Chapter 295: There’s No Such Thing As A Thief For A Thousand Days, Nor Guarding Against One For A Thousand Days
“Those two women, huh.”
Cao Weida chuckled and nodded. For him, who had seen too many beautiful women, pretty women no longer held much attraction.
Especially women who hadn’t appeared in the TV series—he hadn’t even thought about taking them back to his home in Sesame Hutong.
In this chaotic era where one couldn’t tell if people were human or ghost, he absolutely wouldn’t trust them easily before confirming their true background.
What?
They gave their first time to me?
So what?
Do you really think that membrane is so important in some people’s eyes?
Are there few examples in the Kuomintang of officials being turned or having intelligence stolen because of beauty?
Before those Kuomintang officials took women into their homes, did they not investigate their backgrounds at all?
Not necessarily, right?
But in the end, they still took them into their rooms. Why?
Because the information they found showed clean backgrounds!
Cao Weida had plenty of secrets. If someone with ulterior motives noticed anything, it would be a catastrophic disaster for those close to him.
As the saying goes, you can guard against thieves by day and night, but it’s hard to guard against a thief in the house.
On this point, he absolutely wouldn’t be careless.
“I remember, General Manager Lou bought their contracts and gave them to me, right?”
Little Ear nodded: “Yes, they’ve already been bought, but since you haven’t given the order, Cao Ye, they’ve been kept in your exclusive room at Xiaguang Garden.”
“Normally, Han Lu takes good care of them. Whatever food and drink, it’s always the best that Han Lu can provide.”
“Looks like Han Lu has some skills. She must have used all her tricks to serve you very comfortably.” Cao Weida teased with a sly smile.
Little Ear awkwardly scratched his head. Sure enough, Han Lu had indeed served him quite comfortably.
Before, he hadn’t been with any women, only caring for his brothers. But since having Han Lu serve him, he realized those things were so pleasurable.
Well, yeah.
He subtly rubbed his sore waist.
Even one woman wears me out like this. I don’t know how Big Brother Cao manages to stay so spirited every day with so many women.
Cao Weida stopped teasing him, tapping his fingertips on the table with a crisp ‘tap tap tap’: “I have a task to arrange for you. Come closer and listen.”
Halfway through the mumbling, Little Ear suddenly said angrily: “What?! Someone actually.”
“Don’t overreact!” Cao Weida glared, don’t you know what ‘walls have ears’ means?!
Realizing his slip, Little Ear quickly shut his mouth and listened as Cao Weida mumbled on.
After hearing Cao Weida’s plan, Little Ear hesitated, worried: “Big Brother Cao, isn’t this too dangerous?”
“How about I stay in the room for you instead?”
“No need.” Cao Weida leaned back, resting on the chair back, picking up a blue and white porcelain bowl and rubbing its rim with his fingertip.
“They want to kill me, the director. If I switch with someone else, how will we lure out the real fish?”
He paused, placing the bowl on the table corner: “Be careful with the arrangements then. Don’t make noise that alerts people.”
“Have your men hide in nearby rooms. When you hear something, don’t come out until I smash the tea bowl.”
“Also, remember to leave someone alive.”
You probably guessed what Cao Weida is up to, right? Correct, he wants to flush out the snakes!
As the saying goes, there are thieves for a thousand days, but no one guards against thieves for a thousand days. The enemy is in the dark while he’s in the light—this is very passive.
He only knew someone wanted to kill him but couldn’t figure out their origins or timing. This was very dangerous. The only way was to use himself as bait to draw out those who meant him harm!
As long as he could draw them out, he could turn passive into active.
“.”
After sending Little Ear to make arrangements, Cao Weida thought to use the toilet.
On the way, he saw a man being dragged back by two patrolmen, yelling nonstop.
“Let me go! Let me go now!”
“Why arrest me? This is stuff I took from the Japanese warehouse. They rob our grain—why can’t I take some of their things?!”
“Still talking back!” The patrolman holding him struck with a police baton, cursing: “Damn it, because of you, we brothers got a scolding from Taijun and each got a slap!”
“You dare steal from the Japanese, and we’d let you go? Are you crazy! Behave, or I’ll beat you to death!”
It was just catching a thief, so Cao Weida wasn’t paying attention at first, but after hearing ‘Japanese’, he stopped in his tracks.
His gaze fell on the pressed youth, lingering on his worn shoe tips, then he slowly spoke:
“Wait, what’s going on?”
The leading patrolman, about to drag the thief away, saw the new director call him and immediately stopped, running up with a flattering smile: “Director, you called me?”
Cao Weida pointed his chin at the thief: “What’s the situation.”
The patrolman thought Cao Weida was annoyed by the thief’s howling, his heart skipping a beat as he quickly pledged loyalty: “Did this bastard disturb you, Director? Don’t worry, I’ll shut him up right now!”
He rolled up his sleeves to turn back and teach the thief a lesson.
Cao Weida impatiently stopped him, raising his tone: “I asked what crime he committed!”
Damn, what kind of people are in this district office? So eager to guess the boss’s mind?
Having lost a chance to flatter, the patrolman was disappointed but didn’t show it, smiling obsequiously:
“Reporting to the director, this kid is Liu Er. He used to be a handyman in a foreign firm in the embassy district, knows the layout around there. After quitting, he boldly stole Japanese Army supplies to resell.”
“The Taijun at the foreign firm were furious and ordered us to solve the case quickly. We’ve been watching him for three days and caught him in the act today during a transaction.”
He showed the two coarse cloth bags in his hand: “These are two bags of flour.”
Liu Er trembled at ‘foreign firm handyman’, but still braced himself:
“The devils in the foreign firm eat delicacies every day, while my mother coughs at home on the verge of death, not even able to have hot porridge!”
“I didn’t steal from the people, only from the little devils. That’s not wrong!”
Well, this kid sure has a way with words. Cao Weida actually admired him a bit.
In his heart, screwing over the little devils was a thousand times better than screwing over the people!
Are the little devils even human?
They’re beasts!
Screwing over beasts is at most immoral, but not really wrong!
Cao Weida’s gaze swept over the two bags of flour, the ‘Imperial Japanese Army Supplies’ printed on the corner stinging his eyes.
He didn’t ask about the case first, instead squatting down, pinching some flour between his fingertips and rubbing it in his palm: “How long would the money from selling this flour last your household?”
He had just heard—his mother was coughing badly at home, clearly ill.
Liu Er was stunned, not expecting Cao Weida to ask that, and after a moment mumbled: “My mother has asthma, bedridden and can’t get up. My sister is only eight. If we ration it, it can last ten days.”
Here, Liu Er’s voice rose, with some grievance:
“The foreign firm owed me a lot of salary before. When I went to ask, not only didn’t they pay, they beat me and I was bedridden for ten days.”
“I stole supplies to sell for medicine money, but that’s my own money. Taking back my own money—how does that make me a thief?”
The patrolman nearby interjected: “Director, this kid stole from the Japanese, and not just once.”
Cao Weida didn’t answer right away, instead looking at Liu Er.
As long as it’s screwing over the little devils, he definitely had to help out.
Otherwise, after recording the statement and sending him to the Military Police, those little devils wouldn’t let him off easily—might even execute him as an example.
He suddenly looked up, frowning at the patrolman: “When you caught him, did you find anything else?”
The patrolmen exchanged glances and shook their heads: “Just these two bags of flour and over fifty union bonds on him.”
“Idiots!” Cao Weida raised his voice suddenly, slapping the wall, exasperated:
“The Mitsui foreign firm is next to the Military Police dormitory. Since he was a handyman there, he might have seen the Japanese Army’s deployments!”
“You grabbed him so roughly. What if you spook the line and miss more important info? Who takes responsibility?!”
The two patrolmen turned pale from the scolding, not expecting it to be so serious, and quickly bowed their heads: “We didn’t think it through.”
“Enough! What’s the use of saying that now!”
Cao Weida snorted coldly, turning to Liu Er with a softer gaze: “Since you worked at the foreign firm, you must have seen Japanese Army officers coming and going?”
“What do they usually carry? Shift changes at what time? Do you remember?”
Liu Er blinked, seeming to catch on, and nodded eagerly: “I remember! Every Wednesday afternoon, a bespectacled devil brings a black leather box to the second floor of the foreign firm, and the gate sentries change at six.”
“Enough, don’t say more.”
Cao Weida glared angrily at the two patrolmen. Look what you’ve done!
The two patrolmen were panicked and at a loss. Cao Weida snorted again, making them tremble: “Unlock his shackles and take him to a separate holding cell in the office.”
“Remember, no roughing him up, and don’t let anyone else contact him. The intel in his mouth is worth more than your lives!”
“Yes, yes, we’ll do it now.” The two patrolmen didn’t dare argue; they were nearly crying.
It was just catching a petty thief, but now it involved something so big. Their small frames couldn’t handle it.
“One more thing!”
The two patrolmen stopped immediately.
“Don’t tell anyone about this! If others find out, you know the consequences!”
“Definitely, definitely.” One patrolman just answered when the other pulled him back, ignoring his confusion, and said full of doubt:
“Director, what person? We don’t know.”
The previous patrolman caught on immediately: “Right, right, Director, what person? We don’t know what you’re talking about. We haven’t gone out all day and haven’t seen anyone.”
Knowing how serious it was, they were desperate to distance themselves.
Seeing the director say this, they hurried to climb out of it!
Smart!
Cao Weida nodded satisfiedly and waved: “Alright, go handle it.”
In the holding cell.
Cao Weida placed five silver dollars in front of Liu Er: “Stay here for now. Lay low here for a couple days. I’ll arrange for someone to care for your mother. Don’t worry.”
Liu Er gritted his teeth, tears nearly falling: “Thank you, Director. Your great kindness—I, Liu Er, will never forget it!”
“Once this blows over, I’ll be your ox or horse to repay you.”
Cao Weida said nothing more, patted his shoulder, and left the holding cell.
After closing the door, Cao Weida let out a heavy sigh.
This damn world.
“.”
In a safe house.
Hao Pingchuan arrived as promised.
Cao Weida explained the matter, gave some precautions, and Hao Pingchuan patted his chest, guaranteeing to complete the task.
At dusk, as Cao Weida stepped into the main gate of Xiaguang Garden, two spinning lantern under the eaves cast lively light, reflecting the osmanthus shadows on the green brick ground into golden waves.
Little Ear had informed her. Han Lu, in embroidered soft-soled shoes with crabapple flowers, came out from the main room to greet him. Her lotus-pink short jacket made her face glow like peach blossoms, clutching a freshly ironed plain silk handkerchief.
“Oh, Cao Ye! You’re a rare guest among rare guests.”
Han Lu smiled and approached, familiarly brushing fallen leaves from his shoulders, her tone full of warmth.
“It’s been nearly half a month since we last met. Madam Xie Wanrou and Madam Qiu Shuyi have been missing you terribly. The other day they even mentioned to me that you must be held up by the scenery at home.”
She led Cao Weida to the reserved private room, adding as she lifted the curtain: “Don’t worry, the room has freshly warmed flower carving wine and some appetizers.”
Cao Weida sat on the pear wood chair, tapping the armrest, scanning the empty private room: “Boss Han, I’m here to stay a few days.”
He didn’t know when the killer would act. Before flushing out the snakes, he had no plans to return to Sesame Hutong.
As for the women at home, he’d sent word—they wouldn’t run around these days.
With over ten armed men in the courtyard, safety wasn’t a big concern.
After all, not everyone is Cao Weida’s.
Han Lu paused while serving tea, a flash of surprise in her eyes.
Little Ear only said this lord was coming to Xiaguang Garden today. She thought he just wanted something fresh, but this was an unexpected bonus!
She was secretly delighted. She’d put effort into Xie Wanrou and Qiu Shuyi, and got along quite well with them.
If Cao Weida stayed longer and they served him well, she might carve out a place for herself in his heart.
If she could win favor, her previous investments would be more than worth it!
Cao Weida didn’t have any children yet. If she could get pregnant.
Tsk, then Xie Wanrou and Qiu Shuyi would really be sparrows flying onto branches to become phoenixes!
