Reborn in 1993, Dark Sea

"Director Zou, please wait a moment. I'm going to get something from the car and I'll be right back."

An Xiaohai learned his lesson this time. He had prepared 3000 yuan beforehand, but now that Zou Laoquan had asked for an extra 2000 yuan, he absolutely could not count the money in front of Zou Laoquan again, as it would easily cause trouble.

"Okay, go ahead, I'll wait for you here. Be careful not to be too flashy."

"Understood, don't worry," An Xiaohai nodded and went out. He actually ran back to the parking lot before coming back, which took a full 40 minutes. By the time he returned to the police station, it was completely dark.

An Xiaohai gave 5000 yuan to Zou Laoquan, who unabashedly counted the money twice with his saliva before putting it in his pocket.

"Come on, have a couple of drinks with me!" Zou Laoquan's face was flushed, whether from the alcohol or from being spurred on by the money, it was hard to tell.

An Xiaohai nodded. He hadn't had dinner yet and was indeed a little hungry.

Zou Laoquan personally poured wine for An Xiaohai: "Now that the money has been paid, the matter is considered settled. There are still some things I need to tell you."

"Please speak, Director."

"Don't call me Director anymore, call me Uncle Quan. Everyone in the village, young and old, calls me that. You must remember that."

"it is good."

"You're from Haidong Province, right?"

"Yes."

"You should pay attention to your accent in the future. The accent here is different from yours, and the locals can tell the difference immediately. Either learn the local dialect or practice your Mandarin."

"OK."

"Also, send some money over during holidays and festivals, and I'll buy some incense and candles for you to burn at the Chen family ancestral graves. Send the money to the post office in town, not to me, understand?"

"Understood," An Xiaohai nodded. Zou Laoquan was quite professional after taking the money. This was necessary to create the illusion that Chen Maogan was still alive, so that when he reappeared, it wouldn't seem so abrupt.

"If you're not too short on cash, you can send some money over every now and then, and I'll help you buy some rice, oil, or something to share with the villagers. That way, even if someone notices something's wrong, they won't say a word."

"understood."

"Did you bring the photos?"

"I brought them," An Xiaohai said, taking out several ID photos from his pocket and handing them to Zou Laoquan. These were for applying for an ID card and a new household registration book.

"Okay!" Zou Laoquan took the photo and put it in his pocket. "You can stay here tonight. Stay at my brother-in-law's house. He will tell you in detail about Chen Maogan's childhood, who he was close to, who held him when he was a child, and so on."

The more of these things you remember, the better, so you can answer them if someone asks you about them later.

"Is this necessary?"

"Of course! It's very important! When acting, you have to go all the way. Chen Maogan ran away when he was about ten years old, and it's been seven or eight years. It's not surprising that he looks a bit different."

The other young men around his age have all left; those who know him are all elderly people.

These old folks can't see the road clearly, let alone people, but they remember things from the past very clearly. You won't regret learning about them.

"By the way, let me make this clear first: you'd better not use this identity to get into any trouble outside. It'll be a huge problem, and don't blame me for being ruthless then."

"Of course!" An Xiaohai nodded. He hadn't originally planned to use this identity to do anything bad. This identity was just to avoid everyone's attention and was mainly for making money.

"Uncle Quan, how long do I have to stay here to get my new documents?" An Xiaohai didn't have that much time to wait here. If all else failed, he would have to ask Zou Laoquan to mail them.

"A day or two."

"So fast!"

"Of course it will be quick. I'll go to the county myself tomorrow to take care of it. If all goes well, you'll be able to get your new certificate tomorrow night."

Also, you can't stay at my brother-in-law's for free; you have to pay for the room. It's not expensive, only 50 yuan a day, including three meals!

Holy crap... this is a one-stop service!

50 yuan a day isn't expensive? How could Zou Laoquan say that? A hotel in the county town wouldn't cost that much for a night!

But it doesn't matter. The more greedy Zou Laoquan is, the safer he is. It's just that the relationship with his brother-in-law is giving An Xiaohai a bit of a headache.

After eating something and drinking some wine, Zou Laoquan took An Xiaohai to his brother-in-law's place.

Zou Laoquan's brother-in-law seemed honest and simple; he even seemed a little embarrassed after accepting 50 yuan from An Xiaohai.

The room was very clean, with a faint smell of straw, much better than that small hotel.

After settling in, Zou Laoquan's brother-in-law came over and told An Xiaohai about Chen Maogan's situation, a story that lasted for three whole hours.

I must say, Zou Laoquan and his brother-in-law are both dedicated people!

After driving all day and going on such a long journey, An Xiaohai was really exhausted. He rested immediately after Zou Laoquan's brother-in-law left.

He slept very well, and it wasn't until almost noon the next day that An Xiaohai lazily got up.

Zou Laoquan's brother-in-law prepared a sumptuous lunch for An Xiaohai, including chicken, fish, and goose, all of which were free-range. The portions were generous and the food tasted great, making An Xiaohai feel that the 50 yuan was well spent.

After the meal, Zou Laoquan's brother-in-law took An Xiaohai for a stroll around the village, casually greeting the people working in the fields.

A group of unattended children followed the two men. After An Xiaohai bribed them with a large amount of cheap snacks from the only shop in the village, he became known as "Brother Maogan" among the children.

Watching as a person who had already died slowly came back to life.

After a day of searching, An Xiaohai had gathered a lot of information. It turned out that Zou Laoquan was not only the police chief of Gujiang Village, but also the village chief. He was practically a local tyrant here, no wonder he could get things done with such absolute power.

Around dinner time, Zou Laoquan returned, riding a sidecar tricycle, wobbling back as he went.

After meeting An Xiaohai at his brother-in-law's house, Zou Laoquan placed the brand-new household registration book and ID card in front of him, and then went back to his own place to drink.

An Xiaohai held the new household registration book and ID card in his hands and looked at them again and again. He felt very strange. There was a little bit of absurdity, a little bit of unreality, and a little bit of excitement.

Surprisingly, it actually worked!

The next morning, when An Xiaohai left, Zou Laoquan escorted him all the way to his car, reminding him to be careful the whole way. It really felt like he was seeing off a younger member of the same village away from his hometown.

This Zou Laoquan made An Xiaohai deeply feel the highest level of acting skills. It was simply brainwashing acting skills. He not only brainwashed others, but also brainwashed himself.

After leaving the small mountain village, An Xiaohai drove for another whole day and finally returned to Nancheng City. After this period of intensive practice, An Xiaohai was now able to drive the Cadillac skillfully.

As for traffic rules, those are actually the easiest to handle; just flip through the whole book and you'll be fine.

An Xiaohai bought a plane ticket with his new ID card without any problems. Everything went smoothly, and An Xiaohai finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Damn it... this old man is now not only An Xiaohai, but also Chen Maogan, from Group 2, Gujiang Village, Gushan County, Jingbei City, Haixi Province!"

An Xiaohai did not leave immediately. Instead, he quickly rented an apartment in a high-end residential area near the airport in Nancheng City.

The homeowner had immigrated abroad and entrusted the entire property to an agency. An Xiaohai didn't have many requirements regarding the price, so an agreement was quickly reached, and he received the keys after completing the formalities.

Housing prices were very cheap back then, especially in the southern part of the city. This beautiful neighborhood cost less than 1000 yuan per square meter. An Xiaohai had enough cash on hand to buy this apartment.

However, there are too many procedures involved in buying a house, and I don't have enough time. I'll have to deal with it later.

An Xiaohai parked the Cadillac in the community garage, found a place in the rented house to hide some money and the handgun, and then rushed to the airport to board a plane to Shenhai City.

As soon as An Xiaohai got off the plane and turned on his phone, it rang.

An Xiaohai frowned. This was the phone number for Apojiao Village Committee. Had something happened at home?

An Xiaohai quickly pressed the call button, and Chen Shuifen's heart-wrenching cries came from the other end of the line: "Xiaohai, where are you? Come back quickly, your grandma... grandma is dying!"