Special police officers stood guard outside Liang Yueze’s hospital room. Ming Han strolled over in his hospital gown, and someone from Yunquan Group immediately stepped forward to stop him entering. He grinned and waved his police credentials. “When something happened to your President Liang, I was driving right behind his car. I’m also the one who chased Tang Xiaowan. What, I can’t go in and have a chat with him about surviving a near-death experience?”
Xiao Wen, the secretary, looked troubled. “President Liang needs to rest. The doctor said so.”
“The doctor said I need to rest too. And the doctor also said your President Liang can manage a few words.”
One of the special police officers opened the door for Ming Han. Ming Han called to Xiao Wen, “If you’re worried, come in with me. It’s not as though I’ll be asking anything improper.”
Liang Yueze was propped against the headboard, lost in thought. When he saw Ming Han and Xiao Wen enter, a trace of surprise crossed his eyes.
“I never imagined we’d meet again here,” Ming Han said. “President Liang, do you remember me? You came to my home last time.”
Liang Yueze frowned slightly. “Your home?”
“Right, that’s a little ambiguous.” Ming Han laughed. “But I really do live at Brother Chen’s place now. His home is my home.” As he spoke, he jingled a set of keys. “Brother Chen gave me these.”
Liang Yueze lowered his eyes for a moment, then nodded. “Sit down.” He looked toward his secretary. “Xiao Wen, Officer Ming and I will talk. You can go outside.”
Xiao Wen lowered his head slightly and obediently left.
“Never expected something like this,” Ming Han said. “Do you know the man who was driving the truck?”
The Mobile Unit had already told Liang Yueze the details of the crash. He shook his head. “I’ve never seen him.”
“But in a sense, you helped him. Without Yunquan Group’s job placement fair, he wouldn’t have found his current job,” Ming Han said pointedly.
“I provide opportunities. That doesn’t mean I’ve had personal contact with every job seeker,” Liang Yueze said.
“Understood. Just like this time, you only spent ten minutes onstage giving a speech.”
Liang Yueze studied him. “You were there?”
“Otherwise, how could I have followed so close behind you? Surely you don’t think I just happened to be on Zhongjia Avenue?”
Liang Yueze frowned. “What exactly do you people suspect me of?”
Ming Han shrugged. “My brother should have made our suspicions quite clear to you last time.”
Liang Yueze sighed. “And I made it quite clear to him that I know nothing about this Heaven-Measuring Ruler you keep talking about. There’s no way I would cooperate with an organization of unknown origins! Chen Zheng knows how my family were killed, but he refuses to tell me!”
“Don’t get worked up. The doctor said you can’t afford to get angry right now,” Ming Han said. “You and my brother have been childhood friends for so many years. Don’t you know police leads can’t just be disclosed at will?”
Disappointment entered Liang Yueze’s eyes. “Childhood friends… I suppose he stopped thinking of me as a friend long ago.”
“That’s not fair,” Ming Han said. “Anyway, I didn’t come here to talk about my brother. We’ll have plenty of chances for that in the future. Did you know everyone in that taxi died? The driver was in his forties. His child attends a prestigious secondary school, having earned a place there through his own efforts, and is doing very well. The female passenger in the back had only recently graduated. She came from a rural town and had worked for more than half a month without a break. She became ill and felt so awful that she took a taxi home to rest. One collision, and they were gone. Two families destroyed.”
Liang Yueze gripped his blanket. After a moment he sighed. “I’m very sorry. I’ll do my best to compensate their families.”
“Under what pretext?” Ming Han asked. “You’re a victim too. Tang Xiaowan struck your car. You didn’t strike theirs.”
Liang Yueze shook his head. “It was because of me that they suffered this terrible accident.”
“Money really can buy lives, it seems,” Ming Han said. “Someone bought Tang Xiaowan’s life, and the luxury car you bought shielded you from disaster. The people driving and riding in the taxi weren’t so fortunate.”
Liang Yueze fell silent for a moment. “Which is why I want to compensate them.”
“Who do you think might be behind Tang Xiaowan?” Ming Han asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t know, or can’t say?”
Liang Yueze’s face darkened. “Officer Ming, what are you implying?”
“Have you been online?” Ming Han asked. “People are fascinated by the two car crashes involving the Liang family, one in the past and one now. Many mourn the deaths of your brother, sister, and uncle. Many others are praying you survive. They say someone tried to bring Yunquan down back then, so your closest relatives were murdered. But you refused to be defeated and made Yunquan stronger than ever. Now you’re the one who has to be eliminated. Even ordinary people who don’t know the facts can come up with that explanation. What about you?”
Liang Yueze seemed unwilling to discuss that period, and his tone grew impatient. “Something that was never resolved back then won’t suddenly be resolved no matter how many years pass. My family have long been laid to rest. I don’t want them disturbed again.”
“They haven’t been laid to rest,” Ming Han said coldly. “You know that better than anyone.”
“You…” Liang Yueze’s face turned ugly. He tried to speak calmly. “Officer Ming, you were only a child when the Jinsi Island case happened, weren’t you?”
“Right. That reminds me. Nearly forgot.” Ming Han smiled. “I was indeed a child then. My father is Bu Yangyun. He was a well-known businessman in Nanshan City at the time.”
Liang Yueze’s expression remained calm. “I know of him, but we’ve never done business together.”
Ming Han had expected Liang Yueze to react to Bu Yangyun’s name, but nothing happened. Nothing at all. Yet that very composure seemed strange.
“All right then. We police will investigate who was behind Tang Xiaowan,” Ming Han said. “Since I’m already here, do you mind if I ask a few more questions?”
Liang Yueze leaned back, looking exhausted. “Go ahead.”
“The Yunquan Group you run has always focused its business on technology. How did you suddenly come up with the idea of organizing labor placement fairs and opening vocational schools?”
Liang Yueze gave Ming Han a thoughtful look. “Didn’t Chen Zheng tell you?”
Ming Han heard a hint of provocation in the question. “My brother doesn’t like gossiping to me about other people.”
Liang Yueze seemed taken aback by his answer. After several seconds, he said, “My grandfather was a widely respected man.”
“I know. Old Master Liang was an outstanding businessman.”
Liang Yueze shook his head. “In fact, Yunquan Group was already declining back then. My second uncle insisted on reforms and wanted to shut down many of the long-established divisions. He and my grandfather had fierce arguments. Both my uncle and I thought the old man had become senile and hopelessly stubborn. After I took over Yunquan, I shut down everything that could be cut. Today’s Yunquan is no longer the Yunquan of the past.”
“But when I finally reached the height my grandfather once stood at, I realized that a large enterprise has certain responsibilities to society. My grandfather knew perfectly well those divisions had stopped turning a profit. He simply wanted to provide as many jobs as possible to people on low incomes. When someone loses their job, it isn’t only that person whose life is destroyed. It’s their family too.”
“The job placement fairs won’t bring Yunquan much income. Instead, Yunquan has to use its contacts and standing to connect people and act as guarantor. I do it to shoulder my social responsibilities the way my grandfather did. Does that make sense to you, Officer Ming?”
Liang Yueze’s passionate explanation sounded reasonable enough. But Ming Han could not help wondering whether the facts were really as he described. Creating job opportunities for countless low-income people also meant gaining access to a vast labor force. Going one step further, it meant potentially having an immeasurable number of people at one’s disposal.
People were the most fundamental resource. The lower their social position, the more easily they could be controlled. Liang Yueze surely knew that. He had simply chosen a noble perspective from which to explain his actions.
Still, the police had not yet found anything wrong with the job placement fairs. Tang Xiaowan had indeed found work through one, but it was the Azure Sky Cult that controlled him, and it did not seem connected to Yunquan Group.
Ming Han turned his attention to the businessman from Country K, Jin Xiaoquan. Many foreign intermediaries like him attended the job fairs. Yunquan Group used them to establish partnerships with foreign companies and send workers overseas.
Ming Han drew in a small breath. Could it be that Yunquan Group’s true purpose was to send workers abroad?
If the sole purpose were overseas placement, first, it would be difficult to achieve the scale of the current fairs, and second, the approvals would be more complicated and the scrutiny necessarily stricter. Yunquan Group had tucked overseas placements into the larger framework of its fairs, making them look inconspicuous.
The Mobile Unit was meeting to discuss the details of the next phase of the investigation. Among Tang Xiaowan’s communications was someone called Brother Zhong. This person was very likely an Azure Sky Cult member who provided him with drugs and incited him to commit crimes. But Brother Zhong used a false identity. They could not determine who he really was.
Lu Hejing settled on two main directions. One was to investigate foreign labor intermediaries with close ties to Yunquan Group. The other was to verify what had happened to people who had found jobs through Yunquan’s fairs over the past five years. The latter would demand enormous manpower and time, but it was essential.
Unable to stand being in hospital any longer, Ming Han had his bandages removed and hurried back to the Mobile Unit to join the others. “Old Tang…”
Tang Xiaoli looked at him, and before he could finish, picked up his phone. Ming Han reacted instantly, snatched it away, and saw that Tang Xiaoli had indeed been about to call Chen Zheng.
“What did your Brother Chen tell you?” Tang Xiaoli demanded.
“He told me to rest properly,” Ming Han said, putting on an obedient face.
“So what are you doing now?”
“Stealing your phone.”
Tang Xiaoli: “…Tsk!”
Ming Han laughed. “Old Tang, don’t be so rigid. Different situations call for different approaches. I’m basically fine now. It’s a nuisance lying around in hospital all day. Besides, Liang Yueze is still there. I’m afraid I’ll keep going over to bother him, and if Yunquan Group sends me a lawyer’s letter, you’ll be the one who has to sort it out.”
Tang Xiaoli’s head ached. “You’re practically an invalid. What are you planning?”
“Jin Xiaoquan is still in Luocheng. Those intermediaries are having a little reception tonight. I’m going to join the fun.”
Tang Xiaoli turned serious. “Have you worked out what you’re going to do?”
“To tell you the truth, no,” Ming Han admitted. “But I can’t just waste time here. My brother’s still tied up in Zhuquan, and I want to get things sorted out here so I can lend him a hand.”
Tang Xiaoli clasped his hands behind his back and paced a few steps. “I was planning to send Wen Wu to that reception.”
“He isn’t as suitable as me,” Ming Han said. “At least I’ve got Bu Yangyun for a father.”
Tang Xiaoli considered this for a moment. “All right. Both of you go. But remember, this time you’re only gathering leads.”
“Got it.”
The reception had been scheduled even before the labor placement fair began. Jin Xiaoquan was the host, and the venue was a five-star hotel. If not for the crash, Liang Yueze’s secretary Xiao Wen would have been an honored guest. But under the circumstances, no one from Yunquan Group attended, and some other invitees stayed away too.
It was a fairly private, low-key affair. Besides business partners, Jin Xiaoquan had invited a number of people who had done well abroad, displaying them as examples of his success.
Similar receptions had been held before. Ming Han had learned that every year, some people desperate to go overseas managed to slip in through personal connections. As long as they met the labor intermediaries, they might get a foothold in another country.
Ming Han and Wen Wu were playing precisely that kind of opportunistic job seeker. It was not difficult for them. The guards at the reception were used to it. After checking their identification and accepting a little something, they let them in. Ming Han used his original name, Bu Shenghan, while Wen Wu thought for ages before renaming himself Wen Zheng.
Ming Han: “?”
Wen Wu explained solemnly, “Brother Chen has a nice name.”
The reception occupied an entire floor of the hotel. Soft music played, the lighting was neither too bright nor too dim, and the atmosphere was mysterious and luxurious. Young men and women in elegant clothes moved among the guests, while the night view of Luocheng rose beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Ming Han noticed that plenty of people were job seekers like him and Wen Wu. Compared with the other guests, they looked nervous and awkward. They wanted to approach the people with the power to send them abroad, but they could not quite bring themselves to. Others were bolder. Once they picked a target, they rushed over as if they wanted to cling to them permanently.
Ming Han scanned the crowd. Every major intermediary here was a business partner of Liang Yueze’s. The crash would inevitably affect their businesses. Some looked worried even while attending the reception. Others held their glasses and exchanged polite conversation.
Just then, the crowd’s attention shifted. Ming Han followed their gazes. A tall man in a suit was walking over with a smile. It was tonight’s guest of honor, Jin Xiaoquan.
He had features typical of Country K, with a long face and narrow, elongated eyes, and broad shoulders that made him stand out. He bowed to everyone. First, he expressed concern for Liang Yueze following the crash. Then he thanked the guests for attending and said he looked forward to future cooperation, and to giving Yunquan Group a greater stage in the world.
As soon as the speech ended, job seekers approached him. These first arrivals were already connected and had someone introduce them to Jin Xiaoquan. Jin maintained his smile and patiently asked about their circumstances, which countries they wanted to visit, and what work they hoped to do.
He seemed the perfect listener. Gradually, the job seekers who had paid to get into the reception became less nervous.
Ming Han watched for a while, not approaching recklessly. He went to stand beside Wen Wu, who had already eaten five plates of oysters.
Ming Han: “…Officer Wen, may I ask exactly what you came here to do tonight?”
Wen Wu burped, then gave an earnest explanation. “We’ve already spent the money to get in. If I don’t eat enough to get my money’s worth, I won’t be able to sleep.”
Ming Han stared. “Since when did you get so calculating? Has Old Tang been withholding your salary?”
“No.” Wen Wu said, “Last time I was on assignment with Brother Chen, he taught me that even if you’re rich, you shouldn’t let yourself get the short end of the stick. And I’m from a poor mountain village. I don’t have as much money as Brother Chen.”
Ming Han was speechless. “…Can you stop mentioning your Brother Chen every three sentences?”
Wen Wu went to get some more prawns and gave Ming Han a sidelong look. “Brother Chen’s a role model for our generation. He’s the one who taught me to be brave enough to fire my gun too.”
The atmosphere at the reception was growing steadily livelier. Even the job seekers who had been too timid to approach the intermediaries began taking action. Not only the intermediaries but also those who had prospered abroad found themselves surrounded.
Ming Han pretended to wander toward a man whose hair was tied in a low ponytail. His surname was Du, and people called him Brother Du. He was talking at length about how he had been working with President Jin for four years. Competition at home was fierce and pay was low. Things were different in Country M. It was chaotic, yes, but the capital, Jiaoliu City, was very safe. As long as you stayed out of the north, where fighting was constant, your life would not be in danger. And the locals were lazy, he claimed. Someone from Hua Country only had to work a little harder to earn a substantial income.
Ming Han squeezed closer. “Brother Du, what kind of work do you do in Country M?”
Brother Du looked him up and down quite openly. “Hotels, tourism. Interested? You’ve got a lot going for you.”
Ming Han pretended not to understand. “What have I got? My education isn’t very good. My grades were poor.”
“Who’s talking about grades?” Brother Du scoffed. He took two steps forward and brushed a finger over Ming Han’s face. “I mean that face of yours, and your figure.”
Ming Han looked stunned. “Wait, what?”
Brother Du had seen reactions like that many times. His sense of superiority swelled. “That’s how you people are. You want to make money, but you’re not willing to go all the way. You envy what others have and hate that you don’t have it, but you bring it on yourselves.”
Ming Han humbly asked for guidance. “Teach me, Brother Du. I don’t understand.”
Perhaps deciding Ming Han really had potential, Brother Du beckoned. “Come along. I’ll explain it slowly.”
In a dim corner, Brother Du handed Ming Han a drink and described his experience abroad. Four years earlier, Brother Du had been a country bumpkin who could not make a living at home. When he heard there would be foreigners at the labor placement fair and that he might get a job overseas, he immediately became interested and rushed to investigate. There he encountered Jin Xiaoquan’s team. They liked his appearance and sent him to Country J to work as a male host.
Ming Han deliberately spat out his drink. “Y-you mean selling yourself?”
“Look at you, so ignorant!” Brother Du said contemptuously. “How can you call it selling yourself? It’s legal in Country J, understand? Women pay us for emotional satisfaction. Do you know how important emotional satisfaction is in modern society?”
Ming Han looked bewildered. “I… guess I understand.”
Brother Du snorted and continued. He had done reasonably well in Country J, but found the people too rigid, and there was a language barrier. So he contacted the intermediary team and asked if they could move him to another country.
This time he went to Country M, and there he finally felt he had found the place where he belonged. Many people spoke the language of Hua Country. They were warm, open, and willing to indulge in every sort of excess. As long as you knew how to please people, money practically flowed into your pockets like water.
“What do you mean by pleasing people?” Ming Han asked.
Brother Du studied him for a moment. “Little Bu, tell me the truth. Do you really want to go abroad to work? Because I’ll tell you honestly, if you want to make money in Country M, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes.”
“Of course I want to go! Why else would I spend so much money to get in here tonight?”
Brother Du was satisfied. “With what you’ve got, you’ll make more than me in Country M, not less. When the time comes, remember who showed you the way and look after me.”
Ming Han flushed with excitement. “Of course! But Brother Du, you still haven’t said exactly what we’d be doing over there.”
Brother Du cleared his throat. “Really, I shouldn’t be telling you this now. You’d find out after you got there. But you seem like an innocent kid, so I’ll tell you. Otherwise, you might get cheated when you go.”
Ming Han nodded with total concentration. “Right, right!”
Brother Du explained that if you wanted to go abroad and make serious money, you first had to stop binding yourself with domestic morality and laws. In Country M, you could gamble and bet, sell sexual services, and get hold of a little recreational powder without too much trouble. If you were bolder, you could go north and trade weapons. Then becoming rich overnight would be within reach.
With looks as good as his, Ming Han would not even have to make an effort. People would come to him offering money. If he knew how to behave and sweet-talk them, he could have anything.
Ming Han looked both frightened and excited. “B-but I heard Yunquan Group supervises everyone. People who leave through the job fair are supposed to work legitimate jobs! Wh-what happens if they find out?”
“Supervision?” Brother Du laughed. “How much supervision do you think there is? It’s just a show for the higher-ups. Besides, once you’re abroad, can they really keep track of everything? People turn a blind eye to this sort of thing. You’ll understand once you get there. For all you know, Yunquan Group might even be getting a share!”
Ming Han trembled. “So that’s how it is. Brother Du, I’m with you!”
Brother Du waved a hand. “What do you mean, with me? I’m only an employee myself, though I’ve done pretty well and they use me as a walking advertisement. If you’ve really got the nerve, I’ll take you to meet President Jin. He’s the one who can make our fortunes.”
Ming Han looked toward the center of the crowd, where Jin Xiaoquan stood holding a glass, surrounded by people.
“President Jin, I’d like to introduce someone.” Brother Du seized his moment and brought Ming Han over.
The instant he met Jin Xiaoquan’s eyes, Ming Han noticed a shift in the man’s expression. It was not the look one gave a stranger one had never dealt with.
Jin Xiaoquan said to the people beside him, “Excuse me. I’ll be away for a moment.”
Everyone’s eyes fell on Brother Du and Ming Han. Some evidently knew that Brother Du had a good relationship with Jin Xiaoquan and considerately moved aside.
“President Jin, this is Little Bu. He wants to go to Country M and make his fortune,” Brother Du said when they reached a corner by the window.
Jin Xiaoquan did not look at Brother Du at all. He kept his meaningful gaze fixed on Ming Han. “I’ll have a talk with Little Bu.”
Brother Du had introduced plenty of people to Jin Xiaoquan before, and Jin had always treated him with great respect. This time it was as though Brother Du did not exist. Feeling slighted, he glared at Ming Han, then turned and walked away.
The corner fell quiet. The music, the clinking glasses, and the animated conversations seemed to be sealed away behind an invisible wall.
Ming Han spoke first. “President Jin.”
“Are the benefits at the Han Provincial Public Security Department really that bad?” Jin Xiaoquan asked. “Even police officers are tired of their secure government jobs and want to come work for me?”
Ming Han raised an eyebrow. So Jin Xiaoquan knew who he was.
Jin Xiaoquan smiled as he spoke, but there was a mocking edge to it. What surprised Ming Han slightly was that Jin Xiaoquan had identified him so openly, without even bothering to pretend.
“Have we met before?” Ming Han asked calmly.
Jin Xiaoquan made a startling revelation. “I’ve met your father. We even did business together.”
A faint movement passed through Ming Han’s eyes. “You know Bu Yangyun?”
Jin Xiaoquan laughed. “Do you know what troubles your father? That his son doesn’t want to become a businessman like him and make a fortune, but would rather become some sort of police officer.”
Coldness rose in Ming Han’s heart. He had underestimated Jin Xiaoquan. This man was certainly not merely a foreign labor intermediary with close ties to Yunquan Group!