Past noon, a station wagon pulled up in front of the villa. Han Cheng climbed out and hurried into the living room. Peeking inside, he saw Mother Ling tidying up; lunch had probably ended not long ago.
From his past experience, Han Kuang would usually take a brief nap at this hour.
He walked in and asked, "Mother Ling, where are my two cousins staying?"
Mother Ling called out, "Young Master," before continuing, "Those two young masters? Master Chen is staying in the southeast guest room on the second floor, and Master Nian is right next to him."
As they were speaking, a voice drifted down from upstairs.
"So you finally remembered to come home?"
Han Cheng looked up and saw Yu Jie walking down the stairs. He quickly put on a grin and bustled over. "Come on, Mom, don't I have a lot of things to take care of?"
Yu Jie reached out and caught his ear in a firm grip. "Busy, busy, busy! So busy you can't even come home for the New Year?"
Han Cheng yelped. "Mom, please, stop! Didn't you say Aunt and my cousins are here? Save me some face!"
Yu Jie said crossly, "Oh, now you care about face? Let me tell you, both of your cousins have accomplished far more than you—especially Xiao Chuan, who is already a high-ranking official in Jibei Circuit Center City!"
"Oh? A high-ranking official?" Han Cheng's eyes lit up with sudden interest. "How high? What department? What rank?"
Yu Jie gave him a suspicious glare. "What are you scheming now?"
"I'm not scheming anything! What's wrong with getting to know my cousin? We've never met before, so isn't it only natural for me to show some family concern?"
Yu Jie warned him earnestly, "Son, let me make this clear: this cousin of yours is completely different. Don't you dare try pulling your usual tricks on him."
Han Cheng nodded repeatedly. "I know, I know."
"No, you don't. Let me tell you—"
Just then, Han Kuang's voice called from upstairs: "Mother Ling, bring up the newspaper I left down there earlier, please."
Mother Ling answered from below.
Han Cheng flinched in fright and whispered, "Mom, don't tell Dad I'm back yet." Saying that, he shoved a small wrapped box into Yu Jie's hands. "Mom, I bought this skincare set especially for you. I'm heading upstairs!" With that, he dashed away up another flight of stairs.
Watching him scurry off, Yu Jie chided with fond exasperation, "That boy." After a moment's thought, still feeling uneasy, she took the newspaper from Mother Ling and said, "Mother Ling, I'll take it up."
***
Han Cheng reached the second floor and walked to the end of the hallway. Seeing the guest room door open, he peered inside. Two young men were seated in the sitting room, two cups of tea resting on the table before them. Bathed in the pleasant afternoon sunlight pouring from outside, they seemed to be in the middle of a conversation.
He recognized one of them as Nian Qian. The latter had visited a few years ago, and apart from looking a bit sturdier and darker, his appearance had hardly changed. As for the other...
Han Cheng glanced over just as Chen Chuan looked his way. For reasons he couldn't explain, the instant his gaze met Chen Chuan's, a wave of apprehension struck his chest. He had rehearsed how he would casually chat him up on the way up, but now he found himself rooted to the spot.
He cleared his throat, smoothing back his hair to mask his awkwardness. Flashing an even row of white teeth, he waved a hand at both of them with a practiced grin. "Happy New Year, cousins! I'm your cousin Han Cheng."
Chen Chuan took him in. This eldest cousin was twenty-eight years old, though he appeared somewhat younger. He wore a designer imported suit, and conspicuous implants were visible across his face and the backs of his hands. Yet they were far more decorative than functional.
Chen Chuan could tell at a glance that—hygiene concerns aside—any two roadside implant technicians could pry them right off. Even so, they were certainly intimidating enough to bluff ordinary folk from the lower tiers.
He and Nian Qian exchanged greetings with Han Cheng. Exceedingly outgoing, Han Cheng pulled up a chair and took a seat across from them. He immediately told them to treat the place as their own home; if they needed to buy anything or required assistance, they should feel free to ask. As their older cousin, he would do whatever he could to help.
Chen Chuan could sense that these words were not entirely empty politeness. Surprisingly, they carried a sincere warmth, showing that Han Cheng genuinely meant what he said.
Nian Qian said, "Uncle mentioned you're in business these days. What kind of business is it?"
"Well, the old man calls it disreputable, but I don't see it that way. How should I put it..."
Han Cheng tapped his sunglasses against his palm twice. "A lot of people in Center City need certain controlled medicines, but the quotas released onto the market every year are strictly capped. What I do is organize teams and grease the right palms to bring those shipments into the city and onto the black market, meeting their demands."
Nian Qian looked at him. "You've got quite the nerve, Cousin, dabbling in contraband."
Han Cheng waved a dismissive hand. "Contraband? It's just a monopoly run by the big shots up top. I'm merely picking up the crumbs they let slip through their fingers. Is that so terrible?"
Nian Qian asked, "Aren't you worried those people will come looking for trouble?"
"Heh, there are countless people running this business, big and small. One more doesn't make a difference. If they can eat, so can I. Besides, this is just my stepping stone. Once I expand my network and connections, I can move on to bigger ventures."
"Bigger ventures? How big? Selling weapons?"
"Arms trafficking... Well, there's that too, but..." Han Cheng leaned forward slightly. "The old man is a straight arrow. There are people in the military who do that business. The old man's direct superior—Chief of Staff Bai, you know? The man has massive expenses. They actually invited the old man to join in, but he played dumb. After that, they drifted apart." He leaned back and spread his hands. "If you don't join their circle, they don't treat you as one of their own."
Nian Qian asked, puzzled, "There are no major wars inside the country. Who could they possibly sell weapons to? Abroad?"
"To whoever needs them, of course! There are foreign buyers, but the local garrison can't get a huge cut of that pie. Just because there's no war at home doesn't mean arms won't sell."
Han Cheng tapped his sunglasses on the tabletop. "Ever heard of resistance organizations?"
Chen Chuan's gaze shifted.
Nian Qian's expression instantly turned solemn. "Resistance organizations?"
"Don't look so shocked. It's hardly a secret. For the big shots up top, do you think the meager allowances handed down are enough to fill their bellies?"
Han Cheng said casually, "Even if the garrison doesn't sell to them, weapons will still be shipped in from elsewhere. Instead of letting outsiders take the profit, the garrison might as well swallow the whole business themselves."
Chen Chuan spoke up: "Who handles the transport?"
Han Cheng looked at Chen Chuan, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Sitting in front of this younger cousin felt uncomfortably like sitting before high-ranking senior officials.
He replied, "A transport company, of course. Our Shannan Dao sits right in the heart of Great Shun, with thoroughfares branching in every direction. The biggest transport and security firm here is Lianwei Heavy Control Company. The Municipal Council is stuffed full of their kickbacks every year, and military transport contracts are handed over to them as well. Their corporate headquarters is right here in Shannan Dao."
Chen Chuan lifted his teacup and took a sip. "Lianwei Heavy Control Company, is it..."
Nian Qian frowned. "Aren't they afraid things will go wrong?"
"Go wrong? What could go wrong? Heh, that aide always trailing behind Chief of Staff Bai happens to be the garrison deputy commander's son-in-law." Han Cheng shot him a knowing look. "Get it now?"
Nian Qian scowled in silence.
Chen Chuan recalled Chief of Staff Bai, who had come to meet him yesterday, as well as the handsome staff officer beside him, and slipped into thought.
"In this life, a man has to look out for himself," Han Cheng remarked. "The old man has bustled about for half his life and gotten nothing out of it. Look at everyone else: living in luxury, sending their kids to elite academies, walking around in the latest cutting-edge implants from home and abroad. All they have to do is attach their names to some company, lift not a single finger, and live off the fat of the land."
Han Cheng continued, "As for me, I wasn't blessed with that kind of luck, so I have to hustle on my own. Still, I don't hold a grudge against the old man. I've seen the people at the bottom; I'm already living better than ninety-nine percent of the city. Whatever the old man gives me, I take; whatever he doesn't, I find a way to earn myself."
Chen Chuan said, "Cousin, has anyone ever approached you?"
"Sure, why wouldn't they? They tried dragging me into the mud," Han Cheng replied. "But what kind of nobody am I? They were aiming for the old man all along. The old man might be rigid, but some of his advice is worth taking. Free windfalls don't fall from the sky; if one drops in your lap, someone definitely wants ten times more out of you. I want no part of their racket. I don't want to get thrown out as cannon fodder before I've even chewed a few bones, dragging the whole family down with me. Why would I bother?"
Chen Chuan nodded slightly. Though this cousin came across as somewhat flamboyant and ungrounded, his head was remarkably clear. At worst, he would dabble in minor infractions, but he would never touch anything genuinely disastrous.
Nian Qian remarked, "So it turns out you're scared too, Cousin."
"Heh, I'm a cautious man. I only run small-scale operations. If a path dead-ends, I can turn right around. So, what do you say? My venture just started up. Are you two interested in buying a share?"
Han Cheng looked at Chen Chuan. "Cousin, you're in Jibei Circuit, right? My business doesn't reach that far yet, but if you have anything troublesome that needs handling, you can send it my way."
Chen Chuan smiled faintly. "Cousin, there's something specific on your mind, isn't there?"
"Well, you saw right through me." Han Cheng rubbed his hands together sheepishly. "Here's the thing: I put together a crew to haul a batch of goods into the city. But with that sudden citywide lockdown, their documentation had a few flaws, so they were detained. I was thinking, since you came from Jibei Circuit and Mom said you're a high-ranking official, could you step in and arrange Jibei Circuit identities for them to get them out? Don't worry, I know the rules—not a single copper of your cut will be shorted afterward."
Chen Chuan asked, "How long ago did this happen?"
"Just this morning."
Chen Chuan said placidly, "Then there's no need for me to step in. Cousin, give them another call. They should already have been released."
Han Cheng froze. "Oh, alright, alright." He couldn't fathom where this cousin derived such confidence, but his instincts told him the words were trustworthy.
With the matter weighing heavily on his mind, Han Cheng chatted for another moment before slipping out of the room. He immediately dialed his crew's number. Almost the instant the call went through, the line connected.
An excited voice burst from the receiver: "Mr. Han! The checkpoint just let us go!"
"Let you go? You're out?" Han Cheng's voice rose despite himself.
"Yeah! We got out an hour ago, and the goods have already been delivered! The client is thrilled. Center City was locked down tight today, with guards everywhere along the roads, but we were the only ones who got our shipment through! Boss, you really are something else!"
"Right, right..."
After ending the call, Han Cheng's expression turned dead serious. Something was very off. From what his man had said, the armed security forces across the city had turned a blind eye to his delivery team. That certainly wasn't done out of respect for him. Forget him—even if his father, Han Kuang, stepped forward, he wouldn't command that kind of clout.
Recalling what Chen Chuan had told him just moments earlier, shock and doubt swirled through his mind: *Just what kind of background does this cousin of mine have?*
Chapter 862