Chapter 102: The End Of The Road Dash
Secretary Zhou carried the briefcase, following behind Father Liang.
After passing the entrance screen, he seemed to sense something and looked up.
On the third floor, Liang Chaosu leaned against the railing, looking down. He wore a black shirt and black trousers, with no other color on him. He appeared solemn and stern.
Secretary Zhou could barely recall the last time he had seen him wearing a casual jacket, looking languid, his whole being seemingly shattered, his aura even carrying a hint of tenderness.
Someone else hurried out from behind the entrance screen. He glanced respectfully at Father Liang, not reporting to someone of a higher rank, and whispered in Secretary Zhou’s ear.
Within a few breaths, Secretary Zhou’s expression shifted dramatically, and he tried his best to control his gaze as he looked up at the third floor.
Father Liang sensed that something was unusual, slowed his steps, and stopped at the stairwell.
On the third floor, Liang Chaosu rested his elbows on the railing, his back slightly hunched, his fingers interlaced under his chin. The strip lighting between floors cast deep, obscure shadows on his face. His expression, however, was relaxed, as if everything was happening under his control.
“Zhou Dazhi,” Father Liang called to Secretary Zhou, turning his head but keeping his eyes fixed on the third floor. “What is it?”
Liang Chaosu also appeared to be listening.
“The person we sent out… was intercepted,” Secretary Zhou couldn’t help but steal a glance upstairs. Upon making eye contact with Liang Chaosu, he immediately lowered his gaze. “The person escaped.”
Father Liang’s body stiffened, his chest heaving rapidly for a long time before he calmed down. Step by step, he ascended to the third floor. “Chaosu, do you have something you want to discuss with your father?”
Liang Chaosu straightened up, leaning against the railing. “I have nothing to discuss with Father. Does Father have something he wants to discuss with me?”
Secretary Zhou gasped. He wouldn’t go up the last step, no matter what.
Father Liang felt as if a fire had been stuffed into his throat. Liang Chaosu was sharp, stern, and cutting with his words, but usually possessed a refined demeanor. Towards his subordinates, he was professional and business-like, not needing to bicker. Towards his elders, he was respectful and humble, yielding even if they pushed three steps forward.
Now, he had changed.
His posture was aggressive, and his words seized the initiative, suppressing the other party. These were tactics for defeating enemies in the business world.
“Liu Lan was placed in front of me by you, wasn’t she?”
Liang Chaosu did not deny it. “Father values his descendants, even if there are only the slightest rumors.”
Father Liang’s face held no smile. His old, sharp eyes were clouded with mist, rolling inward, becoming denser, more intense, and crueler.
“Luring the snake out of its hole, with the oriole waiting behind. Are you now trying to trick me into backing down with rumors? Do you think I’ll still believe you?”
“Of course not.”
Liang Chaosu shifted his posture. The spotlight in the corridor, no longer obstructed, shone directly on his face, a bright white light as calm as water. “In a few words, only a fool like Liang Wenfei would believe that.”
Father Liang showed some displeasure but stared at him without speaking.
“I will also cross the Chencang Pass in secret.”
He uttered these words carefully, as if tasting them on his lips and teeth, reluctant to let them go, like a child reminiscing about eating candy, the sweetness of that past moment filling his heart, the present unbearable.
Father Liang clearly did not understand. He was also wary of Liang Chaosu’s unusual expression.
At this moment, Secretary Zhou, forcing himself, entered the fray and quietly reported to Father Liang, “Director Ji has betrayed you. Regarding the Gu family’s affairs, he has publicly supported the Vice Chairman.”
A staunch confidant had suddenly turned hostile, at the very moment Father Liang was preparing to support Uncle Gu Xingyuan and restrain Liang Chaosu. Father Liang, having navigated the business world for forty years, naturally looked beyond immediate successes and failures to underlying motives.
Liang Chaosu was declaring war on him.
Should he continue to tightly hold onto Liancheng, fully focused on preventing the taboo of incest, or should he turn his attention to preserving his position as Chairman?
With all his opponents being his direct family, he could only choose one, not pursue both simultaneously.
Father Liang’s expression suddenly softened, and he forced a smile. “Chaosu, what you’re doing… cannot be called crossing the Chencang Pass in secret.”
Liang Chaosu replied, “That depends on your choice.”
Father Liang’s expression turned blank again, then, in an instant, he understood.
If he preserved his position as Chairman and abandoned Liancheng, it would be Liang Chaosu’s tactic of “besiege Wei to rescue Zhao.”
If he abandoned his position as Chairman and continued to pursue Liancheng, it could be tenuously explained as crossing the Chencang Pass in secret.
After all, the definition of the phrase meant openly doing one thing without concealment to attract the opponent’s attention, thereby facilitating other actions carried out in secret.
Once Liang Chaosu became Chairman and held all the power, Father Liang would be even less able to suppress him. At that point, Liang Chaosu could do whatever he pleased, with no one to stop him.
Father Liang lost his composure and demeanor. He took a deep breath, his face ashen, and turned to go downstairs.
………………
Liancheng looked through the porthole at the boarding area of the dock. Two groups of foreigners with high noses and deep-set eyes were confronting each other.
Old Ghost was also observing. “The shorter group are the ones who were chasing us in the Land Rover just now. The taller ones look like they’re from a formal establishment and don’t seem to be with them. Could they be here to rescue you?”
Liancheng lowered her eyes. “Neither of them are. I have two enemies in Huaxia, an old one and a new one.”
Old Ghost exclaimed, “Are your enemies easy to deal with?”
“The new one is suspicious and cautious, but I’ve managed to deal with him for four years, so I can barely handle him. The old one is unfathomable and experienced; he should be more formidable than the new one.”
“See,” Old Ghost gestured with his chin. “Which group is the old one, and which is the new one?”
Liancheng couldn’t help but frown. “They’re not holding up signs, how would I know?”
Old Ghost asked, “Two groups, and not a single familiar face among them?”
Liancheng scrutinized them again. “No. Both the old and the new have Chinese subordinates. I’ve never heard of them having foreign connections.”
She had gone abroad before thinking that Liang Chaosu, like a giant octopus, had become a kraken, and his tentacles wouldn’t reach across the Pacific.
She hadn’t expected to miscalculate.
Old Ghost’s expression turned serious. “They don’t necessarily need connections. As long as they’re paid, mercenaries can go through hell and high water. I’m going to buy food now. After we eat and rest well, after we disembark, you’ll have a desperate run for your life.”
The white stern of the ship disappeared into the blue-gray mist at sea. The continuous snow-covered shores and icebergs appeared vast and chaotic between heaven and earth.
On the dock, the taller group lowered their binoculars. The leader waved, signaling a withdrawal.
The other group waited for instructions.
“That group is not to be trifled with. I suspect they have weapons. This contradicts the information provided by the employer entirely. I suggest we decline this job.”
“A woman who doesn’t know Huaxia kung fu, and a bunch of armed bastards. That’s two different prices. I agree to decline the job.”
“I agree as well.”
The sturdy man standing in the center surveyed everyone. “The situation has changed. A million euros for a tube of blood. Whether you have the guts or not, all you need is a tube of blood.”
The group exchanged glances, and suddenly their enthusiasm for the “God from the East” was rekindled.
………………
As soon as the ship docked, Old Ghost, carrying his luggage, took out a card from an inner pocket of his close-fitting clothes and led Liancheng to deposit money, change clothes, and rent another Volvo, which he then filled with gas.
“There are two scenarios. The good news is they’re also taking a boat and will dock three hours after us. The bad news is there are flights from Greenland to Iceland. I checked the schedule, and a plane lands in half an hour, not far from here.”
“And escorting you to Iceland is already exceeding the mission’s scope.”
Inside the car, the space was dim and cramped. The tightly closed windows made the air heavy and stagnant, oppressively stifling.
Liancheng looked out the car window.
Night had fallen.
The ice-covered mountains, the silent sea, the deep black sand beach. Under the night sky, the snow had a tranquil, deep blue color. It felt like a straight road stretching a lifetime, with vehicles speeding by.
Driving towards the ends of the earth.
