Chapter 126: What Are You Trying to Do?

Clatter.

A sack of cash was dumped into a pile. Wang Xiaoli couldn't help but cover her mouth, her mind going completely blank.

Old Huang walked over, chuckling, with another sack of cash on his back. "We've been scrambling to move this stuff for a while now."

He grabbed the bottom corner of the sack and shook it out with a clatter, doubling the size of the cash pile. The two of them continued pouring out sack after sack until, by the end, the cash in the courtyard had formed a small mountain as high as a tabletop.

Old Huang walked over to the water tap, turned it on, and splashed his face with a few quick bursts. "Finally, I can take a break. I never imagined in my life that transporting money could be such a dull and vulgar chore."

Wang Xiaoli snapped out of her trance. Her large, almond-shaped eyes, which sparkled with a lively, fluid light, looked at Chai Jin with suspicion.

Chai Jin hung his towel on the side. "They’re all just rough around the edges. Could you help us tally up the accounts later?"

Being a simple girl from the countryside, Wang Xiaoli felt a surge of anxiety at the sight of so much money. "Xiaojin, where did this money come from? Is it legal?"

Chai Jin smiled. "Do you think I would do anything illegal?" He added, "It’s legitimate. It’s the wages for over ten thousand people. Don't worry."

"Ten thousand people? What on earth have you been doing lately?"

"I’ll explain everything when we're done. Let's get to work; people will be here to collect their wages soon."

"Oh, okay."

Wang Xiaoli couldn't help but glance at the pile of money again, just tossed casually on the ground. The sheer volume was so vast that it didn't look like money anymore; it looked like a stack of waste paper, which felt incredibly bizarre.

Several men began working in the courtyard. What they didn't know was that someone had been peeking at them from the side of the wall. This sight had truly terrified the intruder. Once he regained his composure, he jumped down and sprinted down the road until he caught up with his main group.

It was the eyebrowless bald man whom Chai Jin had locked eyes with at the gate. The group was currently taking advantage of the chaos to smash and loot property. The scout rushed up to the bald man and whispered a frantic report into his ear.

The bald man paused. "Are you sure?"

"Certain. I saw it with my own eyes. A huge pile in the courtyard. I doubt the money came from anywhere respectable. Even if we just go take it, I don't think they'd dare to make a peep."

The bald man rubbed his scalp, looking very excited. He looked back at the twenty-some men behind him and said, "Follow me. There’s a big score over there!"

The group turned around and headed back the way they came.

Back at Chai Jin’s place, the men had moved several long tables out from the house and arranged the money neatly across them. The scene was very much like a rich village distributing year-end bonuses, creating a striking visual impact.

Wang Xiaoli had finished cooking, and the group sat at a separate table to eat. During the meal, she finally understood where the money came from and learned some new terms like "subscription certificates," "securities," and "stocks."

Looking at Chai Jin, she suddenly remembered the days when the Chai family was hounded by creditors in the village. A debt of just over nine thousand yuan had nearly pushed his family to the edge of ruin. Those villagers probably never imagined that Xiaojin would earn so much money in his lifetime. She felt genuinely happy for him.

They were eating quietly when, with a loud bang, the front gate was kicked open. The bald man led his twenty-some thugs inside. Sure enough, upon entering, they saw the cash piled up in the courtyard. The greed of the twenty men was instantly ignited.

As for the people sitting at the table, they all simply held their bowls and looked at the intruders in confusion. Old Huang asked curiously, "Brother, is there something you need?"

The moment he said this, all twenty men burst into laughter, as if they had just heard a hilarious joke. After a long while, the bald man straightened his face. "There are bags over there. Go fill them up and let's go."

"You got it!" one of the lackeys replied immediately, taking a few others to grab burlap sacks to start loading the money.

Wang Xiaoli was the last to react; she looked at Chai Jin in a panic. Chai Jin smiled. "Just keep eating. It’s fine."

Strangely, Old Huang, Fang Yi, and Liu Qingwen didn't react either, acting as if it had nothing to do with them, only sighing helplessly.

The men were already busy stuffing the cash. Seeing that Chai Jin and his group offered no resistance, the bald man felt quite pleased. Having been on the streets for so many years, this was the first time he had encountered such sensible people. He walked over with a smirk and glanced at the food on their table. "Capitalist food really is delicious; the table is full of meat."

"How does it taste?" Old Huang asked with a hearty laugh. "Not bad. My sister-in-law’s cooking is excellent. We’ve been living well these past few days."

The bald man looked curiously at Wang Xiaoli at the table, a jolt of electricity seemingly passing through him as he was struck by her appearance. "Hey, this little sister is really pretty. How old are you?"

He looked utterly lecherous, his mouth nearly watering, and he had the audacity to blush in front of her. Wang Xiaoli instinctively leaned closer to Chai Jin, looking frightened.

Chai Jin remained silent, but Liu Qingwen spoke up, "Brother, surely you aren't just here for the money? Are you looking to cause other kinds of trouble?"

The bald man’s face darkened instantly, but he soon chuckled. "Right, right, right. We’re only here for the money. Brothers, I’ll be borrowing this cash for now. If fate allows, I’ll pay you back someday." He turned around and shouted, "Are you done loading?"

The men in the back laughed and said they were finished. They had spent the whole afternoon looting in the streets and had seen all sorts of situations, but this was the only time they had ever walked in to take money and met with absolutely no reaction.

*They must be involved in the underworld too,* they thought. *Otherwise, how could they just sit there and watch us take their money without moving a muscle?*

Having received his answer, the bald man walked toward the gate with a hearty laugh, rubbing his bald head.

Wang Xiaoli was getting anxious. "Xiaojin, are we really just going to let them take the money? Should we call the police?"

Chai Jin smiled. "Calling the police is useless. The streets outside are in total chaos; the police are overwhelmed. Let’s not add to their trouble."

Liu Qingwen looked at the bald man and his group, then sighed. "I've seen people courting death, but I've never seen such blind little punks."

Old Huang also laughed. "How does that saying go? The forest is big, and you find all sorts of birds. It’s normal."

"Liu Fayou, a toast to you."

"Haha, Huang Fayou, you’re too kind."

The two men clinked their glasses while speaking in strange, coded language. Just as their glasses touched, a shout suddenly rang out from the gate: "What the hell do you think you're doing!"