Siheyuan: I live next door to Xu Damao, my last name is Cao

Chapter 347 Hiring Someone for Revenge

On that winter night, the cold wind was like a sharp knife, mercilessly cutting Xu Damao's cheeks.

He wrapped his tattered coat tightly around himself. The patches on the coat were particularly glaring in the dim light, and each patch was like a clear mark of his difficult life.

In the darkness, he hurried towards the familiar alley, each step was filled with urgency and determination, and the soles of his shoes made a rustling sound as they rubbed against the ground.

It was particularly clear in the silent night, as if it was the beating of his war drum for revenge.

This alley is rarely visited on weekdays, and at night it is shrouded in thick darkness and is so quiet that it is somewhat scary.

Xu Damao's footsteps echoed in the quiet alley, and only the occasional shrill cries of wild cats broke the unsettling silence.

His heart was beating violently in his chest, not because of the cold, but because he felt nervous and excited about the "revenge plan" that was about to be implemented.

The sound of Xu Damao's heartbeat seemed to be heard in the silence, which was the resonance of his deep desire for revenge.

Soon, he arrived at the gate of a seemingly ordinary courtyard.

There was a tall man leaning against the wall at the door, with his arms crossed over his chest, his thick muscles faintly visible in the dim light.

He glanced around vigilantly, his eyes revealing the sharpness of a veteran in the world, as if no movement could escape his eyes. He was like a guard protecting this mysterious world.

Xu Damao took a deep breath, calmed his nervous mood, walked forward, and exchanged the secret code agreed upon in advance with the man.

When the man heard the code, he was startled at first, then he looked Xu Damao up and down. His eyes seemed to be able to see through his thoughts, with a hint of scrutiny, as if he was judging whether he was trustworthy.

After a moment, the man turned slightly and said in a low voice: "Go in."

The voice was hoarse and carried a hint of vicissitudes, as if telling countless stories of the past, and every word seemed to come from the depths of time.

As soon as I stepped into the yard, a mixture of tobacco, sweat and alcohol hit me in the face. The smell was so strong that it made people feel suffocated, as if they were in a world full of filth.

There is a dilapidated shed in the yard. The lights under the shed are dim and flickering, as if they will go out at any time, adding a weird atmosphere to the whole space.

The entrance to the gambling house is hidden there, like an entrance to a mysterious world, full of unknowns and dangers. Every step closer makes one's heart beat faster involuntarily.

Xu Damao walked quickly to the entrance and reached out to lift the heavy door curtain.

In an instant, noisy shouting, the sound of dice colliding, and people's laughter came like a tide.

The gambling house was filled with smoke, so thick that one could not see the people around him clearly. The smoke choked him and he could not help coughing a few times. His throat felt as if it was blocked, and it seemed as if the whole world was swallowed up by the chaotic smoke.

He shuttled through this dim and chaotic environment, his eyes eagerly searching for those familiar figures in the crowd.

There were all kinds of people in the gambling house. Some of them shouted with red faces: "I'm going to bet everything. I have to win everything today!"

Such voices are full of madness and greed; some stare at the card game with frowns, and the wrinkles on their foreheads seem to be engraved with anxiety and greed, and every wrinkle tells of their desire for money.

Their eyes were fixed on the card game, as if their fate depended on it.

Everyone was immersed in this crazy gambling game, as if they had forgotten the outside world. The entire gambling house was like an abyss of desire.

Finally, he saw those ruthless men in the corner. They were sitting around a shabby table. The paint on the table had been peeling off, revealing the uneven surface of the table.

There were colorful chips piled in front of him, flashing temptingly under the dim light, like a trap of desire.

The leader was holding a cigarette in his mouth, the light of the cigarette butt flickering in the darkness, with a gambler's unique enthusiasm and unruliness on his face, laughing loudly: "Haha, I win again this time, hand over your money!"

As the big brother spoke, he pushed a stack of chips to the center of the table. His action was full of arrogance and pride.

The others were also excited, their eyes flashing with greed, and they shouted: "We don't accept it, let's fight again!"

The sounds came one after another, pushing the atmosphere in the gambling house to a climax.

Seeing this, Xu Damao walked over quickly with a flattering smile on his face, which contained a barely perceptible cunningness.

"Hey, Damao, what brings you here?" One of the men with a crew cut and a scar on his face was the first to see Xu Damao and shouted at the top of his voice.

The scar looked particularly hideous under the light, as if it was a witness to a cruel past, and every line seemed to be telling a thrilling story.

Xu Damao smiled apologetically and said, "Brothers, long time no see! I came here today because I have something I want to ask you for help."

As he spoke, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and passed them around. His fingers were trembling slightly with nervousness, an outward manifestation of his inner uneasiness.

"Help? What can it be?" The other tall and thin man squinted his eyes and looked Xu Damao up and down with a hint of vigilance on his face. He reached out to take the cigarette and sniffed it under his nose, as if he was trying to determine the authenticity of the cigarette and at the same time judging Xu Damao's purpose.

Xu Damao swallowed his saliva and said in a low voice: "I have an enemy. This grandson is such a jerk. He stole my wife and showed off in front of me. Tell me, can I swallow this? I really can't stand it anymore, so I want to ask my brothers to help me vent my anger and teach him a lesson."

As he spoke, his eyes revealed a hint of anger and unwillingness, and it seemed as if they could spit out fire, burning the hatred in his heart.

"Oh? Is that true?"

The man who looked like a big brother leaned back in his chair, folded his hands in front of his chest, and revealed a hint of amusement in his eyes. He flicked the ash of his cigarette and said, "How much do you want to pay? Also, how do you want us to teach him a lesson? Do you want him to die, or just lose an arm or a leg?"

Xu Damao was startled for a moment, and the smile on his face froze. He waved his hands and said quickly, "Brother, don't let anyone get killed! I just want him to suffer a little, so that he knows the consequences of offending me. Just give him a severe lesson, but don't let anyone get killed, otherwise I can't bear the consequences!"

His voice trembled slightly due to nervousness, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, which reflected his fear of the consequences.

After hearing this, the eldest brother raised his lips slightly, revealing a faint smile, "Okay, then I'll do as you say. But you have to pay the money in place."

Xu Damao was delighted, knowing that there was hope, and quickly said, "Money is not a problem. As long as you guys do a good job, you will definitely get paid. I will give you a deposit first, and after the job is done, there will be a generous reward."

As he spoke, he took out a stack of crumpled banknotes from his pocket and placed them on the table. The banknotes were slightly damp from his grasp, and one could see how nervous he was. Each banknote carried his hope for revenge.

The ruthless men looked at each other, with a greedy smile on their faces. "Okay, Damao, since you are so sincere, we will take this job. Tell us about the boy's situation."

The eldest brother reached out and took the money, flipped through it casually, and then put it in his pocket. His movements were skillful and natural, as if this was a transaction he was accustomed to.

Xu Damao quickly told them in detail Cao Wei's appearance, daily whereabouts, and the places where he might appear tonight.

"Brothers, this kid is probably still hanging around Wangfujing tonight, you have to keep a close eye on him and don't let him get away. It's best to find a deserted place and give him a good beating, so that he knows the consequences of offending me!"

As he spoke, he gestured, and the expression on his face became somewhat fierce, as if he had already seen the scene of Cao Wei being taught a lesson, which was the embodiment of his inner hatred.

"Don't worry, we're doing the job, but you're still worried?" The man with the short hair patted Xu Damao's shoulder with such force that Xu Damao's shoulder sank. "I promise to let him know why the flowers are so red!"

Xu Damao nodded with satisfaction, explained some details to them, and then got up and left.

Walking out of the gambling house, he took a deep breath. The cold night air made him feel much clearer.

The anger in my heart seemed to have subsided a little now that I had found a way to vent it.

He looked at the dark night sky, a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Cao Wei, just wait and see, this time tomorrow, you will be in trouble."

After Xu Damao left, a man who looked like a younger brother hurried to the side of the third brother who was sitting in the front row. He looked anxious and spoke in a very low voice.

"Third brother, do we really have to help Xu Damao teach that guy a lesson? You just got out of the cell not long ago. What will you do if you get caught up in this matter again..."

His eyes were full of worry, his hands were unconsciously tugging at the corners of his clothes, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. It was his worry about his third brother and his fear of the consequences.

Hearing this, the third brother's mouth corners slightly raised, revealing a cynical smile. He flicked the ash slowly, and the spark from the cigarette butt flickered a few times in the dim light.

"Why are you panicking? It's nothing. He gave us money, so we have to put on some pretense. We were just bragging to him just now. At worst, we can just ask that guy to act with us."

The third brother leaned back in his chair, looking relaxed, as if everything was under his control. His confidence came from his familiarity with the rules of the underworld and his insight into people's hearts.

"Acting? Third brother, is this possible?"

The younger brother's face was full of confusion, his brows slightly frowned, his eyes full of puzzlement, his thinking had not yet caught up with the third brother's wonderful ideas.

The third brother rolled his eyes at him and patted the back of his head.

"You just can't think straight! Let's find a chance to invite Cao Wei out and explain to him clearly that as long as he cooperates in acting out a scene of getting beaten, he will definitely get some benefits. Then we can find a remote place, make some noise, and let Xu Damao watch from afar. Then the matter will be settled, right? We can earn Xu Damao's money without actually getting into trouble. How great!"

As the third brother spoke and gestured, the pride on his face became more and more obvious, as if he had already seen the scene after the play was successfully performed.

"Third brother, you are so smart! But what if Cao Wei is unwilling to cooperate?" The younger brother scratched his head and was still a little worried. He could always think of the other side of things.

"Don't want to? If he knows a little bit, he will know that cooperating with us will only benefit him. If he really doesn't agree, we can scare him and say that Xu Damao is determined to deal with him. We don't want to do it, but we have received the money and have no choice. If he doesn't want to be beaten, he can only obey us."

There was a gleam of ruthlessness in the third brother's eyes, and his tone became tougher. That was a means of intimidation he developed in the underworld.

"Okay, Third Brother, you are the most thoughtful!" The younger brother nodded quickly with a flattering smile on his face. His admiration for the Third Brother was beyond words.

"Okay, stop talking nonsense and continue playing cards. Tomorrow, we will go find Cao Wei."

As the third brother spoke, he grabbed another handful of chips and threw them on the table, "Come on, come on, let's continue with the next round. I must win all your money tonight!"

Everyone burst into laughter and immersed themselves in the noise of gambling again, as if the previous conversation was just a small episode that did not affect their enthusiasm for gambling at all.

After returning to the courtyard, Xu Damao saw that the light in Sha Zhu's room was still on. After hesitating for a moment, he walked over.

He knocked on the door, and Sha Zhu quickly opened it, his eyes full of anxiety: "Da Mao, how is it, have you found your buddies?"

Sha Zhu's voice was a little hoarse due to anxiety, as if he had been waiting for a very long time, and every word revealed his eager desire for revenge.

Xu Damao nodded. "I found it. They agreed to help. But it will cost some money. I'll pay part of it first, and the rest..."

He looked at Sha Zhu with a hint of expectation in his eyes and rubbed his hands as if to keep warm or to hide his inner uneasiness. He knew that asking Sha Zhu for money was not an easy thing, but for the sake of revenge he had no choice but to do it.

Sha Zhu gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, money is not a problem. As long as I can deal with Cao Wei, I am willing to spend any amount of money. Tell me, how much more do you need?"

Sha Zhu's eyes revealed firmness and determination, as if he was ready to burn his boats. His hatred for Cao Wei had made him desperate.

Xu Damao said a number, and although Sha Zhu felt distressed, he agreed without hesitation.

"Da Mao, this time it all depends on you. If this thing is done, I, Sha Zhu, will never forget your kindness in the future."

Sha Zhu patted Xu Damao on the shoulder, with a gesture that showed a bit of trust and expectation, as if all his hopes were placed on Xu Damao. His fate seemed to be closely tied to Xu Damao's revenge plan.

"Don't worry, just wait and see Cao Wei get into trouble."

After Xu Damao finished speaking, he turned around and went back to his room, lying on the bed. The image of Cao Wei's embarrassed look when he was being taught a lesson kept appearing in his mind, and the smile on the corners of his mouth became more and more intense.

Xu Damao gradually fell asleep. In his dream, he seemed to have seen the scene of Cao Wei kneeling on the ground and begging for mercy, while he was standing aside, smiling triumphantly, enjoying the pleasure of revenge.

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