Chapter 191 - Back to the Old Ways

"Either way, check it out and let me know whatever you find as soon as possible. I usually have my phone on me, if I don't answer Zhuang Wei is the best person to call. Even the slightest bit of information is crucial, especially the usb. Go somewhere far and test it out, I know you don't need the reminder but spend more time on covering our tracks. I want to be extra cautious till I have any concrete leads. I'll leave everything with you, I didn't make any copies so just send me a picture of the letter later."

"Alright, I'll finish up around here then get to this. Wait for my call."

"Great, I'm heading out now lock the door behind me. You're way too relaxed in this building."

"Yeah yeah, pay me more and I'll upgrade the security. Shut up and leave already."

Xi Long's lips curved to the side before he shook his head lightly in amusement. There wasn't a need for him to respond so he just turned around and left. It didn't take long for him to leave the warehouse and make it back to his car. Thankfully, it was still light outside by the time he came out. There weren't any clocks in that room and he hadn't checked his phone so easily 30 mins to an hour could have passed by. So he was quite glad to see some of the sun still shining down.

The commute back to Zhuang Wei's house would be another forty-five minutes at minimum. The past day had been eventful but he had spent a lot of time debating Zhuang Wei. He had already mentioned to him that he would be coming over tonight and would be giving him a 'punishment.' Not literally of course but he had to confront Zhuang Wei strongly tonight. There was no consideration of him letting it go since this was already the second mistake they had done. A normal chat paired with an alcohol 'punishment' seemed sufficient enough, yet where did that bring him?

It was partially his fault for letting the gun prank go so easily. He knew each time that Wei had his best interests at heart but the methods used were so bloody stupid. For him to be his right hand and lead of information, it was beneath him to make these sort of decisions. Yes, Ying Ying and him were new and there were multiple dubious points - he didn't deny that. However, he could live not knowing everything for the time being, he had not intention of spilling his secrets either. It was a fair exchange of trust and Wei had overstepped it by going past him in such a dangerous way.

The most frustrating part was that Wei denied doing anything wrong. Judging by his tone, he could feel a bit of resentment towards her. Wei had accepted her at the surface but rejected her at the core. He needed to explain everything clearly and knock it into their head tonight. Just so he can prevent any future issues.

He figured that Wei would be heated tonight and probably wouldn't be in the mood to talk. From their point of view, he was defending a random women over his best friend. Understandable, yet even from a neutral perspective it was obvious where the fault lies. His words could sound biased purely because he stood on her side this time. Which is why, he decided to duke it out with him the 'old' way.

They had gotten into fights multiple times in their lives, deep trust for each other didn't equate to perfection. When they were young they had a special way of fighting and getting past their differences. They would fight each other till they were both bruised and drained of energy. At this time, their minds were the clearest and they talked through their differences. It was kind of weird to have a physical altercation as their peace method but it worked for them when they were younger. Adding on that the loser would have to accept whatever punishment the winner gave. It wasn't ideal but was all he could think of for now. 

Driving around for the past forty minutes, he was lost in thoughts of what was to happen. Glancing at the dashboard he checked that it was still before 7 p.m. which worked in his favour. Taking a quick left turn, he switched out his path to head towards the nearest grocery store. 

He wasn't too familiar with the area but had a faint recollection of a small store nearby to him. Going off on instincts, it took him an additional twelve minutes to get there. Finding an empty parking spot, he quickly parked and got out of the car with a mask on his face. He doubted that people would recognize him here but used a mask just to be safe.

Jogging into the store, he felt the cool air of the store hit him immediately. Looking around he tried to guess which aisle would have what he needed. Seeing that some of the fresh produce was across the store, he sped towards it. There was an array of fresh fruits and produce littered across the section. Strawberries, broccoli, cauliflower, green onions, potatoes, squash, tomatoes, everything was practically there. Yet what he wanted couldn't be seen right off the bat. 

Due to the time of day he decided to go, there was already a bunch of people there shopping. They were probably just getting off of work and decided to stock up on some supplies before heading home. Or pick up some ingredients for dinner, either way there was a sufficient amount of people there. 

His eyebrows furrowed in annoyance since he expected this to be a short trip. Walking towards each portion he tried looking above them for what he wanted. It was tedious but he repeated this multiple times across the sections till a yellow brown colour caught his eye. Focusing in on it, he got closer to confirm that it was what he wanted. 

"Yes, this one is perfect."