or arm a small team... that's hard to say."
He paused, then his tone shifted to a warning: "So, my advice is, if you're sure it's the Iron Hand Gang, then act quickly and decisively. If you're not sure, then pull your fist back, see clearly before you strike. Don't become someone else's scout or even a bullet in a situation where things are unclear."
"I understand, thank you for the advice, Mr. Zhou." Zhang Yiqiang knew that this meant Mr. Zhou was indicating that he would not directly intervene, but would allow him to handle the matter within a certain scope.
"Hmm." Mr. Zhou seemed to be about to end the call, but then casually asked, "By the way, what was the original buyer like for that batch of Eastern European goods you lost?"
Zhang Yiqiang's back was slightly sweaty: "It was an anonymous client introduced by an intermediary. He prepaid 30%, had high demands, but paid readily. As per protocol, I didn't investigate the source or destination." He concealed the fact that Wang Zhengyang had seen some of the samples; his intuition told him that information needed to be filtered in front of Mr. Zhou.
"Anonymous...prepaid..." Mr. Zhou repeated these two words softly. A very soft, ambiguous chuckle came from the receiver. "Alright, you know what you're doing. Handle things properly and clean up the mess. Berlin may seem free, but there are plenty of eyes lurking in the shadows. Don't let the fire spread to the wrong places."
"Don't worry, I will handle it properly," Zhang Yiqiang immediately assured him.
The call ended, and a busy tone rang. Zhang Yiqiang slowly put down the receiver, his face appearing even more somber in the dim light of the desk lamp. Mr. Zhou's attitude was clear: he tacitly allowed him to investigate, and even provided some directions, but he would never directly offer protection or resources. Everything depended on himself.
Moreover, Mr. Zhou revealed a great deal of information. The conflict between Ukrainian veterans' groups and the Iron Hand gang may only be street-level chaos. However, the abnormal loss of military technical data, combined with the theft of special materials from their own warehouses that require professional blueprints and parameters to be used effectively... points to a more planned and targeted behind-the-scenes player.
He picked up his pen again and added a few more words next to the keywords he had written down earlier:
[Warehouse fire], [Lost armor plates], [Military blueprints lost], [Ukrainian mercenary Andriy], [Iron Hand gang pursuit].
These scattered points seem to be connected by a faint, underlying thread. Someone in Berlin is systematically gathering military-grade supplies, technology… and perhaps even personnel with combat experience?
This thought sent a chill down Zhang Yiqiang's spine. If that were true, the other party's scheme was definitely not small. His warehouse was probably one of the carefully chosen targets.
"Someone come here!" he shouted in a deep voice towards the door.
His trusted subordinate immediately pushed open the door and entered: "Boss."
"Adjust the direction of the investigation." Zhang Yiqiang's speech quickened, a cold glint in his eyes. "First, investigate the specific details of the conflict between the Iron Hand Gang and that group of Ukrainians. I need to know what they're fighting over, or why Wolf is so determined to eliminate those people. Second..."
He paused, then pointed heavily at the words "special vehicles": "Go through every vehicle modification project in and around Berlin, including all recent large-scale projects, especially those involving heavy chassis and special reinforcement! Whether it's a private garage or a legitimate factory, don't miss a single one!"
"Understood!" Sensing the seriousness in his boss's tone, the subordinate solemnly accepted the order and quickly left.
Silence returned to the room. Zhang Yiqiang turned his wheelchair and faced the window again. Beneath the dazzling night view of Berlin, an undercurrent surged. He could almost feel a colossal entity hidden in the darkness, breathing and growing slowly and methodically, and he had just been unintentionally (or intentionally?) touched by it.
"No matter who you are..." Zhang Yiqiang stared at his blurry reflection in the glass, his voice icy, "Taking my things as a bride price will come at a price."
The night grew deeper, swallowing the light and concealing even more secrets.
Inside the massive warehouse of an abandoned marshalling yard on the outskirts of Berlin, the arc light from welding is still blinding, and the clanging and rubbing of metal sounds like a tireless concerto. The steel skeleton of the Longyuan is being covered day by day by thick "muscles" and "skin".
Wang Zhengyang stood in the modification area of the twelfth carriage at the rear of the train, supervising the welding of the base of the large explosion-proof diesel storage tank. His mechanical affinity subtly unfolded as he sensed the uniformity and strength of the weld. Almost simultaneously, as if sensing something, he looked up in the general direction of downtown Berlin.
Zhang Yiqiang's confusion and investigation, Mr. Zhou's vague warning, the conflict between the Iron Hand Gang and the Ukrainian mercenary group... these ripples stirred up by his own actions are all spreading in the expected direction within the calculations of his massive computational model.
He wasn't worried that these ripples would affect him. All the overt clues had been carefully crafted and guided, pointing to the pre-set fog. The true core—this steel behemoth undergoing transformation, and the heavy mission it carried—remained deeply hidden in the most inconspicuous shadows, growing silently with astonishing efficiency.
Night was his best curtain. And time was his most lethal weapon.
Wang Zhengyang withdrew his gaze and refocused on the welding quality before him. His eyes, illuminated by the leaping sparks, were as calm as a deep pool, yet seemed to hold a torrent of cold metal surging at its bottom, waiting to break through all constraints, crush all obstacles, and steadfastly sail towards the East that must be reached.
The revival of the Longyuan has entered an irreversible countdown.