Chapter Forty-Eight: Coercive Collaboration

Golden Pavilion.

Cao Long was trembling all over as he knelt on the floor. Under Qin Yang’s oppressive presence, he no longer had the strength to stand. Zhu the Immortal, sprawled on the ground, looked even more miserable—his body convulsed uncontrollably, reminiscent of a dying, decrepit old man, entirely devoid of his usual ethereal bearing. His eyes fixed on Qin Yang as if staring into the face of a demon.

“Mr. Qin, I really didn’t know it was you. If I had, I would never have dared,” Cao Long stammered in a quivering voice, pleading his case.

Qin Yang merely licked his lips and remained silent. This wordless pressure made both the kneeling and the prostrate men suffer all the more.

At that moment, Ji Liehu entered the office from the corridor, holding Cheng Xiaomei in his arms, trying to cheer her up with clichéd jokes. Trailing behind was the still-shaken Tao Caijie. The most wretched of all was Guo Jintao. Pulled and shoved by Li Meng and Zhang Qi, Guo Jintao’s face was a mess of bruises. The moment he saw Cao Long kneeling before Qin Yang, his eyes went vacant and he fell to his knees as well.

“Zhang Qi, take these two home,” Ji Liehu ordered after seeing that Qin Yang’s anger hadn’t subsided. He handed Xiaomei to Tao Caijie, then instructed Zhang Qi to drive the mother and daughter home. Tao Caijie tugged at Qin Yang’s sleeve. Qin Yang forced a smile. “It’s all right now. You take Xiaomei home first. I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay.”

Although Tao Caijie didn’t understand why a nightclub boss would humble himself before Qin Yang, she was eager to leave this place of trouble. After Zhang Qi led them away, Ji Liehu grabbed a bottle of whiskey and took a swig. “You really know how to cause worry. If I hadn’t passed by, your place would have been burnt to the ground. Cao Long, how do you plan to make amends? You ought to thank me as well.”

Cao Long felt utterly despondent. He hadn’t expected Zhu the Immortal to be such a complete fraud, nor his cousin Guo Jintao to be such an unreliable fool. These two had only made his predicament worse. Eyeing the still-fuming Qin Yang, he stammered, “Mr. Qin, I truly lost my head. Had I known, I’d never have let this useless idiot cause trouble above you.”

“I suspected from the start that Guo Jintao was connected to you. Otherwise, he’d never have got his hands on such despicable drugs,” Qin Yang said in a low voice. “Still, I’ve kept his crimes separate from yours—I haven’t held you accountable for them.”

“Mr. Qin, give me one more chance. I swear I’ll deal with him myself,” Cao Long said, his concern for Guo Jintao’s fate gone. That bastard had brought this disaster upon them all. Even if Qin Yang said nothing, he wanted to tear him limb from limb.

Ji Liehu was more direct. He drew a dagger from his coat and tossed it between Cao Long and Guo Jintao. “Under the code of the underworld: who’s going to do it?”

Guo Jintao had no idea what Ji Liehu meant by “code of the underworld,” but at the sight of the gleaming blade, he nearly wet himself. Crawling over to Qin Yang, he wailed, “Qin Yang, I was wrong! I’ll never dare again—please spare me! I beg you!”

“Get lost!” Qin Yang, disgusted by the dirt now staining his trousers, kicked Guo Jintao away and sat down. “What underworld code are you talking about? I’ve never heard of it.”

“Nothing much. Just becoming a eunuch,” Ji Liehu replied lightly. Guo Jintao’s face turned as white as a sheet.

Looking at the pitiful wretch before him, Qin Yang tried to muster some sympathy, to think of another punishment. But seeing Guo Jintao’s despicable look, he felt not even a trace of pity—if anything, he wanted to do it himself. He waved a hand. “Whoever does it, make it quick. I’m pressed for time.”

Seeing Qin Yang’s resolve, Cao Long gritted his teeth, glanced at Guo Jintao, and slid the dagger in front of him. “You won’t die today, but the code must be upheld. Do it yourself.”

Guo Jintao was utterly terrified, shivering before the knife, remorse written all over his face. He looked at Cao Long in agony. “Cousin, save me! Qin Yang, I beg you, spare me! I’ll give you anything you want—please!”

“I already gave you a chance. I didn’t want to pursue the matter when you first sent people to harass me. But you provoked me again and again,” Qin Yang said evenly.

Guo Jintao pleaded desperately, “I truly know I was wrong! Please, I’ll never dare again—spare me! I’ll leave Hai Tian City at once and never come back. I swear I’ll never cross you again!”

“What a nuisance. Li Meng, drag him out,” Ji Liehu ordered, unwilling to waste such an opportunity.

Li Meng had long despised Guo Jintao. Killing a man meant nothing to him; slicing off a piece was even less trouble. He grabbed the still-wailing Guo Jintao and dragged him out. As for Zhu the Immortal, he simply lay on the ground playing dead. Qin Yang had no patience for such a charlatan. Soon, Cao Long’s men hauled him away for a beating before tossing him out.

When matters had calmed, Cao Long still didn’t dare move. He doubted Qin Yang would let him off so easily.

“Cao Long,” Qin Yang took a sip of water, “how do you intend to make amends?”

“At your command, Mr. Qin,” Cao Long replied weakly.

Qin Yang exchanged a look with Ji Liehu, who nodded, stood up, and clapped Cao Long on the shoulder. “It’s simple. Two choices: die, or kill Cao Xianhu.”

“It’s death either way,” Cao Long answered bitterly. “I don’t even know where Cao Xianhu is. He’s planning a big deal right now—almost no one can find him, not even me.”

“So you’re refusing?” Ji Liehu’s voice was icy.

Cao Long forced a smile. “I truly have no way.”

With his life at stake, Cao Long had no interest in playing the loyal hero. As if Ji Liehu would believe it anyway.

“Don’t worry. We’ll find Cao Xianhu ourselves. As for manpower and funds, Cao Long, I hope you’ll be wise enough to cooperate,” Ji Liehu said with a cold laugh.

Qin Yang stood and stretched. “I’ll be going to Jianghai City tomorrow. I’ll be gone for two days. Old Ji, I’ll leave things here to you. I found some pills in that charlatan’s room—give them to him. I’ll provide the antidote when the job is done.”

Cao Long didn’t resist at all. He understood that, once Qin Yang decided to spare his life, he was already tightly bound to him. When the time came, even with the antidote, he’d have only one path left: cooperate honestly with Qin Yang. Otherwise, he’d face Cao Xianhu’s last desperate strike.

From this moment, the Golden Pavilion would pass from its true owner, Cao Xianhu, into Ji Liehu’s hands. As for legal means—what a joke. If they really killed Cao Xianhu, the Golden Pavilion would inevitably become someone else’s property, both in name and in reality.