Chapter 345: Calculating Through Death

"Lu Qiao is about to kick the bucket?" Cui Ping was overjoyed.

If not for Yu Zecheng being such a nuisance and always holding her back, she would have long since finished off this murderous demon to vent the pent-up anger of the young comrades in the Jinhai Student Union.

"Mm."

"Let's go, you lot clear the scene."

"Lin Tian, go keep an eye on Xiao Hui. That stubborn girl just got back from the Americans and I don't know where she's run off to again."

Hong Zhiyou instructed.

"Don't worry, I'm going now." Lin Tian didn't waste words; he snapped his fingers and turned to leave.

"Stay safe," Hong Zhiyou added.

He got into the car.

Just as he started the engine, Cui Ping pulled the door open and sat in the passenger seat.

"Senior Sister, where are you going?" Hong Zhiyou asked.

"To see Lu Qiao."

"I'm afraid he's faking death. This guy is crafty; I won't be at ease unless I see him take his last breath," Cui Ping said.

"Besides, I need to see a doctor too."

She held her arm, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

Only then did Hong Zhiyou notice that Cui Ping was injured.

She had clamped her arm down on the blade, but the sharp butterfly knife had sliced through her skin and flesh, and blood had soaked through the left side of her clothes.

"I told you not to go, but you wouldn't listen."

"Even old Zhou knows the times have changed; he ditched his axe and started playing with sniper rifles."

"If he doesn't aim at two targets a day, his hands get itchy."

"Yet you still keep wanting to use your fists and feet."

Hong Zhiyou shook his head in annoyance, took off his dark suit jacket, and draped it over her shoulders.

"That's decent of you."

"This jacket is probably ruined now."

Cui Ping smiled, endured the pain, let out a hiss, and slipped it on, buttoning it up.

She was very traditional.

If she didn't button it up, she was afraid she'd expose herself if she moved her arms.

"Junior Brother, a martial artist shouldn't rely too much on firearms, and certainly shouldn't lose their courage."

"Guns are good things."

"But there will always be times when you come face-to-face."

"Perhaps one day you'll get cornered; if you neglect your hand-to-hand skills and lose your nerve, you won't be able to use your strength or martial arts even if you have them."

"Don't compare yourself to old Zhou. He's an old bachelor who plays with guns by day and axes by night; he hasn't let any of his skills slide."

"You need to keep training. When you're free, find people to spar with, challenge some schools, and hone your skills."

"Sigh, I was just held back by Yu Zecheng. If I were back in the mountains, I would have punched his brains out with one blow; would I have even needed old Zhou to fire a shot?"

Cui Ping was extremely dissatisfied with her poor performance this time.

On this point, Hong Zhiyou agreed.

Back then, Cui Ping could leave Qiao Sanmei brain-dead with a single slap and cripple Ma Kui with one kick; she was truly invincible.

Today, she landed a heavy punch on the face of Divine Leg Zhang, yet he only suffered a facial fracture and could still 'fly and burrow,' which showed that Cui Ping was indeed suffering from a deficiency of Qi and a lack of strength.

Of course.

This was mostly caused by Yu Zecheng.

Yu Zecheng was depressed and under great pressure, and Cui Ping had been suffering from "cold violence" for a long time; naturally, her mood was also pent-up, leading to insomnia and mental exhaustion, which severely depleted her vitality—it would be a miracle if she could still kill someone.

"Senior Sister."

"Didn't the Donghai Tea House open a horse track recently?"

"When you're free, go ride some horses or play mahjong. If you're really bored, there are plenty of unscrupulous merchants in Jinhai making a fortune off the national crisis; go kill a few of them."

"Don't spend all day circling around Yu Zecheng; you need to find something to do."

"Your transit station is gone now, and no one is managing you, so just go have some fun yourself."

Hong Zhiyou gave her some psychological counseling while driving.

"You're right."

"Why do I spend all day circling around Yu Zecheng? The organization asked me to cooperate with him, but that doesn't mean I have to stay home feeding chickens every day."

"Starting today, I'll set up a traitor-elimination squad, specifically targeting corrupt officials and evil gentry; I'll kill every one I see."

Cui Ping's eyes lit up, and she said with great joy.

"Ahem."

"Drop the 'corrupt officials' part."

"Otherwise, there won't be anyone left to run the Jinhai municipal government."

Hong Zhiyou reminded her.

Arriving at the hospital, Yu Zecheng and Wu Jingzhong were chatting in the hallway.

"Teacher, Director Yu."

Both sides exchanged greetings.

"Dean Ding, find a surgeon to look at Mrs. Yu; she's injured." Hong Zhiyou didn't hide anything and instructed Ding Defeng, who was fawning nearby.

"Cui Ping, why, why are you injured?"

"Where?"

"Quick, let me see."

Yu Zecheng became anxious the moment he heard.

Seeing his anxious expression, Cui Ping felt incredibly warm and happy inside, and she grinned:

"It's nothing, just a minor flesh wound."

"Why is there so much blood? Is it serious? Quick, Dean Ding." Yu Zecheng quickly noticed the blood seeping through the suit jacket.

"Mrs. Yu, please come with me," Ding Defeng said.

"Station Chief, I..." Yu Zecheng looked at the Station Chief.

"Go on, go on," Wu Jingzhong said with a smile, waving his hand.

"Oh, it's fine."

"Dean Ding, you have to find me a female doctor..."

Cui Ping's voice drifted over.

"How did the matter go?" Wu Jingzhong asked with his hands behind his back.

"It has been confirmed that the person behind it is Zhang Si's son, Zhang Shaojie."

"He brought a group of people back from Nanyang."

"Every one of them is an expert at assassination, and the leader among them has already been finished off by Mrs. Yu and the others."

"Now we are just waiting for Zhang Shaojie to be caught."

Hong Zhiyou reported.

"Mm, spare no cost to find him. We have a true, irreconcilable blood feud with Zhang Si's family."

"Being targeted by people like this is very troublesome."

"The Generalissimo is powerful, isn't he? Yet he was still driven to headaches and anger by people like Wang Yaqiao and Ke Chengwu."

"It's impossible to guard against."

"We must see the corpse."

Wu Jingzhong pointed at him and said solemnly.

"Huang Yun has been transferred to the Beining front line, did you know?" Wu Jingzhong said.

"I know. Before I left, Officer Chen called me," Hong Zhiyou nodded.

"His transfer signifies that the Pingjin Jin-Sui clique has won."

"The American military is the key to this incident."

"They have a deep relationship with you. The Generalissimo could guess with his toes that you might be involved. I worry that the Generalissimo will be suspicious of you, which would be very unfavorable for your future."

Wu Jingzhong said with deep concern.

"Caught in the game, the only way is to break the game."

"This was a helpless move on my part. As long as I still have money in my hands and can still get arms and food from the Americans, the Generalissimo will surely understand my difficulties."

"I will fly to Jingling tonight to plead guilty."

Hong Zhiyou sighed with a bitter smile.

His greatest confidence was the time factor, which exceeded everyone's expectations.

Because no one could predict—not even those in Xibaipo—that with the Nationalist army still holding a slight advantage, in just a few months, the Northeast would collapse and Jinhai would be liberated.

By then, he would board an American military plane, slip away, and be much freer once he reached Xiangdao.

Without a regular army, even if the Jiang father and son wanted to sanction him, they could only rely on the low-life assassination methods of people like Mao Renfeng; he just needed to be more cautious.

Furthermore, Hong Zhiyou still had steamships, docks, and wineries. With a massive crowd of Nationalist government officials swarming to Wandao, their basic needs for food and shelter would be a problem.

There are no eternal enemies in this world, only absolute interests.

At that moment, I'm afraid the Chairman will have even more need of me.

Therefore, Hong Zhiyou was not panicked in the slightest.

Of course, this could not be discussed in detail with Wu Jingzhong; no one would believe it, and it would only make old Wu think he was blindly overconfident.

"Hmm, that's all we can do."

"May the greenbacks protect us both and keep us safe," Wu Jingzhong said with his hands behind his back.

"They certainly will," Hong Zhiyou said with a smile.

"Right, there is one more troublesome matter."

Wu Jingzhong pointed toward the intensive care ward and continued:

"Director Mao has issued an order to arrest Lu Qiaoshan and bring him to the Inspectorate, to be handed over to the military tribunal for trial on multiple charges effective immediately."

"What Vice Minister Zheng conveyed to me privately is to get rid of Lu Qiaoshan, so he doesn't go back to Jingling and spout nonsense."

"I just went in to see Lu Qiaoshan, and his physical condition is not looking good."

"This matter puts me in a very difficult position; one side wants him sent, the other doesn't, and offending either is bad."

"What do you think?"

Just as Hong Zhiyou was about to speak, Li Guifen walked out, her eyes red and swollen:

"Zhiyou, you're here. Qiaoshan wants to see you."

"Go on in."

"I'm heading back to the station. Come back early; I haven't eaten yet, let's find a decent restaurant later."

Wu Jingzhong gave his instructions, and just as he was about to leave, Hong Zhiyou leaned into his ear and whispered:

"Did you check inside?"

"Of course, Section Chief Xiao checked it personally; there is nothing there," Wu Jingzhong also whispered.

Then, escorted by Xiao Guohua and the others, he walked away quickly.

Hong Zhiyou felt slightly more at ease.

He was genuinely afraid that Lu Qiaoshan would take someone down with him before he left, hiding a gun under the quilt or pillow to take him along on his final journey.

Hong Zhiyou pushed open the door and walked into the ward.

Lu Qiaoshan's face was withered, as if covered by a layer of gray mist.

Especially his eyes, which lacked any spirit or vitality; he was already in a state of total exhaustion.

"Brother Shan."

Hong Zhiyou's tone was slightly desolate.

The victor is the king, the loser is the bandit.

After Lu Qiaoshan had schemed for so many years in Jinhai, to end up with his family destroyed and his life lost was truly lamentable.

"Zhiyou, I'm done for," Lu Qiaoshan said with a weak, airy smile.

"Director Mao wants to send you to the military tribunal."

"Vice Minister Zheng wants you to die in Jinhai."

"Being done for might not be a bad choice after all."

Hong Zhiyou said indifferently.

"Zhiyou, we are bro... brothers."

"Now that I am about to go see Mr. Sun, any grievances between us brothers should be settled here."

"Don't you think?"

Lu Qiaoshan reached out his hand.

Hong Zhiyou took his hand and nodded: "They should be settled, they are settled."

"Thank you."

"I've spent my whole life fighting back and forth, hoping for wealth and status, never imagining I'd end up in this state—my son is dead, and my family fortune is gone."

"Your sister-in-law is still young, barely halfway through her life, she's not bad-looking, and her manners and upbringing are decent; I can only entrust her to you."

"If she is willing to return to my hometown to care for my mother, please show mercy when you raid my residence and leave the scraps for her to live on."

"If she wants to stay in Jinhai, helping her find a good family to remarry into would also be fine."

Lu Qiaoshan looked back on half a lifetime, sighing as he made his final requests.

"Don't worry."

"Your mother at home and your wife, I will arrange everything properly," Hong Zhiyou said.

"You have always been a man of your word; I am relieved."

"With that, I can rest easy."

Lu Qiaoshan said.

"Zhiyou, you... tell me, if I had lived peacefully and not fought with Ma Kui and Li Ya for the position of Deputy Station Chief, and instead sold wine and sugar with you, would my life be very bright right now?" He looked at Hong Zhiyou, his eyes filled with sorrow and regret.

Hong Zhiyou sighed inwardly.

Those who followed him, like old Xie and his ilk, who hadn't made a fortune?

Character isn't a necessity in this world, but one must have at least a little.

Unfortunately, Lu Qiaoshan had none.

He had given him plenty of chances, but he hadn't cherished them.

He was a smiling tiger.

He himself was a... hunter.

From the very first day they met, today's fate had already been sealed.

"No."

"This world is destined to eat people."

"If you only act as a pushover, you won't make money or get promoted."

"If you want to get promoted and get rich, someone will bite you."

"In this world, one is not the master of one's own fate."

Hong Zhiyou didn't want to lecture a dying man; he could only sigh.

"That's right."

"This world is destined to eat people."

"If I don't eat people, people will eat me."

"Heaven is unjust."

"Heaven has no pity for me."

"What can be done, what can..."

Old tears slid down Lu Qiaoshan's face, and the light in his eyes gradually dimmed.

"Old Lu, wait, I have one more thing to tell you, something bigger than the sky!"

Seeing that Lu Qiaoshan was about to kick the bucket, Hong Zhiyou hurriedly shook him and shouted.

"Wha, what is it?" The light of a final flicker returned to the eyes of the dying Lu Qiaoshan.

"Hold on, hold on."

Hong Zhiyou ran out quickly, opened the door, and shouted:

"Sister-in-law, Director Ding, Physician, come in quickly, Old Lu is fading fast."

"Qiaoshan!"

Li Guifen rushed in frantically, grabbed Lu Qiaoshan's hand, and burst into tears.

Ding Defeng and the physician also hurried to check on him and set up an IV.

"Zhiyou, wha... what is it?" Lu Qiaoshan looked at Hong Zhiyou and asked with a weak breath.

"Oh, it's nothing."

"I was just afraid that if you died without a witness, I wouldn't be able to explain myself later."

Hong Zhiyou shrugged and told the truth.

There were too many people who wanted Lu Qiaoshan dead right now; without a bystander, it could easily be used as leverage against him later.

For all he knew, Lu Qiaoshan had called him in just to pull a final trick on his deathbed.

Hong Zhiyou had to be on his guard.

"You, you bastard..." Lu Qiaoshan was so angry his eyes rolled back.

He had indeed wanted to die in Hong Zhiyou's "hands" so that people like Zheng Jiemin and Mao Renfeng would have leverage to bite Hong Zhiyou later.

He hadn't expected that even this last little scheme would fall through.

He couldn't even get the better of this kid in death.

Too cunning, too ghostly.

"Director Ding, spare no expense to save Inspector Lu. Before the special commissioner from the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics Inspectorate arrives, if Lu Qiaoshan breathes his last, you can forget about being director." Turning his head, Hong Zhiyou ordered Ding Defeng.

Heh, want to die?

That's thinking too simply.

I controlled you while you were alive, and I'll arrange your death just as clearly.

"Understood."

Ding Defeng immediately arranged for emergency personnel to begin various resuscitation measures on Lu Qiaoshan.

Pity that Lu Qiao was revived by emergency treatment again.

"Too greedy, too incompetent!"

Hong Zhiyou used these four words to pass final judgment on Lu Qiao.

Just like melting snow or withering mountain flowers, his heart remained completely calm; amidst Lu Qiao's resentful and unwilling lingering gaze, he turned and walked out.

Returning to the station.

Wu Jingzhong was on the phone.

Hanging up the phone, he asked: "How is Lu Qiao?"

"Ding Defeng is performing emergency treatment; according to the timeline, he should be able to hold on until the people from the Inspection Office arrive," Hong Zhiyou said, glancing at his watch.

"Hmm, even if the person is handed over to Mao Renfeng, he won't be able to spit out anything; dying halfway is a decent answer to the report.

"Both Bureau Chief Mao and Zheng Jiemin can be satisfied with that."

Wu Jingzhong nodded with satisfaction.

Immediately, he took a sip of tea and continued:

"I just called Shuitun Prison.

"I originally thought that since the Phoenix Chick was gone, I couldn't let the Crouching Dragon live alone, but who knew the people there would tell me that Li Ya was released from prison last night."

Hong Zhiyou also frowned: "This matter is very strange.

"Logically speaking, Lu Qiao sent a special person to imprison Li Ya alone; given the hatred between them, Lu Qiao should have secretly executed Li Ya before his own downfall to exact revenge."

"Master, did Li Ya pull some strings?" Hong Zhiyou said.

"Impossible, we have our own people at Shuitun Prison; according to intelligence, Lu Qiao's guard over Li Ya was very strict, and outsiders, including the prison warden, found it hard to even make contact.

"Now, not only has the person been released, but when Chen Zhangjie searched Lu Qiao's office, he discovered that the incriminating evidence against Li Ya had also been destroyed.

"In my opinion, there is only one possibility: Lu Qiao released Li Ya privately."

Wu Jingzhong analyzed.

"Given Lu Qiao's nature of seeking revenge for the slightest grievance, it is indeed very abnormal.

"This matter reeks of something sinister.

"Sigh, a missed opportunity."

Hong Zhiyou frowned and sighed.

Without Lu Qiao, this mad dog Li Ya, who loved to bite, no longer had any reason to exist.

Hong Zhiyou had originally thought Lu Qiao would drag Li Ya down with him to the grave.

He had even made a backup plan.

Once Lu Qiao died, he would immediately use Lu Qiao's name to have Li Ya killed in prison.

In this way, given the well-known hatred between Li and Lu, it would be entirely feasible as long as it was done discreetly.

Now, one can only say the cooked duck... has truly flown away.

"Don't dwell on what has already happened; let's wait and see Li Ya's next move before making a specific analysis.

"Like this, since Li Ya isn't dead, we must make a gesture on the surface; you and Yu Zecheng should pretend you know nothing, go to Shuitun in person to represent me in picking up Li Ya, and host a welcome dinner for him.

"Even if it's a wasted trip, the act must still be performed, otherwise it will look like we..."

Wu Jingzhong winked to remind him.

"There is still some time before the flight, I will go handle it now," Hong Zhiyou said.

He called Yu Zecheng, and the two arranged to meet at the entrance of Shuitun Prison.

At Shuitun Prison, Liao Sanmin walked up to shake hands with the two.

"I am here to process Li Ya's release," Yu Zecheng said, handling the handover with Liao Sanmin in an official capacity first.

After finishing the official business, Liao Sanmin closed the door.

"You two talk, I still have to catch a flight, I'll be going first."

Hong Zhiyou had no interest in their conversation; he said a word of greeting and quickly slipped away.

"Old Yu, two things.

"Comrade Old Luo has been withdrawn, and the organization has appointed me as your new liaison.

"You are still the leader, and I will follow your arrangements."

Liao Sanmin smiled and said in a low voice.

"Hmm, does the organization have any new tasks?" Yu Zecheng asked.

"First, the military deployment situation of Fan Hanjie in the Jinzhou direction, as well as intelligence on provisions and ordnance.

"Second, the movements of the American military."

Liao Sanmin said.

"These two shouldn't be difficult; Officer Guo Rugui of the Third Department is going to listen to the report on the Northeast defeat in two days, and as long as there is a Ministry of National Defense meeting, I should be able to get this intelligence.

"I can find out about the American military's movements once I return to Jinhai."

Yu Zecheng nodded and said.

"The trouble now is that I have no legitimate reason to see you," Liao Sanmin said.

"That is indeed a trouble; Li Ya has been released, and he is currently keeping a close eye on me. If I come too frequently, he will suspect you."

Yu Zecheng frowned and said.

"How about this, you go pursue Hong Xiaohui.

"Hong Xiaohui is Secretary Hong's younger sister; if you create the impression that you want to transfer to the municipal department, or the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, or want to become a prison warden, you will have a motive to get close to Hong Zhiyou, and pursuing his sister will be a logical progression."

Yu Zecheng thought for a moment and came up with an idea.

(End of chapter)