FY - 43

The rain that hadn’t finished yesterday started again. Si Wen walked slowly in the rain. The slower he walked, the more disheveled he looked.

Raindrops covered the ground, and the wind urged restless spirits to rush forward. Si Wen brushed past them countless times, repeatedly forced into their tense atmosphere, but it still didn’t make him walk faster.

He was very sad.

But he couldn’t describe it.

He also wasn’t in the mood to describe the situation he had put himself in. He could only say that it was a huge sealed bag. He was trapped inside, with all the air sucked out. Every breath he took brought him one step closer to death.

It was ridiculous to even say it out loud. A man like him, whose eyes only saw enemies and whose hands only held weapons, was making a fool of himself for a woman.

He walked for two hours until he reached the east gate of the complex.

His secretary and the Dong Sheng Pharmaceutical staff were still picking up the money outside the ATM booth. He ignored them, entered the complex, went upstairs, and walked into his apartment. The door closed automatically behind him.

The sight that greeted him was a mess—evidence of the harm he had caused Zhou Yan.

It was these very things that had sentenced him, and the punishment was to have Zhou Yan taken away from him. Even if he could have an empire, he would be a lonely man for the rest of his life, with no enemies, but without her.

Just thinking about it made his feet feel empty, and he stumbled and fell heavily against the wall.

He propped himself up with his hands on the wall. His mind was filled with thoughts of how Zhou Yan had gone from having a radiant face to her current state of having no love and no exceptions. It was all his doing. He was the one who had shattered her warm soul.

“Zhou Yan. Who am I?”

No one answered him. He slowly clenched his fists and used all his strength to punch the wall.

He admitted it. He couldn’t get rid of his addiction to Zhou Yan. He wanted to lock her by his side. If she wanted something, he would give it to her, no matter what. The highest honor or a worldly possession—he could do it all.

If she wanted nothing, he would accompany her through this world and the heavens, and scoop up the stars from the boiling river.

His own wounds no longer mattered.

The carefully planned game no longer mattered.

________________________________________

At nine in the morning, Criminal Investigation Team One.

Wei Li’an, who was injured in the fight with Si Wen, had his wounds treated at the hospital, slept at home, and then rushed back to work. Zheng Zhi said that if he were an athlete, his specialty would definitely be the “Iron Man” triathlon, which became a running joke among the whole team.

Teasing aside, they didn’t know what was wrong with Wei Li’an. They asked out of concern, but if he didn’t answer, they let it go.

Zheng Zhi was different from the others. He had a habit of getting to the bottom of things since he was a child. If there was something he wanted to know but couldn’t, he would buzz around like a fly all day, making everyone restless.

Wei Li’an didn’t answer not because he was embarrassed, but because he didn’t want people to gossip behind his back, as that would be bad for Zhou Yan.

But Zheng Zhi was persistent, so this morning, Wei Li’an came and asked him a question: “What do you think of my fighting skills?”

Zheng Zhi was eating breakfast—steamed buns and soft tofu—and couldn’t talk. He gave a thumbs-up. “Awesome, of course. In previous Criminal Investigation Cup tournaments, in both fighting and sparring, if you were there, no one else stood a chance.”

Wei Li’an gave a self-deprecating smile. “But in front of Si Wen, I didn’t even have a chance to strike.”

Zheng Zhi stopped putting a bun in his mouth, looking shocked. “You fought Si Wen? No, what happened? I’m a little confused.”

As he spoke, he put down his chopsticks and added, “Didn’t Director Feng tell us not to investigate Si Wen? You still dared to go after him? Aren’t you afraid of getting disciplined?”

Having gone through this ordeal, Wei Li’an had learned the meaning of nonchalance and answered calmly, “Zhou Yan.”

Zheng Zhi remembered her. He had seen her before. She was very fair-skinned, thin, and quite pretty, but also quite fierce. “Don’t tell me you’ve been distracted all this time because of that woman? Come on, man, she’s a prostitute! It’s understandable for someone like Si Wen to have a ‘damaged’ woman, but you come from a good family. Your dad is a businessman, but our family’s old man is a veteran cadre with many military honors. You can’t be serious, right?”

Wei Li’an poured a glass of water. “But I like her.”

Zheng Zhi stopped eating and wanted to give him a good talking-to about this, but Wei Li’an raised a hand, not wanting to listen. “Director Feng is in Qizhou. Something is definitely brewing here in Qizhou. You should notify the team later and tell them to stay alert and be ready at any time.”

“What? Did you find something wrong with that bastard Si Wen?” Zheng Zhi’s eyes widened involuntarily.

Wei Li’an didn’t know, but he always felt that Feng Zhongliang had a certain unexplainable protectiveness toward Si Wen, which was a little inconsistent with his usual image of being impartial and selfless. It was possible that his stay in Qizhou was indeed related to Si Wen.

Thinking this, he shook his head. He hoped he was overthinking it.

Zheng Zhi hadn’t moved on from the topic of Zhou Yan and pulled it back. “The reason you like Zhou Yan is simply because you find her new and different. Because she has that kind of identity but doesn’t act like it at all. If she had a regular job, you probably wouldn’t like her. People are like that. When an ordinary person breaks away from their fixed environment and jumps into an area not accepted by society, they go from being unremarkable to having an interesting soul.”

“That’s why you like her.”

“I think this kind of liking is more about a temporary fascination. Or maybe it’s just jealousy at work. You’re too bothered by Si Wen’s influence and ability. You’ve never seen a man who is so flawless. You’re jealous of him, so you want to like his woman.”

Wei Li’an frowned. “Stop talking nonsense. What the hell are you analyzing?”

Zheng Zhi felt that he was right. He always had a blind spot for his own affairs, but he was a clear observer when it came to others. He had always been a sharp analyst of others, and he believed he was with Wei Li’an as well.

Wei Li’an avoided the topic. After San Zi came in to report on the casualties at a pyramid scheme den, he left Zheng Zhi and went to the scene.

Zheng Zhi sighed, watching him flee in a panic.

Wei Li’an was a role model for the entire Criminal Investigation Team One. At work, he was always meticulous, sometimes even stubborn, always putting his own interests last. But when it came to love, he was not worth emulating.

To actually fall for a woman of the night.

Was it true that all conventional people had a rebellious heart inside?

________________________________________

Guangnan Nunnery.

Zhao Youjin had been in a lot of contact with Xue Peng recently. She was systematically analyzing and recording all the people in Qizhou who could be used. She would then test their attitudes toward drugs one by one to see if they could be roped in and how many channels they had that could be utilized.

Xue Peng’s emotional intelligence and IQ were average, but he was very cautious and thoughtful. It might have been because he had dealt with the anti-drug bureau so often that he had to be prepared for the worst.

As for Zhao Youjin, she was a true criminal mastermind. All she needed was Si Wen to introduce her, and she would show an unexpected level of dedication and ambition for this “business.”

She had a contact in the handbag business in Shengxi Province. The boss, named Hu Lai, did import and export business, selling directly to countries like Korea and Japan. He had all the official paperwork, but he did more smuggling. By avoiding taxes, the profits were huge.

Zhao Youjin used to look down on him.

Despite making money in a morally questionable way with Feng Zhongliang, she still looked down on smugglers. She thought it was illegal.

Things were different now. She was on the same path, so this connection could be used.

Xue Peng initially thought it was unreliable, but after sending someone to Shengxi with Zhao Youjin, his opinion of her completely changed. This woman was a force to be reckoned with in Qizhou. Her schemes might not be the most flawless, but her seductive skills were truly incredible.

At fifty years old, she could still make a man in his thirties weak in the knees. That was a real talent.

After just two sentences from Zhao Youjin, Hu Lai understood what she meant. They tested each other to make sure she wasn’t an undercover cop, and he came clean. He had channels but no supply, so he could only dream of getting into the drug business.

Zhao Youjin didn’t have the goods, but Xue Peng did. He also had a drug-making location, which perfectly solved the problem.

The two hit it off and scheduled their next meeting to make a deal.

Things were going so smoothly that Xue Peng started to have other ideas. Since he and Zhao Youjin could restart his influence on their own, why should they still depend on Si Wen? He hadn’t provided them with any convenience, only introduced them. This created a hidden danger—what if he turned on them later and colluded with the police? They would have nowhere to run.

With such a ticking time bomb by his side, they were cautious in their work. It was better to just go all the way and get rid of him to have peace of mind.

Zhao Youjin was shocked at first by his idea. She wasn’t worried about his unique face and body, but rather, what kind of person was Si Wen? How could they possibly take him down? It was too absurd.

Xue Peng had a different opinion. He didn’t think Si Wen was invulnerable. As long as they understood his temperament and his way of doing things, they could definitely create a plan to ruin his reputation. If they planned it meticulously, he was confident they could put Si Wen behind bars for life or ensure he had no place to be buried.

Zhao Youjin was still scared, mainly because she had seen Si Wen’s abilities. But she was a risk-taker at heart, and after three days of deliberation, she agreed.

From then on, they began to make their moves behind Si Wen’s back.

________________________________________

In the blink of an eye, it had been three days since Zhou Yan left Si Wen.

In those three days, Si Wen hadn’t contacted her, and she felt no discomfort. It was as if everything with Si Wen had been a dream, and waking up, she only felt that the experience was fantastical, leaving no trace in her heart.

But whether it had or not, only they themselves knew.

Zhou Yan used to not see clients when she was with Si Wen, but now that he was no longer supporting her, she had to.

After settling down for two days, she reported to Sister Hong, hoping to get some wealthy clients who would ask for her.

Sister Hong, hearing her tone, knew that she had parted ways with Si Wen and was secretly relieved. Her face immediately changed. “You had a lot of complaints a while ago. A few managers had a meeting and demoted you. You can forget about the big rooms. If you want to go out with clients, that’s fine, but you have to follow our arrangements. Do you agree?”

Even though Zhou Yan was no longer with Si Wen, she wasn’t the type to be pushed around. She could be obedient, but she couldn’t be forced to obey.

She said, “I can. But I have to remind you, Sister Hong. There are four top girls now. Besides the two veterans, the other two are newly promoted. Their skills are average. You’d be lucky to get three returning customers out of ten, which is seriously affecting the reputation of the princesses in the Candy private rooms. Plus, a new nightclub just opened in the West City, and Candy’s customers are being diverted. It’s not an exaggeration to say our situation is bleak right now.”

“I won’t even mention my skills. Just my selection rate is the highest at Candy...”

Zhou Yan left her sentence unfinished. Sister Hong understood. Her face turned pale, then green. She was filled with resentment but had to admit that Zhou Yan was right. Even if she didn’t worry about the club’s customer flow, she had to arrange big rooms for Zhou Yan for the sake of her own earnings.

Sister Hong ground her back teeth and said, “Just wait.”

Zhou Yan’s situation was different now, so she had to be polite. “Thank you, Sister Hong.”

Sister Hong was completely helpless when it came to Zhou Yan, especially after all her schemes. She no longer saw this calm and composed woman in the same way.

This woman was not only a fresh and unconventional prostitute, but she also had a cunning mind that was far beyond the average person.

When the door closed, Zhou Yan’s fake vitality disappeared.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror and unconsciously touched her face.

She hadn’t been sleeping well recently, and her skin was clearly protesting, trying to use its roughness to make her realize that she had to pull herself together and stop thinking about irrelevant people and things. It was useless.

She sat down and opened the drawer, intending to take out her massager, but instead, she saw a ring box.

The hand that was reaching for the massager picked up the ring box. Inside were Si Wen’s cufflinks.

She never wore them, so she had bought a box to put them in.

She remembered that day she tried to be aggressive with Si Wen, and he had given her the freedom, tacitly allowing her to be playful.

As she thought about it, her heart ached, and her brows furrowed.

She put the cufflinks back and pushed the box to the very back of the drawer.

Forget it. It’s better to just forget it.

Around seven in the evening, the manager told Zhou Yan that there would be a big room with some bosses from out of town tonight.

Zhou Yan prepared herself well, putting on a long, scarlet dress with thin shoulder straps, revealing her two fair arms. She styled her hair in large waves, put on seductive eye makeup, and painted her lips blood red.

Without a doubt, she was the most alluring woman in the room.

The boss took one look and chose her, personally leading her to sit by his side.

Zhou Yan took the wine list and first had the boss order the most expensive drinks at Candy. Then, she allowed his thick lips to kiss her shoulder.

She still felt disgusted, but for this trip, she could get forty thousand. So, she endured it.

The boss touched and kissed Zhou Yan. He got hard, and a little fluid leaked, wetting his pants a bit. Feeling embarrassed, he went to the restroom.

He was gone for a while. When he came back, he was sweating profusely, and his face was pale. When he looked at Zhou Yan again, it was as if he was seeing a ghost, and he didn’t even dare to get close to her.

He stumbled over, asked his companion to grab the men’s briefcase next to Zhou Yan, took out several stacks of RMB from the bag, placed them on the table, and left in a hurry.

Zhou Yan didn’t care. She took the money and went to the self-service bank near Candy to deposit it.

After she came out, she lit a cigarette and watched the cars go by on the road. She imagined the scene of the boss encountering Si Wen in the restroom, with Si Wen’s eyes red, kicking him to the ground, and warning him to “stay away from her.”

Only Si Wen would do something like that.

And only Si Wen could make a boss with some standing look so pathetic.