Chapter 21 Chapter 21

Joe Tsai inspected the things on his bed one last time, and then checked them against the list.He is completely naked, his limbs and face are tanned, in contrast to his fair torso.The plastic radio on the bedside table is playing popular songs, and the DJ occasionally interrupts short but fascinating words. He seems to regard his time at Radio Vaucluse as his own life.After all, it's July 14, Bastille Day, and it's a festive night for men and women all over France. Joe Tsai lit a cigarette and dressed according to the checklist.He put the necklace around his neck and felt the coldness of the key touching his chest.He pulled up his black shorts and yellow, red, and blue jacket, put on sunglasses, latex gloves, and folded his cotton hat and stuffed it in his pocket.A pair of trousers and an old baggy undershirt.Wrap him tightly from throat to ankle.Black cyclist shoes with a thin heel look a bit abrupt, but who would notice shoes on a fun night like this?

He checked the list again.Nothing can be neglected, especially when the general entrusts him with the leadership task of the operation.very good!He sat on the bed, smoking, waiting until it was time to join the others in the car park of Cavillon Station.He also wondered what it was like to be a rich gentleman in Martinac.Walking on the beach, accompanied by tall beauties.Hey, that's life. In the stuffy, cramped apartments and concrete huts on the outskirts of Cavillon, other people are watching the slow movement of time on the watch, checking off the list tirelessly, and restraining themselves from drinking alcohol to calm their nerves.As soon as the adrenaline kicks in, they don't have time to commit crimes.Still, it sucks to wait, and always has.

Before half past ten, the van of the Borel brothers arrived at the parking lot of the station.Qiao Zai poked his head out of the darkness. How about it? The older of the Borel brothers, nodded dully and calmly.Joey climbed into the back of the van.Although it has been tidied up a bit, there are no lawn mowers or pruning knives for gardening, but the smell of firewood and manure is still clearly audible.Joey sat on the dirt bags that the Borell brothers had lined the sides of the car, looked at his watch, and lit another cigarette. Others came one after another, Bashir, Jean, Claude, and finally Fernand, a dynamite expert with a shopping bag in each hand.He put the bags in the car and laughed as he watched them carefully handle the two bags.Don't be afraid of a heart attack, it won't explode unless I tell it to.

Borrell started the engine, begging God to himself, hoping there would be no cops on the road, and turned right under the railway bridge.No one spoke along the way. Mathilde's restaurant is doing very well this evening, many tourists and several local families come here to celebrate the National Day.If it was normal, Mathilde would feel very satisfied when she saw a thick stack of bills stuck on the nails next to the cash register, thinking that maybe they could take a good vacation abroad this year.But otherwise, she kept thinking about what her husband told her in the afternoon. It's crazy.This is her reaction.If their actions go well, they can sell the restaurant and retire, leaving the smell of cooking smoke and dirty dishes behind.She was so frightened and angry that she couldn't cry.When he said there would be no mistakes, she reminded him of the last time he said there would be no mistakes.The result was three years in prison, during which time she had to live alone and bring pizza to visit.He once promised that he would never get involved in illegal affairs again.He promised, but now it is the same.

The general shuttled among the guests, with a smile on his face, opening wine for the guests, looking at his watch, and secretly glancing at his wife.Poor old Mathilde, she just couldn't let it go, the look on her face was angry and sad, not far from despair.He remembered the last time she had such an expression.He kept explaining to her why he had to vote.He didn't want to be a waiter until he was sixty, although he kept skipping the thrill of being a ticket for another reason.She won't understand.With excitement tinged with guilt, he checked his watch again.They should have arrived by now.

Parking at Sog Island on the weekend is a nightmare, and this is the most difficult day of the year.Borel made a long detour before finding a parking space opposite the antique dealer's warehouse.The car should be safe here until they come over on Monday. The men got out of the car, stretched, and yawned violently. Qiao Zai said: Well, we are here.Such weather is very suitable for taking a dip in the river, isn't it?He touched the keys hanging around his neck.We have to make sure the general is positioned.Fernand, let me carry a bag for you. Fernand gave him the heavier of the two bags, which contained a torch, a crowbar, and a sledgehammer.He never had people mention what he called his explosive kit.

They start to move slowly, trying to look like any best friend looking to have fun on a sweltering night.When they reached the center of the town, the square in front of the bank was crowded with people, and there was regular rumbling music.Above the crowd, they could see colorful neon lights in purple, green, red and orange flickering on and off to the beat of sweaty drummers.Two female singers in tight black sequin outfits danced vigorously on a narrow stage, crying into the microphone with their blood red lips, while the guitarist and keyboard player behind them twitched, showing off their magic His head and pelvis vibrated vigorously, as if he was being shocked by an electric shock.

Bashir says: Bitch!It's fucking noisy! what do you wantHalf an hour of silence so we can move quietly?Fernand nudged Qiao Zai with his elbow, almost shouting, so that he could be heard over the roar of the guitarist.Where are they setting off fireworks? They marched to the other side and came to the little bridge across the river.A dozen or so flat-bottomed boats, each ten yards apart, anchored on the river and stretched upriver, loaded with rockets and pyrotechnics, guarded by men in official festival T-shirts. Joe Tsai said: The fireworks go off at midnight.He checks his watch.bring it on!

It was dark behind the bank.Once their eyes adjusted to the dark, they were able to make out shapes like trees and cars parked across them.There is a young couple dancing to the music from afar.They saw the seven men slowly approaching them, and fled hastily to the safety of the light. Qiao Zai breathed a sigh of relief, it's here!Like he said, there it is. The general had backed up the van against the railing, and it was on the left side of the bank's back door.Qiao Zai looked around, took out a flashlight from the handbag, and shone it on the windshield of the car. Seeing the bicycles parked behind one by one, he couldn't help flicking his tongue in satisfaction.

They stood in the shadow of the cypress, looking at the river ten yards away.On the other side, is a stone wall.Beyond that, there are roads, street lights and crowds. Joey took a deep breath.Alright, I'm on my way over there.Don't act rashly until you see my lighter light up.I will signal each of you, one at a time.If you do not see the light, it means someone is coming, so be patient.understand? Qiao Zai handed the bag to Bashir, walked back, crossed the small bridge, and positioned on the opposite side of the sewer entrance.With a cigarette in his mouth, he secretly thanked the rock band that seemed about to break the high-decibel record, and stared back and forth at the road.The car is fine.Only people on foot could possibly see that wall.

Nobody left.He turned around, flicked his lighter, and saw the first man dove into the water, then down the sewer.That person should be Fernan. On the other side of the road, there are two couples.Better not to take any chances.He looked at his watch.They have plenty of time.He watched the couple cross the road to the loud rock music scene.One of the men took advantage of the rhythm of the music and patted his girlfriend's plump buttocks. Nobody left.The lighter flickered again, and another man dived into the water, and another.Qiao Zai thought to himself, things seem to be going quite smoothly, wait!A Renault IV was coming towards him and slowing down.Looking at the street lights, Qiao Zai saw the dark faces of the driver in police uniform and police hat and the passenger beside him.Renault stopped suddenly, Qiao Zai's heart almost jumped out of his chest. The police stared at Qiao Tsai, like a note watching people, looking up and down, with a cold and suspicious expression.You bastard, please don't check my ID.leave me alone.He nodded to the police, good night! The police turned and left, and the Renault drove away slowly.Qiao Zai's heart returned to a normal heartbeat, and he breathed a sigh of relief, feeling his shoulders relax.He flashed the lighter again, and there were two more, and it was his turn. Another flash.It's almost there, there's still time, take it easy.Joe Tsai tried to take the cigarette off, but found it stuck in his lips. Someone is coming, alone. The man approached Qiao Tsai with extreme caution. Drunk people are usually already unconscious, and their instincts lead their actions.He fumbled in his pocket, took out a cigarette, stopped in front of Joe Tsai, and exhaled the smell of stale anisette. Is there a fire? Joe Tsai shook his head. The drunk tried to punch him in the nose, but missed.Come on, you have cigarettes yourself, what are you doing with them?Could it be that he ate it? Desperate to get him away, Joe lit his cigarette.The man looked over Qiao Zai's shoulder, his eyes widened and he blinked desperately.About two seconds late, Qiao Tsai tried to block his vision. The drunk put a hand on Joe's arm.As far as you and I know, someone is in the water.He nodded, grinning, and they probably wanted water. Qiao Zai said: No such thing, there is no one there. Confusion was written on the drunk's face.There's none? No? So it's a goddamn big fish? Qiao Zai pushed the drunk man away and let him stay on the bridge. He stared at the water and shook his head. Qiao Zai returned to the shadow of the hanging trees, he looked at the road, and crossed quickly.His feet entered the icy water, slippery, with bumpy rocks under his feet, and with one lunge, he rushed into the darkness of the sewer. Shang said: What a pity!You didn't hit the mouse. They squatted in a single file in the sewer.At the other end, Fernan handed over a black plastic bag and a pair of long needles.Qiao Zai put on gloves, closed the entrance, and used nails to insert the plastic bag into the cracks in the stones, blocking the weak light from the street lamps.He tied the end of the long rope to the spike. Tell Fernand it's all right. At the other end of the sewer, there was a flashlight, illuminating the muddy sewage and the sweating wall.The line of people moved slowly.According to the general, the total length from the entrance of the sewer to the center of the safe room is 20 meters.The long rope is handed down one by one until it stretches to 20 meters.Fernan handed the flashlight to Shang, and then began to pry open the arched sewer cover with a hammer and a long needle. The old, soft and damp plaster was quickly removed, and within a few minutes, two large stones were pried apart.A shower of small gravel and dirt fell into the river, and then his long needle struck the concrete, shaking his hand.He smiled at Shang.This was his favorite part, the one that required the most skill, he could blast the concrete without moving halfway up the building above his head.He handed the hammer and long needle to Shang, took the shopping bag that Borel had been taking care of carefully, and began to place the explosives. It was ten minutes before midnight, and before taking a break for half an hour to enjoy the fireworks with everyone, the orchestra in the square had a wild performance before the end.The commander-in-chief on the private boat, rowed by the mayor's nephew, went round the punts to make sure the young men were ready to set off the fireworks in the correct order, and he himself would call the shots from the bridge.A police officer who has driven a Renault through a boring night, hanging out among the crowds to while away the last hours of his shift.The man in the sewer looked at his watch and waited. Joe Tsai said: Two minutes. Fernan inspected the explosives.It's all good.Everyone retreats to the entrance.Some overhead things will fall off. They walked back with great difficulty, back to the plastic curtain at the end of the tunnel, and squatted quietly while Fernand held a flashlight on his watch.Joey thought, Jesus Christ, I hope he knows what he's doing. sixty seconds. Two policemen cleared the space on the bridge for the Commander-in-Chief and escorted him.He held up his hands.He likes to think of himself as the Karajan of pyrotechnics, and he has his place.He looked at both sides of the river contentedly, the river was six people high, just waiting for him to lower his arms and start the symphony played by fireworks.He tiptoed, hoping that the photographer of Le Provence would notice him, and when the church bells struck twelve to announce midnight, he put his hand down in a fancy gesture, and at the same time turned to the leader. The punt bowed. The explosion of the sewer was not dramatic at all. There was a deep sound, most of the power was absorbed by the water, followed by splashing falling rocks.Fernan crossed his fingers and tried to look up. He shone his flashlight into the jagged gap, from which still hung charred carpet.The light shone on the white ceiling of the safe room, Fernand turned his head and smiled at the others.Have you all got your checkbooks? One by one, they crawled out of the opening, and stood there, still dripping with water, proud and nervous at the same time.Fernand began to study how much explosives would be needed to open the safe, and he carefully visited every safe.He said: Don't rush to hold your breath, I still need a little time. Joe Tsai took off his wet trousers, wishing he had a dry cigarette.Don't forget, the fireworks are released until 12:30. Fernand shrugged. There is a possibility that the Third World War will break out here. Through this wall, people outside will know nothing about it.Listen, do you hear anything? There was the sound of breathing, the sound of leather shoes as someone moved their feet, and the sound of water falling on the carpet, but nothing else at all.They are located in a soundproof vacuum space. Shang said: Come on, let's blow up these goddam safes! The general knew that Mathilde was still awake, although she turned her back to him, and when he moved his legs away from the bed and got up, she didn't move.He was fully dressed, all that was missing was his shoes.He was looking for shoes while muttering to himself.His neck problem was back, stiff with tension. I'll be back soon. The figure curled up in the darkness didn't react at all.The general sighed and went downstairs. At three o'clock in the morning, Sog Island finally fell into a deep sleep.The general got out, put on his gloves, and walked past the van.There was a freshness in the air.He could smell the river and hear the water rushing down the waterwheel.He unlocked the trunk and started taking out the bikes, checking the tires one by one as he leaned them one by one against the rail.He threaded the heavy chain through the bar and snapped the lock.He stood in front of the steel door for a long time, wondering what was going on with them who were two meters away from him behind the door. Fernan laughed out loud while reaching for a large Luzon paper envelope.We'll leave the big hassle to the police, they won't bother to issue tickets.Others surrounded him and passed around several Polaroid photos one by one: a naked girl wearing only boots and a mask, with a bored expression on her face; own erections; several naked women, brandishing whips, snarling at the camera. Joey, is your friend? Qiao Zai glanced at the photo, and it was a huge old woman wrapped in complicated leather underwear.Immediately, his mind conjured up the terrifying image of Mrs. Penn in a similar attire.He said: "I wish that was my friend, look at his size.He flipped through other photos, and stopped when he came across a middle-aged man. Looking at this familiar face, he couldn't help frowning.I seem to have seen him somewhere, in the hotel where we worked.Ah, Claude, do you recognize him? The big man looked over Joe Tsai's shoulder.certainly!He nodded and smiled, it was the Englishman at the Christmas party, they said he was a reporter.He took the photo from Qiao Zai and looked at it more carefully.Why is he still wearing socks? More than three hours passed with nothing but a series of small explosions.These people are already relaxed.The safe was all blown up, and the table was piled with the items taken from it: some fine jewellery, two sacks with gold medals in it, and cash and a pile of banknotes, all gathered together, stuffed in envelopes, and wrapped around thick rubber bands. Tied up, there are French francs, Swiss francs, German marks, and US dollars.None of them had ever seen so much money, and every time they passed the table, they couldn't help but touch it. Damaged safes, envelopes and documents were scattered all over the place.There are real estate deeds, stock certificates, wills, love letters and Swiss bank statements.The police should have an entertaining time as they inspect the personal and sometimes illegal belongings of these bank customers.Mr. Miller, the neat and honest bank manager, will probably lose his job and be transferred to the Gabon branch.Whoever installed this rock-solid security system will be sued unless they spit out the money.The insurance company will also clear its liability in the way of normal operation of insurance companies.These thoughts, if they ever crossed the minds of the seven men in the safehouse, only added to the pleasure they felt when they tapped their fingers on the founder's nose. Now, we can only wait. Those people stretched out and wandered aimlessly around the room, wishing they could smoke.Bashir whistled out of tune, and Cloud flicked his knuckles.Qiao Zai felt that the earlier excitement had faded, and he was thinking about how to cheer them up.This is what the responsible person should do.It's morale!This word was repeatedly mentioned by the general. Qiao Zai said: Well, now we have got the things, what should we do with them?The others watched him, and the whistles and knuckles stopped.Me, go to Martinac, get a nice bar on the beach, cheap rum, no more winter, hot hula girls Fernand said: That's Tahiti, where women only wear grass skirts, I've seen them on PTT's calendar.He nodded at Brother Borel, that's where the two brothers with the lawn mower should go, Borel, how? The older of the Borel brothers smiled and shook his head.I don't like islands, too much sand, if you have a little trouble, you can't get out.No, we want to see Senegal, there's good land there where you can grow truffles, the white ones.They are then dyed black and shipped to Perigueux for three thousand francs a kilo That's five years in the dirt.If I were you, I'd rather grow eggplants.Why risk it? Claude leaned over and patted Shang on the chest, what are you thinking?tell me the story. idiot!This is an opportunity for a career change. What about Bashir?Qiao Zai turned around and said to the dark man sitting quietly in the corner: What about you? A smile with bright white teeth.I'll go home and buy a wife, a great wife.He nodded several times in a row.A young and plump wife. After a few hours, everyone exchanged ideas about the future, and Qiao Zai found out.None of them, including him, had any big ambitions.All they want is a little more money under the mattress, an easier life, and less rough stuff.What they all refer to is self-reliance.No more bosses, no more being told to do this and that, no more being treated as useless.That's how self-reliance is.And Zili is piled on the table at this moment. On Sunday morning, the second-hand sellers had already left their homes, setting up their stalls when the sun radiated its power at will, and the sun evaporated the fog and dew on the river without a trace.The waiter, who worked late and had little sleep, was arranging the tables and chairs outside the cafe, collecting the paper bags of bread and croissants from the bakery, hoping to receive an unprecedented tip.The lottery ticket seller sat up in the cafe and ordered the first of the five or six cups of espresso he might consume today.Vans loaded with pizza, meat, cheese and fish shuttled through the narrow alleys, heading for a specific place.The gypsy girl with lemon and garlic almost quarreled over the prime location.Slowly, Sog Island is getting ready for another hot and productive market day. After 8 o'clock, tourists, early risers and bargain hunters came one after another, and randomly picked and viewed old books, old photos, old and foggy glasses and tables among the old things of other families. Tables and chairs with mismatched feet, flabby cane chairs, medals from long-forgotten battles, mirrors and linen, vases, hats and scraps scavenged from attics; selling Louis across the street ．Antiques from the period of Louis Quinze and Napoleon III; antique dealers of trendy art and imported paintings have a leisurely breakfast.Their guests will arrive later.Then their wagons would block the road while they paid in five-hundred-franc notes in the back room. Qiao Tsai stretched his muscles and looked at his watch.At half past eleven, the general said, the traffic would be as solid as concrete.Another two hours.He sat on the floor, leaning against the wall.Among the others, one or two were dozing off, and others were staring at the ceiling in a daze.They can no longer tell jokes and other words.The adrenaline has worn off, replaced by impatience and lingering suspicion.Will that door be blown clean?Will the bicycle still be there?Waiting is really not a human thing. The general finally gave up trying all morning.Mathilde didn't get up, and didn't go to see her sister in Orange County as usual, and didn't even talk to him.He could have just walked away and sat in the barn all day, escaping her accusations and her silent presence.He patted her on the shoulder, only to be dumped, so he decided not to even say goodbye. He sat in the car for a few minutes, stroking his beard.She would probably listen to the sound of the engine starting and wonder if the next time she saw him would be in the prison's reception room.The sun was beating on the gravel of the parking lot and hurting his eyes as he thought about drinking a cold beer at a table in the shade.Mathilde may be right.He has always been like this.He turned the engine key and looked at his watch. Time was running out. The two gypsy boys had been having a rough time of late.Usually on a market day, some handbag or camera is carelessly left on a cafe table or a second-hand dealer's stand and disappears if anyone is not paying attention.But today's tourists are rather uncooperative, clutching their belongings.And many even carried large pouches around their waists, which meant they had to be accessed with a knife.It is becoming more and more difficult to make such illegal money now. The boy was wandering around behind the bank. When they saw a row of bicycles neatly chained by the railing, they tried to open the door of a van parked next to them.With a bike in such good condition and expensive, it shouldn't be hard to get your hands off.The badass at Cavillon who traded so little for their stolen camera might be interested in some of these race bikes.The boys approached quietly, examining the heavy chains and locks carefully.This is indeed a big lock, but it should not be difficult to open.Their father once taught them how to open a big lock.Feeling their moment was right, they ran to the other side of the market to find their father, who was selling the chickens they had stolen the night before.In his pocket was a small tool designed to pick locks. Qiao Zai said: Well, it's time! They divided the things into seven parts and put them on the table.They tucked these into the deep, wide pockets of their coats until they bulged, and tucked high-denomination bills into the front of their shorts to make their thighs look muscular.Fernand wiped the hammer and other tools carefully before dropping them through the opening in the floor and into the sewer.The old clothes they wore were dynamite fuses tied to the door, and when they exploded, the clothes were reduced to ashes. Only the stack of Polaroids remained on the table, and Fernand insisted on displaying the erotic photos, so he taped them to the wall with the last roll of tape, and Mr. Crawley in black socks was displayed in the center s position.Fernand said it would be a great pity if the photos were destroyed, as they were clearly a memento of sentimental value.He stood back, admiring it.Farewell, my beauties! Qiao Tsai looked around the room and took the key off his neck.Hats on!Don't forget the sunglasses.His performance was now 11:25, very close. They huddled in a corner, and their nervousness made them shiver. Fernand said: There are still ten seconds, don't lose your way out. The wandering boys bent over the lock, only to hear three muffled explosions that sounded like one.They looked up in surprise, and saw that the door had blown open. They were in a hurry to escape, but they didn't have time to think that there was something strange about a few men in shorts, sunglasses and latex gloves popping out from behind the bank door. Joey put the key in the lock, turned it, and pulled the first bike out after the chain came off.let's go!let's go!let's go!They ran all the way, pushing their bicycles and overtaking the car, and when the pedals scraped the door and there was a sound of metal brakes, they climbed on the seat cushion in a panic, hurt their testicles, and cursed in pain, they hurried I hurriedly inserted my feet into the buckle rings, and started on the road like this.Between the two rows of blocked and immobile traffic, he sprinted away like a sprinter. In just forty-five seconds, the cops would look at the copy of the police force file and associate the sound of the siren with the red light on the bank's security system. The policeman and his partner sat in the Renault and honked their horns, but they were embedded in the traffic, with no way to escape.Damn it!He jumped out of the car and began to run down the crowded sidewalk toward the Savings Bank building, clutching his hat while the holster of the pistol hammered up and down his hip.Why did he volunteer for the Sunday shift?Damn it! The cyclists heard the sound of the horn in the distance, bent their heads on the handlebars, stepped on their feet harder and faster, and felt their hearts pounding like machine guns.The seven of them were shrouded in extreme exertion of fear and physiology.Just follow the person in front, be careful of the stones on the road, don't think about the car chasing you, don't look up, don't slow down, and concentrate.For God's sake, do pay attention.They flew forward, riding on the trails of vineyards and lavender fields, and as they passed, they made the sound of tires on the hot tarmac. The general waited on the road at the entrance of the bicycle lane, sweating and smoking, his eyes never leaving the curve 500 meters away from the beginning to the end.Should work.He has made complete preparations, planned carefully, and anticipated all possible situations.But as far as he knows, sometimes, the unexpected will happen and the plan will fail.A flat tire, a dog in the road, being hit by a car, there are a hundred possible scenarios that could arise.He didn't even know if they had come out.Maybe they weren't inside, trapped behind a half-blown door, with cops pointing pistols at them, hoping for a promotion.He lit another cigarette. He saw the first figure through the bend, head almost touching the handlebars, and then the others closing in on them.He breathed a sigh of relief, walked to the middle of the road, raised his hands above his head, danced and saluted victory.My good boy, they finally did it! They left the road and slid into the bicycle lane without getting out of the car at all. When the last one passed the general, the smile on the general's face froze instantly and he almost collapsed. There should have been seven of them, and he counted the heads on the bike lane, and there were eight.