Chapter 11

Yang Ruinian covered his cheek, staggered, and two servants came up behind him, grabbing him from either side. Then, a man dressed in black, sleeves rolled up, walked forward with a fierce look in his eyes and stood beside their leader, saying, "You motherfucker..."

Yang Ruinian gently stepped forward to stop the man. He glanced at Jiang Fengming, rubbing his chin, and said, "I deserved it. Good for you, cousin." He waved his hand, shaking off the two men on either side, and looked at Jiang Fengming with utmost sincerity. "If you still harbor resentment towards the Yang family because of our second mother, then come at me alone. We are all deeply saddened by her death, and I will not let the real culprit get away with it. Although my father couldn't protect her, he is getting old..."

As soon as Yu Congyi got out of the car, he walked a few steps behind Jiang Fengming and had seen everything that had just happened. He was taken aback, thinking to himself, "Are those people from the Yang family so easy to deal with?" Just as he was about to speak, Jiang Fengming turned around, glanced at him, and gave him a slight, reassuring look. Then he turned back to look at him again, "My aunt..."

"Fengming," Yu Congyi said softly as he approached, "Alright." Jiang Fengming then stopped talking. Seeing that the brothers seemed to have something to say, Yang Ruinian took the servant and went ahead to deal with the goods to be traded.

“Does the Jiang family still need to be subservient to them? If we don’t teach them a lesson now,” Jiang Fengming said to Yu Congyi as they walked, “after all, we haven’t figured out what happened to my aunt yet.”

Yu Congyi said, "There are still doubts about why my aunt would be there that day. If there's a problem, it's probably her father's fault. I will investigate this Yang Ruinian..."

“I told you it was just a show of force,” Jiang Fengming interrupted him with a smile. “I know about strength. That blow may have looked heavy, but it’s nothing.”

Yu Congyi had never been able to do anything about him. After thinking it over, he realized that this was really nothing in any sense. He sighed and said, "Also, Fengming, from now on, let me handle these kinds of things."

“It doesn’t matter whether I come or you come,” Jiang Fengming said. “We’re all in this together.”

Yu Congyi then fell silent. He knew that Jiang Fengming was not the type to take matters into his own hands, so was this whole thing for his sake?

Jiang Fengming patted him on the shoulder and went to inspect the goods with his servants. Yu Congyi strolled alone to the stone edge of the shore and walked slowly along the water's edge. The tide gently lapped at the rocks beneath his feet, making a rhythmic lapping sound. Yu Congyi turned his head to look at the sea. Behind the tall cargo ships anchored at the shore, a red sun grew clearer and clearer in the slowly dissipating sea mist.

On the way back, Yu Congyi paid special attention to Yang Ruinian's chin—it was only slightly red and swollen, so he guessed that he was not really injured. Jiang Fengming and the other party were still chatting and laughing, and it seemed that the two sides had not been at odds because of that punch. Yu Congyi wondered if this only son of Yang Xiang was actually different from his father in personality and had a kind personality? However, this was something that could not be seen from appearances, so he could only keep his mind at ease for the time being.

After getting into the car, Jiang Fengming crouched down and followed him into the same vehicle. Yu Congyi was a little surprised. When he looked at the other man, he saw that Jiang Fengming's face was flushed and his expression was relaxed, indicating that he was in a good mood. "Yang Ruinian is quite honest!" Jiang Fengming commented on him. "He's better than his father. They're both genuine, down-to-earth guys. I grabbed a handful, and they're quite honest. They didn't lie to me."

Yu Congyi remained silent. He never needed to worry about the Jiang family's business, nor would he. Jiang Fengming rarely mentioned his family's business when he spoke to him, and Yu Congyi never had the leisure to ask about it in detail.

"...He also said that next month, the batch he'll get from Fenghai, along with the ones from Qiqihar, will come to us without any travel expenses. He added that we only need to ask," Jiang Fengming continued, beaming with pride, "Is this kid trying to please his grandpa...?"

"Hey, brother, are you listening?" Jiang Fengming said for a while, then suddenly saw Yu Congyi turning his head to look out the window, clearly admiring the scenery, which puzzled him.

Yu Congyi wasn't actually listening; whether he listened or not was irrelevant to him. He knew perfectly well what truly needed to be done. He turned his head and smiled slightly, "I'm relieved that you understand."

“Brother, speaking of Yang Ruinian,” Jiang Fengming sat a little closer to him, almost touching his legs, “you know he has a sister, right?”

Yu Congyi always sat upright, retaining the posture he had developed in military school. He never slacked off in his daily life. Jiang Fengming casually patted his leg with his hand on it. "His sister is at a very good age. I've seen her before. She just turned seventeen this year. She's quite pretty. Do you want her, brother?"

Yu Congyi felt he must have seen the girl before; she had a round face, big eyes, and always had a smile on her face. She was more than ten years younger than him, practically a little sister. However, he hadn't considered the possibility of it at all. He said, "I'm more than that girl… I'd be too much of an older brother for her. She's still in school, isn't she?"

“You don’t need to worry about that, brother. Don’t even mention that you’re my brother, Young Master Jiang,” Jiang Fengming patted his leg again, then put his arm around his shoulder and squeezed it against him. He then whispered with a hint of a smile, “Someone like you could marry anyone, and no matter what kind of woman you marry, it wouldn’t be a waste!”

Yu Congyi could never win an argument with him, and now that he was talking such nonsense, he didn't bother to defend himself. He just muttered, "Alright, I know what I'm doing. You don't need to worry about this for me anymore."

"Big brother," Jiang Fengming pouted, a little dissatisfied with his perfunctory attitude, "What are you really thinking? I'm twenty-two this year, it's time for me to think about this. If you count on your fingers, you're nine years older than me, right? If Father were still alive, he wouldn't want to see you all alone, would he? You've always made excuses when I asked you before, are you going to be a bachelor for the rest of your life?"

"Fengming, stop talking. I know what I'm doing." Yu Congyi lowered his voice, feeling a bit suffocated. His mind was in turmoil. "I haven't thought about this for now," he said. He didn't want to erect a "chastity" monument for his aunt who had been secretly in love with him for so many years but had died, but he also didn't want to go against his own heart and marry a woman he didn't like or have any feelings for.

“Brother, I’m just worried about you,” Jiang Fengming said, his voice tinged with grievance. Yu Congyi then realized that his tone might have been a bit harsh. He hadn’t expected that even just thinking about Jiang Jiejie’s death would make him uncontrollably agitated—a terrible reaction. Yu Congyi took a breath, suppressing the rising anger within him.

“I know,” he gently patted Jiang Fengming’s shoulder, “Big brother didn’t mean what you said. Big brother was just thinking about something else and didn’t think the same thing as you.”

"I understand," Jiang Fengming said like a child. "It's good that Big Brother isn't angry with me." Yu Congyi looked at him and shook his head. Jiang Fengming was still saying that he was in a good mood today and wanted to go out to eat with him at this restaurant or that place. Yu Congyi heard it, but his mind wandered away. He thought that Jiang Jiejie had never truly belonged to him. She was before she was married, she was after she was married, and she would still be after she died. This woman only existed in his eyes and mind, or perhaps, occasionally in his dreams. They say that those destined to meet will meet even if they are a thousand miles apart, but they could only meet three times. Their fate was actually very shallow. But why did fate have to play tricks on him? Why did he have to see that white dress under an umbrella in the rain, and from then on, he couldn't let go of her? Is there really anyone who is so infatuated? She was like a white brand in his heart. From then on, whenever he saw white, he would only think of her.

When Tang Zefei returned home, it was very late again. To his surprise, his father was also home. When he got out of the car, he saw from outside the yard that the light in the north-facing study was still on. Apart from his father, very few people went into that study. Tang Zefei stood downstairs for a moment, then slowed his pace and went upstairs, heading straight for the study.

“Dad,” he knocked on the door, noticing it wasn’t fully closed, and went inside. Mister Tang was pinching his brow with his right hand, a stack of papers in front of him. He looked up and saw his son, sighed softly, suppressing the obvious irritation in his voice, “The Tianjin Mint has been getting more and more outrageous lately. Last month, the Zhili-Shandong Allied Army was defeated, and the Shanxi clique forcibly requisitioned military funds, and they’ve turned the market into this mess!”

“This price surge is not good for Tianjin merchants either. It will also affect our import and export tariffs,” Tang Zefei said. Although he did not care much about the Chamber of Commerce, he had not been unaware of it.

“The Chamber of Commerce should take action soon,” Mister Tang said, gathering the papers on the table. He glanced at Tang Zefei’s face and sighed softly, “You’re starting to look more and more like your mother.”

Tang Zefei didn't quite understand why his father's thinking was so jumpy. He slowly walked to the table and stopped, seeing that his father seemed to have something else to say to him.

“Take a look at this,” Mister Tang said, as if remembering something, fumbling in his suit pocket to pull something out. It was wrapped in a silk handkerchief, and inside lay a round, silver metal button.

“This was given to me by one of Lin Gong’s men,” Mister Tang said, holding the button. “It’s very likely left behind by the murderer who killed Li Shu.” Tang Zefei quickly took the button, and his heart skipped a beat when he looked at it closely—he remembered finding an identical button at Lin Gong’s mansion that day.

To be honest, he felt nothing about Tang Lishu's death. When he heard that his younger brother had died, he was only shocked for a moment—and then he felt nothing more, neither joy nor sorrow. Tang Lishu was very different from him. Ever since he considered himself a member of the Tang family, he had been more concerned about family affairs than him. This man seemed to have a particularly good head for business, and later he could almost be his father's right-hand man. How could such a person not be valued more by his father? He also learned that the man seemed to have been involved in the opium trade. A little over a month before his death, he was thinking about how to monopolize the Tianjin railway's opium transportation, which was a very important matter. Unfortunately, he failed in his plan and may have even made enemies, which led to his death.

Tang Zefei stared at the button and said symbolically, his tone even sounding a bit indifferent, "This button is quite unique." He concealed the fact that he had seen this button before, but looking at the exquisite photinia flower pattern on it, he had a vague guess in his mind.

Mister Tang rubbed his temples again. He knew that his eldest son had always been indifferent to family matters, and his coldness in human relationships was now quite worrying. He said, "Tang Zefei, he is your brother. Don't you have anything else to say?"

Tang Zefei glanced at him and sighed softly, "Whose button is this?"

Mister Tang pressed the handkerchief into his hand, stood up, and said in a commanding tone, "Don't go out fooling around for the next two days. The most important task now is to find out who owns this button."

“Father,” Tang Zefei stood up and saw Mister Tang’s brows slowly furrow, an expression that indicated he was beginning to grow impatient, “Whether you believe me or not, I have never considered Tang Lishu as my opponent.”

Mister Tang stopped tidying up the papers in his hand. He looked at Tang Zefei with some surprise. Tang Zefei held up the button, waved it at him, then turned and walked out of the study.

Yu Congyi had no idea that such an incomprehensible thing would happen in the military police department just two hours after he arrived there late—his deputy commander, Li Ming, had been inexplicably arrested this morning by a group of people who claimed to be the guards. The guards and the military police in the British concession had always kept to themselves, and they probably did not have the authority to arrest one of his subordinates.

Yu Congyi felt his eyelids twitching. He asked around among his subordinates but couldn't get the real reason for Li Ming's arrest. He began to wonder if Li Ming had done something wrong recently. However, after thinking it over again, he couldn't figure out how much trouble this usually serious and earnest young man could have gotten into. Later, a subordinate cautiously reminded him that Li Ming seemed to be at his desk in his room organizing a new batch of files for him. Yu Congyi suddenly realized why his eyelids had been twitching so badly since morning. It must be for him.

"The guards say Deputy Commander Li killed someone and they want to take him back for questioning," one of his subordinates said loudly, then lowered his voice considerably, "Chief, does Deputy Commander Li have some kind of enemy?"

"Chief, I've noticed that Deputy Chief Li's expression has been a bit off lately. He seems distracted. What's wrong? Could he really be..." someone chimed in.

"Shut up!" Yu Congyi gave them a stern look. "No one is to spread this news before I get back. I will handle it. Also, if I hear any more rumors like this, you can expect to be dragged to the underground VIP room and locked up for a day and a night."

The two soldiers quickly covered their mouths, daring not to utter another word. Yu Congyi rarely spoke such harsh words to his subordinates, nor did he usually appear so fierce. They must have understood the importance of the matter, so they sensibly nodded and quickly disappeared. Yu Congyi swiftly straightened his clothes, adjusted his collar, cuffs, and belt, neatly stacked the pile of documents on the table, pushed it to the corner, and after confirming that he and the room appeared completely undetected, he walked out of the military police building alone.

He didn't want anyone to see his panic, as any detail could expose his weakness. After all, besides being a first-class sergeant major in the Military Police Command, he did have another profession: a hired assassin for the Chiang family.

He guessed that the other party might be—no, definitely—an enemy of one of the victims of one of his previous assassination missions. Somehow, they had learned of his other identity and reported it to the security department, who then brought him in to arrest him. And that poor kid, Li Ming, might have been mistaken for the sergeant major and arrested because he was in his office… Actually, they were looking for him. If that were the case, things were far more complicated than he had imagined. Yet, at the military police headquarters, only his men near the archives were alerted; the entire department hadn't panicked. This was also very strange, unless—

Yu Congyi came up with an idea: a private security detail.

This is a mysterious organization operating outside the Tianjin Garrison Command. To be precise, they are not entirely part of the government, yet they are not completely detached either. They rely on private commissions to apprehend criminals who are enemies of their clients for lucrative rewards. Their operations are not under the jurisdiction of the Garrison Command, but they are protected by it (when apprehending certain criminals, they have the right to receive assistance from the Garrison Command, and of course, they will also hand over a considerable amount of money in return, which is why their clients are mostly wealthy businessmen). They will imprison or execute those so-called enemies according to the wishes of their clients, and record these in the Garrison Command's files to avoid certain troublesome legal procedures. It is a way for the wealthy to resolve private grudges that are outside the law and that they want to settle.

Yu Congyi didn't know anything about such an organization, but what he heard was enough to convince him. As he asked witnesses along the way, he increasingly realized that all the signs indicated that the other party was indeed after him.

This is why he was alone. The road he was driving on became increasingly remote, far from the various outposts of the guard department. He soon arrived at the gate of a garden, parked the car on the side of the road, and as he got out, he almost doubted whether he had taken the wrong turn.

From his slightly elevated vantage point, he had a panoramic view of the entire area: a flat slope surrounded on three sides by pine forests, with a three-story Western-style villa standing in the center of a huge flowerbed surrounded by green flower beds. If it were spring or summer, he was certain that the place would be filled with flowers of all colors. The flowerbed was surrounded by courtyards enclosed by iron fences and red brick walls. There were no livestock, but other fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes and grapes were probably planted there. Climbing plants covered the red walls, and the paths wound along the base of these walls, extending towards the villa in the center of the garden.

Yu Congyi stood outside the courtyard, his path blocked by the iron fence. He was certain there was no other way for him to enter the garden. Looking at the black, spear-like iron fence, he gritted his teeth, rolled up his sleeves, and climbed up.

Not only for the other party's sake, but also for his own, he had to rescue Li Ming!