121: Liu Shao's Madness

Not long after Old Zhou left,

the office door was pushed open again.

Chen Ziqiao walked in quickly, carrying a bulging briefcase.

His face carried an irrepressible excitement; even his gold-rimmed glasses couldn't hide the sparkle in his eyes.

He walked to the tea table in a few steps, his voice rising slightly.

"Brother Zhan!

The land in Nancheng—we got it!"

Hearing this, a smile instantly blossomed on Li Zhan's face. This truly was a double blessing!

He immediately gestured with his hand.

"Good! Zi Qiao, sit down first and take your time."

He personally picked up a clean teacup, scalded it, and poured a cup of hot tea for Chen Ziqiao.

Chen Ziqiao set the briefcase aside.

He took the teacup but didn't have time to drink; he impatiently opened the bag,

pulling out several documents still smelling of fresh ink and a winning bid notice.

"Team Leader Zhou was too helpful this time!"

Chen Ziqiao spoke rapidly, filled with the excitement of success.

"The auction used a blind bidding process.

He kept our qualification review under wraps until the very last moment before suddenly announcing our eligibility!

The Liu Family didn't have time to react at all!"

He pointed at the winning bid price column, his fingers trembling slightly.

"The most crucial part is this!

Our final quote was only exactly one hundred thousand yuan higher than Liu Shijie's side!

That's the minimum difference allowed by the rules!

Their representatives' faces turned green on the spot; they simply couldn't believe it!"

Li Zhan took the documents.

His gaze swept over the quote, which was precise to a startling degree, and a cold yet satisfied smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

This move didn't just secure the land;

it was a resounding slap to Liu Shijie's face, extremely humiliating.

"Beautifully done!"

Li Zhan patted Chen Ziqiao heavily on the shoulder, his face showing unmasked admiration.

He pondered for a moment and said, "I'll have to thank Team Leader Zhou personally later."

Then, his expression turned serious.

His tone became solemn. "Getting the land is only the first step; the rest is up to you.

Start the project as soon as possible. The planning, design, and construction crews must all be the best.

This is our first shot at officially making a name for ourselves in Changan.

It must be a loud shot, a beautiful one. No mistakes allowed."

Chen Ziqiao also quickly reined in his excitement, returning to his usual capable and steady demeanor.

He neatly put the documents back into the briefcase and nodded firmly.

"Understood, Brother Zhan.

Don't worry, I'll head back to the company to arrange things immediately.

I will personally keep a close eye on every link.

I'll definitely make this project look great; there won't be any slip-ups."

With that, he took his briefcase and left the office in a hurry.

Li Zhan watched his departing back and leaned back against the sofa.

His fingertips tapped lightly on the armrest.

A cold and playful smile slowly curled at the corners of his mouth.

Tonight,

that Young Master Liu probably won't be able to sleep peacefully after receiving the news...

—

Bai Jie returned home after work.

She pushed open the iron gate of the rented room, and a cold, lonely atmosphere hit her.

On the folding table in the living room, there was another scribbled note: "Working overtime, back late. Don't wait up."

She looked at this note, which was almost the same every day, with hollow eyes.

Her husband had been "working overtime" like this for several days, leaving early and returning late.

Sometimes he didn't even come home all night; the two of them rarely even saw each other.

That deliberate avoidance and the sense of guilt permeating the cramped space were almost suffocating.

She walked numbly to the refrigerator.

She took out last night's leftovers and a small handful of withered greens.

The sound of the spatula clattering against the pan seemed particularly harsh in the silent room.

She stared at the food tossing in the pan,

then looked around this cramped, cluttered, and lifeless rented room.

She felt as if her heart was blocked by something, heavy and unable to breathe.

After hurriedly finishing her tasteless dinner,

she turned on the old television,

trying to use the noisy sound to dispel the loneliness filling the room.

The local news was playing on the TV, the female anchor speaking clearly:

"...According to the latest news, the Provincial Public Security Department, in conjunction with our Municipal Changan Branch Bureau,

recently successfully destroyed a major criminal gang that had long been entrenched in Changan Town

trafficking flour. More than thirty criminal suspects were captured or killed,

and various types of flour were seized...

The success of this operation is thanks to a heroic female police officer who went deep into the tiger's den and risked her life undercover.

She provided key intelligence..."

Bai Jie watched the arrest footage and the pixelated photos of the flour flashing on the screen with an expressionless face, her heart completely unmoved.

Hero? Undercover? These were too far away from her.

The bizarre nature of this world and the clash between good and evil,

compared to the mess and desperate reality before her eyes, were as illusory as stories from another planet.

She shook her head,

picked up the remote, and indifferently changed the channel.

—

Dongguan City Center,

inside a VIP box at the Ink Wash Orchid Pavilion Club.

On the television screen,

the news anchor was reporting the "good news" of the drug ring being taken down in Changan Town in an emotionless voice.

Liu Shijie sat on the sofa, his face so dark it looked like it could drip water. He gripped his wine glass so hard his knuckles turned white.

Uncle Jin, standing to the side, was covered in fine beads of cold sweat.

He didn't dare to breathe loudly as he reported cautiously,

"Young... Young Master, this time... this time the Provincial Department acted directly.

They completely bypassed the Municipal Bureau. We... we didn't receive any wind of it at all,

and were caught off guard..."

He deliberately skipped the crucial detail that his own hesitation had delayed the report.

Liu Shijie's gaze was fixed on the TV screen, his voice squeezed through his teeth, bone-chillingly cold.

"The ones sent to Changan yesterday to scout—they've lost contact too?"

Uncle Jin's Adam's apple bobbed as he spoke with difficulty.

"I expect... I expect they went to find Brother Hu and the others as soon as they arrived in Changan...

And then... then they happened to run right into the line of fire..."

Liu Shijie suddenly grabbed the remote and hurled it at the TV screen; the picture died instantly.

He stood up, his chest heaving violently, like an enraged trapped beast.

"The land in Nancheng,"

he suddenly turned to Uncle Jin, his voice rising sharply with a neurotic tremble,

"how is that gone too?!"

Uncle Jin shuddered, his head hanging even lower.

"Gone... it's gone...

I don't know what method they used, but they regained their eligibility at the last moment...

The winning bid... the winning bid..."

His voice grew smaller and smaller until it was almost inaudible.

"—Was only one hundred thousand higher than mine!!!"

Liu Shijie roared the words for him,

his voice so shrill it almost cracked, his entire face distorted with rage.

He suddenly grabbed the crystal ashtray on the table

and smashed it against the smooth marble floor with all his might!

"Bang—Crash!!"

The ashtray shattered instantly, shards and ash flying everywhere.

Uncle Jin squeezed his eyes shut and his body jerked uncontrollably.

The box fell into a dead silence,

leaving only Liu Shijie's heavy, suppressed breathing

and the crazy, violent fire in his eyes that seemed ready to burst forth.

The box remained silent for a long time,

with only the crystal shards reflecting a cold light on the carpet.

The heaving of Liu Shijie's chest gradually calmed,

but the storm in his eyes didn't dissipate; instead, it settled into a more sinister, more terrifying poisonous fire.

He slowly raised his hand and suddenly tore open his already messy shirt collar,

revealing his slightly heaving chest, his movements carrying a neurotic ruthlessness.

He squeezed the words out from between his teeth one by one, each word like it was dipped in ice,

"Every single thing, every single case,

has fucking something to do with Changan..."

He suddenly looked up and stared intently at Uncle Jin.

"I don't believe that bastard named Li isn't behind this!

No need to investigate further..."

He took a sharp breath, his fingers trembling slightly from the force,

"You, go find Bai Shaqiang of Tiger Gate right now.

Tell him that the conditions he mentioned last time...

I agree to all of them!"

A nearly frantic determination appeared on Liu Shijie's face,

his voice lowered but carrying a chilling malice,

"I only have one requirement—"

At the Tiger Gate Boxing Match, I want to see that bastard with my own eyes...

die in the ring!"

His eyes were like two cold vipers,

tightly coiled around an invisible prey, shining with a light that suggested he would pay any price.