Uncle Hua

Wang Hua, naturally, is the elusive figure that the authorities in Fengtian are desperately trying to apprehend, commonly known as "Uncle Hua."

Despite his relatively young age, Wang Hua has reached the pinnacle of expertise and technique.

Appearing refined and cultured, no one could suspect that this person is connected to four homicides.

He never shies away from using his real name, yet no one knows that he is, in fact, Uncle Hua.

His subordinates dare not cross him, and those who dared are no longer alive.

"A craftsman?"

"So young?"

"How about showing us a demonstration?"

Wang Hua modestly smiled and shook his head, "I won't reveal my skills."

With just these three words, Wang Hua managed to convey an air of authority that impressed the middle-aged man who was eating bread nearby.

It was unexpected – how could someone who claims to be a craftsman exude such an aura in their every move?

Without prying further, the man simply felt that this young individual was far from ordinary.

He nodded and continued eating, refraining from saying anything more.

...

Meanwhile, Li Xuan engaged in small talk with the passengers around him, spending time while also assessing his surroundings.

Being prepared is a prerequisite for his actions.

After gaining insight into the layout of the beds around him, he breathed a sigh of relief.

However, doubts lingered. Could things really be going this smoothly?

He pondered Liu Zhen's role – would he simply take the loss of his ID card at face value?

A person capable of uncovering the truth behind Li Xuan's cheating in the college entrance exam – even if he didn't realize it at that time, could he truly have missed nothing thereafter?

Yet, Li Xuan had no leads at the moment, and he decided not to dwell on this further.

Human hearts are ultimately unpredictable; no matter how much you calculate, you can't account for everything.

Standing up, he excused himself from the conversation, saying, "I'll go get a glass of water."

As he walked away, the train's announcement suddenly echoed through the carriage, "Dear passengers, greetings."

"Next, we will be passing through a tunnel shortly."

"The passage should last about five minutes."

"Please ensure your personal safety and also assist the elderly, children..."

As Li Xuan walked to the water heater, placing his cup on it and turning the hot water valve, his eyes suddenly flickered...

He instinctively held his breath.

Amidst the sounds of the train's rhythmic motion, Li Xuan discerned faint footsteps.

And those footsteps were approaching him.

In an instant, Li Xuan assessed his surroundings. The cup of steaming hot water in his hand...

In this enclosed space, no one would notice his situation. The closest person to him was a middle-aged man smoking at the train connection.

Meanwhile, his mind raced to strategize on the impending situation.

"Who?"

"Are they coming for me?"

"Is such stealth necessary for an arrest?"

In that moment, Li Xuan chose not to move. If it was a railway staff member pursuing him, any movement would be futile. In this enclosed train environment, there was no escape opportunity.

If it wasn't... moving now would only alert the person!

He tightly gripped the cup; if this person meant him harm...

Then that scalding water at 100 degrees Celsius would come in handy.

His brain went through such judgments in an instant, his halted breath resuming steadily...

Only waiting to see how the situation would unfold.

As the footsteps drew three steps closer, a smile suddenly appeared at the corner of Li Xuan's mouth.

"Sneaking up on me?"

"No wonder your steps are so light."

Indeed, for a thief, Li Xuan was an excellent target. With his phone tucked into his back pocket and his solitary movement, he was a ripe opportunity.

But he intended to be the one doing the stealing – and when it came to the art of theft, Li Xuan had never encountered anyone more adept than himself.

In this case of knowing his enemy and himself, Li Xuan couldn't foresee how he would lose.

Just as the thief closed in on Li Xuan, he naturally turned the faucet but abruptly took a step backward.

Colliding directly with the thief's chest.

"Sorry, my apologies..."

Both spoke simultaneously, a shared sentiment of apology.

Li Xuan smiled at the thief, nodding, before returning to his own berth.

As soon as Li Xuan vanished from view, the thief's smile faded abruptly.

"Damn it! Unlucky!"

He cursed in frustration.

To be interrupted on his first attempt today was an unexpected setback.

Clamping his teeth in annoyance, he decided to search for a new target.

This individual was a member of Uncle Hua's group; however, his actions seemed out of place – he wasn't accompanied by anyone from his gang.

After venting his frustration, he silently turned and headed towards the soft sleeper compartments.

After all, only well-off individuals could afford soft sleeper berths, and targeting them could yield greater rewards.

Walking and murmuring to himself, he muttered, "Uncle Hua actually forbade action on the train? With so many people here, isn't this the perfect opportunity?"

"He won't do it... I'll do it myself!"

Swish!

As he passed by a compartment, its door suddenly opened.

Startled, he quickly sidestepped, ready to unleash his anger. But when he turned to face the open door, his expression froze.

And then, his face turned pale.

"Hua... Hua..."

He couldn't bring himself to say the two words, instead nervously steadying himself and joining Wang Hua as they walked toward the train connection.

At the connection between carriages, where no one was present, they stopped and simultaneously lit their cigarettes.

Wang Hua opened with a question, "What are you doing?"

"I... I was just walking around..."

Wang Hua bluntly exposed his lie, "Where's your watch?"

"Watch?"

He instinctively lifted his wrist, only to find it empty. His eyes widened, a mixture of shock and fear.

"How did..."

"Uncle Hua, please let me explain!"

His voice, intentionally lowered, carried an air of nervousness.

However, Wang Hua wasn't interested in his explanation, "I didn't want to bring this up."

"I know you were gambling."

"You know the rules we follow..."

Hearing this, the man's complexion turned even paler, "Uncle Hua! I didn't do it! It was that kid who stole from me!"

As Wang Hua looked out the window with his back turned, he squinted his eyes. Someone managed to steal someone he'd trained?

Who could it be?

But Wang Hua didn't press the matter further. He continued, "With such a crowd, isn't it a perfect opportunity?"

"He didn't allow it, so I did it myself."

Listening to Wang Hua's muttered words, the man's eyes widened, filled with fear!

Clang!

A metallic object, resembling a lighter, fell to the ground – it looked like a nail clipper, but its purpose was different.

Wang Hua's composed voice followed, "Left pinky."

Cold, suspicious, sensitive, intelligent...

Delicate hands, sharp hearing...

These were Wang Hua's armor and weapons, cultivated step by step from the lowest rung of society to his current position!

When those four words left Wang Hua's lips, the thief had no inclination to resist!

He picked up the object, tremblingly inserting his pinky into it...

Crack!

Within seconds, the sound of a bone breaking echoed.

"Ugh! Ugh-ugh-ugh!!"

As a painful, suppressed groan emanated, Wang Hua turned around, bent down, and picked up the severed pinky.

Then he calmly inquired, "Which carriage is he in?"

"Carriage fourteen... carriage fourteen..."

Hearing the weak, intermittent voice, Wang Hua stood upright and spoke, "I'll help clear your debt. But gamble again..."

"You know the consequences."

As he finished his sentence, the train entered a tunnel.

Inside the compartment, everything was engulfed in darkness...

...

Shortly after entering the tunnel, Li Xuan, sitting by the window, suddenly heard a calm voice behind him, "I'm giving you that watch."