Chapter 010: Wangjiang Tower

How much money do you have in your pockets? I want it all, hmm, ten cents each

As a result, the police became agitated and simply moved closer, aiming a gun directly at the forehead and pulling the trigger. Red and white splattered everywhere.

It is important to understand that execution by shooting is not the same as target practice, where one stands a mere three to five meters away to fire. In this instance, the police officer missed the first shot, hitting the criminal in the shoulder instead.

The chubby boy forced a smile and said: "I really don't have any more Yuan Datou coins. The last time I stole a few, my parents nearly beat me to death. I truly have none left!"

All game halls, video rental shops, book stalls, and other such "entertainment venues" are located on this street

Whether it is the cornea or the internal organs, they all have their value. How could one allow them to be damaged? Striking the forehead is the safest option.

Later, this matter came to the attention of Wan Quezi, who not only did not scold Ding Li but also praised him, saying: "You, young man, have finally come to your senses. How many of those little chubby ones are there? Buy them all for me. I will make you a copper coin sword. By the way, did you ask where these copper coins came from?"

Wàn Quézi's hand trembled, nearly causing him to jump up

The little chubby boy cheered and went to his home with Ding Li. Ding Li took note that it was indeed in the area of Wangjiang Tower. A sudden jolt ran through his mind; Wan Quezi had repeatedly advised him not to let him come to the Wangjiang Tower area, clearly for some reason. Could something really happen?

Every time the police execute a criminal, it is reminiscent of the beheadings in ancient times at the market, attracting many adults and children to run several miles to witness the spectacle

Ding Li was not there that day; he spent half the day in the video room watching recordings and was completely unaware. At that moment, upon hearing what the chubby boy said, Ding Li realized that he had missed out on the excitement

In just a few moments, they arrived at the home of the chubby boy, where the adults were all at work. This was for the best, as it spared them a lot of unnecessary talk

Ding Li sneered at it

Ding Li then said: "Who asked you about Yuan Datou? I am talking about the cave money, do you have the cave money?"

Ding Li then asked: "Have there been any recent events happening on your side?"

On that day, in the willow grove, the criminal was executed; the police officer carrying out the execution, whether due to nervousness or some other reason, missed the first shot

At that moment, the police officer was standing too close and was suddenly pounced on by the suspect, who was uncertain whether he was alive or dead. The officer was so startled that he was frozen in place, unable to move

Although watching a video for an entire afternoon costs only 0.5 yuan, one could also say that if you are willing, you can stay there for a whole day for the same price, and they do not clear the room at all, which is quite cheap. Ding Li has money and does not care about that 0.5 yuan, but he is very shrewd; why not take advantage of a bargain? If there are free videos to watch, why would he spend his own money?

However, this time something truly bizarre occurred; the criminal, who had a large hole in his forehead, surprisingly stood up again and lunged at the police officer who had fired the shot

Originally, Ding Li had this intention, but upon arriving at the arcade, he changed his mind

Regarding lies, Ding Li speaks without hesitation. He has deceived many, even adults, when fortune-telling for Wan Quezi, let alone these little brats.

Ding Li reached into his pocket and found only about 10 yuan. He decided to buy it, gritting his teeth.

This fellow does not know where he got so many copper coins, often using them secretly as game currency. Last time, he even took out a Yuan Shikai silver dollar and exchanged it with Ding Li for two pieces of money

Ding Li is certainly not here to play games; he has long found these broken games to be uninteresting. He is here to watch the recordings.

Ding Li said: "I asked, it is buried under Wangjiang Tower!"

The little chubby boy blinked, and his already small eyes looked even more like a slit: "What could possibly happen? Hey, Ding Ge, let me tell you. Last time in the willow grove, they executed a criminal. My goodness, I don't know how it happened, but he stood up even after he was dead..."

The police became even more anxious, and the second shot simply missed its target, with the bullet flying who knows where! It is easy to imagine that although the criminal's eyes were covered, he was so frightened at that moment that he wet his pants.

Ding Li listened to the chubby boy ramble on for quite a while before finally understanding. He couldn't help but feel a bit scared and asked, "What happened next?"

With a single shot, the white brain matter could splatter far away. Originally, these people had seen such things many times; even the little chubby boy had witnessed it more than once or twice.

Ding Li recalled the way Wan Quezi cherished that box of broken items, and he felt a bit moved inside. Could it be that those broken items are truly antiques? Are they treasures?

There was no later development. The police were stunned and were dragged into the car by others. Moreover, it was said that the criminal was already dead, which was a neurological reflex

At that time, there were at least twenty to thirty onlookers, each voicing their disapproval. The willow grove was, after all, remote, and not everyone was willing to follow the police car for several miles to witness a murder

Ding Li had such an idea; he pulled the chubby boy over and said: "Chubby, do you not have money to play games again?"

Things are valuable because they are rare, yet now the price of copper coins is cheaper than cow hair

The little chubby boy perked up; during the recent demolition of the old street, a large quantity of hidden money was unearthed. Initially, it was priced at one cent each, but later it was simply sold by the pound

Then the fat man perked up: "Yes, we have plenty of it. Brother Ding, what do you need that for? It's not worth much, is it?"

Ding Li scolded: "Why do I have to explain what I'm doing? To be honest with you, my godfather uses it for fortune-telling. Do you understand fortune-telling? It requires a hole-in-the-wall fee, right?"

The owners of those game halls generally invite Ding Li to watch a video or something if they want him to refrain from causing trouble. This is precisely Ding Li's objective

Why must the gun be aimed at the forehead? Because generally, when criminals are executed, their organs can be sold for tens of thousands of yuan, which can be considered a benefit for their families

The chubby boy took a bag from his own room and poured out a large pile of copper coins with a "clatter." Ding Lizhen was somewhat taken aback; such a large number of copper coins, even at ten cents each, would amount to quite a sum.

Because he saw a little chubby boy, who was nothing special, but his family had a lot of copper coins

In a small county town, executions are not a frequent occurrence, happening at most once every six months to a year. Just a few days ago, a criminal was executed in the willow grove, accused of murder and other crimes

The little chubby boy spoke in a disjointed manner, taking a long time to clarify his point. It turned out that at that time, the execution of criminals in the small county town did not take place at a courthouse, as there was no courthouse at all; it was conducted in a secluded grove by the riverside, a few miles away from Wangjiang Tower.

This small county town may appear dilapidated now, but during the Republic of China era, it was quite prosperous, reputed to be the second largest port after Hankou. The old street was once lined with traditional shops, beneath which countless ancient coins are buried. It was common for those collecting copper coins to gather them by the sackful, indicating their abundance

At that time, all the "entertainment industry" in the small county town, if it could be called an entertainment industry, was concentrated on a street called Cultural Street