the knife of love

Chapter 269

At the old house, Guan finished the cigarette in a few sips. Su Jue's phone call made him even more upset. He reached for the cigarette case on the table, but found that the box was empty, and there was no cigarette in it. Nothing left.

Yaba went to the Guanzhai again when the evening was approaching.

Guan Lue had already gone downstairs, and was sitting in the yard wearing a coat, with a lush canopy above his head. He was sitting under the shade of the tree, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone on his cold profile.

He didn't realize that Yaba had entered the yard, his legs were languidly bent, and Bonkou seemed to be tearing something in his hands.

And Ning Bo was standing next to him, holding the porridge and snacks that had just been delivered from the kitchen.

"Master Ninth, you should eat some at least."

"No, I'm not hungry."

"How can you not be hungry? I didn't see you eating anything at noon. You just smoke and you're not full. Let's eat some." Ning Bo put the hot porridge on the table.

Guan Lue didn't even look at it, and the movement of tearing things in his hands didn't stop.

Ning Bo was also aware of his temper, shook his head and sighed, turned around and saw Yala standing at the gate of the courtyard.

"Admonish your Ninth Brother, at least let him eat something to satisfy his hunger." Ning Bo whispered in Yala's ear when he passed by, and Yala nodded in response and walked over.

The figure of the people in the yard is cold, with sunken eye sockets visible from the profile. It has been a full 48 hours since Shen Chunguang "disappeared".

I have searched all the places I can find, but there is still no news. This man has almost never closed his eyes. She is suffering somewhere, and he is here to accompany her.

"Brother Nine..."

Guan Lue seemed to answer lightly, and then there was no further text.

It was only then that Yaba saw clearly what he was tearing in his hand, a crumpled old cigarette case, the outer plastic film had been torn off by him, he pulled out the silver tinfoil inside, and folded it into thin strips bit by bit In the eyes of Yala, these movements are just tricks that he plays casually when he is bored, but Guan Lue is very serious at this time, with no expression on his face, and his eyes are full of silence and serenity.

This is also the most convincing point of Yala, that is, even if the world falls outside, it is difficult to find a trace of panic on his face.

People on the Tao said that Guan Jiu's heart was hidden in the eighteenth hell, so deep that ordinary Taoists couldn't see it clearly.

Yaba also has a deep understanding, after all, he has been with him for so many years.

The man under the shade of the tree kept silent, and the movements of folding his hands were coherent.

Yaba couldn't see what he was folding, but he waited for a while and waited until there was no movement, then he approached slowly, and looked at the porridge on the table next to him, which was still steaming upwards.

"Ninth brother." Yaba called softly, "You asked me to come over in the evening, what's the matter?"

The folding movement of Guan Lue's hands seemed to pause, but it was only for a moment, and he continued quickly, but he said lightly: "Go on posting, at eight o'clock in the evening, the General's Mansion will discuss matters."

Yala just stood there in a daze.

There are two banquets held in Jiurongtai every year at the end of the new year, and the chief executives from all over the country gather in Yunling, but there are very few precedents for the sudden concentration of discussions. The small influence and small calculations of the generals, the frequent undercurrents, and the huge branch of Jiurongtai, there are dozens of tables at a gathering, plus the cronies brought by the principals from all over the country, hundreds of vehicles can almost drive the general The roads around the mansion are all blocked, so the "ostentation" is too big, and every time it makes the "relevant departments" at the top go into chaos, so this kind of gathering can be avoided if possible.

But now Guan Lue suddenly wants to convene a meeting.

Yala took a breath and was a little embarrassed: "Ninth brother, is it a little too sudden? It's almost five o'clock now, and the local people in Yunling are okay, but I'm afraid they won't be able to come back from other places."

Guan Lue still lowered his head and folded the tinfoil in his hand, half paid, when he heard his cool voice: "There is no need for out-of-town ones, Yunling's local ones are enough."

Hearing what he said, Yala couldn't refute, so he took his orders and was about to go out, but he heard Guan Lue call him back.

"and many more!"

"Brother Jiu, do you have anything else to do?"

"Call Mai Boming and tell him that I have something to talk to him..."

Yala was agitated again, but he didn't dare to make a sound after thinking about it, so he led the order to go out.

After Yala left, Guan Lue was the only one left in the yard. The setting sun had already slanted to the west, the golden light came back, and there was a shadow under the canopy.

He was sitting in that shadow, the things in his hands had been folded, and the silver tin foil was folded into a small star. He put the star in his palm, and occasionally the afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on it, unexpectedly there was a hint of coldness. luster.

……

When Lao Mai received the call from Yaba, he was picking pork bones in the vegetable market. Ye Qin hadn't had a good appetite these days, and the cooking aunt hired by the family really couldn't cook anything that suited her appetite. Finally, she gave Lao Mai Called and said that he wanted to eat the lotus root and pork bone soup he cooked, and this old Mai drove to the supermarket as soon as he came out of the clinic.

But most of the pork bones in the supermarket are not fresh, and Lao Mai couldn't find any satisfactory ones after shopping around, so he had to rush to the nearby vegetable market.

At that time, it was around five o'clock in the evening, and the vegetable market was busy.

Old Mai wore a coat and squeezed among a group of housewives, picking and picking in front of the meat stalls and vegetable stalls. He finally found two satisfactory pork bones. He pinched them with his fingers. The meat was of good quality, half lean but not fat. Just as he was about to ask the stall owner the price, Yala's phone call came in at that moment.

"Hey, Brother Mai, do you have time now? Brother Nine wants to see you."

Lao Mai's fingers froze on the pig bone for a moment.

What should come is always coming.

He smiled: "Now? But I'm still in the vegetable market, can it be later? I'll call him later."

But Yala said: "No, Brother Nine agreed on six o'clock, and I seem to need you for something."

The owner of the meat stall on the opposite side has already started shouting: "Hey, sir, do you still want to buy it? Don't squeeze it with your hands if you don't buy it. I still have to do business!"

When Lao Mai heard it, he immediately took his hand back, picked up two more pig bones and put them into the bag, smiling calmly: "Buy, weigh me, how much is it?"

Here, Yaba heard that Lao Mai seemed to be shopping, so he waited for a while, and only after he paid the money did he ask, "Brother Mai, what do you say?"

However, Lao Mai held the pig bone in his hand and looked at the crowd around him. This is a comprehensive vegetable market in the nearby demolition and resettlement community. Naturally, it is not as clean as the environment of the supermarket. The ground is covered with muddy and dirty water. There are fish stalls and vegetable stalls everywhere, and the sound of selling is mixed with the voices of aunts and aunts bargaining...

Old Mai couldn't help taking a deep breath, the air was filled with the smell of raw meat and fish, but he actually felt refreshed, in this place full of mundane worlds.

"Brother Mai?" Yaba's voice was a little anxious, and he urged again.

Lao Mai smiled: "I see, I'll be there in a while."

"Then I'll tell you the location!"

"it is good!"

……

The place where Guan Lueyue is located is a shooting range under Jiurong Terrace.

The place was not easy to find. In an old four-story office building, the first and second floors were supposed to be rented out, but due to the bad location, no one wanted them. It had been vacant for many years. The third and fourth floors Then it was set up as a shooting range.

There are several rooms on the third floor, each room is independent, open to the public, membership-based, with professional coaches, and guests who want to come to play with guns can make an appointment in advance to book a room, while the entire fourth floor is open, about 400 people More than an square meter, five shooting lanes, but only open to Guan Lue.

Lao Mai has gone in once before, because of the special location, everyone who enters the shooting range needs to go through the identification system, especially when going to the fourth floor, where video surveillance and fingerprint scanning have been installed at the stairway, but this time it is not Same.

The gates from the stairway on the fourth floor to the shooting range are all open, and Lao Mai is almost unimpeded.

He entered at a slow pace. In the empty shooting range, dozens of overhead lights were all turned on, illuminating the floor brightly. Guan Yue was standing in front of the shooting range, with his coat off, and only a black vest on his upper body.

Holding the gun in his hand, his shoulder muscles tightened...

"Boom-boom-boom--" three consecutive sounds, each shot hit the bull's-eye without any deviation.

Lao Mai stood behind him and couldn't help trembling, but Guan Lue had already retracted his gun and turned his head, smiling slightly, and glanced at the bag in his hand.

"That's why you're here?"

Lao Mai understood what he was talking about, and he picked up the bag in his hand a little embarrassingly, which contained two pork bones and a small handful of green onions, and most of the lotus root was exposed in vain and fat.

Can you imagine such a scene?

The shooting range full of gunpowder smoke was brightly lit, but Lao Mai was standing in front of Guan Lue with a pig bone and green onions. Guan Lue snorted and laughed: "You came from the vegetable market?"

"Ah."

"Why didn't you know you would do these things before?"

"I didn't know you would do these things before then."

The conversation between the two sounds a little boring, like playing charades, but they seem to know each other well.

"What's the matter with calling me here?" Lao Mai asked directly.

Guan Lue calmly put the gun in his hand aside, and took another gun in his hand: "I asked you to try the gun."

Old Mai smiled: "Are there new products?"

"A batch just arrived last week."

This is normal, the shooting range is approved by the Public Security Bureau, and new guns will arrive regularly.

Lao Mai declined with a smile: "You know I don't like these things."

"I know, but there is always a first time for everything." Guan Lue walked up to Lao Mai with a gun in his hand, and stuffed it directly into Lao Mai's hand.

Old Mai's hand sank instantly.

This is a real gun, the body of the gun is brand new and shiny, and Lao Mai felt his heart tightening for a moment.

Guan Lue's face was flat: "Russian-made Baikal MP-161K, 5.6mm caliber, rifle, equipped with domestic sports solid lead bullets."

He introduced it professionally, and then added: "Weigh it yourself, is it heavy?"

When he said this, Guan Lue's face was still smooth, but the corners of his eyes were slightly closed, making the look of anger in his eyes clearer.

Old Mai's palms began to sweat, he was holding the pork bones and green onions in one hand, and the pistol weakly in the other.

"What? Talk!" Guan Lue forced another sentence, and the cruelty in his eyes became brighter.

Lao Mai couldn't help shaking his lips: "Shen!"

"It's good to know Shen, this is a real gun with bullets in it, try it!"

"No need, just ask me to see a doctor with a book. I can't afford that." Lao Mai is telling the truth. Although he has been following Guan Lue, he saw a doctor for Lou Qingxiao in the early years, and he will also deal with the insiders. Things, Thyme and several other venues are also under his control, but he has not had a place in Jiurongtai for so many years, not because Guan Lue refused to give it, but because he didn't want it.

Why don't you want it?

"You can't afford it?" Guan smiled coldly, "Old Mai, do you still remember what you said back then?"

At that time, the old man was still in office, and Axi was born not long ago, but his physical condition was already not very good, and all the bosses began to move around, wanting to fight for the chair of the main seat, but the old man didn't express his intentions, and instead pulled the pass slightly up.

At that time, Guan Lue was not even considered as the chief executive, at best he could only be regarded as a little boss around Guan Zhaorong who ran errands for him. In front of him, he accepted Guan Lue as his adopted son.

Adopted son, it doesn't sound like a big deal, and there is no blood relationship. If you recognize one today, you can recognize the second tomorrow. Besides, the old man has said many times in Xingtou that Ah Jiu likes him, so if you want to recognize him To be a godson, but it was just talking about it, I didn't expect him to be so serious one day.

For the guests at the banquet, Guan Lue offered tea to him, and he asked Guan Lue to call him "Father" in front of everyone. Still don't understand the meaning?
What's more, Axi was just born at that time and was diagnosed with congenital cerebral palsy by the doctor.

The old man had been looking forward to such a son for so many years, but he was a fool in the end. At the critical point, he accepted Guan Lue as his adopted son, and the intention of passing on the throne was already obvious.

Guanlue became the target of public criticism overnight.

People from all walks of life came to their senses and began to deal with him secretly, and at that moment the old man suddenly proposed to "wash his hands in the golden basin", Jiurongtai was not going to do some unclean business anymore, but he threw it away again Arrived at the top of Guan Lue.

What was the situation like for Guan Lue at that time?

Originally, those old bosses were dissatisfied with Guan Lue because of the "passing on the throne", and now Guan Lue wants to close their dirty business. Mao, tigers are naturally going to be angry, not to mention there was more than one tiger at the time.

The tigers began to gather together to trip Guan Lue, and some even secretly found someone to move him. Guan Lue was under attack at that time, but Guan Zhaorong didn't care about it.

He only said a word to Guan Lue: "Ah Jiu, success or failure depends on how you break out of this predicament!"

Guan Lue also knew that his road ahead was dangerous and his back road was blocked.

Although Guan Zhaorong recognized him as his adopted son, he would never defend him. On the contrary, he pushed Guan Lue into a dilemma. It can be said that for Guan Lue at that time, it was both an opportunity and a critical moment of life and death.

If he retreats, those he offended will not let him go, and if he goes forward, those he wants to offend will even take his life, so there are dead ends before and after, so he can only grit his teeth and rush out.

But at that time, he was fledgling, and besides Ye Tan, there were not many credulous people around him, so he wanted to invite Lao Mai in. At first, Lao Mai refused, but he couldn't stand it. At that time, Guan Lue's situation was really difficult, so Lao Mai nodded, but he also had conditions when he nodded.

After so many years now, when Guan Lue suddenly mentioned the events of the past, Lao Mai Youyou laughed: "I remember, how can I not remember. I said that it is fine for me to enter Jiurongtai, but don't give me a position, and don't let me do it." Anything with blood."

Guan Lue agreed at the time and kept his promise. After so many years, Mai still opened his small clinic to help Guan Lue with some matters in the field. "Brother", but the conscience of heaven and earth, Guan Lue really never let him do anything bloody, so naturally he never took a gun.

But now Guan slightly forced a gun into his hand.

"Okay, since you still remember what you said back then, take the gun now, raise it up, and shoot wherever you want!" Guan Lue said with cold eyes, and the eyes in his eyes were cold. His hostility made Lao Mai shudder.

His hands trembled for a moment and he couldn't hold the gun barrel in his hand, but Guan Lue held his hand and raised the gun barrel to his forehead.

"There's a bullet in it! We've been brothers for so many years, I didn't break my promise to you back then, but what about you? You said that your hands will never be stained with blood,

Now why do you have to abolish the rules yourself? "

Lao Mai was a little dazed by Guan Lue's yelling. The man in front of him was wearing a tight black vest, his face was cold, his eyes were dark circles from so many days, but his eyes were getting more and more hostile .

The two just stared at each other for a few seconds, and the white light above their heads poured down like running water, each of them could see the other's face clearly.

The breath fluctuated in the past few seconds, quickly and slowly, and finally calmed down a little bit.

After a long time, it was Lao Mai who spoke first, with a little smile, and those small eyes could gather light beams under the thick lenses.

He said: "Old Nine, that's all, in the end we still have to turn our faces for women, but please calm down first and put the gun away."

Guan slightly didn't move, the gun was already on his forehead.

"I didn't want to quarrel with you. If I wanted to quarrel with you, I wouldn't call you here today. This is the last chance. Either you shoot me, or you hand me over!"

After hearing this, Lao Mai felt his feet soften.

He had actually expected that Guan Lue would notice something sooner or later. After all, the whole matter was not done strictly, but he didn't expect Guan Lue to choose such an occasion to make things clear.

And at this moment, the gun in his hand was on the man's forehead!
Either you shoot me, or you hand him over!

Guan Lue only gave him two choices, and Lao Mai suddenly smiled: "If I say I don't understand what are you talking about?"

"No, you are not such a confused person!"

"But people always get confused, I will, and you will too!" Old Mai paused, and then said, "Back then you made Lou Qingxiao die of hatred for Tang Jingcheng, and now you shot the gun for Shen Chunguang Forced on my own head, our brotherhood for so many years is not as good as a woman? Do you dare to say that you are not confused?"

Guan Lue smiled, his smile was wide open, and his eyes were full of indifference and coldness.

"I'm not confused, but now is the time when I'm most sober. There are some things I don't want to explain, but while the blood on your hands can still be washed clean, hand them over."

Seeing that Guan Lue had made up his mind, Lao Mai simply declined: "I really don't know, I didn't ask someone to take Shen Chunguang away, so what's the use of me taking her away?"

Yes, this is also what Guan Lue can't figure out. He doesn't know why Lao Mai participated in it, is it just to cover up for Ye Qin?

But what does Ye Tan need to hide?
The evidence Guan Lue found so far can only prove that Ye Tan must have colluded with Fan Qingyan and his group, but he can't think of why Ye Tan would do this?
Is it also driven by profit?
No, according to Guan Lue's understanding of Ye Tan, she should not be someone who has such a desire for money and interests, let alone betray herself for the sake of interests.

What is the reason?Want to use Shen Chunguang as a pawn?

But the most urgent thing is that the other party's purpose is not important, Guan Lue just wants to find him first.

"You also saw the yellow coat last night. It is Shen Chunguang's clothes. Since you have the courage to find it out and let me see it on purpose, it means that you are sure to win me. Okay, then I will give it to you today." One chance, either stop now, or shoot me directly!"

Guan Lue tightened his grip on Old Mai's wrist, and he poked the muzzle of the gun into his forehead, and those blade-like eyes had already opened.

He was determined to tie his life and death to that woman, so persistent that Lao Mai found it unbelievable.

"Why are you bothering? There are plenty of women!"

"Then why do you need it? Ye Tan deserves what you do for her?"

The two men confronted each other with their guns raised, but in the end it was just for the word "love".

Old Mai closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Old Nine, I don't understand what you're talking about, and I don't even know where Shen Chunguang is, but I'm really disappointed that you want to get me to shoot you because of a woman, but it doesn't matter. I already understand what you mean, you are nothing more than suspecting that Ye Qin and I colluded to betray you, but I can feel my conscience and say, we did not, Ye Zi was not involved in this matter from the beginning to the end!"

Lao Mai stopped halfway through his speech and paused for a breath, "You also know that Ye Zi has been in poor health for a while. When she was in Myanmar, she broke her stomach. She has been taking traditional Chinese medicine at home for conditioning, but it seems that the effect is not good. I still often feel pantothenic acid in my stomach, and I vomit frequently after eating. She called me at noon and said she wanted to eat pork bone soup, and I had to go back and stew it for her!"

Lao Mai laughed while talking, his face was peaceful and peaceful, as if he was chatting about homework, and when he was done, he raised the bag in his hand, which contained the ingredients he bought to stew pork bone soup.

"Put the gun away, I don't like to touch these things, and I know you're trying to scare me, there should be no bullets in it." After Lao Mai finished speaking easily, he turned the gun in his hand to the side, trying to want to let go.

Unexpectedly, the strength on the wrist tightened, and the gun body was slightly pinched by Guan and moved to the side...

"Boom".

The bull's-eye on the opposite side was shot through, and white smoke came out from the muzzle of the gun, and the smell of burning gunpowder was all in his nostrils.

Old Mai was still holding the gun in his hand, and his hands were shaking so badly that he didn't expect that there were actually bullets in it.

"Old Jiu, are you crazy?"

"roll!"

"you……"

"Go away!"

Guan Lue turned to face Shedao, leaving Lao Mai with a sharp back.

Holding the empty gun in his hand, Lao Mai stood still for a few seconds, finally put the gun down, and only squeezed the bag in his hand. In the bag were pork bones and lotus roots that were going to be stewed.

This is their respective positions.

One raises a gun, the other visits the vegetable market.

He wanted to guard Ye Tan and warm her heart with the carefully brewed soup.

He wanted to guard the entire Jiurong Terrace, as well as his own woman's life.

Who is more difficult?
"Old Jiu, take care of yourself." Lao Mai turned and left with his bag in his hand, leaving behind a series of heavy footsteps on the [-]-square-meter shooting range.

Guan Lue waited until the people behind him had left, and the hall was chillingly empty.

He turned around and glanced at the glare of the lights. He took out his mobile phone from his trouser pocket and dialed a number: "Action!"

(End of this chapter)