Futile Devices Scans

The office door was pushed open, and a sharp-featured man leaned crookedly against the doorframe.

“The construction site called. Someone’s looking for you.”

“Who?”

“Xue Bao Tian.”

The fountain pen had run out of ink. The calligraphy practice sheet was pushed aside. Unscrewing the ink bottle, he dipped the pen tip inside. Deep blue ink accidentally stained the cuff of his shirt, ruining a garment worth several thousand yuan.

Setting the pen down, he pushed back the chair. Polished leather shoes stepped across the floor as he walked toward the wardrobe in the inner room. Long fingers hooked out a black shirt.

That unusually powerful physique was wrapped once more in silk. The buttons were fastened one by one from bottom to top until the second-to-last. His fingers paused unconsciously as he brushed over the cigarette burn scar beneath his right collarbone.

Only after fastening the final button did the room hear the man’s gentle voice.

“I know.”

“He seems to have been looking for you everywhere.”

The man lifted his eyes and repeated calmly, “I said I know.”

Xue Bao Tian spat dust from his mouth and frowned again. “There’s really no one named Zhang Chi? Three months ago he lived in your workers’ dormitory. The bed in the far left corner was his. That bastard used green plaid bedsheets, and the cup he drank from had ‘Unity Is Strength’ printed on it.”

The construction site supervisor in the hard hat was beginning to sound irritated. “How many times do I have to tell you? There’s no such person. Our site has never had a worker named Zhang Chi.”

“What about Old Xu? I want to see him. He was in the same crew as Zhang Chi. We drank together before.”

“Old Xu? Xu Gui?” The man waved dismissively. “Went back to his hometown with his fellow villagers. New Year’s almost here, so they all went home for the holidays.”

The construction site was running some kind of operation that sent dust everywhere. The prefab dormitory where Zhang Chi used to stay was shrouded in drifting grime, faint and indistinct.

“Fuck.” Xue Bao Tian laughed angrily. Cigarette between his lips, he stared at the nearby yet strangely distant tin building with a cold expression. “People always say the bigger the forest, the more kinds of birds you’ll find. But in my case? No such bird exists.”

The outskirts were desolate. Buses were rare, and people waiting for them even rarer. Only Xue Bao Tian and an old woman carrying a large bundle stood there.

Snow pellets mixed with the dust, striking exposed skin painfully.

Xue Bao Tian squatted carelessly by the roadside with his coat hanging open. His reddened fingers scrolled across his phone screen. The chat window was filled with missed outgoing calls, and at the top sat Zhang Chi’s name.

Exiting the page, Xue Bao Tian changed Zhang Chi’s contact name to: Grandson.

The moment the new name appeared, his ringtone suddenly blared. The shrieking death metal tore through the snowstorm, making him even more irritable.

Glancing at the old woman who had instinctively stepped farther away, Xue Bao Tian lazily swiped to answer. “Hello.”

“Xue Bao Tian, you said you’d repay the money within a week. It’s already the fifth day.”

“So your week only has five days? Then you probably won’t even live out seventy percent of your lifespan.” Xue Bao Tian sneered. “I suggest you hurry and get your money back from that bastard Wei Hua, otherwise once he gets caught, you’ll be screwed for the rest of your life.”

The voice on the other end was furious. “Wei Hua ran off owing me money. You were the guarantor, so you should pay it back!”

“I was the guarantor? Did I personally hand you my ID? Did I sign anything myself?” Xue Bao Tian scoffed. “Wei Hua baited you with high profits and you bit immediately like a stupid fish. In the end, your own greed ruined you! Stop wasting my time. If you want to sue me, then sue me. Master Xue will accompany you to the end!”

Whatever the other person shouted next made Xue Bao Tian dig at his ear disdainfully. “Mm, you’re right. You’ll definitely live long. Crawl around carrying a shell and you’ll probably live as long as the heavens.”

Click. He hung up.

“Wei Hua, I’ll fuck your ancestors. Don’t let me find you.”

The bus still hadn’t arrived. Looking down the road, all he could see was endless snow and wind.

The weather worsened. Tiny pellets of snow lashed down harder with the wind, slicing across skin before melting into icy droplets that covered his face.

Xue Bao Tian finally gave up on looking stylish and buttoned his coat completely. He had barely tucked his phone back into his pocket when the death metal screamed again.

The cold drained battery quickly. Xue Bao Tian only pulled part of the phone from his coat pocket and glanced at the caller ID before cursing under his breath. His brows furrowed tightly. After hesitating a moment, he fully took out the phone and answered.

“Brother Wang.” His tone had completely changed from before—careful, even flattering. “Why are you calling me personally? Of course you can call me, it’s my honor. I really don’t have money right now. I’ve already sold my car and house, and my dad’s still lying in the hospital. We can barely afford the medical bills. Brother Wang, I’m not the one who borrowed your money. Wei Hua took those loan-shark loans. You should go after him. Yes, he disappeared, but you’re capable. Even heaven and earth won’t stop you from dragging him back. Don’t touch my sister! She has nothing to do with this!”

His reddened fingers clenched into fists. Xue Bao Tian’s voice became colder than the storm itself. “Wang Quan, you’re illegally lending money. Aren’t you afraid I’ll report you?!”

Whatever came from the other side made his straightened back slowly collapse beneath the violent snow and wind.

“Come after me instead. If Wei Hua can’t be found, I’ll bear it.”

Another fifteen minutes later, the bus finally arrived. The snowy roads were slippery, and the tires dragged long screeching marks before stopping. The buses serving the outskirts were all old vehicles nearing retirement. The doors shuddered several times before finally opening.

The old woman bent over to lift her enormous bundle onto her shoulder. One hand braced her aching back while the other reached for the load.

Suddenly the weight disappeared.

The old woman looked up at the young man beside her with sharp brows and cold eyes.

“Relax. Nobody’s stealing your junk. I’ll carry it onto the bus for you.”

In the hospital corridor, a woman was crying.

“Dad’s medical fees still aren’t enough. Uncle Cheng and Aunt Ping, those old neighbors, pooled together some money, but it’ll only keep him here a few more days.” Xue Qing raised swollen red eyes. “Bao Tian, should we transfer Dad to a public hospital? This place is too expensive.”

Xue Bao Tian sighed into his hands. “The main reason we keep him here is because security is better. You and Dad won’t be harassed by those people.”

The woman clawed at her pants in regret, eyes reddening again. “If only I hadn’t given your ID to Wei Hua. He lied and said the company needed it, so I found your old ID card that hadn’t been invalidated yet.”

Her lover’s betrayal, her father’s illness, her younger brother’s desperate situation—every single thing weighed heavily on her. Tears were useless, yet impossible to stop.

The tears hanging from her chin were wiped away. Xue Bao Tian wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“The guarantor issue isn’t a big problem. Fake is fake. The law will clear our names. Don’t worry, I’ll handle everything. Just stay with Dad.”

Several coughs came from inside the hospital room. Wiping away her tears, the woman hurried inside.

Xue Bao Tian slowly leaned against the hospital room door, watching the man who once possessed a voice like a great bell now lying skeletal and unconscious in the bed.

“Emotional agitation caused damage to the brain stem through cerebral hemorrhage. Even if he survives, both physical and cognitive functions will be severely affected.”

That was the diagnosis from Yan City’s best doctor. A few light words had decided the rest of a man’s life.

Xue Bao Tian wiped the corner of his eye with his thumb, pulled open his coat, shoved both hands into his pockets, and walked farther and farther down the endless corridor…

The small manor smelled richly of tea.

“Uncle Qi, my father treated you well. You’ve changed wives three times, and this newest one supposedly just became an adult, right? Your son drives luxury cars and dates little celebrities. Shouldn’t all that be thanks to my father?” Xue Bao Tian lounged with one leg crossed over the other, flicking ash directly onto the thick expensive carpet. “But when my father was hospitalized, you didn’t even show your face once. That’s hard to justify.”

The slightly overweight man, his hair freshly oiled, put on a deeply pained expression.

“The chairman personally promoted me. Of course I was devastated when he got sick. The moment I heard he collapsed, my own head started buzzing too. My blood pressure’s been high lately and my heart hasn’t been doing well either. The doctor told me to avoid emotional stress, so I couldn’t visit the old chairman immediately.”

Xue Bao Tian smiled without commenting. Swinging his foot lazily, he asked, “Did Uncle Qi know beforehand that Wei Hua created a shell company to scam my father into investing?”

“How could I know that?” The man shifted uncomfortably on the sofa. “I was never very close with Wei Hua privately.”

“Oh really?” Xue Bao Tian drawled. “Weren’t you always Vice President Wei’s biggest supporter? You were always the first one to support any proposal he made.”

The man waved dismissively. “Just surface-level politeness. We had to maintain appearances. Your father trusted and valued him so much—how could I not support him?”

Xue Bao Tian stretched out across the sofa with all the posture of a thug. “Uncle Qi, you say your relationship with Wei Hua wasn’t close, but someone told me you two were meeting frequently not long ago, spending entire nights alone together.”

“What nonsense!” Anger flashed across the man’s face.

“If not fooling around, then plotting something?”

“Plotting?” The man’s eyes twitched. “Who’s spreading rumors about me? Wei Hua and I worked at the same company. We couldn’t exactly pretend not to know each other. Occasionally golfing or drinking together counts as plotting now?”

“No idea if it’s a rumor or not. I heard it from your son.” Watching the man’s brief flash of panic before he regained composure, Xue Bao Tian’s expression turned dark. “Uncle Qi, my dad can’t afford medical treatment anymore.”

The man didn’t seem surprised. He sighed. “Actually, the acquisition of that shell company was approved unanimously by the board. After something like this happened, the chairman didn’t necessarily have to cover the losses himself. But because the company was introduced by your brother-in-law, and he ran off with the money, your father believed the losses should naturally be repaid by him. Your father… he’s just too honorable.”

Then the man’s expression suddenly changed. “Still, your father shouldn’t have sold his shares to outsiders. Couldn’t us old friends have helped him through the emergency?”

Xue Bao Tian blew a smoke ring into the air and sneered. “So Uncle Qi thinks he should’ve sold the shares to you people instead? So you could profit from the situation?”

“Don’t phrase it so unpleasantly. Better the benefits stay within the family.” The man lifted his thick eyelids toward him. “I heard you suggested to your father that the shares be split and sold to two companies instead?”

“The hole was huge. They offered more money, so naturally the highest bidder won.” Xue Bao Tian smiled. “Uncle Qi, wouldn’t you have done the same?”

The man stayed silent, checking his watch instead. “Bao Tian, I have another engagement soon. I’ll visit your father another day.”

A dismissal.

Xue Bao Tian crushed the cigarette butt into the leather sofa armrest, sending up a plume of burnt black smoke with a harsh smell. Half-lidded eyes stared through the haze.

“Uncle Qi, there’s no need to come another day. If the person can’t come, the gift can.”

Hostility instantly surged into the man’s eyes before vanishing again. He stood, opened a drawer, and threw two stacks of cash onto the armrest, covering the ugly burn mark.

“Use this to buy your father some nutritional supplements. You know Uncle Qi has a spendthrift son too—an endless money pit. Things aren’t easy for me either.”

Xue Bao Tian smiled and nodded, taking the money before standing to shake hands. “Then thank you, Uncle Qi.”

The man only wanted to get rid of him quickly. But just as he tried to withdraw his hand after a brief touch, Xue Bao Tian grabbed it hard and yanked the entire arm closer.

“Patek Philippe?” Xue Bao Tian glanced at the dazzling watch face. “Over five hundred thousand yuan.”

“Uncle Qi, my birthday’s next month. Your gifts were always expensive before, and today I’ve taken a liking to this watch of yours. How about giving it to me as my birthday present?” His voice rose dramatically. “Surely Uncle Qi doesn’t despise me just because my family’s fallen on hard times?”

The man inhaled sharply, words squeezing out between clenched teeth. “How could I?”

“Then I won’t stand on ceremony.” His expression turning cold, Xue Bao Tian unclasped the watch and slipped it onto his own wrist. The dark blue crystal dial glimmered brilliantly as it slid between their clasped hands.

Releasing him, Xue Bao Tian adjusted the watch and let his intimidating gaze travel slowly over the man’s face before finally saying goodbye.

“I’m leaving, Uncle Qi.” He lifted a hand. “Thanks for the gift.”

The heavy doors slowly shut. Before the bright sunlight was fully cut off, both men—inside and outside the door—had already lost their smiles…

After selling the watch and transferring the money to Xue Qing, Xue Bao Tian squatted by the roadside counting the cash left on him.

895 yuan. Not even enough to buy one bottle of liquor from his old days.

Wei Hua hadn’t only used a shell company to scam investment money—before fleeing, he had drained funds through every possible method, leaving countless financial holes behind for the Xue family. Combined with how many enemies Xue Bao Tian had made over the years, everyone now rushed to stomp on the fallen. Nobody was willing to help him anymore.

Leaning against a streetlamp, Xue Bao Tian pulled out a cigarette. As he placed it between his lips, he glanced disdainfully at the cheap logo on the pack.

Everything worth selling had already been sold. He had nowhere left to live. Xue Kun and Xue Qing could still stay at the hospital, but he himself could only survive in the cheapest hostels. Even sixty yuan a night made the former Crown Prince ache with reluctance.

Uncle Cheng had invited him to stay over, but too much trouble followed behind Xue Bao Tian. He didn’t want to drag the elderly couple into it.

At first, when he fell into ruin, some so-called friends had tried to help. But after he’d been splashed with paint twice, they all shrank back in fear.

Xue Bao Tian never asked them again. His debts were his own to bear.

Just as he was wondering where he’d spend the night, his phone rang.

He’d already changed the ringtone to something soft and gentle. Death metal used to feel domineering, but now every scream made his heart shake.

The caller ID puzzled him. After thinking it over and confirming he didn’t owe this person money, he finally answered.

“Director You? We hardly ever talk. What made you call me?”

Director You, You Shu Lang, used to serve as office director for Bohai Pharmaceuticals. He had interacted with Xue Bao Tian through business dealings before. Handsome, capable, upright, and kind—but unfortunately saddled with an utterly awful boyfriend. A man whose vindictiveness, if cooked thoroughly, could feed starving people worldwide for a lifetime.

The voice from the receiver was calm and polite. “Vice President Xue, I heard about your family’s situation. I called to ask whether there’s anything I can help with. It may be presumptuous, and I hope you understand.”

Xue Bao Tian removed the cigarette from his lips and slowly sat on a stone block beside the road. The corners of his mouth lifted faintly before falling again. His lowered lashes trembled slightly, hiding the emotions surging in his eyes.

The white breath spilling into the cold winter night was painfully visible.

“I really never expected the first person to reach out to help me would be you.”

The other side also fell silent for a moment. “I have some money. You could—”

“No need.” Xue Bao Tian refused immediately.

“It’s not Fan Xiao’s. It’s mine.”

At last, Xue Bao Tian showed his most genuine smile of the entire night.

“So Director You also knows I wouldn’t dare use that bastard Fan Xiao’s money.”

“Vice President Xue.” You Shu Lang warned helplessly.

Xue Bao Tian inhaled smoke and laughed muffled through it. “Mm, President Fan, not bastard Fan Xiao.” Then his tone turned formal. “The hole in my family is too big. Director You’s money wouldn’t make much difference. I just got hold of a small sum recently, so I can survive for now.”

“All right. If you run into difficulties, contact me anytime. You know I don’t have much power, but I’ll help however I can.”

“Deal. And thanks. Seriously.”

Across the street, the cheap inn’s sign finally flickered to life. The wiring was probably faulty, because it flashed several times before the words became readable.

Just as the call was about to end, Xue Bao Tian suddenly spoke again.

“Director You, actually there is one thing.”

Using the key, Xue Bao Tian opened the door and turned on the light, finally seeing the apartment clearly.

It was an old two-bedroom apartment. The furniture wasn’t new, but it was clean and tasteful, matching You Shu Lang’s temperament perfectly.

He sent the homeowner a message: The place is great. Thanks.

The reply came quickly as a voice message, hurried and mixed with noisy street sounds.

“I’m on a business trip out of town. Fan Xiao cleaned the apartment beforehand. Feel free to use anything. The apartment’s old, so I hope Vice President Xue doesn’t mind.”

Xue Bao Tian looked toward the photo sitting on the shelf opposite the entrance and laughed.

“I can tell President Fan cleaned the place. You practically left your affectionate couple photos right in front of my face. Are you using happiness to attack the unfortunate me?”

You Shu Lang’s next message sounded helpless. “Please help me put the photos away.”

“Fine. Just remember to discipline your surname-Fan later tonight.”

After replying, Xue Bao Tian pushed open the guest room door. The sight of the clean bed made his bones go soft. The exhaustion and hardship of sleeping rough all these days suddenly crashed over him.

He collapsed spread-eagle onto the bed, but before he could even sigh comfortably, he jolted upright again.

Patting down his coat, he cursed. “Fuck, don’t dirty someone else’s bed. Fan Xiao would kill me.”

He contacted a hacker online who claimed he could locate anyone. After arriving for the meeting and listening to nonsense for nearly an hour, Xue Bao Tian finally realized the guy wanted a deposit upfront. Whether he could actually find anyone was another matter entirely, and the price was outrageous.

Xue Bao Tian drank some water. “So if you take my money and disappear, I’ll have to hire another person to track you down? This is some endless scam cycle specifically targeting me?”

He waved dismissively. No deal.

Then he found another hacker online with a cheaper quote. The price was reasonable, but the meeting location was strange.

Standing outside a school fence, Xue Bao Tian looked like he’d just swallowed a pile of shit.

“You’re the hacker genius?” he asked the child inside. “How old are you?”

The boy’s round face was squished between the fence bars, puffing out his cheeks. “Nine. I’m very powerful. Heroes emerge young.”

After spending two hours on the bus just to meet this “young hero,” Xue Bao Tian cursed and squatted beside a patch of dried reeds in despair.

“Don’t squat like that,” the boy advised seriously. “People will think you’re taking a dump.”

“Fuck off.” Xue Bao Tian turned to leave, but after only a few steps, the child’s thin voice called after him.

“Give me a chance, and I’ll give you a miracle.”

“Damn it, I really must be insane.” Xue Bao Tian stopped and turned back angrily. “If the fee goes over three hundred, I’ll kill you.”

After paying the three-hundred-yuan deposit, Xue Bao Tian counted his money again and sighed. Reaching for cigarettes, he found the pack completely empty except for scattered tobacco crumbs.

Crushing the empty box into a ball, he tossed it into the trash can and exhaled white breath into the cold air.

Winter in Yan City was too cold this year. So cold it made even bones and hearts ache together.

Suddenly, footsteps crunching through snow approached from afar. Slow and uneven. More than one person.

Turning around, Xue Bao Tian’s expression stiffened instantly before a smile spread across his face.

“Brother Xiao Bai, what a coincidence meeting you here.”

Among the group of several men, the leader wore his hair slicked back. A knife scar stretched from his lower lip to his jawline like a centipede sewn into his face.

“Not a coincidence. We came specifically looking for Crown Prince. When are you paying Boss Wang’s money back?”

The place was remote and deserted. The men slowly surrounded him.

Xue Bao Tian retreated two steps. “Brother Xiao Bai, you know my situation. I didn’t borrow those loan-shark funds. The debt belongs to Wei Hua.”

“I understand debts belong to their owners, but Boss Wang’s money can’t just vanish. Wei Hua’s your brother-in-law, so it’s not unfair to settle the debt with you.”

“Maybe I don’t understand your industry’s rules, but loaning out thirty million yuan just because someone asks seems kind of reckless, doesn’t it? Unless there’s some… hidden catch?”

The slick-haired man pushed back his hair through leather gloves and sneered.

“Your brother-in-law Wei Hua said your company had some massive project going on. Something about investment and trade depressions—I didn’t understand the fancy terminology either. Boss Wang reviewed the project proposal himself. Wei Hua said your company had temporary cash flow problems and the bank loans would arrive late, so he came to Boss Wang instead. The interest was high, so Boss Wang agreed.”

The scarred mouth twisted upward, revealing yellow teeth.

“Who knew things would end up like this.”

Xue Bao Tian’s face turned ashen. His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked, but he still forced himself to flatter them.

“Brother Xiao Bai, you can see how badly Wei Hua screwed me over. My dad’s still lying in the hospital, and I can barely afford his medical bills. I really can’t repay Boss Wang right now. Once I find Wei Hua and recover the money, I’ll repay everything with interest.”

“Boss Wang understands you can’t repay the principal yet. So just pay the interest first. This period’s payment is one hundred eighty thousand.”

A gust of wind sent the fallen leaves tumbling across the ground near Xue Bao Tian’s feet until they finally stopped against a rubber tire.

Behind the men, a car had been parked silently at the roadside for quite a while.

“Brother Yan, you had us following this guy named Xue the whole time. No contract, no official procedures… what kind of job is this exactly?”

The gentle-faced man patted him on the shoulder. “You’ll get paid. The work’s easy, no danger, no fighting required.”

“Aren’t we intervening?” the other man asked, pointing outside. “Looks like Xue’s about to get screwed over.”

The gentle-faced man looked out the window and saw Xue Bao Tian turning out his pockets, holding only a few crumpled bills.

“I only have this much. One hundred eighty thousand is an astronomical number for me now.”

“Even a starving camel’s still bigger than a horse. The Crown Prince used to throw money around like water. You must’ve hidden something away. If you keep pretending to be poor, don’t blame us for using harsher methods.”

The circle tightened again, nearly swallowing Xue Bao Tian entirely.

“Still not helping?” someone inside the car asked.

The man stayed silent for a moment. Through his shirt, his fingers rubbed the cigarette burn scar.

“Don’t help him.”

In the corner, Xue Bao Tian still wore a smile, though it had shifted from flattering to mocking.

“Brother Xiao Bai, give me a cigarette first.”

After lighting it and taking a deep drag, Xue Bao Tian lifted his narrow eyes lazily.

“What kind of methods? Breaking fingers? How much per finger? If the price is right, go ahead.”

“You fucking refuse a toast only to drink the forfeit wine, huh?” Slicked-back Hair grabbed Xue Bao Tian by the throat.

“Drive.”

A gentle voice sounded from inside the car.

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