Chapter 5: A grudge from a past life, to be repaid in this life

At this moment, Li Qinglan's hair was disheveled and her breathing unsteady.

Seeing Li Jiaci look at her, her face instantly flooded with a fear as rich as lard.

"I, I, I really..."

Before she could finish speaking, Li Jiaci blocked her mouth with a finger.

"We've been together for two years; you should understand me."

"Lying to my face only adds to my anger and hatred toward you."

Li Jiaci stared at her and said: "Now I ask you one last time—who exactly did you sell me to?"

Under Li Jiaci's icy gaze.

Li Qinglan's delicate body began to tremble uncontrollably.

After a while, she finally opened her mouth and stammered: "Yes, yes, it's Team Leader Lin..."

"Team Leader Lin?"

Li Jiaci couldn't help but frown: "What's his full name?"

"I, I don't know either..."

"All I know is that he's the West City Maozi Team Captain."

Li Qinglan said this, then hurriedly added: "It's all because he forced me to do this; if I don't tell him your whereabouts, he'll arrest my dad—I really had no choice, so I..."

She didn't continue with the rest of her words.

But Li Jiaci is so smart—how could he not guess what she wanted to say?

Nothing more than wanting to say she was truly left with no choice, that sort of thing.

Of course.

He knew that as well.

This woman, even now, remains incorrigible and still thinks of deceiving me.

Others may not know her father, but how could I, Li Jiaci, not know him?

That gambling addict, at most just follows the crowd to play mahjong or push the bone tiles; even if Maozi catches him, he'll be released in a few days.

Moreover, Li Qinglan is hardly a filial person.

In his previous life, when he returned.

She had vanished from the human world, while her father had long been dead in a trash heap.

If she were truly filial, why wouldn't she have taken her father with her when she left?

In the end, they're all excuses, nothing but deceit.

Having seen through the person before him's nature, he also obtained the information he wanted.

Li Jiaci also couldn't be bothered to argue further with this woman; he straightened up and said coldly: "Get out—don't ever appear before me again, or I'll make you regret it..."

"Jiaci, I..."

"Get out!"

Li Jiaci let out a low growl.

Now Li Qinglan didn't dare hesitate; she scrambled up from the ground and ran out of the room.

She stood at the doorway.

Li Jiaci's lips curled into a cold arc.

If he were the impulsive, foolish him from his past life, he would surely have killed Li Qinglan in a fit of rage.

But he is no longer that former self; he will not only avoid leading his brothers down that dead‑end road, he will also not let himself end up in such a miserable fate.

Moreover, he knows he doesn't need to act himself—later, someone will naturally help him make that wretched woman taste the bitterness of regret...

Of course, there's also that guy whose hands are stained with his brothers' blood.

In his previous life he never found him.

Then it's a grudge from a past life, to be repaid in this life...

He returned to the room.

Li Jiaci simply tidied up the house, putting things back where they belonged.

Then he pulled the luggage bag that Zhang Chuqiang had sent over to himself.

The luggage bag contained everything Zhang Shiqiang had used while alive.

In his previous life, because he left in a hurry, he couldn't take these things with him, leaving many regrets.

Now he can finally open this box.

In the most prominent spot lay a watch box.

It is said that this watch was bought for him by the woman he loved deeply.

He usually couldn't bear to wear it, only occasionally taking it out to look at and wipe clean.

Opening the box lid, he could immediately see a two‑inch photo of Zhang Shiqiang.

Seeing the person in a Zhongshan suit with a bright smile on his face, Li Jiaci's eyes grew sore.

By his reckoning, it had been nearly twenty‑six years since he last saw Zhang Shiqiang.

Nevertheless, he still remembered how Zhang Shiqiang had selflessly treated him and his few brothers.

When he met Zhang Shiqiang,

Zhang Shiqiang was already a fairly well‑known gang leader in West City District.

But Zhang Shiqiang had always taught him to lead his brothers away from the streets and do something decent.

Back then he didn't understand Zhang Shiqiang's intentions.

He even felt that Zhang Shiqiang looked down on them, this bunch of brothers.

Coincidentally, at that time he met Li Qinglan, and in order to earn money to support Li Qinglan, he simply went behind Zhang Shiqiang's back and took the brothers to do work for some small and medium-sized societies.

Later, Zhang Shiqiang found out about this and gave him a hard slap.

But after hitting him, he then pulled him along to drink all night, saying many, many things.

At that time, what exactly Zhang Shiqiang said, Li Jiaci can no longer clearly recall.

He only remembers that he repeatedly emphasized to him: one must stay away from this circle, follow the righteous path, and be an upright person.

At that time, he simply could not understand.

Why did Zhang Shiqiang, who was inside this circle, constantly tell him to follow the righteous path?

Could it be that, being in this circle, there is no way to live as an upright person?

Only later, after experiencing many things and gaining rich experience, did he understand Zhang Shiqiang's painstaking intentions.

As the saying goes, once you enter the jianghu, it's as deep as the sea, and from then on there is no turning back.

This circle devours people; it will eat up everyone who enters it, not even leaving bone fragments.

Seeing Zhang Shiqiang's relics, the teachings from back then urging him to follow the righteous path and be an upright person faintly resurfaced in his ears.

Li Jiaci's eyes unconsciously began to redden.

Life, sometimes, is just this messed up.

Back then, not understanding, even finding some principles noisy, they would gradually become clear with the settling of age.

But the person who originally taught him those principles is no longer in this world.

"Brother!"

"Don't worry, from now on I'll listen to you."

Li Jiaci murmured to the photo: "I will definitely lead the brothers to follow the righteous path and be upright persons."

……

The current city is far less brightly lit than it will be in the future.

After turning off the light, the room only had the faint moonlight filtering through the curtains.

Li Jiaci lay on the bed, his thoughts myriad.

Following the righteous path seems like just three casual words, but actually walking that path well is not easy.

Moreover, he still needs to take revenge ahead, requiring him to build up a powerful network of connections and influence.

But no matter what one does, money is needed.

Money, where does it come from?

They are all orphans, previously relying on Zhang Shiqiang for support.

Later, although they did some work for the societies for a few years, the money they earned was basically all spent.

Starting a business and engaging in trade is not a problem; after all, he returned from several decades later and possesses much information unknown to people of this era.

But the current problem remains: lack of capital.

"Sigh……"

Li Jiaci secretly sighed: "Looks like we still need to first figure out how to make some money……"

He returned to the familiar place.

In his heart, the burdens of his previous life were also gone.

That night, he slept very soundly and even had a rather wonderful dream.

In the dream, he led the brothers onto the right path, earned a great deal of money, basically impossible to spend it all.

And each of the brothers also started their own families, having wives and children, living happily and blissfully……