Chapter 139: Leaving an escape route

A group of people gathered around the magical landline. Even Xiaoyu joined in on the fun.

Ren Xiaosu asked, “How do we use this thing?” He saw a bunch of numeric buttons on the phone, but there was no operating manual for it.

“Look at the series of numbers on the Pyro Company’s pamphlet.” Wang Fugui said as he pointed at it, “Do we just dial them in sequential order?”

“I guess so. Let’s try it.” Ren Xiaosu said, “Liuyuan, you give it a try.”

Everyone was quite curious about this new device, but Ren Xiaosu still took care of Yan Liuyuan and decided to let him have fun with it first.

Under the gaze of everyone’s anticipation, Yan Liuyuan dialed the series of numbers. They definitely would not use the Pyro Company’s numbers to test it out, so it ended up with numbers being punched in randomly.

But after dialing the number, nothing happened!

Yan Liuyuan looked up at Ren Xiaosu and said, “Bro, there’s no response.”

“Let me think.” Ren Xiaosu said, “We probably made a mistake operating it. You can see that it’s an eight-digit number on the Pyro Company’s leaflet. So we should be dialing an eight-digit number as well.”

Chen Wudi came in from the backyard and saw the whole lot of them crowded together. He asked, “Master, what are all of you doing?”

Ren Xiaosu’s eyes lit up. “Come, come, my disciple, see if you know how to operate this thing.”

Although Chen Wudi used to live in a psychiatric hospital, he should still understand some basic functions of things, right? Maybe there was such a thing as a telephone in the psychiatric hospital?

“Let me see.” Chen Wudi glanced at it and said, “This is a telephone.”

Chen Wudi then picked up the handset on the telephone. Ren Xiaosu and the others finally understood they had to pick it up first before using it.

They saw Chen Wudi punch in a series of numbers. After several rings, a voice sounded from the receiver. “Who is it?”

Chen Wudi said in an imposing manner, “I’m the Great Sage!”

“You’re crazy!”

With a click, the person on the other end hung up.

Ren Xiaosu grinned. This phone thingy was amazing! The person on the other end could even accurately identify Chen Wudi’s nature through it.

Chen Wudi got so angry he wanted to call back to scold that person. However, he had already forgotten what number he dialed.

“Come, Liuyuan, give it a try as well,” Ren Xiaosu said with a smile.

Yan Liuyuan dialed the numbers in anticipation. After two rings, someone picked up the phone, and the voice of a middle-aged man could be heard saying, “Who is this?”

Yan Liuyuan felt as though he had opened up a door to a new world. He said politely, “Hello, uncle.”

The person on the other end was stunned. “Who are you? Is there anything you’re calling me for?”

“It’s nothing, I was just trying to make a call,” Yan Liuyuan said honestly. “I just learned how to use the telephone. I’m sorry for disturbing you.”

“Um, it’s alright.” The person on the other end hung up.

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Yan Liuyuan looked up and said to Ren Xiaosu with the receiver in his hand, “Bro, this phone thingy is amazing. The other person on the phone feels like he’s right across from me.”

“Mhm.” Ren Xiaosu nodded. “Don’t test it anymore. It’s not good to disturb others.”

But suddenly, the phone rang. Ren Xiaosu was stunned before picking it up. “Hello?”

The person on the other end said, “Do you need a small loan…”

The person prattled on and said a lot of things, but Ren Xiaosu and the others were stunned. They just could not understand what the person was saying. Ren Xiaosu hesitated before saying, “I don’t understand what you mean.”

That person stayed silent for a couple seconds. “It just means that we can lend you money.”

“How much is the interest?” Ren Xiaosu asked after a short pause.

” 3% ¹ ,” the person in the call said.

Ren Xiaosu laughed, “Isn’t that loansharking?”

The person in the call shouted to someone, “Boss, someone says that we’re loan sharks.”

Someone else came to the phone and said, “Young man, don’t you spout nonsense. We aren’t loan sharks.”

Ren Xiaosu laughed his ass off. “Isn’t charging 3% interest loansharking? Of all the businesspeople out there, you’re the ones without a conscience.”

Honestly, Ren Xiaosu thought that everyone in the stronghold lived and worked in a prosperous environment. But it seemed that there were also some shady businesses.

The man spoke in a low voice, “Do you know who I am?”

Immediately, Ren Xiaosu wondered why the voice sounded so familiar. Didn’t he hear this voice somewhere before? He asked him back, “Do you know who I am?”

The man was stunned. “Who are you?”

Ren Xiaosu said, “I’m Yan Linfeng from the Western District!”

After a brief silence, the man replied, “Fuck, I’m also the Yan Linfeng from Western District…”

Ren Xiaosu was speechless.

So it turned out it was not everyone who liked introducing themselves, but that he was always encountering those who did. And they were always fucking called Yan Linfeng too. It was no wonder the voice sounded so familiar!

With a click, Ren Xiaosu hung up the phone. When Yan Linfeng came to see the doctor, Ren Xiaosu was already a little unhappy with him. He was thinking that if he used this name over the phone, he could let those people fight among themselves. But he never expected to encounter the same person.

Yan Linfeng probably did not know who he was calling, right? Even if he knew who it was, Ren Xiaosu was not afraid of him. Ren Xiaosu already knew that guns were prohibited in the stronghold. In the entire stronghold, Ren Xiaosu was not afraid of anyone other than the Li Consortium’s troops.

“Actually, we should work on our relationship with a local like him.” Wang Fugui said, “It seems that Yan Linfeng is involved in some shady business and has underlings working for him. I think it’s helpful to know such people no matter where we are.”

“Mhm.” Ren Xiaosu nodded and said, “If he comes here to see the doctor again, you can have a longer chat with him.”

“Sure,” Wang Fugui agreed. “News of the effectiveness of our black medicine should start spreading after tonight. We won’t even have to promote it and can just rely on word of mouth to create a market!”

Ren Xiaosu felt somewhat uncomfortable. After tearing up the Pyro Company’s pamphlet, he said, “Everyone, don’t tell anyone that Chen Wudi and I are supernatural beings. Keep a close eye on Chen Wudi and don’t let him run around outside unnecessarily in the short term, in case he gets into trouble.”

He assumed Luo Lan would not disclose the fact that Chen Wudi was a supernatural being to the stronghold. However, there was no guarantee that Jiang Wu’s group of students could keep it a secret, so they should be prepared for all possible scenarios.

Ren Xiaosu remembered the small note left by Yang Xiaojin. It seemed she was right after all. The presence of the multiple powers had turned Stronghold 109 into a chaotic place. He didn’t know why or how many other powers were involved. So the best he could do was protect Yan Liuyuan and the others.

“Old Wang,” Ren Xiaosu ordered, “I’ll write a list for you. Go and see if you’re allowed to buy these items. Remember not to buy them together, but separately.”

Ren Xiaosu had to prepare an escape route. He would use it as a last resort.

Ren Xiaosu had stolen something very crucial from Yang Xiaojin while they were in the Jing Mountains: Advanced Bomb-making.