Chapter Forty-Seven: The Big Deal

“Stop dreaming,” Lin Shengnan suddenly poured cold water on their enthusiasm. “He holds a powerful position—one word from him and Er Niu was detained. And these days, it’s common for officials to keep everything under wraps. On the surface, they’re squeaky clean, so even the relevant departments can’t catch them. How could we possibly blackmail him?”

Everyone nodded in agreement; it really did seem far-fetched.

Liu Jingye smiled. “If we can’t catch him directly, can’t we target those close to him? These corrupt officials don’t hoard their money just to let it sit in the bank collecting interest. It’s all for a life of pleasure, and those around them benefit.”

“That’s right!” Hu Ming said excitedly. “Most officials who get taken down these days are brought down by those close to them—wives, children, mistresses, that sort of thing.”

“So, we can start there,” Liu Jingye clapped his hands encouragingly. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way. As long as we’re thorough and careful, we’ll succeed.”

“Fine, let’s do it!” Lin Shengnan immediately made the decision. Seeing Liu Jingye’s face light up with joy, she shot him a glare and said, “If things go wrong, you’ll take the fall alone.”

“No problem.” Liu Jingye agreed without hesitation.

Their leader blushed at his quick acceptance. Among people like them, loyalty came first: you shared the good times and stuck together through the bad. She hadn’t done anything yet, but she’d already pushed the responsibility onto Liu Jingye—it did seem a bit unprincipled.

Even her own men were giving her odd looks.

Feeling awkward, she tried to smooth things over. “If it works out, you can take a bigger cut.”

Liu Jingye was generous. “Dirty money is for everyone to take. When the time comes, we’ll split it evenly. If everyone agrees, let’s make a plan now.”

“Since we’re targeting those close to him, then, as Er Niu just mentioned, that seductive woman in the Bentley who was with him is our first choice. If they’re showing up at nightclubs together, their relationship must be unusual. Er Niu, since you know her, go dig up some information about her.”

Er Niu thumped his chest. “Ever since I got out of detention, I’ve been looking into that woman. I already have some leads.”

Liu Jingye nodded, then turned to Hu Ming. “Hu Ming, you’re steady and experienced. See what you can find out about Deputy Director Liang. Keep a low profile. It’s best to hang around the police bureau entrance.”

“I know,” Hu Ming replied. “There are often a lot of ‘fixers’ around the bureau. They have inside connections, take money to handle things, or act as go-betweens.”

“Exactly. They’re the best source of information,” Liu Jingye praised.

“And me? What about me? Big Brother, give me something to do!” Shitou and Da Niu both clamored for assignments. Since the profits would be split, everyone wanted to pull their weight.

Liu Jingye thought for a moment. “You two stay here for now and rest up. Once Er Niu and Hu Ming bring back information, we’ll decide your tasks.”

“What about me?” Lin Shengnan felt out of place. She was supposed to be the leader, but now it was Liu Jingye giving orders.

Liu Jingye glanced at the food on the table. “You cook well. If you’ve nothing else to do, you can make lunch for us.”

“What?” Lin Shengnan was furious—she was their leader, not their cook.

But Liu Jingye didn’t care, and even her own men seemed eager to follow his lead, ignoring her anger completely.

Was he trying to usurp her role? Lin Shengnan was fuming, but she had to admit, though she had passion, courage, and was willing to bear hardship, she lacked the boldness and vision to lead them out of their lowly state.

Yet with Liu Jingye, the target was set on the deputy director of the police bureau from the start—a kind of audacity she lacked.

Suppressing her anger, she stomped into the kitchen. In Liu Jingye’s eyes, the kitchen and the bed were the places where women belonged.

Everyone split up to carry out their tasks. By noon, Er Niu returned with information about the alluring woman.

They all gathered around, waiting for him to speak, but Er Niu turned to Lin Shengnan. “Boss, I’ve been running around all day without a drink of water. I’m exhausted. Could you pour me a glass?”

“Of course!” Lin Shengnan had always taken care of their daily needs and didn’t mind.

But after she brought the water, Da Niu and Shitou produced two cucumbers, grinning slyly. “We just picked these outside, Boss. Could you wash them for us?”

“Sure, I’ll wash them,” Lin Shengnan said indifferently.

After she finished, Liu Jingye suddenly remarked, “I remember there’s a banana in the fridge. If we don’t eat it soon, it’ll go bad.”

Lin Shengnan’s face fell. She glared at him. “Fine, I’ll wash it for you!”

“Huh?” Liu Jingye, cigarette dangling from his lips, looked puzzled. “Aren’t bananas just peeled? Why wash them? Did you do something to my banana?”

Lin Shengnan’s face instantly flushed red. She snapped, “Go to hell!”

With that, she hurried into the kitchen and didn’t come out for quite some time, until Er Niu started sharing his intel.

“I found out at the nightclub that she’s a regular there—very high-profile, well-known. Her name’s Huang Weiwei. She used to be a small-time model in the capital, but after a scandal, she left and came back home. Now she’s a famous socialite in the city, highly sought after. She has strong connections. Just a few days ago, a rich kid tried to harass her when he was drunk, and that same night, someone broke both his legs.

I heard the boss of the Imperial Club, Huang Xing, is her cousin.”

Cousin? More like her lover, Liu Jingye sneered. If he was right, Huang Weiwei was probably sent by Huang Xing to act as a ‘public relations shield’ for the man.

Er Niu continued, “She always carries herself like a wealthy heiress, wears designer brands, and is chauffeured in luxury cars. But no one’s ever heard of her actually dating anyone. She’s got a good reputation—even has the nickname ‘Pure Lily.’ Recently, though, someone saw her and Liang Hong entering and leaving private clubs together. Their relationship seems ambiguous.”

“That settles it,” Liu Jingye declared. “She must be Liang Hong’s mistress, and it’s not a casual thing. Otherwise, Liang Hong wouldn’t be so bold about being seen out with her.”

“Liang Hong doesn’t care.” At this moment, Hu Ming hurried in with news about Liang Hong.

“Liang Hong is forty-five this year. Five years ago, he was transferred here from another city’s bureau. It’s said he’s so dedicated he often works through the night and rarely goes home. His wife couldn’t take the loneliness and divorced him. He doesn’t have any children,” Hu Ming reported. “So, dating anyone wouldn’t count as misconduct.”

“Big Brother, we have the lay of the land. What’s our next step?” Shitou rubbed his hands, eager for action.

Liu Jingye lit a cigarette and asked, “Er Niu, what else can you tell me about Huang Weiwei? What are her hobbies?”

“Hobbies?” Er Niu thought for a moment. “She drives luxury cars, goes shopping, visits high-end clubs, nothing unusual. I heard she just bought a limited-edition red Ferrari—she’s making quite a splash.”

“Ferrari?” Liu Jingye’s eyes suddenly lit up as inspiration struck.

“Da Niu, Shitou, I have a very tough mission for you.”

“Consider it done!” They were both eager and full of confidence.

Liu Jingye exhaled a puff of smoke. “Go to the city hospital morgue and get me a corpse!”

“What?” Everyone was shocked.

“It’s a tough mission,” Liu Jingye repeated, raising his eyebrows.

Da Niu and Shitou exchanged glances, then gritted their teeth. “Do it! In this dog-eat-dog world, if we’re not afraid of the living, why fear the dead?”

“Good. Find one that’s recently deceased, preferably a man,” Liu Jingye instructed.

“Understood! If I can’t get one, you can use me as the corpse!” Da Niu joked.

“Er Niu, go find out where Huang Weiwei will be tonight, what car she’ll be driving, and the route she’ll take,” Liu Jingye coolly directed. “Hu Ming, get an unregistered phone card and a high-definition video camera.”

The others didn’t ask questions, but they could vaguely guess what Liu Jingye was planning. Each one left, excitement in their steps.

Lin Shengnan frowned. “And me?”

Liu Jingye shot her a sidelong glance. “Go wash me a banana.”

“Bananas are peeled, not washed!” she retorted angrily.

“I’m afraid of contamination,” Liu Jingye replied.

“Get lost…”

That evening, heavy rain began to fall. Liu Jingye rejoiced—heaven was on his side.

You had to admire the drive and determination of Lin Shengnan’s men. Having lived through hardship, they were desperate to make something of themselves, even if it meant taking risks.

By past ten o’clock that night, Da Niu and Shitou returned, drenched from the rain, driving a battered old car borrowed from some delinquent friends—no plates, of course.

And they actually brought back a male corpse, zipped inside a large woven bag. The man’s face was pale, his body naked, with a bullet wound in his chest.

“He’s the one,” Liu Jingye thought. “He must be the officer who died today saving Yuan Xiaoying. Brother, sorry to put you through this. I won’t wish you a peaceful journey, only that you get your revenge.”

Gleaming with a cold light in his eyes, Liu Jingye silently lit a cigarette and placed it beside the corpse. He turned to Da Niu and Shitou. “How did you pull it off?”

Da Niu grinned. “There’s usually an old bachelor in his fifties watching over the morgue. We paid him and got him a girl for the night—he was so happy, he didn’t care about anything.”

“Smart!” Liu Jingye gave him a thumbs-up.

Hu Ming had also gotten the phone card and camera. Everyone did their job swiftly and cleanly. At this rate, they might make it big one day.

Lin Shengnan stood at the kitchen door, nibbling a banana like a wronged daughter-in-law. Every time she tried to speak, Liu Jingye ordered her back to the kitchen, leaving her endlessly frustrated.

But she also saw that her crew was more energetic and dedicated than ever, throwing themselves into their tasks and working together seamlessly—a real team, all thanks to Liu Jingye’s leadership and ability to bring out the best in each of them.