Translator-Lucyferase
Editor-Alysia
Two days after the police murder case during the riot, Chu Ran came to the station with a camera. She was now a journalist and should write the truth about this matter from an objective point of view. But this time the so-called truth wasn’t what it seemed and she wanted to prove Jiang Yue Lou’s innocence, even if she would have to fight alone.
But walking into the office, Chu Ran realized that someone was already there making plans to clear Jiang Yue Lou’s name.
“Chu Ran, this picture will be really helpful.” Chen Yu Zhi took the photo that Chu Ran had brought with her, his face brightening. “This photo is sharp and can help us confirm the identity of the deceased.”
Chu Ran was surprised. She was here because she got news from a newspaper informant who believed that Jiang Yue Lou had been framed, but Chen Yu Zhi was probably not even at the scene at the time of the murder. So why was he standing here so sure and convinced of Jiang Yue Lou’s innocence?
“Doctor Chen, do you also think this man wasn’t a worker?”
“I trust in Yue Lou’s judgment that the man who died had never been a worker,” Chen Yu Zhi said, leaning on the office desk with a powerful and resolute gaze. “This is most likely the mystery individual against whom Yue Lou is battling. He is the one in Jingcheng who despises Yue Lou the most and wishes to kill him. ”
Looking at Chen Yu Zhi, Song Rong frowned, “That will be difficult to prove. Even our Section Chief has yet found out who the real culprit is. So now, with only a few of us, there is no way we can succeed. ”
This wasn’t the hardest part; the identity of this mysterious person had almost been confirmed by Chen Yu Zhi. Yesterday, the scene was so chaotic, but Zhao Jing Ming, who had been chosen to assist Jiang Yue Lou with the resettlement of the refugees, was not there when the incident happened. Isn’t it as if he was running away from a disaster that he knew would arrive? But for now, the more important thing was to exonerate Jiang Yue Lou from this crime.
As he was pondering, Chen Yu Zhi lightly tapped his fingers on the table, calmly analyzing.
“Right now, the person behind it is not our priority. Our main focus is to prove the identity of the dead man. Thus, we’ll clear Yue Lou’s name of the murder charges against him. ”
Seeing him having the same finger tapping habit as his boss, Song Rong was in a daze for a moment, feeling as if the person standing there, talking to them was the real Jiang Yue Lou. He suddenly blurted out, “What should we do?”
Chen Yu Zhi raised the photo in his hand, “I will find a way to get this person’s information, but I can’t tell you more about it. It’s a secret agreed upon by Yue Lou and me. Song Rong, Yongren. ”
The two people, called by their names, stood still and looked at Chen Yu Zhi, on standby.
“Go and talk to the workers who protested that day. I’m sure this man was not the only one present to incite the workers to riot. ”
Song Rong and Sun Yongren received the order as it was perfectly normal and ran out, leaving two outsiders alone in Jiang Yue Lou’s office. Seeing how he naturally and methodically handled the situation, Chu Ran was instantly convinced.
Now it wasn’t the time to be amazed by the relationship between these two men, there were more important things to do. She stepped forward and asked, “Do you need me to do anything?”
Chen Yu Zhi looked at Chu Ran knowing that she could be trusted. After thinking for a while, he replied, “You are a reporter now, right? Then I’ll trouble you by using your pen like a knife, to write an article first to influence people and win the public’s opinion over our cause. So many people are watching, I can’t let him carry this infamy and be the one people like to chat about after dinner. ”
While he was saying those words, Chu Ran lowered her eyes on Chen Yu Zhi’s clenched fist, and for the first time since she had met him, could perceive Chen Yu Zhi’s anger from his tightened whitened joints.
“Let’s go. After all, the police station is not a place for us to stay.” Chen Yu Zhi regained his composure, turned around, and walked to the door.
“I know what that person said to Jiang Yue Lou!” Chu Ran finally said. She decided to tell the man in front of her about the tip the informant sold to the newspaper because, since it was Chen Yu Zhi, she knew he would stay on Jiang Yue Lou’s side no matter what.
“When Jiang Yue Lou was pointing a gun at him, that man said with a vicious tone, ‘Then with your mother who sold herself for opium, does that count as a worker?”
Chen Yu Zhi was already beyond anger, but he was left with nothing else but sadness and distress after hearing those words. At that moment, the only thing he cared about was Jiang Yue Lou’s feelings, hating himself for not being by his side.
“Please keep this secret from him forever,” Chen Yu Zhi lowered his head, pleading sincerely, with a little tremble in his voice.
It was only then that Chu Ran realized that everything was different, different from when they were in Hong Kong, and that the bond between these two people had grown deeper than ever and couldn’t be cut anymore.
Zhao Jingming went to see Zhan Jun Bai. Although the matter was now done, some of the aftermaths still had to be taken care of. He sat on the sofa of the Zhan Mansion, complaining with a dejected expression, “Brother Zhan, I am finished.”
Zhan Jun Bai took a sip of coffee and asked faintly, “You mean Brother Yue Lou?”
Zhao Jingming nodded, “Yes. You and several committee members suggested that it would be easiest to pay out the money. But anyway, I couldn’t get anything good from Jiang Yue Lou, and still, I was willing to take it easy. After convincing him, I thought it would be just giving money to the refugees. What could have possibly gone wrong? I wasn’t there that day. And as a result, Jiang Yue Lou poked a hole in the sky! ”
“This has nothing to do with you, so don’t worry too much”, Zhan Jun Bai said to appease him, putting down his coffee cup.
How could he not be blamed for this? Zhao Jingming was anxious. “Director Zhan, if Jiang Yue Lou would have been the sole in charge of this refugee resettlement plan, then if something happened that would have been only on him. But there were the two of us on this project and we have always been at odds with each other, you know that. So now, I can’t get out of it. I heard that Mayor Cai is already asking Director Bai to draw up some new candidates for the head of the inspection section! I’m afraid next time he’ll come after me for negligence! ”
Zhan Jun Bai had also heard about this, but now he was more interested in knowing what Zhao Jingming had to say about it.
Zhao Jingming sat in front of Zhan Jun Bai, looking at him desperately, “Brother Zhan, at tomorrow’s government meeting, please be sure to put in a few good words for me. If I can keep my position in the Customs department, I’ll give you the mansion in the west of the city with my two hands. ”
That’s it? Zhan Jun Bai glanced at Zhao Jingming, displeased. He thought inwardly that his reaction was quite boring, and he completely dismissed it, “I am willing to help you and say a word to Brother Jiang for the sake of a friend, not for anything else.”
Zhao Jingming quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s because I’m confused and anxious. I’m sorry to have offended you.”
At this point, there was nothing more to add, so Zhan Jun Bai got up first, “It’s getting late, go back, and wait for my message tomorrow.”
This was throwing a guest out. Zhao Jingming was very well aware of it, so he hurried away with a thousand thanks. After he left, Zhan Jun Bai sat back on the sofa, stretching his neck and muscles, pondering for a moment before sighing slightly.
“Is anything bothering Director Zhan?” Yu Tang Chun quietly came down from the first floor. “When I heard the door, I knew that Chief Zhao had left, so I went to sit down with you.”
Zhan Jun Bai nodded slightly, implicitly acknowledging what the other said.
Then he heard Yu Tang Chun asking again, “Do you want to listen to some music?”
Zhan Jun Bai was a little surprised, “Now?”
Yu Tang Chun smiled and nodded, “When you feel upset, songs are the best remedy.”
Zhan Jun Bai was already feeling a lot more relaxed since he heard Yu Tang Chun’s voice, but he didn’t say anything. He had the opportunity to listen to him singing now, so why not?
Yu Tang Chun sat down in front of Zhan Jun Bai, without costumes or makeup, and simply sang a cappella, and yet it was like hearing music coming from Heaven.
Sitting in the auditorium of the Tianyun Garden, Chen Yu Zhi wasn’t in the mood to listen to any music, no matter how clear and graceful the singing was on the stage outside. His eyes remained fixed on the door until a man with a hat walked in.
“Why did you choose to meet here? It’s too eye-catching, ” The man grumbled and sat down, taking his hat off and placing it on the table.
Chen Yu Zhi showed a satisfied expression, he knew Wang Meng would come, “No one is coming to the theater during the day, so it’s safe.”
Wang Meng grabbed the peanuts and started peeling them, seeming a little impatient, “I don’t have much time, Xiao Xin has been following me very closely all day. I have to go back in ten minutes.”
“Okay, so let’s cut to the chase.” Chen Yu Zhi took out the photo provided by Chu Ran, pointed to the person who was killed, and asked, “Do you know this person?”
Wang Meng put down the peanuts, leaned over, and took a closer look. After thinking for a while, he finally remembered, “It’s Lao Ba, the collector of protection fees at the pier. He was sort of an outside member of Jinmatang, and who was messing around at the pier all day.”
As he had expected. Chen Yu Zhi became tensed and secretly clenched his fists.
“What crime did he commit?”
Chen Yu Zhi put the photo away, “He died, as a striker.”
“A worker?” Wang Meng was stunned, “No way! The old man is so lazy, he can’t be a laborer. ”
“It’s a conspiracy, ordered by the mysterious person pulling the strings, this San Ye. Their target was Jiang Yue Lou.”
Hearing San Ye, Wang Meng’s expression became serious, “I already know the identity of this mysterious man.”
It turned out that a few days ago, Wang Meng was taken to meet San Ye. Lao Huo was dead, and someone had to take over the business of the gang. There were only a few brothers who escaped at that time and Wang Meng, injured, was one of them. Although he was suspected at first, they were left with few other options, so they decided to keep him for the moment. He never expected that they’d let him meet San Ye.
Hearing what he said, Chen Yu Zhi’s expression also became solemn. Looking at Wang Meng, he was holding his breath, waiting for him to say the name.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Zhao-Jing-Ming.”
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Qjcu Zfcu rtbbx tlr tfjv, “Vjc Tf lr nfgs mjealber fnfgs alwf kf wffa ecifrr kf wjxf jggjcufwfcar lc jvnjcmf. Cr obg Ojb Dj, P atlcx sbe rtbeiv rajga ogbw atf vbmx. Zjcs tjkxfgr xcbk tlw. “
That was a good start. Chen Yu Zhi nodded at him and thanked him.
“You don’t have to thank me, I’m not helping you. I just want to get revenge, I want to bring all of them down. ” After that, Wang Meng grabbed a handful of peanuts and left.
“OK, let’s go to the dock to investigate,” He whispered his next move, already having a concrete plan and specific candidates to execute it in his mind.
At a stall serving tea near the pier, Chu Ran was sitting there, waiting for the owner to serve her.
As soon as the boss brought the drinks, Chu Ran grabbed him and asked “Boss, I’m looking for someone. He has a mole on his cheek. He is not very tall and speaks with a Sichuan accent. Have you seen him? ”
When the owner heard this, he looked around first, before asking with a smile, “Who is he to you?”
Chu Ran put on an innocent face, as she knew nothing about this world, “He has been my fiancé since our childhood*. The matchmaker said that he works at Jingcheng Pier, and I don’t know if it is true… ”
Seeing her like this, the boss couldn’t bear it, so he lowered his head and whispered, “Your fiancé is not a good person, you should run away from him.”
Chu Ran’s eyes lit up with that phrase, prompting him to ask further questions.
“How did it go?” Chen Yu Zhi eagerly asked Chu Ran, who had just returned.
Chu Ran did not delay, telling him directly the information he was asking for, “That man’s name is Cheng Tianba, nicknamed Lao Ba. He is a native of Sichuan, who has been collecting protection fees at the pier for the last four years. He appears to have been arrested by the police in Linjiang for stealing and spent some time in jail previously, so he should have a criminal record.”
When he heard that, Sun Yongren was thrilled, “I’ll go and look through it, and I will find his file even if I have to spend it all night!”
It appeared that Sun Yongren wasn’t the only one happy today. Chen Yu Zhi was also relieved because today he will finally be able to see him.
Putting on the costumes that he hadn’t worn for a long time, Yu Tang Chun felt like he was in a dream where he was finally back on stage, even though he wasn’t wearing any make-up. He has been playing with guns these days, but it didn’t prevent him from practicing his dance gestures*. Flipping his wrist, turning sideways, shifting and raising his hand… Although the injury on the shoulder was now completely healed, it still impacted him. The way he was moving his hands was not as smooth and fluid as it was before.
Yu Tang Chun sighed slightly and turned around to change his costume. Hearing the sound of the door suddenly opening behind him, he raised his head with a gentle smile, “Director Zhan is back…”
The smile froze on his face instantly. It was not Zhan Jun Bai who passed the door, but 一 Zhan Tian Qing!
Zhan Tian Qing strode in, shot a glance at Yu Tang Chun, and spoke with contempt, “Why is there an actor here?”
Qiu Ming also went in at the same time, and immediately stepped forward to explain, “Commander Zhan, this is Boss Yu, the person the Director mentioned to you. He was injured saving the Director’s life and he is now recovering in the residence. ”
Zhan Tian Qing paced around the living room, looking up and down the style of the house, and after hearing Qiu Ming’s explanation, he just sneered, “That’s because he’s incompetent, relying on an opera singer to save him, he’s only been out of the army for a few years, and he’s now learning useless things.”
Yu Tang Chun’s body was stretched straight. He didn’t even hear those harsh words at that moment as his whole mind was focused on suppressing the hatred that was surging in him.
“Tell your master that a soldier should behave like one. And what should an actor learn from the generation raised by the Eight banners*? Except how to fall. ”
The words were spoken to Qiu Ming, but Zhan Tian Qing, enraged, pointed at Yu Tang Chun, “Tell him to pack his things and to get the hell out of the Zhan residence!”
“This…” his face showed he was in a dilemma, and he discreetly glanced at Yu Tang Chun.
Yu Tang Chun raised his head and neither naughty nor servile* looked at Zhan Tiang Qing in the eyes, “You are not the one who let me in, so you have no right to ask me to go. To stay or to leave, I’ll only listen to Director Zhan. ”
“Who the hell do you think you are!?” Zhan Tian Qing was furious and ruthlessly slapped the other person’s face.
“Second Uncle!” Zhan Jun Bai came back at the same time, pushing open the door to witness the scene in front of him, and was instantly enraged. He hurried forward to help Yu Tang Chun, his eyes looking at the injury on the face of the person in his arms with concern.
Without feeling sorry, Zhan Tian Qing said coldly, “You’ve come back right on time, tell this actor to get out. I don’t want to see him in the mansion. ”
Zhan Jun Bai didn’t give a clear answer, but looking at Zhan Tian Qing, he dryly replied, “Second Uncle, this is my house.”
After finishing speaking, he took Yu Tang Chun upstairs, not caring how Zhan Tian Qing lost his temper downstairs.
“Sorry for being late,” Zhan Jun Bai said, his gaze restrained on Yu Tang Chun’s injuries.
Yu Tang Chun touched his cheek, but he didn’t feel any pain. The sorrow in his heart was a hundred times greater than this. He turned his head to the only table in the room. There was a gun in the drawer, the one that Zhan Jun Bai gave him, but there were no bullets in it. Zhan Jun Bai was very strict about that. He would only give them to him when he was practicing and made sure he used them all while shooting.
“Director Zhan has an honored guest, so I dare not trouble him more and will return to Tianyun Garden tomorrow”, Yu Tang Chun took the initiative to leave on his own.
Listening to him speaking with such an unusual tone, Zhan Jun Bai was even more frustrated, but he still patiently explained, “The charcoal fire in the other house hasn’t arrived yet and as the weather is cold, my second uncle doesn’t want to live there yet. He will only stay with us for one day and when the charcoal fire arrives tomorrow, he will leave. ”
Yu Tang Chun shook his head, insisting on leaving, “My shoulder is fine now, and I shouldn’t have stayed in the Director’s house…”
Before he finished speaking, Zhan Jun Bai interrupted him, “Let the doctor see your injury first. I have to go now but I will be back, so let’s talk about it later.”
After speaking, Zhan Jun Bai walked to the door and went out. He left as fast as he arrived as if his return just now was just to rescue Yu Tang Chun.
It was a first for Jiang Yue Lou to stay in jail, as a prisoner. Seeing him like this sitting cross-legged with his face towards the wall, not making a sound, it was hard to say if he was asleep or dazed. In any case, he couldn’t do any harm that way.
But the guards outside knew that this was only a temporary calm. Just today, Jiang Yue Lou had already had many episodes. No one can tell when he would suddenly kick at the door to shout, “Let me out! I figured out, he said that to me on purpose, he deliberately made me angry, they wanted to lock me up, and have the opportunity to continue their activities! They are doing it right now! At the pier, no, on a ship, it’s a ship! A ship to Southeast Asia! The people in Jinmatang may have died, but new people could have joined already. Yes, that’s it, that’s it! ”
If one would say he sounded crazy, they would retort that a madman does not have such good logic. And if one would suggest he is not crazy, then his mental state right now is really scary.
The sound of footsteps came from outside, and the prison guard didn’t dare to take any risk and was immediately on guard only to see a handsome man in a suit and carrying a medical kit coming in.
“I’m here to see Section Chief Jiang.”
When the person said that, the prison guard was finally relieved that Jiang Yue Lou was sick. He quickly let the person go in, hoping that the prisoner would be healed as soon as possible, and would stop acting crazy.
Hearing some noise, Jiang Yue Lou quickly turned around and saw that it was Chen Yu Zhi. Excited, he immediately stood up, “I thought about it, listen to me, someone is behind this, it’s…”
Chen Yu Zhi interrupted him in a very official tone, “Chief Jiang, please calm down, I’m here to treat you. You have an emotional disorder. ”
Jiang Yue Lou was stunned. He was about to retort when he saw Chen Yu Zhi turning his back at the door and whispered, “There are people outside.” So, he nodded as he understood, and said no more.
Chen Yu Zhi took out his stethoscope, leaned closer to Jiang Yue Lou to press it on his chest, and made a serious doctor look, acting as if he was cautiously listening.
He used this opportunity to ask in a low voice, “Did you take the medicine I asked Director Bai to give you?”
Jiang Yue Lou nodded.
“Then did you fake all those crazy episodes they mentioned?”
Jiang Yue Lou nodded again.
Only then did Chen Yu Zhi feel relieved and said, “This matter is related to Zhao Jingming. Don’t do anything rash. Chu Ran and I will work together outside to find evidence. You stay here, for the time being, to paralyze them. ”
Jiang Yue Lou’s eyes brightened. It was him.
“It’s nothing serious, it’s just a panic and anxiety disorder. I’ll prescribe some medicine for you, “putting away the stethoscope, Chen Yu Zhi returned to his doctor’s tone, speaking again at a normal volume.
The prison guard peeked inside, only to see the ferocious and merciless* Section Chief Jiang obediently took the medicine given by Dr. Chen and looked much calmer.
When he was sending Chen Yu Zhi out, this prison guard was looking at this doctor with some sort of admiration in his eyes.
While leaving the prison, Chen Yu Zhi met Zhan Jun Bai in the courtyard. After greeting each other, Zhan Jun Bai noticed the medicine kit in Chen Yu Zhi’s hand and asked, “Did you come to the prison for a medical visit?”
“Section Chief Jiang is not feeling well, Director Bai asked me to come and see him.” He said those words in a completely official tone.
There was also a touch of worry on Zhan Jun Bai’s face when he said with concern, “Alas, being in prison in such a poor environment. Is Brother Yue Lou alright? Is he okay now? ”
Chen Yu Zhi smiled and nodded, “He took the medicine and he is already feeling much better.”
Zhan Jun Bai sighed with a brief relief, “That’s good, I was afraid that he would be uncomfortable. I even brought wine to see him today.”
“He shouldn’t drink right now, it’s probably better next time,” Chen Yu Zhi put on his doctor’s attitude to dissuade him, “Perhaps you should wait until Section Chief Jiang comes out, and then you can have this drink with him.”
Seeing Chen Yu Zhi’s confident demeanor at that moment, a playful smile appeared on Zhan Jun Bai’s face, but it quickly disappeared as he nodded, “Alright, next time then”. After saying that, he was about to leave but was stopped.
“Director Zhan, are you free tomorrow afternoon?” Chen Yu Zhi asked with a smile.
Zhan Jun Bai paused, then turned around and asked, “Is there something you need?”
Chen Yu Zhi smiled and replied, “En, I would like to invite you and Section Chief Zhao to participate in a charity fundraising.”
At a time like this, he still had the energy to organize charity fundraising. Zhan Jun Bai couldn’t help but be impressed by Chen Yu Zhi, so he nodded his head and readily accepted.
The banquet was simple and generous. There were no glamorous sets or extravagant music. Just some young students lined up singing beautiful nursery rhymes while the guests sitting in front of the stage were enjoying their performances. Chu Ran was also there and she brought a few reporters with her who were taking photos, using their notebooks to write about the event, recording one thing or two.
A few old acquaintances were sitting at the guest table, led by Zhan Jun Bai and surrounded by Bai Jinbo, Zhao Jingming, and several other business leaders from Jingcheng.
Sitting there, Zhao Jingming wasn’t really at ease, he couldn’t figure out what Chen Yu Zhi was up to at the moment.
He didn’t even realize the song was over, and when Chen Yu Zhi came on stage, he was even more surprised to hear that he was the first one to be invited to speak. It was even more suspicious, but as the crowd applauded, he had no other choice but to go on the stage with a smile on his face.
Zhao Jingming stood there, holding the microphone, showing his usual fake smirk, “I don’t know what to say when I’m being suddenly asked to talk to all of you. So, I will summarize it in one simple sentence: Do a good deed every day and once the day is over, all your good actions will become a virtue, and you should continue until you achieve three thousand merits*. “
The auditorium was filled with applause. Zhao Jingming bowed and was about to leave the stage when he was stopped by Chen Yu Zhi’s words.
“The words Section Chief Zhao just spoke were so profound and stimulating and, presumably, you’re following this principle in your life, am I right?”
Zhao Jingming kept smiling and raised his head confidently, “Absolutely.”
However, Chen Yu Zhi suddenly asked, “Then Chief Zhao, may I ask who is Cheng Tianba?”
The name caused Zhao Jingming to panic instantly and his smile froze on his face, “I’m sorry, I don’t know.”
Chen Yu Zhi turned to the crowd, with a strong burning light in his eyes, “You probably still remember that the day before yesterday, the Chief of the Police Department’s Inspection, Jiang Yue Lou, shot and killed a man who was inciting trouble in the street. This man was Cheng Tianba. ”
The guests in the audience began to whisper to each other. Zhao Jingming, who was still holding on, hastily replied, “I don’t know him, he is just a rogue…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Chen Yu Zhi immediately caught what the other just said and used it against him, “Since you don’t know him, how do you know he is a gangster? Or is it that Section Chief Zhao knows but pretends not to? ”
After asking, Chen Yu Zhi took out a sheet from his pocket and said aloud, “This is Cheng Tianba’s record from his imprisonment in Linjiang and he is a repeat offender. After he fled to Jingcheng, he started working in Jinmatang. There is a mysterious man above them. He is called San Ye. He is the mastermind behind the Commissioner Wu poisoning case; and the one who substituted the body at the police station in the abductor case. He also sold opium, cheated the refugees out of the allowances they received to launder it in drug money and he managed to incite the workers to strike and riot in an attempt to disrupt public order, and take advantage of this chaos… The person behind all of that is the same person who pretends to be honorable and virtuous, Section Chief Zhao Jingming! ”
The more he spoke, the more impassioned he became, and the people in front of the stage were so infected by his emotions that some of them had already started to curse Zhao Jingming.
Watching Chen Yu Zhi with approving eyes, Bai Jinbo nodded in satisfaction, while Zhan Jun Bai beside him frowned looking at Zhao Jing Ming on stage with disgust, as if he was looking at wild dogfighting over some food but still unable to grab it.
At this time, Zhao Jingming’s face was already ashen, and he could only slyly deny in a faint voice, “This story is pure fabrication, you made everything up! What evidence do you have that I am the mastermind behind all of this? How can you prove that I am San Ye? ”
Several people in the audience were still skeptical and loudly echoed his questions, shouting that a good person should not be wronged.
Chen Yu Zhi didn’t answer and was looking straight at the door of the banquet hall. Suddenly, that door opened and Wang Meng walked in and shouted, “I can prove it!”
As soon as he saw Wang Meng, Zhao Jingming knew that everything was over.
Jiang Yue Lou was reinstated and was released from prison, and Zhao Jingming took his place, along with Wang Meng, who also went there as a prosecution witness.
As the first journalist to report this big story, Chu Ran was praised by her editor-in-chief, and all the big revelations during this event gave the fundraising even better publicity, allowing Chen Yu Zhi to raise a considerable amount of money for the Ci’an Elementary School.
Everything seemed to be going very well, except for the fact that Zhao Jingming still refused to admit that he was San Ye.
Zhao Jingming was handcuffed to a chair in the interrogation room. His body was bruised from the whipping he had just received, and his voice was weak. Even though it was hard to hear, there was no need to listen carefully to know what he was saying as he kept repeating “I’m not San Ye.”
Hearing some footsteps coming from outside, Zhao Jingming raised his head and saw that the person who came to see him was Zhan Jun Bai. He suddenly became frantic and shouted, “I am not San Ye! Brother Zhan, you have to help me! I’ve been wronged!”
As he said that, he was thrilled and wanted to jump over, but his hands and feet were handcuffed, and the more he struggled, the more painful it was.
Seeing his painful and struggling expression, Zhan Jun Bai sighed and tried to persuade him again: “Brother Zhao, it has come to this point, it is useless for you to still deny it. It’s better to confess now to avoid suffering. ”
“It’s not me, why should I confess?! Admitting means death and I don’t want to die! I can’t die! ”
Zhao Jingming yelled desperately, “It’s Jiang Yue Lou! He was the one who blamed me, to get revenge and to justify his murder! ”
Zhan Junbai took two steps back, looking at him with a condescending expression, and lightly said, “Wang Meng has confessed everything.”
Zhao Jingming’s eyes tightened. He knew that he had done things carelessly and had been too exposed, but he still didn’t want to give up and tried to argue again, “Yes, I was dealing with Jinmatang, but I was just selling opium, making a few dirty bucks. But all that Wu Shuwei, Qian Tongqing, and Li Chao things have nothing to do with me. ”
Zhan Jun Bai stood aside with his arms folded. After listening to him, he chuckled and asked, “Brother Zhao, why are you telling me all of this? I came to see you at last as a friend, and to advise you to confess and be lenient. ”
“I confessed already, everything I said is the truth,” Zhao Jingming looked at Zhan Junbai, almost imploring him, “Brother Zhan, please, you have to help me, I’m not San Ye.”
Zhan Junbai smiled and nodded, “I know.”
Zhao Jingming was stunned by this smile. It was like his blood was frozen in an instant, and he was horrified to hear Zhan Junbai add with a different voice, “From now on, you are the San Ye.”
He had only heard this voice on the phone before, but at that instant, this person in front of him was the real San Ye!
Zhao Jingming suddenly said, “You had calculated everything until that point and you pushed me out in front of you as a scapegoat!”
Zhan Jun Bai smiled and nodded, “You are finally smart for once, but unfortunately, it’s too late.”
Zhao Jingming laughed. Too late? How can this be considered late?
But when he was about to shout, he suddenly saw Zhan Jun Bai staring at him with pity, and saying to him in a contemptuous tone, “You’re not that stupid to think you can expose me by calling someone to confront me, are you? Tsk, tsk, tsk, it seems that after being tortured for so long, your brain is not working nicely anymore. By the way, it seems that your sister is still unaware of her brother being arrested. So why don’t I send someone to inform her so that she can come back from abroad in advance? She’s been in a lot of turmoil lately and if anything were to happen to her, with your father’s health being worrying already, I can not imagine how it would be after the loss of both his daughter and son. ”
Zhao Jingming could certainly hear the threat behind these words, and he looked at Zhan Jun Bai in fear. His eyes were red but there was still a hint of reluctance in them, “You seem so sure of yourself, but once you put me out, are you not scared Jiang Yue Lou won’t come after you?”
Zhan Jun Bai smiled, “When I do something, I never leave evidence. You and I have been working together for four years, and to this day, you haven’t found a single thing to use against me. And if I didn’t tell you, until death, you wouldn’t even know who San Ye is. ”
Zhao Jingming looked at this terrifying man who was close at hand, thinking he had known this man as a brother for more than three years, but now realizing that he knew nothing about him. A terrible thought suddenly crossed his mind, and he decided to confirm it with a quivering voice, “Wu Shuwei’s death…”
“I went there myself”, Zhan Jun Bai said with a smirk, his tone seemed as if he was telling a funny anecdote, “Before he died, he had the same reaction as you, the same shocked and incredulous face.”
Zhao Jingming swallowed in horror, and asked again, “Chen Keying’s death, was it also you?”
Zhan Jun Bai didn’t speak, his face revealing that it couldn’t be otherwise *, and he just nodded. Watching this scene, it was now absolutely clear to Zhao Jingming that he couldn’t beat this man at all.
“I will bear all the charges, and you promise, you’ll let the Zhao family and my sister go.”
Zhao Jingming stared intently at Zhan Jun Bai until he saw him nod again. Then he closed his eyes and when he opened them again, all desire to live was gone. He no longer struggled and admitted with a cold smile, “I am San Ye.”
When the case was closed, Bai Jinbo looked at the interrogation record with satisfaction, “Very good, this affair was handled nicely. I’ll send this record to the committee tomorrow and request an early conviction. ”
But Jiang Yue Lou seemed to be a little depressed and he just whispered along and not cheerful “Hmm.”
Bai Jinbo raised his gaze at Jiang Yue Lou, and asked, “What is it? Are you not happy that the enemy you have been chasing for five years has been caught? ”
Jiang Yue Lou had a strange feeling about it, but it couldn’t tell what it was exactly. If one had to look deeper into it, it felt like it went too well, so smoothly that it was perturbing.
“Don’t worry too much”, Bai Jinbo patted his shoulder, “You, you’re always thinking too much, and you never know how to loosen it even a little bit. You worked hard on this, so I will give you a week of vacation. Take a good rest, remove the burden on your shoulders, and report back to me fully refreshed. ”
During this rare holiday, Jiang Yue Lou wanted to use this opportunity to adjust his mood, so thinking no more, he clapped his heels and gave a military salute, “Thank you, Director.”
Bai Jinbo stared at him with the face of a loving father, as if he was still looking at that fourteen-year-old child back then who, in the blink of an eye, had grown so big.
“Oh, yes,” Bai Jinbo suddenly thought, “That Chen Yu Zhi of yours is really good.”
Hearing that kind of compliment from him, Jiang Yue Lou couldn’t help but feel smug. He raised his head and said with proud eyes, “Indeed, Yu Zhi is great.”
When Zhan Jun Bai returned to his residence, only Qiu Ming greeted him and took his coat. Looking around, he finally asked, “Is Boss Yu asleep?”
Qiu Ming lowered his gaze and replied respectfully, “He packed his things and went back to Tianyun Garden this morning.”
“Didn’t I say we’d discuss it later?” Zhan Junbai pulled off his tie, his face unsettled, “Why did he leave all of a sudden?”
Qiu Ming hesitated a little as if he didn’t dare to speak.
Seeing this, Zhan Jun Bai barked, “Say it!”
“The Second Master had another fit when he moved out this morning and said some nasty things downstairs, and even though Boss Yu was in his bedroom on the first floor, he probably heard it too.”
Zhan Jun Bai walked to the sofa and sat down. He raised his hand and pressed his temples, “Did he say anything when he moved out?”
The “He” naturally referred to Yu Tang Chun, Qiu Ming caught it up and continued to reply, “He said he didn’t want to affect your uncle-nephew relationship with Commander Zhan, and also wanted to thank you for taking care of him these last few days. Oh, and all the things he used have been packed up properly in his room. He only took the gun you gave him with me. ”
Zhan Junbai sighed and finally smiled, “We should invite him back tomorrow to practice shooting… Also, send some flower baskets to Tianyun Garden. ”
Qiu Ming was puzzled, “Director, Boss Yu is no longer on stage. Now the leading actor of Tianyun Garden is… ”
“Who cares, the reason for sending these flowers over it is to remind that penny pincher of troup master that Boss Yu is not down yet,” Zhan Junbai interrupted.
Only then did Qiu Ming understand. He solemnly did as commanded and left, feeling a little uneasy.
This Yu Tang Chun might be Zhan Jun Bai’s mishap.
The first thing Jiang Yue Lou did on his first vacation day was to go with Chen Yu Zhi to their usual stall to eat a bowl of wontons.
Today the soup made by the owner was very good. Jiang Yue Lou ate two bowls in a row, and his stomach felt warmed instantly. On the other hand, Chen Yu Zhi was eating slowly, causing Jiang Yue Lou to laugh at him for eating that way until the food was cold. Chen Yu Zhi replied that unlike him, he wasn’t a cow who chews and devoured his food without taking the time to enjoy its taste *.
They chatted together about everything and nothing, even ending up discussing how the rice had gone up by 10 cents.
After eating their wonton soups, the two of them took a long ramble along the street. As they walked, Jiang Yue Lou suddenly asked nonchalantly, “Is it too late to be treated?”
With a knowing smile, Chen Yu Zhi put his hands in his pockets, shook his head, and sighed, “It’s too late.”
Jiang Yue Lou faintly froze, and then asked after a moment, “Sick until death?”
Chen Yu Zhi stretched out his arm in front of Jiang Yue Lou, his right hand clenched in a fist, looking at him straight in the eyes, “No one can heal you except me.”
Jiang Yue Lou also stretched out his arm, spreading his palm upwards, and a piece of chocolate fell into his hand. The lamps on the street were lit, and snowflakes were floating down around them and were particularly shining under the light that night.
“As far as I can remember, this is the first time you’ve been willing to be treated,” Chen Yu Zhi said, glancing at Jiang Yue Lou, “Is that something to do with this worker incident?”
Jiang Yue Lou peeled off the chocolate, put it in his mouth, and said vaguely, “If I could have controlled my emotions, maybe the resolution of this matter would have been much better than it was. I have always said that there are two types of people that I hate the most, those who live completely in the past, and those standing in the shadows… But it seems like I was bent on avoiding the past precisely because I’m still living in it, and haven’t come out of it. That feeling is really hard to describe. It’s like being trapped in a room with no way to get out, like being in a house with no door or windows… ”
Listening only to his heart, Chen Yu Zhi said, “If you can’t open it from inside, it doesn’t mean that nothing can be done from the outside.”
The bitterness of the dark chocolate mixed with its sweetness can reduce blood pressure and appease people’s minds. Jiang Yue Lou glanced back at Chen Yu Zhi and nodded. Indeed, there was already a glimmer of light in that small dark room.
The snowfall was getting heavier and heavier, and by the time the two returned home, the ground was already covered with a white mantle. Stepping on the snow in his yard, Chen Yu Zhi suddenly got an idea and pulled Jiang Yue Lou towards him to build a snowman together.
Two grown men were playing around in the cold snow, and built two small snowmen, standing side by side on the windowsill, shoulder to shoulder, supporting each other.
“Keying has always wanted me to make a snowman with her. Unfortunately, last year, it didn’t snow. ” Chen Yu Zhi looked at the two little snowmen and sighed softly, “Keying, the murderer who killed you has been arrested. In Heaven, I hope you are happy too. ”
Jiang Yue Lou hugged Chen Yu Zhi, putting his right hand on his right shoulder, and pressed it softly to comfort him, “To celebrate my vacation, tomorrow let’s go hiking together. Looking down from the top of the mountain, the sky is high and the earth is wide, and the mood will be much better. ”
As soon as he said it, he felt that the meaning of dating behind his words was too strong, so he quickly added, “I mean it will help me to treat my mood disorder.”
Chen Yu Zhi certainly understood what he meant, but he just smiled and nodded as he didn’t want the other person to feel embarrassed.
Jiang Yue Lou was extremely happy in his heart. Even if the view from the top of the mountain is not nice in winter, the key lies in the people who look at the scenery. In a few months, spring will be there and they can go hiking* together again. They will come together as well to escape the heat in summer, and the two of them will still be there to see the red autumnal leaves… In short, there are so many things they can do together in spring, summer, autumn, and winter*.
In the winter, apart from climbing mountains and looking at the scenery, some people also like horseback riding in the snow, like Zhan Jun Bai and Zhan Tian Qing, who was known for riding in the countryside, but the uncle and his nephew didn’t meet to enjoy the view or to talk about romantic kinds of stuff.
Having spurred his horse all around, Zhan Tian Qing was in a very happy mood, and was a little more relaxed when he asked his question, “How has your operation in Jingcheng been working out over the past few years?”
Zhan Jun Bai’s horse was next to Zhan Tian Qing. Although he has been in politics for many years, Zhan Junbai has followed his uncle on the battlefield since he was fourteen years old and has always worked hard since then. He answered him carefully with a submissive expression, “Second Uncle can rest assured that the Ministry of City Defense, the Ministry of Military, the Ministry of Industry, and the Department of Education are now all on our side.”
Zhan Tian Qing nodded with satisfaction, “The recent personnel changes have been a bit too frequent recently, so be careful not to reveal yourself.”
Zhan Jun Bai let out an “En”, and the two of them, uncle and nephew, got off their horses and walked to the table prepared by Qiu Ming.
Zhan Tian Qing took off his gloves and emphasized, “The arsenal should be built as soon as possible, with soldiers and guns in hand, to be safe.”
“En, I already arranged everything”, Zhan Jun Bai poured a cup of tea and handed it over.
Zhan Tian Qing drank a sip of hot tea, laid down on the couch, when he suddenly remembered something and leaned forward to look at his nephew, and asked, “That Jiang Yue Lou, what are you going to do with him?”
Several lines in the opium business were pulled up by Jiang Yue Lou, so it was not surprising that this person would attract Zhan Tian Qing’s attention.
Zhan Jun Bai poured himself a cup of coffee and sighed regretfully, “It’s a pity. I originally didn’t intend to do anything to him. ”
Zhan Tian Qing sneered, “It’s fine to keep doing it in front of the others, but don’t give me your hypocritical act. You’ve tricked him into going to Hong Kong to die. Where was your pity at the time?”
“It wasn’t a death sentence, I just applied the law of the jungle *, to see the survival of the fittest. Lucas became more and more arrogant since he hooked up with the Hong Kong Police, provoking me several times, and even trying to cut off some shipping lines and monopolize the Southeast Asia market. So, I needed someone to solve this problem. ”
Zhan Jun Bai smelled the aroma of coffee before correcting himself, “Of course, if he was put down by Lucas, we could have moved more freely in Jingcheng, but it doesn’t matter. Anyway, when a sandpiper and a clam war together*, the fisherman is always the winner. He took care of Lucas, which shows that he has enough strength and that he is worth my time and worth of being pursued. It’s a pity that this man can not be moved by force or persuasion, I can’t have him. ”
Zhan Tian Qing snorted, “I don’t have that much patience. Don’t waste your time on him, find someone to finish him off. ”
Zhan Jun Bai put down his coffee cup and smiled meaningfully, “Well, that person is already on his way, and will arrive in Jingcheng tomorrow.”
It was just getting rid of a policeman. Was it worth the trouble of finding someone from out of town to do it? Zhan Tian Qing didn’t say anything, but his eyes revealed his disdain for this approach.
But Zhan Junbai wasn’t annoyed. He threw a piece of sugar into his coffee and slowly stirred it, “Second Uncle, this person I’m waiting for will make the game more fun”
The sugar cube completely melted into the coffee, bringing a little sweetness to this otherwise bitter drink.
I’m a bit afraid: will all characters who died in the show also die in the book?? It’s almost time for a chain of deaths =(
Some of the characters will die like in the drama and some will be well alive at the end of the story! 😀
If you want I can tell you more and tell you who is still alive at the end of the story ?
I want to know, but I also want it to be surprise… I think I’ll wait a little bit till the end 😊
I hope Chen Yuzhi not death
Because in drama he is die, and i cry when i watch that
i don’t want cry to second time
I must be insane because I find Zhan Jun Bai’s calmness, cunningness, schemingness and the execution of his overall psychotic tendencies sexy😍. I love even more the chip in his armour who goes by the name of Yu Tang Chun.
I definitely wouldn’t want to deal with a person like him irl…I still have this common sense, but aiyah as a villainous character I approve☑️
Thank you for the chapter 🌻
“As soon as he said it, he felt that the meaning of dating behind his words was too strong, so he quickly added, “I mean it will help me to treat my mood disorder.””
This was so funny. I can imagine JYL’s face after he said it and made up some excuses.
(Anyway, I am a silent reader but I really wanted to thank our translator and editor for dedicating their time to share this novel. I’ll be forever grateful.)
Thank you so much, you’re very welcome!😀
Yes JYL is so whipped and all the city probably know about his feelings for CYZ and still he’s giving funny excuses! JLY, just confessed already! 😂
Wow, we finally see ZJB true colours in this chapter. It’s scary how he managed to conceal himself so good. In the drama, the actor managed to give these negative vibes even when you don’t know that he is San Ye, I wasn’t that surprised when he said he was San Ye, because I couldn’t understand his role in the story, but here in the novel is more shocking, because he pretends so well to be a good guy.
I love the wee and sweet scene between CYZ and JYL, they are so cute, building snowmen together 😍 JYL wants to make clear what it is not a date, of course 🤣
Thanks for this chapter 😊
Yes, ZJB is really a mastermind!!! Too bad he used his intelligence to do such terrible things!!!
And you’re right he’s really good and fooled everyone!!!
And of course it’s not a date ahaha just as it wasn’t a kiss in chapter 16 😂
JYL you have to face it at some point! 😂😂😂
Thanks to translator!!!I love this so much ❤️❤️❤️
You’re welcome!
Finally CYZ won the heart of
CYZ finally won the heart of his in laws.😄
Thanks for the chapter.💕
(sorry something went wrong and my comment didn’t show fully)😅
Aahah thank you!! Yes CYZ completely nailed it!😀
But at the same time, who on earth could say no to such a perfect human being 😍
There is probably no better husband material than him on all the planet!!!!❤❤😂😂
And this is so cute how proud and shy JYL is at the same time just thinking bringing his boyfriend back home!!!! 😍😍😍
That ‘ s true. 😄
JYL should take a very good care of his little Dr. 😊💕
It’s like a play… Like Jun Bai wrote a book and he reads it out loud to his children….
JYL and CYZ interaction is very sweet. Will they be together at the end of the story? chen yu zi won’t die like in the drama right? 🙁
Every interaction of this couple is soooooo sweet😍but one of my favorite scene in the drama the necktie scene is not included in the novel🥲ahhhhh JYL will you please be direct with your feelings already😆