Chapter 261: Liang Zhengping’s Phone Call
Xiao Da took out his phone, “From the Southern Province to the port, it only takes four hours. It’s not yet early morning. Do you want to return to the Liang family?”
“You don’t trust Gu Xingyuan?” Liang Chaosu glanced at him.
Xiao Da stood by the roadside, looking around.
All was silent. The fluorescent lights at the police station entrance illuminated the duty room. They had been there for a long time, attracting the attention of the police officers.
Xiao Da walked around the rear of the car, got into the driver’s seat, and started the engine. “President Gu… is fickle and has his own little schemes. Previously, at the resort, he revealed the matters concerning the Lin family and Gu Zhoushan to Madam. Later, Madam was resolute about going to Hong Kong, firstly because the photos were seven-tenths similar, and secondly because Gu Zhoushan had a conspiracy.”
Liang Chaosu raised his eyes, his gaze fixed on the rearview mirror, “Did Bai Ying tell you?”
Xiao Da dared not meet his gaze, his face flushing with embarrassment.
Feelings are personal privacy. Liang Chaosu had no curiosity about others and never inquired.
Even during Professor Wang’s surgery, when Bai Ying suddenly appeared in the provincial capital of Qi Province, she was quick-tempered and spoke her mind without reservations. Liang Chaosu saw through her intentions clearly but never asked a single word.
“Yes… I stayed in the Southern Province during this period and happened to meet her a few times, and we talked about Madam.”
Liang Chaosu remained silent, staring at the rearview mirror for a long time, then unexpectedly asked, “Do you like her?”
Xiao Da felt inexplicably dry-mouthed, “No, please don’t misunderstand.”
Liang Chaosu’s expression was calm, his depths unreadable, “Does my wife know?”
Xiao Da gripped the steering wheel, “When Madam was getting her passport, she called Bai Ying and noted a little flower. I didn’t know and answered it.”
Liang Chaosu lifted his eyelids, “Regardless of how things develop between you in the future, don’t let my wife misunderstand.”
Xiao Da felt even more awkward. It wasn’t that Liang Chaosu was asking unnecessarily; he had been completely inappropriate this time, outright refusing Liancheng in Qi Province, and then privately meeting her for a meal.
The timing coincided exactly with Liancheng’s departure for Hong Kong, making it hard not to make assumptions.
“We will explain to Madam when we meet in Hong Kong.”
Liang Chaosu’s eyebrows twitched, and he let out a sound of acknowledgement.
Only then did Xiao Da dare to look back at him, “Then are you going back to the Liang family?”
“No.” Liang Chaosu rolled down the car window. The cherry blossoms in the city were nearing the end of their bloom. He entered and retreated, won and lost. “Everyone has their little thoughts. Gu Xingyuan was hedging his bets then, trying to win her favor. He won’t do that now.”
……………………………………
Liancheng had never expected to receive a call from Liang Zhengping.
At eight o’clock, the citizen service center had just opened. She had obtained her pass and was queuing at the port. The caller ID showed an unknown number. Fearing it was a kidnapper’s threat or information related to the situation, she pressed to answer.
The voice on the phone was old yet intimately familiar.
“Liancheng, have you thought about going to Hong Kong?”
Liancheng tightened her grip on her phone. After a few seconds, she realized, “You don’t object to me going?”
Liang Zhengping seemed to be smiling, his laughter brief and tinged with a chill.
“Nianci and I just returned to the country. We only learned this morning that Ms. Lin was actually kidnapped in Qi Province. The police said you were also a target. I’m very worried.”
Liancheng exchanged a glance with Feng Shien. He made a video call to Lin Lanfeng and turned the screen towards Liancheng.
Liancheng tapped to play it aloud, “Worried about what.”
“Hong Kong is more dangerous than the Southern Province. I’ve always paid attention to domestic developments while abroad. I’ve had several exchanges with Ms. Lin. She’s in a precarious situation now, and she can’t distinguish between loyal and treacherous people around her. Going there would be walking into a trap.”
Feng Shien’s phone screen displayed Lin Lanfeng’s face, stern and tense, then suddenly astonished.
They knew that Lin Xianzi willingly allowed herself to be kidnapped to lure out the mole. Liang Zhengping was also focused on this at this moment.
Mo Shicheng had already noticed.
Or was it a coincidence?
Liancheng looked at Lin Lanfeng, composing herself, “If I’m walking into a trap, shouldn’t you be happy and get your revenge?”
Liang Zhengping was unhurried but also frank, “Chaosu has gone completely mad. The Liang family’s glory is the result of three generations of effort. I don’t want to see it ruined by him.”
Liancheng pursed her lips, “So?”
“You must understand how perverted his obsession with you is. Ms. Lin is in a period of turmoil. I don’t know the inside story of this kidnapping, but I’m sure he will add fuel to the fire. I heard he went to the police station late last night and talked with the bureau chief responsible for the kidnapping case for a long time.”
Liang Zhengping paused for two seconds, as if giving her time to react.
“Why don’t I help you resolve the aftermath of the family recognition, and you help me preserve the Liang Corporation?”
Liancheng didn’t believe him at all, and Lin Lanfeng also shook his head.
Her exposure in Liu Li Village was a clear indication of the connection between Liang Zhengping and Mo Shicheng. Given Liang Zhengping’s cunning and treachery, he shouldn’t be this naive.
“You don’t believe me?”
Liang Zhengping said meaningfully, “Speaking of which, I don’t believe you either. But in a state of mutual distrust, it’s not entirely impossible to cooperate. We’re not cooperating long-term, just a brief mutual benefit. You exploit me, and I exploit you.”
Liancheng was stunned.
Liang Zhengping’s concept of brief mutual benefit actually coincided with the balance the Lin family intended to achieve.
The timing was right; they had already planned to help Liang Zhengping suppress Liang Chaosu.
“Do you still have lingering feelings for him?”
Liancheng remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
“If not, why not be ruthless? When faced with his endless harassment, make things definitive.”
Liang Zhengping subtly persuaded, “There is no emotion in the world that is so fanatical that it cannot be hurt. Whoever can strike him, stand with them. It’s like adding a curse to every arrow shot at him. At that time, even if the arrows cannot wound him, he will still be pierced by a thousand arrows, suffering immensely.”
Liancheng finally understood.
Why this cunning and sharp-witted old fox like Liang Zhengping would repeatedly approach Lin Xianzi to cooperate, even with such clumsy and easily-exposed lies.
His target was not Lin Xianzi at all, but her.
A father knows his son best. Liang Chaosu had become a formidable force. He had a chance to turn the tables, but it was truly dangerous and difficult. He wanted to inflict the greatest harm with the least effort, to destroy a person from the bottom of his heart.
She was his sharp weapon.
“You’re talking a lot of nonsense.” Liancheng gestured to Lin Lanfeng, “How do I know this isn’t another trap of yours?”
“Do you want sincerity?” Liang Zhengping’s voice was eerily calm. “I can give you a hint. When faced with anything, you can observe me and Chaosu more.”
Liancheng’s eyelids twitched, and Lin Lanfeng’s expression on the screen became even more somber.
“You just mentioned that there are people around your mother who are hard to distinguish between loyal and treacherous. Does this hint refer to a mole?”
Liang Zhengping chuckled lightly and hung up the phone.
Lin Lanfeng furrowed his brow, “He’s preventing you from recording. Any statement that is suggestive or implies he might be involved in Mo Shicheng’s kidnapping, he’s not leaving any leverage.”
Feng Shien had a sudden enlightenment, “When he brought up the mole earlier, he specifically prefaced it by saying they had had prior exchanges. If we give the recording to the police, he can easily claim he noticed it during communication.”
“And when Liancheng later linked him to the mole, he couldn’t admit it, nor could he evade it. Otherwise, it would show a lack of sincerity in his cooperation with Liancheng, so he hung up.”
Liancheng let out a long sigh.
It wasn’t just that; she had mentioned past grievances and used words like “venting anger,” hoping to guide Liang Zhengping into leaving evidence of his plot to murder her in Iceland, but that was also deliberately overlooked.
“He and Liang Chaosu,” Lin Lanfeng’s face looked as if it had been splashed with ink, “are both formidable individuals.”
“‘When faced with anything, observe him and Liang Chaosu.'”, Liancheng analyzed, “If it refers to the mole, and he and Liang Chaosu are father and son, with father and son as enemies, then the mole—”
“His words are untrustworthy.” Lin Lanfeng lit a cigarette and took a deep puff.
“There are two people your mother trusts most: one is Jin Tonghai, who rescued your mother during that kidnapping twenty-three years ago. The other is Lin Ziqiu. He’s one of us from the Lin family; your mother and I call him Uncle Seven.”
