Zhou Ruo An had rendered meritorious service for the Zhou family’s third branch, so Zhou Jing Tao rewarded him with a watch in front of Zhou Bin and Zhou Zhe.
Zhou Jing Tao had brought the watch back from an overseas business trip. It was rare and expensive, befitting 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 expressions as he went. Zhou Bin looked disdainful, while Zhou Zhe remained indifferent. Only the old steward, dressed in a formal suit, respectfully lowered his eyes as he served Zhou Ruo An tea. The old man had finally brought him good tea this time. The jade-green infusion was smooth as satin, its fragrance curling lightly through the air—far better than whatever he had poured into Zhou Ruo An’s cup before.
Zhou Ruo An politely thanked him, then raised his wrist with a touch of youthful recklessness. “Big Brother, Second Brother, what do you think? Does it look good?”
Zhou Bin drank his tea without answering, turning away with a quiet snort. Zhou Zhe, on the other hand, smiled. “It does. Fourth Brother is good-looking. Something this expensive suits you.”
Zhou Ruo An enjoyed being flattered, especially when the praise was insincere. That kind of suppressed resentment—like someone being slapped across the face and still having to grit their teeth and say it was a good slap—was what most readily stirred his twisted sense of pleasure.
His smile deepened. “I was lucky enough to resolve the electronics factory issue this time, but that’s also because Big Brother and Second Brother have taught me so well.”
Zhou Bin still refused to respond. Once again, Zhou Zhe kept Zhou Ruo An’s words from falling flat. “We’re family. Saying things like that only makes us sound distant.”
Although both men were smiling, their eyes measured and challenged each other like opponents across a chessboard, their gazes clashing sharply enough to cut to the bone.
Zhou Ruo An was the first to look away. The phone in his pocket began to ring.
In the past, Zhou Ruo An would never have dared answer a personal call in front of Zhou Jing Tao. Today, however, he did not hesitate and immediately accepted it. Interpersonal struggles were like conquering cities and seizing territory. If he did not advance while he was at the height of his success, then when would he?
He brought the phone to his ear and softly said, “Hello?” A very familiar voice came through, slightly hoarse, as though it had brushed directly against his ear and made something at the tip of his heart tremble.
It was Lin Yi.
Zhou Ruo An was strangely sensitive to Lin Yi’s voice and normally had to hold the phone farther away whenever he heard it. But with other people around him now—and with the two of them involved in dealings that could not be brought into the open—he could only press the phone firmly against his ear, endure that faint tingling sensation, and ask, “What is it?”
“Zhou Zhe took a biological sample from you for another DNA test.”
“What?!”
Zhou Ruo An jerked his head up in alarm and met Zhou Zhe’s gaze directly. The man was clearly smiling, yet something dark and murderous seemed hidden beneath it.
The hand holding Zhou Ruo An’s teacup trembled, spilling some tea. The old steward wiped the moisture from the table with a cloth, his narrow, slightly drooping eyes concealed by the movement as he gave Zhou Ruo An an indifferent glance.
Zhou Ruo An held his breath, quickly regained his composure, and returned a smile. “Thanks, Uncle Zhong.”
The smile carried into his voice over the phone as well. “That suggestion of yours sounds good. We’ll meet another day and discuss it. I have something to take care of right now, so I’ll hang up first.”
After ending the call, fresh tea had already been added to his cup. The Zhou father and sons returned to casual conversation, and Zhou Ruo An enthusiastically inserted himself into it. The watch on his wrist reflected brilliant light, yet none of it ever seemed to illuminate the depths of his eyes.
＊
The moment Zhou Ruo An got into the car, he called Lin Yi back and asked urgently, “What happened?”
“Exactly what I said. Zhou Zhe probably started suspecting you and wants to test you again.”
When the deep voice on the other end paused, the surrounding noises became distinct. Soft moans drifted through the receiver along with the intermittent creaking of a bed.
Zhou Ruo An immediately pulled the phone away and stared at Lin Yi’s name on the screen. “Lin Yi, are you doing it?”
A lazy laugh sounded from the phone, and then the noises that had made Zhou Ruo An’s scalp prickle abruptly disappeared.
“A video,” Lin Yi explained. “Watching and learning. Picking up some experience.”
“Fuck.” Zhou Ruo An moved the phone farther away again. “People really are different after they’ve had their first taste. Never saw you this interested in this stuff before.”
He took out a cigarette but did not light it, merely holding it between his fingers as he asked irritably, “How did you find out Zhou Zhe was having my DNA tested again? Did that nurse tell you?”
“He changed locations.” Lin Yi’s voice dropped slightly, and when he slowed his speech, it almost sounded deliberately seductive. “Before you entered the Zhou family, I checked out the larger testing centers in the province to make sure everything would go smoothly. Threats, incentives—I used whatever worked and established a few connections. One of them called me just now and said Zhou Zhe had brought in a biological sample from you and applied for another DNA test.”
The fingers resting on the steering wheel tightened. Beneath the overhead light, faint blue veins stood out against Zhou Ruo An’s skin, making it appear even paler.
“What biological sample did he use?”
“Hair.”
Zhou Ruo An put the cigarette between his lips and tried twice before getting the lighter to catch. “Hair…”
He thought again of Zhou Zhe’s gaze just now—deep and shadowed, as though a scheme were hidden within it. Only now did he understand that a storm centered on him had already begun quietly taking shape and was preparing to sweep everything away.
He coughed lightly after exhaling his first mouthful of smoke. “Brother Lin called me because you want to help?”
“Of course. Or you can understand it as me wanting to do business with you.”
“How?”
“I name the price, you pay, and I take care of the problem for you.”
Smoke drifted slowly from Zhou Ruo An’s mouth, partially obscuring his handsome face. “Won’t be cheap, will it?”
“The price you pay is proportional to the consequences you’ll face if this gets exposed.”
“Never knew Brother Lin could talk so profoundly. In simple terms, you’re trying to extort another chunk of money from me.”
Those soft, indistinct noises started coming through the phone again. Lin Yi’s attention seemed to wander, making his reply sound somewhat indifferent. “Call it whatever you want. You can either remain the Zhou family’s young master or go back to the slums and be a rat in the gutter. Your choice.”
“I thought we’d already reached an understanding that we could advance and retreat together from now on.”
A quiet laugh came from the other end. “Because of those two male escorts?”
Zhou Ruo An fell silent for a moment and crushed out the cigarette he had taken only a couple of drags from. “Let’s meet and talk. This is hard to explain over the phone. We’ll pick a place and discuss it face-to-face.”
“Sure.” Lin Yi agreed immediately.
＊
Looking at the location on the map, Lin Yi pushed open the car door and got out.
A dilapidated warehouse stood in front of him. He pulled out his phone, held down the voice-message button, and said, “Zhou Ruo An, are you sure we’re meeting here?”
The reply came quickly, also as a voice message. “Lately I keep feeling like someone’s following me, so I picked somewhere remote. Easier to avoid them that way.”
Another voice message followed. “Second warehouse on the left. There’s a partitioned room inside. Come in.”
Lin Yi put away his phone and followed the directions to the second warehouse. The door was unlocked, leaving only a narrow crack.
He pushed open the iron door and walked inside. There was no lighting in the warehouse, and the windows had been boarded shut from the outside. Bright sunlight streamed through the gaps between the wooden planks, forming several glaring bands of light in which dust could be seen dancing through the air.
Looking around, Lin Yi spotted a wooden door in the deepest corner. It was presumably the partitioned room Zhou Ruo An had mentioned.
He picked his way through the cluttered warehouse. Halfway across, a sudden noise sounded behind him. The heavy hinges turned rapidly, and the iron door slammed against the frame with a tremendous crash.
Someone was locking the door.
Lin Yi’s brows tightened. He spun around and rushed back to stop it, but the distance was too great. The rattling of chains came through the door. His fingers had only just reached the metal when, with a sharp click, the lock was secured from outside.
A shadow shifted through the narrow strip of light beneath the door. Lin Yi steadied his breathing, stared at that faint silhouette, and asked in a deep voice, “Zhou Zhe?”
No one answered. There was only the sound of rapidly retreating footsteps, almost as though whoever was outside were fleeing in panic.
＊
Despite the freezing weather, Ren Yu had worked up a head full of sweat. A car was parked by the roadside. He yanked open the door, dropped heavily into the passenger seat, grabbed a bottle of water from the storage compartment, twisted it open, and gulped several mouthfuls.
Turning his head, he looked at the man in the driver’s seat and stammered, “H-he’s locked inside. I’ve seen him beat people up before. He scared the hell out of me.”
“Coward.”
The man slipped the coin in his hand into his pocket, started the car, and smoothly pulled away from the roadside. A smile spread across his handsome face.
“It’s not like he’s going to eat you.”