Zhou Ruo An rendered meritorious service for the third branch of the Zhou family, and Zhou Jing Tao rewarded him with a wristwatch in front of Zhou Bin and Zhou Zhe.
The watch had been brought back by Zhou Jing Tao from an overseas business trip—rare and expensive, worthy of the status of a young master of the Zhou family.
Zhou Ruo An immediately removed his old watch and put on the new one. He did it slowly, secretly observing everyone’s reactions. Zhou Bin showed disdain, Zhou Zhe remained indifferent, and only the old house steward, dressed in a formal suit, lowered his gaze respectfully as he served Zhou Ruo An tea.
This time, the old man served fine tea—the green liquor smooth as silk, its fragrance faintly curling upward—far better than what had previously been poured into Zhou Ruo An’s cup.
Zhou Ruo An thanked him politely. Lifting his wrist, he deliberately put on a somewhat reckless, youthful air. “Big Brother, Second Brother—how is it? Does it look good?”
Zhou Bin drank his tea without speaking, turning his eyes away with a faint snort. Zhou Zhe, however, smiled and replied, “It looks good. Fourth Brother is handsome—something with this kind of nobility suits you.”
Zhou Ruo An enjoyed being flattered—especially insincere flattery. That restrained resentment—where someone gets slapped yet must grit their teeth and praise the blow—brought him a twisted kind of pleasure.
His smile deepened. “This time, I was only able to resolve the matter at the electronics factory thanks to the guidance I’ve received from Big Brother and Second Brother.”
Zhou Bin still did not respond. Once again, Zhou Zhe stepped in before Zhou Ruo An’s words could fall flat. “We’re family—there’s no need to be so formal.”
Though both men smiled, their gazes resembled those of opponents in a match—scrutinizing, clashing—sharp as blades piercing to the bone.
Zhou Ruo An was the first to look away. His phone rang in his pocket.
In the past, he would never have dared to answer a personal call in front of Zhou Jing Tao. But today, he hesitated not at all and answered immediately. Interpersonal struggles were like conquering territory—if he didn’t advance while riding the tide of success, when would he?
He lifted the phone to his ear and softly said, “Hello.” The voice on the other end was very familiar—low and slightly hoarse, brushing against his ear like a teasing scratch, sending a tremor through his nerves.
It was Lin Yi.
Zhou Ruo An was strangely sensitive to Lin Yi’s voice; he usually had to hold the phone away. But with others around and their dealings being something unspeakable, he could only press the phone tightly to his ear, enduring the tingling sensation as he asked, “What is it?”
“Zhou Zhe took your biological sample for another DNA test.”
“What?!”
Zhou Ruo An looked up in shock—just in time to meet Zhou Zhe’s gaze. It looked like a smile, yet beneath it lurked a dark killing intent.
His hand trembled, spilling some tea. The old steward wiped the table clean, his drooping eyes hidden within the motion, casting a cold glance at Zhou Ruo An.
Zhou Ruo An held his breath, quickly regaining composure, and returned a smile. “Thank you, Uncle Zhong.”
His smile carried into the phone as well. “That’s a good suggestion. Let’s meet and talk another day. I still have something to do now—I’ll hang up first.”
After ending the call, his cup had already been refilled with fresh tea. The Zhou father and sons resumed their idle conversation. Zhou Ruo An joined in enthusiastically, the watch on his wrist reflecting dazzling light—yet none of it illuminated the darkness in his eyes.
…
The moment Zhou Ruo An got into the car, he called Lin Yi back, asking urgently, “What’s going on?”
“It’s exactly what it sounds like. Zhou Zhe is probably suspicious of you and wants to verify again.”
As the low voice on the other end paused, other sounds became clear—soft moans and the rhythmic creaking of a bed.
Zhou Ruo An immediately pulled the phone away, staring at the caller ID. “Lin Yi, are you in the middle of something?”
A lazy chuckle came through the line, and the unsettling sounds stopped.
“A recording,” Lin Yi explained. “Watching to pick up some experience.”
“Damn.” Zhou Ruo An moved the phone farther away again. “People really change after they’ve had their first taste. You never used to care this much about this kind of thing.”
He picked up a cigarette but didn’t light it, just held it between his fingers as he asked irritably, “How do you know Zhou Zhe is redoing my DNA test? Did that nurse tell you?”
“He changed locations,” Lin Yi said, his voice lowering, deliberately slowed as if to entice. “Before you entered the Zhou family, to ensure everything went smoothly, I checked out most of the larger testing centers in the province. I used intimidation, incentives—made some connections. One of them just called me to say Zhou Zhe brought your biological sample in again to request DNA testing.”
The fingers gripping the steering wheel tightened. Under the overhead light, pale blue veins bulged faintly, making his skin appear even more ashen.
“What kind of biological sample did he use?”
“Hair.”
The cigarette was placed between his lips. He tried twice before lighting it. “Hair…”
Zhou Ruo An thought again of Zhou Zhe’s gaze—deep and shadowed, concealing schemes within. Only now did he understand that a storm centered around himself had already begun to brew—and was gathering force, ready to sweep everything away.
He coughed lightly and exhaled his first mouthful of smoke. Zhou Ruo An asked, “Brother Lin, did you call me because you want to help me?”
“Of course—you can also understand it as me wanting to do business with you.”
“How do we do that?”
“I name the price, you pay, and I’ll handle this for you.”
Smoke drifted lazily from his lips, half-concealing his handsome face. “The price won’t be low, will it?”
“The price you pay is directly proportional to the consequences you’ll face if this matter is exposed.”
“I never knew Brother Lin could sound so profound. To put it simply—you’re trying to extort me again.”
Faint, muffled sounds came through the phone again. Lin Yi’s attention seemed divided, making his tone sound careless. “Call it whatever you want. Whether you stay a young master of the Zhou family or go back to being a rat in the gutter of the slums—you choose.”
“I thought we had already reached an understanding—that we could advance and retreat together from now on.”
A soft chuckle came from the other end. “Based on those two ‘escorts’?”
Zhou Ruo An fell silent for a moment, then stubbed out the cigarette he had barely smoked. “Let’s meet and talk. It’s not clear over the phone—we’ll set a place and discuss it in person.”
“Sure,” the other party agreed immediately.
…
Looking at the location on the map, Lin Yi pushed open the car door and stepped out.
In front of him stood a dilapidated warehouse. He took out his phone and pressed the voice message button. “Zhou Ruo An, are you sure we’re meeting here?”
The reply came quickly, also in voice form: “I’ve recently felt like someone’s been following me, so I picked a more remote place to avoid them.”
Another message followed: “The second warehouse on the left. There’s a partition room inside—come in.”
Lin Yi put away his phone and followed the directions to the second warehouse. The door wasn’t locked, left slightly ajar with a narrow gap.
Pushing the iron door open, he stepped inside. The warehouse was dark; the windows had been boarded up from the outside with wooden planks. Bright sunlight slipped through the gaps, forming sharp beams that illuminated the dust floating in the air.
Looking ahead, there was indeed a wooden door in the deepest corner—it should be the partition room Zhou Ruo An mentioned.
Lin Yi carefully chose where to step, weaving through the clutter. Midway through, a sudden noise came from behind him—the heavy door hinge turned rapidly, and the iron door slammed against the frame with a loud crash.
Someone was locking the door.
Lin Yi’s expression tightened. He turned quickly, trying to stop it, but distance worked against him. The rattling of chains echoed from outside. His fingers had just touched the door when—click—the lock was fastened.
Through the narrow gap beneath the door, shadows shifted. Lin Yi steadied his breathing, staring at the faint silhouette, and said in a low voice, “Zhou Zhe?”
No one answered. Only hurried footsteps retreating—like someone fleeing in haste.
…
Despite the freezing weather, Ren Yu ran until he was sweating. A car was parked by the roadside; he yanked open the door and dropped into the seat, grabbing a bottle of water from the compartment and gulping it down.
Turning his head, he looked at the man in the driver’s seat and stammered, “H-he’s locked in. I’ve seen him beat people before—it’s terrifying.”
“Coward,” the man said, slipping a coin into his pocket as he started the car and drove off. A smile hung on his handsome face. “It’s not like he’s going to eat you.”
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