Chapter 14 Desperate Allies
——＜A dividing line of despair＞
The three words "Lin Qingyu" kept flashing on the mobile phone screen, like a danger signal flare.
Su Yan's heart skipped a beat. Why would he call him? After the conflict outside Huo Shen's apartment that night, Su Yan thought they would never have any intersection again.
To answer or not to answer?
The risk was enormous. This could be a test from Huo Shen or Assistant Zhou, or it could be a reckless act by Lin Qingyu, desperate and desperate. Either way, it could backfire.
Not answering the call might keep him safe temporarily, but he might miss out on a crucial information channel. Lin Qingyu was one of the few people outside of Huo Shen's inner circle who knew some of the inside story, especially about Huo Shen's possible "weaknesses" in the past.
Opportunities always coexist with risks.
Su Yan took a deep breath, looked around, and after confirming that there was no one around, he quickly walked into the bathroom and locked the door. Then he pressed the answer button and lowered his voice very low.
"Hello?"
Lin Qingyu's hurried and nervous voice came from the other end of the phone, with a hoarse voice after crying: "Su Yan? Is... is it you? Please, don't hang up!"
"How do you have my number?" Su Yan asked calmly. This was the first question.
"I... Last time I was outside Mr. Huo's apartment, I secretly wrote down your number that showed up when Assistant Zhou dialed... I have no other choice, Su Yan, I'm really desperate!" Lin Qingyu's voice was filled with despair.
Su Yan relaxed his guard a little: "What do you want from me? You should know that I can't help you."
"No! You can! Only you can!" Lin Qingyu said anxiously, "Mr. Huo, he cares about you a lot now, right? I can feel it! Please, help me put in a word in front of Mr. Huo, as long as he is willing to help me one more time, just once! Those loan sharks said... that if I can't pay back the money, they will sell me abroad..."
His fear was so real that it stung his eardrums. Su Yan remained silent. He sympathized with Lin Qingyu's plight, but how could he save others when he couldn't even save himself?
"Why do you think I can convince him?" Su Yan asked, trying to get more information. "Huo Shen is not the type to listen to advice."
There was silence on the other end of the phone. Then, Lin Qingyu said cautiously in a tone filled with mixed emotions: "Because... you look like someone."
Su Yan's pupils suddenly shrank! His heart seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand.
Lin Qingyu also knew?! He really did know!
"Who does he look like?" Su Yan forced himself to keep his voice steady.
"I... I'm not sure who it is exactly. I just know it was someone very important to Mr. Huo a long time ago." Lin Qingyu's voice became even lower, as if afraid of being heard. "Before... Mr. Huo would occasionally stare at me in a trance. Later, I vaguely felt that he might be looking for the shadow of that person in me... But it wasn't until I saw you that I realized, you... you are more like him."
As expected! Huo Shen's initial interest in Lin Qingyu also stemmed from this "similarity"! And he himself was a more perfect "substitute"!
A huge sense of absurdity and humiliation once again surged into Su Yan's heart, but at this moment, he was more concerned about the information.
"What else do you know about that person?" Su Yan asked.
"I don't know. Mr. Huo never talks about the past. Assistant Zhou is even more tight-lipped." Lin Qingyu's tone was helpless, but then it became urgent. "Su Yan, for the sake of us... for the sake of the fact that we might all be implicated by the same shadow, please help me, okay? I promise this is the last time! As long as we get through this difficult time, I will disappear immediately and never appear in front of you again!"
Lin Qingyu's plea was heartfelt. He provided a piece of information that was crucial to Su Yan, but at the same time, he completely exposed his own weaknesses.
Helping Lin Qingyu was extremely risky; if Huo Shen discovered him, the consequences would be disastrous. But if he didn't help, Lin Qingyu might become desperate and do something that might affect him. Furthermore, keeping Lin Qingyu, who also knew about the existence of "Shadow," might be useful in the future.
A bold plan took shape in Su Yan's mind. He needed to stabilize Lin Qingyu, but he couldn't go directly to Huo Shen.
"I can't guarantee that I can convince Huo Shen." Su Yan said cautiously, "And my current situation doesn't allow me to speak directly for you. But I can try to see if there is any other way to help you get some money for an emergency."
He couldn't use Huo Shen's money, as that would be too easy to be discovered. He needed to find another way.
"Really? Thank you! Su Yan! Thank you!" Lin Qingyu thanked him repeatedly as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw.
"Don't be too happy too soon." Su Yan interrupted him coldly, "I have conditions. First, this matter must be kept absolutely confidential, including our conversation. Second, after getting the money, you must immediately resolve the problem and then disappear completely. Third, if I need to know some... vague information about Huo Shen's past in the future, you must tell me everything you know."
He was proposing a sort of secret alliance of the desperate.
"I promise! I agree to everything!" Lin Qingyu agreed without hesitation.
After hanging up the phone, Su Yan leaned against the cold tile wall, his back soaked with cold sweat. The alliance with Lin Qingyu was undoubtedly dancing on the edge of a knife.
But this was the first time he had taken the initiative to secure allies and information sources for himself since being forced into this vortex, even though the ally was so fragile and the information was so vague.
Now, the most pressing issue before him was: where could he get the money for Lin Qingyu that would be enough to help him out in an emergency without immediately arousing Huo Shen's suspicion?
His gaze involuntarily drifted towards the study. The safe, hiding secrets, was like a silent taboo. Another, more adventurous thought quietly surfaced: those seemingly insignificant items on Huo Shen's desk, perhaps even related to marginal finances...
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