98: Chang Qing had an accident

Shen Lian's livestream ended, and when he came out, Chu Yilan happened to be putting away his phone.

Shen Lian didn't think much of it. Leaning over the second-floor railing, he asked with a smile, "Want some barbecue?"

Chu Yilan: "Anything works."

Shen Lian ordered food online for delivery. Since his recovery had been going well lately, when he suggested having a couple of drinks, Chu Yilan actually nodded, which was a first.

A small glass of ice-cold beer—Shen Lian sipped it with extreme care.

Chu Yilan reached out and stroked his face. "When you're fully recovered, I'll drink with you however you like."

Shen Lian just smiled.

Heart problems were no small matter, and a complete cure was unlikely. It was just a matter of being careful in daily life. Not being able to drink much wasn't a big deal; Shen Lian could fully accept it.

Chu Zhumi was playing with a small ball filled with catnip nearby. Once tired, it flopped down on the spot and let out a heavy sigh.

Chu Yilan found it amusing. He had never imagined he would raise such a living creature.

Shen Lian ate his skewers, satisfied his cravings, and went to bed contentedly.

After confirming his breathing was steady, Chu Yilan wrapped himself in a robe and went to the balcony.

Sun Binghe had sent a message half an hour ago, saying they had caught two of them.

There would definitely be no sleep tonight. Sun Binghe held a "you're dead meat, old geezer" attitude toward that Boss Jin.

When Jin Lei's basic information came into view, Chu Yilan's pupils suddenly constricted.

Logically, he should have seen many such mercenary faces, but a flash of white light suddenly flickered through his distant memory fragments, as if urging him to remember something.

Chu Yilan instructed Sun Binghe to thoroughly dig into the first half of Jin Lei's life.

Chu Yilan knew that various forces were constantly infiltrating the blue sea project, and Jin Lei had indeed hidden himself very deeply. But now that he had poked his head out, there was no way he could safely retreat.

After finishing his work, Shen Lian continued his life at home, teasing the cat and lounging around like a salted fish.

That day, he calculated the time. Chang Qing had been filming for nearly two weeks, during which his replies had been intermittent. When Shen Lian asked him out for dinner in the afternoon, Chang Qing checked his schedule and readily agreed.

Shen Lian was dressed all in black, looking very sharp. Aunt Fen was momentarily stunned when he came downstairs wearing sunglasses and a hat.

"Oh my, now it finally feels real."

Shen Lian: "Hmm?"

"Xiao Lian is a big star!"

Shen Lian chuckled. "Aunt Fen, Yilan is working overtime tonight, so I'm going out to eat with a friend. Take care of yourself, and just give Chu Zhumi one meal."

"Alright, alright."

Shen Lian picked a black supercar from Chu Yilan's garage, stepped on the gas, and headed for the film set.

Shen Lian called Chang Qing twice on the way, but no one picked up.

What was going on? Shen Lian frowned slightly. Logically, work should have been over by now, and Chang Qing had said he didn't have many scenes today.

The road in front of the film set was being renovated. The workers had finished for the day, and piles of dirt and gravel lined the roadside. The gaps in the middle were temporarily supported by boards. As Shen Lian drove onto it, just as he crossed the line, he saw a dusty grey van driving down.

The rear window of the van was slowly rolling up. Shen Lian had only glanced at it casually, but in the next second, he whipped the steering wheel. The high-performance sports car spun around on the spot, the dust kicked up by the wheels flying like splashed ink. Shen Lian confirmed what he had just seen at lightning speed and then followed without hesitation.

Although the person had a black hood over their head, the familiar slender build and that necklace gave it away. Chang Qing had once told Shen Lian with a smile, "Jingge gave it to me. His initials are hand-carved on the inside."

While following closely, Shen Lian called Xu Jingge, but the line was busy. He hung up with one hand and called Chu Yilan.

The other end prompted him to leave a voicemail; he must still be in a meeting.

Indeed, the top management of Hengtai were all in the meeting room, including Sun Binghe and Yang Bin.

The van turned into a small path, and the surroundings instantly fell silent. While Shen Lian could use other vehicles as cover just moments ago, he was now completely exposed.

"Fuck! They're following us!"

"Damn it! Where did this person come from?!"

The van couldn't outrun the supercar, but the other party seemed very familiar with the area, leading Shen Lian toward the ditches. However, Shen Lian's reflexes were astonishing; he could match their pace the moment they turned the wheel.

Bushes and branches were brutally knocked aside as the car jolted onto the highway.

Shen Lian quickly glanced at the warning signs flashing by and gradually pressed down on the accelerator.

Xu Jingge's call came through. Before Shen Lian could speak, the man's voice was low, carrying an unprecedented sense of an impending storm. "I'm busy right now..."

"Out of Huaian Road, National Highway 145, van license plate Qudu A956Q12, hurry." Shen Lian interrupted. "Visually, there are four people. Chang Qing is inside, so I don't dare ram them. Get here fast."

Xu Jingge was silent for a full two seconds.

"Don't hang up." Xu Jingge took a deep breath. "I'm tracking your phone."

"OK."

Fifteen minutes ago, at the film set.

Chang Qing had been having intermittent colds lately, and Xu Jingge was very worried. However, he was swamped with work, no less busy than the early-rising and late-returning Chu Yilan. Having finally found some free time, he was on his way to Qudu when he received a tearful plea for help from Chang Qing's young assistant: "President Xu... I-I'm sorry! Teacher Chang went to the restroom and never came out. I went in to look for him, but I couldn't find him anywhere."

For a moment, Xu Jingge thought he was hallucinating. What did they mean by he went to the restroom and couldn't be found?

Then, Xu Jingge's scalp tingled with shock.

His involvement in the port matters meant he was taking business away from the locals in Region Name. Of course, business was business, and it was all about one's own ability, but he couldn't stop the other party from feeling disgruntled or simply not wanting Xu Jingge to get a piece of the pie, so they turned their target toward Chang Qing instead.

Xu Jingge rarely lost his composure, but this involved Chang Qing.

The reason the line was busy when Shen Lian called earlier was that Xu Jingge was in a towering rage, arranging for people to search and investigate immediately. He knew Shen Lian was recovering and hadn't wanted to worry him, but who would have thought Shen Lian would provide the exact location the moment he spoke? It made his heart leap into his throat, yet he also felt a wave of relief as if reborn.

Since he was already exposed, Shen Lian followed openly, making sure of one thing: he would never lose them.

When he saw the other party trying to show off their driving skills in a beat-up old four-wheeler, attempting to lure him into the trees, Shen Lian let out a cold sneer.

Something shimmering fell from the other party's window in the darkness. Just as the tires were about to roll over it, Shen Lian yanked the steering wheel hard.

"Fuck! He didn't fall for it!"

With a "whoosh," the supercar flew past an intersection, the resulting wake flattening the wild grass.

Seeing headlights suddenly light up not far away, Shen Lian felt suspicious. Who was it?

At the moment they passed each other, Xu Jingge heard his subordinate shout: "President Xu, that's the one!"

Xu Jingge thought to himself that with that reaction speed, his subordinate might as well go jump in a river.

As if in slow motion, Xu Jingge saw Shen Lian open the roof. The windshield blocked the gale from the high speed, but his hair still blew backward. Shen Lian's expression was calm, and his furrowed brows visibly relaxed upon seeing it was Xu Jingge. Then, instead of stopping...

Vroom, vroom, vroom—

The low roar of the sports car tore through the night. Shen Lian floored the gas and overtook the van from the side.

Xu Jingge's scalp tingled for the second time.