Chapter 113: It Turns Out He Had Everything Under Control
Liang Chaosu’s fingertips tapped the tabletop idly, “My father hasn’t given up, has he?”
“Director Liang is thorough in his work.” Xiao Da, impressed by the power struggle between this father and son of the Liang family, could only describe it with four words: ‘The battle of immortals.’
“He believes in coincidences, but coincidences are inherently man-made mistakes, and at the fundamental logical level, there’s only intentional and unintentional. Director Liang believes it was intentional, but it’s strange, he didn’t pursue it further and instead focused on black clinics.”
Liang Chaosu leaned back in his chair and said concisely, “Bai Yixian.”
Xiao Da understood thoroughly. Bai Ying didn’t have the ability to be so seamless on the surface; only her father, Bai Yixian, did. And this Mr. Bai was unreliable and held grudges. Once pursued, he might reveal Miss Lian Cheng’s pregnancy, exposing the scandal Director Liang desperately wanted to conceal to the public, and everything would be out of control.
Xiao Da asked, “Since you and Director Liang are both so sure, why still expend manpower and resources to investigate thoroughly?”
“My father wants concrete evidence.” Liang Chaosu leaned back in his chair and tilted his head up. The camera couldn’t penetrate the dimness, only a dark, silent silhouette remained, with no further words.
Xiao Da didn’t expect Liang Chaosu to suddenly descend to earth and confide in him. After a brief pause, he continued his report.
“Mr. Bo in the capital has woken up. Doctors say his brain was injured, and after such a long period of unconsciousness, he will need time to recover.”
Liang Chaosu was no longer concerned, “I understand.”
Outside the door, Lian Cheng’s legs and feet felt as if their tendons and blood vessels were being plucked out one by one by tweezers. Her muscles lost their support, unable to contract or exert force. Only her bones remained, propping her up, and she moved step by painful step on the ground.
Sometimes, she wondered. Had she killed 400,000 people in her past life like Bai Qi, or caused the slaughter of tens of thousands of innocent souls like Dorgon in the Jiading massacres, with rivers of blood flowing? Or was she Empress Dowager Cixi, who led the nation to ruin, almost having 5,000 years of history stolen?
In this life, she had Liang Chaosu, a lunatic and devil with one-in-ten-thousand intelligence, unparalleled methods, and a mentally deranged, abstract nature, entangled with her so tightly.
For an ordinary person, if something puzzled them for a long time, they would certainly want to confirm it themselves given the opportunity, to bring the truth to light and settle the matter.
Did Liang Chaosu need to?
He did not.
She was in his hands. Forcing a pregnancy test would only push her to despair and madness, like that night she returned to the Liang family, her resentment exploding, her attacks sharp, tearing apart the false peace between them.
Why bother?
She was carrying a child. Firstly, she couldn’t get too emotional, affecting the fetus. Secondly, a pregnant belly would eventually grow, and in another month or two, it would be impossible to hide. With her body heavy and slow, she wouldn’t be able to run away.
Thirdly, even if he was desperate to confirm, he could have his father, Director Liang, charge forward, present the results to him, and legitimize their relationship and the child.
He only needed to step in and prevent it at the final step, when Director Liang intended to strike.
Saving time, effort, and worry, he could easily grasp everything.
He had demonstrated such methods to her countless times over the four years. While enemies exhausted themselves with alliances and schemes, he remained steady, watching, and at the very foundation of the unfolding events, wove a strong and formidable net.
At the crucial apex, he would suddenly tighten it, effortlessly achieving the greatest victory with the most gains, without harming himself.
How ridiculous, from her third-person perspective, she used to resent those people for always discovering his wolfish ambition one step too late. Now, facing it herself, she finally understood: who, when facing him, was not a lamb?
Lian Cheng clutched her lower abdomen and collapsed silently back onto the bed.
Four years without rest, should she surrender?
She did not want to.
But this encirclement was tight from all directions, allowing no escape, and she saw neither light nor end.
……………………
Old Ghost hadn’t expected Shen Lichuan to come see him in person.
At that time, he was teaching his child to rollerblade in the park.
It was nearing noon, the sunlight was abundant, and the air was warm and gentle. The park was planted with evergreen trees. In the deep winter’s desolation, the greenery took on a touch of melancholy. As Shen Lichuan’s fair, jade-like face appeared, the melancholy vanished, replaced by a warmth akin to the spring breeze in March.
Old Ghost briefly instructed his child and then hurried over, “President Shen, what brings you here?”
Shen Lichuan invited him to sit on a park bench, “I’d like to ask you for one more favor.”
Old Ghost generously waved his hand, “Please don’t say favor. Not just one, but ten, even a hundred, it’s all fine. Your business is my business.”
Shen Lichuan let out a chuckle, a hint of bittersweet understanding in his voice, “Saving your wife and child was a coincidence, and I didn’t expect anything in return. But now, me coming to you repeatedly makes it seem like I’m seeking repayment for a favor, and the repayment outweighs the favor.”
Old Ghost understood the last sentence and looked intently at Shen Lichuan for two minutes. He hadn’t received much education, only finishing junior high.
The first time he saw Shen Lichuan, he thought of a noble gentleman, like a jade tree blooming with orchids.
Looking at him now, he thought of a flawless white jade. Not a derogatory term at all; the world’s impurities do not stain a child. As people grow, they learn to bear burdens, and when the youthful spirit fades, the worldliness settles in their eyes like an undercurrent. Some become numb, while others become calm.
He himself had been numb. Later, with a wife and children, his life bloomed like a flower in honey, leading to today.
“There’s no repayment that outweighs the favor. For you, it was a coincidence. For me, it was the lives of their mother and two children, plus my own life, and four years of good days.”
Old Ghost was glib and could talk circles around people, but his true feelings were usually revealed over drinks. Now, in the cold wind and tree shadows, with people coming and going in the park, he was clear-headed, and his words were earnest.
“I’m uneducated, and the words in my heart always come out wrong. In short, you saved their lives. You can have my life; whether you want to kill or set fires, it’s up to you. My only request, considering I won’t hesitate, is to look after their mother and children for the rest of their lives.”
“…” Shen Lichuan was speechless for a moment, completely not expecting Old Ghost to think of killing and arson.
“No,” he shook his head, suppressing a smile, “Compared to killing and arson, this favor is like a business trip with expenses.”
Old Ghost had been around the block and had a strong street-smart demeanor. He thought his big brother was asking him to serve a life sentence, but unexpectedly, the big brother was giving him money to buy cigarettes. He immediately let out a sigh of relief.
Just then, at the end of the path, the secretary waved frantically.
Shen Lichuan caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye, his expression darkened, and he wasted no more time, “Do you remember Lian Cheng? She’s currently trapped in Iceland, and I’d like to ask you to save her. It won’t be a wasted trip, twenty million—”
Old Ghost opened his mouth to shout.
Shen Lichuan cut him off, “The educational fund for three children, from primary school, junior high, high school, to university, or even studying abroad at Harvard or MIT, with constant guidance and supervision.”
“Deal, deal, deal!” Old Ghost nodded vigorously.
Shen Lichuan stood up to leave.
Old Ghost suddenly added a question, “President Shen, you and Miss Lian Cheng—”
“Her? She was my former fiancée, and then—”
Shen Lichuan’s words were cut off as the secretary hurried to meet him and whispered something in his ear. The two then walked away quickly.
Old Ghost stood there, stunned.
Shen Lichuan was about to have a wife and child. He had previously only thought of Lian Cheng as Shen Lichuan’s friend and hadn’t considered anything else.
After delivering someone to their destination, the extra trip to Iceland would be his way of repaying Shen Lichuan’s trust.
But now, hearing Shen Lichuan mention Lian Cheng, his tone was not one of lingering affection or doting, but rather that of an adult who had moved on, as calm as still water. His feelings ran deep.
In that moment, Old Ghost understood, and also regretted.
Wasn’t this tantamount to him leaving his benefactor’s wife, whom he considered his future wife, stranded in the icy snowfield when she needed a teammate the most during a shootout and high-speed chase?
