Imperial warlords: Cannons are the only truth

"Everyone line up and squat down with your hands behind your heads!"

"No talking! Quiet!"

"Warden, this is the roster of prisoners."

"Commander Gu, this is the roster." Lu Wenyao took the roster and then handed it to Gu Yuankai, who was standing next to him.

“Our first prison in the Philippines currently has 1,133 inmates.”

"Alright, Major Yu."

"Then let's get started."

"First, take a headcount, then start the investigation from the prison area."

"I'll leave this to Major Yu."

“I’ll spare a company and take them to check out the dungeon.”

“Okay!” Yu Lixin nodded, and then, following Gu Yuankai’s instructions, ordered several officers to lead the team to carry out the mission.

"Commander Gu..."

Lu Wenyao quietly gestured for the two men to speak privately: "Could we let the brothers conduct the investigation here first?"

"There are some important things I can't say here. Let's go to my office."

"It's official business!" Lü Wenyao added deliberately, "It involves classified information, so it's really inconvenient to discuss it in this setting..."

"Alright, Major Yu."

"You guys continue, I'll be right back."

"Then I'll trouble Warden Lü to lead the way."

Gu Yuankai didn't suspect anything and simply had Lü Wenyao lead the way....................

-------------------------------------

"Ouch!"

"Warden Lü's office is quite large!"

Looking at Lü Wenyao's spacious office, Gu Yuankai joked, "Isn't this over the limit?"

"........................"

"Hahaha..." Gu Yuankai saw Lu Wenyao looking embarrassed and speechless, and then laughed: "Just kidding, Warden Lu, you don't have to take it so seriously."

"What confidential matter requires such caution?"

"Oh! It's like this—we have a few rather special prisoners in our First Prison in the Philippines."

"Their identities are rather sensitive."

"Therefore, he has always been kept in solitary confinement."

As he spoke, Lü Wenyao picked up the phone on the table: "Sanhe, bring the confidential custodian over here."

Yes! Now! Right now!

"Commander Gu and I are waiting in the office."

"Commander Gu, please wait a moment. This safe containing confidential information can only be opened by using two keys at the same time."

After hanging up the phone, Lü Wenyao immediately explained to Gu Yuankai.

"It's alright. The more thoroughly you implement the confidentiality regulations, the stronger your awareness of confidentiality is."

"Commander Gu, would you like tea or coffee?"

"No need to trouble yourself..."

"Then let's have some tea. I happen to have some top-grade Maojian tea here, which I usually don't dare to drink!"

While personally brewing tea, Lü Wenyao said to Gu Yuankai, "Commander Gu, you must be a key member of the Secret Intelligence Bureau to have been sent to the Philippines on official business this time, right?"

"After I go back this time, I might get a promotion."

"A promotion?"

Gu Yuankai shook his head helplessly: "This mission is not going to be easy."

"If it's done well, then naturally there will be no fault."

"But if I don't do a good job, I'll be thankful if I'm not demoted, let alone promoted!"

"The military's citywide search operation has been going on for a day, but they still haven't found a single clue."

"Those above are getting a little anxious..."

"Commander Gu, is it possible that these militants have already slipped out of Feicheng?"

"The possibility is extremely slim."

"The military's actions were remarkably swift."

"After the incident, roadblocks were set up at all major traffic arteries in the city."

"Logically speaking—with so many armed men, sixteen truckloads of gold, and the military's rapid blockade, they shouldn't be able to leave Philip City..."

Boom!Boom!Boom!

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

"Warden!" Liu Sanhe entered Lü Wenyao's office with several fully armed men.

"What are you doing here...?" Gu Yuankai looked at Liu Sanhe and the others, who had come with ill intentions, and immediately realized that something seemed wrong.

"Alright, you guys go out and keep watch."

"Commander Gu and I have important matters to discuss privately."

"No one is allowed to enter without my order!"

"Yes!" Liu Sanhe then led his men out.

"Warden Lü, what does this mean?"

"Where is the confidential staff?"

"It wasn't said that you needed two keys to..."

"Commander Gu."

Before Gu Yuankai could finish speaking, Lü Wenyao interrupted him, saying, "Since things have come to this point, I won't beat around the bush anymore."

"I do have a confidential matter that I want to discuss with Commander Gu alone."

"However, this is not an official matter, but a private matter."

"Private matters?"

Sensing something was wrong, Gu Yuankai stood up, his right hand instinctively reaching for his waist.

"Is this the first time I've met Warden Lü?"

"What private matters could we possibly have to discuss between us?"

"Commander Gu, what are you doing?"

"Don't look so tense," Lu Wenyao chuckled. "Are you about to pull out a gun?"

"My men are everywhere outside the office. Do you think you'll gain anything by firing a shot here?"

"The matter I wanted to discuss with Commander Gu is a tremendously good thing."

"A fantastic piece of news?" Gu Yuankai frowned and said, "I'd like to hear the details."

"Commander Gu, please have a seat." As he spoke, Lü Wenyao walked to the safe and expertly turned the combination lock a few times.

Click!

After opening the safe, Lü Wenyao took out a stack of anonymous gold notes.

"This is just a small token."

"Here are thirty anonymous gold tickets, each of which can be exchanged for 100 'little goldfish'."

"Commander Gu, please take this and use it first."

"This is just a small gift."

"Thirty sheets, 100 sticks per sheet?"

"Good heavens, Warden Lü just threw out 3000 gold bars, and he said it was just a greeting gift?"

"Isn't this gift a bit too sudden?"

"What do you mean?"

"I cannot accept a reward without merit. Warden Lü, is there something you need my help with?"

"If you have any questions, Warden Lü, please just say so."

"You suddenly threw out so many gold notes, you've really shocked me!"

"One code at a time..."

As he spoke, Gu Yuankai pushed the stack of gold notes on the table toward Lü Wenyao: "It's better to make things clear first."

"I need to know what Warden Lü wants me to do for him."

"Otherwise, how could I possibly feel at ease holding onto this gold note........................"

"Looks like there's a lot of money to be made in the First Prison of the Philippines."

"Warden Lü always pulls off such a grand gesture..."

"Good! That's straightforward!" Seeing that Gu Yuankai hadn't ruled out any possibility, Lü Wenyao was secretly pleased: "Commander Gu is a man of few words, so I won't beat around the bush either."

"Right now, I do have something I need Commander Gu's help with."

"Moreover, only Commander Gu can help with this."

"Is Commander Gu in full charge of leading the search of our First Prison this time?"

"Yes, it's me."

Gu Yuankai nodded: "Although the military sent the most personnel, the entire investigation was actually led by our secret intelligence bureau."

"now it's right."

"That's why I said only Commander Gu can help with this!"

"Moreover, for Commander Gu, it was just a side job."

"Just something I did on the side?"

“Warden Lü, you’re not going to tell me that those armed men and that gold are hiding in your No. 1 Prison, are you?”

"If Commander Gu is lenient and doesn't search the dungeon, we'll be very grateful afterwards!"

Instead of directly answering Gu Yuankai's question, Lü Wenyao stated his own request.

"Warden Lü, you've got some nerve!"

"Could this really be...?"

“That’s right! Now that things have come to this, I won’t hide it from Commander Gu.” Lu Wenyao gritted his teeth and laid his cards on the table: “The gold was stolen by my men, and we killed the men.”

"Sixteen cartloads of gold are currently in the prison dungeon."

"If Commander Gu agrees to help me through this crisis, how about we split the gold we've earned fifty-fifty?"

"What? A 50/50 split?"

Gu Yuankai's eyes narrowed: "You mean—I can get eight cartloads of gold all by myself?"

"That's right, a total of sixteen carts of gold, split 50/50, so Commander Gu can keep eight carts of gold all to himself!"

"Originally, I wanted to invite Major Yu to come and discuss this matter as well."

"However, Commander Gu also knows that the people on the military side are all stubborn and inflexible."

"If we were to talk to them, we probably wouldn't be able to reach an agreement!"

“I understand…” Gu Yuankai said coldly, “You couldn’t reach an agreement with the military, so you came to talk to me.”

"How can you be so sure that my loyalty to the court is not worth eight cartloads of gold?"

"Commander Gu, that's not what I meant."

Lu Wenyao then explained, "I just think that people from the Secret Intelligence Bureau should be the most adaptable."

"At least they're not as inflexible as those guys in the military."

"Commander Gu and I hit it off immediately, and it felt like we had known each other for a long time."

"Therefore, I think this gift for Commander Gu must be arranged properly!"

"As long as Commander Gu nods, the eight carts of gold will belong to Commander Gu."

"That can't be right..."

Gu Yuankai shook his head: "Warden Lü, why should I believe you?"

“What you did was ruthless; you didn’t leave a single survivor at the scene.”

"Your gang of thugs is no ordinary men!"

"Who can trust a bunch of desperados like you?"

"You're saying you want to split the profits 50/50 with me now, but what if you turn around and deny it later? Wouldn't I be at a huge loss?"

"Losing a huge loss is secondary..."

"If Warden Lü sends assassins to deal with me, I'll be dead!"

"Commander Gu, I, Lü Wenyao, value the word 'trust' the most in my actions."

"If we say we'll split the profits 50/50, then we absolutely won't go wrong!"

"I would never do such a despicable thing as double-crossing."

"What if I don't agree?"

"........................"

After a few seconds of silence, Lü Wenyao gritted his teeth and said, "If we can't reach an agreement with Commander Gu, then I'll have no choice but to fight to the death."

"I know—if what we did is exposed, we'll all be dead, with no chance of being spared!"

"Let me be frank—in addition to those sixteen carts of gold, there are more than 200 fully armed desperados in the dungeon of the First Prison."

"I don't think I need to tell Commander Gu about the combat capabilities of these people, do I?"

“You brought a battalion of soldiers to inspect our No. 1 Prison this time.”

"If a real firefight breaks out, we will certainly be trapped and starved by the reinforcements that arrive, but the people you brought will not be able to leave alive either!"

"Is Warden Lü threatening me?"

"If Commander Gu interprets it that way—then let's say that's how it is!"

Lu Wenyao gritted his teeth and said, "Commander Gu, I am talking to you about this matter very seriously with the utmost sincerity."

"The brothers risked their lives for this deal, and Commander Gu can take half of the gold with just a wave of his hand."

"I think that's enough to show my sincerity, isn't it?"

"Therefore, I hope Commander Gu can carefully consider the pros and cons of this matter."

Lu Wenyao said in a deep voice, "Commander Gu can choose to be loyal to the court and be incorruptible, but the price is that he will have to stay here with his life!"

"If you choose to cooperate, Commander Gu's life will be completely different from now on!"

"It's really a choice—one is glory after death, the other is glory while alive."

"Between the two, it's up to Commander Gu to choose..."

"I don't think Commander Gu is the kind of person who is rigid and inflexible, is he?"

"You have a good eye for people!" Gu Yuankai smiled, then picked up the stack of gold notes on the table and counted them: "As the saying goes, 'Listen to advice and you'll have a full meal.'"

"I can't stand seeing others in trouble..."

"What did Warden Lü say just now?"

"Oh! Yes! It's like we've known each other forever!"

"I feel the same way."

"I enjoy making friends in my daily life."

"Personally, I would be very happy to be friends with Warden Lü."

"However, I've always been a person of principle—public matters are public matters, and private matters are private matters."

"This is one thing at a time; everything must be done according to the rules."

"No matter how good the relationship is, the accounts still need to be clear!"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Upon hearing this, Lü Wenyao was overjoyed: "One thing at a time, feelings at heart, this score must be settled."

"Commander Gu, please rest assured, you will receive all eight cartloads of gold!"

“Warden Lü, I think you may have misunderstood.”

Gu Yuankai smiled and shook his head: "I can handle this."

"But splitting the profits 50/50 is really not appropriate!"

"Commander Gu, it's only right that you take half, it's appropriate! Absolutely appropriate!"

"No! No! No!"

"This is really inappropriate!" Gu Yuankai waved his hand: "I'm taking a huge risk with this."

"Fifty percent isn't enough, is it?"

"What I mean is—I have to get 70%!"