Chapter 268: City Of Freedom
The father and son in Iceland fell out, and Liang Zhengping’s offensive was both urgent and fierce.
Liang Chaosu at that time was much more decadent and impatient than he is now.
Moreover, it had only been a few days since she left Nan Province, only a few days since the great victory at Qingxi Valley, and suddenly things turned unfavorable.
With the Lin family’s assistance, Liang Chaosu wouldn’t be struggling so much.
“Don’t believe me?” He lifted Liancheng’s chin and looked at her.
“Your mother escaping captivity won’t make things easy for me.”
Liancheng reacted instantly, “You’re beating around the bush, you still can’t stand to lose.”
Liang Chaosu chuckled, his chest shaking, “If I can’t stand to lose, would I fly back immediately now?”
Liancheng paused, pursed her lips, and fell silent.
This thoughtful, flustered, yet stubborn look made Liang Chaosu’s laughter grow louder, pulling at the wound on his neck.
Liancheng saw that the edge of the scab had cracked again, and the surrounding skin was red and swollen.
Liang Chaosu used to have a strong physique and boundless energy, with an exceptional recovery ability. After the car accident in the rainy night caused extensive contusions, he scabbed over in half a day and healed in four or five days.
That pen seemed to be enchanted, its ink corroding his reinforced steel bones.
“Your wound.” Liancheng said softly, “Why hasn’t it healed yet?”
Liang Chaosu’s smile stopped.
Back and forth, it was his turn to be the defeated one.
His thumb traced her cheek inch by inch, his eyes were ice-cold, yet tender, like the wind that quietly brushed past the treetops in the deep dark of a cold spring night.
His unique style, a feeling.
“Because no one applied medicine for me.”
Liancheng stiffened slightly, “Is Xiao Da incompetent?”
Liang Chaosu looked at her.
He knew very well that she was trying to delay, to show appropriate concern, but he became more demanding, exceeding her acceptable limits.
“What do you want to eat for lunch?” Liang Chaosu released Liancheng, and his peripheral vision caught the grandfather clock in the living room; the hour hand pointed to eleven. “Bo Yizhang will be here soon. After he checks your pulse, we’ll go to Fu Lin for Cantonese food?”
Liancheng hadn’t expected Bo Yizhang to be involved yet, “I’m in good health and don’t want to go out.”
“We’ll talk after he checks your pulse.” Liang Chaosu’s gaze lingered on the corner of her mouth. The anger had subsided, and the bright red color had faded a lot. Her fair skin was excessively flawless, and the light melted into her features, like a piece of milk candy, where even a slight discoloration was particularly noticeable.
“Did you sleep well last night?” There were no dark circles under her eyes indicating fatigue.
Liancheng stood by the single-seater sofa, twisting her hands, “I slept okay. It’s very quiet here at night.” She paused, then asked, “And you?”
Liang Chaosu leaned back against the sofa and rubbed the bridge of his nose, “I had meetings all night.”
The atmosphere gradually settled into a subtle calm.
The air freshener indoors was a brand Liancheng hadn’t tried before; it was warm and cozy, emitting a faint, unreal sense of tranquility.
Liancheng looked out the window; that was real.
The wind picked up again, with no sign of the sun, yet the clouds were bright white and dazzling.
Generally, such celestial phenomena foreshadowed an impending storm.
For now, things were calm here, but what about Lin Lanfeng?
Had he seen the police? Were the actions tonight prepared? And Lian Yingying, what did she want to say?
“Liang Chaosu is watching, I have no chance to be alone with Liang Liancheng.” Lian Yingying clutched her phone, “And she’s not staying at Lin Lanfeng’s villa. I deliberately lingered nearby for a while, and she hasn’t come out of number 177.”
On the other end of the phone was Jin Tonghai, “You mean, Liang Liancheng came to Hong Kong and didn’t break ties with Liang Chaosu, so Liang Chaosu won’t favor us and is still protecting her?”
Lian Yingying’s hands trembled slightly, “Yes, Mr. Jin. Shi Daya has also heard of Liang Chaosu’s reputation. If he doesn’t leave, it’s difficult to make a move.”
Jin Tonghai’s expression was grim. He had been a commercial spy for decades without incident, and his alertness was naturally intact; his intuition was far keener than that of ordinary people.
Perhaps they had been too audacious this time.
They had underestimated Liang Liancheng’s decisiveness and miscalculated Liang Chaosu’s ruthlessness.
“I will discuss this with Liang Zhengping. He will leave before nightfall at the latest. Tell Shi Daya that his years of carefree living overseas were made possible by Master Mo’s money. If Master Mo falls, his little name will be over too.”
Lian Yingying’s tears flowed silently, “Okay, okay.”
“Also,” Jin Tonghai instructed coldly, “Go back to the Lin family immediately and find out Lin Lanfeng’s whereabouts. Tell me.”
Lian Yingying bit her hand and agreed, sobbing softly, gasping with difficulty, like a dim little boat in a stormy sea, doing her best to save herself, “Mr. Jin, there’s really no need for kidnapping by Liang Liancheng. We actually have a more secure way.”
Jin Tonghai was agitated and impatient with her meddling, “Do as I say, and stop being too clever.”
“No.” Lian Yingying insisted, “Did you forget? Liang Liancheng was the one who received the progesterone injections. Uncle had you hide Liang Liancheng’s record information. You said it was very tricky because it was under Lin Ziqiu’s responsibility. You misled him several times before he cleared the record.”
Jin Tonghai remained silent.
Lian Yingying thought she saw a turning point and her voice sped up with joy, “We originally planned to capture Liang Liancheng in Qi Province, draw blood to confirm the effects of the progesterone injection, and then make further plans. But now it’s at the point where victory or defeat will be decided.”
“Think about it, even without Liang Chaosu, the risk of kidnapping is high. But the record of the progesterone injection was personally deleted by Lin Ziqiu. As long as you misled him without leaving a trace, he can’t produce evidence, and he’ll be in a difficult position with no way to explain it.”
“Is that so?” Jin Tonghai said sinisterly, “Do you think everyone is like the police? Guilt must be proven with complete evidence. At this time, any disturbance is a sharp sword. If the focus shifts too much towards me, it will only cause Lin Xianzi to make a swift decision.”
“Are you smarter than me? If I’ve guessed correctly, Lin Lanfeng may have already left Hong Kong.”
Lian Yingying was shocked, “Where did he go after leaving Hong Kong?”
“Where else could he go but the Southwest?” Jin Tonghai’s eyes were venomous, “I warn you, stop having any ulterior motives. Listen obediently, and you might survive. Otherwise, if Lin Xianzi wins, we’re all finished.”
Lian Yingying put down the phone.
She understood that if Lin Lanfeng wasn’t there, she absolutely had to go to Liuhua Alley without delay.
………………………………
Liancheng used tidying her luggage as an excuse and returned to Lin Lanfeng’s villa before Bo Yizhang arrived to tell Feng Shien about Lian Yingying’s message. He was in the process of retrieving her passport.
Old Ghost’s methods were cunning but reliable. He used connections to disguise it as a court summons, and the recipient was his old friend in Hong Kong.
Feng Shien obtained it after exchanging a series of underworld passwords.
After listening to Liancheng’s speculation about Lian Yingying, he was not surprised, “Mr. Lin had anticipated this. Mo Shicheng is reckless in his actions, but not arrogant in his personality. Your escape from Qi Province was already a miscalculation on his part. To increase his chances of winning, he will continue to make moves against you.”
Liancheng frowned.
“How are you doing with Liang Chaosu?” Feng Shien’s voice was deep, “Has he realized you plan to fly to Europe?”
“No,” Liancheng looked at the large banyan tree outside the window, “He asked me to move to the opposite side.”
She was fortunate that she didn’t refuse outright at the time after weighing the pros and cons, otherwise Liang Chaosu might not have revealed that he knew Lin Lanfeng’s whereabouts.
And consequently, there were the three words, “can stand to lose.”
Feng Shien’s breathing was light and shallow through the headset; he could almost imagine her expressionless face, her hands clenched, her lips pursed, or her eyes lowered, standing still.
Just like the first time he saw her, she was cold and indifferent, not smiling, like a statue of ice-skinned jade bones. In the turmoil and embarrassment of the corridor, she became real, but what was exposed was her disheveled state and hesitation.
“Liancheng,” Feng Shien said gently, “When we get to Europe, our first stop will be Budapest. It’s beautiful there.”
Liancheng was stunned. Budapest, the city of freedom.
