Chapter 42

Gong San didn’t wait for anyone else—he turned and said, “Zhang Qizhi, go get a doctor right away!”

Then he looked at Tan Yang and said, “You can state your terms now.”

Tan Yang smiled: “I demand his wife and children come here—right now. And you bring a few reporters. I want them to film what’s about to happen. I want the whole world to know what kind of creature Hu Feng is, and who I am.”

Gong San’s face flickered with uncertainty—he now realized Tan Yang wasn’t just seeking revenge; this was going to destroy Buye City. This was beyond his power to decide.

Tan Yang saw his hesitation: “I know you can’t make this call. Go get Chen Shuanger. Don’t waste time.”

Gong San’s rage boiled over—Fuck, I’d rather die today than meet your demands by sacrificing Hu Feng’s life!

Just as he was about to order his men to attack, Tan Yang shouted sharply: “Gong San! Have you forgotten what happened with Zhang Bangfeng?”

“Boom!” Gong San’s mind felt like it had been struck by a massive bell—he froze.

Zhang Bangfeng! How could he forget that name? He was the boss of Nancheng District that he and Chen Shuanger had killed together when they were building their empire. If not for Liu Baoshan—the notorious bandit from the Three Northeast Provinces—both he and his brother Chen Shuanger would have died at Zhang Bangfeng’s hands. None of their current wealth would exist.

He studied the man before him—no more than twenty-something, soft-skinned and delicate—definitely not Liu Baoshan.

Tan Yang knew what he was thinking: “Call Chen Shuanger right now. Tell him I’m Liu Baoshan’s son. He’ll do exactly what I ask.”

Gong San, hearing his certainty, was half-convinced—and he feared that if he didn’t call Chen Shuanger now, things would spiral out of control. The call had to be made.

At this hour, only Chen Shuanger’s four trusted lieutenants could reach him. Gong San dialed with the expectation of punishment—but after listening, Chen Shuanger fell silent for a moment, then said: “Do as he says. Bind Hu Feng’s wife and children and bring them here. I have one condition: tell him that from now on, I’m even with Liu Baoshan. He must never ask me for anything again.”

He hung up. Gong San stood stunned—he knew how much effort it would take to fulfill these demands. Only now did he realize how brilliant Tan Yang’s mind was: he’d leveraged Chen Shuanger’s entire network on the island to build a stage for himself. No faction would dare interfere with what came next.

Gong San silently prayed to Guan Yu: please let Tan Yang not do anything too shocking tonight.

Chen Shuanger’s influence on the island was undeniable. By midnight, when Gong San arrived at Junhai Hui with his men, no one dared question them. When Zhong Yan, Hu Feng’s wife and partner at Dade Law Firm, learned it was Chen Shuanger who requested her presence, she felt no resentment—only requested that the children not be brought. Gong San, thinking the two kids wouldn’t matter, agreed and took Zhong Yan away.

He never realized that this small decision spared two innocent children from irreversible psychological trauma. It was, unintentionally, a good deed.

The night was quiet, and they reached Buye City quickly. Zhong Yan showed no surprise upon exiting the car. For the man she called husband, she had always been tolerant—perhaps because there was no love. Yes, a marriage of mutual exploitation could never hold love.

So when this so-called Number One Boss of the island summoned her to a place like this in the dead of night, she had already prepared herself.

But what came next shattered her psyche so severely it nearly destroyed her life.

Enough digressions. Back to the matter.

Gong San brought Zhong Yan to the fifth floor. Hu Feng had been briefly bandaged by the doctor summoned—bleeding stopped—but Zhong Yan instantly saw the white gauze between his legs. She froze, then understood. Her mind churned: shock—how could he be injured there? Anger—he could play all he wanted, but to injure himself there? It humiliated her! And a flicker of delight—now she could divorce him with full justification. As the guilty party, she’d get a hefty settlement…

Thoughts clashed in her mind—until she noticed two familiar faces: two TV reporters. She felt like she’d been plunged into ice.

As a lawyer, as a prominent figure on the island, she’d assumed Chen Shuanger had sent her here to quietly settle her husband’s affairs—perhaps even pay a large compensation. That was why she’d come without resistance. But now there were two reporters—and anyone with eyes could see the two cameras already set up.

“What is this?!” Zhong Yan glared at Gong San, furious.

A cold male voice spoke: “You’re Hu Feng’s wife, right?”

Only then did Zhong Yan notice the frail-looking man beside Hu Feng—a pale, handsome man, but his mouth was caked with dried blood, making him seem grotesque.

As an adult, she suddenly felt nauseous. Could it be…? She didn’t want to think further. She only wanted to know why she’d been brought here. “Yes, I’m Zhong Yan. Who are you? What do you want?”

The man didn’t answer. Instead, he tilted his chin toward Gong San: “Where are his children?”

Gong San had anticipated this: “Brother Tan, his two kids attend Island International School—they’re all boarding, you know how strict they are. At this hour, I couldn’t possibly get them. Besides, I didn’t want to delay you.”

Tan Yang stared at him for a moment, muttered under his breath, then turned to the two reporters with a smile: “Are you ready? This is a once-in-a-lifetime interview. Make sure it’s broadcast across the island—and the entire nation—when the sun rises tomorrow.”

The reporters, staring at his dried blood and the sorrow in his smile, nodded silently.

Tan Yang, seeing everything prepared, grabbed Hu Feng’s hair and lifted his face. “This man is Hu Feng—a rich second-generation heir. To the world, an entrepreneur, a social elite, a success.”

“I am a murderer. A homosexual. A former sex worker.”

At these words, Zhong Yan and the reporters froze, staring up at him in shock.