Chapter 6, Conspiracy
It turned out that after Qiao Si and his companions were taken away by their families that day, Huang Tingli, due to his tight-lipped nature, refused to admit guilt, insisting that he was merely drunk and had accidentally walked into the wrong door, claiming he was not a thief at all. The officers knew full well that this was merely a pretext, but they were at a loss due to insufficient evidence. After employing all forms of torture without any results, they found themselves unable to convict him. Later, some of Huang Tingli's thieving friends intervened on his behalf, and on a night of heavy snow and wind, Huang Tingli, who had been tortured to the point of being unrecognizable, was thrown out by the officers like a dead dog.
Although Huang Tingli's residence is not much better than that of Xiao Ke, it is indeed abundant in fine tobacco, good wine, and plenty of meat. The three of them, like wolves and tigers, devoured the meat and drank the wine heartily. Ignoring Huang Tingli's pained expression, they resolutely implemented the three-light policy: eat all, drink all, smoke all.
"What trouble have you three gotten into again, acting so sneaky?" Huang Tingli, who had just been released, did not learn from his lesson. After hastily bandaging his wounds, he ran out to commit another crime, which is why the reaction was so intense when the three suddenly appeared
Although I am a thief, I have principles. I never steal from the poor, nor from farmers, nor from women and children. I only steal from the wealthy, from high officials, so I am a chivalrous thief, not an ordinary one
Huang Tingli, fifteen years old this year, is an orphan. Although his age is similar to that of Qiao Si and others, he possesses rich criminal experience, is loyal to his friends, and is audacious. His lifelong ambition is to become the king of thieves. Many years later, Huang Tingli finally unified the world of theft, becoming the only true and genuine king of thieves. However, the price he paid for this was one of his legs. No need to guess; he is the infamous Chinese crime lord known as the Northeast Yellow Lame Man.
Hey, you guys found the right person by coming to me. Do you know what nickname I have
Once upon a time, getting into university was the lifelong dream of Xiao Ke, but now, everything is over. Xiao Ke is not a strong man; on the contrary, his character is quite fragile and easily hurt. The pain he has been suppressing for many days erupts at this moment without reservation. He kneels in the snow, repeatedly pounding the thick layer of snow with his fists, crying out loud, his tears mingling with the snow, dissipating in the merciless snowfall.
The drinking capacity of the three individuals is not very good; they belong to the type that is fine when not drinking, but once they start, they quickly become incapacitated. After consuming 2 jin of white liquor, Hao Quezi's eyes have turned bloodshot, revealing the true nature of a desperate man
After consuming one jin of white liquor, all three felt a bit thirsty, so they began to take a sip of liquor, followed by a sip of cold water, using the water to wash down the liquor
Come, let us have a drink to warm ourselves up
After the venting on m.hetushu.com, the three felt much more at ease, and the alcohol had somewhat worn off. Once they regained their clarity, they immediately began discussing how to take revenge on Zhang Tao. Hao Quezi still advocated for directly going to his door with knives, and this time, Xiao Ke and Qiao Si did not oppose, raising their hands in agreement. However, although the three were young, they understood the principle that taking a life requires paying with one's own life, and debts must be repaid. Murder is not a trivial crime, especially when the victim is a leading official; one misstep could lead to all three facing execution. With this thought in mind, the three sighed in despair and fell silent with their eyes closed.
After a hearty meal and drinks, the four of them, satisfied, smoked cigarettes, burped contentedly, and fell asleep on Huang Tingli's narrow wooden bed
Qiao Si was startled by Huang Tingli, breaking into a cold sweat, and with a grim expression, he recounted the intentions of the three. After listening to their account, Huang Tingli was thoroughly enraged, and thus the four of them quickly reached a consensus to jointly teach Zhang Tao and his son a lesson. The four unruly youths emulated the oath of brotherhood from the Three Kingdoms, pledging allegiance to one another. Qiao Si, being the eldest, took the role of the big brother, followed by Hao Quezi as the second, Huang Tingli as the third, and Xiao Ke as the fourth. When Huang Tingli learned that the three were being so cautious to avoid being discovered, he nearly fainted from anger, clutching his stomach and laughing heartily. He then carefully provided the three with ideological education, explaining the stories of 'covering one's ears while stealing a bell' and 'there's no silver here worth three hundred taels.' After hearing the stories, Qiao Si and the others expressed great admiration for the third brother's criminal insights, showering him with praise.
After careful discussion and research by the three individuals, it was decided that the task of gathering information about Huang Tingli would be entrusted to Xiao Ke. After all, he is currently associated with the boss and can be considered somewhat of a person in the field, which gives him a bit of face.
A feeling of nausea surged in the hearts of Qiao Si and the other two, and all three simultaneously gave Huang Tingli the middle finger in their minds. However, seeing Huang Tingli's serious expression, the three were indeed somewhat taken aback.
"Damn, it's terrifying to be scared by someone; I thought it was the police coming to arrest me again." Huang Tingli let out a sigh of relief and put down the kitchen knife
The crackling sound of burning wood echoed in the room. The cast iron stove radiated intense heat, glowing red. A blackened kettle filled with low-quality bulk white liquor was placed on the stove, boiling hot, with the strong aroma of the liquor continuously wafting from the kettle, permeating the cramped space, giving one a sense of inebriation even before taking a sip
Hao Quezi, with red eyes, suddenly spat out this sentence through gritted teeth. As soon as he finished speaking, Qiao Si and Xiao Ke, both flushed and sweating, immediately expressed their strong support. Thus, the three of them exchanged words, quickly fueled by the effects of alcohol, subjected Zhang Tao to a thorough verbal assault, condemning all the male members of his family from ancestors to descendants, and violating all the females.
As dawn broke, the intoxicated and bleary-eyed Qiao Si and the lame Hao struggled to get up and began their journey to school. The biting cold wind helped to sober them up considerably. Xiao Ke's efficiency in handling matters was quite high; by the time night fell and Qiao Si and Hao finished school, Xiao Ke had already inquired about Huang Tingli's address.
Damn it, if I don't slaughter Zhang Tao's entire family, I won't be able to swallow this anger
The wooden shed is very small and simple, barely enough for one person to live in. Inside the shed, there is only a wooden single bed, and not even a stool. The faint candlelight flickers from side to side, and Xiao Ke sits contentedly by the bed, roasting by the stove and drinking strong liquor. The sound of swallowing white liquor continuously emanates from the throats of the three men, and a worn-out teacup is passed around among Qiao Si and the others. Since Xiao Ke only has this one cup, the three of them naturally take turns drinking, one sip for you, one sip for me. The sound of swallowing white liquor continues to resonate from the throats of the three men, and a worn-out teacup is passed around among Qiao Si and the others. Since Xiao Ke only has this one cup, the three of them naturally take turns drinking, one sip for you, one sip for me. There is no food at all; although Xiao Ke is now with Ma Gangzi, he is merely a low-level thug, spending his days following the boss around, acting as a henchman, and at best, barely scraping by.
Qiao Si and the three of them exchanged glances and shook their heads simultaneously. Noticing the expressions of the three, Huang Tingli cleared his throat and said with a serious expression, "My nickname is 'King of Thieves'..."
Huang Tingli... Suddenly, Qiao Si's mind was filled with the image of Huang Tingli whistling and smoking.
The cold wind howled, continuously swirling the snow and rushing towards Qiao Si and the others. Standing in the snowstorm, Qiao Si and Hao Quezi exchanged glances, their big eyes staring at each other, unsure of what to say. Hao Quezi opened his mouth several times, wanting to offer words of comfort, but his throat moved up and down, and he could only open his mouth without uttering a single word. Qiao Si also did not know what to say; he merely squatted in front of Xiao Ke, helplessly patting Xiao Ke's shoulder, with everything left unspoken. Hao Quezi opened his mouth several times, wanting to offer words of comfort, but his throat moved up and down, and he could only open his mouth without uttering a single word. Qiao Si also did not know what to say; he merely squatted in front of Xiao Ke, helplessly patting Xiao Ke's shoulder, with everything left unspoken
At night, Xiao Ke skillfully led Qiao Si and Hao Quezi, ensuring that no one had seen them. They cautiously appeared before Huang Tingli. Huang Tingli, wrapped in bandages and drinking liquor in the room, was startled by the sudden appearance of the three and grabbed a nearby kitchen knife, ready to attack.
Upon hearing the praise, Huang Tingli felt as if he had floated up into the sky, nonchalantly exhaling smoke rings as he spoke with bravado
The night is deep, the wind continues to blow, and the snow is still falling. The snowflakes dance gracefully in the wind, creating a beautifully captivating scene. Qiao Si and the others quietly stay in the wooden shed arranged for Xiao Ke at the horse rack. This is Xiao Ke's new home; since he left school, he has been living here. He cannot return home, unable to face the tear-streaked faces of his parents and sister.
Huang Tingli's words echoed in Qiao Si's ears, prompting him to quickly discuss with Hao Quezi and Xiao Ke. Since none of the three could come up with a perfect idea, it would be better to invite Huang Tingli for a discussion.