Chapter Thirteen: Trapped in One's Own Trap

On the way back, Lin Tang remained silent, looking utterly dejected.

Chen Kan knew what she was thinking, and he was also worried, but all he could say at the moment was, "Jintang, Qiao Yuan is a beast. You don't need to feel bad for him! You have to pull yourself together. This time Qiao Yuan miscalculated. If he finds out that Manqing betrayed him... you have to think about it... Qiao Yuan holding her is the same as holding your weakness! If he uses this to blackmail you, what will you do? Even if you don't think about yourself, you have to think about her!"

Lin Tang's body stiffened in his arms, tears welling up on her eyelashes.

She raised her head, the sadness between her brows gradually fading, replaced by strength and resentment.

There was a soothing power in his voice, and Lin Tang gradually calmed down in his voice.

Chen Kan paused, then continued, “You and I both know how big the Japanese appetite is. Qiao Yuan and Qiao Yuan are secretly colluding. Once this land falls into their hands, it will become a stronghold for the Japanese to exploit our compatriots and plunder our resources! Jintang, this is not just your personal gain or loss; it concerns the livelihoods of countless people and whether we can hold onto this land! Are you going to let this land, and all those hopes, fall into the hands of wolves because of a moment's hesitation?”

Lin Tang was suddenly jolted. The tears in her eyes had not yet dried, but they quickly solidified into a kind of tragic determination.

“Bai Mu, you’re right…” Lin Tang straightened her back, the misty look in her eyes replaced by an almost sharp clarity, and looked straight at Chen Kan. “I really shouldn’t be immersed in this empty sadness anymore. I think I know what to do.”

Seeing her cheer up, Chen Kan's tense jawline finally relaxed slightly, but he did not loosen his grip on Lin Tang's arm.

...

Chen Kan and Lin Tang returned to their old house in Hongkou.

Chen Kan gave a wink, and someone came to pull Ah Xiu away.

“No need! She’s young and has just been deceived. She’s been with me since she was eleven, she’s just a child in this household. She’s been with me for five years, I consider her my little sister. Without her, I can’t live in peace.” Lin Tang interrupted Chen Kan, she looked at A Xiu and said softly, “A Xiu, from now on you will stay with me, but you are not allowed to have any contact with A Chen anymore, understand?”

Ah Xiu nodded hurriedly.

Lin Tang looked at Chen Kan again and continued, "Chen Kan, you and I both know that whether I can get a divorce depends on the power of your Chen family. You can send some people to protect me, but what you need to do now is find Uncle Zhong, smooth things over with the court, and get this case settled as soon as possible."

She had completely regained her composure.

Chen Kan was somewhat stunned.

Lin Tang urged, "What, aren't you going to do it yet? Ah Kan, my textile factory in Hongkou is waiting to open!"

Chen Kan then came to his senses and said, "Okay, I'll take care of it right away."

"Ah Xiu!" he called out, his voice carrying an undeniable command, "Take good care of Miss!"

Ah Xiu, who had been standing there in shock, suddenly snapped out of her daze and hurriedly stepped forward to carefully support Lin Tang's other arm.

"Jintang," Chen Kan lowered his head slightly, "You rest here and don't think about anything. I'll take care of the divorce."

His gaze lingered for a moment on her pale yet unusually resolute face, which was churning with too many complex and indescribable emotions.

Lin Tang nodded slightly.

Chen Kan turned around and strode across the threshold. His tall figure quickly disappeared into the deepening twilight outside the door, his steps so fast that they stirred up a gust of wind.

He didn't turn around.

...

When Chen Kan returned to the Chamber of Commerce office, which was filled with the smell of cigars and old documents, Uncle Zhong was already waiting there. His eyes behind his reading glasses were as sharp as an eagle's, and he scanned Chen Kan from head to toe the moment he pushed the door open.

"The matter is settled? Why do you look so grim?" Uncle Zhong paused, his honest face now bearing a sly smile. "Romantic sentiments can weaken even the strongest will. Chen Kan, don't forget the responsibilities on your shoulders! Hongkou is a piece of fat meat, but also a touchstone. The people in England and France are anxiously awaiting news from you. The Alliance wants a real testament to your loyalty!"

Chen Kan could no longer contain his emotions that he had been suppressing all the way. He turned around abruptly, his usually calm and composed face now torn apart by a near-collapse of anger and pain.

"A pledge of allegiance? An alliance? Uncle Zhong, tell me, who exactly are we allied with?! The British? The French? Or those other 'friends' hiding in the concessions, waiting to reap the benefits?" His voice suddenly rose, filled with a desperate question. "What they want is no different from what the Japanese behind Qiao Yuan want! It's just a matter of changing hands to carve up the flesh and blood of this land! We fight and struggle, risking our lives, and in the end, we're just handing over our ancestors' legacy from the mouth of one jackal to the jaws of another tiger!"

Uncle Zhong was stunned by his sudden outburst. His hand holding the purple clay teapot froze in mid-air, and his eyes behind his reading glasses narrowed slightly.

Chen Kan's chest heaved violently, each word like a clot of blood vomited from deep in his throat, heavy and burning: "What alliance! What righteousness! It's nothing but... nothing but selling out the country and expecting us to hand over the knife ourselves!"

His eyes were even more bloodshot, burning with a flame of utter betrayal and mockery from fate. He stared intently at Uncle Zhong, as if trying to burn away all the resentment and helplessness that had been building up in his heart.

"Tell me, even a Green Gang thug knows to send his wife out to avoid trouble, what am I?" Chen Kan questioned.

The honest smile on Uncle Zhong's face vanished completely, replaced by a deeply offended and gloomy expression. He slowly lowered the purple clay teapot that had been suspended in mid-air. The bottom of the teapot landed on the mahogany table with a dull thud that sounded particularly jarring in the deathly silent room.

“Chen Kan,” Uncle Zhong’s voice lowered, “I understand that young people have tempers. But this world isn’t one you can navigate with just passion and a few angry words. Your father back then…”

"Don't mention my father!" Chen Kan abruptly interrupted him. His back was to Uncle Zhong, his shoulders heaving violently, his hands clenched into fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "What is there to mention about what he has done all these years!"

Uncle Zhong narrowed his eyes behind his glasses, a sharp light flashing briefly in the twilight. He remained silent for a few seconds, seemingly weighing his words, before finally, a familiar, distant calm returned to his gloomy face—a calm that concealed an unfathomable depths.

“Alright, let’s not talk about it.” Uncle Zhong’s voice regained its usual composure. “I can’t argue with you on grand principles. But right now, the land deeds and the market in Hongkou are tangible assets. The British and French aren’t just ‘friends’ in name only; they are forces that can restrain Qiao Yuan and the Japanese. You have to pay this ‘pledge of allegiance’ whether you want to or not. Chen Kan, your conscience isn’t clean enough to protect the people you want to protect. In this world, you have to find gold in dirty water. You have to get yourself dirty first before you can talk about the future. Getting the paperwork done and the land deeds in hand is the right thing to do. As for the rest… we can discuss it later.”

After speaking, Uncle Zhong stopped looking at Chen Kan's reaction. He picked up the purple clay teapot on the table, carefully wiped the body of the teapot with a handkerchief, as if it were covered with some invisible dirt, then steadily lifted it, turned around, and walked out of the office with calm steps.

The office went completely dark. The city lights outside the window gradually came on, the dim yellow light streaming through the glass, casting a long, solitary shadow of Chen Kan. The burning anger in his chest was slowly extinguished by a cold sense of powerlessness, leaving only a heavy, ashes-like residue.

He opened his eyes, the struggle and pain in them replaced by a deeper, almost desperate resolve. That bit of purity... perhaps it really couldn't be protected. Should he sully himself? He lowered his head, opening his palms. In the twilight, his hands, with their distinct knuckles, once held pens and guns, now seemed covered in unseen mud.

To protect that glimmer of light, he seemed to have no other choice.

The neon lights outside the window reflected fragmented and cold points of light in his eyes.

He stood there silently, blending into the bustling night outside the window, yet isolated in another cold world.

...

When Qiao Yuan returned home, he dragged Cheng Qing out of the bedroom.

"Tell me, did you go to Lin Tang's place and even forge my handwriting to write a letter?" He sat on the edge of the bed, took out a gun, and pointed it at her.

Cheng Qing's eyes darted around, then she said seductively, "Since you already know, I won't lie. It's true that I saw the letter you wrote to your wife in the study, and I was deeply moved, so I found these words in your letter and imitated them."

Qiao Yuan was surprised that she admitted it so readily, saving him a lot of effort. He sneered, "You really went to great lengths to instigate me and Lin Jintang."

Cheng Qingyan said, "You know how much my adoptive father values ​​the things under your name. How can just a little business cooperation be enough? Actually, sir, I'm doing this to help you. Otherwise, would you be willing to let the Chen family swallow so many things for no reason?"