Jing Lei agreed, saying she would contact Mr. Lin and have him call me.
We were all silent, and I could feel the heavy, oppressive air, making it hard to breathe.
After about ten minutes, an unknown number called. I quickly answered, and it was indeed Mr. Lin Hui.
Mr. Lin: "Miss Zhang just told me about the rare white jade you found. Thank you for thinking of me. It's a bit late today, and I can't say anything concrete without seeing the material. I'll rush over tomorrow, and we can decide after we've looked at the jade, alright?"
I said okay and asked him to book his flight and let me know so I could pick him up at the airport.
With Mr. Lin willing to come, the weight of the jade was no longer an issue. The quality was the main concern. As long as the jade's foundation, texture, and color met the requirements, he would definitely buy it.
Brother Bao finally relaxed. He gave a few more instructions and left with Da Kui.
Just then, the female devil entered, bringing someone with her. I was startled to see it was Wen Siqiang.
I hadn't seen him in a long time. He had put on a little weight, perhaps due to quitting his addiction, and he seemed much more energetic.
Wen Siqiang greeted Lan Ya and then cupped his fists towards me. I nodded. I was happy to see him out. He had risked his life with me before, and he was a brother who fought alongside me. With him here, we had one more person to fight with.
Lan Ya: "Congratulations, Brother Wen. Your release is worth celebrating. As long as you don't touch those things again, I'll definitely promote and reuse you. If you can't change, I'm sorry, but while others might let it slide, I'll be the first to send you back."
Wen Siqiang quickly bowed: "Sister Lan, you can rest assured. I will definitely follow you and work hard. Just watch my performance."
Lan Ya: "Zhou Yingying, Wen Siqiang will still be assigned to you to assist in managing the suburban clubhouse. But there's one condition: if this stuff is touched at your place, you both prepare yourselves."
Zhou Yingying: "Don't worry, boss. I'll manage my brothers well."
Wen Siqiang also quickly expressed his commitment. Then they left.
Watching them leave, Lan Ya remarked: "I'm afraid a dog can't change its ways!"
I looked at the closed door, confirming they had left, and then turned to her. She said dismissively: "Gambling and drugs, once you're hooked, it's too difficult to quit. So, I don't believe for a second they won't touch this stuff while they're together!"
I looked at her in surprise. She continued: "Do you know why Principal Sun had control over her? Zhou Yingying is also an addict. Principal Sun is the one who got her hooked! That's why he controlled her and made her frame your father. I only found out about these things recently. Now that Wen Siqiang is out, it's like letting a tiger return to the mountains. I'm very uneasy leaving the suburban areas to them."
I was a bit taken aback. The situation was more serious than I had imagined. I had initially thought my father's troubles were just office politics, but I didn't realize there were these other factors involved.
I remembered the materials my father had given me. My father was too naive. How serious could simple disciplinary violations be? What he did was far more than that!
I looked at Sister Lan with concern: "What should we do? We can't just stand by and watch them turn the suburban clubhouse into a gambling den, can we? We paid such a heavy price to get it back."
Lan Ya: "Of course not. I have a plan. Once I know they're involved with this stuff, I will take action."
I said: "Zhou Yingying is already using. It's only natural for Wen Siqiang to relapse. That outcome is almost certain. How do you plan to control it?"
Lan Ya: "There's no evidence yet that Zhou Yingying openly sold heroin at the clubhouse. If Wen Siqiang gets involved, it will be exposed, and then we can deal with them publicly! Possession and trafficking are two different concepts. One is forced rehabilitation, while the other faces legal consequences! They can't be unaware of this."
I said: "It's almost impossible to expect them to change. We should take some proactive measures to prevent problems before they arise."
Lan Ya: "The suburban clubhouse has always been a problem for me. Its location is special, and management is difficult. It's a pity to abandon it, but it's really troublesome."
I said: "It's not that bad. Let them manage it for a while, and we'll see if any signs appear."
Lan Ya: "That's the only way. We don't have any solid proof, so it's hard to make baseless accusations."
I nodded. A fox will eventually reveal its tail. No matter how good the disguise, it's useless.
Tonight was relatively peaceful. The Crown Prince, for the first time, didn't cause any trouble. I walked out of my office and went downstairs.
This place was the same as the suburban clubhouse; the first floor was a bar and dance hall. Many people were drinking and chatting downstairs, and quite a few were dancing intimately on the dance floor.
I went down and ordered a glass of whiskey, asking the waiter to add ice. I took a sip.
A dancer sat next to me and flirtatiously asked, "Handsome, won't you buy me a drink?"
This girl was probably from outside and didn't recognize me.
I ordered a drink for her and asked if she wanted ice. She said, "I only drink spirits straight. It's undrinkable with ice."
I motioned for the waiter to fill her glass and handed it to her.
She said, "That's more like it. Come on, handsome, cheers!"
I politely clinked glasses with her and said, "My tolerance for alcohol isn't great, so you can drink as you please."
She tilted her head back and took a big gulp, then said, "A man can't say he can't. Man is heaven, woman is earth. If heaven says no, earth cannot exist, understand?"
I nodded and asked, "Girl, how long have you been in this line of work?"
She said, "You seem new to this. What, you haven't charmed any young ladies?"
I said, "You have sharp eyes. With me looking like this, which girl would dare to approach me?"
She said, "It's not like that. Dogs are fond of their masters, and people hit it off when they click. If there's chemistry, anything goes. If not, even a man in a suit is useless."
I didn't expect this woman to be so forthright, though I wondered if she was genuine or just putting on an act.
I said, "What about me? How about we get a room?"
Her expression suddenly soured: "Isn't that a bit too fast? You buy me a drink, then we dance, and then we talk about a room. Do you think one drink is enough to get me? But speaking of which, a room is possible, but can you afford a thousand? Can you afford it?"
I didn't expect her to be so quick to reveal her true colors!
I said, "Sister, don't scare me. I can try for three or two hundred, but a thousand would kill me! Even if my life depended on it, I couldn't afford it."
She said, "Finish your drink and go home. This is no place for you to play; you're just wasting time."
With that, she moved to another spot, continuing her search for targets.
I sat there, continuing to savor my whiskey, watching the people on the dance floor.
Then I saw a familiar face, Xiao Li!
Xiao Li was just seeing a guest out and saw me sitting at the bar. She gave me a look and then escorted the guest out.
I thought to myself, "This is bad. How could I run into her? Isn't she with the female devil? Does she work at Da Shi Jie?"