Cui Fang gave a bitter smile and sighed, "Tang Nan, you are truly intelligent."
"In my sect, my uncles and elders never differentiated between good and evil. Except for my eldest uncle, Zhang Si, I'm not sure if anyone else was doing bad things. Li Jiu, though he set up schemes, his hope was to push smarter and more radical people into higher positions to promote societal development. I won't even mention Zhu Guang; his ideals were somewhat twisted, but he wasn't wrong. Once you reach a certain level of humanity, considering truth, goodness, and beauty is hypocrisy. Only 'man for himself, heaven and earth destroy him' aligns with the evolutionary instincts of humankind. I won't speak of the others; at least no one has pointed fingers at them and said, 'Sorry, you are a bad person.'"
"Sister Wang Ren, are you in good health?"
"It seems you haven't met in person, only exchanged Sun Moon Lake black tea for over a decade."
"Yes, during festivals, I secretly send Sun Moon Lake black tea to Sister Wang Ren's home. It's a covert operation, something most people wouldn't know."
I smiled and echoed Cui Fang, "And then another batch of Sun Moon Lake black tea is sent to a certain important figure."
"Correct, but that's not tea; it's diamonds. That important figure prefers diamonds."
I widened my eyes in surprise. "A box of Sun Moon Lake black tea, beautifully packaged, six tins. You must send at least two boxes. If the tins are filled with diamonds, how much would that be?"
"Not entirely diamonds; there's tea as a lining."
For a moment, I was at a loss for words. The end of human nature is greed. Zhang Si's golden wall, this important figure's diamond-filled tea tins.
"Is there any evidence?"
"Of course!" Cui Fang said very calmly.
"Does Zhang Ying'ai know?"
"She knows."
Hearing Cui Fang say this, I was extremely surprised. What connection did Wang Zeying have to this matter?
"Back then, the killer was caught, but they had to let them go. Wang Zeying was driven mad by this. His purpose in establishing 'Zhengqi' was to bring that person to justice. To cover for him, I brought in a major figure to oversee things and hid Wang Zeying in the shadows."
I was stunned. I had grasped the rhythm of the whole affair initially, but now I was lost. Who else was involved? The events of that year had been unraveled. At this point, what else could be hidden?
Zhu Guang used Gao Xiaojuan to set up a trap, triggering a conflict among the schemers. Li Jiu lost Gao Xiaojuan in the final choice. From recent intelligence, I learned that Cao Shi rescued Gao Xiaojuan's child. Zhu Guang was forced out, and Zhang Si benefited as a fisherman, killing Zhu Guang. Zhu Guang faked his death, willingly becoming Duan Dongyang's test subject to improve his abilities, and years later, killed Zhang Si and made a powerful comeback.
Were there other people involved in this matter?
"Who was the killer?"
"Gao Xiaojuan's father, Gao Ji."
I leaned back in my chair, and the image of the white-haired old man appeared in my mind. He should be in his seventies, around Zhu Guang's age. My understanding of him was that Gao Ji was a legendary figure.
"That's impossible."
"Yes, everyone thought it was impossible, and there was no evidence to suggest Gao Ji was involved, but Wang Zeying firmly believed the killer was him. He established 'Zhengqi' to find evidence of Gao Ji's crimes, but we were unsuccessful."
"Perhaps you are all mistaken."
"Right and wrong are no longer important. What matters is that you promise me to dissuade Wang Zeying, to stop him from arresting Gao Ji, no, to stop him from trying Gao Ji."
"I promise you!"
Cui Fang smiled with relief. "The evidence is in the safe at home. You can come with me to get it."
I nodded, then glanced at the waiter in the distance. Cui Fang smiled, "You probably won't be able to eat your steak. The police have your location, and they'll be here soon."
...
Cui Fang and I arrived at her home. The physical evidence filled an entire suitcase. Finally, in that safe, I saw a box of medicine. At that moment, my heart clenched.
"Tang Nan, I know what you're thinking. I've known what my end would be all along. To face this ending with your guarantee, I am already deeply moved."
"Is there anything you want to say to Wang Zeying? I'll help you deliver it."
Cui Fang's eyes welled up with tears. "Tell him: Forget me, and live well. I will silently bless him in another world. Farewell, my Chief."
In the end, Cui Fang still cried. She took the medicine and lay quietly on the bed.
...
I dragged the suitcase, my heart heavy, and walked aimlessly on the street. Two police cars stopped in front of me. They surrounded me with their guns drawn. I looked at Yu Xiaoluo, who was on duty, and suddenly wanted to cry, "Sister, I've caught the leader of 'Zhengqi.' The evidence is in the suitcase."
...
The news carried no information about the leader of 'Zhengqi,' only a brief mention of a grassroots illegal organization being dismantled, with twenty-seven people involved. Who were these twenty-seven? It wasn't mentioned. Yu Xiaoluo told me that the "big tiger" had been transferred to the judicial authorities.
I went to Wang Zeying to claim credit, giving Old Tie a legitimate and clean identity. He was still Tie Zhishan, with no record of murder. As for me, I received a verbal commendation and an appointment letter from the Criminal Investigation Bureau, which I politely declined, citing that as a businessman with assets exceeding a hundred million, I had no need to live a life on the edge. Lin Han also saw benefits; due to the safe return of the national treasure, she obtained membership in the National Antiquities Association.
The biggest beneficiary was Luo Bo, who was promoted three levels and would now be on par with Wang Zeying. One more thing to mention: when I went to the Criminal Investigation Bureau to congratulate my dear brother-in-law, I unexpectedly encountered Wu Sheng.
I stared at him with wide eyes. Wu Sheng awkwardly scratched his head. "From a schemer's perspective, I'm Luo Zu's tool."
For this, I looked at Luo Bo in astonishment. Luo Bo smiled lightly. "There's a saying that I think fits perfectly here."
"What is it?"
"People don't become formidable because they are schemers; they become schemers because they are formidable."
Hearing Luo Bo say this, I gave him a thumbs-up. This was a sentence I had said to Old Tie during our conversation, and that day Old Tie had deliberately left the phone with the eavesdropping device with the nurse.
Seeing my thumbs-up, Luo Bo also gave me a thumbs-up and said seriously, "You and Tie Zhishan are truly in sync. You didn't discuss anything, yet you acted as if you had."
I didn't say anything. There was no need to explain such things. I looked at the smiling Wu Sheng and asked, "What should I call you?"
"Wu Dalang!"
"Dalang, did you take your medicine today?"
"Stop joking, my real name is Wu Dalang."
I didn't say more and bowed to Luo Bo. "Luo Zu, I've arranged a dinner party. You must grace us with your presence. Wishing you a Happy New Year and all the best in advance. Oh, and one more thing, may you soon have your own children."
In Beijing, I arranged a dinner party, inviting people I knew: Elder Chang and his daughter, the Da Huang family of three, the Pang Zi family of two, Old Tie, Teacher Wang Ren's family, Luo Bo, Yu Xiaoluo's family, and Wang Zeying's family.
Lin Han hosted them as the lady of the house, while I did not appear at the banquet. That night, I bought a plane ticket to Hong Kong.