Inside the private club, deep gray walls shut out all outside noise, leaving only the faint strains of swaying jazz music filtering through the gap beneath the door.
Lin Yi pushed a glass of amber liquor toward Wang Zhi Ping and tapped the side of the glass twice with his index finger.
Wang Zhi Ping’s right hand rested loosely at his waist, his thumb unconsciously rubbing the cloth-wrapped handle of a knife. It was a habit he had developed over many years, one that seemed carved into him as instinctively as breathing itself.
“Brother Wang, you’ve been by Master Bai’s side for all these years, through wind and rain, risking your life for him more times than anyone can count. Everyone says you’re Master Bai’s chief steward, like his shadow.” Lin Yi suddenly spoke, his tone respectful, though a trace of mockery lurked beneath it. “You were the one who took the fall for that port incident last year too, weren’t you?”
The muscles at the back of Wang Zhi Ping’s neck abruptly tightened, and the glass froze halfway to his lips.
“Master Bai took over three venues in the northern suburbs last month.” His alcohol-tinged voice enunciated every word with deliberate clarity. “All of them were registered under his brother-in-law’s name.”
Wang Zhi Ping drained his glass and set it down with a thud, his smile sinister. “Lin Yi, you’re usually not this talkative.”
Lin Yi met his gaze head-on. “I’ve got more to say. Want to hear it, Brother Wang?”
His index and middle fingers curled slightly as Wang Zhi Ping’s fingertips traced an indentation on the knife handle. “Talk.”
“Brother Wang.” Lin Yi did not bother hiding his intentions. “For all these years, you’ve fought and bled for Master Bai. Yet in the end, what you’ve received doesn’t come close to what you’ve given.”
Wang Zhi Ping’s eyes turned icy. He did not respond, only stared at Lin Yi as though trying to see through to the calculations hidden inside him.
Unhurriedly, Lin Yi refilled Wang Zhi Ping’s drink. His words emerged slowly alongside the spreading aroma of alcohol. “Master Bai has kept you down all these years, never allowing you to rise. You’ve taken knives for him. You’ve shouldered blame for him. But what did you get in return? Nothing but scraps from his table. Brother Wang, have you never thought about sitting in that seat yourself?”
Wang Zhi Ping’s expression darkened instantly. The dagger that had remained in his hand shot from its sheath, its tip aimed directly at Lin Yi’s throat. “Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?” The blade pressed forward, leaving a thin red line on Lin Yi’s skin. “Back then, you were just some street thug. You could’ve been hacked to death any day with nobody left to collect your corpse! Master Bai was the one who dragged you out of the mud, gave you opportunities, promoted you, and trusted you. And now you’re repaying him like this?”
His eyes lingered on the red mark beneath the blade. “Lin Yi, this is betrayal. Do you believe I’ll clean house for Master Bai right now?”
Lin Yi did not retreat. Instead, he tilted his head slightly upward, making it easier for the blade to press deeper.
“Every word I’ve said is true,” he replied in a low voice. “And yes, I am disloyal. I intend to rebel.”
Wang Zhi Ping’s hand trembled faintly. Through gritted teeth, he asked, “Why?”
“Because I don’t want to be a sacrificial pawn.” The movement of his throat caused more blood to seep from beneath the blade, winding down the metal. “Brother Wang, you know exactly what those companies under my name are being used for. Right now I look successful, but when I die, it’ll be uglier than the death of any street thug.”
“This is Master Bai’s idea of promotion.”
His neck suddenly pressed forward against the blade. Lin Yi’s voice vibrated against the steel. “Brother Wang, I can put you in Master Bai’s seat. I only need you to help me.”
Wang Zhi Ping’s jaw twitched twice. After a long silence, his left hand reached for the lighter on the table. As a windproof flame sprang to life, he spoke with open ridicule. “Master Bai is meticulous. He’s spent years building his position. You’re just a puppet. You can’t beat him.”
“I’m a nobody,” Lin Yi said, looking directly into Wang Zhi Ping’s eyes, determination burning within them. “But I’m alone. I have nothing to lose. I can risk everything.”
Wang Zhi Ping brought a cigarette to his lips and took a long drag. Smoke slowly drifted from his nostrils. The next moment, the blade finally withdrew from Lin Yi’s throat.
Tossing the dagger casually onto the table, Wang Zhi Ping crossed one leg over the other and leaned back into the sofa. “You young punks always think things are too simple. If Master Bai were that easy to overthrow, someone would’ve done it long ago.”
Lin Yi pulled out a tissue and wiped the blood from his neck. “Whether I can overthrow him depends on my ability. Even if I fail, I won’t drag you down with me. If I win, you take the throne. If I lose, you can hand me over and claim the credit. Either way, Brother Wang doesn’t lose.”
Narrowing his eyes, Wang Zhi Ping let cigarette smoke curl between them. “Why should I believe you won’t expose me if you lose?”
Lin Yi laughed softly, openly provocative. “No matter what I say, you might not believe me. Brother Wang, you’re a legendary figure yourself. The opportunity to use me to climb higher is right here. It just depends on whether you dare to gamble.”
Wang Zhi Ping’s gaze flickered through the smoke, still unreadable. Lin Yi tossed aside the blood-stained tissue and continued, “If you take Master Bai’s place, all you have to do is dump the companies tied to me onto another scapegoat. And from the profits, I want twenty percent.”
A glint flashed through Wang Zhi Ping’s eyes and vanished. He might not trust Lin Yi’s loyalty, but he trusted greed. In a world full of schemes and calculations, displaying greed was sometimes more convincing than displaying loyalty.
After a moment, Wang Zhi Ping crushed out his cigar in the ashtray and slowly rose to his feet. Looking down at Lin Yi, he spoke with a hint of amusement. “Go on. Tell me exactly how I’m supposed to help you.”
—————————
After Wang Zhi Ping left, Lin Yi remained in the private room for another half hour before finally stepping out.
The private club’s corridor was covered with deep-red Persian carpets. Every step felt like walking on clouds. Lin Yi glanced at the glowing numbers above the elevator before turning and pushing open the fire door to the emergency stairwell.
He had always been cautious. He planned to go down one floor and take a different elevator.
As he reached the corner of the tenth floor, the sound of metal scraping suddenly echoed beneath his feet. The fire door slammed open with a deafening crash that exploded through the stairwell. Along with the gust of air came the sweet scent of women’s perfume.
“General Manager Zhou,” a woman’s voice drawled out, sticky as honey. “It’s so hot in the private room. Look, I’m already sweating.”
“And what does Shanshan want to do to cool off?” The man’s teasing voice echoed through the stairwell with amusement. “There are still three senior bank executives waiting inside.”
The moment he heard that voice, Lin Yi froze in the shadows of the landing.
He knew that voice too well.
Only a few days ago, it had whispered beside his ear, “What does it feel like to be bitten by mosquitoes?”
Lin Yi still remembered how gentle that voice had sounded then, hiding concern beneath it, carrying emotions that were difficult to define.
“It’s not like you’re calling me ‘baby’ right now.” The woman’s voice turned sweet and coquettish. “It won’t take long…”
Lin Yi stared at the shadows moving ahead. The silhouette of the woman’s voluminous curls was projected onto the wall, slowly leaning toward the man beside her.
Without a sound, he unfastened his cufflinks, gripped the stair railing, and continued descending.
At the corner of the stairwell, Zhou Ruo An’s lips had just brushed against Zhu Shan Shan’s lipstick when a large hand suddenly grabbed his hair and yanked backward with brutal force.
Bang.
Zhou Ruo An’s back slammed heavily into the wall. Pain shot through him, and he sucked in a sharp breath. Fury filled his eyes as he turned his head. The instant he recognized Lin Yi, his heart skipped a beat and panic flashed across his face.
“Mind if I borrow General Manager Zhou for a moment?” Lin Yi’s fingers plunged into Zhou Ruo An’s hair, gripping hard enough to feel as though he intended to tear off his scalp. “We have something to discuss.”
Zhu Shan Shan was frightened pale by the sudden turn of events. Her face turned white as paper, and she clapped both hands over her mouth, staring fearfully at the tall man before her.
“May I?” Lin Yi asked again, his tone calm.
The look in his eyes sent a chill down her spine. After quickly glancing between the two men, she hesitated briefly before nodding timidly and fleeing in panic.
Watching Zhu Shan Shan’s retreating figure, Zhou Ruo An quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Then he glared at Lin Yi and hissed in a low voice, “Are you fucking insane? Just because I haven’t paid the remaining balance yet, you’re throwing this kind of tantrum?”
He cursed at Lin Yi while keeping his eyes fixed on the crack in the door. The flash of red from Zhu Shan Shan’s dress had not gone far.
Lin Yi had no interest in the excuse Zhou Ruo An was improvising. Twisting his arm, he asked, “General Manager Zhou, are we settling this here, or are you coming with me?”
Lin Yi was difficult enough to deal with under normal circumstances.
When he was drowning in jealousy, he was even worse.
Zhou Ruo An ground his back teeth together before finally saying, “Let’s talk somewhere else.”
Inside the car, all four doors locked automatically.
“Lin Yi, if you’re going to lose your mind, at least pick your timing—”
Before Zhou Ruo An could finish, his pupils contracted sharply.
Lin Yi’s long fingers had already pulled off his tie. The next moment, the smooth silk fabric was looped around Zhou Ruo An’s wrists.
“What are you doing?”
One wrap. One knot.
Zhou Ruo An’s hands were tied together above his head to the overhead grab handle with the tie.
“You motherfu—”
A strip of tape tore free.
Then it sealed his mouth shut.
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