Song Liang had no major objections to Xiao Yi’s so-called close protection. Xiao Yi hadn’t restricted his movements. In fact, whenever Song Liang wanted privacy, he could simply tell Yang Xun and the others to keep their distance.
The comfortable boundaries even made 3085 remark on how well the villain treated him.
Song Liang scoffed, saying Xiao Yi merely knew that if pushed too far, he really would resort to violence.
A few days later, when Song Liang met Liang Ziyu, the latter immediately recognized Yang Xun following at his heels.
His eyebrows rose. What was this supposed to mean? Had he fallen out with Xiao Yi? Why was that Xiao bastard having him watched like a thief?
Song Liang didn’t explain.
They had arranged to go sea fishing. Once aboard the yacht, he told Yang Xun and the others to move to the far end of the deck.
Liang Ziyu understood then. They weren’t there to watch him. They were there to protect him.
His expression turned teasing.
“What’s going on? Have you two really hooked up behind Xiao Ji’s back?”
Song Liang showed him the bandages on his right hand.
“I blocked a knife for him. He sent a few bodyguards to protect me.”
“A few bodyguards?”
Liang Ziyu glanced back at the visibly impatient Yang Xun and asked with amusement, “Do you know who the one leading them is?”
Without waiting for an answer, he continued.
“The top enforcer of the Xinglong Society’s old sworn enemy.”
Song Liang paused and looked at him.
“Not many people know this. I’m only telling you.”
Knowing he had caught Song Liang’s interest, Liang Ziyu kept his eyes on the sea, his fishing rod in hand.
“Everyone knows Xiao Yi only returned to the Xiao family at eighteen. Do you know where he was before that?”
“He was second-in-command at Baihe Hall, the Xinglong Society’s rival. Yang Xun started following him back then. Later, Xinglong wiped out Baihe Hall. Somehow, Xiao Yi learned he was a Xiao and went to the family.”
Liang Ziyu gave an indifferent scoff.
“A teenager, already second-in-command. He’s clever, and ruthless too. When the Xinglong Society was brought down later, he played a major role.”
Song Liang asked the system, 【Wasn’t the Xinglong Society a gang from forty years ago? How is Xiao Yi involved?】
【It was founded forty years ago. It only began legitimizing its operations and moving its illegal activities underground about ten years ago. Xiao Yi returned to the Xiao family fifteen years ago.】
“Why don’t you look surprised?”
When Song Liang remained silent, Liang Ziyu couldn’t contain himself. He turned and scrutinized his face.
“We’re talking about Xiao Yi! Head of the Xiao family, current chairman of the Xiao Group—and he used to be a gangster. Doesn’t that surprise you?”
“It does.”
His face remained utterly calm.
Liang Ziyu was disappointed. He had been hoping for an entertaining reaction.
“Don’t you find it satisfying? Someone as lofty and refined as Xiao Yi having such a disgraceful past?”
“Someone like him probably doesn’t consider it disgraceful,” Song Liang replied casually.
Liang Ziyu paused. “Why?”
“He made it this far. That means he won. If he’s the winner, what’s there to be ashamed of?”
“…”
Liang Ziyu stared at him for a long time, his eyes lighting up.
“You’re fascinating. How did I never realize Linhai had someone as interesting as you?”
“I hadn’t arrived yet,” Song Liang replied offhandedly.
Assuming he was joking, Liang Ziyu laughed.
Then he felt a fish take his line. He hurriedly stood and pulled back.
It was a large sea bass, roughly the length of an arm. Someone beside him scooped it up with a net.
Delighted, Liang Ziyu looked at the fish and said, “If you catch something bigger than mine today, I’ll do one thing you ask. If you can’t, you do one thing for me. Deal?”
Song Liang nodded. “Deal.”
Liang Ziyu raised an eyebrow.
“Even if I ask you to sleep with me once?”
Song Liang ignored him and watched the sea with his rod in hand.
About ten minutes later, his line finally stirred.
It was a tuna, apparently weighing over ten kilograms, considerably larger than Liang Ziyu’s catch.
Liang Ziyu wasn’t afraid of losing. He picked up a net to help.
But just as Song Liang pulled the fish upward, a mako shark suddenly snatched the tuna and flicked its tail to swim away.
Liang Ziyu froze, then burst out laughing.
“You’re so unlucky! Hahaha! You can’t blame me for that!”
He hadn’t even finished when Song Liang muttered a curse, stripped off his shirt, and jumped into the sea.
“Holy shit!”
Startled, Liang Ziyu hurried to the edge. Yang Xun’s expression changed, and he immediately ran over too.
Before either could act, they saw Song Liang smack the mako shark hard underwater, wrench the tuna from its mouth, and turn to swim back toward them.
“…”
Liang Ziyu was dumbfounded. So was everyone else on deck.
How competitive could one person be? He had actually jumped into the ocean to slap a shark!
A few minutes later, Song Liang climbed onto the deck, tossed the large fish aside, and slicked back his wet hair.
Lean, beautifully defined muscles covered his frame, his shoulders broad and his waist narrow and supple. Water glittered on his skin beneath the sun.
He was stunningly beautiful and sexy.
Liang Ziyu nearly drooled.
“When you split up with Xiao Ji,” he murmured, “remember to come find me.”
Song Liang didn’t turn around.
“You wouldn’t even be next in line for my second marriage.”
Liang Ziyu: “…”
Fuck.
Refusing to give up, he followed him.
“Who are you planning to marry the second time? Xiao Yi? What exactly do I lack compared to him?”
He remembered Song Liang saying he didn’t like gangsters. But Xiao Yi had been one too. That put them on equal footing.
Song Liang accepted a towel from a bodyguard, dried himself, and put his clothes on.
Deliberately keeping out of Yang Xun’s earshot, he beckoned Liang Ziyu closer.
“Help me investigate Xiao Yi’s biological mother.”
Liang Ziyu was a little surprised. A mocking smile touched his lips.
“I thought you’d want to investigate the accident that killed Xiao Ying and his wife.”
Song Liang glanced at him.
If he was saying that, the accident clearly involved something suspicious—and he knew something.
“What do you know?”
Liang Ziyu leaned suggestively toward his lips, his gaze blatant.
“Let me kiss you, and I’ll tell you.”
Song Liang kicked him into the sea, then turned and headed into the cabin.
Even in the water, Liang Ziyu refused to behave.
“I saw the mark on your neck!” he shouted. “Was it Xiao Ji or Xiao Yi who bit you? You’ve already got two. What’s one more?”
Yang Xun gave him a disgusted look and reported the remark to his boss word for word.
The reply came quickly, asking how Song Liang had responded.
Yang Xun answered honestly: Song Liang had kicked him overboard.
Another reply followed.
As long as he’s happy.
Speechless, Yang Xun sent another message.
He’s investigating you.
This time, the response took a little longer.
Let him.
Song Liang had just brought his ten-kilogram-plus fish home and asked Aunt Jiang to stew it when he learned that Xiao Wenyu had died from taking a prohibited drug while on temporary release.
The drug’s name looked familiar.
He checked the script and, sure enough, it was the same substance Xiao Wenyu had told him to give Xiao Ji at the yacht banquet.
Song Liang had thrown it into some forgotten corner of the yacht.
Yet the purchase records released by the police showed that Xiao Wenyu had only bought it once.
Song Liang didn’t need to think to know who was responsible.
He smiled.
As expected of the man who had used his brains to become second-in-command and helped bring down the Xinglong Society.
His methods really were masterful.
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