MTLNOVEL Chapter 45
“Check, you can check whatever you want. They’re all empty boxes. I’m not afraid of you checking either,” Zhao Simo said in his usual indifferent tone. “But Su Pengcheng, let me remind you, if Xue Wen finds out that you embarrassed me in front of my subordinates, you know the consequences.”
Su Pengcheng’s mouth twitched. “Are you threatening me?”
“Threat? No, no, I’m thinking about you.” Zhao Simo’s fox-like eyes seemed to be smiling, yet not smiling. “Xue Wen doesn’t like subordinates who are not united.”
The conversation between the two reached Liu Jin’an’s ears. The one named Su Pengcheng wanted to go up against the old fox, but he was a little too inexperienced.
Liu Jin’an suddenly felt a bit sympathetic toward Su Pengcheng. Only by having a confrontation with Zhao Simo could one truly understand the level of frustration it brought.
Su Pengcheng remained silent for a long time. It seemed he was genuinely afraid of Xue Wen and refrained from taking further action.
Unexpectedly, a sudden gunshot rang out, nearly scaring Liu Jin’an’s soul out of his body.
“Su Pengcheng, it seems you don’t even take Xue Wen seriously anymore!” Zhao Simo got out of the car, pointing his pistol at Su Pengcheng’s head, his face dark with anger.
Seeing no movement from the wooden box, Su Pengcheng quickly changed his expression and said with a smile, “Just joking, Brother Zhao, let’s not make a fuss!”
Zhao Simo snorted coldly and got back into the car.
“Mr. Zhao, it must be tiring to unload the goods all by yourself. How about I send a few of my men to help you unload?” Su Pengcheng suggested.
Was this still not over? Liu Jin’an cursed Su Pengcheng a hundred times in his heart. That gunshot earlier—if Zhao Simo hadn’t been prepared and there hadn’t been three or four layers of wooden boxes stacked above the one, they were hiding in—escaping unscathed would’ve been impossible.
Zhao Simo responded coldly, “No need, Mr. Su. Xue Wen entrusted such an important matter to me alone. If he finds out I allowed outsiders to intervene, what do you think he’d say?”
Su Pengcheng’s anger flared, his face reddening and his neck thickening. “Stop trying to suppress me with Xue Wen’s name!”
“Su Pengcheng, you’re being foolish. It’s your business if you get punished. Don’t drag me into it,” Zhao Simo retorted without giving him any face. “We each have our duties. You do yours, I’ll do mine. Otherwise, you might not be able to explain yourself to Xue Wen.”
“Zhao Simo, you’re fearmongering,” Su Pengcheng gritted his teeth. “I don’t believe you wouldn’t be tempted to skim something off the top in a job like transporting supplies. Men, open all his wooden boxes. I want a thorough inspection!”
Liu Jin’an, hiding in the wooden box, could hear everything happening outside. The boxes above him were being moved one by one. If this continued, they’d be exposed soon enough. What could they do?
Zhao Simo was equally anxious. He hadn’t expected this idiot to be so stubborn, willing to risk being punished just to save face. Liu Jin’an and the others were moments away from being discovered. Zhao Simo prepared to confront Su Pengcheng directly and cause chaos—it seemed the only way to protect Liu Jin’an and the others.
“Woof, woof, woof!”
The sudden barking of a puppy instantly drew everyone’s attention.
A fluffy little head pushed open the lid of one of the wooden boxes. The puppy’s wet, innocent eyes blinked in confusion, and its little head tilted slightly to one side. That cute appearance melted the hearts of everyone present.
“You see? There’s nothing suspicious here!” Zhao Simo quickly stepped forward and scooped the puppy into his arms. “What’s wrong with me wanting to raise a puppy, huh? Su Pengcheng, if you have any issues with me, just say so. But don’t bully my puppy!”
Su Pengcheng looked a bit embarrassed. The inspection was nearly complete, and he hadn’t found any evidence to prove Zhao Simo was guilty of corruption. He quickly seized the opportunity to back down, offering an apologetic smile. “Misunderstanding, it’s all a misunderstanding. So, it was this little puppy making noise earlier. I thought you were hiding something shameful.”
“Can I leave now?”
“Please, please move the wooden box back quickly. Guard, please open the railing and let Mr. Zhao pass!”
The sudden shift in attitude was faster than flipping through a book.
Liu Jin’an yawned lazily, and as soon as Zhao Simo got into the car, he jumped into the passenger seat, deliberately distancing himself from the old fox.
The truck drove to a secluded section of the road, and after confirming that there were no spies from Xue Wen around, Zhao Simo slammed on the brakes.
Liu Jin’an returned to his human form and, together with Zhao Simo, moved the boxes stacked on top of everyone out of the truck.
“Xiao Tiantian, you are so smart,” Zhao Simo said, dropping his usual pretence the moment he faced Liu Jin’an. “If it weren’t for you just now, I would have been caught by Su Pengcheng. How should I thank you? How about I pledge myself to you?”
Liu Jin’an shot him an indifferent eye roll. “Get lost.”
One by one, the others climbed out of the wooden boxes, their faces still showing traces of lingering fear from the earlier ordeal.
“Fortunately, the boss stepped forward. Boss, you’re my hero!” Wang Mazi exclaimed, sparing no effort to heap praise.
Liu Jin’an’s lips curved slightly. He patted Wang Mazi’s shoulder and replied, “You all call me boss—how can I be a coward when something happens?”
He shot a sly glance at Zhao Simo. “Unlike some people who promised to send us out safely but ended up relying on me to make up for it. Tsk tsk.”
Instead of getting angry, Zhao Simo chuckled. “Point taken. I made a mistake this time, and I’ll apologize to all of you.”
The group quickly assured him it didn’t matter. After all, Zhao Simo had no obligation to save them. The fact that he had tried at all was already a favour. Even if the rescue had failed, they wouldn’t have blamed him.
Liu Jin’an, however, wasn’t looking for forgiveness. He just wanted to see the old fox eat humble pie. And it felt great.
“Huang Dabei, take them back to the camp. You know the way. Old Hu and the others are waiting for you there,” Liu Jin’an instructed.
Huang Dabei nodded obediently, his puppy eyes staring at Liu Jin’an. “Boss, aren’t you coming back with us?”
“I promised him I’d help him rescue the hostages.”
Liu Jin’an didn’t think he could singlehandedly change the outcome of the mission, but he stayed for two reasons. First, he was curious about how Zhao Simo planned to carry out the rescue. Second, he figured the high-risk operation might offer an opportunity to gain something valuable.
Zhao Simo, who managed to survive to the end in the novel, certainly wouldn’t die during this rescue.
“Xiao Tiantian, I’m very touched that you’re willing to share life and death with me,” Zhao Simo teased, crossing his arms and leaning against the truck door.
Xu Zhaoxin couldn’t help but try to dissuade Liu Jin’an. “How about you come back with us? He doesn’t act like a serious person.”
Yang Shu chimed in, nodding firmly. “He definitely has evil intentions toward you.”
“It’s fine. I know what I’m doing,” Liu Jin’an replied calmly.
He understood Zhao Simo better than they imagined. In the novel, Zhao Simo was exaggeratedly affectionate on the surface but cold-hearted underneath. This kind of person was the most pragmatic, always knowing exactly what they wanted.
A fox man like Zhao Simo would never truly fall in love.
As long as Liu Jin’an didn’t believe every word the old fox said, they could get along just fine.
Yang Shu and Xu Zhaoxin exchanged a look, their shared worry evident.
On the way back to the camp, following Huang Dabei, Yang Shu broke the silence. “Old Xu, you’re a brain-enhanced superpower. What are the chances of Liu Jin’an and Mr. Duan ending up together?”
They had seen how much Duan Haiping cared for Liu Jin’an. If it hadn’t been for the apocalypse, Duan Haiping might have already brought Liu Jin’an back to Beijing.
Xu Zhaoxin sighed. “Brother, you need evidence to calculate probabilities. If you want me to pull numbers out of thin air, what do you expect me to come up with?”
“Then what are the chances Zhao Simo becomes Mr. Duan’s love rival?”
“No need for calculations—100%!”