Chapter 226: Negotiation (1)

Langka looked outside the car window, not particularly excited about this news. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] After listening to his subordinate finish reporting, he merely nodded to indicate he understood.

On his lap rested a folded thin blanket, hand-woven from fine, soft, and warm wool, with cartoon embroidery hooked out in colorful wool yarn on top. Such a warm and cozy blanket did not quite match the clothes on his body.

He lowered his head and touched the embroidery on it, his fingertips brushing across a pastel blue baby seal, his expression rarely relaxing a little.

The deputy saw it and smiled, saying in a low voice:

“Bought a blanket again? I remember last time…”

Langka said calmly: “Little children always grow up very fast, so I need to prepare a bit.”

The deputy agreed in a low voice, following Langka to chat about children’s matters. His age was not small, and the child at home was already attending junior high, so speaking of these things actually gave him quite a lot of topics.

Langka sat in the back listening quietly, but after only a moment, he could not resist propping his forehead with his hand again, inhaling to reduce the pain while saying:

“Get the medicine for me.”

The deputy hurriedly got the medicine bottle and water cup for him from the front, and after Langka finished taking it, he said somewhat worriedly:

“Boss, having a headache again? Actually, right now you have already maintained it very well, so is there a need to go to the hospital again…”

Langka took the medicine and leaned back against the seat, slightly closing his eyes as he instructed:

“My own body, I know it myself. Drive a bit faster, and let’s go back first to take a look at that suitcase.”

Intuition told him that this suitcase might not necessarily be a good thing. It was quite possibly a hot potato, so it was better to handle it properly as early as possible.

******

A few days later.

Duojie gifted Bai Zimu a Tibetan robe, inviting him to go out together with himself to talk business with Langka.

That was a new outfit Duojie’s mother had specifically rushed to make for Bai Zimu; the most commonly seen black Tibetan robe, with a white long-sleeved shirt inside, tied with a black and lake-green two-toned belt that featured traditional Tibetan pattern decorations on top, symbolizing good luck and auspiciousness.

After Bai Zimu changed into it, even Duojie, who had always been vain and narcissistic, could not resist taking a few more glances, praising:

“You wearing it look even more handsome than me. No wonder my mother said that after you came, I became the second most handsome lad in the village.”

Bai Zimu raised an eyebrow: “Is that so? Where we’re from, I have always been number one.”

Duojie grinned, patting his shoulder like a good brother:

“Lei Xiaochuan, you are much more interesting than when you first came. You are very good at joking!”

Bai Zimu said indifferently: “I am not joking with you.”

As the two were speaking, Director Qu came in from outside. Seeing Bai Zimu’s attire, he praised him incessantly, even stepping forward to help him straighten the hem of his robe, chuckling as he said:

“Very handsome. Are you going out today?”

Duojie snatched the lead to say:

“Right, Langka’s people are coming to collect goods these two days, so we plan to take the first step, letting Langka work for us.”

Director Qu didn’t quite understand it, and it was still Bai Zimu who explained to him:

“It’s like this; I drafted a contract, planning to go over there first to talk a bit. If there is progress, we can cooperate for win-win results.”

Director Qu nodded repeatedly:

“Like this is best. Everyone lives in the same place, so don’t harm harmony, and have a good talk.”

Right before Bai Zimu left, he went to Director Qu’s place again to make a telephone call. He happened to see Luo Jiaqing lying in Director Qu’s home; the two exchanged a glance, and Luo Jiaqing very quickly turned over, wrapping himself in the quilt without making a sound.

Bai Zimu asked: “Why is he here?”

Director Qu said: “He is somewhat uncomfortable, so I invited a doctor to come take a look. Perhaps he caught a cold. He is an out-of-towner, and a cold is also a big illness, so he needs to be well-recuperated.”

Bai Zimu saw that Luo Jiaqing’s complexion was normal, but seeing him reveal fatigue, he knew he had never suffered like this before. Anyway, being here, he wasn’t worried about him running away, so he didn’t ask further.

Bai Zimu borrowed the telephone, and after dialing a call to the capital side, as usual, he called Lei Dongchuan’s phone once more.

Lei Dongchuan’s mobile phone still had no signal, so it still couldn’t connect.

Bai Zimu also knew this place was too remote, so having no signal was a common matter, and he could only temporarily suppress his mood first, continuing to wait.

He also made a telephone call to the hospital side, asking how the body of the driver-guide who was injured previously was. The other party’s voice was steady, and upon hearing that Bai Zimu still wanted to stay behind to help, he smiled and said:

“Your own matters aren’t even finished handling yet, and you’re going to help others again. It’s truly hard on you.”

Bai Zimu said: “It’s fine. If it weren’t for Duojie and the rest passing by at the time to save us, right now who knows what would have happened. Helping them is also considered a matter within my duty.”

“Little Lei, I have already contacted the people above, and the people from the Eleventh Bureau will arrive today. How about you wait a bit first? Let me find a few people to accompany you together, so like this I can also be at ease.”

The driver helped him analyze, “Among those coming this time, there are also several colleagues who have worked in the Tibetan region for years. Those above attach great importance to your matters. Moreover, Duojie and their Chinese is not spoken very well, so in case a conflict truly arises, it’s good to have a person familiar with the local situation to mediate a bit.”

Bai Zimu hesitated slightly for a moment, nodding as he said:

“Alright.”

The other party laughed as if breathing a sigh of relief, saying again:

“As long as you agree, that’s fine. I have already handed over the materials I previously grasped regarding your father to my colleagues. When the time comes, they will accompany you to search. Rest assured, this time we will definitely be able to…”

Luo Jiaqing on the bed turned over and moved a bit.

Bai Zimu interrupted the other party, saying:

“I know, then I will wait here. When the time comes and we meet, let’s talk more with them.”

“Alright.”

After hanging up the phone, Bai Zimu was about to go out, but Luo Jiaqing called him to stop:

“Hey, Bai Zimu—”

Bai Zimu’s footsteps did not stop. Luo Jiaqing sat up, and could only grit his teeth and call his alias here:

“Lei Xiaochuan!”

Bai Zimu stood there, turning his body slightly, raising an eyebrow to take a glance at him:

“Something the matter?”

Luo Jiaqing’s eyes darted around, and he suddenly asked:

“You came here to look for someone? That Bai whatever Huai, is he your father?”

Bai Zimu: “What business is it of yours.”

Luo Jiaqing carried a bit of gloating, sneering:

“In the past, I always treated you as a rival. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Turns out, after all this time, you haven’t even gathered a complete family. I really don’t know how you’ve lived all these years. That Lei Dongchuan has a lot of family members, right? Seeing his family reunite, aren’t you jealous at all?”

Bai Zimu said: “Watch your mouth, and be careful of disaster coming out of it.”

Luo Jiaqing, having vaguely heard this bit of news, became even more excited, his face even turning somewhat flushed:

“How many years have you searched? If you haven’t been able to find him after all these years, then perhaps you looked in the wrong place. There’s still one place you haven’t searched, right?”

He coughed a sound, his eyes carrying mockery as he said:

“That is prison. What if your dad was locked up?”

Bai Zimu bent over and picked up a ball of hemp rope from the wooden box. Stretching his hands to tug and test it, after confirming it was sturdy, he turned around and pressed Luo Jiaqing, who was lying on the bed, down, twisting his hands behind his back and tying him up solidly. Luo Jiaqing was so angry he wanted to yell, and Bai Zimu aimed at his face, giving him a neither light nor heavy slap.

Luo Jiaqing’s face reddened with anger, his features contorting as he said:

“You dare!!”

Bai Zimu said calmly: “Of course I dare. Be a bit quieter, and let me have a talk with you.”

Luo Jiaqing opened his mouth wanting to curse, but the next instant, his cheeks were pinched by Bai Zimu, the force so great it made his scalp numb, as if speaking a single word the next second would have his jaw dislocated. He stammered somewhat indistinctly:

“You, you dare! If you dare hit me again, aren’t you afraid I’ll go back and tell them…”

“Who are you going to tell?”

“Tell Master He, tell all of them what kind of vicious person you are! And also that Lei Dongchuan, in front of him, you are simply acting—”

Bai Zimu leaned closer a bit, negotiating with him: “Can you not tell my brother?”

Luo Jiaqing glared at him: “You’re scared now, right?”

“If my brother knows, he will beat you even harder. When he is angry, his hands have no sense of restraint, so you’d better be a bit careful.”

Bai Zimu wadded up the remaining hemp rope and stuffed it into his mouth. Patting his face, he narrowed his eyes and threatened:

“Don’t have a cheap mouth. These words you said just now, don’t let him hear a single word.”

Luo Jiaqing let out a shout as if unconvinced, but upon seeing Bai Zimu rolling up his sleeves, he still shrank back a bit.

Bai Zimu raised his hand to test the temperature of his forehead, saying:

“Next time you pretend to be sick, put on a full set. Since you’re unwilling to be tied up in the conference room, then stay here and be tied up honestly.”

Luo Jiaqing: “!!”

……

Bai Zimu straightened his robe a bit and walked out.

Duojie had been waiting outside the whole time, taking advantage of this moment to even wipe the vehicle down. There were still two other people preparing to set off together with him, and seeing Bai Zimu come out, they were all very excited, calling him to get in the car and set off.

Bai Zimu said: “Let’s wait a while longer. I have a friend coming who is already on the road.”

Duojie was very generous, patting his chest and saying:

“When your friend arrives, we’ll squeeze a bit. The car is very big and can fit everyone!”

The others also spoke one after another, and someone even said:

“I can ride a horse, so you guys sit in the car. When your friend arrives, we can even lend a horse for him to ride!”

Bai Zimu quite liked this hearty cheerfulness of theirs, nodding and agreeing with a smile.

After Duojie finished wiping the car, he just wanted to come over, when he very quickly remembered this Han-compatriot had mysophobia. He hurriedly ran off to wash his hands twice, and only upon returning did he take out a long string of turquoise prayer beads from his robe to give him, saying somewhat embarrassed:

“This is for you. You helping out, I am very grateful to you, and also for previously starving you for three days, as a formal apology to you.”

Bai Zimu declined, saying: “No need. Speaking of which, it was still you who saved us.”

Duojie forcefully stuffed it to him, saying in a rough voice:

“Take it. My mother said that I must give it. My family only has this left, so don’t dislike it.”

Bai Zimu could only accept it. After he put it on, both ends of that string of turquoise prayer beads were inlaid with black stones, black and green alternating, actually seeming like a set with today’s clothes, matching just right.

After waiting for about an hour, a vehicle arrived, from which four people got down. After handing over with Bai Zimu, two people were left behind in the village to guard Luo Jiaqing, while the other two people got into Duojie’s car, going together with them to discuss cooperation.

Bai Zimu sat in the car, looking outside the car window, lost in thought the whole time.

The scenery outside the car window stretched boundlessly as far as the eye could see; the more similar it looked, the easier it was to make people let their imaginations run wild in their minds.

He thought for a long time. After the people from the Eleventh Bureau arrived, with their help, they should be able to find the person “Bai Changhuai” very quickly. Thinking like this, that vicious sentence of Luo Jiaqing’s floated up in his mind again, but it only flashed past for an instant, very quickly fading away.

Bai Zimu did not care about Luo Jiaqing’s mocking words.

He tied Luo Jiaqing up merely out of annoyance at his own disguise being exposed, as well as blaming this person for being stupid. If Lei Dongchuan truly heard it, his brother would probably be even angrier than him, and making a move, his hands would be heavy; in case there was any lack of restraint, when the time came, his brother would likely end up receiving a disciplinary penalty.

As for that sentence, “go to prison to search for someone,” he did not believe it.

It wasn’t believing in his father, but believing in his mother.

For his mom to give everything to search for a person for so many years, it was impossible for him to be a bad person.

Her taste in people wouldn’t be that poor.