The dim light cast a chill over Bai Shi’s profile. His face was expressionless, like a stone statue with sharp, defined angles.
He turned to Gu Sai. "Look into Tu Ziyun’s background. Ding Chuan isn't someone who’s easily caught. For now, don't tell Ding Chuan about our situation."
Gu Sai nodded and added, "Is Tu Ziyun watching us too closely?"
Bai Shi gave a noncommittal hum.
Gu Sai asked tentatively, "Can that guy named Pei be trusted?"
Bai Shi was silent for a moment. "He’s my only witness. I need to find a way to tighten my grip on him. If he’s being hunted, he’ll get scared and tell the police everything. If I lead them far enough away, they’ll investigate in that direction."
The others in the room looked at him, hesitating to speak.
Finally, Gu Sai shook his head and spoke up. "I don't think that level of pressure is enough."
Bai Shi tilted his chin toward Zhou Linyuan. "Zhou Linyuan."
Zhou Linyuan stepped forward.
"Go burn his house down."
After saying this, Bai Shi looked at Gu Sai with a smile. "Is that obvious enough?"
Gu Sai smiled back. "It’s for the best if he’s afraid."
The butler knocked and entered before Bai Shi could speak. His arrival caused the entire meeting room to fall into a sudden silence.
Bai Shi looked up. "Is something wrong?"
The butler bowed respectfully. "Mr. Ding is looking for you."
"Now?" Bai Shi frowned, his voice turning sharp. "It’s too late for this."
The butler didn't answer, simply standing aside to wait. "The driver is downstairs."
This was a forceful stance.
Bai Shi narrowed his eyes at the butler while the others watched their boss. After a few seconds of stalemate, Bai Shi stood up. "Understood."
He grabbed his overcoat and followed the butler downstairs, dismissing the others as he went. The butler helped him into his coat and saw him off at the door. He watched as Bai Shi roughly snatched his garment and sat in the back seat. The butler waited until the car had driven far away. Bai Shi watched the man’s dutiful figure through the rearview mirror and let out a cold snort.
***
At the main residence, Ding Chuan was waiting for him.
Bai Shi crossed the massive plaza alone, rounding the fountain. The main residence was pitch black, with only ground-level lamps to mark the path.
Ding Chuan utterly loathed the Bai family’s former extravagant love for brilliant lights. Now that he had usurped the nest and moved into the main residence, he almost never lit a lamp. As Bai Shi walked, he thought to himself that the decaying, dark atmosphere here suited Ding Chuan perfectly.
Ding Chuan was an old acquaintance of the Bai family.
The Bai family conglomerate had three main legitimate sectors. First was Real Estate and Heavy Industry, formerly managed by Bai Jiang. Second was the corresponding Capital Investment and Funds, formerly managed by Bai Hai. Third was Media and Entertainment, formerly managed by Bai Yinhua. However, ten years ago, before they had "gone legit," the Bai family still maintained two dark lines. One was Fire-Thunder Armaments, a munitions dealer managed by the family’s proxy, Qin Xifeng. The second was a pure criminal organization: the Dark Fire Group.
These so-called sectors were merely the upper branches of the massive Bai family tree; the roots were buried deep underground.
The Dark Fire Group, originally managed by Ding Chuan, bore the responsibility of protecting the tree. The Bai family had risen from the docks. Generations ago, when they used the nation’s chaos to rise through violence, armed conflict was inevitable. Even if their descendants washed the blood from their hands, donned suits, and walked into skyscrapers to become symbols of high society, the roots remained underground. To that end, they needed to choose loyal outsiders to handle the business in the shadows.
Before the transition, the Bai family tree was a complete and efficient chain of interests. The family owned many unregistered mines and gas fields whose income was never reported on corporate balance sheets. They managed ports of all sizes where high-value goods and even massive amounts of cash passed through without inspection. The Dark Fire Group was stationed on the Southern Islands, where they were influential figures in small South Sea nations. During their peak, the Bai family handled sixty percent of the drugs in Southeast Asia, all managed by the Dark Fire Group. This illegal income was laundered through the media and investment sectors. The entertainment department produced big-budget trash films, held sold-out but empty concerts, and built luxury hotels where a bottle of Sprite cost seven hundred yuan. They held celebrity charity auctions where a glass bottle could sell for a million. There were also countless small trading companies and mid-sized consulting firms whose related-party transactions were impossible to audit.
But how did the old saying go?
Evil cannot prevail over good.
Some died, some scattered.
Bai Shi found it amusing just thinking about it.
He walked up the steps. Someone opened the door for him and led the way, as if this weren't his own home, as if he hadn't walked these halls thousands of times.
But whatever. Let them have their way.
Ding Chuan was in a meeting room. The person at the door pushed it open, and Bai Shi walked in. The cavernous room had only two lamps standing by the door. In the distance, Ding Chuan sat on the only high seat, submerged in darkness, looking like a mere shadow. Two people stood beside the shadow.
Silence.
Then Bai Shi remembered himself and bowed toward the person in the seat. There was no choice; the remnants of the old era insisted on the propriety of conduct.
Ding Chuan let out a cold laugh. His voice was as coarse as if it were mixed with sand—not a normal human voice, but more like damaged vocal cords forcing out sound. He raised a hand feebly and beckoned. Bai Shi walked forward a few steps.
Ding Chuan might have moved slightly, sitting forward, but Bai Shi couldn't see clearly.
"Bai Yinhua is dead. Congratulations," Ding Chuan said from the shadows.
Bai Shi lowered his eyes and said nothing.
There was an irrepressible joy in Ding Chuan’s voice. "Bai Jiang is dead, Bai Hai is dead, and now Bai Yinhua is dead. Next, once you reclaim what was in Bai Yinhua’s hands, you will have achieved total victory, Bai Shi. Your plan was good; leaving Bai Yinhua for last was indeed the right choice."
Bai Shi looked at him. "If there are congratulations to be had, they should go to you. I’m merely acting as your gun."
Ding Chuan stared at Bai Shi and laughed easily. "Congratulate me for what?"
"For your revenge."
Ding Chuan began to laugh loudly, but the laughter turned into a cough. The woman beside him offered water, but Ding Chuan slapped it away. He moved forward, emerging from the shadows. He was skeletal, one pant leg hanging empty, half his body unable to move. He was hooked up to a ventilator. He laughed until he was breathless, coughing while his bone-like hand reached for the oxygen mask, pressing it to his face for a few breaths until he finally calmed down.
A skeleton sitting on a high throne.
Ding Chuan looked at Bai Shi. "Bai Yinhua is dead. Who holds Yaoguang Media now?"
"Peng Zhu."
"Who is that?"
"The former Vice President. He’s acting as interim head."
Ding Chuan waved his hand impatiently. "Get it back."
"Fine."
Ding Chuan retreated back into the shadows, exhaling tiredly. "You may go."
"There is one thing." Bai Shi looked at him. "There was a slight mishap. I’ve been targeted by the Eighth Division."
Ding Chuan’s tone turned severe. "What?"
"Don't worry, I’ll settle it. But to prevent the police from watching this place, I plan to stay elsewhere for a while. I won't be coming to the main residence, to avoid causing trouble."
Ding Chuan was silent for a moment, then gave a cold snort. "Understood."
Bai Shi breathed a sigh of relief.
He turned to leave, but Ding Chuan called out to him at the door. "Who is the one watching you?"
"I don't know. I haven't identified them yet."
***
By the time Zhou Linyuan went to arrange for people to burn Pei Cangyu’s house, Bai Shi had just left for Pei Cangyu’s school. He arrived just as Pei Cangyu was hurrying out in a panic, head darting around like a thief.
The driver asked Bai Shi, "Should I drive over?"
Bai Shi watched lazily. "Just follow him. Let’s lead him on a bit."
So Pei Cangyu dodged the car for a while before realizing it might be an ally, and only then did Bai Shi make his elegant entrance.
Pei Cangyu was so nervous that he unconsciously leaned toward Bai Shi, his large eyes blinking as he pressed close without reservation. Bai Shi suddenly felt as if he had returned to middle school.
Pei Cangyu was a completely different person from him. He had a sense of burgeoning vitality, like a plant striving to grow. His smooth, wheat-colored skin now covered a grown youth’s body, with fresh, lean muscle. Every movement had a springy energy as he leaned against Bai Shi. Bai Shi gave a few distracted replies, and Pei Cangyu, not knowing when to stop, continued to lean on him. Bai Shi reflexively put an arm around his waist; his palm could even feel the curve of the boy's side.
Pei Cangyu pulled away.
Bai Shi gripped the empty air, then turned and pointed toward the car.
As he expected, the police were currently tracking Lu Mingyue.
According to plan, Pei Cangyu’s house was burning.
Bai Shi crossed his arms boredly, watching Pei Cangyu become homeless.
Among the people watching the fire downstairs, some were eating melon seeds, others were eating oranges. They had bought groceries but couldn't go home yet, so they simply watched the fire and chatted. They speculated on the cause of the fire, guessing everything from debts to romantic histories, each story more vivid than the last. The woman eating oranges asked her boyfriend if he wanted some. The boyfriend lifted the bags in his hands. "I don't have a free hand." The woman gave a playful scold and popped one into his mouth.
Bai Shi gazed at the helpless, homeless Pei Cangyu and smiled inadvertently, though he quickly hid it.
At the appropriate time, the "friendly middle school classmate" Bai Shi stepped forward and offered Pei Cangyu a place to stay.
Pei Cangyu’s life as a houseguest was unremarkable, aside from a minor injury. Bai Shi was busy; when Pei Cangyu rushed off to class, the others would come in.
Lu Mingyue looked around the house as he pushed the door open. "Is the kid gone?"
Pale, jade-like fingers pressed against a square glass. The flickering candlelight reflected in the crimson wine. Bai Shi took a sip. It should have been a very atmospheric scene, but the mood was ruined the next second because the protagonist swished the wine and spat it back into the glass. A rare look of ferocity crossed his usually expressionless face as he tossed the glass aside with a neurotic motion.
The people who entered sat on either side of the long table. From Bai Shi’s inner circle outward, they were:
Gu Sai, Bai Shi’s lawyer. Thirty-five years old, a man in a suit with gold-rimmed glasses. He was tall and lean with a cold face; he never smiled unless necessary, but when he did, it was as bright as spring. Currently, because he had no appetite, he sat by his boss unable to eat.
Kong Changsheng, head of the Bai family’s investment sector. A thirty-one-year-old slightly chubby man with a jovial air. He loved to laugh and had been known as a "Lucky Cat" in his previous industry. A child prodigy with a brilliant academic record, he had been a star at a top firm before leaving an international bank to join Guangming Investment under the Bai family conglomerate, where he managed heavy industry investment funds. Regardless of his mood, he never missed a drop of wine or a bite of food.
Zhou Linyuan, Bai Shi’s proxy for the dark lines. Twenty-two years old, tall and taciturn. Except for when he was with Bai Shi, he almost never spoke.
Tao Feng, Bai Shi’s "straight line." Twenty-seven years old, the kind of person you could never find in a crowd. Average height, average looks—nothing about him stood out, which was the essence of his work. He could vanish into a crowd at any moment.
Lu Mingyue, a "straight line" who had made a mistake. A twenty-four-year-old delicate-looking man, cynical and shallow in appearance but ruthless in action. A professional killer.
The butler came to say goodbye. "Was the meal to your liking, Young Master?"
Bai Shi nodded. "Thank you for your hard work."
The butler and Mrs. Xu left with the others. Kong Changsheng picked up a wine bottle for himself. "This is good wine. If you’re not drinking it, give it to me." As he poured, he glanced at Bai Shi. "Boss, fix your face. You look so fierce."
Bai Shi turned his gaze back from the departing staff.
Once the butler and the others had left and the house had been quiet for a while, Kong Changsheng finally spoke. As he cut his steak, he asked casually, "Bai Yinhua is dead. When do we make our move?"
Gu Sai glanced at him. "There are still some issues to clear up. Don't worry about Bai Yinhua’s assets for now; Peng Zhu is our man."
Bai Shi tilted his chin toward Kong Changsheng. "Explain it once."
Kong Changsheng put down his knife and fork, clasping his hands on the table. His eyes shone in his plump face.
"The former Guangwei Equipment under Bai Jiang is now managed by Ding Ge, who is Ding Chuan’s man. The former Guangming Investment under Bai Hai is now managed by Ding Yuanlu—my boss—who is also Ding Chuan’s man. Peng Zhu, who took over for Bai Yinhua, is ours. The Dark Fire Group belongs to Ding Chuan. Fire-Thunder has long been out of control and isn't worth considering. In other words, although you are the head of the Bai family in name, you actually have nothing. By that count," Kong Changsheng paused and smiled at Bai Shi, "it’s three against one, not counting Fire-Thunder."
Bai Shi gave a calm hum but offered no opinion.
Kong Changsheng continued, "My suggestion is to start with my side. After Ding Yuanlu took over, the gray records left by Bai Hai haven't been fully dealt with. We can use that data to petition the board for an internal investigation. I’m confident I can drag Ding Yuanlu down. Even if we call the police, burning Ding Yuanlu and his people to the ground wouldn't be a problem. If we make enough noise, we might even drag Ding Chuan down with him."
They all looked at Bai Shi.
Bai Shi put down his fork and looked up. "First..."
Everyone listened intently.
"Kill Ding Chuan."
Kong Changsheng and Gu Sai both looked away with their own thoughts, hiding their dissatisfaction.
Bai Shi pushed his plate away and rested his crossed hands on the table. "Kill one proxy, and another will appear. Ding Chuan is the key."
He had no intention of exchanging opinions. He looked directly at Zhou Linyuan. "What was the name of the person you investigated?"
"Ding Huan. He discovered your meeting with Peng Zhu. We caught him before he could report to Ding Chuan."
"Where is he?"
Zhou Linyuan looked toward the back. "The basement. Along with a few others who heard the news."
Kong Changsheng and Gu Sai exchanged a look. Bai Shi stood up, hands pressed on the table, and smiled at the two of them. "Alright, the next part is for us to handle. You two should go get some rest."
The two of them stood up; those on the "legitimate" path had their own way to go.
Only after they left did a few others re-enter.
Lu Mingyue, who had been silent, finally let out a breath once those two were gone. "Ugh, I really can't stand those two 'proper' people." He turned to Zhou Linyuan. "You brought the targets here? While there’s an outsider living in the house?"
Zhou Linyuan glanced at him but ignored him, turning instead to Bai Shi. "Will the kid named Pei be in the way?"
Bai Shi looked at him. "How could he be? I’m counting on him."
He stood up and walked straight toward the basement, the others following behind. Bai Shi casually picked up a knife; he still needed to ask about the structure of the Dark Fire Group.
Below, three men were tied in a bundle, blindfolded and gagged.
Bai Shi said, "Tao Feng, stay." The others turned and left.
The three men couldn't see, but they began to tremble at the sound of voices. One of them, sensing the light, made muffled noises toward Bai Shi, likely shouting. Bai Shi watched with interest as the man flopped on the floor. The people leaving closed the basement door. A cold aura wrapped around everyone. Tao Feng stood to the side, watching Bai Shi gaze at his prey with a smile.
Bai Shi pulled the gag out of one man’s mouth and removed the blindfolds from the other two. The man without the gag immediately spoke, as if to verify his ability to talk, but Bai Shi swiftly thrust the short knife into his mouth, stirring it around haphazardly until he pulled out a section of severed tongue. Bai Shi held the tongue up to look at it, a look of regret on his face. "I’ve gotten rusty."
The man with the mouth full of blood whimpered. The other two men were drenched in cold sweat.
Bai Shi tossed the knife aside and began rummaging in a corner. They heard a clanging sound, and then saw Bai Shi walking over carrying a hammer.
Bai Shi stood before them and let go. The hammer hit the floor with a thud that made the three men’s hearts skip a beat. Bai Shi pulled his shirt off. Beneath the clothes were well-proportioned muscles with clear definition, like a Greek statue—a combination of beauty and power. There were a few shallow scars on his skin, strangely disrupting the aesthetic like cracks in fine porcelain, seemingly heralding other desires trapped within his body.
Bai Shi’s shirt brushed his hair, messing it up. On that handsome face, his eyes held an unprecedented madness.
Bai Shi picked up the hammer. "Come on, open up."
The man screamed and struggled but was pinned to the floor by Bai Shi. The hammer began to fall, blow after blow, knocking the teeth out one by one. The man with the bloody mouth fainted several times, only to be choked awake by Bai Shi.
Finally, amidst the blood on the floor, a pile of teeth lay scattered.
Bai Shi gathered the teeth in the pool of blood, resting the hammer on his shoulder. He counted them with great interest and even found a gold tooth. He flicked it with a smile, like a child playing with a toy, lost in his own world.
One of the watching men made a muffled sound. Bai Shi turned to him and removed his gag.
The man trembled, his dry lips cracking and bleeding. His haggard face was full of terror, but he tried his best to remain calm. "Do you... have something to ask us? You can say it... anything."
Bai Shi frowned and stuffed the gag back in. "That can wait. I’m busy right now."
He walked back to the blindfolded man who now had no teeth, poured a few mouthfuls of water into his mouth to make him rinse and spit out the blood, then pinched the man’s jaw to look inside.
"Do you know what a toothless mouth is best for?"
Bai Shi turned to look at the remaining two men. They were deathly pale.
Bai Shi grinned and gave them the answer: "Oral sex."
The man he was holding began to struggle, crawling forward desperately, his fingers clawing at the floor until his nails tore and his hands were covered in blood.
Bai Shi let go of him. "What are you so excited about? It’s not going to be me."
Bai Shi stood up and kicked one of the men. "You go."
Then his finger landed on the last man. "You are going to answer some questions for me."
***
Midway through, Bai Shi went upstairs for a drink of water and saw Pei Cangyu in the dining room. He frowned and checked his watch; it was only a little after four.
Pei Cangyu was also startled.
Bai Shi looked down to see if there was blood on him. There wasn't, because he had taken his shirt off when using the knife, but he was covered in sweat.
Pei Cangyu hurriedly approached again, touching his arm and moving to get a blanket. Bai Shi stopped him.
In the basement, there were dying men spitting blood to provide Bai Shi with intelligence, struggling in the dark underground. Not even a hundred meters away, above ground, Pei Cangyu was about to run out the door, to leave him and head outside.
Bai Shi watched him leave and stood there for a moment.
He went back down. The men in the basement were rambling about everything related to the Dark Fire Group. Tao Feng listened intently, recording it all.
Bai Shi kicked the floor boredly. "I’m going out for a bit."
He went to the convenience store where Pei Cangyu worked.
He had told Pei Cangyu he wouldn't be back for a night, but he actually was. This basement was sometimes used to handle matters for Ding Chuan, so Bai Shi stayed down there all night.
He went up once in the middle of the night, telling himself he wanted a drink of water.
Pei Cangyu wasn't sleeping in the bedroom; he was on the sofa Bai Shi usually used, breathing softly. Bai Shi looked at his profile and walked over slowly, picking up a nearby blanket and covering him.
Bai Shi crouched beside him. The warm red glow of the fire made Pei Cangyu’s face look flushed. He slept peacefully, without a care in the world. It had been like this since they were young. Bai Shi sometimes thought that if he were Pei Cangyu, he would never live like that—vulnerable to being manipulated by almost anyone.
Pei Cangyu had a strange stubbornness, an inability to distinguish priorities in life. People like that always seemed a bit foolish.
*Truly not a smart person,* Bai Shi thought.
Bai Shi crouched there for a long time, watching Pei Cangyu’s sleeping face. He thought muddled thoughts—that Pei Cangyu’s best feature was his eyes. Pei Cangyu had beautiful eyes with a mysterious brightness. He had felt that way in middle school, and after all these years, that fire was still burning in those eyes. Bai Shi never understood what exactly was burning.
He thought aimlessly until his legs felt a bit sore.
He stood up, waited a moment, then turned and left.
When the girlfriend led Pei Cangyu upstairs, Bai Shi and the others were in the third-floor meeting room, sorting through the information they had gathered about the Dark Fire Group. When they stepped out, they could see across the circular floor to the open door on the second floor, and the man moving his waist inside.
Lu Mingyue gave a low whistle and headed downstairs. The others glanced over, expressions unreadable, before leaving.
Only Bai Shi walked around the floor, went downstairs, and stopped at their door. Leaning against the doorframe, he stared at that lean, smooth waist, covered in a thin layer of sweat that glistened like honey in the light. The tensed back arched into a valley, and spots of sunlight danced across his skin as he moved. His shoulder blades drew sharp curves. The man’s ears were bright red, his profile held a look that was almost erotic, and his suppressed gasps were hard to hide—a god-given androgynous beauty walking the earth.
Bai Shi smiled and turned to leave.
*He really does have a good voice.*
*I have to get my hands on him.*
Finally, the time had come.
He thought.
***
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