He had just married a policewoman when he was diagnosed with criminal genius.

The three old dogs stood still, like three telephone poles bent over by the wind.

The old dog was still rummaging through his pockets, over and over again.

Chengzi squatted on the ground, staring blankly at the tips of his shoes.

Hua Ge leaned against the wall, lit a cigarette, took a puff, and exhaled.

"Let's go." Hua stubbed out his cigarette against the wall. "Don't just stand there."

Chengzi: "Well, all my work this morning was for nothing."

The old dog said, "How are we going to explain this to the boss when we get back?"

Hua Ge didn't say anything.

Chengzi didn't say anything either.

All three of them knew the answer.

I can't explain it.

They stole forty or fifty thousand yuan in one morning, but the thief ransacked the place and didn't even catch a glimpse of the thief.

If I go back and tell the bandit king about this, I'll either be scolded to death or skinned alive.

But just as they were about to leave, Lu Chen appeared at the entrance of the alley.

I saw that familiar figure.

The three of them froze at the same time.

The old dog recognized him first and whispered, "It's him!"

"Is it him?"

Chengzi asked with some doubt.

After all, they still haven't figured out how the other side did it.

Hua Ge narrowed his eyes.

"It's definitely him."

The three people didn't move, and neither did Lu Chen.

He stood at the entrance of the alley, about ten meters away from them, with his hands in his pockets and a calm expression.

Hua threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped on it: "Brother, what gang are you from?"

Lu Chen said, "I'm from out of town."

"Out of town?" Hua Ge sized him up. "Out of town where?"

"A neighboring city."

"What are you doing in Jiangbei City?"

"Just trying to make a living," Lu Chen said. "There's been a crackdown over there lately, so I couldn't stay there any longer and came to see if there's any way to survive."

Hua Ge didn't respond.

He stared at Lu Chen's hand for a few seconds.

The old dog couldn't hold back any longer: "Was that you just now?"

Lu Chen said, "Yes."

Old Dog's temper flared immediately, his face turning red: "You fucking..."

Hua Ge reached out and stopped him.

He looked at Lu Chen and asked, "Why?"

Lu Chen has already succeeded.

If he wants to leave, he can do so without anyone noticing.

Even if the three of them had extraordinary abilities, they would never be able to find Lu Chen again.

But Lu Chen reappeared.

This made Hua Ge realize that the other party's goal was not the stolen money and goods on them.

Lu Chen said casually, "I want to show off my skills."

Brother Hua asked in confusion, "Show me your skills?"

Lu Chen continued, "I spent the whole morning wandering around the station and saw you guys. Knowing you're in the same line of work, I wanted to find a chance to get to know you."

He paused for a moment, then said, "That move just now was a stepping stone."

The old dog muttered under his breath, "A stepping stone? You call this a 'smashing stone'."

Lu Chen smiled and said, "If I didn't do this, you wouldn't even look at me properly."

Hua Ge stared at him, remaining silent for a long while.

Then he asked, "Who taught you that hand technique?"

Lu Chen said, "I practiced it myself."

"You practiced it yourself?"

"right."

Hua Ge didn't believe it, but he didn't press the matter.

Everyone in this line of work has their own secrets; asking too many questions will only annoy people.

Chengzi then asked, "You want to join us?"

Lu Chen said, "Yes."

"Why?" Chengzi asked, "With your skills, you could make money working alone."

Lu Chen said, "You can make money working alone, but there's nowhere to sell stolen goods. I just came here, I don't know anyone, and I can't find any channels. If I steal something and can't get money, it's just a pile of garbage."

That hits the nail on the head.

After hearing this, Brother Hua's tense expression relaxed a little.

For a thief, stealing is not the real skill; turning things into money is.

Without a way to sell stolen goods, stealing more is pointless.

However, access to channels for selling stolen goods is not something you can open up just by having the skills; it requires someone to guide you and trust.

For a newcomer from out of town who wants to establish themselves in this industry, the most crucial thing is this connection.

Hua Ge glanced at Lao Gou, then at Cheng Zi.

Old Dog was still angry, but he didn't curse anymore. Chengzi lowered his head, as if he was thinking about something.

Hua Ge turned around and looked at Lu Chen: "What's your name?"

"Lu Yang".

"Lu Yang," Hua Ge repeated, "your technique is indeed quite good."

Hua Ge lit another cigarette: "With skills like yours, you could easily be the king of thieves around here."

Lu Chen laughed: "Oh, you have a kingpin here?"

Hua Ge laughed, seemingly having finally found a way to strike at Lu Chen.

"Of course, theft without organization is just a disorganized mess."

"I guess your place is too disorganized and lacks planning, which is why you were targeted by the crackdown!" Brother Hua said with great pride.

They seemed to have great confidence in their group.

Lu Chen didn't say anything, and Hua Ge assumed that he was agreeing.

"Our King of Thieves is our eldest brother, but he only became the new King of Thieves after he dethroned the old one."

Hearing this, Lu Chen became interested.

"Interesting. How did you come to have your King of Thieves?"

Old Dog laughed and said, "Of course it's all about skill. The sharper your eyes and the faster your hands, the more likely you are to be the King of Thieves."

Chengzi looked on with envy: "Thinking back to the day when Big Brother and the Old Thief King competed, all the famous and skilled fighters in Jiangbei City came. It was really lively."

Lu Chen's mind started to wander.

This is a golden opportunity!

So many people have come to challenge the King of Thieves.

That would be awesome if we could catch them all in one fell swoop.

Lu Chen looked longingly at the offer: "Then I hope you three brothers can introduce me to someone. I will definitely repay you handsomely afterward."

Hua Ge chuckled: "You certainly know how to talk."

Lu Chen knew this was the right thing to do.

Reveal when you should reveal yourself, and conceal when you should conceal yourself.

Exposing too much will make people wary, while concealing too much will make people look down on you.

He was ruthless enough with his actions just now, so he needs to soften his words now, making the other person feel that although he is formidable, he is still sensible.

Hua took two more puffs of his cigarette: "Okay, I'll show you the way."

Old Dog paused for a moment, then asked, "Brother Hua?"

Hua Ge said, "He's right. A newcomer without a way to sell stolen goods is useless, no matter how skilled he is. Besides, with this skill, the boss will definitely be happy to take him back."

The old dog opened its mouth, as if to say something, but then closed it again.

He knew Hua Ge was right; what the thieves' den lacked wasn't people, but skilled ones.

Someone like Lu Chen, who can empty someone's pockets without anyone noticing, is rare not only in their own group, but also in the entire Jiangbei City.

"Not today," Hua said. "The disposal of the stolen goods will take place tonight. I'll send you an address then."

Lu Chen said, "Okay."

Hua Ge took out his phone: "Let's add each other on WeChat."

Lu Chen took out his phone and scanned his QR code.

Hua Ge put away his phone: "See you tonight then."

Lu Chen said, "See you tonight."

He turned and walked away quickly, without looking back.

They walked through the alley, turned a corner, and disappeared from the sight of the three men in gray jackets.

After he had walked a distance, Old Dog finally spoke up: "Brother Hua, do you really believe him?"

Hua Ge said, "Whether you believe it or not is not important. What's important is that the work he's doing is real."

The old dog said, "What if he's a cunning fellow?"

Hua Ge glanced at him and shook his head: "The police couldn't possibly have that kind of technology, could they?"