Chapter Thirty-One: Caught?

Inside this locked drawer, there wasn’t just Gao Ming’s notebook for keeping records, but also some miscellaneous items and cash. Originally, Zhang Ye had intended to simply take the notebook; as for the few hundred yuan in cash, he didn’t care for it at all.

However, a sudden thought struck him—if Gao Ming noticed his notebook missing but the money was left untouched, he would surely become suspicious. That would put Zhang Ye at a disadvantage. After all, his uncle still carried some weight in Lihua County. In his previous life, it was only thanks to his uncle’s intervention that Gao Ming’s predicament was smoothed over.

With this in mind, Zhang Ye quickly grabbed the money as well, and picked out a few small items before closing the drawer.

“Meow—meow—” Suddenly, a peculiar cat’s cry came from outside the door.

Zhang Ye’s brow furrowed, and a trace of nervousness crept into his heart. “Could Gao Ming be coming back already?” The cat’s cry was the signal they’d agreed upon earlier, so hearing Liu Guangxiang use it now meant there must be a situation outside.

Realizing this, Zhang Ye hurriedly stepped out of Gao Ming’s bedroom. After making sure there were no obvious traces left behind, he closed the door and walked quickly upstairs.

Suddenly, Zhang Ye paused, listening closely to the sounds outside the door. He turned and swiftly retraced his steps, returning the key to its hiding place under the rug, ensuring its position was almost unchanged.

The longer it took for the theft to be discovered, the more time he would have to maneuver. Zhang Ye believed that even if he couldn’t send Gao Ming to jail this time, the outcome wouldn’t be any worse than in his previous life.

A faint click reached Zhang Ye’s ears—the sound of Gao Ming unlocking the iron door. He silently cursed and, moving as lightly as a wildcat, sped up the stairs without making a sound.

Yet, just as Zhang Ye was about to disappear at the top of the stairs, Gao Ming had already opened the front door and stepped inside.

Fortunately, thanks to the dim lighting, Gao Ming didn’t notice him. Even so, Zhang Ye was drenched in cold sweat. If Gao Ming caught him here, it would be no small matter. With his vindictive nature, he would surely use this as leverage against Wang Mengzi, if not call the police on the spot.

Upstairs, Zhang Ye didn’t dare act rashly. He crept onto the balcony and listened intently for several minutes. Once he confirmed that Gao Ming had entered his bedroom, Zhang Ye stretched his body, then leapt down.

As he jumped, to lessen the impact and avoid making any noise, Zhang Ye didn’t care if he got himself dirty—he bent his knees and rolled forward, absorbing the force.

Finishing the roll, Zhang Ye quickly got to his feet. The momentum hadn’t fully dissipated, but instead of lingering, he used it to take a long stride, pushed off with his legs, and vaulted over the courtyard wall.

“What was that sound?” At that moment, Gao Ming happened to step out of his bedroom, only two meters from the door. The sound Zhang Ye made as he jumped was very faint, but at such close range, Gao Ming caught it.

With just a wall between them, only two steps apart, Zhang Ye slipped over the wall as Gao Ming emerged. “Is there something wrong with my hearing too?” Gao Ming’s expression darkened. After being beaten by Zhang Ye the day before, he had gone straight to the hospital for a check-up. His shattered glasses had injured his eye—not seriously, but enough to cast a shadow over his mind. The memory of Zhang Ye’s fist crashing into his head still echoed, and he wondered if he should return to the hospital for another examination.

This dazed, muddled state of mind cost him his last chance to catch Zhang Ye.

...

“Monkey, what were you looking at? Gao Ming was almost at the door before you noticed him. Are you trying to get Brother Ye killed?” Liu Guangxiang shoved the somewhat frail Chen Fang, his expression sour.

It was supposed to be Chen Fang’s job to keep watch at the intersection, but Gao Ming had nearly reached him before Chen Fang ran over to give the warning. They’d had almost no time to prepare—Zhang Ye was still inside at that point. The thought made them both tense and resentful.

“Brother Xiang, I really didn’t mean it. When he was walking over, his back was to the sun—I only recognized his face when he got close. It really wasn’t my fault, I wasn’t slacking off.” Chen Fang’s face was filled with misery. The idea that Zhang Ye could be caught because of him left him both mortified and afraid.

Although Liu Wentao wasn’t an underworld figure, his words carried more weight than most bosses. Now that he was making money and had influence, it would be all too easy for him to make trouble.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.” Having jumped over the wall, Zhang Ye glanced around and quickly spotted Liu Guangxiang and Chen Fang hiding in the corner. Hearing Chen Fang’s explanation, he spoke up at once.

Although the incident had been nerve-wracking, nothing bad had happened. He had no intention of blaming Chen Fang. Besides, the others had helped out—he couldn’t justify making things difficult for them.

“Brother Ye, we’re sorry, we—” Despite having scolded Chen Fang earlier, Liu Guangxiang was loyal enough to shoulder the blame now that it mattered.

Gratefully, Chen Fang added, “I’m sorry, Brother Ye. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been in such danger.” He looked at Zhang Ye anxiously, and when Zhang Ye met his gaze, he quickly dropped his head.

“I’m fine, I told you, you’re not to blame.” Zhang Ye patted Chen Fang’s shoulder and, smiling, handed the few hundred yuan he’d taken from Gao Ming’s drawer to Liu Guangxiang. “Thanks for today. Here’s some money for you two—buy yourselves some cigarettes.” With that, he headed back down the road, not giving them a chance to refuse.

“Brother Ye, that’s too much. Really, we didn’t do much…” Liu Guangxiang stared in shock, then hurried after him.

Five hundred yuan was a huge sum for them—even factory leaders might not earn that much in a month. For Zhang Ye to give it so readily moved Liu Guangxiang deeply, but also made him uneasy.

“I, Zhang Ye, never take back what I’ve given. If you insist on refusing, then don’t come looking for me next time.” Zhang Ye’s expression turned cold.

Hearing this, Liu Guangxiang froze, then clutched the bills tightly, a strange light sparking in his eyes.

Chen Fang was elated—five hundred yuan was more than a year’s worth of pocket money for him. Even if he had to share half with Liu Guangxiang, it was still plenty—enough to keep him living comfortably for a long time. Thinking of Xiao Cui at the salon, he was so excited he could barely stand it. “Following Brother Ye really means having money to spend.” He felt luck was truly on his side today.