Chapter Twenty-Eight (Part 1): Dust Settles
At this hour, the club was still bustling with noise. On the first floor, dim lights flickered over the dance floor, the music thundered, and men and women danced pressed cheek to cheek, the whole place steeped in an atmosphere of debauchery.
An entire wall of the second floor was made up of curved glass windows, the lights dim and yellow.
Chen Sheng sprawled on the sofa, an arm around a woman, casting a sidelong glance at the revelry below.
After a while, his nerves tightened. Something seemed to be pushing outward through his blood vessels, squeezing its way open. Chen Sheng's entire body turned cold, his skin numb and itchy, and he uncontrollably shuddered. He moved his hand to the woman's thigh and viciously pinched it several times.
The woman screamed and swung her arm away.
Chen Sheng curled up, baring his teeth, his face twisted into a ferocious expression as he glared at her. She immediately knew what was wrong with him.
The woman fetched the tools, knelt beside his feet, and pulled his arm over to tie the rubber band tightly...
When once wasn't enough, he demanded that the woman increase the dose.
After the surge of excitement passed, his entire body went limp. After sitting for a while longer, she helped him to his feet, and he staggered out of the room.
Several black-clad bodyguards immediately followed behind him. For the past two months, he had never acted alone. Once separated from Qiu Shizu, Lu Qiang was worse than a dog. During last year's clash, he had already figured out Lu Qiang from top to bottom and had never taken him seriously. The car accident that day had let him vent his anger, and only then had Chen Sheng felt that he had truly defeated him.
Although things were different now, he had made many calculations. He always had people around him and had remained cautious at all times.
They passed through the corridor and took the elevator straight down to the basement level. The parking lot was vast and gloomy, the large lights overhead emitting a ghastly white glow. As the group approached, leather shoes struck the concrete floor, their echoes startlingly loud and breaking the original silence.
Three black sedans were parked in a corner, where the lighting was even dimmer. Chen Sheng walked in the middle. Instinctively, he swept his eyes toward the cars and saw a faint wisp of smoke lingering in midair. His feet paused, and he stopped abruptly. He blinked, then looked in that direction again, only to realize that his eyes had deceived him. There was nothing there at all.
The bodyguards behind him became alert and were just about to step forward to investigate when Chen Sheng stopped them. He waved his hand. “It's nothing. Get in the car. Let's go back.”
Chen Sheng and the woman got into the first car. He leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes. The person beside him rubbed against his body, and he raised an arm and put it around her. The driver was similarly huge. He glanced through the rearview mirror and, seeing that they were settled, spoke a couple of instructions into the radio. The others got into the cars behind them one after another.
He put on his headset and started the car, his finger resting on the center console button. Only two seconds had passed when, suddenly, the rear door was yanked open with tremendous force. The car body sank, and a burly shadow bent down and dropped heavily into the seat behind the front passenger.
Chen Sheng's eyes flew open in alarm. He turned his head to look and immediately went rigid.
Lu Qiang had come over in such a brazen manner, wearing a thin black undershirt and loose-legged linen trousers. His legs were spread apart, and he slouched against the seatback, a cigarette clenched between his lips, his eyelids half-lowered as he stared ahead without looking at him.
The driver realized that something was wrong and said a few words into his headset. The bodyguards behind them rushed over, and someone pulled open the door on Lu Qiang's side.
Lu Qiang still did not move, nor did he use his hand to shield the cigarette. He took a drag, and smoke slowly spread around the tip of his nose.
Chen Sheng steadied himself and regained his composure. “Well, well, what a rare guest.”
A sound came from Lu Qiang's nose.
The bodyguard grabbed Lu Qiang by the arm, trying to drag him out of the car, but the pull did not move him in the slightest.
Chen Sheng looked at him, then waved toward the outside. The bodyguard let go and stepped back two paces.
“Quite free today, aren't you, Qiang-ge.” He called him that in a deliberately unpleasant tone, then yawned. “What, did my sister-in-law pull through after all? Didn't die?”
Lu Qiang's expression was unreadable. He pinched the cigarette between his thumb and forefinger, took a deep drag, then gently blew out the smoke.
Chen Sheng sized him up for a moment, his body trembling as he sniffed. “Just how beautiful is that little wench anyway to have you so hopelessly bewitched that you came running here all by yourself?”
Seeing that Lu Qiang showed no sign of anger, Chen Sheng worked the cigarette butt between his fingers for a moment, then lowered his hand and ground it out against the expensive seat between his legs.
Watching his movement, the corners of Chen Sheng's mouth drooped. He was already displeased. He sniffed sharply twice, then forced a smile that did not reach his eyes. “What is it? Qiang-ge, what do you mean?”
Lu Qiang said, “You should have thought of it. I had to come find you.”
He raised his brows. “Didn't think of it at all. If I'd known she was that important, I would've run her over with a truck and killed her back then.”
Lu Qiang smiled faintly. “Now we'll see what you're capable of.”
The corners of Chen Sheng's mouth, which had been raised moments before, stiffened. He tugged at them, revealing his uneven silver teeth. He could not stand the look of contempt on Lu Qiang's face, and he hated even more the aura of someone who could calmly scheme and keep everything under control.
Chen Sheng snorted coldly, opened the door beside him, and shoved the woman out in one motion. No longer bothering with pointless back-and-forth, he waved toward the rear. “Get in. We're going to the warehouse.”
There were seven burly men in the group, every one of them specially trained. On top of that, they were all thickly built, heavy enough to crush the breath out of someone just by sitting on them. Cleavers and daggers were kept in the trunk. Chen Sheng was no longer thinking clearly. The only thought in his mind was to kill him.
Lu Qiang had only himself. In a head-on confrontation, he could not gain the slightest advantage.
The three sedans sped out of the city at breakneck speed, following the railway tracks toward the warehouse two and a half kilometers away.
Lu Qiang rested his head against the seatback and lowered his eyes toward the window. He was neither hurried nor agitated, without the slightest trace of fear. The atmosphere inside the car was unfathomable. He flicked the lighter in his hand again and again, as though counting the rhythm, waiting for his chance to act.
Chen Sheng sprawled in his seat, his body almost sliding down. His eyes opened to a slit. He curled his lips, interpreting Lu Qiang's behavior as panic. He rubbed his index finger beneath his nose. “How about trying to beg me?”
Lu Qiang's fingers paused, then flicked the wheel again. The car turned with the road, curved around several factory buildings, and came back around.
The sky was dark. Outside the window, there was no sign of human habitation, only two streetlights standing alone. A straight road and the railway tracks stretched across one another, extending toward different directions.
At the intersection ahead stood a dilapidated guard booth. A person could vaguely be seen standing at the entrance, waving a red flag in hand, signaling them to stop.
The driver stepped on the brakes and slowed to a crawl.
Lu Qiang's expression turned grim. With a click, a cluster of flames finally flared brightly. He released his hand, and the cabin fell completely dark again.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Lu Qiang suddenly seized Chen Sheng by the hair and slammed his head violently against the opposite window, then yanked him back. His other hand covered Chen Sheng's forehead, twisting sharply from side to side. Before Chen Sheng could react, he instantly lost consciousness.
The driver's pupils widened. He looked toward the rearview mirror, reached down, and grabbed the iron rod beside his seat. At the same time, someone was already shouting into the headset.
From the corner of his eye, Lu Qiang caught sight of the traffic barrier beside the guard booth slowly coming down. Bracing himself with one arm, he used the strength in his waist and sent both legs flying, kicking the driver squarely in the temple. The driver's head slammed into the window, shattering the glass. Before he could swing the iron rod, Lu Qiang had already thrown him out of the car.
Lu Qiang took control of the driver's seat and slammed the door shut. He glanced at the rearview mirror. Several bodyguards were charging in their direction.
He looked straight ahead. The traffic barrier was already halfway down. Accompanied by the rumbling blare of a train horn, the lights of a distant train suddenly blazed brightly. Lu Qiang's jawline tightened. Without pausing for even a moment, he floored the accelerator and shot past, scraping by the barrier.
At the instant the train's headlights struck the cabin from the side, white light flashed across it, and Lu Qiang finally understood the fear Lu Yin had felt that day.
***
At some point, Chen Sheng woke up. He was lying on cold, hard, damp ground. The surroundings were dim, but he could vaguely make out a wide, uneven dirt road, dense with trees, with mountains and water in the distance.
He pushed himself upright with his arms. His neck hurt. He turned his head from side to side and caught sight of a figure, startling him into shrinking back.
His sedan was parked not far away. The engine was off, and it lay quietly concealed in the darkness.
The driver's door stood wide open. Lu Qiang was sitting facing outward, one leg inside the car and the other planted straight on the ground. His arm rested on his knee, the tip of his cigarette a tiny point of crimson, flickering dimly between his lips.
Chen Sheng instinctively looked around. It was completely empty. Not one of his men had followed him. He swallowed. “What place is this?”
“Qiluo Mountain.”
Chen Sheng secretly drew a breath. This was a desolate wilderness, completely opposite in direction from the Chao Hui warehouse. Once night fell, there wasn't even a ghost in sight.
A hint of panic appeared on his face. “What do you want?”
“You tell me.” He cast a faint glance at the man on the ground.
Chen Sheng had never feared him before because he always had several highly trained bodyguards at his side. Seven against one, and he was sure to win. But in a one-on-one fight, Lu Qiang's build was like that of a beast, while he was slender. If they really fought, he could not withstand even one or two moves. It was not that the bodyguards had been slow to react. He had simply calculated everything a thousand times over and still underestimated Lu Qiang.
Chen Sheng's thoughts spun rapidly for a moment. “There might be some misunderstanding between us.”
“What misunderstanding?”
“The two of us have no personal grudge to begin with. Why keep clinging to each other and refusing to let go?”
Lu Qiang remained seated. He snorted coldly, lowered his head, took a drag of his cigarette, and flicked the ash away. After a moment, he stood and walked over to him, then kicked him squarely in the chest.
Chen Sheng grunted, his butt sliding half a meter across the ground.
Lu Qiang's voice was calm as he spoke, one word at a time. “Of all the things you shouldn't have done, the one thing you absolutely shouldn't have done was touch my woman.”
He coughed softly. “I was only carrying out Boss Qiu's orders. I really had no choice.” He paused. “I was only acting under someone else's power. I said all those harsh things to you because I was a little dissatisfied back then and wanted to piss you off, that's all.”
“Is that so?”
“Boss Qiu was afraid you'd leak the information to the police, so he had me find someone to deal with you directly. That day, after I went to see you, I came back and told Boss Qiu what happened. He didn't trust you. He insisted that I teach you a lesson and make you keep your mouth shut.”
Lu Qiang planted his foot on his chest. “Is that the truth?”
“The truth.”
“Was touching Lu Yin also his idea?”
Chen Sheng licked his lips. “Yes.”
“Then it seems you were only following orders?”
Chen Sheng said, “You used to work for Boss Qiu. You should know his way of doing things very well.”
Lu Qiang lowered his eyes and looked at him for a moment before moving his foot away.
Chen Sheng's eyes were deeply sunken, his body weak and utterly powerless, completely different from the arrogant and overbearing man he had been just moments ago. Lu Qiang threw away his cigarette and put both hands back into his trouser pockets. The phone inside vibrated twice, but he did not take it out to look.
By the moonlight, Chen Sheng studied his expression. Covering his chest, he slowly got to his feet. “We both know what a ruthless man Boss Qiu is. To protect Xiao Zhen, there's nothing he wouldn't do.”
Lu Qiang said nothing. He lowered his head and lit another cigarette.
Chen Sheng said, “If you don't believe me, just kill me right here today. There isn't a soul around here anyway. No one will know. You can do it without anyone knowing.”
Lu Qiang tipped his head back and blew out a smoke ring.
He continued, “I'm willing to work with you...”
“Leave.”
“What?”
Chen Sheng stared at him in astonishment, his eyes widening.
“Before I change my mind.”
Chen Sheng's toes instinctively shifted toward the empty road ahead. He sniffed. “Why did you suddenly...”
Lu Qiang gave an inscrutable smile. “There is a head for every debt and a master for every grievance. After hearing your explanation, I feel I should go find Qiu Shizu even more.”
Chen Sheng moved half a step. “Don't be rash.”
“Are you leaving or not?”
“I can help you.”
“Get lost.”
Chen Sheng fell silent and backed away several steps diagonally. He studied Lu Qiang for a moment. Lu Qiang remained standing there without moving, simply keeping his head lowered as he smoked. He did not look like he was lying.
He quickly turned his head and charged toward the main road, the only place within his field of vision where there was any light.
The corners of Chen Sheng's mouth stretched to his ears. In an exhilarated voice, he cursed under his breath, “What a fucking idiot.”
***
Lu Qiang glanced sideways. Chen Sheng was stumbling as he ran forward. A cigarette had finally been smoked down to the end. He crushed it between two fingers and put it out. The phone in his pocket began vibrating again.
To cooperate with the police investigation, the cruise ship had already been docked at the shore for quite some time.
Xing Weixin was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Qiu Zhen and the others were at the gate, while the staff had already used various excuses twice to demand that they cooperate with an inspection. Nearly half an hour had been dragged out. If they could not find a reasonable excuse to obstruct and interfere any longer, the cruise ship would leave at once.
The relevant authorities could only delay things for another ten minutes. Qiu Zhen was about to board the ship and leave the country, then fly onward to another country. Once that happened, he could remain at large forever.
Xing Weixin stood with his hands on his hips, looking through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the cluster of figures by the gate. Qiu Zhen was dressed entirely in black, his back hunched, and he was much thinner than when Xing Weixin had last seen him. Beside him, Qiu Shizu turned his head and spoke to him, but Qiu Zhen kept his head lowered and gave not the slightest response.
Xing Weixin looked away, his gaze landing on the enormous clock face in the middle of the hall. Time passed second by second. The announcement was reminding passengers to have their tickets ready and wait to enter the gate.
Xing Weixin's expression grew darker and darker. He took his phone from his pocket and pressed the number...
***
Lu Qiang turned and walked toward the sedan.
Chen Sheng was panting heavily, getting closer and closer to the light. Cars occasionally sped along the road, whizzing past his eyes and vanishing in an instant. He had taken too much of the drug today and was weaker than usual. His mind was in disarray, his legs trembling beneath him, yet he continued running forward in mechanical strides without stopping for a moment. Hope was right before his eyes. He split his mouth into a wide grin and laughed.
A roar sounded, and his footsteps halted.
Chen Sheng turned his head. The headlights of the car behind him suddenly blazed to life. He raised an arm to shield his eyes, and the open ground was lit as bright as day.
The black car slowly approached him. The hair on Chen Sheng's body stood on end as he suddenly understood Lu Qiang's intention. How could Lu Qiang possibly let him off so easily? His feet stumbled, and he nearly fell. He could not spare a thought for anything else and scrambled forward, running on hands and feet.
The phone in his pocket kept vibrating. Lu Qiang ignored it.
His lips formed a straight line, his eyes dark and sinister. He slammed down on the accelerator and drove straight toward the disheveled figure.
A person was more agile than a car. Chen Sheng dodged left and right, rolled onto the ground to the side, scrambled back up, and ran in the opposite direction.
Lu Qiang stomped on the brakes and downshifted. The car's center of gravity shifted forward. He wrenched the steering wheel, sending the rear of the car swinging out in a beautiful sideways slide.
Dust sprayed into the air from the ground, and a piercing screech rang through the valley.
Chen Sheng had already run some distance away. The car was moving extremely fast. Before Lu Qiang's eyes appeared the scene of the two cars colliding that day. Lu Yin lay beneath the car, covered in blood, barely clinging to life as she fought death in the operating room. Her pale little face, the scars on her chest and the top of her head, her shaved-bald head... Without a doubt, each image was like a sharp blade scraping across his chest.
Lu Qiang pressed harder and harder on the accelerator. Chen Sheng was right before his eyes. If he held on for another two seconds and ran over him, he could repay all the pain Lu Yin had suffered.
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
Chen Sheng's breathing was ragged as he kept running. It felt as though tens of thousands of ants were gnawing at him from head to toe. His skin was cold, his blood vessels felt ready to burst.
He lasted only a few more seconds before his legs gave way. He could no longer hold himself up and collapsed onto the ground.
Chen Sheng used both hands and feet, crawling forward several steps. He rolled onto his back, braced himself with his arms, and dragged his body backward.
The car was moving extremely fast. It was about to run him over. His pupils widened, and he let out a terrified roar.
The front of the car passed over his feet. Chen Sheng's breath caught in his throat. The car maintained its speed, covering his legs. He only felt some liquid roll up from his throat, his temples throb with pain, and his eyeballs felt as though they were about to burst out of their sockets.
Yet at that very moment, the front of the car suddenly stopped with its nose almost touching his. Lu Qiang hit the brakes.
In that brief span of time, frame after frame raced backward through Lu Qiang's mind. They had tried on qipao together and kissed passionately in the car; it had rained on the day they registered their marriage, yet the photograph of the two of them leaning against each other had been imprinted on that certificate; he and Lu Yin had watched shooting stars and fought snowball battles on the arched bridge in his hometown, then returned to the old house, where they had lost themselves in each other.
Time rapidly rewound, returning to when they first met. She had stood in the rain wearing a pure white wedding dress. He remembered the fearful, repulsed look in her eyes when she looked at him, and the soft “husband” she had called out to him in the corridor. And then there was the first time he kissed her, right here, in the little boat beneath Qiluo Mountain.
In the end, he remembered the final advice Qian Yuanqing had given him at the train station that day.
Lu Qiang hit the brakes.
He pushed open the car door and walked forward two steps. Half of Chen Sheng's body was beneath the car. His face was blue and purple, his entire body convulsing, while white filth continuously spilled from his mouth.
The car had stopped at exactly the right moment. It had not touched Chen Sheng at all.
Lu Qiang walked several steps away and lit a cigarette.
The phone in his pocket vibrated again. He steadied his emotions and answered it this time.
Xing Weixin clearly had not expected him to pick up. He froze for several seconds. Before he could speak, Lu Qiang said, “I'm turning myself in.”
***
At 2:30 in the morning that day, at the airport.
Lu Yin did not wait for him.
Genzi explained everything. She listened to him with an unreadable expression. She did not cry, nor did she make a fuss about going back.
She asked Genzi, “So there was only ever one plane ticket?”
He nodded.
Lu Yin bit her lip. Afraid of hearing the answer, she still asked, “Will Lu Qiang be in danger?”
Genzi froze, then hurriedly shook his head and lied to her. “No.”
“He wants me to leave?”
“This is the safest way. Qiu Shizu has a lot of influence, and Qiang-ge is even more afraid that someone will hurt you.”
Lu Yin lowered her head and stared at the plane ticket in her hand for a long time. There was still half an hour before the plane took off.
Genzi was terribly anxious, but he did not dare urge her.
A few seconds later, she took a deep breath. “Okay.”
Genzi said, “Sister-in-law, remember my number. Once you get settled over there, send me your contact information.”
Lu Yin nodded. She tried her best to make her smile look good. “Then I’m leaving.”
She had brought only a small carry-on bag. She turned and walked toward the security checkpoint.
“Sister-in-law, wait.”
He suddenly called after her again.
Lu Yin stopped. Genzi caught up with her. “Qiang-ge has one more thing he asked me to tell you.”
Lu Yin pressed her lips together.
“He said, when you see each other again, he’ll stand before you with a clean slate.” Genzi paused. “He wants you to wait for him.”
In an instant, Lu Yin’s tears fell like rain.
She lowered her head. After a long while, she said only, “I know.”
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