Chapter 12: Sowing Chaos

Chen Xuewen lay hidden among the weeds, slowly regaining his strength while pondering how to exact his revenge. The most crucial step now was to uncover the mastermind behind it all. To do that, he had to find Wu Lihong and extract the identity of the true culprit from her.

Thus, the key to everything lay with Wu Lihong. But his identity had already been exposed, and Wu Lihong was surely on high alert. How could he possibly approach her to inquire about this matter? Moreover, the law enforcement team in Ping City was likely scouring the area, hunting him down. It would be extremely dangerous to show himself; if he were caught and taken back, all would be lost.

After long contemplation, no suitable plan came to mind, and impatience gnawed at him. He crawled out of the weed patch and walked to the nearby river, plunging his head into the icy water to calm his thoughts. The biting cold sent shivers throughout his body, yet he did not retreat. Holding his breath beneath the surface, his mind wandered back to the desperate struggle he once had with Old Du underwater.

At the thought of Old Du, a spark of inspiration flashed through Chen Xuewen’s mind. He quickly surfaced, drew a deep breath, and whispered to himself, “If that cunning old fox named Du were faced with this situation, what would he do?”

During his time in prison, Old Du had shared many strategies and some rather devious tricks with him. Among them, the phrase “When something seems amiss, there must be a hidden motive” had saved his life. Old Du, though sly and crafty, possessed a level of strategic thinking far beyond ordinary men.

Chen Xuewen sat quietly on the ground, thoughtfully reviewing Old Du’s teachings. He recalled that Old Du emphasized the necessity of triple consideration when facing challenges: to think from one’s own perspective, from the opponent’s standpoint, and from that of an impartial observer.

Until now, Chen Xuewen had only been fixated on how to breach the enemy’s defenses and capture Wu Lihong, never considering other viewpoints. Suddenly, inspiration struck—he would try to see the situation from Wu Lihong’s perspective.

If he were Wu Lihong, falsely accusing someone who then escaped prison and was hell-bent on killing her, she would undoubtedly be terrified. And when people are gripped by fear, what do they do? Without a doubt, they hide in the safest place possible to find peace of mind.

For Wu Lihong, where would that safest place be? Undoubtedly, it was He Fei’s internet café. After all, it was her boyfriend’s territory, guarded by a dozen of He Fei’s men and filled with nearly a hundred people inside. No one would dare to attack her there.

Besides, Chen Xuewen had already been spotted at that café once. Any reasonable person would avoid returning there. Therefore, it was highly likely that Wu Lihong was still sheltering inside He Fei’s internet café.

But how could he lure her out of such a well-guarded place? Chen Xuewen furrowed his brows, pondering deeply. Suddenly, he recalled their prison break. Surrounded by guards, escaping was impossible—yet Old Du had created a diversion, drawing the guards’ attention elsewhere to facilitate their escape.

If Chen Xuewen could instigate a similar chaos inside the internet café, might he have a chance to take Wu Lihong away?

His heart thumped with excitement as this rough plan took shape. Over the course of more than an hour, he meticulously crafted the details. At last, relief settled over him—he finally had hope for revenge.

Remaining concealed in the weeds for over two more hours until the late afternoon shadows lengthened, Chen Xuewen ventured into a nearby village. Outside a house, he stealthily took several garments hanging on a clothesline. After changing into them, he took advantage of the fading light to slip into Ping City via a small path.