Chapter 81: How Could This Not Feel Good?
Since the kidnapping involved two of Linhai’s wealthiest families, it had become a major scandal. Reporters from every newspaper crowded outside Dingkang Hospital, and even Xiao Ji’s previous residence was surrounded by people waiting for a scoop. In the end, Song Liang was taken back to Feixi No. 1.
Before leaving, he went to see Liang Ziyu once. The only serious damage Liang Ziyu had sustained was the blow to his chest, which had broken three ribs. His constitution was strong, too, and he had woken half a day before Song Liang.
Liang Ziyu’s ward was one floor below Song Liang’s. Police guarded the door, Xinglong Society members crowded the room, and Liang Ziyu lay in bed impatiently taking a phone call.
When Song Liang arrived in a wheelchair, all the gang members stood, their faces wary. The officers guarding him rose even faster. They had personally witnessed this young master, covered in blood, leap from the third floor and take Liang Ziyu down. With such a powerful vindictive streak, he might well have come straight from his sickbed to finish the job. Alarm bells immediately rang in their heads at the thought of something happening to their key suspect.
Especially when Song Liang entered and told the gang members, “Out. I want a few words with your boss.”
The tension in the room instantly peaked. Yang Zhengwen swallowed and stepped forward.
“Mr. Song, only the law may punish criminal conduct. Citizens cannot take private revenge, or their actions may also constitute intentional assault. Offenders are subject to—”
Before he could finish, Liang Ziyu answered, “Sure. Everyone out.”
His men’s expressions changed. They hadn’t forgotten that this hospital belonged to the Xiao Group, or that the young man before them was the Xiao family heir’s boyfriend. Their boss had kidnapped him and then been badly injured by him. If they all left now, wouldn’t their boss be in danger?
When his men failed to move, Liang Ziyu gave one of them an indifferent glance. The man immediately lowered his eyes and silently led the others outside.
That left the police officers and Yang Xun, who was pushing Song Liang’s wheelchair.
Yang Xun smiled at Yang Zhengwen. “Don’t worry, Officer. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
He had barely finished when Song Liang said casually, “You too. Out.”
Yang Xun: “…”
“Are you sure?”
Forgive him, but although he had heard about Song Liang’s astonishing exploits, he hadn’t seen them himself. Leaving him alone with a gang leader who spent his life fighting and killing still seemed dangerous. If anything happened, that uncle and nephew might never let him hear the end of it.
Song Liang couldn’t be bothered to explain. “Get out.”
In that case, Yang Xun couldn’t be bothered to argue either. He had offered his advice. If the young man insisted on refusing it and ended up dead, that wasn’t his fault.
On his way out, he companionably dragged Yang Zhengwen along. Yang Zhengwen couldn’t understand why he was unable to break free of a man who looked like an elite office worker.
The room fell quiet.
Liang Ziyu studied the wounds on Song Liang’s face and the commanding way he lounged in his wheelchair. “What did you want to say?”
Song Liang opened with a bombshell. “I hear you’re an only child?”
For once, Liang Ziyu was taken aback.
Before he could ask, Song Liang continued, “Hasn’t your father told you he has another child?”
Liang Ziyu’s expression chilled. “Who told you that?”
“A low-ranking Xinglong Society member somehow got the Liang family’s heir—the head of the entire society—to personally retrieve him from Xiao territory. You even handed over evidence that Xiao Wenyu had hired someone to commit assault. Don’t you find that strange, Young Master Liang?”
Song Liang raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t tell me someone fed you a story about a benefactor’s son, or an old friend’s child?”
Liang Ziyu’s expression turned ugly.
Song Liang smiled. “Looks like I guessed right.”
Liang Ziyu: “…”
“Investigate that yourself when you get back. Let’s discuss something else.”
“What?”
“A partnership.”
“…”
Liang Ziyu thought he had misheard. “What?”
Song Liang patiently repeated himself. “A partnership. You and me. I know more, and can do more, than you think.”
Liang Ziyu frowned at him as though he couldn’t understand what he was saying. After a moment, he scoffed and raised his left hand, which was cuffed to the bed rail.
“I’m about to go to fucking prison, and you want a partnership?”
Song Liang remained perfectly relaxed. “Agree to work with me, and I can keep you out of prison.”
A cold, knowing look appeared on Liang Ziyu’s face.
“Xiao Yi has wanted to take down my family for a long time. If you could change his mind, he wouldn’t have thrown you out as bait.”
Song Liang offered no explanation. His lips moved, and he uttered a single sentence.
Liang Ziyu’s expression jolted. His heart rate shot up, and the bedside monitor immediately sounded an alarm.
All three groups outside were startled. Several gang members instinctively moved toward Yang Xun, while Yang Zhengwen and the other officers drew their guns on them.
Before anyone could speak, Yang Xun, who was closest to the door, kicked it open.
Inside, after hearing Song Liang’s words, Liang Ziyu had suddenly sat up and leaned over to whisper something in his ear. Without even looking at him, Song Liang punched him.
It wasn’t a hard punch. But to the three groups bursting through the door, it was unmistakably the start of a fight.
The air around Yang Xun and the gang members changed immediately. Cold sweat broke out on the officers as they wondered whether firing a warning shot in a hospital room was permissible.
Then they heard Liang Ziyu smile at Song Liang and say, “I don’t actually like men. But if it’s you, I think I could.”
The three groups at the door: “?”
Song Liang gave him a sidelong glance and steered his wheelchair toward the exit.
“I don’t like gangsters.”
Gripping the edge of the bed, Liang Ziyu gazed after him with romantic delight.
“When my dad dies, I’ll use his money to keep you! He’s already laundered it. It’s clean!”
Yang Zhengwen: “…”
You think saying that in front of a police officer is a good idea?
The gang members: “…”
It had only been a few minutes. How had this turned into flirting already?
Yang Xun watched Song Liang slowly wheel toward him, surprise flickering in his normally composed eyes. Before entering this room, he could have confirmed that Song Liang and Liang Ziyu had no friendly relationship whatsoever.
Yet within minutes, Song Liang had completely transformed Liang Ziyu’s attitude.
Terrifying.
“What did you tell him?” he couldn’t help asking as he pushed Song Liang out.
The young man in the wheelchair showed none of the distress one might expect from someone who had just survived a conspiracy involving a car crash and a kidnapping. Instead, he lounged as though reclining on his own throne.
“Ten million per question.”
Yang Xun shut up. He wasn’t as rich as Xiao Yi.
Two hours later, Song Liang returned to Feixi No. 1. At the same time, a full account of his meeting with Liang Ziyu reached Xiao Yi on the top floor of the group’s headquarters.
After hearing about Liang Ziyu’s dramatic change in attitude, Xiao Yi was silent for a moment.
“Understood. Just stay by his side.”
Yang Xun knew perfectly well that this didn’t simply mean staying near Song Liang. He was to guarantee his safety—a level of protection even Xiao Ji hadn’t received back then.
“He made a deal with Liang Ziyu. An extremely compelling deal.” Something in his voice was difficult to suppress. “Are you sure he has nothing else important?”
Of course he did. But Xiao Yi didn’t believe Song Liang could use the Emperor’s Tear to make a deal with Liang Ziyu. From beginning to end, the people that jewel could threaten had never been him, but the Xiao family and Xiao Musheng.
So he said, “Nothing.”
Yang Xun realized he was concealing something, but trusted his judgment and didn’t press. Instead, he tried to lighten the mood with a joke.
“Should I protect his chastity while I’m at it? That Liang boy looks hungry for him. Practically undressing him with his eyes—he even set off the heart monitor. Let’s leave your nephew out of it, but if the Liang brat steals him from under your nose, even I’ll feel offended on your behalf.”
The call disconnected.
Although Liang Ziyu’s behavior was suspicious, neither man immediately investigated. They had more important matters at hand. Besides, however formidable Song Liang might be in a fight, he was ultimately an outsider and a third-year university student. Other than that gun, they couldn’t imagine what else he might possess.
Then, a week later, the Linhai police called.
After taking the call, Xiao Yi sat in silence for a long time before calling Song Liang.
At that moment, Song Liang was enjoying the sunshine on the second-floor terrace and drinking the nourishing soup Aunt Jiang had made. Both uncle and nephew had thoughtfully stayed away these past few days, leaving him to enjoy the mansion alone.
Life was wonderfully comfortable.
Seeing Xiao Yi’s call, he answered immediately.
“What is it?” His tone was lazy.
The man on the other end was silent for two seconds before speaking.
“The police forensic unit says there’s a problem with the evidence. They couldn’t find Liang Long’s fingerprints on it.”
Song Liang sounded entirely unsurprised.
“What should we do, then, Uncle? I have no idea.”
“Your fingerprints aren’t on it either.”
“Then I know even less. Maybe they were accidentally rubbed off. You should have been more careful when you collected it, Uncle.”
“…”
A long silence followed.
Then Xiao Yi said, “The Emperor’s Tear is still there. I didn’t take it.”
“Really? Thank you for showing mercy, Uncle. I was wondering why your nephew was still willing to visit me in the hospital. So it’s because he hasn’t gotten what he wants yet.”
This silence lasted even longer.
Finally, a low question came through, almost like an exhalation.
“Song Liang, what exactly do you want?”
“I want you to keep this from Xiao Ji. We’re getting engaged soon, after all. Telling him would hurt our relationship.”
Before Xiao Yi could respond, Song Liang added casually, “Surely you don’t think my life is worth only ten million, Uncle?”
There was no reply.
Taking that as agreement, Song Liang hung up and called Duan Yan.
“Is all the paperwork done?”
“Yes.” Duan Yan’s voice trembled. He was clearly terrified. “Brother Song, I’ve never run a company or developed a star. I’ve only ever been a host. If anything happens to your ten million—”
Song Liang interrupted him.
“Find a reliable lawyer and draft a contract. Put in the most attractive benefits possible, then add strict termination clauses. Make the cost of breaking the contract as high as possible.”
“…And then?”
“Then invite Chen Jiahe out and find a way to get him to sign.”
“!!!”
Duan Yan sounded horrified.
“We’ve practically become brothers, and now you want me to screw him over?!”
“Who said anything about screwing him over? The termination conditions are just a little strict. If he never terminates the contract, I’ll keep supporting his career. It’s a good thing.”
“But—”
“Will four days be enough?”
“…Yes, but why four days?”
“Because I’m getting engaged on the fourth day. Come have a drink.”
Song Liang paused, amusement flickering in his eyes.
“Remember to bring Chen Jiahe.”
“…All right.”
As soon as Duan Yan hung up, 3085 couldn’t resist praising him.
【Well done!】
“Nothing special~”
Song Liang crossed his legs and sipped his freshly squeezed juice.
He was living in the villain’s house, spending the villain’s money, and preparing to torment the villain’s own nephew.
How could this not feel good?
Leave a Reply