CH 251

When Xing Conglian opened his phone, numerous messages flooded in.

The busy medical staff had already left the room, leaving Lin Chen peacefully sleeping on the bed, covered like a fluffy cloud. A floor-to-ceiling window stretched across the room, with the sea just a short distance away.

In the far distance, where the sea and sky met, it was no longer pure black. The sea appeared in a deep blue color, tranquil and profound, like the most soothing lullaby.

Lin Chen’s face was calm. His black hair obediently fell to the sides of his ears. There were kiss marks and accidental bruises on his neck, but they held no sexual implications.

Or perhaps, standing outside this room and looking at Lin Chen, he repeatedly recalled the events that had just taken place. There were no sexual motives in his heart, and of course, nothing to regret.

The taxi driver had repeatedly asked him why he had spent three and a half hours bringing Lin Chen here, but Xing Conglian truly couldn’t answer. Considering various reasons, perhaps it was because this place at home was quiet and undisturbed, or maybe it was to keep Lin Chen in a place within his control so that he could feel at ease. Of course, there was also the reason that he had lived in this room before and the view from the window was nice. However, Xing Conglian was well aware that these reasons were not entirely accurate.

He had spent three and a half hours taking a taxi to bring Lin Chen to this sanatorium simply because he felt lost. He couldn’t be like Lin Chen, always knowing exactly what to do to be right.

Until now, he could only act according to his primal instincts; in other words, being willful.

Xing Conglian lowered his head to look at the screen.

The result of his willfulness was countless missed calls, one progress report after another regarding the case, and even Huang Ze’s final ultimatum.

He scrolled through the phone, hastily reading through these things.

The morning light was gradually rising, casting a hazy golden hue, making one side of Lin Chen’s face even brighter. Bathed in the morning light, his eyelashes were distinct. A bunch of daisies sat on the bedside, looking beautiful.

Everything was filled with vitality, giving Xing Conglian the illusion that at any moment, Lin Chen would sit up on the edge of the bed and greet him with a “Good morning.”

But the high dosage of sedatives meant that this scene could only exist in his imagination. Also existing in his imagination was the peaceful life he fantasized about having with Lin Chen.

There was no one in this world who could be absolutely capricious and free.

Xing Conglian put his phone back into his pocket and turned to leave.

……

Standing in the underground parking lot of the sanatorium, Xing Conglian realized the troubles that would follow after he spent three and a half hours bringing Lin Chen here.

There was no other reason but the fact that this was the family’s sanatorium, naturally inhabited by many friends of the family.

One minute ago, he was ready to randomly find a car and drive back to Hongjing.

Suddenly, the corner of the underground garage erupted with the roar of an engine, and the car lights flashed. Before he could react, a sports car had already reversed out of the garage and was racing towards him.

The sports car was an extremely flashy bright yellow color, with a low body, scissor doors, and sleek streamline. It was like a hot and noble young girl, bold yet full of elegance. It was probably a flagship supercar from a certain brand, maybe even a limited edition worldwide. However, Xing Conglian didn’t understand these things, so he couldn’t tell how much the car was worth.

A few seconds later, the sports car came to a steady stop in front of him.

The car door opened, and someone sitting in the driver’s seat flashed a smile, revealing a set of white teeth. The first thing they said was, “Take me out to have some fun, and I promise not to tell your parents about you liking men!”

Sitting in the car was an old man who looked withered all over, thin to the point of being unrecognizable, completely mismatched with the high-tech interior.

One pant leg on the old man’s accelerator pedal was empty, revealing a metal leg brace. He had an extremely long scar on his arm, a Fu Manchu mustache, and a catheter bag hanging from his waist. However, his eyes were sharp and piercing. What was even more excessive was that the old man had a smoking pipe in his mouth, puffing out clouds of smoke.

It took Xing Conglian a moment to remember who he was looking at. He looked coldly at the old man sitting in the high-tech driver’s seat, and the old man happened to exhale a mouthful of smoke.

“You… You haven’t told them already, have you?” The old man stared at him with wide eyes, blowing his mustache.

“What if I did?” he retorted.

“Then I wish you all the best!” The old man reluctantly placed his bony hand on the steering wheel, feeling grumpy.

Xing Conglian didn’t want to continue the conversation. He bowed to the old man.

In the corner of the garage stood helpless medical staff. Xing Conglian signaled to them with his eyes, and soon someone came over and swiftly snatched the smoking pipe from the old man’s mouth, preparing to escort him out of the car.

“Wait! Wait! You gay people have no compassion!” The old man struggled and shouted.

The garage guard also approached him and asked in a low voice, “Are you planning to take this car?”

“This is my car! Mine!” The old man shouted with all his strength, sounding almost like he was about to cry.

“Find me a rental car,” Xing Conglian said.

“Why rent? I’ll drive you!” the old man exclaimed.

By then, most of the old man’s body had been dragged out of the car. Something hanging on his side waist caught his attention. Xing Conglian carefully looked at it and realized it was a transparent catheter bag. He stopped the medical staff on the scene.

During this gap, the old man swiftly climbed back into the car, holding onto the steering wheel and refusing to let go. “The doctor said I only have three months to live.”

“So what?”

“So you’re allowed to bring back a man in the middle of the night like King You of Zhou*, but I can’t go out for a short stroll?” The old man rubbed his face and then became excited again. He patted the emblem on the steering wheel, happily saying, “This is my newly purchased car. I haven’t even test-driven it yet. If I die, I won’t be able to step on the gas pedal!”

*Twelfth King of the Zhou Dynasty, who is infamous for his indulgent lifestyle and neglectful behavior towards his kingdom. One of his most famous references in literature is trying to please his concubine Bao Si, who wouldn’t laugh no matter what he did. King You then tried to amuse her by lighting the warning beacons and fooling his nobles into thinking the Quanrong nobles were about to attack. When the nobles arrived, they found themselves laughed at by Bao Si. King You continued to do this and eventually lost his nobles trust until the Quanrong really attacked. Unfortunately, his nobles didn’t answer the warning beacon’s call, thinking it was all a ruse. (However, this story seems to be fabricated, but now it is often tied to King You as a metaphor for a ruler who prioritizes personal desires over the welfare of his subjects.)

……

Huang Ze sat in the conference room, feeling completely exhausted.

In front of him were all the evidence presented by Zhourui Pharmaceutical regarding Xing Conglian’s bribery: including two villas in Anshan Scenic Area, records of an 8 million cash transfer, and some unsigned Zhourui equity transfer agreements.

These pieces of evidence were laid out in front of him. Except for the unsigned equity agreement, everything else seemed to be genuine. However, apart from the clearly accounted-for money, the remaining evidence wasn’t direct. The other party’s argument was that Xing Conglian hadn’t had the opportunity to sign, and the company decided to expose this corrupt cop without being coerced.

“Inspector Huang, you have been looking at these pieces of evidence for over an hour,” someone reminded him. “Captain Xing probably won’t come, right?”

Huang Ze gritted his teeth.

If Xing Conglian didn’t show up, Zhourui Pharmaceutical would insist that Captain Xing was a dirty cop. It was almost time for work to start, and they couldn’t continue detaining everyone present.

What made it even harder for him to accept was that Su Fengzi, after causing a commotion throughout Zhourui’s upper management all night, was now sleeping with his head on the meeting table, while his arm pressed on a real estate document, emitting a faint snoring sound.

Huang Ze’s face turned cold. He packed up everything on the table one by one and slammed them back onto the table. “You consider these as evidence, but I believe they are fabricated to frame someone.”

He spoke with righteous indignation, but what he didn’t expect was that the following scene would become extremely awkward.

At first, the roaring sound of an engine from outside the building drowned out the arguments in the conference room.

Everyone in the office looked bewildered. Some instinctively walked to the window, their mouths agape, unable to utter a word.

The thunderous noise from the high-performance sports car’s engine shook the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Huang Ze furrowed his brow. From the sound, it seemed like the sports car had stopped downstairs at Zhourui. A sense of foreboding flashed through his mind.

At that moment, Su Fengzi, as if feeling uncomfortable in his position, turned over and continued to sleep. Huang Ze clearly saw a strange smile on his lips.

“This… This is a sports car! Whose car is it from our company?” Someone at the window exclaimed at a loss for words.

Huang Ze immediately stood up and took a few quick steps to the window.

A bright yellow Lamborghini sports car arrogantly raised its door. Its sleek body, front and rear double wishbone suspensions, and even a somewhat wild and audacious rear spoiler made the car shine under the sunlight.

Huang Ze’s heartbeat quickened, and in his mind, he instantly recalled all the data about the entire car. Men always loved luxury cars, and this was the car model he had always dreamed of but couldn’t afford. His mind became heated, and he even had the impulse to go downstairs and get closer.

However, the figure stepping out of the sports car made him feel as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him.

The wrinkled clothing, scruffy facial hair, and those weary eyes that seemed as if they had just returned from a long journey…

Although Huang Ze recognized him at a glance, it took him a long time to confirm that he wasn’t mistaken.

He clenched his fist, took out his phone, dialed a number, and looked downstairs.

The person standing in the center of the square stood still and answered the phone.

A cold and deep voice came from the other end.

It was Xing Conglian, looking decadent and arrogant—even more like a dirty cop than those portrayed in TV dramas!

“What the hell are you doing?” Huang Ze struggled to restrain himself, feeling that everything he had argued on behalf of Xing Conglian just moments ago had become a joke.

“I didn’t feel like attending the meeting,” Xing Conglian replied indifferently.

“Do you even realize how dangerous your situation is?” Anger surged in Huang Ze’s mind. He wished he could rush downstairs immediately and grab Xing Conglian by the collar to question him if he knew what a critical moment, public scrutiny, and keeping a low profile meant!

Upon hearing this, the police officers in the square instinctively turned their heads and glanced at the flashy sports car.

At the same time, an old man with a limp quickly climbed down from his seat, still holding his bright yellow catheter bag, and looked at the building with great excitement.

Xing Conglian turned back and impatiently said, “I couldn’t find a taxi out in the countryside earlier, so I had to call for this car.” After speaking, he abruptly hung up the phone.

Huang Ze stood by the window, his face turning pale as the glass reflected his anger. At the same time, in the silent corner of the office, a long, cold snort could be heard.

He turned his head to look, and his Uncle Shi pushed up his glasses on his nose and smiled like a victor.