The Secret of the Yoga Club: The Women's Identity is Not Simple

That night, Lin Feng had just fallen asleep when his phone rang.

He reached for his phone on the bedside table; the caller ID showed Kui Zi. He immediately sat up and answered the phone. Kui Zi's voice came through the receiver, very low, and he could vaguely hear loud music and the noise of a crowd in the background.

"Brother Lin, something's happened. Four guys found our hideout in the east of the city and came straight for us. If I hadn't left one of my men out on lookout, we would have been surrounded. We climbed out the back window and ran along the alleys for quite a while, and those guys chased us for a long time before we lost them. Damn, those guys are too fast, much more professional than Zuo Ning's men. They don't seem like local thugs; they seem like they've been trained. We're currently hiding in a nightclub in a busy downtown area. It's crowded and mixed with other people, so we shouldn't be discovered for now. I suspect our informant has been taken into custody."

"Are you all alright? Are you injured?"

"No, we were running so fast that one of our brothers sprained his ankle while climbing over the wall. It's not serious. We're safe for now, but we can't stay too long; we're afraid of being discovered when it gets light. I've also notified Brother Biao, and he told me not to make any rash moves and to wait for your instructions. What do you think we should do next?"

"Let's put that line on hold for now. The other side's counter-surveillance capabilities are stronger than we anticipated, which shows that the Chen family's influence in Binzhou is indeed very deep. I'll transfer some more people from Hehai; the pressure on your side is too great."

Lin Feng hung up the phone, rubbed his temples, and then dialed Shangguan Jinghong's number again.

The phone rang twice before being answered, and Sister Hong's voice came through the receiver, slightly hoarse from being woken up.

"What's wrong? Why are you calling so late? Did something happen to Kui Zi?"

"Hmm. Someone found their hideout in the east of the city and almost got surrounded. I suspect it's one of the Chen family's moles in Binzhou. Looks like we alerted them. Send a few more people over here, reliable and tight-lipped. We only have less than ten people in Binzhou, including Kui Zi, which is clearly not enough. Brother Biao is also making progress in Zijin City. We need people on both sides, but the situation in Binzhou is more urgent right now."

"I'll have Ah Long take a few men over. He used to be in the army, so his counter-surveillance skills are better than Kui Zi's, and he's also more skilled. They'll set off at dawn and should arrive before noon. Be careful, and if things get really bad, go back to Hehai first and plan things out further. Chen Liangliang has been operating in Binzhou for so many years; his foundation is far stronger than Zuo Ning's. Don't try to force things." Shangguan Jinghong's voice was steady, but there was a hint of worry in his tone.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Feng leaned against the headboard and stared at the ceiling. He barely slept for the rest of the night, his mind racing with various clues in the darkness, until the gray-white dawn gradually appeared outside the window.

After daybreak, he checked out of the hotel he had stayed at and moved to a small guesthouse in a secluded alley. There was no sign, and only an old woman sitting on a bamboo chair picking vegetables at the door.

After putting down their luggage, they found their hiding place according to the address given by Kui Zi. The roller shutter door was pulled all the way down, and there were several boxes of empty beer bottles and several black garbage bags piled up in the alley next to it.

He went around to the back door, knocked a few times, and the door opened a crack. The person inside confirmed it was him before opening the door completely.

The room was dimly lit, with all the curtains drawn. Kui Zi and several brothers were huddled on the sofa and on the floor, their faces showing signs of exhaustion. One brother, whose ankle was bandaged after a sprain, was dozing against the wall.

The air smelled of instant noodles mixed with cigarette smoke, indicating that last night hadn't been easy.

"Those guys don't seem like local thugs. Local thugs wouldn't find their hideout in the middle of the night, and they wouldn't move so swiftly. I suspect they leaked information, or someone at the teahouse recognized my men. In any case, their operation in Binzhou has definitely been discovered, and things will get even more difficult from now on. But from another perspective, their strong reaction means we're on the right track, and there's definitely something shady going on behind the scenes. It's just that now the enemy is in the dark while we're in the light, so we can't cast a wide net like before; we need to change our tactics. You guys stay here for the next few days and don't go out. I'll have someone bring you food. Once Ah Long brings his men from Hehai and we have enough manpower, we'll redeploy. Brother Biao is continuing to keep an eye on Liu Xianghu's mistress in Zijin City; keep me informed of the progress."

Kui Zi cursed and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. "Damn it, the Chen family is definitely harder to deal with than Zuo Ning. At least Zuo Ning did things openly and honestly, but these guys are playing dirty tricks. Don't worry, I can handle things here."

After leaving the nightclub, Lin Feng stood at the alley entrance and lit a cigarette. A light drizzle was falling in Binzhou today; the fine rain blurred the distant mine chimneys and the hazy sky into one.

Pedestrians hurried along the street, and mud splashed up by trucks slapped against the roadside guardrails.

After taking a few puffs, he took out his phone and dialed Ye Qinghan's number, briefly explaining what had happened last night.

"The other side is very vigilant. This shows that the Chen family's influence in Binzhou is much deeper than we previously estimated, and they have far more manpower to mobilize. Kui Zi almost got into trouble, so I've had them go into hiding to avoid the limelight. Now that the external leads have been cut off, the best breakthrough point has returned to where it started—Section Chief Jiang. Although his reaction last time was intense, I always felt that he wasn't afraid of Chen Liangliang, but something else. He said he's going to the hospital tomorrow, and I've already had someone investigate. If we can find out what illness his family member has, we might be able to find a breakthrough."

"Starting with Section Chief Jiang is definitely a safer approach. He's part of the system, so even if he knows something, he won't dare say it easily. But if he has any real difficulties that you can help him solve, he might open up. However, I still have to remind you that this person has been in officialdom for so many years, and he may not be as honest as he seems on the surface. You need to be careful and not expose yourself. Also, be careful about your own safety. The fact that the Chen family can mobilize so many people in Binzhou shows that they have a strong control over this area. If things really get too difficult for you, go back to Hehai, and we'll discuss this further. I'll talk to Shen Ping for you; he won't blame you."

"I know. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. If things get really bad, I'll leave. Take good care of yourself at Hohai University, and don't eat bread all the time. There's enough food in the fridge for several days. Didn't you learn how to make scrambled eggs with tomatoes last time? Just don't turn the heat up too high."

"I know. You're even more nagging than my mom." Ye Qinghan chuckled softly, then her voice deepened, "Come back soon."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Feng took out another cigarette and lit it. He had been smoking much more frequently than usual these past two days; the smoke rose slowly in the rain and was quickly dispersed by the wind.

Leaning against the wall at the entrance of the alley, I watched the raindrops fall on the stone pavement and splash up tiny water droplets.

Right now, Kui Zi can't make any big moves, Brother Biao is still setting up a network in Zijin City, A Long's men won't arrive until tomorrow, and Xiao Li is still investigating Section Chief Jiang's side. All the clues are temporarily hanging in the air.

The situation is like this rain, foggy and obscuring the road ahead.

The stronger the Chen family's reaction, the more it proves that he is moving in the right direction. The next move, he himself will have to make.

He had to personally pry open this lead with Section Chief Jiang. He flicked the cigarette butt into the rain; the sparks flickered briefly on the wet ground before going out.

Then he turned around, pulled up the hood of his coat, and walked deeper into the alley.