Chapter 296
Xie Wendong went downstairs and arrived at the second-floor corridor, where no less than twenty people stood on either side, startling him. Li Shuang sneered and was the first to speak, “Brother Dong, you’re so ‘fast’!” “Fast what?” Xie Wendong was puzzled and asked back. Seeing Xie Wendong’s expression, Sanyan immediately understood that Brother Dong and Jiang Lin hadn’t done anything together in that room for so long. He reached out and grabbed Li Shuang’s thick ears, shouting angrily, “What nonsense are you talking about!?” “Ah… hey, it wasn’t me who said Brother Dong and…” Before Li Shuang could finish, Sanyan kicked him in the butt and yelled, “Stop talking nonsense! Ah?” “I… you… ugh…”
The next day, it was sunny. Early in the morning, Xie Wendong and Jiang Lin got together and reorganized the second floor of the hotel. They removed the sofas from the private rooms and replaced them with single beds. Even though there was plenty of space for flowers, there were still no fewer than twenty private rooms on the second floor, which wasn’t enough to accommodate even half of their people. Later, Jiang Lin suggested renting some rooms on the third floor, which should be sufficient. Xie Wendong thought it made sense and assigned Sanyan to handle it. It wasn’t until evening that Xie Wendong and Jiang Lin had some free time. They sat in the lobby on the first floor, eating and chatting. Jiang Lin blinked and asked, “Yesterday, after I got drunk, I didn’t do anything too extreme, did I?”
“Mm!” Xie Wendong nodded slightly and continued eating in silence. Seeing this, Jiang Lin’s eyes sparkled as she said, “I always tend to do outrageous things when I’m drunk…” “Last night wasn’t an exception,” Xie Wendong said, wiping his mouth and smiling. “You wanted to sleep with me.” From yesterday’s behavior, she thought Xie Wendong was a shy person, at least a gentleman. She never expected him to say such things suddenly. Jiang Lin’s face turned red as she coughed twice to hide her embarrassment and quickly changed the subject, “Who is Xiang Wentian? Is he very strong?”
“Him?” Xie Wendong thought for a while before sighing deeply. “Xiang Wentian is an amazing hero. But being able to defeat him must be an incredible feeling as well.”
Jiang Lin was stunned and then asked, “What about you?” “Me? Hehe, I’m just a scoundrel.” Xie Wendong picked up his teacup and took a sip. He had the habit of eating while drinking, a habit he learned from Jin Peng. Jiang Lin laughed and said, “You’re really strange. Most people would belittle their enemies and exaggerate their own status, but you do the opposite.”
“I can’t help it,” Xie Wendong shrugged. “I can’t find any excuse to belittle him, nor any reason to elevate myself.”
“At least, yesterday, you were a gentleman,” Jiang Lin said, her eyes shining as she fixed them on Xie Wendong’s face. Xie Wendong shook his head and smiled, then stood up. “It’s nothing. I’m just old-fashioned,” he said. After checking his watch and thinking for a moment, he added, “I have some matters to attend to. You’d better not drink too much today, because not everyone is a ‘gentleman.’” Seeing that he was leaving, Jiang Lin also stood up. She wanted to ask what he needed to take care of, but then held back and said with a smile, “Don’t worry. Even when I drink, I know my limits.” Hearing this, Xie Wendong laughed, tapped her with his finger, said nothing more, and left the bar.
San Yan and Gao Qiang, who had just finished eating, followed slowly. When they reached Xie Wendong’s side, San Yan said softly, “Lao Liu called just now and said we can go now.”
“Mm!” Xie Wendong nodded, got into the car, and the vehicle started, heading toward the city center. There was no conversation throughout the trip. The car stopped in front of the entrance to a residential complex. The security guard at the gate saw the Mercedes logo on their car and immediately bowed slightly, politely asking, “May I ask whom you’re looking for? We need to register first.” Gao Qiang was driving, while San Yan sat in the passenger seat. He rolled down the window, glanced at the security guard, then raised his head and said rudely, “Register? I don’t even need to register when going in and out of the municipal party committee. Who the hell are you? Get lost!” After saying that, he closed the window, and the car drove in slowly. The security guard turned red in anger. After they drove away, he spat angrily and cursed, “It’s just some money! Damn it!” In the car, San Yan turned to Xie Wendong with a smile and said, “Brother Dong, using intimidation works everywhere!”
Xie Wendong smiled but didn’t respond. Gao Qiang slowly parked the car by the roadside. San Yan looked around at the buildings outside and muttered to himself, “A bureau chief lives here?” Xie Wendong replied, “Shanghai isn’t like back home. We need to avoid suspicion.” San Yan said, “Lao Liu said this deputy bureau chief has a good reputation. He might be tricky to deal with.” “That’s exactly why I’m going in person to see what kind of person he is,” Xie Wendong said softly. “Anyway, we must get him on our side. Without official support, we can’t do anything, not even take a step.” “Exactly!” San Yan exclaimed. “Lao Lei is a good example.”
As they were talking, a light flashed behind them. A black Audi car approached. Gao Qiang turned to look closely and said, “Brother Dong, they’re here.”
A sedan stopped not far from them. First, a middle-aged man in his forties got out, followed by a young man carrying a black leather briefcase, who seemed to be talking to the middle-aged man about something. After a while, the young man handed the briefcase to the middle-aged man and got back into the car, driving away from the complex, while the middle-aged man strode toward an alley.
Xie Wendong shook his head, and Sanyan and Gao Qiang understood what he meant. They got out of the car and hurried over. As soon as the middle-aged man entered the alley, he heard footsteps behind him but didn’t pay much attention. When he reached the elevator, before he could press the button, a large hand covered his mouth. The middle-aged man was startled and turned to look—there were two men standing on either side of him. The one on the left appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties, with a cold expression devoid of emotion. The one on the right was around thirty, with a stern face and sharp features; notably, he had a slightly red vertical scar between his eyebrows, resembling a third eye. After seeing them, the middle-aged man felt a shiver in his heart. Based on his years of experience, he knew these two were not good people. Yet he remained calm. Given Shanghai’s generally good law and order, he didn’t change his expression and asked, “What do you want?” Sanyan nodded and asked back, “Are you Director Wang?” “That’s right! What do you want from me?” the middle-aged man asked, feigning ignorance.
Sanyan smiled and said, “My brother is looking for you.” “Who’s your brother?” “You’ll know when you meet him.” The middle-aged man glanced at his watch and said apologetically, “It’s too late. My family is waiting for me. It seems I can’t go anywhere.” “It won’t take long,” Sanyan said with a smile. “My brother is right at the entrance.” As he spoke, he pointed outward.
The middle-aged man looked in that direction and indeed saw a black sedan parked by the road. It was unclear whether there was anyone inside. He wasn’t a fool—he wouldn’t get into someone else’s car easily, in case they had malicious intentions and set a trap for him. He said with a smile, “Since you want to see me and it’s so close, just let your brother come out.”
Just then, the elevator made a “ding” sound, the doors opened, and two people stepped out. Gao Qiang reacted quickly, pulling out a gun and subtly pressing it against the middle-aged man’s waist. For once, he showed a smile, speaking in a friendly and gentle tone, “Please remember, we’re not asking you what to do. I think you know very well.” As he spoke, he pushed the gun tip against his waist. The two people who came out of the elevator were stunned at first upon seeing the three of them, then smiled at the middle-aged man and said, “Director Wang, you’re back early today!”
With a cold pistol pressed against his waist, the middle-aged man had no mood to greet them. He merely grunted in response. Sanyan smiled at the two of them and said, “Director Wang isn’t feeling well today. We’ll take him upstairs.” “Oh!” The two didn’t doubt him at all. They gave the middle-aged man a concerned look before leaving. Once they were gone, Gao Qiang’s expression returned to normal. This time, ignoring whether the middle-aged man wanted to or not, he forced him to walk out of the alley. The middle-aged man was held at gunpoint by Sanyan and Gao Qiang on either side and was forced into a car.
As soon as he entered, a fair and slender hand greeted him. “Director Wang, it’s our first meeting. I’m sorry if I’ve offended you—please forgive me!” Xie Wendong said with a smile as he extended his hand.
The middle-aged man had thought he had been kidnapped, but to his surprise, there was indeed someone in the car. He looked up and down at Xie Wendong, finding him to resemble a student rather than someone important. Confused, he asked, “The person looking for me can’t be you, right?” “Why not?” Xie Wendong smiled. “I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Xie Wendong.”
The middle-aged man was clearly stunned for a moment. Then, his complexion turned dull, as if he had aged five or six years in an instant. After a long while, he weakly said, “Ah! I see now. Mr. Xie must have a reason for coming after me.” “Yes! Indeed, I do.” “Since it’s Mr. Xie himself who’s come after me, it must be important.” Xie Wendong laughed heartily and said, “It could be considered big or small.” “Oh?” The middle-aged man was puzzled and asked, “What is it?” Xie Wendong narrowed his eyes and said, “I want one of your eyes.”
The middle-aged man laughed. He had heard of Xie Wendong’s status and knew of his strength. He said, “Though I’m old, it would still be very inconvenient without an eye. Mr. Xie really knows how to joke!” Xie Wendong’s expression became serious as he said, “I’m not joking. I’m speaking to you very seriously right now.” The middle-aged man’s expression changed. He glanced at Sanyan and Gao Qiang in front of him. After a long while, he said, “Now that I’m in Mr. Xie’s hands, do I still have any chance to resist?”
Xie Wendong shook his head and said, “I’m not asking for the kind of eyes you think.” “Then what is it?” “I want you to turn a blind eye within your jurisdiction.” Ah! So that’s it! Only now, in middle age, did he understand Xie Wendong’s intention, and he breathed a sigh of relief. But soon, he became nervous again, even more so than before. What Xie Wendong asked of him was even more difficult than just having one eye removed. He shook his head and said, “I’m a police officer.” “I know.” Xie Wendong reached into his pocket, startling the middle-aged man, but he merely took out a cigarette and lit it. Everyone understood what he meant, so he said straightforwardly, “Of course, I won’t make things too difficult for you. If something serious does happen, I’ll explain things to you.” The middle-aged man kept shaking his head, saying, “I can’t tolerate others doing illegal things right under my nose.”
Xie Wendong nodded, raised the corner of his mouth, and retorted, “Then can you tolerate living in constant fear all day long? I can bring you here today, and I can do the same tomorrow or the day after. As one gets older, one should enjoy a peaceful retirement!” Sweat appeared on the middle-aged man’s forehead, and he remained silent. Xie Wendong added, “Even if you don’t think about yourself, you should think about your children at home. Although I don’t like to involve others, I have no choice but to do this if necessary.” The middle-aged man’s face turned even paler as he took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his face. “It’s up to you to decide whether to be friends or enemies. But I must make it clear that no matter how honest you are, you can’t change China’s overall situation. If you die, the next deputy director might be able to work well with me. Think carefully about what to do.” After a pause, he added, “By the way, time is very important to me. You only have ten minutes.” The middle-aged man lowered his head, his face alternating between red and pale, his expression shifting between shock and anger. It was clear he was in an extremely complex mood. Ten minutes passed quickly. Xie Wendong pushed open the car door and said, “Whatever your decision is, time’s up. You can get out and go home now.”
The middle-aged man remained motionless, his heart like a sea ravaged by a typhoon—turbulent and stormy. After a long while, he asked in return, “If I do as you say, if I really lose one of my ‘eyes,’ what benefit will I have?” “You can get everything you want!” Xie Wendong said with a smile. “Once I say something, I’ll definitely do it.” “I see.” The middle-aged man got out of the car and stretched out his hand. “Mr. Xie, welcome to my home. We can discuss this in detail.” Xie Wendong smiled slightly, got out of the car as well, and nodded with a smile. “Then I’ll trouble Director Wang.” He turned to signal Sanyan and Gao Qiang to stay downstairs, while he and the middle-aged man went upstairs together.
No one knew what they discussed. Sanyan and Gao Qiang waited in the car for nearly two hours before Xie Wendong came out smiling. Seeing his expression, the two understood everything. Sanyan couldn’t help but ask, “Brother Dong, is it done?” “Mm!” Xie Wendong replied softly. Sanyan laughed. “It’s that simple? I thought it would be hard to deal with the officials in Shanghai!” Xie Wendong said, “Crows are all the same black everywhere. It’s just that people in Shanghai are more timid and cautious. They may not be reliable in critical moments.”
“Hehe!” Sanyan sneered confidently. “As long as he takes our money, why would he refuse to help?” “Unfortunately, he didn’t want our money,” Xie Wendong shook his head.
“What?” Sanyan’s eyes widened in surprise. “He didn’t want our money? Then can he still help us?” “I said it—people in Shanghai are more timid. It’s not that he doesn’t want it, but that he dares not ask for it. He’ll get used to it eventually,” Xie Wendong said. Sanyan let out a sigh and laughed, looking up. “It seems we’ll have to cultivate another corrupt official for the country.”
By the time they returned to the hotel, it was completely dark. Xie Wendong checked around and saw nothing unusual, so he went back to his small room at Tianyi Bar. Before he could even settle in, there was a knock at the door. Sighing reluctantly, he got up to open it—it was Jiang Lin. She was dressed in beige casual clothes, her hair tied back in a ponytail. With light makeup, she looked even more innocent, appearing years younger than usual, full of energy and vitality. Even Xie Wendong was stunned for a couple of seconds before sincerely saying, “I think you look more beautiful without makeup.” “Thank you!” Jiang Lin smiled gracefully. “That’s the nicest thing I’ve heard today.”