Chapter 41: Unknown Chess Piece
Winter arrived exceptionally early in Alfie this year. The air was so frigid it seemed to freeze your breath, and a swirling blanket of snow quickly blanketed the airport in a vast expanse of pure white. Ruan Xingfeng, wrapped tightly in his heavy coat, dragged his suitcase alone out of the arrivals hall. The biting wind scraped against his face like a knife, a stark contrast to the passengers behind him, who were surrounded by airport staff.
Liao Feng had originally insisted on sending a large team to accompany him, and even wanted to personally deliver him, but he firmly refused on the grounds that "absolute quiet was required." In the end, he only reluctantly agreed to let a local contact, pre-arranged by Liao Feng's assistant, wait at the exit with a sign.
He had just walked up to the local staff and before he could open his mouth, the encrypted phone in his pocket vibrated.
The screen displayed an untraceable number, but he knew who it was.
He gestured to the local staff to wait, walked to a relatively quiet corner and answered the phone. The unfamiliar language and cold air around him made him feel even more isolated.
"Are we there?" The leader's voice came through the radio waves, colder than the wind in Elfy. No emotion could be heard, as if he was just confirming a schedule.
"Just arrived." Ruan Xingfeng's voice was calm, and his white breath dissipated in the cold air. He subconsciously looked around. The leader's call came too quickly, too quickly to be disturbing.
"Very good." The leader paused and dropped a piece of news that made Ruan Xingfeng's heart suddenly shrink. "There's someone you need to meet. He will become one of your important 'partners' there."
Ruan Xingfeng had a bad feeling in his heart. In this foreign country, he still had a "partner"? "Who?"
"Liao Feng's younger brother, Liao Chen."
Ruan Xingfeng's fingertips instantly turned colder than the air around them. Liao Chen?! Liao Feng's brother, the one who orchestrated the kidnapping, taunted him, and also provided the "truth" to the Führer?! He was also in Elfe? The Führer was actually arranging for them to work together?
This was like sending a lonely lamb directly into the lair of a hungry wolf! No, even worse, it was sending it to another wolf that was even more cunning and hated him even more!
The leader seemed to notice his silence, and his tone was filled with an undeniable sense of oppression. "What? Is there a problem? He was exposed to our 'cause' earlier than you and is more familiar with the situation there. You both have the same goal, to make Liao Feng pay a price. Cooperation is the most efficient way."
Same goals? Ruan Xingfeng sneered inwardly. Liao Chen's goal was to destroy Liao Feng and seize everything, but his own goal was far more than that. More importantly, Liao Chen harbored great malice towards him. Now he was alone, how could he cope?
But he couldn't refuse. At least not now.
"No problem." Ruan Xingfeng quickly suppressed the turmoil in his heart, his voice calm, not wanting the leader to hear his vulnerability. "I'm just a little surprised. How can I contact him?"
"He will find you." The leader said meaningfully and cut off the communication.
Ruan Xingfeng, clutching his phone, stood in the snow, feeling colder and more isolated than ever. The leader's move had undoubtedly unleashed another hostile shark upon his lonely boat.
On the one hand, Liao Chen is indeed the best person to understand Liao Feng's overseas industries and weaknesses, but on the other hand, this person is extremely dangerous and difficult to control, and his hatred for himself and Liao Feng is equally strong.
The local staff came over cautiously and asked in accented English: "Все в порядке, сэр Машина готова."
Ruan Xingfeng took a deep breath, suppressing all his emotions deep in his heart, and his face returned to a calm expression: "No. I'm fine."
He sat in the warm car, and outside the window was a completely unfamiliar world of ice and snow that was rapidly receding. The residence arranged by Liao Feng might be comfortable.
But to him, it was just another more gorgeous cage.
And now, outside this cage, there are lurking the leader's spies and Liao Chen, a dangerous beast.
His roommates were far away in the country, needing to complete the task there, convince the domestic carnivores, expand their status and scale, and they were unable to provide timely help.
The real test has just begun, and he must face it all alone.
The meeting was held that evening in a noisy underground bar. Ruan Xingfeng followed the address given in the anonymous text message and made his way through the crowded crowd filled with the smell of cigarettes, alcohol, and hormones.
The clamor of various languages and accents assaulted his eardrums, but he looked straight ahead and walked straight to the relatively quiet box area on the second floor.
When he pushed open the door of the box, Liao Chen was already waiting inside. This was the second time Ruan Xingfeng saw him, but the first time he had the chance to take a closer look at him.
He looked a year or two younger than Liao Feng, and his features were somewhat similar, but his temperament was completely different.
Liao Feng is extroverted, aggressive, and oppressive, while Liao Chen is much more introverted, even appearing a little feminine. There is a playful smile on the corner of his mouth, but there is no warmth in his eyes, like a poisonous snake lurking in the dark.
"Xingfeng, you're here." Liao Chen raised his head, his tone uncomfortably intimate. He raised the wine glass in his hand and said, "Are you really willing to leave my brother? It seems he has disappointed you."
Ruan Xingfeng ignored the probing and mocking tone of his words. He glanced at another glass of golden liquid on the table, walked over, and without sitting down, he picked up the glass and drank it all in one gulp. The strong liquor burned his throat, but he didn't even frown.
He placed the empty cup back on the table with a clatter and said in a cold voice, "There's no need for this nonsense. The Führer asked us to cooperate, not to listen to you reminiscing about your brother. Let's get straight to the point."
He took the lead and sat down on the sofa opposite Liao Chen, crossing his legs as usual.
Then, he took out an exquisite metal lighter from his coat pocket. It was the one Liao Feng had stuffed in his hand before he left. It still had the aura of a lion's presence, like an invisible protective circle.
Ruan Xingfeng originally thought it was unnecessary, but now in front of this dangerous opponent, he deliberately took it out.
He opened the lid with a "pop" sound, and the flames jumped in his calm pupils. He played with it casually, letting the flame flicker.
"You arrived in Elfy before me," Ruan Xingfeng said, not asking, but stating. "The leader said you're familiar with the situation here. Tell me, what shady businesses does Liao Feng have here? Where are their core weaknesses? Who can we use to our advantage? Or, more directly, tell me where we can strike the quickest and most ruthlessly."
His tone was flat and he went straight to the point with an unquestionable strength, as if he was the leader of this meeting, not a "newcomer" who needed to rely on the other party.
Liao Chen looked at the lighter in his hand that belonged to Liao Feng. His eyes flickered for a moment, then he returned to his cynical look and chuckled, "Tsk, so impatient? I thought you would miss my brother's 'gentleness' more."
Ruan Xingfeng raised his eyes, his gaze piercing him like an icicle. "Liao Chen, put away your tricks. I'm collaborating with you for one purpose: to bring down Liao Feng. If you find teasing me more fun than achieving your goal, then we can end this conversation now. I believe the President would be more pleased to see an effective alliance than a boring personal feud."
He made a move to stand up.
"Wait." Liao Chen's smile faded slightly. He realized that the Ruan Xingfeng before him was different from the fragile and beautiful canary his brother had kept in captivity. He was calmer and sharper than he had imagined.
"Okay, let's get down to business." Liao Chen leaned forward, his frivolous demeanor gone. His eyes were filled with scrutiny and calculation. "Since you're so direct... I won't beat around the bush. Liao Feng's business here is ostensibly real estate and investment, but the real money comes from a few hidden channels..."
Ruan Xingfeng stopped fiddling with his lighter and listened intently, occasionally asking one or two key questions that hit home precisely. He was no longer passively accepting information; he was guiding the conversation, filtering it, and quickly sketching a plan of action in his mind.
The flame burned quietly in his heart. It was no longer the sense of security that required the presence of others, but the flame of his own determination to become powerful and to control his own destiny.
In this meeting, he was no longer a prey or a chess piece, but took the initiative to pick up the knife, ready to participate in the hunt. His growth truly began from this moment.
The clamor of the underground bar was sealed off by the heavy private room door, leaving only the muffled bass pounding against the floor like a heartbeat. The lights inside were dim, with only a single vintage wall lamp casting a dim yellow halo, elongating and distorting the two figures against the dark wallpaper. The air was filled with the aroma of burnt cigars, the richness of whiskey, and the tense feeling of a silent confrontation.
After listening to Liao Chen's narration, Ruan Xingfeng tapped his fingertips lightly on the cold glass, making a crisp sound. He leaned back slightly into the soft leather sofa, his eyes sharp as a knife.
"Liao Feng's methods are truly unacceptable." His tone was flat, neither praise nor criticism, as if he were simply stating a fact. "But he rarely travels abroad, especially to a cold place like Elfe. So how does he specifically arrange and manage the shady work here? He can't always rely on erratic satellite signals and video conferencing, can he?"
After saying this, he seemed tired of the faint light in his hand and casually threw the metal lighter that symbolized Liao Feng onto the smooth wooden table. A soft "click" sounded, and it was particularly clear in the relatively quiet box.
Liao Chen's gaze followed the lighter, and then he chuckled softly, a laugh tinged with mockery and amusement. He swirled the amber liquid in the glass, and the ice cubes clattered against the wall, making a small, crunching sound.
"Of course he wouldn't come to this icy place to suffer." Liao Chen took a sip of his wine and continued, "But doesn't he have the most loyal and cunning 'white glove' by his side?"
He raised his eyes and looked at Ruan Xingfeng. The dim light made the expression on his face a little blurry. "Song Xuexi. That woman is much more ruthless than you imagine. She is much more efficient and ruthless than Liao Feng in her actions. Many of the dirty and tiring tasks don't even require Liao Feng's personal orders. She understands them and handles them flawlessly. In the end, all the clues will openly point to Liao Feng, while she hides perfectly behind the aura of the Tiger Tribe and the identity of a 'caring friend'."
He paused, his tone becoming more meaningful. "And then there's that harmless-looking Doctor Xu, Xu Nuoyan, who always tries to persuade people to be good. Do you really think he's just a simple thoracic surgeon? The reason he's able to stay firmly in that circle isn't just because his parents are great scientists and have made significant contributions, but because he can compete with the King of Hell for people and deliver results to the Black and White Impermanence."
The wind and snow outside the window seemed to be stronger, and the whistling sound of the wind could be heard sweeping through the streets. However, the box was unusually quiet, with only Liao Chen's words and the subtle sound of melting ice.
Ruan Xingfeng listened silently with an expressionless face, but his heart was in turmoil. The complexity of Song Xuexi and the depth that Xu Nuoyan might hide were more difficult to deal with than he had expected.
In this game of chess, there are far more pieces on the table than it seems, and it is much more dangerous. He must find out the true function and bottom line of each piece as soon as possible.
"Xu Nuoyan is not particularly dangerous now. The most dangerous person is Song Xuexi. That woman is simply not a normal person. She is like a lunatic." The dim light in the box seemed to make the hideous scar on Liao Chen's neck more clear.
Those were no ordinary scars, but huge claw marks and tears, clearly from a ferocious beast, and most likely fatal wounds left by a tiger.
Ruan Xingfeng's pupils shrank slightly, and all the previous clues seemed to be connected by this scar at this moment.
Liao Chen's fierce and almost terrifying evaluation of Song Xuexi, "like a madman", "not a normal person", and this almost fatal scar... there must be some terrible connection between them.
But why had Liao Feng never mentioned this younger brother? What irreconcilable grudge had arisen between the brothers, culminating in a life-or-death struggle? And what role did Song Xuexi play in this fratricide? Was she Liao Feng's defender? Or... did she have other motives?
Even the seemingly gentle and harmless Xu Nuoyan, what kind of undercurrent is hidden beneath his calmness? Is the leader's dislike for Liao Feng also related to this?
Countless questions swept through Ruan Xingfeng's mind in an instant like a blizzard outside Elf's window, giving him a severe headache. The amount of information was huge and messy, and every clue pointed to a deeper and darker past.
He originally thought that he could control Liao Feng by holding the two cards of "hatred" and "guilt", and even use the head of state and Liao Chen to become the chess player in this game.
But now he found out that he was wrong.
This chessboard is too big, there are too many chess pieces, and behind each chess piece is a complex past and motivation. He doesn't understand the past of these people at all, nor the deep love and hatred between them.
Relying solely on superficial information and momentary emotions to exploit them is like a blind man touching an elephant, and may even backfire.
A cold realization formed in his heart: he could no longer be satisfied with simply taking advantage of the contradictions before him.
He must dig, understand, and gain insight into the past and weaknesses of each "chess piece".
Only by truly understanding the old grudge between Liao Feng and the leader, the feud between Liao Feng and his brother, the source of Song Xuexi's madness, and Xu Nuoyan's true position, can he accurately pry them open instead of being swallowed by their huge, hidden past.
Revenge is no longer just about avenging the personal harm done to him by Liao Feng, but he must be involved in these larger and more dangerous old grudges. This road has become more dangerous than he imagined, but also... closer to a certain core "truth".
Ruan Xingfeng slowly picked up the wine glass on the table and took another sip. The cool liquid calmed him down. When he looked at Liao Chen again, his eyes had changed. They were less sharp and confrontational, and more inquisitive.
"It seems," Ruan Xingfeng's voice was steady, without any emotion, "your story is much more exciting than I imagined."
He didn't ask about the scar directly, that would be too obvious. He just threw out a sentence, like a tentative fishhook, waiting for Liao Chen to get excited.
As he reveals more about his past, he begins to learn how to truly control the situation rather than just rushing into it.
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