PDLP Chapter 1960 Setting the Stage and Waiting for the Main Character to Take the Stage
Chapter 1960 Setting the Stage and Waiting for the Main Character to Take the Stage
Song Ziming immediately pulled out a notebook from his pocket and, by the dim light of the kerosene lamp in the room, began to write down his thoughts on the paper as he spoke.
"The man was about 1.72 to 1.75 meters tall, rather thin, but with a sturdy frame and quick movements. Judging from the strength with which he pinched me, he was a trained martial artist, or at least had studied martial arts!"
"His accent leans towards the north, and he deliberately flattens the pronunciation of certain words, perhaps indicating he has received accent disguise training! The calluses on the web of his right hand, his index finger, and the first joint on the inside of his middle finger are extremely thick, a characteristic of long-term, high-intensity use of a pistol or special weapon!"
"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Li Xiangnan raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Lan Cuihua, who was standing to the side, was also somewhat taken aback.
What she didn't expect was that the man was so dangerous. On the surface, he seemed to be an ordinary man, but she never expected that he was also skilled in using weapons. Needless to say, the weapon must be hidden on him, just like Song Ziming!
What surprised her even more was that in such a short time, Song Ziming hadn't moved, yet she had observed the man so carefully. Her mind was truly remarkable!
"Continue!" Li Xiangnan gestured.
Song Ziming nodded, noted down the details, and continued, "Above the left eyebrow, on the brow bone, there is an old horizontal scar about three centimeters long, slightly lighter in color than the surrounding skin. It was probably caused by a sharp weapon more than three years ago!"
"That's something to note; it seems he was injured before!" Li Xiangnan secretly noted this detail.
“He has strong emotional control, but he can’t help getting excited when it comes to core objectives. He is also very suspicious. Just now, he kept asking for details and was obsessed with the so-called ‘evidence’!”
Lan Cuihua, Song Ziming, and Li Xiangnan all deeply understood this during their recent conversation.
"There was a faint smell of tobacco on me, but it wasn't a common brand. It had a strange smell mixed with camphor and a slightly fishy odor. I don't know if it was a cigar!"
After Song Ziming finished speaking, he emphasized again, "Brother Nan, I didn't smell any of that metallic and rotten herbal scent on him, like the one I found in the desolate temple outside the city!"
This is also crucial.
Because when everyone was searching for the ruined temple before, they would intentionally look for a similar smell to help find the little monk who delivered the message to the Buddha!
If the man who came today smells similar to the young monk, then it can be directly concluded that they are the same group!
The taste is different now, so that remains to be verified!
Li Xiangnan listened very carefully, his eyes gleaming as he quickly analyzed the information.
"He has a background in martial arts, uses weapons extensively, and has a scar on his brow... Remember these important characteristics, and that strange smell. Share it with Captain Guo and the others later! That peculiar smell might be from prolonged exposure to a special environment, so remember that too!"
“Okay!” Song Ziming nodded.
Li Xiangnan paused, then asked, "I couldn't see his expression from outside. How did he react to the information that 'there are elderly people in the back building' and 'the account books are in my hands'?"
Song Ziming nodded hurriedly: "We attach great importance to this, especially the account books!"
He took out a cigarette and offered it to Li Xiangnan, saying with great certainty, "When he heard the information that 'the ledger is in my hands,' he clearly lost control of his emotions. Although I couldn't see his expression because of the backlight, I could see that his shoulders were trembling! Grabbing Cuihua's arm also showed his inner elation and urgency!"
Song Ziming glanced at Lan Cuihua and emphasized again, "Moreover, Brother Nan, he kept confirming the details with Cuihua, which shows that he both wants to believe it's true, but out of habit, he instinctively suspects that things are going too smoothly!"
“But in the end,” he smiled again and pointed to the table, “he gave Cuihua money and continued to assign tasks, which means he had basically accepted Cuihua’s information, but wanted to obtain more specific intelligence to prepare for the next step of the operation!”
Li Xiangnan nodded; all of this was within his expectations and plan.
The more eager the other party is, the more cautious they become. After a series of verifications, they are more likely to be lured into a trap step by step by a carefully designed "bait".
At this moment, Lan Cuihua grabbed the money on the table and stuffed it into Li Xiangnan's hand, whispering, "Dr. Li, I can't take this money. You keep it; this money is dirty!"
Li Xiangnan paused for a moment, then gripped the stack of ten-yuan notes tightly and laughed, "Alright, then I'll anonymously hand over this money to your neighborhood committee to help families in real need. You and your father won't get a single penny of it!"
These words warmed Lan Cuihua's heart.
Li Xiangnan exhaled a puff of smoke and asked, "During this process, did you discover any information about him or the people behind him? Even if you gleaned it unintentionally through his words?"
Song Ziming shook his head: "This person is very cautious, not yet! He speaks and gives instructions very directly, he's a veteran!"
Just then, a rhythmic knocking sound came from the front door—three long knocks and two short knocks, the agreed-upon code.
Song Ziming immediately moved to the door and asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Defa!" Wang Defa's voice came from outside, panting, clearly having run all the way back.
Song Ziming quickly opened the door, and an even stronger gust of wind and snow immediately swept in.
Wang Defa, wrapped in a thick coat with a thick layer of snow on his hat, immediately closed the door behind him after entering.
"Damn it, that son of a bitch is as slippery as an eel!" Wang Defa muttered as he brushed the snow off his clothes. "Even though he didn't notice me, you can tell at a glance that he's someone who's always being targeted. He never even walks the straight path!"
"Lost them?" Li Xiangnan didn't seem surprised.
"Hmm!" Wang Defa took the large bowl of water from Lan Cuihua, gulped it down, and wiped his mouth. "When I followed him out, that bastard was almost out of the alley! The snow suddenly got heavier, visibility was poor, so I didn't dare to follow too closely!"
"But this bastard always chooses alleys with no streetlights and many forks, he knows the terrain like the backyard! I chased him through three alleys, and then this bastard suddenly turned into a side alley at a crossroads. By the time I chased him in, he was gone! I checked and there were footprints on the alley wall, the snow had been rubbed off, and he climbed over the wall and ran away!"
He took a breath and said, "I quickly went around him, but he was long gone! In this heavy snow, footprints are quickly covered up! But I was careful, and after I came out, I told Brother Cheng Kui to have his men at several key intersections!"
"When I came over just now, Gouzi ran over and said that their men saw a matching figure running towards Gulou West Street! They've already sent the brothers to search the area, and they'll send over any news immediately!"
After listening, Li Xiangnan pondered for a moment: "Gulou West Street..."
He immediately sketched out a map of the capital in his mind. "That area is a melting pot of all sorts of people, with many tenements, small hotels, and shady establishments. It's definitely a good place to hide! The other party is very vigilant, has a strong sense of counter-surveillance, and is very familiar with the area of the capital. He doesn't seem to be just staying temporarily. This guy is from the capital!"
Wang Defa said dejectedly, "Xiao Li, what do we do now? That grandson must have gone back to report. The young master knows that you have the account books, and the old lady might be in the back room. He's bound to do something!"
Song Ziming stopped patting the snow off his shoulder.
Lan Cuihua also nervously gripped the hem of her clothes.
In the small room, the flame of the kerosene lamp flickered, illuminating four faces with different expressions but the same solemnity.
The wind and snow outside the window seemed to intensify, howling and pounding against the windowpanes.
Li Xiangnan's gaze swept over the three of them, his voice utterly calm.
"The other party has already taken the bait. What we need to do is make the bait more realistic and tempting, so that the person behind him will step by step onto the stage we have set up!"
He walked to the window, looking out at the courtyard shrouded in wind and snow, each word carrying immense weight.
"Young Master wants the account books to verify my grandmother's identity? Fine, we'll show them to him! We'll not only let him know where the account books are, but also make him feel that he has a chance to get them!"
"Not only do we need to convince him that his grandmother is in the back room, but we also need to make him believe that there is an opportunity for defense there!"
"The courtyard house is the stage we prepared for them. The stage for this grand show has been set up for a long time!"