"He said he picked up a bargain at Antique City and sold it for three hundred thousand!" Chen Yinuo said.
"Damn it!"
At this, Chen Yihao panicked.
He didn't care how Ye Chen got his money, nor did he care whether the so-called bargain was real or fake. What he simply could not accept was that his release was thanks to that bastard.
He turned and walked over to a police officer. "Officer, please help me get that hundred thousand yuan back and return it to that scumbag bastard. I don't want a settlement! Lock me back up, file a formal case, and sentence me according to the procedure—keep me locked up for however long is required, I accept it!"
"What do you take the detention cell for? Somewhere you can just walk in and out of as you please? Besides, the other party's family agreed to a settlement and took the money, how do you expect us to get it back for you?"
The police officers were dumbfounded. They had seen rash people before, but never one quite this reckless.
"Yihao, have you lost your mind? Hurry up and come back with me, get out of here right now!"
Chen Yinuo panicked, grabbing Chen Yihao and dragging him toward the exit.
Knowing that the matter was already a settled deal, as Chen Yihao was being dragged past Ye Chen, he glared fiercely and shouted, "I'll return that hundred thousand yuan to you with interest, I won't owe you a thing! Don't think for a second that I'll be grateful to you! If you ever dare bully my sister again, or if you still refuse to sign the divorce papers, I'll find a chance to kill you just the same!"
Ye Chen didn't speak. On his face, aside from that bitter smile, there was only more bitterness.
He just stood frozen in place, watching the brother and sister leave the police station, and didn't follow them out. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but he was afraid that Chen Yihao, whose temper was flaring, would throw another fit!
"You... are really her brother-in-law?" A police officer looked Ye Chen up and down and couldn't help asking.
"Yeah, doesn't it look like it?" Ye Chen gave a bitter smile.
"What a tragedy!"
The officer raised a hand to pat Ye Chen's shoulder, left those three words behind, and walked away.
Just as Ye Chen was about to turn and leave, he suddenly heard a few police officers chatting among themselves.
"Old Li, I heard you're buying an apartment? Where are you looking?"
"Where else? Wherever is cheapest, of course! My wife and I scrimped and saved forever just to scrape together that little bit of savings. If it weren't for the kids, I'd never dare harbor any thoughts of buying a home. Life's already exhausting enough, and once you get crushed by a mortgage, it's even harder to breathe!"
"You still haven't said where you're buying."
"I'm planning to go to the West District. There's a newly opened development there called Jinlin Mansion. It opens tomorrow, seven thousand per square meter, and the first hundred buyers even get a 4% discount. I'm planning to go check it out tomorrow!" said Officer Old Li.
"Jinlin Mansion in the West District? Isn't that place right on the urban-rural fringe? They say there's zero infrastructure out there, and you're still going to buy? What are you thinking? There's no room for development there anytime soon!"
Old Li smiled bitterly. "I know, but do I have a choice? You guys know my family situation. My parents, younger brother, sister-in-law, and younger sister—all of us crammed together makes anything we do inconvenient. Plus, the kids will be starting school in a couple of years. No infrastructure? So be it, as long as I have a home of my own. At worst, ferrying the kids back and forth to school will be a bit exhausting. After all, my little bit of savings is only enough for the down payment at Jinlin Mansion!"
Listening from afar to the chatter of those police officers, Ye Chen, who had been about to leave, froze in his tracks.
Immediately afterward, a brilliant light burst forth in his eyes.
Jinlin Mansion.
If he hadn't happened to overhear that name just now, Ye Chen probably would have forgotten entirely about this real estate development that would later become a nationwide craze in his past life.
Hearing the conversation among the police officers, all the memories of his past life rushed vividly back to him in an instant.
Just as the officers said, Jinlin Mansion was indeed located on the urban-rural fringe. It was also undeniably the lowest-priced housing development in Jiangzhou at the moment.
Compared to those developments starting at averages of twenty or thirty thousand per square meter, Jinlin Mansion seemed completely out of place in the city of Jiangzhou!
Not only was it situated on the very edge of the urban-rural fringe, but it was also adjacent to a messy, run-down urban village. Though separated by a single wall, there were notable issues with public security and sanitation compared to elsewhere. On top of that, the infrastructure was incomparable to other residential areas.
Thus, in the memories of Ye Chen's past life, for the first three days after Jinlin Mansion opened, its sales office was deserted—rumor had it that there were more sales staff than prospective buyers coming to view the properties.
It was simple: nobody thought much of Jinlin Mansion.
Furthermore, the people living inside that urban village were mostly migrant workers; even though seven thousand per square meter was practically dirt cheap, very few could actually afford it.
Yet, unexpectedly, on the fourth day after Jinlin Mansion's grand opening, the previously deserted scene transformed overnight into a bustling marketplace with long lines wrapping around the block.
It was all because on the third night following the opening, the authorities released a few pieces of utterly blindsiding news!
That urban village was going to undergo demolition and redevelopment, to be replaced by a commercial district. In addition to commercialization, a high-spec, high-faculty foreign language school would also be built there.
It was precisely because of this sudden demolition and redevelopment announcement that, overnight, property values in Jinlin Mansion skyrocketed fivefold!
And it wasn't just a simple fivefold surge; starting from the fourth day of sales, the endless queues of homebuyers had to endure a lottery system just to compete for units. In other words, money alone wasn't enough anymore—you needed luck to buy a home there.
Thinking of these developments from his past life, a plan had already formed in Ye Chen's mind!
Although the three hundred thousand yuan from selling the Buddhist prayer bead bracelet was now down to just two hundred thousand yuan, with the tailwind of Jinlin Mansion, multiplying that sum several times over was an absolute certainty.
Suddenly, Ye Chen really wanted to go back and thank Officer Old Li; if not for him, he truly would have forgotten all about Jinlin Mansion!
In the end, however, he said nothing.
That night.
In Shanshuijian, a residential complex where housing prices soared to sixty or seventy thousand per square meter, inside a river-view apartment spanning nearly two hundred square meters.
This was the residence of Yiyi, the top female streamer of Yuntian Network.
Though Zhang Jingshan had paid the down payment for this apartment, the property deed was in Yiyi's name.
"Darling!"
The moment an alcohol-tipsied Zhang Jingshan unlocked the door with his fingerprint and stepped into the love nest where the two of them usually shared intimate moments, Yiyi—dressed in a sexy, hollowed-out sheer gown, possessing a standard internet-celebrity face yet appearing utterly bewitching—immediately pounced on him like an octopus.
Hooked by Yiyi, who exuded a bewitching and alluring fragrance of perfume, Zhang Jingshan lost all self-control the moment he stepped through the door. He immediately scooped Yiyi up in his arms and headed toward the bedroom.
"Darling, go take a shower first!"
"Darling, go take a shower, please? I don't want you smelling all sweaty!" Yiyi cooed softly as Zhang Jingshan carried her.
"What shower? We'll wash later!"
Kicking the bedroom door shut and entering the room, Zhang Jingshan grew utterly impatient.
"No, no!"
"You can't!"
"I'm begging you, don't do this!"
Yet, once inside the room, Yiyi was like a completely different person compared to just moments before. If Yiyi had been playfully seductive outside, inside she seemed panicked.
However, with alcohol clouding his mind, Zhang Jingshan didn't notice anything amiss. Even if he had noticed, he wouldn't have thought much of it.
After all, he and Yiyi occasionally put on little acts to spice up their passion. Thus, he merely assumed this was just Yiyi showing off her good acting skills!
"No, don't do this!"
"You can't, let me go, please!"
"President Zhang, President Zhang, no!"
On the bed, Yiyi pushed against him continuously, tears shimmering in the corners of her eyes. Beneath the guise of seeming struggle was yet another display of reluctance coupled with consent.
Far from taking it seriously, Zhang Jingshan felt his adrenaline surge even higher.
"Damn it, your acting skills are getting better and better! Keep going, that's exactly the effect I want!"
Zhang Jingshan let out a hoarse, excited shout, transforming instantly into a hungry wolf!
Half an hour later.
After muttering "bastard" under her breath, female streamer Yiyi bolted out of the bedroom in a rush, followed immediately by the sound of running water from the bathroom.
Lying on the plush Simmons mattress, Zhang Jingshan lit a cigarette, lost in intoxicated satisfaction.
Yet before he could finish the cigarette, his mind suddenly flashed back to what Ye Chen had said to him in the office:
*A beauty is like a sharp blade hanging over one's head...*
*A peach blossom calamity...*
*Keep your guard up...*
*Take a tumble...*
Although he hadn't taken Ye Chen's words to heart at the time, once those phrases began gnawing at his conscience, he couldn't help narrowing his eyes.
He then glanced at the nearby light switch, hesitated for a moment, and pressed it down.
The next second, the entire room was plunged into darkness.
"Am I being way too paranoid, damn it?" Zhang Jingshan muttered, sobering up from the alcohol.
Yet he couldn't shake the sound of Ye Chen's warnings endlessly echoing in his head.
In the end, he picked up his phone, turned on the camera, and began inspecting the surroundings.
Right, the only trap or setup he could imagine was if Yiyi had installed cameras somewhere in this room.
After a thorough sweep, he found nothing out of the ordinary.
Just as Zhang Jingshan was about to turn the lights back on, suddenly—
His phone's camera inadvertently swept across an inconspicuous corner outlet.On the phone screen, which was still in camera mode, a faint red dot suddenly appeared.
"Huh?"
Zhang Jingshan froze abruptly.
His heartbeat instantly surged into overdrive!
A chill ran uncontrollably down his spine.
The next moment, he hurriedly switched on the room's lights, grabbed a handy tool in a panic, and nervously pried open the electrical outlet.
With that pry, a miniature wireless pinhole camera immediately came into view.
Seeing that pinhole camera, Zhang Jingshan broke out in a cold sweat, trembling all over.
He certainly did not believe this was something Yiyi had recorded just to look back on and appreciate later!
"Damn it!"
Shuddering with a curse, he quickly picked up the laptop on his desk, opened it, and entered the password he had once inadvertently seen Yiyi type in.
Then, he rapidly scanned the computer's folders for any unusual files!
The search immediately led him to a software program currently recording in real-time.
The video files saved by that software were entirely composed of passionate encounters between him and Yiyi. More importantly, every single one of those encounters was framed in a way that made it look as though he were raping her, without a single exception. Every last file saved was like that!
At that moment, a bone-chilling cold washed over Zhang Jingshan's entire body.
If these videos were ever to leak out, even if he jumped into the Yellow River, he would never be able to wash away the stain!
"Is she trying to drive me to my grave?"
He forced the words out through chattering teeth.
With shaking hands, Zhang Jingshan began shredding and permanently deleting those files.
Then, as if remembering something, he picked up Yiyi's phone and opened WeChat. True to his expectation, there was nothing particularly unusual on it.
Without missing a beat, he logged directly into Yiyi's WeChat account on the computer.
Whether she hadn't had time to clear the synced records on the computer or for whatever reason, a black profile picture caught Zhang Jingshan's eye.
Zhang Jingshan clicked on it to take a look."Baby, find some time to come to my place. I haven't tasted you for half a month, and I've missed you dearly! Also, get moving on recording that video to threaten Zhang Jingshan. Make him use his grandfather to pull some strings and get my brother out. Don't try to play games with me or keep making excuses, or don't blame me when I leak those unspeakable videos and photos of yours. I’ll let the whole world see just how lewd, filthy, and promiscuous a top-tier influencer beauty was in her early years!"
Seeing this WeChat message history that hadn't been deleted yet, Zhang Jingshan instantly blew his top.
So, the little vixen he thought was incredibly pure had been cheating on him behind his back? And in her early years, she was nothing but a tramp who would sleep with anyone?
But none of that was the most important thing. What mattered most was that this person intended to use those videos to threaten him? And they wanted to drag his retired grandfather into this, too?
"Screw your ancestors!"
*Clack.*
Zhang Jingshan slammed the laptop shut.
With the laptop in one hand, he pulled out his phone and made a call with the other, then strode out the door.
"Honey, hurry up and take a shower!"
Yiyi walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.
Her shout met with no response.
"Could he have fallen asleep?" she muttered to herself.
Yiyi went back to the bedroom.
But there was no trace of Zhang Jingshan to be found.
What met her eyes was the pried-open wall outlet and the missing laptop!
Seeing this, Yiyi instantly descended into a state of boundless terror.
The rosy flush on her face from her shower drained away, turning ashen gray in an instant.
She knew exactly what this scene meant.
Trembling so hard she could barely stand, she grabbed her phone and dialed Zhang Jingshan’s number.
Rejected and hung up!
She called again!
Rejected again...
"Honey, please, let me explain. I’m begging you, answer the phone, please..."
However, before she could even send the text message she had drafted, the front door—which Zhang Jingshan hadn't closed on his way out—banged open.
Several men rushed in.
Seeing the uninvited guests swarming in, Yiyi immediately collapsed to the floor.
No matter how naive she might have been, she knew for certain that these men must have been sent by Zhang Jingshan!
An hour later, in a hotel suite.
"Speak!" Zhang Jingshan answered the phone.
"President Zhang, she said those videos haven't been sent to anyone else, and there are no backups; they were all on the computer. Judging by her reaction, she’s likely not lying."
The expressionless Zhang Jingshan asked, "The guy with the WeChat nickname 'Lone Wolf'—who is he? Did she confess?""He was her boyfriend when she was in her teens. His name is Lin He. Years ago, he took a lot of videos of her, claiming she was young and foolish back then, and even brainwashed her into doing all sorts of outrageous things. After they broke up, they had no contact until she started streaming, and that's when Lin He tracked her down!" the person on the other end said.
Little did Young Master Zhang know, he almost couldn't help kicking the wall!
The so-called pure jade-like maiden whom he had fancied and pampered turned out to be such trash?
When he didn't find any blood on their first time, he had actually believed her excuse about tearing it while riding a bicycle when she was a little girl?
"Continue!" suppressing his anger, Zhang Jingshan said.
"President Zhang, the younger brother of that Lin He is a drug mule for dealers. He was sentenced to ten years, and this is his third year. As for Lin He himself, not only is he a drug-addicted scum, but he also loves extortion and blackmail, and back in the day, he frequently pulled off honey trap scams!" the person said.
"President Zhang, I'm sorry, please let me go! I was forced by that bastard Lin He, he forced me, I didn't want this!"
From inside Zhang Jingshan's phone came the hysterical, tearful pleading of the streamer Yiyi.
"President Zhang, how should we handle this? Just give the word, and the boys will take care of it!" the person said.
Snap—
Inside the hotel room.
Zhang Jingshan snapped a lighter and lit a cigarette.
Walking over to the floor-to-ceiling window, he exhaled a cloud of smoke and then said, "Grab that scum Lin He, beat him up, and then get the police involved. Ask Lin Yiyi if she's willing to step forward and testify against that scum. If she's willing, drop the matter. If she's not, tell her that I, Zhang Jingshan, will stop at nothing to make her wish she were dead!"
"Understood, President Zhang!"
By the floor-to-ceiling window.
Zhang Jingshan looked down at the colorful, neon-lit splendor below.
First came a flash of self-mockery, followed by a wave of solemnity.
"Mr. Ye, can you really tell fortunes?"
He muttered to himself, continuing to murmur, "No matter what, I owe you a massive favor for this one!"
Zhang Jingshan had to admit.
Without Ye Chen's fortune-telling warning that his glabella didn't look quite right,
he never would have grown suspicious, let alone discovered the hidden pinhole camera.
If that had been the case, once Lin Yiyi used those videos to blackmail him, or sent them to Lin He, the consequences would have been truly unthinkable. He didn't dare imagine what awaited him!
Yield? Have the Elder step in to rescue a drug dealer's brother? Putting aside whether he could even bring himself to ask, even if he did speak up, the Elder would never risk his reputation built over a lifetime to rescue a drug dealer!
If he didn't yield, once the other party leaked those maliciously crafted videos onto the internet, not only would his own life be completely ruined, but the entire Zhang Family would likely be dragged down with him!
The more Zhang Jingshan thought about it, the more terrified he became!
The night passed quietly.
In the cheap rental room.
Ye Chen slept soundly until broad daylight.
He had no idea at all that Zhang Jingshan had just lived through a heart-stopping night.
And he certainly had no idea that Zhang Jingshan had just narrowly escaped that catastrophe!
After hastily eating a few pieces of bread and cleaning up the apartment inside and out,
Ye Chen finally headed out with the two hundred thousand yuan in cash.
Braving the scorching sun overhead, he first went to the bank to cancel his old accounts, then opened a new card.
Looking at the bulging kraft paper bag, the bank clerk assumed this fellow would deposit the money right after getting his card.
Who would have thought that the moment the card was issued, he would immediately turn around and walk away without putting even a single hundred-yuan bill into it.
Before Ye Chen could even step out of the bank to flag down a taxi,
the phone in his pocket rang.
Glancing at the caller ID, Ye Chen looked slightly surprised.
After all, he hadn't expected Zhang Jingshan to resolve the calamity he mentioned with such astonishing speed.
"President Zhang, what's up?"
"Mr. Ye, where are you?" Zhang Jingshan asked with a smile.
"I just went to the bank to get a card and I'm about to leave. Why, what's wrong?"
"Which bank?" Zhang Jingshan pressed.
"The Industrial and Commercial Bank on Haibin Road. Wait, do you have business with me? Is something wrong with that bead bracelet? If you feel like you got ripped off, keep it, and in a couple of days I'll go swap it back with you!" Ye Chen said.
"No, no, no, Mr. Ye, you've got it all wrong! Listen, the ICBC on Haibin Road, right? Wait for me for a second, I'll be right there! Wait for me!"
From the other end of the line came Zhang Jingshan's flustered and hurried sounds; it sounded like he had even tripped over a trash can.
It left Ye Chen completely baffled and utterly bewildered.