The Omniscient

Chapter 23: Talking Business

The stall owner grabbed Lin Li, who was about to chase after the old man, and was just about to say, "You know him, so you need to pay for the porridge," when Huang Ji had already handed over the money.

Then, Huang Ji left straight away, with Lin Li quickly following. The old man was extremely familiar with the local terrain and wove through the alleys, taking sharp turns. However, Huang Ji stayed right behind him the entire time, and the old man couldn’t shake him off.

“That young man isn’t simple,” the old man muttered to himself. Every time he glanced back at a corner, he saw Huang Ji still trailing him. Realizing he couldn’t lose him, the old man began observing his surroundings and planning his next move.

“I won’t escape like this; I have to hinder him,” he thought. As he ran, he banged on doors along the alley. Many shops in the area, like traditional Chinese medicine massage clinics and second-hand electronics stores, were disturbed. He either broke a window or kicked over signs placed outside, creating chaos. This caused residents to curse loudly, and several came out, blocking the alley.

Thinking he had finally shaken Huang Ji off, the old man sped up, darting out of the alley, crossing the street, and diving into another alley. He switched streets several times but still didn’t see Huang Ji.

“Phew! That was exhausting,” the old man sighed, leaning against a wall to rest. “Making money these days isn’t easy.”

After catching his breath, he patted the golden carp figurine hidden in his coat, adjusted his clothes, and prepared to exchange it for cash. However, as soon as he stepped out of the alley and turned a corner, he saw Huang Ji and Lin Li walking toward him—just two or three meters away!

“Oh s***!” The old man shuddered in disbelief. “How is he like a ghost, haunting me everywhere?!”

“Haah... Ptoo!” He spat with force.

It was an impressive move. Even Huang Ji had no choice but to sidestep to dodge the flying spit. Meanwhile, the old man twisted around and dashed into another alley, his legs moving as fast as they could.

“That guy is really good,” the old man muttered as he ran. “I’m too old to outrun these young folks.”

He knew running wouldn’t work. His pursuer had exceptional tracking abilities, and no matter how many times he zigzagged through alleys, it was just a contest of stamina. And in a contest of stamina, he stood no chance against the young.

What’s more, Huang Ji’s physical condition was evidently superb—steady breathing, strong heart and lungs. The old man had guessed earlier, using his cold reading skills, that Huang Ji might have been an athlete, and now it seemed accurate.

Reaching another corner, he glanced back to confirm Huang Ji hadn’t caught up yet. Quickly, he lifted the lid of a nearby dumpster. Ignoring the filth and stench, he climbed inside without hesitation, executing the move with remarkable decisiveness.

Soon, he heard Lin Li’s voice approaching from afar.

“That old man is so cunning! Spitting like that—ugh, how disgusting!”

Footsteps passed by the dumpster, and the old man quietly sighed in relief. But his relief didn’t last long. His heart raced when he heard Lin Li’s voice stop not far away.

“Big bro? Why aren’t we chasing him anymore?” Lin Li seemed to be speaking to Huang Ji.

The old man frowned. He realized Huang Ji had stopped right by the dumpster.

“No way... How does he know I’m in here?”

“Could he have discovered my hiding spot?”

As he worried, Huang Ji’s voice rang out: “Come on out. You’ve worked hard enough.”

The old man stayed silent.

“Big bro, is the old man in the dumpster?” Lin Li asked, stepping closer and lifting the lid.

Inside, the old man sat with a sour expression.

“Ha! Still running?” Lin Li teased.

Realizing he had been caught, the old man gave up. He climbed out, waving his hand in surrender. “I’m done, I’m done. Can’t run anymore!”

Leaning on his knees to catch his breath, he shook his head repeatedly, frustrated. He had never encountered such a persistent young man.

“Pay up!” Lin Li demanded.

“Fine, fine,” the old man said, but he couldn’t help asking, “How did you know I was in there?”

Lin Li glanced at Huang Ji, who explained, “It’s not easy for someone your height to climb into a dumpster without making noise or tipping it over. To get in quickly, you must’ve used that old sofa nearby as a stepping stool.”

The old man looked at the worn-out sofa next to the dumpster. Indeed, he had used it to climb in.

“So what?” he asked, still confused.

Huang Ji walked over to the sofa and picked off a tiny fragment caught in the tattered fabric. Holding it up, he said, “This.”

“What is that?” Lin Li squinted. “Looks like... a seashell?”

Huang Ji corrected him, “It’s a fragment of a clam shell. The stall selling clam porridge earlier had plenty scattered on the ground.”

The old man was stunned into silence.

Huang Ji continued, “Your shoe soles were covered in fragments. I noticed them while you were running. Here, one got snagged on the sofa’s fabric, showing that you stepped on it.

“If you were running and suddenly stepped on the sofa, the only reason would be to climb into the dumpster.”

The old man stared at Huang Ji as if he had seen a ghost, internally screaming, What the f** is this guy?*

What an incredible level of attention to detail and terrifying observational skills! During a chase, Huang Ji could notice a tiny fragment of clam shell caught on the frayed fabric of an old sofa by the roadside? How can young people these days be so impressive?

“I give up! I give up, I give up, I give up!” the old man sighed, completely deflated. Deep down, he was utterly convinced of Huang Ji’s tracking abilities and didn’t have the slightest fight left in him.

Resigned, he reached into his pocket and retrieved the stolen gold, handing it back to Lin Li without a fuss.

“Impressive, truly impressive! Here’s your stuff. I also swindled quite a few medicinal materials from you earlier, but I’m really broke now. This watch is worth two thousand—take it too. Let’s call it even, okay? Let’s be forgiving whenever possible,” the old man said with a forced grin to Lin Li, then glanced at Huang Ji.

Huang Ji replied calmly, “This watch isn’t worth much. Don’t try to play tricks…”

The old man’s face flushed with embarrassment. A casual lie, and Huang Ji had seen through it immediately.

“Fine, let’s put the swindling matter aside for now. We can talk about something serious,” Huang Ji said.

The old man froze. Serious? Wasn’t this all about collecting what he owed? He sensed an ill intent and instinctively tried to play dumb. “Put it aside? Great, great! Thanks! If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way.”

He turned to leave, but Huang Ji’s voice rang out from behind.

“How long has it been since you last visited your son’s grave?”

The old man stopped dead in his tracks. Gone was his earlier playful, carefree demeanor. He turned back, staring at Huang Ji with piercing eyes.

Guessing he had a son could have been cold reading, but knowing his son had passed away? That wasn’t something anyone could guess!

“Who are you?” he asked, enunciating each word.

“Don’t you want to avenge your son?” Huang Ji responded.

The old man’s heart jolted. A flood of complicated thoughts about Huang Ji’s identity surged through his mind.

“So they’ve finally come for me!” Without answering, the old man bolted with an explosive speed even faster than before.

Though Lin Li had retrieved the gold, he knew Huang Ji wasn’t done with the man and stepped forward to block his escape. However, the old man displayed a fiercer combat skill than before, landing a sharp elbow strike on Lin Li’s neck.

Dizzy and unsteady, Lin Li stumbled to the side, but Huang Ji quickly stepped in to support him.

Massaging Lin Li’s neck, Huang Ji helped ease his coughing. Lin Li eventually recovered a bit, but the old man was already gone.

“Cough, cough… Don’t mind me! Cough, cough… Go after him!” Lin Li gasped.

Huang Ji smiled. “Take a deep breath…”

He pulled out a thin acupuncture needle and inserted it into one of Lin Li’s hidden acupoints. Instantly, Lin Li’s lung capacity expanded, and a rush of fresh air filled his lungs, making him feel much better.

After removing the needle, Huang Ji helped Lin Li to the roadside.

Lin Li, now fully recovered, exclaimed, “Big bro, you even know acupuncture?”

He turned to ask more but noticed Huang Ji had already flagged down a taxi. Lin Li quickly followed him into the car and overheard Huang Ji giving an address to the driver.

“Where are we going now?” Lin Li asked, looking confused.

Seeing that Huang Ji remained silent in thought, Lin Li spoke again, this time gratefully. “Big bro, thank you so much for helping me get my money back. If it weren’t for you, I’d have just suffered in silence. You’re amazing!”

Huang Ji chuckled. “What comes next is between him and me. If you don’t want to get involved, I can pay you the rest of the money he owes you, and you can head home.”

“No!” Lin Li replied hastily. “How could I take your money? That would just let him off easy!”

"He has certain matters that, if you get involved in, could put your life in danger," Huang Ji warned.

Lin Li froze. "Then wouldn’t you be in danger too? No way, this is my business to begin with. How could I just walk away? At least if we stick together, we can look out for each other."

Huang Ji nodded. "As long as you're prepared."

Lin Li could tell that Huang Ji was serious. His mind began to race, imagining all kinds of scenarios, but leaving now was simply out of the question.

"Do you know that old man?" Lin Li asked.

Huang Ji nodded and replied, "This is my first time meeting him, comrade."

"What? That old man’s gay?" Lin Li exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"Ah?" Huang Ji tilted his head, confused by Lin Li’s reaction. By "comrade," he had meant someone aware of extraterrestrial matters.

It wasn’t until Huang Ji observed Lin Li's thoughts that he realized why Lin Li had misunderstood. Speechless, Huang Ji decided to drop the subject.

Before long, the taxi arrived at their destination.

The two got out and stood outside an old seven-story building. Huang Ji moved to a shadowy spot by the roadside and waited silently.

Lin Li still didn’t understand. "Why are we just standing here?"

Huang Ji replied, "The old man will be here soon."

"You mean... he lives here?" Lin Li asked, surprised.

Apparently, Huang Ji knew where the old man lived and had decided to wait for him at his doorstep. Lin Li was astounded. He had tailed the old man for a month and still hadn’t figured out where he lived. It was becoming increasingly clear that there was a deeper connection between Huang Ji and the old man, and it wasn’t a small matter.

Yet, no matter how dangerous it seemed, Lin Li wasn’t about to back out. He was already fascinated by Huang Ji’s abilities, and after Huang Ji had helped him, leaving would be unthinkable.

Sure enough, after about ten minutes, the old man turned the corner and walked straight toward the building. He pulled out his keys as he approached the stairwell.

Emerging from the darkness beyond the streetlights, Lin Li charged forward and tackled the old man from behind, gripping him tightly.

"What the!" The old man stumbled, nearly tumbling down the stairs.

He was utterly shocked. He had thought he had shaken them off, but here they were, waiting for him at his own building! This was truly what the f**.*

"This time, you’re not getting away!" Lin Li declared.

The old man’s face turned ashen. Seeing Huang Ji standing there as well sent a chill through him.

So it really is them? he thought to himself. They really found me, and there’s no escaping now.

He let out a deep sigh and didn’t resist further. Instead, he let out a cold laugh and said to Lin Li, "So, you let me scam you on purpose?"

Lin Li blinked, momentarily stunned, his expression twitching awkwardly.

The old man then turned to Huang Ji, staring intently. "I knew you people would trace my movements. Go on, what do you want from me?"

Huang Ji smiled. "Aren’t you going to invite me upstairs for a chat?"

The old man sneered. "Is there any need? You’ve reached all the way into China—this isn’t your lawless playground. Why don’t you just kill me and get it over with?"

"I’m not who you think I am," Huang Ji said with a calm smile. "If you want to avenge your son, you’d best believe me."

The old man’s expression flickered with uncertainty. The way Huang Ji and Lin Li were acting didn’t quite match the people he feared.

"Who exactly are you?" the old man asked.

Huang Ji replied, "It’s not as dramatic as you might think, but there are some things I’d rather not discuss under the light of the moon."

The old man’s pupils shrank, and his breathing quickened. He glanced up at the moon, then back at Huang Ji.

After a moment of deliberation, he nodded. "Fine. We’ll talk in my home."

...

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