Chapter 38

"You still want to kill me." Tang Zefei sat on the floor by the bed, propping herself up on her elbows. There was an unusual helplessness in her eyes when she looked at Yu Congyi. "But why did you save me?"

Yu Congyi got out of bed, feeling a bit weak. The blood transfusion was over, and the needle in his arm had been removed sometime earlier. He leaned over, picked up the water glass on the nearest table, drank half a glass, and then slowly raised his eyes to look at the other person. "Do you think I have too few opportunities like this?"

"Was it Commander Yu who pulled me out of the bath yesterday...?" Tang Zefei got up and moved to Yu Congyi's bedside. He looked up at Yu Congyi and smiled casually. "If you had been a few seconds later, I would have lost consciousness, fainted, or even drowned there. Why didn't you do as you wished?"

"Do you really care what the answer is?" Yu Congyi shook his head, walked past him, and got off the bed. He bent down to put on his shoes, quickly slipped them on, and then, as usual, got up to leave.

He was willing to donate blood to this person out of a genuine desire to repay the debt of murder committed because of him that night, and for no other reason. At least, that's what he believed, even if the other person didn't admit that the massacre was entirely for him. He never wanted to owe anyone anything, and that's why he did it without any scruples or concern.

However, if the other party really wanted to ask, he himself was unwilling to reveal the whole reason.

Yu Congyi put on his coat, said nothing, and was about to leave without hesitation. Suddenly, he staggered, and quickly grabbed the nearest wall for support, barely managing not to fall. Tang Zefei saw everything clearly behind him, and hurriedly stepped forward, managing to steady herself half a meter behind him. She was about to put her arm around him when she saw that he had already regained his balance.

“You’ve already given me two blood transfusions in just three days,” Tang Zefei’s voice drifted from behind. “I know my physical condition very well, and the amount of blood needed for each transfusion… Even a strong man like an ox might not be able to handle this. Why didn’t you call Dr. Xu?”

After several blood transfusions, his body has hardly experienced any rejection reactions, but this doesn't mean he's become so greedy that he's forgotten the reason for the transfusion. When he said this, he himself didn't expect that his tone would be a mixture of inexplicable doubt and pity.

“Dr. Xu said that my blood type is the most compatible with yours so far. Are you willing to give up the current situation? If you say yes, then I can be free sooner.” Yu Congyi didn’t turn around, only showing his back. His hand slowly withdrew from the wall, and he resumed his solemn posture. “Don’t think of me as too sentimental.”

"I wish I could think of it that way." Tang Zefei didn't take a step forward, only her arms were outstretched in the air. "I never even hated my own body before, but now..."

“My feelings haven’t changed, you should know that, but what I want is your response, how can I do that?” As Yu Congyi walked forward, he heard Tang Zefei’s voice, still standing there, carrying a strange emotion that Yu Congyi felt was unfamiliar with. Yu Congyi paused, almost wanting to turn back, when he heard Tang Zefei say again, “If you don’t let me leave, you will be dragged down too. I don’t want to see the day you bleed to death.”

"If that counts as a threat, then please take it back." Yu Congyi automatically ignored his previous nonsensical remarks, leaving only this cold reply. He had no intention of compromising. But as he left room 107, he suddenly felt very irritated. He couldn't exhale properly, his chest felt like it was filled with gray cotton wool.

…

When Jiang Fengming heard that Yu Congyi had left early from Lane 18 last time, he inevitably went back and questioned him again.

Jiang Fengming was used to using this kind of coquettish and persistent method to leave Yu Congyi speechless. Instead of answering Jiang Fengming's question, he seriously asked him, "Since you are going to get engaged to the Yang family's little sister, why do you have to go to that kind of place?"

"Brother, should I call you old-fashioned or what?" Jiang Fengming sighed helplessly at this moment, and smiled as he moved closer to Yu Congyi. "We're both men, you know why."

Yu Congyi pushed him away and shook his head disapprovingly, "I'll be watching you in this matter."

"Alright, alright, big brother, I have something serious to say." Jiang Fengming straightened up and became serious as well. "That kid Yang Ruinian seems to have learned something new lately. After taking a big bite out of Hei San, he seems to be going to retire from crime. He's been showing off in front of me lately, and now he's hosting a big party at the Deguang Hotel the day after tomorrow, inviting us all to have some fun."

The "Black Three" mentioned by Jiang Fengming was a local thug in the former French Concession's black market, in charge of arms dealing. He was originally a subordinate of Boss Qian, but after Boss Qian offended Station Chief Wang of the Beiping Investigation Bureau and was arrested overnight, he fled to Hong Kong with his family. "Black Three" then turned to Yang Ruinian for refuge. However, Yang Ruinian was not an easy target. He had already secretly calculated the enormous profits under Black Three's control. With the current turbulent situation, the outbreak of the Nationalist-Fengtian War, and the uncertainty of who would fall in Tianjin, this was a particularly turbulent time for merchants in the concession. Yang Ruinian couldn't help but think about his future. His plan to take over Black Three's arms dealing operations was something he had been planning for a long time. In fact, after taking over Black Three's business, he had other things to do.

When Jiang Fengming and Yu Congyi arrived at the Deguang Hotel, there were already many people in the banquet hall.

Along the way, Yu Congyi glanced around and saw almost no familiar faces. It was easy to imagine that the people Yang Ruinian had invited were probably business associates with him. Jiang Fengming walked ahead of him, nodding and greeting him occasionally, but there weren't any particularly close faces. Jiang Fengming secretly told him that he wasn't familiar with most of the faces he'd seen along the way either; some he seemed to have met once or twice before, but couldn't quite remember.

"Where's Yang Ruinian? I don't see him." After exchanging glances with everyone in the banquet hall, Yu Congyi realized that he did not see Yang Ruinian himself.

"I wonder what that kid is busy with." Jiang Fengming shook his head.

"Brother, I think I saw Wu Da," Jiang Fengming whispered to Yu Congyi, pointing to someone shortly after the banquet started. "That man is the second-in-command of the Japanese Concession Chamber of Commerce. I didn't expect Yang Ruinian to have a connection with him. I have to go and say hello."

Yu Congyi nodded. Jiang Fengming took the red wine and went to collect it. He idly chatted with a waiter about wine tastings, his eyes still searching for the host of the banquet. Yang Ruinian hadn't appeared yet, and his absence as the host was indeed somewhat inappropriate. Yu Congyi found it strange. His gaze swept over two men in suits standing by the table, and he suddenly realized—if he wasn't mistaken, it was Captain Li from the Garrison Command. But why would someone from the Garrison Command be here? He had known Yang Ruinian for quite some time, but he had never subtly inquired about any connection between Yang Ruinian and the Garrison Command.

During this period, the Military Police Command and the Garrison Command had some overlap and overlap in the exercise of their powers; however, the Garrison Command focused more on local military affairs and was subordinate to the Supreme National Defense Council, while the Military Police Command focused more on the internal management of the military police system and was more directly led by the central government, subordinate to the National Government Council. In short, to discuss these two institutions...

It's impossible for them to completely separate their own responsibilities and functions.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Yu Congyi was able to frequently interact with officers of the garrison command at the rank of major general or higher.

Recently, due to the coordination and supply of materials in the war zone, there has been some considerable conflict between the Garrison Command and the Military Police Command. Although Yu Congyi did not take the lead in handling this matter, he was indeed involved in it. He was just considering whether to go and give Captain Li a perfunctory greeting when Yang Ruinian suddenly appeared.

Yang Ruinian walked over to Captain Li and clinked his glass with his. They then began their usual lighthearted conversation.

Yu Congyi slowly put down his wine glass and unconsciously began to move closer to the other person.

He was fully aware of the military's internal rules. Any officer who had dealings with the black market would be subject to charges and reports from the supervisory office. Embezzlement, bribery, and accumulating illicit wealth were serious crimes at this time, and could potentially result in demotion. Yu Congyi had never revealed his true identity as a sergeant major in the military police headquarters since he met these black market merchants, which was why he had been willing to accompany Jiang Fengming several times. But what about Captain Li from the garrison command? He was certain that Captain Li was also being extremely cautious at this moment, because he was facing Yang Ruinian, a well-known black market tycoon. Getting involved even slightly would be a terrible stain on his reputation.

Captain Li probably never expected that someone from the military would appear at the banquet hosted by Yang Ruinian. Perhaps he had confirmed with Yang Ruinian beforehand, and the other party had assured him that this would never happen—in fact, he did not know that Jiang Fengming's elder brother, Yu Congyi, was one of them.

Yu Congyi didn't know if Captain Li recognized him. To be on the safe side, he couldn't let the other party notice him, but he still needed to find out what the other party and Yang Ruinian were talking about. His intuition told him that this was definitely not a good thing.

“Hey cousin,” Yu Congyi said, standing behind a row of tables, leaning against the cabinet and slowly drinking, when he heard Yang Ruinian pat Captain Li on the shoulder and lower his voice, “I’m telling you, these three big yellow croakers can’t even buy a position as the head of an action team. You’d better try your best to get it for me!”

“Cousin, to put it bluntly, this garrison headquarters…” Captain Li’s voice was even lower than Yang Ruinian’s. Years of military experience had instilled in him a sense of vigilance, “It’s not as easy as it seems, is it? Even those graduates from Whampoa Military Academy… you tell me, it’s not easy… how can three gold bars possibly settle things…”

"Little brother, I know it's not easy. Try talking to your superior; his youngest daughter isn't interested in you... If not, I'll give you six yellow croakers, how about that..."

"Brother, I told you this garrison command isn't a place where you can make money off others, why did you insist on coming in..."

"You don't understand..."

As they talked, the two walked slowly toward the side hall with their arms around each other's shoulders. Yu Congyi noticed that Yang Ruinian, as the host of the banquet, kept inviting his waiter, Manager Bai, and everyone else to drink, while he himself lingered talking and exchanging words with Captain Li. To outsiders, this only meant that the two had a good relationship, but to those with ulterior motives, it was hard not to have more to say.

Yang Ruinian couldn't possibly be unaware of this. Did Captain Li realize it? Yu Congyi only felt that Yang Ruinian was using this to threaten Captain Li. If he failed to achieve his so-called goal, he would expose Captain Li's identity to the public, and then Captain Li's hard-earned position of major general would be ruined.

Yu Congyi did not hesitate to use such conspiracy theories to speculate about these guys, and the facts were indeed as he expected.

Jiang Fengming smiled, finished his glass of red wine in one gulp, and politely took his leave. He looked around the table but couldn't see Yu Congyi anywhere. He then looked around the hall but couldn't find a trace of him either.

"Where did my older brother run off to again...?"

There were private rooms and a tea room on the second floor of the banquet hall. Guests who wanted to rest could go upstairs to relax. Jiang Fengming guessed that his elder brother must be there. It was already getting late, and he had no intention of lingering at the table and chatting with a group of gentlemen all night. So he put down his wine glass and hurried upstairs.

At the door of a side room, he saw his elder brother with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the door with his back turned. His movements were a bit strange, and he was turned to the side as if he was listening to something.

The corridor was deserted and quiet, with only the low, indistinct voices of guests coming from the private rooms.

"Brother..." Jiang Fengming called out to Yu Congyi, "What are you doing here..."

But then, Yu Congyi saw him suddenly frown, put his index finger to his lips in a shushing gesture, and then quickly walked to Jiang Fengming's side, put his arm around him, and hurried downstairs.

"What's wrong, brother?"

After Yu Congyi went downstairs, he didn't linger and pulled Jiang Fengming along as they walked out.

“I know what Yang Ruinian is up to,” he said, his face grim. “He wants to get into the garrison command.”

"Are you kidding me?" Jiang Fengming jogged a few steps to catch up with his older brother, incredulous. "What a joke, do you think he can get in? He's not a graduate of Whampoa Military Academy."

“Your shout just now was very dangerous,” Yu Congyi said. “If Yang Ruinian had happened to open the door and seen me standing there listening to them, he might have wanted to kill me to silence me.”

"What else did he say?"

"Li Haitao from the Garrison Command, the head of the investigation team is probably his relative. With that connection, it shouldn't be difficult for him to get in. But this Li Haitao is also ruthless. He wants Yang Ruinian to exchange eight gold bars for him to get into the Garrison Command."

"What a joke! Eight gold bars are nothing to him. But why would he want to go to that place? Hey brother, if I ever said I wanted to join the military police headquarters, would you show favoritism?"

Yu Congyi shook his head without answering, and continued, "After swallowing up Hei San, his next step is other black market merchants in the French Concession, including our Jiang family. Dominating one market is no longer a hidden goal for him. He joined the garrison for the same reason. This guy, after making enough money from the black market merchants, actually wants to transform himself into a military officer. He probably wants to seize power. It's ridiculous."

"Seize power? Ha," Jiang Fengming suddenly burst into laughter upon hearing this. "What power could a half-baked guy like him possibly seize? Has the Garrison Command become this corrupt?"

Yu Congyi didn't know whether to accept his question, but said, "It's just that once we enter the garrison command, both of us will be in danger."

He is not as simple as you and I imagine.

"So, he's a threat to both of us?" Upon hearing this, Jiang Fengming and Yu Congyi became wary.

“There has been a threat for a while now,” Yu Congyi said. He stopped with Jiang Fengming at the side of the street, gave a few instructions to his henchmen, and then slowly walked forward with Yu Congyi along the side of the street.

"Yang Ruinian is not to be allowed to live." After thinking for a long time, Jiang Fengming said this to Yu Congyi. He had a relationship with Yang Ruinian, which was neither deep nor shallow, but if this person dared to block his way, he would not hesitate to make him disappear.

Yes. Yu Congyi thought to himself, he had wanted to deal with Jiang Jiejie for a long time, so why had he waited until now? He didn't understand what he was thinking. Since that was the case, it was better to make his move sooner rather than later.

Furthermore, if Li Haitao really lets Yang Ruinian into the garrison command, Yang will inevitably learn of Yu Congyi's true identity in the military through the system. Then, his relationship with Jiang Fengming will soon be exposed. Although he rarely inquires about the business dealings Jiang Fengming engages in, he knows that most of it is hardly legitimate. The fact that a sergeant major in the military police command is involved with a corrupt official is enough to make all his enemies laugh. This pressure will make it impossible for him to remain in his position.

Realizing the crisis, he could no longer delay keeping this person.

"I plan to marry Yang Shucai on January 1st next year." After ending the topic, Jiang Fengming made this decision very easily.

“You should have made this decision a long time ago.” Yu Congyi glanced at him. “Don’t keep that girl waiting too long.”

“Brother, I’m not trying to be mean,” Jiang Fengming brought up the incident again, “but you, if you’re going to spend the night with a girl, why did you run away? What, is she some kind of enchantress who’s going to eat you up?”

“No.” Yu Congyi couldn’t help but laugh when he heard this, but he quickly suppressed his laughter. “No… let’s not talk about this.”

The two strolled slowly along the street, their conversation drifting further and further away from Jiang Fengming's intentions. Yu Congyi realized that it had indeed been a long time since he had walked and chatted with the other like this.

"You always stop talking about these things. I really want to ask you, brother, what kind of woman do you like?" Jiang Fengming finally couldn't help but laugh. "I just want to ask, do you like women?"

Hearing this, Yu Congyi looked at him helplessly and said, "What do you mean by liking or disliking someone? I'm increasingly confused by the ideas that young people like you."

“Don’t avoid the topic,” Jiang Fengming leaned against him and pulled his arm, asking with a smile, “Big brother, you don’t actually like men, do you?”

Yu Congyi then realized that what he meant by "liking" was the kind of liking that refers to "orientation." He glanced at Jiang Fengming, hooked his index finger, and flicked the other's forehead. "What are you talking about?"

"I was just asking." Yu Congyi didn't knock him hard, but Jiang Fengming reacted as if he'd been hit hard, rubbing and kneading him playfully, clinging to Yu Congyi. "It's not that I'm criticizing you, brother, we're family, so I won't say much. But in other people's eyes, with your qualities, you'd be upper-class anywhere. Anyway, I'll never say anything more. I'll support whoever you like, brother. What era are we living in? Everyone's advocating free love now, so why are you still worrying about these things? Besides, you're my closest relative..."

Yu Congyi realized that he and he were becoming increasingly unable to communicate. What originally had no meaning had become ambiguous and unclear remarks in the other's mouth.

"Say less," Yu Congyi finally snapped, glaring at the other man.