The Omniscient

Chapter 50: Everything is Arranged

Lin Li was eating at a small restaurant when he suddenly received a call. He quickly slurped down two mouthfuls of noodles, answered the phone, and said, “Hello? Brother Kun, what’s up?”

Then he exclaimed in surprise, “Huh? There's work tonight? So sudden?”

“What? Old Ma is overseeing it himself?”

Lin Li wasn’t speaking loudly, but it wasn’t exactly quiet either. After all, who doesn’t exchange a few words while eating in a restaurant? Some people even take calls loudly, their voices raised because the sound of their phone fills their ears, making them unaware of their own volume. It’s like how people instinctively raise their voice while wearing headphones, though the effect is more pronounced with headphones than with phones.

Most of the diners didn’t pay any attention to Lin Li and carried on eating and chatting as usual. However, two men drinking beer nearby suddenly paused when they heard the name "Old Ma." They glanced over at Lin Li and subtly leaned in to listen.

“Where is it? Zhongshan? No, wait, be specific. Zhongshan has so many parks—which one? Oh, oh, okay, got it.”

“I’m not far away—only about twenty minutes away. I’ll be there soon!”

Lin Li hung up, quickly paid the bill, and rushed out of the restaurant. The two men drinking beer exchanged glances and followed him.

However, once Lin Li left, he hopped into a car and drove off quickly. The two men, having no car of their own, could only watch him leave.

“Do you think he meant that Old Ma?”

“Sounds like it. He also mentioned there’s work tonight in Zhongshan.”

“There must be something big going on. Let’s report this to Boss Jin.”

This so-called "Boss Jin" was none other than Old Ma’s nemesis, Jin Ya.

The two had clashed in business for years. Old Ma excelled at grooming and promoting talented subordinates, many of whom became highly capable and loyal, such as Tielong, his trusted lieutenant. Jin Ya, on the other hand, lacked a similar talent pool and relied on schemes and manipulation, often attempting to sow discord among Old Ma’s people or recruit skilled individuals away from him.

Old Ma strongly suspected that Jin Ya was behind a recent sabotage of his drug operations, likely through one of his insiders.

“Oh? That old beggar is stepping in personally? Running out of people to use, huh?” Jin Ya sneered when he heard the news. Word had reached him that Old Ma was heading to Zhongshan tonight, personally leading a job.

The term "old beggar" was a derogatory nickname that only someone of Jin Ya’s rank could use for Old Ma. Years ago, Old Ma had lived a miserable life, wandering aimlessly, surviving on scraps, and even begging in front of stores when he was broke.

Once, he latched onto a gang boss who nearly beat him to death. Old Ma groveled, kowtowed, and begged for forgiveness. Surprisingly, the boss, seeing his persistence, didn’t chase him away and instead gave him food.

Over time, Old Ma ingratiated himself further, almost daily bowing and scraping to the boss. Eventually, the boss decided to take him in and assign him tasks. While not particularly brilliant, Old Ma was dependable and handled things diligently, earning the boss’s trust over the years.

Then, during a crackdown, the boss was executed, and many of his potential successors were arrested. This left the local gangs in turmoil, with everyone lying low. Old Ma seized the opportunity to take charge, organizing a grand funeral for his boss, crawling on his knees and bowing as he led the ceremony, winning the loyalty of many.

From there, he gradually built up his crew, recruiting skilled lieutenants like Tielong, and eventually became a dominant figure in the underworld.

Despite this, only someone like Jin Ya, who shared a similar seniority, dared to call him "beggar." Even Jin Ya’s subordinates wouldn’t dare be so disrespectful and had to address him as "Old Ma" regardless of any rivalries.

“One of Old Ma’s people was on the phone at a restaurant, and we happened to overhear,” Jin Ya’s man reported.

“Hmm,” Jin Ya murmured as he made a few calls to verify. Sure enough, one of his men assigned to tail Old Ma confirmed that he had left home but had no idea where he went, having lost him early on.

“Losing him is no surprise,” Jin Ya said coolly. “You think that old beggar doesn’t know you’re watching his house? He’s aware you’re all my people. It would be shocking if you could follow him closely.”

After a moment of thought, Jin Ya deduced, “Old Ma deliberately avoided the routes where you’d posted lookouts and slipped over to Zhongshan. If we hadn’t overheard that call by chance, we wouldn’t even know.”

“There must be a big deal going down if he’s stepping in personally. Do we know which park?” Jin Ya asked.

His subordinate shook his head. “No idea. There are too many parks in the Zhongshan district, and the guy on the phone didn’t mention which one.”

Jin Ya sighed. “What else did he say? Repeat everything for me!”

The subordinate recounted the overheard conversation, which left Jin Ya momentarily stunned.

“Hmm? He said it would only take him twenty minutes to get there from that restaurant?”

Jin Ya thought for a moment before snapping angrily, “Are you idiots? He said twenty minutes! It’s obviously Difen Park!”

There was only one park within a twenty-minute drive of that restaurant.

“Oh, right…” The two subordinates froze for a second before laughing awkwardly. “Boss, you’re so smart…”

“…” Jin Ya took a deep breath and shook his head. He was used to dealing with this band of yes-men who lacked sharp wits.

In contrast, Old Ma’s crew included many competent individuals. Tielong, in particular, was not only clever but also a fierce fighter. He could easily establish himself as a major player if he ever struck out on his own.

Unfortunately for Jin Ya, Tielong was loyal to Old Ma. Years ago, when Tielong was severely injured, it was Old Ma who saved him, took him in, and even paid for him to learn Muay Thai. As Tielong grew stronger and more capable, Old Ma married his only daughter to him.

In recent years, Old Ma had even hinted at retirement, positioning Tielong to take over. This ensured that Tielong, as his son-in-law and future successor, had every reason to protect and expand Old Ma’s empire.

“Let’s go! Call Ah Meng—we’re heading to Difen Park,” Jin Ya ordered.

Twenty-five minutes earlier, as Old Ma’s car merged onto the city highway, Tielong noticed they were being followed.

He deliberately slowed down, almost to a crawl, and observed the reaction. The car trailing them also reduced its speed, pretending to be forced into slowing down as if blocked by Tielong.

However, most drivers would either overtake or keep their distance in such situations. New drivers might hesitate to overtake on the highway, but the battered old car following them suggested an experienced driver. The only reason they’d stay behind like this was if they had something to hide.

After this small test, Tielong returned to normal speed, but the car continued to follow them without attempting to overtake.

“Old Ma, we’re being followed again,” Tielong confirmed.

Old Ma glanced at the trailing car, his face darkening. “We shook off one earlier when we left. That was Jin Ya’s usual lookout. I didn’t expect another car to show up midway.”

“Someone must be reporting our location,” Tielong replied, nodding. “Maybe one of the guys in the cars ahead of us…”

Old Ma’s convoy consisted of four cars. The first three, carrying six of his trusted men, served as the vanguard. Old Ma and Tielong occupied the fourth and final vehicle, giving them the privacy to discuss sensitive matters.

“They’re still ‘brothers,’ huh? Ungrateful traitors. No problem. Let that car keep following us after we exit the highway. I want to see exactly who’s trying to mess with me,” Old Ma said grimly.

It wasn’t unusual for Jin Ya’s men to spot them as they departed, which is why Old Ma had them shaken off earlier. However, this new tail appearing midway through the journey was concerning. The enemy clearly had inside information, knowing the convoy would take this highway and lying in wait ahead of time.

This was undeniable proof of a mole, and the mole had to be in one of the four cars!

Old Ma couldn’t possibly doubt himself or Tielong, leaving only the six men in the first three cars as suspects.

The men in the lead cars didn’t know the final destination, but by virtue of being in the convoy, they had an opportunity to tip off the enemy. Likely, as the convoy neared the highway entrance, they’d informed the enemy to prepare at the on-ramp. It all made sense.

“Is it Li Kun? Or Xiaodao? F***!” Old Ma cursed under his breath, furious at the betrayal among the six.

Tielong, too, frowned deeply, silently weighing the suspects.

As he drove, he remarked, “If someone tries to stir up trouble during the deal later, Old Ma, I suggest we avoid a direct confrontation.”

“Mm. They’ll certainly be prepared. I chose the park precisely because it’s easy to retreat from if things go sideways. Tielong, if this is Jin Ya’s doing, how do you think he’ll move against us?” Old Ma asked.

Tielong replied, “Most likely, he’ll target our goods and try to ruin our reputation.”

“Exactly! If our goods get damaged, it’ll make it hard to sell in the future, or we’ll be forced to accept higher costs from suppliers. This would strike at the very foundation of my business. Classic Jin Ya tactics. Tielong, you didn’t contact the real supplier for this deal, did you?” Old Ma asked, his expression sharpening.

“I did,” Tielong said calmly.

“What?!” Old Ma was stunned.

Tielong explained, “I told them in advance that someone would likely try to sabotage the deal. I instructed them not to bring real goods—just put on a show and let’s watch the drama unfold.”

“Don’t worry, Old Ma. I’ve arranged everything. When the time comes, we’ll turn the tables, expose Jin Ya’s identity and his plan. If his reputation takes a hit instead, how’s he supposed to continue in this business? Once word spreads among the suppliers, they won’t trust him to handle their goods anymore.”

Old Ma nodded in satisfaction. “Well done. That’s exactly why I trust you, Tielong. When I step down, I’ll leave everything in your hands without a second thought.”

…

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