Reborn in 1993, Dark Sea

At 5 p.m., An Xiaohai finished his last cigarette on the hotel balcony. After stuffing the cigarette butt into the empty cigarette pack, he casually tossed the pack away. Watching the pack flutter down into the flower bed below, An Xiaohai went back to his room.

A knock sounded at the door, and An Xiaohai unscrewed a bottle of mineral water, beckoning the person in.

Bald Eagle pushed open the door, but didn't go into the room: "Brother Hai, everything's arranged, let's go."

An Xiaohai nodded, picked up the Glock G17 on the table, carefully checked the magazine, put the pistol in its holster, put on a coat, and followed Bald Eagle downstairs.

Wild Man was already waiting in the lobby with his two brothers. When An Xiaohai and Bald Eagle came down, he immediately opened the car door for An Xiaohai. This time, instead of using the car provided by Bald Eagle, they used the extended Mercedes-Benz from before.

An Xiaohai got into the car, and Bald Eagle sat in the passenger seat to give directions to the driver.

An Xiaohai felt increasingly contemptuous of Bald Eagle. A person who was used to being a lackey could not act like a big brother. No matter what he did, he always exuded the aura of a lackey. Bald Eagle was just like that.

The two cars left the Jinxin Hotel and headed straight into the bustling downtown area next door.

After the convoy left, a person wearing a black trench coat, mask, and sunglasses slowly walked out of the lobby. After looking around to make sure no one was there, he quickly ran to the flower bed and picked up the cigarette box that Xiao Hai had thrown away, examining it carefully.

The man examined the cigarette pack and cigarette butts for a long time, even tearing them apart piece by piece, but found no trace of any information being transmitted.

The man in the trench coat took the cigarette pack and cigarette butt remnants to a corner, examined them carefully again, and after finding no further information, he stuffed everything into his pocket, turned around, and drove away.

------

Inside the Municipal Public Security Bureau's command vehicle

Liu Yusheng's face was very ugly. At 3:00 p.m., Zhou Zhengguo ordered all the fully armed police officers to wear plainclothes and drive unmarked official vehicles into the city. After that, he kept directing everyone to wander around like headless flies.

They'd been wandering around for two hours, and still couldn't figure out what they were looking for, which only fueled Liu Yusheng's growing frustration.

Just as Liu Yusheng was about to question him, an unfamiliar voice suddenly came through the communication system.

"Attention all units, the target has begun operations! I repeat, the target has begun operations. All units, prepare for battle! All units, prepare for battle!"

"Combat preparation? What does that mean? What is combat preparation?! Who is in charge of this?! Which units are involved?! I don't know anything about this?! Zhou Zhengguo, what the hell are you guys doing?!" Liu Yusheng immediately exploded.

"Secretary, please don't get agitated. We'll see the results soon. Please be patient a little longer."

"What do you mean 'bear with it a little longer'?! If I bear with it a little longer, who knows what kind of trouble you'll cause! Old Tong, do you even know what he's up to?"

Tong Dapeng shrugged helplessly. Ever since Lu Guoliang's incident, Zhou Zhengguo's personality had changed a lot. He seemed to no longer completely trust anyone, and he kept many things from even his old comrade-in-arms. However, Tong Dapeng could understand Zhou Zhengguo.

One spy after another was dug out from within the bureau, and one comrade after another became an enemy. No one could bear that.

"Zhou Zhengguo, I advise you to tell me everything immediately, otherwise, don't blame me for handling this strictly as a matter of business! Are you even going to be wary of me?"

"Secretary, I'm sorry, I really can't say right now! I've already obtained permission from the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Department. Please take a look!" With no other choice, Zhou Zhengguo took a document out of his briefcase and handed it to Liu Yusheng.

Liu Yusheng quickly glanced at the document, his expression changing several times. Finally, he snorted coldly, threw the document back to Zhou Zhengguo, and remained silent, fuming.

Zhou Zhengguo put the documents away with a wry smile. Wang Tiejun and Tong Dapeng in the command vehicle exchanged a glance, and both wisely chose to keep quiet.

------

Sitting in Cao Yingying's car, Liu Cong was looking around, searching for his other colleagues on the street, or more precisely, for Xia Jing.

Before the operation began, Xia Qing and another policewoman were suddenly called away from the conference room. Since then, he has not seen the two of them again, and Liu Cong is very worried.

There are only two possibilities for Xia Qing and another policewoman being called away before such an important operation: either something happened to them, or they were sent to carry out some special mission.

After the operation began, the teams, under Zhou Zhengguo's command, seemed to be wandering around Deepsea City aimlessly, but Liu Cong vaguely sensed that none of Zhou Zhengguo's instructions were without purpose.

The small team deployed throughout the deep-sea city, forming a large net. Zhou Zhengguo was adjusting the scope of this net according to the changing time.

This shows that Zhou Zhengguo has a clear goal and knows the approximate timeframe. He is likely doing this to shrink the radius of the encirclement based on the scope of activities within a unit of time.

To achieve this, the resources required are unimaginable. No wonder it's so tense; this must be a major operation!

------

On a helicopter high in the sky

Holding binoculars, 073 kept a close eye on An Xiaohai's vehicle through the thin clouds, and kept Zhou Zhengguo informed of An Xiaohai's movements in real time.

"It's getting dark. Turn off all the lights on the helicopters to avoid being detected by the enemy. Notify the airport to postpone all flights during this period and try not to let any planes take off before the operation is over."

If any passenger planes return to port, they must report their exact location to us in real time.

"yes!"

------

In the traffic, the security personnel directed the vehicles.

"Director, the target has shifted to Chunfeng Road! The target has shifted to Chunfeng Road!"

"Understood. Squad Seven will remain in their original positions. Squads Four, Eight, and Nine will take over the observation duties."

"yes!"

------

The temporary command post of the Armed Police on the top floor of a building.

Zhou Meng picked up the walkie-talkie: "Everyone, listen to my orders. One last check of your weapons. Be ready to attack at any time!"

"yes!"

------

An Xiaohai sat in his seat, his gaze fixed on the roof of the car. His left hand gently stroked the Buddha-face necklace around his neck, while his right hand lightly tapped the leather seat.

The car has circled Chunfeng Road three times already, and it looks like we're getting close to our destination.

An Xiaohai checked his watch; it was 17:25 PM.

The car finally stopped by the roadside, and Bald Eagle opened the car door for An Xiaohai: "Brother Hai, we've arrived."

A burst of loud music came from the car. An Xiaohai stepped out of the car and saw a huge neon sign lit up in front of him: Miaomiao KTV.

This KTV seems to be quite famous in Luotian District. I heard that many Hong Kong locals come here to play.

Bald Eagle led An Xiaohai into the KTV. Amidst the staff's repeated welcomes, the group walked to a private room at the end of the corridor.

The door to the private room was ajar, and the music inside was quite loud. Bald Eagle stopped the Wild Man and the others, and gestured for An Xiaohai to enter.

An Xiaohai exchanged a glance with the wild man, then pushed open the door and entered alone.

Inside the private room sat a person completely covered in black. Even in such a dimly lit environment, he was still wearing sunglasses, a hat, and a large black mask, with only his ears showing.

Two men dressed in black suits, resembling bodyguards, stood behind him.

"Tch~" An Xiaohai chuckled, took out a pair of sunglasses from his pocket, put them on his nose, swaggered over, sat down opposite the person, and arrogantly crossed his legs.

"You don't look like An Xiaohai. You look more like Xu Tianyou," the man said, pushing a can of cola in front of An Xiaohai.

An Xiaohai shrugged and pointed to his ear, indicating that he couldn't hear what was being said.

An Xiaohai could actually hear it very clearly, but the noise in the private room was so loud that it hurt his ears.

The man in black had no choice but to turn the volume down a bit, which made him feel much better.

"An Xiaohai, time is precious, let's get straight to the point," the man in black said. His voice was very hoarse and muffled by the music.

An Xiaohai raised his eyebrows and shrugged, indicating his approval.

The man in black nodded and continued, "Our real purpose in bringing you here is not to cooperate with you, but to invite you to become the sixth leader of our Flying Bird Gang."

"The sixth generation leader?" An Xiaohai frowned.

"Yes, the sixth leader."

Our first leader was seriously injured in an internal conflict and his health collapsed, so he handed over the leadership to the second leader.

Two years later, the second leader was voted out by all the sea hawks for making a fatal mistake, and thus we had the third leader;

The third leader did a good job; he led everyone to establish a very stable and safe sea transport route. Unfortunately, he encountered a storm at sea, and both he and the ship perished.

"Both the people and the boat have disappeared..." An Xiaohai pursed his lips. The leader of the Flying Bird Gang shouldn't be this unlucky. This style is somewhat similar to another person!

"The fourth leader was also unlucky; he died in a battle with the police. I am the fifth leader. If you are willing to be the leader of the Flying Bird Gang, my position is yours."

Give me a reason.

"The reason is simple: you are a strong person, and more importantly, a smart person. You can almost call the shots in both the underworld and legitimate world of Deepsea City. You are fully qualified to become our leader."

"Just because of that?"

"Yes, that's why!"

The reason why our Flying Bird Gang has been able to continue peacefully to this day is because we have always shared the benefits with the strongest.

We want to do business in Shenzhen, and you're an indispensable part of our operations; if we want to thrive, we first need to win you over. Frankly, we have the capability, but you're also very powerful, and completely controlling you will inevitably come at a huge cost.

If that's the case, why not cooperate? Fighting to the death will only benefit the police and other forces in the end.

Cooperation is the wisest choice. Only by sharing profits can a business grow big! No one can eat the whole cake by themselves.

Our five thousand years of history, to put it bluntly, is a process of distributing benefits. When benefits are distributed well, everyone lives in peace and the dynasty can continue; when benefits are distributed in disorder, people will rise up, break the old order, and start redistributing.

Isn't that how it is?

"What you say seems to make some sense. However, I can understand cooperation, but I still cannot understand handing over the leadership position."

"I don't think my explanations will be very helpful. You could try sitting in the leader's position for a while, and maybe you'll come to your own understanding."

"Interesting, very interesting!"

But I know that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Since I have shared in the benefits of the Flying Bird Gang, I must bear the corresponding obligations, right?

Tell me, what is this obligation?

"50 billion, generate 50 billion in revenue for the Flying Bird Gang every year. As long as you hand over 50 billion, the rest is yours."

"Oh, that sounds pretty scary. I'd like to know, as the fifth-generation leader, how many billions do you have to hand over every year?"

"25 million."

"Hehe, you guys really think highly of me, doubling my value all at once."

"It's not that we think highly of you, it's that you already possessed this ability, didn't you, Brother Hai?"

Moreover, we will no longer sell powder, but ice, and we have already prepared a large quantity of the product, so these will not be included in the cost.

Most importantly, most of the old guard has died, making it much easier to support new recruits. The need for sea transport routes has also been eliminated, significantly reducing costs and naturally increasing the amount of money handed over.

"That's true. If that's the case, then 50 billion isn't impossible, is it?"

But what are the benefits? What benefits do I get? I can earn this money even without you bunch of burdens, and I can do it all by myself.

Tell me, why should I join you? Why should I risk my life and toil for you every day?

"Besides money, we can give you power, supreme power in the underworld of Deepsea City, and even Haidong Province!"

"You can make someone live if you want them to, and someone die if you want them to; if you fancy someone's daughter, she will definitely appear in your bed; even if you want to get an official position, it's not impossible."

"I think what you're talking about is something I can do if I put in the effort."

"Yes, I actually think so too."

However, as you know, two tigers cannot share one mountain. Since things have come to this point, if Brother Hai is still unwilling to develop together with us, then there is only one path left.

Are you threatening me?

"No, I'm just stating a fact."

"These are my lines, and you're not allowed to say them again!"

"Okay, whatever whose lines it is, that's the gist of it."

Just then, a commotion broke out at the door of the private room. It seemed that a group of young delinquents had rushed over, chattering and shouting, and apparently had gotten into some kind of conflict with the waiter.

The man in black frowned, and was about to call his bodyguards to go out and see what was going on, but the noise quickly subsided. It seemed that the waiter had led the group of young girls into the room across the street.

An Xiaohai's lips curled up slightly. He heard it clearly: the loudest voice outside the private room was Mai Xiaoyu, another rather arrogant one was Xia Jing, he never expected her to have this side to her, and there was also a coquettish voice, which sounded like Xu Congzhou's receptionist.

"Okay, I'll think about it!" An Xiaohai patted his thigh and stood up. "I heard this KTV is pretty good. Since we're here, it'd be a waste not to sing a few songs. Want to come along?"

"Forget it, I'm not singing anymore. I'm too old to sing anymore. You can leave now." The man in black exhaled and leaned back on the sofa.

"Then I'll do it myself."

An Xiaohai snapped his fingers, and one of the bodyguards from the man in black immediately called over a waiter. An Xiaohai ordered a few songs, and the waiter quickly brought over the CDs and started playing them.

As the music began, An Xiaohai closed his eyes and sang with deep emotion:

"I advised you to go back as soon as possible, but you said you didn't want to go back..."

------

In the bakery across the street, a group of girls were laughing and singing.

Xia Qing stood at the door, watching the waiters' movements. Mai Xiaoyu held a special recording device against the wall of the private room and listened intently. After listening for a while, Mai Xiaoyu raised her eyebrows.

"Boss, I think something's up."

"What's going on?"

"An Xiaohai is singing."

"Is he singing? What song is he singing?"

"It sounds like my brother's song, but I don't know the title. Xia, why don't you listen to it?"

Mai Xiaoyu and Xia Qing quickly switched places. Xia Qing put on her headphones and listened carefully. Sure enough, she heard An Xiaohai's singing voice:

"I will wash away my sorrow and pain, and cherish the tenderness and sweetness I have for you..."

An Xiaohai sang very well, and Xia Qing was so stunned for a moment that Mai Xiaoyu had to nudge her to come to her senses.

"I know this song. It's my brother's song, called 'The Wind Keeps Blowing'!"

Are you sure?

"Sure!"

"Boss, the song An Xiaohai sang is called 'The Wind Continues to Blow'."

"Understood!" 073 frowned; something must have happened to An Xiaohai.

"Attention all units! Attention all units! Suspend operations, maintain silence, remain vigilant! I repeat: Suspend operations, maintain silence, remain vigilant! No one is to be exposed without my orders!"