Chapter 547 - 491: Throwing Oneself into the Fray

As nightfall lumbered in, the lights dimmed in the urban area near Geno Port, with few pedestrians on the streets.

Recently, gang wars had intensified, with frequent shootouts on the streets. Going out at night wasn't a good idea; you could easily end up as collateral damage in a gang firefight.

On a deserted fishing dock on the outskirts by the sea, a faint glimmer of firelight pierced through the darkness.

Someone in the dark had sparked their lighter.

The flame flickered a few times before the wind snuffed it out before a cigarette could be lit.

Brody stubbornly scraped at his lighter again.

Still, the cigarette remained unlit, the flame extinguished again...

After several attempts, he grew irate.

"What's going on!"

Brody grew annoyed because never before had he failed so many times to light a single cigarette.

This failure made him rather uneasy, an inexplicable tension rising within him.

"Naro, come here!"

He waved over to one of his men.

"Got a light?"

"Sure thing, boss."

Naro took out his lighter, which lit on the first try, and lit Brody's cigarette.

With the lit cigarette dangling from his lips, Brody stood and stared blankly.

Suddenly, his phone in his pocket vibrated.

He bit on his cigarette and pulled out the phone to look.

It was the number they'd agreed upon.

"Mr. Song, are you there?" he asked as his gaze drifted toward the dark expanse of the sea.

"Not yet, have you reached the dock yet?"

"I'm here, waiting for you."

Brody laughed, "What's the matter? Don't trust us? If you can't trust us, you won't find a better transport route in Mexico."

"I've just heard Mexico's been a bit unstable recently, that's all," came Song Heping's tentative inquiry.

Brody replied confidently, "I've made the arrangements already. Trust your own judgment, Mr. Song, and trust our capability. I think your contact must have informed you of our strength."

"Indeed, I've heard a lot about you," Song Heping said. "No worries, I was just concerned about whether you'd be waiting at the dock. Once you confirm your position, I'll arrive on time. See you in half an hour."

"I am sure our meeting will be very pleasant."

"See you later."

"See you later."

Beep beep beep—

The call was cut off.

"Naro, take your men and check the surroundings again, make sure it's safe, and check the lookouts placed at all key routes to confirm they are at their posts and not slacking off. If any cops are sighted around the city, send out a warning immediately."

"Right, I'm on it."

After Naro left, Brody found his cigarette had burned down to the stub, so he took out another.

But still, he failed to light it after several attempts.

"FUCK!"

He flung the lighter far, far into the sea in frustration.

About ten miles out at sea, Song Heping stood on the deck of the Tina cargo ship, scanning the coastline with his binoculars.

Barrett walked up next to him and, after looking in the direction of the bow for a while, said, "Are you sure you want to handle the trade in Mexico personally?"

Putting down the binoculars and not taking his eyes off the distant sea, Song Heping said firmly, "Of course, nobody will believe us if I don't show up. Beneath our feet are ten tons of top-grade Coca, and my current cover is as a munitions dealer dabbling in the narcotics trade for the first time..."

At this, he couldn't help but laugh at himself, another layer added to his identity.

Munitions, narcotics...

Who knows what the future might hold.

"You think they won't suspect if they don't see me?"

"Your background is perfect," Barrett said. "No one would suspect you have ties with the CIA, especially since, just a month ago, you were mortal enemies."

"There are no permanent friends, only permanent interests," Song Heping said. "And the reverse is true—there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests."

"It's a good way to think, given that the CIA is not to be trusted," Barrett noted.

Turning to look at Barrett with a knowing smile, Song Heping said, "It seems you don't like them."

"They're a bunch of whores," Barrett stated bluntly.

The two of them laughed uproariously at this.

After the laughter, Barrett said, "Your plan is quite bold; handle it poorly, and you'll be hunted in the future."

"It's not the first time I've been hunted; you get used to it," Song Heping remarked.

Barrett glanced at his watch, "It's almost time, we'll drop anchor here and wait for their boat to come over."

Song Heping took out his phone to call Brody, but then remembered something, "Are you sure no one in Mexico can recognize you?"

"We've got a cover plan," Barrett said, touching his face. "This face of mine, it's been altered."

Only then did Song Heping dial the number confidently, "Mr. Brody, we've reached the designated waters. You can send your boat over now."

"Wait there, everything is ready. The waters are safe, I'll be there soon."

Song Heping hung up the phone and stood silently on the deck, waiting.

Before long, a bright beam of light shone from a distance on the sea.

It went out quickly, then shone again.

Three times in succession.

Song Heping quickly pulled out his powerful flashlight, switched it on and off three times in the direction of the light beam, sending out a signal for the rendezvous.

A few minutes later, several dark shapes appeared on the sea.

They approached rapidly—four large speedboats, each with four engines.

Such boats were not only fast; their cargo capacity was considerable.

It seemed a few tons per vessel wouldn't be a problem.

As for ten tons, a piece of cake.

As the powerful speedboats drew near, Song Heping could even see machine guns and armed personnel with loaded weapons aboard them.

Using the fairly bright moonlight, he spotted someone at the bow of the leading boat holding a tactical flashlight.

"Is that Mr. Brody?" he called out loudly.

The person at the bow responded indeed, "Mr. Song?!"

"It's me!"

The two had made contact.

The rope ladder was thrown down, and Brody and his men quickly boarded the deck.

"Mr. Song, where's the merchandise?"

Song Heping turned and gestured toward White Bear not far away, "Open the hatch, hoist the merchandise out!"

Immediately, the deck buzzed with activity.

Under the supervision of White Bear and others, ten tons of high-grade K were lifted out and manually transferred to the large speedboats.

"Mr. Song, want to come ashore and have some fun? I can show you the underground nightlife around here," Brody suggested as he watched the cargo being loaded onto the boats, his nerves settling.

It seemed this Mr. Song was trustworthy.

Song Heping shook his head, "No, thanks. I trust you guys. Sign off on it once you check it, and we'll make a receipt. When we reach the border, I'll use the receipt to claim the goods. That's your procedure, right?"

"Straightforward!" Brody grinned.

"The goods are safe with us, you have my word," assured Song Heping. "Hope so, but there are rules of the trade. You must ensure the safety of my merchandise; otherwise, it wouldn't look good for either of us."