Xiao Zhenggong carried a white dress shirt draped over his left arm as he pushed open the door and entered the hospital room. First, he looked at He Jiaqing lying on the bed.
"Dark Star Bureau investigating a case. Get out!" Xiao Zhenggong turned to face He Haisheng, who was smoking.
He Haisheng exhaled a plume of smoke, which drifted and lingered around Xiao Zhenggong's face for a moment.
Xiao Zhenggong pulled a lighter from his breast pocket and lit a cigarette of his own. The lighter twirled twice across his fingertips, poised as if ready to fly toward He Haisheng at any second.
He Haisheng raised both hands. "Easy, Captain Xiao. Don't be rash—careful you don't spark something. If you've got a case to investigate, I'll just take my leave."
With that, He Haisheng left the room.
Xiao Zhenggong closed the door and looked at He Jiaqing lying on the bed.
"Do it, Senior Brother," the garment spoke.
"I'm not sure if this is He Jiaqing," Xiao Zhenggong hesitated.
"Whether he is or isn't, better to kill the wrong man than let him slip away."
Xiao Zhenggong stayed on high alert, keeping a distance of more than a meter from He Jiaqing on the bed.
If this person truly were He Jiaqing, he could leap up at any moment to fight Xiao Zhenggong for his life.
In a life-or-death struggle between a Journey Cultivator and a Martial Cultivator, the outcome was hard to predict. If their cultivations were matched, the Martial Cultivator held the advantage. But what if He Jiaqing's cultivation was higher than his?
After observing for quite a while, the person on the bed remained completely motionless, with only beads of sweat rolling down his cheeks one after another.
"Kill him, Senior Brother. Even if you kill the wrong person, it's no loss to you."
No loss? That was impossible.
Though Xiao Zhenggong was a balancer, there were lines he could not cross too brazenly. The bureau placed great importance on He Jiaqing; killing him wasn't something that could be cleared up with a mere written report. It might even force Xiao Zhenggong to use the Balancer's Seal.
The Balancer's Seal came at immense cost. Unless pushed to absolute extremity, Xiao Zhenggong did not want to take things that far.
Amidst his hesitation, Xiao Zhenggong snapped his gaze toward the door.
Through the closed door, he sensed a pair of eyes watching him.
Xiao Zhenggong walked to the door and pulled it open, only to see Captain Chen Changrui, clad in a jacket with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, standing outside with a faint smile.
"Captain Chen, when did you arrive?"
"Just got here," Chen Changrui said with a chuckle, taking a drag on his cigarette. "I heard you were investigating, so I didn't want to disturb you. Go ahead and finish your investigation; we can talk after you're done."
Xiao Zhenggong stared at Chen Changrui, the muscles in his cheek twitching repeatedly.
Chen Changrui glanced at He Jiaqing on the bed and made an inviting gesture toward Xiao Zhenggong.
It was as though he were telling Xiao Zhenggong: you may kill He Jiaqing anytime you like.
*Old bastard, you're just dying for me to make a move!*
Xiao Zhenggong shoved his lighter into his trouser pocket and strode out of the room.
Once in the car, the white garment couldn't help asking, "Senior Brother, what are you actually afraid of him for? That old man's cultivation shouldn't be a match for yours, right?"
"It's not about cultivation," Xiao Zhenggong said as he started the engine. "If I make a move on He Jiaqing right in front of Chen Changrui, I could be transferred out of the Security Team."
"Why must you stay in the Security Team? With your background, there are plenty of prime posts you could choose from."
"You wouldn't understand even if I told you." Xiao Zhenggong hit the gas and drove out of the parking lot. "The Security Team is the best place to be!"
"Senior Brother, if you're going to be so timid and hesitant, I'm afraid you won't be able to carry out the task Master assigned."
Halfway there, Xiao Zhenggong suddenly slammed on the brakes, nearly causing the car behind him to rear-end him.
The white garment had no idea what Xiao Zhenggong was doing, only hearing him murmur to himself, "No, something isn't right."
"What's not right?"
"Why was he smoking just now?"
"You mean Chen Changrui? I thought you said he was a heavy smoker."
"I still feel like something was off..." Xiao Zhenggong rubbed his forehead, racking his memory for Chen Changrui's habits.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed—it was a dispatch notification from the bureau.
"A suspected mutant creature has appeared in Huichi Community, Baihe Road, Tulou Village. All team members, proceed to the scene immediately."
Chen Changrui's voice?
Where on earth was Chen Changrui?
Xiao Zhenggong started the car. He wanted to head back to the hospital.
From the back seat, the white garment said, "Senior Brother Xiao, you should have shown this kind of resolve long ago!"
Having turned the steering wheel halfway, Xiao Zhenggong did not make the U-turn.
He couldn't shake the feeling that someone was setting a trap.
"Chen Changrui wants to force me out. The old bastard is playing games with me. Let's see who's the one that leaves today..." Xiao Zhenggong muttered a few words to himself, then drove off toward Tulou Village.
***
"Chen Changrui" stood outside the hospital room for a brief moment, then turned and walked toward the restroom at the end of the hallway.
Before long, "He Haisheng" emerged from the restroom, still dressed in a suit.
Both the earlier "Chen Changrui" and the current "He Haisheng" had been disguised personas of He Jiaqing. Even the clothes on his body had been transformed using an Opera Cultivator technique.
He Jiaqing sat down beside He Haisheng and wiped away his sweat.
After a moment of thought, he made a snipping motion across He Haisheng's forehead with two fingers, as if severing an invisible thread.
He Haisheng abruptly sat up from the bed and grabbed He Jiaqing by the collar. "You little bastard!"
He Haisheng could move now—He Jiaqing had undone the Binding Cultivator technique on him.
"Third Uncle, hear me out first..."
"Hear you out about what?! I'll fucking slaughter you..."
Footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door; the rounds doctor had arrived.
He Haisheng weighed his options for a split second, then lay back down on the bed to continue masquerading as He Jiaqing.
There were things he did not want outsiders knowing.
He Jiaqing smoothed his clothes and watched the doctor enter the room.
The doctor sniffed the air and frowned. "Smoking in the hospital room again? Do you know the hospital rules? Have you considered the patient at all? Look at your complete lack of consideration..."
This doctor was new here, seemingly not very familiar with He Haisheng, nor did he understand the He family's status and standing.
Once the routine questions and examinations were finished, He Jiaqing, smiling apologetically, saw the doctor out.
Confirming that no one would disturb them in the short term, He Haisheng sat up again and seized He Jiaqing by the collar once more. "You bastard, what the hell is going on? Explain yourself clearly."
He Jiaqing smiled faintly. "Do I even need to explain? I want to live with some dignity, but right now I have none. You saw it yourself—just now, that doctor was barking orders at me, and did I dare utter a single word in protest?"
"That's just the hospital's rules! No smoking allowed here; I go downstairs to smoke too!"
"Xiao Zhenggong was about to kill me just now—kill me right here in this hospital room! Is that also the hospital's rules?"
He Haisheng fell silent.
"I disguised myself as Chen Changrui, and Xiao Zhenggong didn't dare lay a finger on me. My life is gripped in the hands of two people from the Outer States; my life or death hinges on a passing whim of outsiders."
He Haisheng was silent for a moment, then said, "Xiao Zhenggong is from Puluo Province."
"I know he's from Puluo Province. He's the chief of the Jiangxiang Gang. With just that standing of his in Puluo Province, would he dare lay a hand on me? The only reason he dares to kill me now is because he has another identity in the Outer States—he's the vice captain of the Dark Star Bureau's Security Brigade! As long as he has a status in the Outer States, he dares to kill me anytime, anywhere."
"Since you chose to stay in the Outer States, you have to follow the Outer States' rules."
He Jiaqing gave a dry laugh. "Third Uncle, you've stayed in the Outer States so long that you've picked up their dry humor."
"How is this a joke..."
"It is a joke. Go ask the Garrison Commissioners from the Outer States—do they follow the rules in Puluo Province? Have they ever cared about Puluo Province's rules?"
He Haisheng pursed his lips. "If you don't want to stay in the Outer States, go back to Puluo Province! Once you're back in Puluo, you'll still be the eldest young master of the He family, and you won't have to swallow this indignity!"
"Not have to swallow indignity? Third Uncle, your jokes are getting more entertaining by the minute. How did the head of the Chu family die?"
"He died while clearing wild lands alongside the Lu family..." He Haisheng's voice softened slightly.
"Third Uncle, you can lie to me all you want, but can you lie to yourself? The head of the Chu family died at the hands of the Garrison Commissioner—you saw it with your own eyes. Ever since then, you've refused to return to Puluo Province. Did you think I didn't know?"
He Haisheng rubbed his forehead. Memories of past events flooded back, throwing his thoughts into turmoil.
He Jiaqing sighed. "They talk about the Four Great Families, but in the eyes of the Garrison Commissioner, we're just four dogs. While alive, we're dogs for the Outer States. Even if someone grinds their way to the tenth layer of cultivation, after death they're still dogs for the Inner States! Are the lives of people from Puluo Province really so cheap?"
He Haisheng took the cigarette pack from He Jiaqing's hands, pulled one out, and held it between his lips.
After finishing the cigarette, He Haisheng calmed down somewhat and asked, "What exactly are you trying to do?"
He Jiaqing said, "I told you just now. I want to live with some dignity. And I want the people of Puluo Province to live with dignity too."
He Haisheng lit another cigarette. "Earlier, Eldest Sister came to the hospital to see me..."
"Third Uncle, Eldest Aunt came to see me."
He Haisheng cuffed He Jiaqing upside the head. "You still fucking dare bring that up?! You think I wanted to lie here in your place? Eldest Sister said Big Brother passed away so suddenly that even having a Nightmare Cultivator summon his soul couldn't bring him back. Could it be he reached the tenth layer and went to the Inner States?"
He Jiaqing answered truthfully, "I sent my dad so many elixir pills, it was definitely enough for him to reach the tenth layer."
"You punk, how could you dare..."
"Third Uncle, that was my dad's wish. I was helping him. He didn't want to be a dog for the Outer States anymore either."
With the cigarette between his lips, He Haisheng took a deep drag. "All the family businesses are being managed by Eldest Sister now. She doesn't know how to run a business. Take some time to go back and see what's happening at home."
He Jiaqing shook his head. "I'm not going back. My business here isn't finished yet."
He Haisheng flared up. "At least get someone to check on it! That's our family's own business!"
He Jiaqing contacted Duan Shuqun. As it turned out, something really had gone wrong with the He family's business.
***
He Yuxiu was sitting in the residence drinking wine when the bookkeeper, Sheng Shanzhou, sighed. "Miss, that shipment from Black Ear Mountain is still being held up by the Outer States. You should have listened to me on this—we shouldn't have shorted the Garrison Commissioner's cut in the first place."
He Yuxiu snapped in fury, "The business took a loss, and we're still supposed to pay him the full fucking amount? Giving him half was generous enough! With freight rates that exorbitant, he didn't discount a single copper!"
"The freight fees go to the public coffers, but the cut goes into his personal pocket. Whether we make a profit or take a loss, we have to pay him in full..."
"Bullshit! If he hadn't meddled behind the scenes, this deal wouldn't have gone into the red! How does he account for that?!" He Yuxiu smashed her wine cup to pieces.
Hearing the commotion, He Haiqin's primary wife, Yan Yulin, stepped out of the bedroom. "Yuxiu, what are you doing? Why lose your temper with your own people?"
Sheng Shanzhou also felt aggrieved, keeping his head down without a word. He Yuxiu sighed. "I'm not mad at you. I just genuinely can't stand those bastards from the Outer States. Tell me, what should we do about this?"
Having served He Haiqin for many years, Sheng Shanzhou still had a bit of face with the Garrison Commissioner. "Miss, I'll find a way to invite the Garrison Commissioner out for a meal. We'll make up the remaining money, and you offer him an apology. That should put an end to the matter."
"Me? Apologize to him?!" He Yuxiu bristled.
Sheng Shanzhou grew agitated as well. "Miss, we're doing business—who doesn't have to swallow their pride sometimes? The Master never told you back then, but he endured far more grievances than this! You can't be too stubborn. It's precisely because you breached propriety with the Garrison Commissioner earlier that he's making trouble for us at every turn!"
He Yuxiu rose to her feet. "Go find whoever the fuck you want. I quit!"
Yan Yulin hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed He Yuxiu. "Yuxiu, you can't be like this. The whole family is counting on you—you can't talk like that out of spite..."
***
Duan Shuqun relayed the news to He Jiaqing. Aside from the business matters, he mentioned another incident.
Something had happened to the Jiangxiang Gang.
He Jiaqing looked at He Haisheng. "Third Uncle, two branches of the Jiangxiang Gang have been wiped out."
He Haisheng was startled. "You did it?"
He Jiaqing grew flustered. "How could it be me? I've been in Yuezhou this whole time."
He Haisheng was startled again. "You sent people to do it?"
He Jiaqing didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Third Uncle, why are you so dead set on thinking it was me?"
"If it wasn't you, why would Xiao Zhenggong want to kill you?"
"What kind of logic is that..." He Jiaqing didn't know how to explain.
He had plenty of bad blood with Xiao Zhenggong, and there were certain things he couldn't tell He Haisheng yet.
He Haisheng sat in silence for a moment before saying, "We can't stay in the hospital anymore. You leave first; I'll find a way to slip away."
P.S.: Chen Changrui never smokes in hospitals; this detail first appeared in Chapter 4.
Chapter 357