Chapter 21
Yu Congyi ultimately failed to find a clinic. The place was too remote; there was hardly any sign of human habitation, let alone a clinic. Moreover, if he were to appear openly in front of a clinic in his current state, he might attract the attention of the police station's guards.
Yu Congyi found a rickshaw in a secluded spot and rode back home. On that dark and windy night, the rickshaw driver didn't see the terrible state of his body, nor did he notice the low, painful gasps of Yu Congyi carried on the whistling wind. Yu Congyi leaned against the rickshaw, his clothes stained red with the seat.
The rickshaw bumped along the road, and before they knew it, an hour had passed. When the rickshaw stopped at the gate of the row of villas behind the alley, as instructed, Yu Congyi in the back was already unconscious. Jiang Fengming had been anxiously pacing in the living room all night, and now that it was past midnight, he was getting sleepy. Suddenly, he heard a noise outside, and immediately became alert, going out to greet the other party with all his might. However, the moment he saw Yu Congyi, he immediately let out a shout that was almost uncontrollable.
Upon seeing the scene inside the carriage, the driver turned pale instantly, so frightened he could barely speak. He stammered, "This...this, when I saw him just now, he wasn't...not like this..."
Inside the carriage, Yu Congyi lay on his seat, his face deathly pale. He was half-reclined, half-leaning with his eyes closed, his brows furrowed, breathing heavily in great pain. He must have been struggling to breathe, because even though he was unconscious, low groans could still be heard from deep within his throat. His hair was stained with thick blood plasma, forming hard clumps, and the bloodstains on his clothes below his abdomen were tangled and congealed. The entire back seat of the carriage was a shocking sight, with deep and shallow bloodstains, as if some terrible battle had taken place there.
Jiang Fengming called his bodyguards, who carried Yu Congyi out of the back of the car and back to the villa. He then gave the driver a large sum of money to keep quiet before returning home, still shaken. The hall inside the villa had already been cleaned by the servants. Yu Congyi was placed on the sofa, and Jiang Fengming paced back and forth beside him, suddenly stomping his foot hard.
"Go and fetch a doctor!" he ordered his steward and servants. At the same time, he glanced at the clock in the corner and couldn't help but feel a little discouraged—at this hour, where would there be any doctors? Going there would probably be a wasted trip. So, after giving the order, he summoned his servant Xiao Yang himself. This man had worked in a pharmaceutical factory for a while and had some connection with medicine. Jiang Fengming was desperate and would try anything, so he planned to help him give Yu Congyi some first aid before the doctor arrived.
On the sofa, Yu Congyi's breathing gradually calmed down. Jiang Fengming stood above him, gazing at him for a long time. Suddenly, he reached out and touched Yu Congyi's cheek, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He knew that Yu Congyi's current state was largely due to him. He didn't know how Yu Congyi had escaped from Zhao Laowu, but looking at him, it wasn't hard to imagine the struggle that had taken place. He dared not think about what had happened to Zhao Laowu, because once he did, his heart would immediately be filled with unease. He was afraid of trouble, yet he didn't back down. He was simply worried about the various dangers and obstacles that might pose to him, while frantically searching for ways to resolve and make amends.
“Brother,” Jiang Fengming rubbed his hand against Yu Congyi’s cheek, looking into the other’s closed eyes, and said in a low voice, “Have you ever regretted helping me?” He looked up at the ceiling, exhaled, and muttered to himself, “But I have no choice. Who else do I have besides you? Brother, you have to help me. In this world, I only trust you.”
Yu Congyi naturally didn't answer, so Jiang Fengming continued, "It was your father who saved you when you were little, so you came to save me when you grew up. Life is just like that, coming and going. Anyway, we're family for life, how could you blame me, right?" After saying this, he seemed to feel much better, and slowly squatted down, bending down to loosen Yu Congyi's belt and clothes. There were too many scabs on the inside and outside of the clothes, which had to be peeled off from the skin before the next step of cleaning and disinfection could be carried out.
With Xiao Yang's assistance, as they completely removed the clothes from Yu Congyi's body, the fabric clinging to the abdominal wound was indeed stuck to the skin and flesh. The wound was beneath the belt, and due to the belt's constriction and pressure, the knife wound seemed to have grown tightly into the fabric. Jiang Fengming hurriedly looked up at Yu Congyi and whispered, "Brother, bear with it." Then, without thinking twice, he grabbed the fabric and yanked it downwards with all his might.
The two men present heard a muffled hissing sound, as if skin and flesh were being peeled away. At the same time, Yu Congyi, who had been unconscious, suddenly frowned, his fingers tightening on the edge of the sofa, gripping the leather tightly. He abruptly opened his eyes, swallowing a sob. Jiang Fengming looked up and was startled to find him awake, then his face lit up with joy. "Big brother! You're awake!" Fortunately, it was winter, and wounds seemed to heal faster. Even with his clothes forcefully ripped off, only a thin layer of blood seeped from the wound. Yu Congyi gave a low, hoarse "hmm."
Scenes of Zhao Laowu and the rickshaw flashed through his mind. As his consciousness returned to normal, the dull, throbbing pain gradually became clearer and clearer, taking over his brain. Yu Congyi tried to sit up, but Jiang Fengming pressed him down. "Brother, I just called a doctor. Just bear with it for a while." Yu Congyi opened his eyes, nodded, and then a dull pain deep in his throat began to emanate from within.
"Water, I want to drink water," he said in a hoarse voice.
"Oh, oh." Jiang Fengming finally realized what was happening and called a servant to bring over hot water. Since Yu Congyi was now shirtless, he also ordered someone to turn on the heating in the room. After a while of this, Yu Congyi drank the water and felt his energy gradually recovering. He ignored Jiang Fengming's attempts to stop him and forced himself to sit up against the back of the sofa.
Looking up at Jiang Fengming, he asked in a low voice, "What's the background of that guy surnamed Zhao?"
Jiang Fengming was just about to ask him this question when he heard it and replied, "He was originally Sun Si's henchman in the British Concession, but when the two gangs fought, he betrayed Sun Si, killed him, and took his place." Jiang Fengming thought for a moment, "He occupies several branches in the east. I have always had some business dealings with him, since transportation passes through his area... Last time, I planted a few spies in his branches, and he found out and turned against me."
Xiao Yang brought over a hot towel and a basin of water, squatted down, and very gently wiped the bloodstains from the edges of Yu Congyi's wound with hot water.
Yu Congyi frowned. The towel felt rough, and the wet hot water felt like torture as it wiped his wound. But he remained silent and didn't say anything more.
"What's going on with Yang Xiaomei?" he asked.
“This Zhao Laowu has had his eye on Yang Shucai for a long time, but Yang Shucai didn’t reciprocate and got together with me. He got jealous and deliberately caused trouble.” Jiang Fengming thought for a moment and said, “He probably didn’t really intend to do anything to me, but…” He glanced at Yu Congyi and said, “Brother, where is Zhao Laowu now?”
“He’s dead,” Yu Congyi said. “Hurry to Lu San Port in the south.”
Jiang Fengming's face immediately showed a complex expression. "Dead? Brother, you killed him?"
Yu Congyi didn't know if he was shocked, scared, or both. He barely managed to lift his eyelids and glance at the other man before saying, "Don't worry, when I killed him, there was no one else around. His underlings weren't with him, cough cough... He was going to Lu San Wharf, which is a long and winding road, very remote, so it wouldn't be easy to spot him right away. And after tonight, I'll issue an arrest warrant to the military police. They won't be allowed to appear in the British Concession, so it definitely won't involve you... Don't worry."
Jiang Fengming's face turned pale and then red. "Brother, you've misunderstood. That's not what I meant. I meant, why did you kill him? He..."
Yu Congyi didn't want to speak frankly with him, so he lowered his eyes and turned his face to the side. Jiang Fengming felt somewhat at a loss because his thoughts had been suddenly exposed, and at the same time, he felt secretly ashamed and annoyed. He sighed, lowered his hands, and sat silently to the side. To him, the Zhao family gang's power was far inferior to his own. If they died, they died; if they were wiped out, they were wiped out. How his elder brother killed Zhao Laowu was not really his concern, nor was he truly afraid. However, his elder brother's words just now were truly heartbreaking, and inexplicably estranged. He didn't know that this was an inevitable reaction from Yu Congyi's long period of being in a tiring and tense mission environment, and therefore, he felt a slight sense of grievance in his heart at this moment.
Yu Congyi closed his eyes, wanting to rest for a while, but couldn't fall asleep. He knew his words hadn't been well-chosen, but they were concise and to the point, conveying exactly what he wanted to say. A feeling of unease welled up inside him, mingling with the various aches and pains radiating throughout his body, making him suddenly feel sad. For some reason, his adoptive father's image and smile appeared in his mind—bold and somewhat unkempt, yet upright and straightforward, making him feel very close to him. He turned to look at Jiang Fengming. He had promised his adoptive father to take care of him, and he had to keep his promise. Zhao Laowu had acted arrogantly, barging into the Jiang residence and causing trouble; how could he be allowed to live? Kill him, and Yu Congyi wouldn't regret it. Yu Congyi reached out and squeezed Jiang Fengming's hand, forcing a faint smile. "Fengming, I'm sorry, I spoke too hastily just now. Don't take it to heart."
Jiang Fengming, who had been leaning back in his sofa chair, sat up straight and looked at him, a childlike surprise in his eyes. His voice was genuinely aggrieved as he spoke, "That's good, brother. Why would I worry about that? Zhao Laowu is dead, that's enough, saves us trouble. I was just thinking, since Zhao Laowu is dead, his men can't be kept alive either. Although they're no longer a threat for now, it's best to find a time to get rid of them later. How about letting Li Si and the others handle it?"
Yu Congyi nodded in agreement. At this moment, the doctor from the outer room was invited into the hall. Jiang Fengming stopped talking, straightened his collar, and then stood up to greet the doctor. Yu Congyi adjusted his position and lay down, but looked at the doctor's back and took a deep breath.
After examining Yu Congyi's wound, the doctor performed some basic disinfection and took him to the hospital that night. There, the horrific knife wound was meticulously stitched up, and Yu Congyi was instructed to stay in the hospital for two days to monitor its progress. Yu Congyi not only had a high pain tolerance, but his wound also healed remarkably well. Within three to five days, his abdominal knife wound had completely closed and formed a hard scab. He was then discharged and returned to normal life. In less than half a month, the wound was fully healed.
On the 29th day of the tenth lunar month, a heavy snow fell in northern Tianjin. This was the first snowfall in Tianjin this year, much earlier than usual.
Snowflakes, like goose feathers, fluttered down, drifting past the bare branches of the sycamore tree in front of the courtyard gate, landing on a person's head. Yu Congyi stood under the tree, pulling his woolen coat collar tighter and breathing into his hands. A car slowly pulled up and stopped in front of the courtyard. The person inside leaned out halfway, "Commander, let's go!"
Yu Congyi got into the car and closed the door. The car started and drove smoothly towards the Qian Mansion in the suburbs.
It turned out that today was the birthday of Commander Qian's wife. Commander Qian was devoted to his wife and doted on her. Therefore, he specially prepared a banquet and sent out invitations to many prominent figures in Tianjin, hoping that they would grace him with their presence and join him in celebrating his wife's birthday.
Yu Congyi originally intended to go with Jiang Fengming, but Jiang Fengming had suddenly caught a cold and was suffering from headaches and fever, and was unable to get out of bed for a while, so he went alone.
Yu Congyi guessed that Commander Qian would also invite business celebrities to the banquet. Before leaving, he took out the poison that Tang Zefei had sent him from his drawer and secretly hid it in his sleeve.
The car drove smoothly, and Yu Congyi dozed off briefly. Less than half an hour later, they arrived at the Qian Mansion. This old Commander Qian was said to have lived a very frugal and impoverished life in his early years, only gradually becoming wealthy after the age of fifty. The mansion seemed to reflect its owner's experiences and character, a half-rustic, half-old Russian-style building. After getting out of the car, Yu Congyi gazed at the castle-like building surrounded by several huge, withered trees in the heavy snow, and suddenly felt a sense of disorientation, as if he didn't know where he was.
He rubbed his eyes, and after making sure he was fully awake, he walked into the courtyard.
Zhan Yuewei weaved through the crowd in the hall, secretly searching for someone to socialize with. For him, attending such banquets had only one purpose. Suddenly, he thought he saw a figure, not entirely familiar, yet distinctly clear. Today, Yu Congyi wasn't wearing his military uniform, only an ordinary shirt and trousers, but Zhan Yuewei had already memorized his gait and posture.
Suddenly, his vision cleared for a moment, a smile appeared on his lips, and his feet unconsciously turned to follow.
Before the banquet began, Yu Congyi had been searching for Zhan Chu. He found it strange because he seemed to have seen him just moments before, but it was only for a fleeting instant; Zhan Chu had vanished into the crowd like a fish. As he pushed through the crowd, he saw only unfamiliar faces. Occasionally, he would see two or three familiar faces, but he couldn't recall their names. Yu Congyi would nod and exchange greetings with them, giving them only perfunctory replies, until he reached the end of the crowd and found a sofa chair in a corner, where he sat down.
He raised a glass of wine and sipped it slowly, his gaze lingering on the rim as he discreetly observed the crowd. It was currently the pre-banquet entertainment, with couples embracing and dancing gently in the hall. Music began playing from the gramophone—a Russian tune, light and cheerful with a touch of playfulness. Yu Congyi's nerves relaxed with the music, his fingers tapping lightly on the rim of his glass in time with the rhythm. He knew Zhan Chu wouldn't have gone far; the banquet hall at the Qian mansion wasn't very large, and he should be there soon.
Yu Congyi did not intend to strike first; he knew that the most important thing for him was to learn to wait. He lowered his head and took another sip of wine, savoring it but unable to discern its flavor, when a sweet female voice drifted slowly from above.
"Sir, may I have this dance?" As the voice faded, Yu Congyi looked up and saw a young lady he didn't recognize.
The young lady wore her hair in a bun and a white strapless dress. Her face, like her voice, was sweet as melted candy. Yu Congyi put down his wine glass, paused, and stood up. The dazzling white before him suddenly blurred for a moment. Yu Congyi opened his mouth, then gave a serious yet indifferent reply, "I'm sorry, miss, I can't dance. Please find someone else."
"I can teach you if you can't dance," the young woman said tentatively, unwilling to give up. Yu Congyi looked at her coldly, "I'm really sorry." The young woman sighed in disappointment and had no choice but to leave. As she left, she glanced back at Yu Congyi with a hint of resentment, pouted, and said nothing more.
Yu Congyi immediately turned his face away, no longer looking at her white dress, and sat back down in his original seat. He lowered his head, propped his elbows on his knees, and looked somewhat disappointed.
"Brother Congyi, hello there," a voice called out to him just as he got up to walk into the crowd. Yu Congyi looked up and saw a person standing by the sofa with his hands in his pockets, smiling at him. His eyes were upturned, his eyebrows were slightly raised, and his thin lips were curved. He looked quite charming and dashing. Who else could it be but Zhan Yuewei, whom he had met before?
Yu Congyi was speechless for a moment when faced with this rich young master who was also the son of the assassination target. In terms of personal grudges, he had absolutely no conflict with Zhan Yuewei. Therefore, seeing the other party smiling and greeting him, he felt that he could not offend the other party, so he pursed his lips and nodded in greeting, "Hello, Young Master Zhan."
Zhan Yuewei walked around to his side and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. "Why aren't you dancing, Brother Congyi? Why are you sitting here?"
Yu Congyi glanced at him, pondering his reply, when suddenly a figure flashed before his eyes. His gaze followed it sharply, and turning his head, he saw Zhan Chu's back as he held a wine glass.
"Dad!" Zhan Yue called out loudly from beside him. At that moment, Yu Congyi's body stiffened abruptly, and he instantly picked up the wine glass on the table. He lowered his head, took a sip, turned away, and suddenly covered his mouth, coughing.
"Excuse me, I must leave." Yu Congyi coughed more urgently and violently, as if he had choked on his drink. He coughed incessantly for a while, bowing his head and walking away. He was holding a wine glass when he came face to face with Zhan Chu, who was coming towards him. Zhan Chu recognized him and, seeing him nodding and frowning, asked in confusion, "Oh dear, what's wrong, Commander Yu?"
Yu Congyi gave him an apologetic look, then raised his glass and clinked it against Boss Zhan's. "I choked a little earlier, sorry for the trouble. Please enjoy yourself."
Zhan Chu raised an eyebrow dismissively. Behind Yu Congyi, his son looked at Yu Congyi's back with shining eyes, while glaring angrily at his father, "What are you doing here? I was having a nice chat with Brother Congyi, and you chased him away."
Zhan Chu knew his son's character best, so he didn't say much at the moment. He just glared at the other man and took a sip of his wine. It wasn't surprising that a little wine had splashed onto the rim of his wine glass when they clinked glasses earlier, but after taking a sip, Zhan Chu looked down at the glass with some confusion. It was clearly wine, so why did it taste spicy?
Yu Congyi left the crowd, quickly entering the restroom with his wine glass in hand. After glancing around to make sure no one was there, he closed the door and flushed the entire glass of wine down the toilet. Just moments before, to seize this only opportunity, he had poured the poisoned wine from his sleeve into the glass in front of him the instant he saw Zhan Chu's back, then, under the guise of clinking glasses, splashed the poison onto the other's glass. Tang Zefei had once told him that the secret recipe for this kind of poison had long been lost to the common people. The glass Yu Congyi had just poured out was the last, absolutely unique amount; a mere milligram was enough to kill. Yu Congyi placed the glass on the sink, then lowered his head and began repeatedly rubbing his hands together. If one scrubbing wasn't enough, he scrubbed a second, a third, and a fourth time. These hands, stained with the blood of countless murderers, were being repeatedly washed by the clean water—washing every line of his palm. But the metal faucet wasn't a sacred spring, and he could no longer completely cleanse them. Yu Congyi counted to ten, and finally, not even a trace of wine could be found under his fingernails.
Then Yu Congyi looked up and saw himself in the mirror. His hair was wet, hanging down his forehead, and a few strands clung to his eyelashes, obstructing his vision. However, he quickly turned his face away; he didn't like staring at himself in the mirror. He turned away and leaned against the sink, straining his ears to hear what was happening outside, but the music was too loud, and he couldn't make out anything. There was no response from outside as to how Zhan Chu was doing.
Yu Congyi lowered his head and reached for a cigarette with his right hand, only to find his hand trembling slightly. He pressed his left hand against his right wrist and squeezed it hard. Once his right hand calmed down, he was able to easily reach for the cigarette and light it. Yu Congyi took a deep drag. Just then, there was a knock on the bathroom door, and someone was standing outside, knocking on the door.
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