Chapter 27

Yu Congyi walked to the gate and saw Squad Leader Su parked his car in front of the yard. He got out of the car and stood in front of the fence waiting for him. Jiang Fengming also came out. Squad Leader Su hadn't changed out of his uniform. When he saw Yu Congyi, he saluted first.

"Chief," Sergeant Su said anxiously, "Third Squad sent a message saying that a quarter of an hour ago, Deputy Commander Li was shot near Building No. 1 in Shang'an!"

"What happened? Has he been taken to the hospital? Take him to Mariana Hospital!" Yu Congyi took the coat handed to him by the butler, put it on, turned around and saw Jiang Fengming. He pulled the other man aside and whispered, "I'm sorry, Fengming, something happened at the department. I have to go and check on things."

Jiang Fengming was somewhat surprised and bewildered. He nodded and hummed in agreement, then immediately said, "Big brother, then..."

"Don't wait for me, eat and get some rest," Yu Congyi thought for a moment, then looked at the other person, "It's cold outside, you're not wearing any clothes, go back first."

Jiang Fengming, still in his pajamas, clearly understood the implication. He muttered a few words to himself and followed Yu Congyi to the car. Yu Congyi bent down and got into the car, whispering, "So, are you coming back tonight?"

Yu Congyi hesitated, unsure of what to do. Jiang Fengming didn't press further, and Yu Congyi looked at him and said, "You go back first."

This command, tinged with a hint of helplessness and unfamiliarity to Jiang Fengming, was something he hadn't heard his elder brother speak to him like this in a long time. The thought that what should have been a precious time between him and his brother had been ruined filled him with annoyance. Jiang Fengming knew Yu Congyi must feel guilty, so he continued muttering under his breath, "Brother broke his promise. He clearly promised me he wouldn't go out tonight."

Yu Congyi wanted to sigh. Before leaving, he glanced back at Jiang Fengming, opened his mouth but said nothing. He didn't want to become an older brother who didn't trust his younger brother, but something had happened at the Military Police Headquarters, and he had to go. The guards closed the car door for him. Yu Congyi stopped looking back and faced forward, asking, "Find out which one attacked Li Ming?"

“We’re still searching. There are too many tall buildings around when Deputy Commander Li was shot,” the young guard paused, then, seeing Yu Congyi staring at him in the rearview mirror, suddenly became nervous. “The…target is difficult to…find…”

"Where is Li Ming? Take me to see him first," Yu Congyi said after thinking for a moment.

Li Ming had been Yu Congyi's deputy for many years. Yu Congyi couldn't recall exactly which year he received the assignment to lead the 25th Regiment of the Ministry of War when he was still in the military police training corps, and Li Ming was one of those men he trained. Over the years, only Li Ming remained loyal and devoted, following him until Yu Congyi rose to the position of deputy commander of the military police headquarters. Although Li Ming sometimes showed signs of timidity, Yu Congyi never blamed him, only teaching him to try to overcome it. He thought of Li Ming's many acts of loyalty, a path chosen despite numerous difficulties. Yu Congyi knew his own path hadn't been smooth, and he wasn't sure if he was truly a sentimental person. However, he realized that if anything happened to Li Ming, he couldn't bear it.

Following the guards into Mariana Hospital, Yu Congyi kept walking and went straight into the inpatient department. There was still no news about which room Li Ming had been taken to, so Yu Congyi walked quickly, searching up and down the building based on guesswork. A short while later, a soldier came running back to report that he had found out which room Li Ming was in. Immediately, a nurse came out of her room, displeased, and whispered urgently, "Don't run in the corridors and hallways; it will disturb the patients in the other rooms!"

Yu Congyi nodded and apologized. The soldier, hiding behind him, seemed a little embarrassed. At this moment, Squad Leader Su appeared out of nowhere, stood next to Yu Congyi, and whispered in his ear, "Please come with me."

Yu Congyi finally met Li Ming.

Li Ming was shot in the shoulder and had multiple abrasions on his legs. Yu Congyi and his men brought him some fruit. Li Ming was wearing a hospital gown with his entire right shoulder wrapped in thick gauze. He was lying in the hospital bed, but when he saw Yu Congyi, he still wanted to get up.

Yu Congyi comforted him and told him to sit down, "You rest first, I came to see you."

Li Ming nodded and made room for him, saying, "Please sit here."

In the past, Li Ming would occasionally call Yu Congyi "brother" in private. When he was scared or excited, he really treated Yu Congyi like an older brother. Sometimes when Yu Congyi thought of these things, a warm feeling would inexplicably rise in his heart, and he would think that he was actually not that much older than Jiang Fengming.

"Rest well. Once you're fully recovered, you can stay with me. We won't go to the north of the city." Yu Congyi didn't sit on the bedside. Squad Leader Su pulled up a chair from the side, and he sat down.

"Brother," Li Ming said, his voice low, "thank you for coming to see me so late. I hope my little brother isn't upset."

Yu Congyi shook his head, "It's nothing." Squad Leader Su handed him a peeled pear, but Yu Congyi didn't eat it, so he gave it to Li Ming. Yu Congyi asked, "Who wants to kill you?"

Li Ming paused, looking somewhat troubled. "Brother, you know me. I've always been honest and hardworking, and I'm also timid. You promoted me to be a deputy commander in the Military Police Department, but to be honest, I can't reach the sky. I... I don't have any mortal enemies."

Yu Congyi knew who Li Ming was, and upon hearing this, he seemed to understand something. "I know, that's why I want to know who would want you dead."

"They're after Deputy Commander Li," Squad Leader Su said. "Brother Li, were you the only one in that car at the time, and no one else?"

“Yes, I had just seen Director Chen and the others off and was heading to the back bridge,” Li Ming recalled. “My brother went home today, and the car had just left the Economic and Trade Building, passing by Shang’an No. 1, when I…”

Yu Congyi asked, "Who were your superiors and subordinates when you were fighting the fire a few days ago? Or did you sense anyone secretly following you?"

"It was Director Chen and Deputy Director Qian, that's all," Li Ming reported truthfully. "I don't think it was aimed at them. The timing doesn't match up, and besides, it shouldn't be someone from within the military."

How do you know?

“The bullet calibers don’t match.” Li Ming waved his hand, and an assistant soldier brought over an iron tray with two bloody bullets on it.

“This was found in the car after the accident,” Li Ming leaned forward, grabbed one from the plate, and held it up to Yu Congyi’s eyes. “It’s not the 7.65 320 that the military uses, and it’s definitely not 380.”

"It's so big, it looks like an ACP bullet," Yu Congyi murmured. "Even the Garrison Command and the Military Police rarely use this kind of large-caliber bullet. It's too powerful; this is clearly designed to leave no chance of survival..."

“I don’t know who I’ve offended,” Li Ming said, suddenly shivering violently as he sat down.

Yu Congyi pushed aside the iron plate and leaned back in his chair. Suddenly, he thought of himself. If Li Ming hadn't made any enemies, then the spearhead aimed at him was most likely aimed at him. Li Ming and he were closely connected and often went out together... It was also possible that he wanted to make an example of someone... Yang Xiang was unlikely; he didn't know that Yu Congyi worked at the Military Police Headquarters, and he certainly wouldn't follow the trail to Li Ming. So who else could it be?

Suddenly, Yu Congyi felt a chill run down his spine as he recalled Tang Zefei exposing his stalker on the street corner after leaving the military police headquarters that afternoon. Thinking about it now, Tang Zefei's words were indeed strange, as if he knew something was about to happen. Could it be him? Or rather, was it him?

Yu Congyi was baffled. He had clearly eliminated a troublesome opponent for him, and thinking about Tang Zefei's ambiguous actions, it seemed like he was deliberately trying to create an alibi... Calculating the time, Li Ming was probably attacked around that time. He had initially thought Tang Zefei was reminding him of Yang Xiang's surveillance, but now it seemed to have a deeper meaning. Yu Congyi suddenly felt very confused. What was Tang Zefei trying to do? He hadn't killed Mister Tang, yet the other party still hadn't considered letting him go?

Thinking back to how he had gone to the Yang family just days before, trying to excuse him in his heart because of some childhood friendship, Yu Congyi felt utterly ridiculous. He thought to himself that this person was probably always like this; why should he be so soft-hearted? He hadn't yet found an opportunity to assassinate the other man and his bodyguard, Lu Jin. Suddenly, Yu Congyi clenched his teeth, a sharp pain shooting through his heart. He felt it was time to put these matters on his agenda.

But what exactly is Tang Zefei's purpose in doing all this?

"Young Master," Lu Jin quietly approached the living room. The beaded curtain was half-drawn and half-hung. He reached out and lifted it.

“I’m sorry, I messed up,” Lu Jin walked to Tang Zefei’s side, leaned down and whispered in his ear, “Li Ming was shot, but not in a vital spot, he’s not dead.”

Tang Zefei leaned back on the sofa, looking up to peel a persimmon. The orange-red skin came off, revealing almost transparent flesh inside. The overripe fruit felt slightly mushy in her hand.

Without a word, he held up the fruit and offered it to Lu Jin. Lu Jin caught the fruit and held it in his hands. Tang Zefei had peeled the fruit very well, without puncturing it at all. The persimmon was merely soft and mushy, without any juice leaking out. Turning his head to look at Lu Jin, he stretched out his fingers to brush the hair falling beside his cheek, his face expressionless.

“Eat it,” Tang Zefei nodded to him.

Lu Jin hesitated for a moment, "Young Master, what should we do next?"

“Li Ming is so hard to deal with,” Tang Zefei reached out and patted Lu Jin’s shoulder, her tone sarcastic, “You’re going to all this trouble, even though you know who he is.”

"Yu Congyi?" Lu Jin narrowed his eyes. He knew that Tang Zefei had gone to great lengths to have his men follow the other party, but had not taken any action. He wondered if there were other considerations.

“That Yu Congyi is no big deal. Young Master, I will do my best to carry out your orders.” Lu Jin had considered the young master’s intentions behind wanting to kill Li Ming and deeply agreed. They were clearly protecting one person.

"Don't touch him." Tang Zefei's gaze swept over Lu Jin, a clear warning in her eyes. "You can handle the Li Ming line if you can, otherwise I'll find another way."

Lu Jin didn't understand his master's concerns and instantly felt resentful. "No, I can do it. They can't find me..."

"Don't forget there's also Yang Xiang." Tang Zefei ignored his words and said in an unyielding tone, "Dealing with Yang Xiang is the same; it doesn't matter who comes first or last."

Lu Jin sensed the arrogance in his tone, and resentment and worry instantly welled up inside him. "Young Master, I know that, but I don't understand."

"Um?"

"Who exactly is this Yu Congyi?" Lu Jin really didn't understand. He remembered the inexplicable release of the preferential room last time, the subsequent tracking, and Li Ming this time. All of them had some connection with this person. The young master's attitude towards this person was ambiguous. He was clearly extremely wary of this person, but said that this person was untouchable.

Tang Zefei didn't want to answer his question, and indeed he didn't. He stood up on his own, his gaze sweeping over Lu Jin's face before withdrawing. It was just a fleeting glance, but Lu Jin felt as if his face had been slashed by a fiery line.

The man's pupils were like two drops of amber about to fall, and the golden threads of the crystal chandelier splashed into his eyes, reflecting a startling sharpness.

Lu Jin lowered his head, knowing that this was not something he should ask, but he was still somewhat unwilling, unwilling.

Tang Zefei walked towards the porch. "Young Master, you're going out. Let me put your coat on you after it's ironed." The butler hurriedly followed. Tang Zefei went back to the coat rack, took down a wide-brimmed hat, put on the coat, and walked straight out.

At the entrance of the Western restaurant at No. 29 Zifeng Road in the British Concession, Zhan Yuewei leaned against the glass door, smoking a Daqianmen cigarette. She had just taken two puffs when Tang Zefei arrived.

Since his father's death, Zhan Yuewei had been forced to take over the family business. However, he was used to being idle and was more of a spendthrift. His mind wasn't on these matters, and he couldn't manage the businesses smoothly, let alone as successfully as before. Fortunately, there were some elders in the Zhan family who controlled the overall situation, and the managers were all long-time employees who had no ulterior motives. Having witnessed their young master's carefree and lazy habits, they didn't place too many expectations or burdens on him. As a result, apart from reviewing the overview of the business operations of the Zhan family's businesses presented by his subordinates, Zhan Yuewei had almost no other heavy or tiring tasks to do.

His life remained almost unchanged, and that evening, he thought of Tang Zefei. Realizing that their family backgrounds now shared a certain empathy, he didn't hesitate to call and arrange a meeting.

Sitting face-to-face at a round table covered with red velvet in front of the glass window, Zhan Yuewei noticed a change in Tang Zefei's expression.

He was so perceptive, so keen that he could observe and discern every change in the other person's expression. Tang Zefei's change was also noticed by him. This man, who used to sit down to savor his wine and swirl his glass with such nonchalant, arrogant, and indifferent expression, as if nothing could truly enter his eyes, now seemed to be veiled by a thin layer of frost, a hazy, pale mist of melancholy.

Zhan Yue spoke up slightly, “Why not do what I did and let the old men manage it? They are so shrewd. How can you and I, who have been around for so long, compare to them?”

Tang Zefei heard the sarcasm in his words and said calmly, "You think you can rest easy keeping them under my nose? You think everyone is like you?"

Zhan Yuewei knew that Tang Zefei had changed his decadent ways since his father's death, devoting himself, if not entirely, to the family business. The hard work was exhausting, but it was also a valuable experience. He himself had been restless and impetuous in his youth, failing to study properly, but he knew that nothing could be accomplished overnight, and that taking things one step at a time was essential. Only this was the proper way to be and be a successful entrepreneur. Meanwhile, he himself remained muddled and unwilling, feeling both jealousy and unease. He probably knew his life was destined for this, yet he was unwilling to take any action.

"My father told me that I was born with a life of wealth and honor," Zhan Yue said casually. "Even though my father is gone, I still have my grandfather to help me, so I don't need to do anything. Oh, I forgot, Tang Zefei, you are not Chinese after all. Although you were born and raised here, you probably don't have a sense of family ties. You don't understand how important these things are to us. The Zhan family has been in business for over a hundred years, and that's what we've inherited. Your Tang family has only been prosperous for twenty years, but unfortunately, you have no foundation."

Tang Zefei glanced at him and shook her head. "You say you have no idea? Life is only a hundred years long. Once you die, you have nothing left. How can you know what will happen after that?"

"So this is your way of thinking, you know?" Zhan Yue smiled, sighed, called over a waiter, and casually ordered a few things from the menu.

Tang Zefei picked up her wine glass, took a sip, and looked out the window.

Zhan Yuewei was unaware that her father had been murdered by the man before her, and Tang Zefei, judging from his appearance, knew he wasn't destined for greatness. Outside the window, neon lights and bustling traffic illuminated the scene; even so late, Zifeng Road in the British Concession of Tianjin was still a scene of vibrant activity. The rumble of trams echoed through the noise, and reflected in her wine glass was the desolate scene of the clamor sweeping across the street.

Zhan Yue sliced ​​her steak with a light, rustling sound, a casual smile playing on her lips. "I thought you'd go home now that your old man's gone."

Tang Zefei seemed not to hear her, still looking out the window, but said softly, "This is my only home."

“I’m afraid only you in your family think this way.” Zhan Yue’s smile widened, becoming almost sharp. “Have you ever heard the old Chinese saying, ‘Though Chu is large, it is not of our kind; would it be willing to serve us?’ Do you know what the preceding line is?”

Tang Zefei turned her face, thought for a moment, and without saying anything, pushed the plate forward, "Young Master Zhan, if you want to say something, please speak frankly."

“Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts. The kings and feudal lords of the Spring and Autumn Period understood how important blood ties were to them. This has been a form of political identity in China since ancient times,” Zhan Yue took a sip of wine and looked at Tang Zefei with ill intent. “You understand what I mean, right?”

"China has long been accustomed to foreign trade; this is inevitable..."

"It seems that Young Master Tang still hasn't fully grasped the true meaning of this ancient saying." Zhan Yuewei's eyes were fixed on him intently. "But the Chinese trade market is only so big. Even the Chinese feel that they can't get enough to go around, so how could it be your turn, foreigners? Don't be fooled by the recent success of the Tianjin port; don't forget that imports far exceed exports! Think about it, Mr. Du and Mr. Li's cloth and yarn factories in the French Concession are on the verge of bankruptcy. Who will be the first one they want to get rid of?"

"Are you trying to remind me that our two families are in danger right now?" Tang Zefei put down her knife and fork, wiped her mouth, and stared back at her without any hesitation.

“No, it’s not dangerous.” Zhan Yuewei held up a finger and shook it. “Do you know that we’re now enemies in Tianjin? Everyone knows about Boss Tang along the Haihe River and Boss Zhan in the British Concession.”

"Have we reached this point?" Tang Zefei suddenly smiled, her tone somewhat relaxed. She raised her glass and gently tapped it against Zhan Yuewei's rim. Looking into Zhan Yuewei's eyes through the thin glass, her emotions were unfathomable.

“Of course I’ll take it,” Zhan Yuewei said, pulling out a chair and leaning forward the moment Tang Zefei put down her wine glass. He quickly grabbed the glass from the person opposite him and stomped it aside, practically touching the table as he approached Tang Zefei. His breath, like a snake, darted forward as he whispered, “Good girl, promise me you’ll go home. Otherwise, we might really become enemies. You know I don’t want to see that happen. If it does, my heart will break.”

Tang Zefei made no move, only looking down at the other's face. His overly pale cheeks were flushed slightly by the alcohol, and Zhan Yuewei's eyes had a naturally flirtatious upturn, making everything he said and did seem like flirting. Raising a hand, he pinched the other's chin and gently but firmly slapped his cheek. "Let me sleep with you once, and I'll leave immediately. Do you agree?"

Zhan Yuewei's eyes widened immediately. The excessive alcohol consumption prevented him from acting out instantly, but his brows, already furrowed, revealed his impatience. Seeing this expression, Tang Zefei forcefully shoved his cheek away, then kicked the table leg, pushing the chair backward. He quickly stood up, hands in his pockets, expressionless as he looked down at the other man who was almost slumped on the table, and said calmly, "I was just kidding. Your frown isn't even a fraction as bad as his."

"What?" Zhan Yuewei was probably really drunk. He stood up, leaning on the table, his stutter still clear. He held a fork in one hand and pointed at Tang Zefei. "Trying to make a move on me, Boss Tang? Have you forgotten how I treated you before?"

“Go back to what you said when you weren’t drunk,” Tang Zefei took a step back, her tone now extremely cold, “What if I said 'no'?”

"Then we'll just have to wait and see." After saying that, Zhan Yuewei grabbed a handkerchief from the table, turned her back to cover her mouth and nose, spat, threw the handkerchief down, turned around and glared at Tang Zefei hatefully. He snorted heavily, brushed past his shoulder and walked away.

Tang Zefei turned left and straightened his clothes in front of the fogged-up window. He didn't look at Zhan Yuewei who was rushing away; his lips were tightly pursed, a cold and arrogant curve forming on his face.