Chapter 2648: Rain in the Southern City Tonight 10

That night, the hospital.

Jin Chen went to the ward number Ren Xian had sent, the door ajar with a gap. He pushed it in, his gaze falling on the person leaning against the hospital bed. Ren Xian was receiving an IV, tape on the back of his hand, his complexion paler than usual, showing signs of illness.

He had been looking down at his phone, but hearing the movement he lifted his head, and seeing that the visitor was Jin Chen, he let out a breath of relief.

"You came." Ren Xian's voice was a little hoarse, carrying a sense of relief.

Jin Chen stood at the foot of the bed, not approaching, and said, "Let's get down to business."

Even though Ren Xian knew his character well, he was momentarily choked by this blunt, almost cold tone, and showed helplessness.

"Not even a polite greeting?"

Jin Chen didn't respond, thinking that being able to make this trip was already courteous enough.

Ren Xian also seemed to realize complaining was useless, and said instead, "I was supposed to ask Xie Shao about my illness, but his team took on a farm stay design project and went out for field research; they won't be back for a while."

He mentioned it casually, in an ordinary tone, as if just passing by, then picked up a document from the bedside table and handed it to Jin Chen, saying, "This is what I want you to help with."

Jin Chen took it and quickly flipped through a few pages. It was a loan contract, but its clauses were set up cleverly—a yin-yang contract.

Ren Xian had been set up.

"He's a former partner of the club, called Zhou Lei." Ren Xian rubbed his forehead, his face showing irritation, "He's been causing trouble lately. Even though the loan principal and interest have been repaid, it's still not enough for him; now he's holding this contract, trying to force me to mortgage the club to him. I'm not sure how long this will drag on, but given my current situation… anyway, the club can only trouble you to look after it for now."

Jin Chen closed the document, lifted his eyes to him, and said, "I don't want to manage your club."

Ren Xian: "……"

Ren Xian fell silent for a moment, clenched the loose cuff of his hospital gown, and said, "I wouldn't trust this to anyone else; only you can help me."

He lifted his eyes, gazing up at Jin Chen from a half-reclining position, naturally appearing somewhat vulnerable.

But Jin Chen neither noticed nor cared.

Ren Xian took a deep breath, stared straight at Jin Chen, and said, "You should help me; this is what you owe me."

After he said that, the atmosphere in the ward grew colder.

Jin Chen's mind flashed with an unpleasant memory from the past.

After a moment, he spoke, his voice devoid of emotion, "How long do you intend to threaten me with this excuse?"

Ren Xian lowered his gaze, staring at the fine patterns on the blanket, and after a long while, as if drained of strength, he said, "Just this once, can you?"

Jin Chen: "Preferably."

Jin Chen closed the contract, thought briefly, and said, "Contact Zhou Lei and arrange to meet him at the club tomorrow noon to settle this."

Ren Xian hadn't expected Jin Chen to take such a direct approach, and he froze for a moment, "He usually has several bodyguards around him; they're not pushovers—can you handle them?"

"Yes."

Ren Xian then stopped speaking, leaned against the pillow in a daze, not even noticing that the IV bag on the back of his hand had emptied, and the blood began to reflux.

Jin Chen glanced at it, turned, and left the ward, casually pressing the nurse call button by the bed.

Ren Xian listened to Jin Chen's footsteps fade down the hallway, then slowly picked up his phone; the screen showed the chat interface with Xie Shao, the last message being his own, informing the other party that he was hospitalized, but there had been no reply.

He lowered his gaze, not knowing what he was thinking.

——

The next noon, the business suite on the second floor of the club.

Zhou Lei was a slightly overweight middle-aged man with an oily sheen on his face, sitting sprawled on the sofa, surrounded by four or five burly bodyguards. Opposite him was Ren Xian, whose complexion remained pale.

"Boss Ren, it looks like you've come around today, ready to hand over the club to me?"

He showed no embarrassment at threatening, instead appearing determined to succeed, "Just nod, sign your name, and all that money and interest can be easily discussed. After all, the black-and-white contract is one you signed yourself—it'll hold up anywhere, right?"

Seeing that face made Ren Xian angry, his chest feeling tight, "You deceived me; that contract wasn't at all what we originally discussed—I..."

"Come on, Boss Ren," Zhou Lei interrupted impatiently, a sneer on his face, "You still have the nerve to blame me? Haven't you deceived others too? What was his name… Xie Linzhou?"

"I've heard you two used to call each other brothers, as close as one person." He snorted, his tone harsh, "Back then, how much did people trust you? And what happened? Fundamentally, aren't we the same kind of person?"

Since Xie Linzhou went abroad, the thing Ren Xian least wants brought up is this, especially when someone like Zhou Lei punctures it with a contemptuous tone.

His complexion shifted slightly, both embarrassed and angry.

At that moment, the suite's door was knocked, then pushed open from outside.

Zhou Lei's expression shifted slightly, and he warily looked toward the doorway.

Only a man in a black overcoat strode in, tall and straight, his features stern, exuding an aloofness that warned strangers to keep away.

Zhou Lei frowned, his tone unfriendly: "Who are you?"

Jin Chen reflexively closed the door, took off his overcoat and casually hung it on the coat rack by the door, then walked into the room at a leisurely pace.

Zhou Lei was made a little nervous by Jin Chen's series of composed movements, and he instinctively raised his hand to signal.

The five bodyguards immediately stepped forward, forming a semi-circle around Jin Chen.

Zhou Lei glanced at Ren Xian, whose expression had eased a bit, and probed, "Boss Ren, this won't be the helper you brought in, will I? I advise you to be sensible and not invite trouble."

Jin Chen seemed not to notice those bodyguards, his gaze landing on Zhou Lei, "Zhou Lei, do you want to go to prison?"

Zhou Lei startled, the flesh on his cheeks trembling, "What? You're talking nonsense!"

"In here," Jin Chen produced a silver little USB drive from his pocket, turned it between his fingers, and casually plugged it into the room's multimedia display, "This is evidence of all your illegal lending, violent collection, and malicious appropriation of others' property over the past five years."

The screen lit up, and clear evidence pages rolled out one after another.

Zhou Lei's face changed instantly; he stared fixedly at the screen, his eyes full of disbelief.

He had clearly done it very covertly!

"Damn…" Zhou Lei muttered under his breath, his eyes fierce, "Give it to me!"

Four bodyguards lunged forward at once.

The ensuing action was so fast it was almost impossible to follow; only a few muffled thuds and cries were heard, figures colliding then separating, and by the time Ren Xian and Zhou Lei came to, the bodyguards lay on the floor, unable to get up for a while.