NMBJ2 - 35

That night, Gao Ji Yi received the news at around 3 a.m. 

A friend called his phone. Half-asleep, Gao Ji Yi answered groggily. After listening for a while, he vaguely dismissed the caller. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he thought deeply, slowly breaking out in a cold sweat. 

Outsiders might not understand, reveling in the spectacle, but Gao Ji Yi was deeply entrenched in this circle. Upon reflection, he quickly pieced everything together. Lighting a cigarette, he sat on the bed in his bathrobe, clutching his phone. After a moment, he dialed a number. 

“Zhouzi, is that you?” 

Zhao Pingjin replied indifferently: “Still awake?” 

Gao Ji Yi’s heart raced: “You’ve really outdone yourself this time.” 

“I’m telling you, this isn’t over.” 

Gao Ji Yi’s wife, awakened by the conversation, mumbled sleepily: “Can’t you two talk about this in the morning?” 

Gao Ji Yi stood up and walked toward the master bathroom: “Be careful. Take someone with you when you go out.” 

Zhao Pingjin responded: “I know. Go to sleep.” 

Shen Min spent the entire night at Park Hyatt that evening. They returned home around 10 p.m. Zhao Pingjin showed no particular emotional fluctuations. After showering, he even went to his study to review some documents. By 2 a.m., he emerged from the study. Shen Min was sitting on the edge of the sofa, brewing tea. Without speaking, Zhao Pingjin took a cup and drank. Both men lit cigarettes, though Zhao Pingjin placed his on the ashtray, only occasionally taking a drag to stay alert. 

Shen Min glanced at his watch—it was nearly 3 a.m. 

All preliminary arrangements had been made under Zhao Pingjin’s instructions. Everything possible had been done. Now, they could only wait for the results. 

The phone rang before 4 a.m.

After Shen Min hung up the phone, he exchanged a glance with Zhao Pingjin. Both men felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from their shoulders, but exhaustion quickly washed over them.

At that moment, Shen Min’s phone rang again. He glanced at it. “It’s Langmei.”

Fang Langmei had also been awake all night. Zhao Pingjin answered the call, and after a brief exchange, he said, “I didn’t want to involve anyone in Sun Kehu’s matter and planned to handle it myself.” However, Fang Langmei had firmly refused to let him shoulder the burden alone. The incident involving Huang Xitang had occurred in the hotel where their wedding banquet was held. Zhao Pingjin understood his feelings and, holding the phone, said, “Second Brother, thank you.”

Fang Langmei paused briefly on the other end before replying, “Don’t be too upset.”

The call ended.

Zhao Pingjin said to Shen Min, “It’s almost dawn. Don’t go back. Sleep in the guest room.”

Both men were exhausted, their eyes bloodshot.

Shen Min nodded, picked up his phone, and walked into the room. Before leaving, he turned back to Zhao Pingjin, “Call me if anything happens. Rest for a while.”

Shen Min knew that Zhao Pingjin had been suffering from severe insomnia recently. On the afternoon of Huang Xitang’s press conference in Beijing, Shen Min had instructed Secretary He to halt Zhao Pingjin’s work schedule. Zhao Pingjin hadn’t left the company but stayed in his office. After Shen Min finished his tasks, he knocked and entered Zhao Pingjin’s office, just in time to see the lawyer accompanying her leave in an online video.

Shen Min found the lawyer somewhat familiar and suddenly exclaimed, “Is that Lao Xiu?”

Zhao Pingjin nodded.

Xiu Lianzhang was a member of the Beijing Lawyers Association’s Outstanding Professional Committee. In recent years, he had handled domestic military, energy, and land-related litigation and arbitration cases. Known for his low profile, it was highly unlikely for him to take on an ordinary civil injury case, especially one involving the entertainment industry, even if Huang Xitang offered a hefty fee.

Xiu Lianzhang had studied with Li Shu’an in Chengdu and maintained good relations with the Qian family after moving to Beijing. Consequently, Zhao Pingjin and Shen Min saw him two or three times a year.

The next day, Li Shu’an’s secretary delivered the complete video to Shen Min’s office. Zhao Pingjin was resting at home that day, and Shen Min brought it over. Hearing the sound, Zhao Pingjin emerged from his room and asked, “Did Shu’an send this?”

Shen Min nodded.

Zhao Pingjin said, “I called him yesterday to request it.”

Shen Min glanced at his face and asked, “Has Dr. Fu been here yet?”

Zhao Pingjin nodded.

Seeing Shen Min standing uncertainly in the living room, unsure whether to stay or leave, Zhao Pingjin gestured toward the sofa: “Sit down. Watch it.”

When Shen Min saw the complete surveillance footage of the corridor, he immediately realized that Sun Kehu was finished.

Huang Xitang had been carried out on a carpet torn from the coffee table because her internal organs were ruptured, and they dared not lift her. The living room fell silent as the player stopped, and the computer screen went black. Unable to bear watching further, Shen Min turned off the playback. Zhao Pingjin’s entire body stiffened. Shen Min reached out to steady his shoulder, and Zhao Pingjin trembled violently, clenching his teeth tightly.

Shen Min futilely tried to comfort him: “It’s all over now. She’s fine.”

Zhao Pingjin shook uncontrollably for a long time before managing to speak: “Let me be alone for a while.”

Shen Min bit his lip, tears welling up in his eyes, realizing his own shock and pain paled in comparison to Zhao Pingjin’s. He dared not leave, fearing Zhao Pingjin might harm himself.

Zhao Pingjin pleaded, “Xiaomin, please.”

Shen Min jolted in alarm, no longer daring to stay, and quickly left.

---

On the weekend, Gao Ji Yi invited Zhao Pingjin to play cards at a club. By then, the entire Beijing circle was buzzing about Sun Kehu’s downfall. When Gao Ji Yi arrived, Zhao Pingjin was already seated at the table, facing Cui Tengfei, who lived in the same compound as Sun Kehu.

Gao Ji Yi sat down next to Zhao Pingjin. Cui Tengfei was animatedly recounting, “Old Sun really got burned this time. It’s said that all the police forces were redirected to prevent leaks. They moved in after 3 a.m. and resolved everything within an hour.”

Gao Ji Yi glanced at Zhao Pingjin, who appeared completely unfazed, leaning back in his chair, looking relaxed and weary, calmly arranging his cards.

Opposite Gao Ji Yi sat the son of an elder from the garrison district: “The Sun family has probably been drained by now. With those two rising, it was only a matter of time for the Sun family. Sigh, Zhouzi, remember when Sun’s driver scraped someone’s car outside Zhongzhi Plaza last time?”

Zhao Pingjin tossed a nine-tile to Gao Ji Yi and casually replied, “The old Crown belonging to the Su family.”

Xiao Wu chuckled, “Not only did Sun’s driver scrape the car, but he also got out and beat up the other driver. That made quite the scene. The office secretary even complained to my father about it.”

Gao Ji Yi laughed heartily.

At that moment, the server came to pour drinks. The group fell silent. Cui Tengfei looked around and teased, “Zhouzi, are you drinking milk here?”

Zhao Pingjin didn’t even raise an eyelid: “I’ll do what I want. What’s it to you?”

Gao Ji Yi quickly covered his glass, preventing the server from pouring wine: “Hey, his stomach can’t handle it. We’re all buddies here. Besides, I’ve recently been diagnosed with fatty liver. Hey, server, bring me some orange juice!”