Inside the office of Hengli Finance on Henan Road, the air was thick with the smell of cheap cigars and a freezing tension.
Brother De slammed his fist onto the desk, making the teacups jump. "Ah Cai! You think a car under Old Wild Motors' name is just some sand on the beach? You're thirty minutes overdue, the GPS signals are all dead, and you're playing hide-and-seek with me?"
Two thugs held Ah Cai's arms pinned behind his back, his face pressed against the cold mahogany of the desk. Yet, he twisted his head, his expression defiant and jagged. "De-ge, I signed for the loan, sure. But I don't have a cent! I flipped the car to my buddy Haining. He owes me 100k, and if he doesn't pay, I can't pay you. You want money? I don't have it. You want my life? Take it!"
"You think you're a tough guy?" De sneered. He shot a glance at Ah Hai. "Hai, what's the status on the signal?"
Ah Hai wiped sweat from his brow, staring at a tablet. "Boss, it's dark. The kid hired a pro. All sixteen trackers are gone. That $45,000 Prado is officially off the grid."
"Motherf***er!" De backhanded Ah Cai across the face. "You really think you own Beihai? You think I can't find a rig just because you ripped out the trackers?"
Ah Cai spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm, a manic glint in his eyes. "Don't get worked up, De-ge. The trackers are gone, but I know where Haining lives. Evergrande complex. His wife's name is Honghong—pretty little thing. Give me a small 'finder's fee,' and I'll lead you straight to the car right now."
"To hell with your finder's fee!" De barked. He picked up his phone and dialed a number. "Zhao, I need a favor. White Prado, Middle East spec. Plate number is..."
After hanging up, Ah Hai leaned in curiously. "Boss, the signal is dead. Who can find it now?"
"The Recovery Squad," De said, exhaling a slow cloud of smoke. "As long as that car is still in the country, they can ping it. Underground garages, traffic cams, black-market scanners—they've got eyes everywhere. We'll have a hit in ten minutes."
Sure enough, the phone buzzed in less than ten.
"De-ge, the car is in the Wanda Plaza underground parking, level B2. It pulled in thirty minutes ago."
"Move! Grab the spare keys!" De stood up. Ah Cai followed behind him like a loyal stray dog.
"De-ge, take me with you! I'll do whatever it takes. I'd scam my own father for a commission—I've already screwed over every aunt and uncle I have. I've got no house, no car, no wife... all I've got left is my life to play with. Let me run with you!"
De gave him a look of pure disgust. "Fine. A backstabber like you is actually useful for a repo job. Come on, let's go watch the show."
Wanda Plaza Underground Parking.
The white Prado sat silently in a dark corner. Haining, thinking he was safe now that the GPS was gone, was upstairs shopping with Honghong.
Ah Hai reached for the door with the spare key, but Ah Cai suddenly blocked his path. He leaned into Brother De's ear with a predatory grin. "De-ge, wait. Don't take it yet. That idiot Haining still has some cash left. If we take it now, we only get the resale value of a used rig. Why don't we... plant a 'Ghost Tracker' instead? Keep an eye on him. When he comes out, we corner him and squeeze him for a 'recovery fee.' We bleed him one more time before we take the keys!"
Brother De paused, studying Ah Cai's face. He let out a low, sinister chuckle. "Ah Cai... you really are a soulless piece of sh*t. Fine. I like your style. I might have to learn a few more tricks from you."
Ah Hai moved fast, sliding under the chassis. In seconds, a brand-new, military-grade hidden tracker was magnetized to the frame.
"Withdraw!" De signaled.
Ah Cai looked at the Prado—a car he once 'owned,' then sold, and was now using as bait. He was already calculating how much more grease he could scrape off Haining's bones.
The underground parking lot was cold and damp, the lights flickering overhead. A much more brutal "Recovery Trap" had just begun.