Choses dans l'étang

Chapitre 23

Feng Junzi: "No, I need to see it myself before I can be at ease."

Unable to resist Feng Junzi's insistence, Han Shuang unbuttoned the first button of her shirt, revealing her right shoulder by pulling up her collar with her left hand. The wound had healed, but the scab hadn't completely fallen off, making it look like an ugly centipede crawling on Han Shuang's snow-white skin. Feng Junzi felt a pang of guilt and couldn't help but gently stroke Han Shuang's scar with his fingers.

As Feng Junzi's fingertips caressed her, Han Shuang's body trembled slightly, her breathing quickened, and her full chest rose and fell with each breath. Feng Junzi suddenly found Han Shuang's breathing beautiful, like a strange kind of music. He stopped tracing the wounds with his fingers and instead placed his entire palm on Han Shuang's bare shoulder, gently stroking it. Han Shuang's breathing became even more rapid, but she did not flinch.

Han Shuang looked up at Feng Junzi with a dreamy gaze, her lips moving slightly but no words spoken. Suddenly, Feng Junzi leaned down to meet her gaze. Han Shuang thought he wanted to kiss her, so she raised her face, ready to receive him. Unexpectedly, Feng Junzi turned his head slightly and gently nibbled on Han Shuang's earlobe. Han Shuang let out a soft "Mmm," twisting her body as if trying to pull away, but her hands instead wrapped around Feng Junzi's shoulders and neck. Then, Han Shuang did something unexpected: she kicked Feng Junzi.

Han Shuang's kick wasn't too hard, but it wasn't too light either. Feng Junzi leaned forward, one leg already kneeling on the sofa, while Han Shuang kicked his other supporting leg's shin. The kick caused Feng Junzi to lose his balance, and he fell forward into Han Shuang's arms. He immediately reached out and hugged Han Shuang, seemingly trying to regain his balance. The two who hadn't spoken until now finally spoke, their voices choked with breathlessness—

Why did you kick so hard?

"You naughty boy, why are you biting my earlobe?"

"I like to bite."

"I like kicking, because you said you were going to throw me out last time."

"Aren't you scared this time? I really want to throw you out; I failed last time, let's try now."

This time, Feng Junzi indeed picked up Han Shuang, took a few quick steps, and threw her out, but not out the window. Instead, he threw her onto the bed in the bedroom. His movements were rather rough, and Han Shuang seemed startled, letting out a soft gasp. But the gasp was quickly muffled by something...

When things calmed down a bit, Feng Junzi still held Han Shuang in his arms. Han Shuang's face was pressed against his chest, and her other hand was still tightly wrapped around Feng Junzi's waist. Her breathing was still very irregular, clearly not yet fully calmed down from the intense lovemaking they had just had. Just then, Feng Junzi suddenly felt something wet drip onto his chest, and then he heard Han Shuang's soft sobs.

"What's wrong?" Feng Junzi asked softly, stroking Han Shuang's smooth back with his hand.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me, I like this feeling."

...

Just as Feng Junzi heard Han Shuang's crying, Huang Tao, who had recently been promoted from assistant mayor to vice mayor in Jianjiang, thousands of miles away, also heard a soft sobbing sound.

This was in a high-end apartment in the Miliuhu Garden residential complex in Jianjiang. However, the crying wasn't coming from the young woman beside Huang Tao; she seemed to be fast asleep. The crying Huang Tao heard was coming from inside the apartment, but it seemed to be coming from a very empty, unseen place—it was the voice of an old woman.

"Old man, don't argue with them anymore. The water and electricity have been cut off. Let's just move."

"I won't move! My family has lived here since before liberation. We've seen Kuomintang soldiers and Japanese devils, but I didn't move. Who am I afraid of now?"

"But how can your old bones fight against those people? Should we call Tiedan back?"

"Tiedan is in school, why bother calling him back? Besides, what can a student like him do?"

"How are we supposed to live here now... Fire! Old man, fire!"

The two people's conversation sounded ethereal yet unusually clear, especially the last exclamation, which was filled with panic. Huang Tao, who had been dazed and intoxicated by the recent lovemaking, was suddenly awakened by the strange conversation. He stared wide-eyed in alarm, looking around, but saw nothing unusual. He knew that there was definitely no one else in the house.

...

In fact, long before Huang Tao heard the strange noises, the residents of Miliuhu Community had already witnessed strange things. People who got up early or returned late would occasionally encounter an elderly couple before sunrise or after sunset each day. Seeing an elderly couple in the community was not unusual, but this particular couple was clearly out of place with the surrounding environment.

The elderly couple, dressed in clean but worn-out clothes, walked arm in arm in the dim morning or evening light, seemingly oblivious to everyone else and refusing to greet anyone in the neighborhood. They appeared to live in a high-end detached villa within the complex; they always seemed to appear and disappear there. However, judging from their shabby clothes and weathered appearance, they were definitely not residents of this newly built upscale community in Jianjiang.

The residents of this area generally don't like to meddle in other people's business; everyone seems to have their own secrets. However, some busybodies couldn't resist asking the community management. But the management's answer surprised everyone—there was no such elderly couple living in the community, and the security guard had never seen them come or go. As for the residents of the villa, the management wouldn't say, but they were certain that the residents were definitely not the elderly couple.

Curiosity further fueled the inquiries of those seeking the truth, leading them to uncover a rumor circulating during the community's construction: This community, located in the most scenic area along Miliu Lake in Jianjiang City, was originally an old urban area. The demolition and redevelopment process initially went smoothly, but an elderly couple with reclusive personalities refused to move out of their old house, seemingly unmoved by increased compensation. Then one night, a fire broke out in their house, killing both of them. Police investigations revealed that due to the surrounding demolition, the area had been without water, electricity, and gas, and the couple had accidentally started the fire while cooking with a coal stove. The original site of that old house was right below the villa where Huang Tao was keeping his mistress.

Thus, this originally upscale and comfortable residential area was given a strange legend. However, Comrade Huang Tao, who was "extremely busy," never had the chance to hear about this legend.

...

Some time later, the police investigation uncovered the truth—the fire was not an accident, but arson. The main reason the matter was clarified was because the elderly couple's son, who was studying at a university in another city, had already accepted compensation from the developer and thought the matter was over. However, one night he unexpectedly "encountered" his deceased parents, thus beginning a series of relentless investigations.

The elderly couple's son first confronted the local thugs who had directly committed arson. Surprisingly, the two thugs, for reasons unknown, were so frightened that they obediently surrendered themselves to the police. The subsequent police investigation, however, uncovered a series of cases, and the main investigating body shifted from the police to the higher-level disciplinary inspection department. Officials from the developer, land, and urban construction departments were subsequently arrested. This incident also served as the catalyst for Huang Tao's later investigation and disciplinary action. Of course, this bizarre and tragic event is another story, and will not be detailed here.

Part Two: Ghost Alley 29, Heaven Has Eyes

After Feng Junzi's "intimate encounter" with Han Shuang, his previously anxious mood suddenly calmed down, a calmness that seemed almost enjoyable. He was no longer afraid of Wei Boxi, but calmly waited for things to take a turn for the better, continuing to do what he needed to do with a composed mind. However, Wei Boxi did not "disturb" him again, and he vaguely felt that something else seemed to have happened on Wei Boxi's side.

Another important reason he enjoyed life was naturally because of Han Shuang. The lingering passion between him and Han Shuang showed no signs of fading, and Han Shuang's alluring sexiness made him unable to turn back from his infatuation. Since Piaopiao, the "night sprite," was also at home, the golden time for him and Han Shuang to be intimate was the brief period after get off work and before sunset. This gave Feng Junzi a fresh sense of excitement, even a feeling of "cheating," which made him even more excited, as if he had returned to the age of eighteen.

Of course, he no longer slept in the study that night, but instead moved into the bedroom with Han Shuang. However, he hadn't forgotten to place the Diamond Sutra, which could ward off ghosts, on the bedside table. He also didn't want Piaopiao, this pure young girl, to see anything she shouldn't. Feng Junzi had used Buddhist implements so skillfully; he wondered what Buddha would think if he knew.

When Feng Junzi was with Han Shuang, he felt a sense of elevation, but at the same time, he also wondered if he had fallen into depravity. He waited for news of Wei Boxi amidst this questioning of elevation and depravity. He didn't have to wait long; soon news arrived that the deputy mayor of Jianjiang City had been placed under investigation. Feng Junzi couldn't help but sigh, "Heaven has eyes!"

I'd heard of Huang Tao before. As mentioned earlier, Li Datou bribed the assistant mayor of Jianjiang City over the Jianjiang Culture issue; that assistant mayor was Huang Tao. Huang Tao seems to have had a lot of bad luck. He was just promoted to vice mayor, but was quickly placed under investigation. Of course, he wasn't the only one punished this time; a group of officials from the land and urban construction departments were also involved, but Huang Tao was the highest-ranking among them.

Wei Boxi was clearly implicated as well, since the Miliuhu Garden residential complex was developed by Weijian Real Estate Development Company, a subsidiary of the Weida Group. Wei Boxi was obviously prepared for this kind of thing; he wasn't implicated himself, but a vice president of Weijian Real Estate was arrested, making him a scapegoat. Weijian Company was also fined a substantial amount. Feng Junzi's side had been quiet lately, obviously because Wei Boxi was busy dealing with Jianjiang's affairs and hadn't been able to "take care" of him. Originally, this matter might have passed for Weida, but Feng Junzi didn't want to see it go like this.

Feng Junzi vaguely saw the most crucial supporting point of the edifice he wanted to dismantle: the land that Weida Group had hoarded in Jianjiang. This land was also where Weida Group concealed its profits for future market speculation. The fact that Wei Boxi was able to acquire the development rights to this land at an extremely low price was, of course, related to Huang Tao. Feng Junzi couldn't wait for the disciplinary inspection department to investigate step by step; he decided to take action himself. At this point, the materials he had collected over a long period of time came in handy.

Due to the successive events of Li Jinkui's escape, the Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption's investigation, Huang Tao's internal party disciplinary action, and the bribery scandal involving Weijian Company, Wei Boyi suffered significant short-term investment losses in the secondary markets of Weida Shares and Jianjiang Culture. Although these losses did not cripple his business, his cash flow became very tight. He had already applied to the banks for extensions on several maturing loans, a fact known to Feng Junzi.

He sent a letter to all commercial banks with credit relationships with Weida Group and Weida Shares. The letter, written in an internal report format, detailed a series of events involving Weida Group and its listed subsidiaries. The report's content was far more detailed and accurate than media reports and Weida Shares' publicly available information. Finally, the report raised a crucial issue: Weida Shares currently has debts approaching one billion yuan and is experiencing loan repayment problems. It listed recent overdue loans owed by Weida Shares and Weida Group, and emphasized that Weida Shares' most liquid assets are four plots of land in Jianjiang, detailing their locations, areas, and even permit numbers. Although not explicitly stated, he was essentially advising commercial banks to apply for asset preservation measures in preparation for potential litigation.

Unlike before, Feng Junzi did not remain anonymous. After much deliberation, he signed his name on the report. Signing his name meant that he was officially implicated. If Wei Boxi had not fallen, he would probably have suffered a terrible fate. However, for the sake of the report's credibility, he did so anyway.

Feng Junzi didn't just send this one formal letter; he also submitted a signed report to the Jianjiang Municipal Government in the name of Song Zhaonan, a professor at the University of Finance and Economics and an advisor to the government. He managed to persuade Song to agree to the matter. The report mentioned that four properties owned by Weida Group in Jianjiang were at risk of being seized by commercial banks at any time, and listed the original transfer prices of these properties to Weida Group and their current market prices. He was essentially reminding the Jianjiang Municipal Government to take action.

Feng Junzi knew that such internal reports could be suppressed or ignored within large organizations at any time, and that he needed to leverage the power of public opinion. As before, he posted the main contents of the report on major financial websites across the country, but anonymously online, clearly indicating it was a repost. Since the report had already been released, he could ignore any leaks at any point. The media was paying close attention to the Wei Da affair, and the two reports, once online, were immediately and widely reposted.

Weida Group had cultivated relationships within commercial banks, and commercial banks are known for their slow response times. However, the Jianjiang municipal government was different. Key members of the Jianjiang municipal leadership were eager to distance themselves from Huang Tao, and these four plots of land clearly involved him. The new leaders of Jianjiang were also well aware of the importance of prime downtown land to their future achievements and wouldn't easily let Weida gain an advantage, leading to a dramatic turn of events.

The Jianjiang Municipal Government quickly issued a document stipulating that land projects acquired without bidding and for which development rights had not commenced formal construction within two years would be reclaimed by the municipal government and re-tendered. The proceeds from these re-tenders would be used to repay the original land transfer fees and corresponding bank interest already paid by the original entity. In practice, only these four plots of land belonging to Weida were reclaimed. Before the re-tendering process even began, the municipal government had already advanced funds to repay the land transfer fees and corresponding bank interest initially paid by Weida.

The Jianjiang Municipal Government's decision to reclaim the land and return the money to Weida Shares seems fair, but in reality, Weida Shares suffered a huge loss; the profits they had concealed were gone! Strictly following legal procedures, the land use rights already belonged to Weida and shouldn't have been so easily reclaimed. However, in practice, this is a complex and ambiguous concept, and Weida will likely find it difficult to sue the Jianjiang Municipal Government. Wei Boxi's only miscalculation was perhaps intentionally delaying the development period, hoping for land appreciation, but he didn't expect the Jianjiang Municipal Government to reclaim it. Moreover, this repossession in 2003 seemed vaguely in line with the spirit of higher-level documents. Wei Boxi, who is not usually one to argue, now found himself with nowhere to seek justice.

The banks, initially hesitant and observing both Weida Group and Weida Shares, immediately tightened credit upon hearing the news of the Jianjiang Municipal Government's land repossession, further exacerbating Wei Boyi's predicament. Adding to Wei Boyi's woes, Weida Shares suffered a significant loss without anyone noticing, as its financial statements had already included the land as cost, not reflecting any appreciation – the latent profit. Now that the municipal government had reclaimed the land and returned the money, Weida's financial statements remained unaffected, and it received no public sympathy, leaving him with few excuses.

Wei Boxi is now truly feeling the pressure. First, although the stock price of Weida Shares has stopped falling, it has not yet rebounded. He is now finding it difficult to raise funds to continue to raise the stock price. At the same time, the listed company's future profit growth plan has completely fallen through. The phone calls from his partners and the demands from his funding partners to withdraw funds are causing him a lot of headaches. The edifice he has built over the years is showing signs of crumbling.

Part Two: Ghost Alley 30 - Fatal Strike

Feng Junzi hadn't expected the Jianjiang municipal government to act so quickly, but reclaiming the land was indeed a heavy blow to Wei Boxi. Judging from the financial statements, this move hadn't caused any losses to the listed company, and the Jianjiang municipal government could explain itself to the public. It seemed Wei Boxi would have no choice but to swallow this bitter pill. Feng Junzi knew Wei Boxi was on the verge of collapse, needing only one final, fatal blow.

Perhaps the process by which Weida got to where it is today was very complicated, but when it came to the final, fatal blow, Feng Junzi found it to be quite simple. Feng Junzi's approach was two-pronged: issuing risk warnings to the market, so that if Weida's stock price collapsed, Wei Boxi would have no chance of recovery.

The covert methods were simple: Feng Junzi wrote a post titled "Weida Shares at the End of the Road, About to Experience a Crazy Plunge," which spread across major websites nationwide. The post clearly explained the inside story of a series of events involving Weida Shares and its current predicament, leaving people no choice but to believe it. The overt methods were also uncomplicated: Feng Junzi publicly published various signed commentaries on various occasions, directly warning about the investment value of Weida Shares and the hidden risks in its stock price movement. However, these public commentaries didn't cite many inside stories, focusing instead on the repossession of the Jianjiang land. Feng Junzi did this to absolve himself of some responsibility; after all, if Weida Shares' stock price plummeted, tens of thousands of shareholders would suffer, and he needed to issue risk warnings beforehand to ensure his peace of mind.

The initial sellers of Weida shares weren't ordinary retail investors; those leading the charge were numerous insiders with connections to the Weida Group, engaging in insider trading. Institutional investors holding Weida shares also began reducing their holdings. When the first limit-down occurred, there seemed to be some trading volume emerging to resist the downward trend, but this resistance failed to prevent the stock price from continuing its downward trajectory. The continued decline clearly triggered a chain reaction; many financial partners, whose shares had fallen to the stop-loss points stipulated in their initial loan agreements, also joined the selling spree. Weida shares fell for nine consecutive limit-down days before stabilizing with increased trading volume.

With things having come to this point, Wei Boyi's massive investment in the secondary market had been wiped out by the plummeting stock price. He was powerless to reverse the situation and began to consider his exit strategy. Debt collectors were knocking on his door daily, and the Weida Group headquarters was unusually bustling. It was at this time that Wei Boyi resigned from all positions at Weida Group and a series of related companies. The Binhai Municipal Government seemed to have also noticed the unusual situation of the listed company within its jurisdiction. The day after Wei Boyi's resignation, it organized a working group to be stationed at Weida Shares, ostensibly to assist, but in reality, to prepare for taking over the board of directors.

...

On the very day the Binhai Municipal Government sent a working group, Feng Junzi went to the hospital. The entire summer had passed, and this was the first time he had visited Hu Shiwei, who lay in her hospital bed. Xiao Wei lay there, still unconscious, clinging to a life that seemed to be hanging by a thread. Feng Junzi came not only to see her, but also because the Weida Group had run into trouble. Wei Boxi's promise that the Weida Group would take care of the patient was probably no longer possible. From now on, it seemed no one would care about Xiao Wei lying in her hospital bed.

His prediction was correct; Weida Group indeed did not continue to pay the medical deposit for this month. However, to his surprise, someone had already taken over Weida Group's payment for this month's treatment before he arrived. The hospital said the person who came was a young woman, and he had already guessed that the person was Han Shuang.

Back home, he didn't tell Han Shuang about it. Since Han Shuang hadn't told him, he pretended not to know. They seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally avoiding the topic of Xiao Wei. Han Shuang had obviously already heard the news that Wei Boxi had resigned from all his positions. She excitedly told Feng Junzi, "Wei Boxi has finally fallen. Now that he has suffered such great losses, he probably only has bankruptcy as an option. He will probably be harassed by creditors for the rest of his life."

Feng Junzi: "Don't be so optimistic. China doesn't have a bankruptcy law yet. Wei Boxi leaving Weida Group is actually a way out. All the debts will be borne by this limited company. His future life will not be affected much. He still has a chance to make a comeback."

Han Shuang: "Does Wei Boxi still have a chance to make a comeback?"

Feng Junzi: "There was once a man named Shi Yuzhu who started out in the computer industry, then made a fortune producing something called Brain Gold, and later stumbled on the Giant Building, finding himself in a worse situation than Wei Boxi is today. But years later, he made a comeback with a product called Brain Platinum. I think Wei Boxi is probably the same kind of person."

Han Shuang: "What capital does he have to make a comeback?"

Feng Junzi: "Capital? He has plenty. Although the Weida Group has collapsed, someone like Wei Boxi will never fall into poverty. He has many assets that others don't know about."

Han Shuang: "What are you planning to do? Have you already thought about this?"

Feng Junzi: "I have no choice but to give it a try."

Part Two: Ghost Alley 31, Three Thousand Six Hundred Yuan Counterfeit Money

Wei Boxi has been having a run of bad luck lately. He has abandoned the Weida Group, which he built from scratch, with a tragic sense of sacrifice. The Weida Group is now insolvent, and the Binhai Municipal Government is leading the restructuring of Weida Shares. All of this is now irrelevant to him. His qualifications as a member of the Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference and a representative of the Provincial People's Congress have also been revoked. With the loss of his wealth, the halo above his head is also fading.

All of this was within his expectations, and he was prepared to face it. However, his luck seemed to be worse than he imagined. Someone had compiled a list of all his current assets and sent it to almost all of his creditors, even posting it publicly online. These lists even included his vacation villas in Guilin and Hangzhou, shops he had invested in under the names of his cousin, ex-wife, and others, and even his memberships at golf clubs. The creditors swarmed him like flies once they spotted him, leaving him nowhere to hide. Even his seven properties in Binhai were subject to seizure and preservation applications from various creditors.

Fortunately, fate was kind; there was one omission on the list: he still owned a property in Binhai that hadn't been discovered. It was an old two-bedroom apartment in a run-down residential area, the first house he bought after moving to the city with his first earnings from fishing and selling fish over a decade ago. He hadn't returned for many years after moving away, and the house had never been sold. Unexpectedly, he ended up living there again more than ten years later. It was a corner he had almost forgotten, and others probably wouldn't even remember it anymore.

The dilapidated house reeked of decay, and only sparse furniture remained, making Wei Boxi feel very uncomfortable. However, he wasn't worried about his future. He was still wearing a well-tailored, high-end suit, carrying a photo of himself under an alias and his ID card, as well as a bank card with three million yuan in cash deposited under that alias.

His current plan is to hide for a while and make further plans after things calm down. After dark, Wei Boxi's stomach started to rumble; he was a little hungry. He didn't want to go too far to crowded places, so he waited until late at night before deciding to go to the 24-hour Quick Supermarket on the street to buy a few packets of instant noodles to fill his stomach.

As he stepped out of the room, he suddenly had a very peculiar feeling. He felt as if a pair of eyes were coldly watching him from inside the room, right behind him. This feeling made every pore on his body stand on end. He glanced at the wooden door, which offered almost no security, and decided to take all his important belongings with him.

All the way, he felt like someone was watching him from behind, and a chill ran down his spine. He quickly walked to a small roadside supermarket nearby, bought some instant noodles and sausages, and hurried back to his lodgings. He seemed preoccupied with worrying about the unseen eyes behind him, forgetting to observe the situation ahead. Just as he reached a dimly lit corner, two figures suddenly appeared, sandwiching him between them and blocking his path.

Before Wei Boxi could react, someone had already placed a steel file against his neck and whispered, "Don't speak. We don't want you dead. Take off your clothes now."

Wei Boxi instinctively wanted to ask what they wanted, but before he could utter even half a "you," a steel awl was pressed against his throat, forcing him back down. Knowing better than to fight a losing battle, Wei Boxi had no choice but to take off his clothes. If he was too slow, he would be hit a few more times. The other person, seemingly impatient, also began to clumsily help Wei Boxi undress.

Wei Boxi had never experienced anything so strange in his life. Forced by a weapon, he was stripped naked. The two men hurriedly stuffed his clothes into a woven bag and tossed him another. They shoved him to the ground and ran quickly into the darkness. Wei Boxi hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should call for help, but then felt a cold sensation on his throat. In that brief moment, the two men had vanished.

...

"Is everything here?"

"It's all here. Damn, this kid is dressed so well, but he only has a few dozen yuan on him."

Feng Junzi didn't reply, but instead took out a wad of cash and handed it to the two people in front of him: "Here you go, I've paid you exactly three thousand yuan, now you can leave."

The two men took the money, glanced at it a few times, and hurriedly left. A strange, cold smile played on Feng Junzi's lips. He had paid those two men counterfeit money; it wasn't his, it belonged to Hu Shiwei. Hu Shiwei had a book in her apartment containing records of counterfeit money she had received from customers while working at the nightclub. Feng Junzi later retrieved these banknotes, totaling three thousand six hundred yuan.

After the two men had gone some distance, Feng Junzi took a taxi to the seaside park. He threw the woven bag filled with stones into the sea from the sea-exploring rock. The bag contained Wei Boxi's clothes, a photo of him under an alias, his ID card, and a bank card. With a tumble of a wave, these items disappeared into the depths of the sea.

...

Wei Boxi stood naked in the darkness, the autumn evening wind carrying a chill that made him shiver. He couldn't understand what had just happened to him. When the two "thugs" left, they tossed him a woven bag. With trembling hands, Wei Boxi opened the bag, and inside was a set of worn-out clothes, clearly meant for him.

Wei Boxi reluctantly took out the clothes, only to find a note wrapped around something underneath. He opened it and found six hundred yuan in cash and a photo that looked very much like his ID card. The note simply read: "This six hundred yuan is counterfeit. Be careful when you spend it!"

Wei Boxi probably never imagined that Feng Junzi would leave a counterfeit 600 yuan note here. He probably couldn't remember that night at midnight when he gave Hu Shiwei a "reward" of 600 yuan to test whether she was a real college student.

Right across from him, Piao Piao looked at him coldly with a gaze that seemed to be both hatred and pity, but he couldn't see her figure.

Part Two: Ghost Alley 32, The Blood of the Wind Gentleman

When everything was over, Feng Junzi returned home and only saw Piaopiao; Han Shuang was gone. Feng Junzi asked Piaopiao, "Where did Han Shuang go?"

Piao Piao: "Sister Han Shuang is gone."

Feng Junzi didn't react for a moment: "Let's go? Where are we going so late?"

Piao Piao: "There's a letter on the table. Read it yourself."

Feng Junzi saw a piece of paper on the table, with a semi-circular jade pendant on it. He picked up the pendant and unfolded the paper, which read:

"Now that everything is over, it's time for me to leave. This time, it's not you who's making me leave. Thank you so much. I've been very happy during this time, and I feel that having gone through this experience, my tomorrow will be better than yesterday. That's what you wanted, isn't it?"

I'll keep a jade pendant as a memento. As the saying goes, jade is like a gentleman, and a gentleman is like jade. This is the most suitable gift for you. This jade pendant is one of a pair. I kept the other one as a keepsake.

Don't ask me why I'm leaving. You're a smart person; you can figure it out without even asking. Xiaowei is a good girl, and she'll probably need your care. I've prepaid six months' worth of fees. Whether she recovers depends on luck, but I believe good people will have good fortune.

After reading the note, Feng Junzi looked somber. He turned to Piaopiao and asked, "Piaopiao, do you know where Han Shuang went? Can you find her?"

Piao Piao lowered her head, seemingly thinking as she spoke, "I can help you find Han Shuang. Maybe she's hoping you can find her too. But right now, there's only one thing I can do for you. You need to think carefully about which thing you want me to do for you."