Chapter 123: The Helper

Wei the Monk led me into a two-story building in the inner compound. He told me it would be perfectly safe to stay there and that no one would come to disturb me. What he really meant was that no one would follow me there or keep watch on me.

I had drunk some alcohol, and my head was beginning to feel heavy and muddled. Besides, I trusted Wei the Monk by then. Since he said the place was quiet and secure, I assumed it must be completely safe. I let down all my guard, lay on the bed, and soon fell asleep.

I slept deeply. When I woke, the sky was already bright. It had been a long time since I had risen so late. I hurriedly got dressed, and just as I was about to open the door, Wei the Monk arrived with a plastic bag in his hand. Inside were steaming buns.

When he saw me, he said, “Hey, I went out early this morning. I figured you’d be getting up soon, so I brought you something to eat. Have it while it’s hot. We’ve got important business to take care of later.”

I had already begun to feel hungry, and I paid no attention to what he meant by “important business.” I quickly stuffed a bun into my mouth. As I ate, I listened to Wei the Monk talking beside me.

He told me that he had already found two reliable men for me. Both were former soldiers, and there was no question about their fighting ability. They had accompanied many tomb-raiding teams and possessed a great deal of experience. Whenever trouble arose, they knew how to act with restraint and would never cause their employers unnecessary problems. Most importantly, they had excellent reputations. They had worked for many different teams, and their credibility had been built over more than a decade. They could be trusted.

Their price, however, was high, though I did not particularly care about that.

Wei the Monk had also helped me arrange a batch of equipment. It would be shipped to Wuming County within two days, and I could collect it as soon as it arrived. As for the price, I could negotiate with the people there once I reached the destination.

It had to be said that Wei the Monk was extremely dependable and conscientious when it came to handling matters. I was deeply touched. After all, I had barely known him before this, yet he had gone to such lengths for me. I truly did not know how to thank him.

After breakfast, Wei the Monk took me to a warehouse in the inner compound. Crates of all shapes and sizes were piled everywhere, each marked with English letters and codes. I could not tell what they contained, and since Wei the Monk said nothing, I could not ask.

Two men were already waiting inside the warehouse. Both were heavily built, broad-shouldered men around forty years old. I practiced martial arts, and I could tell at a glance that there was something unusual about them. The bones in each man’s hands were far larger than those of an ordinary person. That was the result of years of martial training, combined with constantly using one’s hands in the wilderness.

Their eyes were also exceptionally sharp. They were clearly men who had been through a great deal. In short, the two men before me seemed like extremely reliable assistants.

Wei the Monk gave me a brief introduction. The darker-skinned one was named Guo Fan, nicknamed Da Fan. The other was named Liu Dong. He was sturdier and somewhat shorter than Guo Fan, and his nickname was Dongzi.

Wei the Monk introduced only their names and nicknames. He said nothing else about them.

I understood. Wei the Monk had already explained the rules to me on the way there. Only a person’s name could be introduced; no one was permitted to ask about his background or personal information. That was a sensitive matter. Some people carried secrets they could not speak of, some had trouble in their past, and some might even be wanted criminals. Employers were not allowed to know such things. Even if an employer did find out, the person concerned had to explain it himself. The intermediary could never reveal it. That was a grave taboo.

The two men and I shook hands and exchanged brief greetings. From their accents, I could tell that Guo Fan spoke flawless standard Mandarin, with no discernible regional accent. Liu Dong, on the other hand, spoke with a strong northeastern accent. He appeared to be from the Northeast.

Then Wei the Monk said, “At the going market rate, their basic pay is ten thousand a month per person. If anything unusual comes up, the terms can be negotiated separately.”

Ten thousand a month was no small sum at the time. An ordinary worker earned only a few hundred yuan a month, while even white-collar employees at major corporations probably made no more than two thousand. That was considered the upper end. Still, it was understandable. Their line of work existed on the fringes of society and sometimes involved risking their lives. Ten thousand a month was certainly worth it.

I thought it over. I was not short of money, and what I needed even more was reliable help. There was no reason to be stingy. So I said, “No problem. I’m heading to Yunnan this time. Brother Monk must have already told you two about that, right? I don’t know whether there’ll be any danger, but I hope you’ll both give me as much help as you can when the time comes. The basic pay will be twenty thousand a month. Once the job is completed, I’ll add another twenty thousand. If it runs longer than a month—even by just one day—I’ll pay you for two months. If we run into danger, there’ll be a further reward. Money isn’t an issue. What I want are dependable people. In other words, we’re all in the same business, so you should both be mentally prepared. To put it bluntly, if something really does happen, I’ll pay two hundred thousand—as long as the two of you are willing to trust me.”

The moment I said this, Guo Fan and Liu Dong were stunned. Even Wei the Monk stared at me in surprise. Just before we arrived, he had already told me the usual rates, but the figures I had offered were essentially double the market price. They could be considered the highest rates available.

Liu Dong was the first to speak.

“Brother—no, boss, you’re certainly generous. I, Dongzi, know how to recognize a good deal. At this price, I’m willing to risk my life for you. Don’t worry; I won’t let you down. You just sit back and watch. Besides, Lord Wei is vouching for you, so of course we trust you.”

It was obvious that Guo Fan was not good with words and did not enjoy talking. After a moment of silence, he nodded and said, “I feel the same way. This price is more than fair, and we trust Lord Wei.”

It seemed that Wei the Monk commanded great respect among these people. I thought it over. Since I had decided to be generous, I might as well go all the way.

I took off my backpack, pulled out forty thousand yuan, and handed each man twenty thousand.

“This is a deposit,” I said. “Take it now. You can send it home or do whatever you like with it.”

No one in the trade gave deposits. I had just set a precedent.

Guo Fan and Liu Dong stared at me in even greater shock. Guo Fan was not much of a talker, but Liu Dong became visibly excited.

“This… this… Boss, that doesn’t seem right. To be honest, this is the first time I’ve ever seen money before doing any work. You can rest assured. A boss as loyal and generous as you—there’s nothing more to say. From now on, whatever you say, that’s what we’ll do.”