Chapter 58

Yu Bai was just about to speak when Uncle Jiu suddenly opened his eyes and sat up from the massage chair. He stared at her with a half-smile and said, “Women are nothing but trouble. We came in and handed over our phones without a fuss, but you’ve been yapping nonstop. And you, Third Brother—you’re even serving her tea and apologizing? You…”

Qin Hua’s expression darkened, and he cut him off. “Uncle Jiu, say a few less words!”

His gaze then shifted back to Yu Bai, waiting for her response.

Yu Bai hadn’t truly expected Qin Hua to serve her tea and apologize, of course. It was just a way for both sides to save face. She nodded in agreement.

Qin Hua’s face softened, and he smiled as he patted Yu Bai’s shoulder. Beneath the gold-rimmed glasses that were more for show than anything, his light-colored irises dipped slightly. “As long as you’re not mad anymore, that’s good. You’re here to relax properly—get a foot massage, maybe a full body one. I guarantee you’ll feel refreshed tomorrow.”

With a gentle smile, Qin Hua asked, “How about it? Shall I call in one of the foot spa girls to give you a massage?”

Yu Bai lifted her eyelids and glanced across. Uncle Jiu was already flirting with one of the foot spa girls, his eyes roaming over the young woman while his restless hand settled on her waist. She pretended to swat him away, slapping his hand like she was brushing off dust, which only made the man chuckle endlessly.

The foot spa girl let out a couple of coquettish complaints before poking his foot sole in playful punishment.

Uncle Jiu’s body jerked straight at the jab, but his grin widened even more. “Ouch! Got a fiery temper, do you? I like that—haha!”

Yu Bai frowned slightly and looked away. “I don’t want a foot spa girl. Find me someone with real skill.”

Qin Hua arched a brow, a hint of amusement in the corner of his eye. He propped his right elbow on his thigh, leaning in closer. “Every foot spa girl in my shop is skilled. It just depends on what kind of skill you’re after.”

Yu Bai rolled her eyes at him with a smile.

“Alright, no more teasing.” Qin Hua straightened up, his face once again taking on that warm, refined scholarly air as his gentle smile returned. In a soft voice, he asked, “How about calling Sister Lin over? She’s been working in my shop for seven or eight years—totally professional.”

Seeing no objection from Yu Bai, he waved for one of the foot spa girls to go fetch her.

A few minutes later, the foot spa girl returned with a woman in her forties or fifties. Her hair was neatly coiled low, with a stray lock hanging by her ear. She had a kind face and stood somewhat awkwardly at the door. “Boss.”

Qin Hua beckoned her over and pointed toward Yu Bai as he introduced her. “This is Sister Lin. Her massage techniques are top-notch. Give it a try and see.”

Yu Bai nodded with a smile.

Half-closing her eyes as she reclined in the massage chair, Yu Bai savored the genuinely expert touch. Meanwhile, her mind quietly turned over Qin Hua’s intentions for the evening.

From the moment they’d arrived, he hadn’t mentioned a word of business. Now, he was chatting with Shao Ze about when the loquat trees in Los Angeles bore fruit.

On the other side of the room, Uncle Jiu was still flirting away with the foot spa girl. He was getting carried away in his excitement, drawing out one giggle after another from her.

Qin Hua was deep in conversation with Shao Ze when their laughter interrupted him. He laughed and cursed good-naturedly, “At your age, and you’ve still got that much energy? Aren’t you afraid the girls in my shop will leave you unable to get out of bed come morning?”

Uncle Jiu’s weathered hand caressed the foot spa girl’s face, giving it a couple of light pats as he grinned. “Don’t worry, Third Brother. Even if you threw in two more, your Uncle Jiu could handle them all!”

With that, his fingers suddenly tightened, gripping her jaw. The young woman winced and tried to pull away, struggling to sit up, but Uncle Jiu held firm.

He stared at her with ruthless eyes for a moment before looking up at Qin Hua with a smile. “I’m just afraid Third Brother’s too soft-hearted toward the fairer sex to let things get rough.”

Qin Hua’s gaze lowered briefly, and he let out an ambiguous chuckle before shrugging. “Carry on, then.”

He adjusted his glasses and turned to Yu Bai with a light smile. “How about I find someone to keep you company? You look awfully bored over there.”

Yu Bai closed her eyes for a second, then let out a soft chuckle through her nose. She sat up straight and waved him off. “Third Brother, don’t bother arranging anything for me. I just want a quiet foot massage. Besides…”

Her eyes flicked up slyly, and she trailed off there.

“Besides?” Qin Hua raised a brow, clearly intrigued.

But Yu Bai clearly intended to drop the topic. She merely smiled and said nothing more.

Qin Hua chuckled along with her. Just as the smile tugged at his lips, something occurred to him. He drew in a sharp breath and leaned back slightly, his neck arching as he spoke mildly, “Don’t tell me you’ve already gotten over your dry spell? That little policewoman who came to my bar the other day? She was awfully concerned about you.”

Yu Bai’s heart skipped a beat. She swallowed her surprise without a flicker and, while inwardly gauging Qin Hua’s angle, smiled and replied, “Third Brother, have mercy on me!”

Qin Hua’s smile remained as mild as ever, with no trace of probing in his eyes behind his glasses. He spoke indifferently, “It’s good to interact more with the police. Our future business will inevitably involve dealing with them. That was one reason I had you assist with the case last month.”

After hearing his words, Yu Bai felt a slight relief in her chest, but she didn’t dare lower her guard completely. Half-jokingly, she probed, “The little policewoman is nice to me, but I’m not one of their kind. It’s just for fun.”

She knew exactly what kind of person Qin Hua was—meticulous and cautious in everything he did. She figured that after that night at the bar, he had already sent someone to dig up every detail on Zhou Hui.

Her heart tightened as she weighed whether her previous words had temporarily dispelled his suspicions, all while maintaining a completely relaxed expression on her face.

A cryptic glint flashed in Qin Hua’s eyes, but he quickly masked it and smiled at her. “Just know your limits.”

Then, a mocking smile tugged at his lips as he straightened up a little and teased Yu Bai, “But after all these years, I’ve never heard of you liking women. What, after two years without a man, your tastes have changed?”

Yu Bai let out a slow breath. Her slender eyes curved slyly, a seductive smile blooming in her dark gaze as her red lips parted. “Women are fickle creatures, let alone their tastes.”

Qin Hua’s expression froze for a moment before he let out a helpless chuckle. “Fine, I admit I don’t understand women. As long as you’re happy.”

With the questioning over, Qin Hua looked away, lit a cigarette, and slowly exhaled a few rings of smoke. Finally, he grew serious. “Alright, we’ve chatted long enough. Time to talk business.” His gaze shifted as he instructed, “Sister Lin, take them out. You’re off duty for the night.”

Over on Uncle Jiu’s side, he was still reluctant to let go of the foot spa girl in his arms.

Qin Hua frowned slightly, his cool voice low and devoid of warmth as he looked at him. “That’s enough, Uncle Jiu.”

Uncle Jiu grinned awkwardly, finally releasing her with reluctance. He couldn’t resist giving her one last grope, his eyes following the women all the way to the door. He even craned his neck, unwilling to look away.

Qin Hua sighed helplessly. “Come on. Once this deal is done, what beauty couldn’t you have? Is one foot spa girl really worth all this lingering?”

Only then did Uncle Jiu give up. He rubbed his hands together with a hehe grin and asked Qin Hua, “So, what’s the deal this time? Third Brother gave us a few hints, but you’ve kept us in suspense for so long. It must be a big one!”

Qin Hua held the cigarette between his fingers, taking a slow drag. With his other hand, he mysteriously extended five fingers and smiled. “If we pull this off, we’ll make at least this much.”

Everyone’s spirits lifted at once.

Uncle Jiu leaned in excitedly, flashing a mouthful of yellow teeth as he grinned. “What kind of deal is this lucrative?”

A shadowy glint flickered in Qin Hua’s eyes as he smiled and uttered three words: “Heroin.”

Yu Bai’s eyelid twitched ominously.

Qin Hua’s mild voice rang out again. “Our old friend—Miao Deng—is out of prison.”

Miao Deng.

Yu Bai was all too familiar with that name.

Seven years ago, he had been one of the biggest drug lords in the Wa State area of Northern Myanmar, commanding an armed force of over a thousand men. He had long entrenched himself in the dense jungles surrounding Wa State.

Back then, folk drug trafficking in Wa State was rampant, creating an even larger market for international syndicates like Miao Deng’s.

Drugs had a huge market there.

After all, growing and trading narcotics was the primary source of funding for local militias. The government turned a blind eye, and some even colluded with the drug lords.

With over a hundred ethnic groups in the region, each more fierce than the last, rival factions fought endlessly over territory. In those days, anyone in Northern Myanmar could stroll down the street in a pair of flip-flops and stumble into a full-blown armed clash.

The hills weren’t planted with wheat or rice fields, but endless seas of poppy. Human trafficking, sex services, and illegal gambling were everywhere.

It was a living hell—and a paradise for drug lords.

Seven years ago, Miao Deng’s stronghold had been raided by Wu Guojiang, that two-faced traitor. He’d spent the next seven years obediently behind bars, and now he was finally out.

Yu Bai had been following the matter closely. She’d heard two days ago that Miao Deng had been released, but she hadn’t expected Qin Hua to make contact with him so quickly.

She composed herself and asked, “So what does Third Brother mean?”

Qin Hua lowered his gaze, methodically extinguishing his cigarette in the ashtray. He smiled at Yu Bai. “An old friend gets out of prison—you have to give him a proper welcome. We can’t leave him out in the cold alone, right?”

Yu Bai smiled faintly and nodded.

“When do we leave?”

“Tomorrow.” Qin Hua didn’t specify an exact time. He turned his gaze toward Uncle Jiu and pointed at him. “Uncle Jiu, you’re coming along too. Head back tonight and get everything ready. I’ll send someone to pick you up tomorrow.”

“Great!” Uncle Jiu slapped his thigh, unable to stay seated in the massage chair. He burst out laughing. “Excellent! Finally, some big business is coming our way. I’ve been so bored lately I’m about to grow moldy. If nothing turned up soon, I was planning to wash my hands of it all and retire early.”

Qin Hua laughed heartily as well. “Uncle Jiu, if you retired early, a third of my shops would have to shut down. You’re just one of those workaholics—keep at it a few more years before even thinking about hanging it up!”

Uncle Jiu’s face lit up with delight at the flattery. He preened for a moment before glancing at Shao Ze nearby and asking Qin Hua, “What about Mr. Shao Ze? Isn’t he coming with us?”

Qin Hua flashed a sly smile. “Ah Ze’s got a flight to America first thing tomorrow morning. He’s not like the rest of us—he’s got a family waiting. He’s in a rush to get home to his wife and son. No way he’s tagging along with us.”

With that, Qin Hua picked up the bottle of red wine from the table and poured a glass for each of the three men. He raised his glass with a grin. “Come on, let’s drink to the success of our business in advance.”