Chapter 288: A True Egoist, Ghost’s Unexpected Move

Inside a luxury hotel near Bangkok Airport.

K ended the call and let out a heavy breath, easing the pressure in his chest just a little.

All these years.

Ever since he had established the drug trafficking organization in Dragon Country and expanded the entire drug distribution chain, even during those early days when everything was just beginning to take shape, he had never felt pressure like this.

Not even back then, when the organization was still in its infancy, had he experienced such intense pursuit from the police. It was as if every precaution and plan he had made was as fragile as paper.

Even now, after fleeing—yes, fleeing—Dragon Country, he still couldn’t shake the fear that the secret might be exposed. Worse yet, he was being threatened by someone as insignificant as Ghost.

But now… at least there was some good news.

The Priest had successfully slipped through the heavily guarded checkpoints and infiltrated Jiahe City.

Still, it wasn’t time to relax.

Ghost had clearly become unpredictable, but K had no choice but to keep trying.

Because Ghost was the linchpin in the struggle between them and the police.

One side wanted to capture Ghost and extract the secret Lan Cai’er knew.

The other side wanted to execute Ghost, burying that secret forever at the bottom of the sea, where no one would ever find it.

Judging from the current situation, K believed he had the upper hand. At the very least, the Priest—experienced in execution and assassination—had already entered Jiahe City undetected.

He didn’t know how long the Priest could remain hidden, but for now… it was safe.

The real problem now was Ghost.

With that in mind, K paused in thought, then picked up his phone again and narrowed his eyes as he dialed Ghost’s number.

After two seconds, the call connected. On the other end, Ghost’s voice came through, deliberately lowered.

“Boss K, how’s it going?”

“Have you picked a good hiding spot yet? It’s only thirty minutes until nine.”

“I can already hear cars pulling into the garage, and just now someone came into the restroom to take a leak.”

“This place isn’t safe anymore. I might not even make it to nine, Boss K.”

“If you don’t have a good place for me to hide, I think it won’t be long before I’m caught by those dogs.”

“Sorry, Boss K. Even if that secret is so important, looks like I won’t be able to keep it for you.”

“Because honestly, I don’t think I can hold out under police interrogation. I’m not confident I can keep my mouth shut.”

A threat.

This was a blatant, no-holds-barred threat.

Either K helped him find a safe place to hide, or they would all go down together.

If Ghost was arrested, there was no way he’d keep Lan Cai’er’s secret. Everything would be exposed.

K gripped his phone tighter, suppressing the urge to smash it—or better yet, chop off Ghost’s head and kick it like a ball.

But no matter how furious he was, he had to swallow it down. Losing track of Ghost now would only make things worse.

Still, he couldn’t show even the slightest sign of backing down. If he did, Ghost would only push further, and in the future, K would be dancing to his tune.

At this moment.

K forced himself to stay calm, his voice cold and steady.

“Ghost.”

“Don’t ever think about threatening me. Even if I give up everything I have now, I can still live like a king, got it?”

“As for you, if you manage to avoid getting caught this time, those tens of millions of dollars in your account should be more than enough to live out the rest of your life in luxury.”

“Of course, you could also choose to let those dogs catch you and spill everything you know, just to make things difficult for me.”

“But remember, the worst that’ll happen to me is that things get difficult.”

“You, on the other hand, will get a bullet to the head. No reduced sentence, no plea deal. Just a fast track to the afterlife.”

“Stick with me, and you might still live…”

Ghost, it seemed, had gotten used to cutting K off mid-sentence.

Before K could finish, Ghost’s mocking voice interrupted again.

“Boss K.”

“Stick with you? Wouldn’t that just get me killed faster?”

“If I get caught by the cops, maybe I can drag things out with appeals for a year or two. But if I go with your plan, I might be a corpse by tomorrow.”

Those words made K’s eyes grow even colder, his fury barely contained. He hadn’t expected Ghost to be this defiant, this bold.

Ghost had basically admitted, subconsciously, that K was planning to have him executed.

Just as K was about to lose all patience and resort to direct threats to regain control of Ghost’s movements, Ghost suddenly changed his tone.

With a rare note of respect, he continued.

“Boss K.”

“Don’t take it personally. I was just joking.”

“To be honest, I’m scared too. I know too much, and that might just get me killed faster.”

“But I’ve thought it through.”

“You want to kill me, to shut me up for good, to bury that secret.”

“But at the very least, you’ll need to keep me safe for now, make sure the police don’t catch me.”

“So, Boss K, I’ll keep trusting you for a little while longer.”

“Now, tell me the place you picked. This restroom in the underground garage is getting more dangerous by the minute. I can’t stay here another second.”

After hearing that, K narrowed his eyes. He wanted to think more deeply about Ghost’s sudden shift in tone and what he was really after.

But the next second, he thought of the arrangements he had made with Q, and the all-capable Professor.

His rage, already boiling over, pushed away any thoughts of caution. Without further hesitation, he replied coldly and flatly.

“Go to Sanhe Square.”

“That place is always packed with migrant workers looking for day jobs, and the HR reps from shady factories. Lots of outsiders.”

“If you blend in as someone looking for day labor, you can stay there from nine in the morning until five in the afternoon, when the factory recruiters pack up.”

“During that time, Sanhe Square is crowded. As long as you keep a low profile, the cops won’t find you.”

“It’s the best hiding spot right now. Lots of foot traffic, and not many Sky Eye Surveillance cameras.”

“If you’re going, go now. The shopping plaza you’re in is about to get busy. Once people start showing up, even walking around could get you exposed. No one will be able to save you then.”

…

At that moment.

Inside a restroom stall in the underground parking garage of Dongbai Shopping Plaza.

Though Ghost still wore a mocking expression, his tone was especially serious. He quickly and sincerely replied.

“Understood, Boss K.”

“I’ll head to Sanhe Square now and blend in with the day laborers.”

“For now, I trust your judgment. After all, even if you want to kill me, you’ll have to make sure the police don’t get to me first.”

“That’s all for now, Boss K. I need to get moving.”

With that, Ghost hung up without hesitation.

He pulled out his phone and searched for images of Sanhe Square. It turned out to be one of those open plazas flanked by tall buildings—similar to the outlet-style plazas found in many cities.

He studied the pictures carefully.

A mocking, almost sinister smile crept across his face as he muttered coldly to himself.

“What a perfect sniper’s nest.”

“Tall buildings on both sides, a wide open space in the middle. Looks like K really did send the Priest. He’s probably already in Jiahe City by now.”

“Well then, perfect. I’ll use you to buy myself more time to escape.”

With that thought, Ghost didn’t hesitate for a second. He pulled out a second phone from his pocket.

After a few seconds of deep thought, he dialed the Police Hotline for the Criminal Investigation Brigade.

As the call connected, Ghost’s voice came through, deliberately low and disguised.

“The Priest will be arriving at Sanhe Square soon…”