Cao Yang walked through the streets of Mong Cai, Vietnam, memories of his last battle with drug lords alongside Liang Feng flooding his mind.
Unconsciously, he reached the border, staring at the Beilun Bridge, gazing across the river at Xingdong City, thinking of Xia Dongdong.
Chu Baiwei had said she had moved on from the hurt caused by a scumbag, but she hadn't elaborated. He didn't know how she was now, or if she still hated him.
He sighed, grabbed a bite to eat, and asked the restaurant owner about the location of Mangtou Mountain.
Last time, their stash of gold and U.S. dollars had been hidden there, but it was at night, with pursuers on their tail, leaving him no time to memorize the route.
After getting directions, he took a taxi to the base of Mangtou Mountain and said goodbye to the driver, climbing alone.
After circling the mountain, he finally spotted the old wooden house—half-collapsed and barely standing.
Cao Yang wasn't here for the house itself, but for the gold and dollars hidden nearby. The house was just a marker.
Following the landmark, he quickly found the spot where the treasure had been buried.
Looking at the turned soil, mixed with corroded dollar fragments, he saw the pit was empty—someone had already taken the gold.
Cao Yang crouched, picking up a handful of dirt to inspect. A smile spread across his face.
The soil had been dug up recently, no more than three months ago. This proved it hadn't been the drug lords who found it—it was Liang Feng.
Cao Yang wasn't upset; he was even relieved. Half of the gold was originally his. Considering he had almost caused Liang Feng's death, the other half could serve as compensation.
Knowing Liang Feng, if he knew Cao Yang's location, he'd surely return the other half.
Although news of Cao Yang's actions in America seemed widespread, very few actually knew. Apart from the Han and Li families, and Li Yan, almost no one in China knew—including Xia Dongdong and Xia Zhengming.
Of course, Xia Zhengming could find out if he wanted, but he had lost interest in Cao Yang long ago.
"Liang Feng… where the hell did you disappear to?" Cao Yang muttered as he descended the mountain.
He spent two more days in Vietnam, not searching for anyone, just to relax.
The recent setbacks had left him disheartened; he needed to clear his mind, or he feared losing control.
Two days later, Cao Yang entered the legendary Golden Triangle via Lai Chau Province.
The Golden Triangle encompassed Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. Although it didn't include Vietnam, Lai Chau Province bordered Laos' Phongsaly Province—crossing two counties brought him there.
"Chugga-chugga…" A one-eyed farmer drove a tractor, filled with opium poppies, while Cao Yang lay atop the load, staring at the endless fields of flowers.
"You must have caused trouble in China, huh?"
Cao Yang nodded. "Something like that."
"I knew it. Your Chinese is fluent, no local accent."
"Still, I advise you to find another place to hide. Every year, many Chinese come to the Golden Triangle—some fleeing, some chasing wealth. Most achieve nothing, and many are buried here forever as fertilizer for the poppies."
"Thanks for the warning. I'm just passing through. My destination is Chiang Rai, Thailand. I won't stay long."
Cao Yang was honest. He had illegally entered Vietnam, couldn't board a plane there, and had to return to Thailand.
He chose the Golden Triangle partly to relax, partly hoping to chance upon Liang Feng—but the odds were slim.
The one-eyed farmer didn't fully believe him, continuing his lecture:
"I've seen many young folks like you, thinking a few movies taught them everything. Cause trouble in China, come here, build their own little empire… unrealistic. Most end up dead here.
"The Golden Triangle has nothing but drugs and blood. There's no path to greatness. Leave before you get caught by a drug lord and forced to transport drugs."
Cao Yang chuckled, staring at the tractor-load of poppies. "Uncle… aren't you a drug dealer?"
"Nonsense, I'm a farmer."
"But you're transporting drugs now, aren't you?"
"This stuff is a crop here. Those hills of poppies? Our village grows them."
"Then why are you so poor? Why not buy a new tractor?"
"Like I said, this is just a crop. Growing poppies doesn't earn more than corn.
"Besides, we can't choose. The general demands each household deliver a set amount of poppies annually. Fail to comply, and you'll be punished."
"All the money goes to the general?"
"Of course, but he needs it to maintain the army. Only with the army can we be protected. The general looks out for us too."
Cao Yang laughed. "So, does the army protect you, or bully you? Can you tell the difference?"
"Shut up, boy. If the general's men hear you, you're dead."
"Rat-a-tat… rat-a-tat…"
Gunfire erupted ahead. The farmer stopped, wary.
"Are they at war?" Cao Yang asked.
"No. A new force has risen against the general. His men are wiping them out. It'll be over soon."
Rat-a-tat… rat-a-tat…
After intense firing for over ten minutes, the sounds gradually subsided.
"In this territory, no one challenges the general. That new force must be dead."
As the farmer finished, his face went pale.
A group emerged from the forest—not the general's men, but the new force who had killed the general's troops.
"What do you want?" Four men with AKs advanced, interrogating.
The farmer trembled. "I'm a local villager, delivering goods."
"Leave the goods, or die!"
Although ruthless, such groups usually spared villagers—they were labor.
The farmer hesitated. His goods were meant for the general; now they'd been stolen. How could he report back?
Before he could decide, the four men's gaze shifted to Cao Yang.
"What's your business here?"
The farmer handed over $200 and spoke for him. "He's my son, helping me deliver goods."
"Bullshit!" One slammed the gun butt on the farmer's head, blood spraying.
The remaining three glared at Cao Yang. His height, build, clothes, and aura screamed outsider—clearly not the farmer's son.
"What are you doing?"
Cao Yang stepped off the tractor, smiling. "Just passing through."
"Bullshit!" The man raised his gun butt, ready to beat him and drag him away for interrogation.