Chapter Forty-Nine: The Dowry

None of them slept that night, too excited to rest. Da Niu and the others bought plenty of food and liquor, and everyone drank heartily, raising their glasses in anticipation of becoming wealthy by tomorrow.

Liu Jingye didn’t join in their revelry. After his shower, he retreated to his room to sleep. Years of military life had forged in him a relentless determination to eliminate his enemies by any means necessary. Yet this was a time of peace—a peace won by the bloody struggles of men like him and his friends. Still, beneath the glow of stability, darkness lingered.

He truly wished never to use the tactics of war here, in civilian life. But as Li Yue had once described him, Liu Jingye was a man of deep loyalty and fierce hatred for evil—there were some things he simply could not turn away from.

His thoughts were chaotic. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to put everything from his mind. Gradually, the faces of women drifted into his dreams.

Yuan Xiaoying, hands on her hips, scolded him, only to draw near in a coquettish, alluring manner. The fresh-faced Wei Xiaorou, bright and lovely, held up a new dress to measure against him. Then there was Lin Shengnan, emerging from the kitchen wearing an apron, shoving a banana into his mouth with an imperious air…

As he remembered these moments, the clouds of worry on his face parted, replaced by a gentle, knowing smile.

Just then, Lin Shengnan herself entered the room. Seeing him curled up in bed, a strange expression on his face, she blushed slightly and muttered, “Who knows what kind of dream he’s having, looking so indecent.”

She tiptoed to his bedside. The rain outside was still pouring, the cold wind howling. She gently pulled the blanket up to cover him. Liu Jingye slowly relaxed, his strange expression softening into peace.

Lin Shengnan quietly slipped out, glancing at the men outside, still eating, drinking, and loudly discussing the lives they would lead once they had money. She, too, began to ponder.

“If we really succeed this time—come into a huge sum of money—should I stay here and keep working, or go back home, start a small business, find a man to marry, and settle down to a steady life?” After all, she was a woman, and women are easily satisfied yet prone to melancholy.

“But what kind of man would be right?” Her thoughts leapt wildly.

She couldn’t help but glance back at the half-open door to Liu Jingye’s room, her cheeks reddening as she shook her head vigorously.

The fevered atmosphere lasted the entire night. When Liu Jingye awoke the next morning, the guys were still drinking. Bottles littered the floor, but, remarkably, no one was drunk; their powerful sense of purpose and anticipation sustained them.

“Boss, can we call now?” As soon as Liu Jingye appeared, even the usually calm and experienced Hu Ming was so excited he spoke first.

Liu Jingye checked the time. It was just past six; a whole night had passed. Huang Weiwei must have been pushed to the brink of collapse. He nodded.

Hu Ming immediately took out his phone and dialed the number Er Niu had found. The person on the other end seemed to have her phone ready and picked up right away, her voice frantic: “Why are you only calling now? I’ve been looking for you all night, do you have any idea—I might be in serious trouble…”

Everyone in the room heard her words and exchanged knowing smiles. Hu Ming cleared his throat and spoke in a low, somber voice, “Is this Miss Huang Weiwei?”

The woman, realizing it wasn’t someone she knew, shrieked, then fell silent for a long moment, her heavy breathing the only sound. At last, she asked weakly, “May I ask who you are?”

“I’m with the police bureau,” Hu Ming said deliberately.

A clattering sound came through the phone—it was obvious she’d dropped it while trying to compose herself. Her voice was forcedly calm, “Why are the police looking for me?”

“Oh, it’s just this,” Hu Ming said lightly. “Have you moved recently? We tried to reach you at your old address and couldn’t find you. If it’s convenient, please stop by the station to register your new address.”

The woman audibly sighed in relief. “Alright, I’ll definitely come by when I have time. Thank you!”

She hastily hung up. Liu Jingye gave Hu Ming a thumbs up; the psychological gambit had worked perfectly, revealing her current state of mind.

They all pretended nothing had happened and continued drinking. Half an hour later, using a different phone, they sent several photos directly to Huang Weiwei.

These were screenshots from the surveillance video of last night’s hit-and-run. Despite being shot at night, the images were clear: the Ferrari, the moment of impact, Huang Weiwei checking for signs of life, and then fleeing the scene.

Not half a minute passed before Huang Weiwei called back in a panic. She got straight to the point: “Who are you?”

Er Niu answered. This was his chance to settle old scores. He replied coldly, “Who I am doesn’t matter. The real question is: who is the person in these photos?”

“What do you want?” Huang Weiwei’s voice trembled.

“That’s my question for you,” Er Niu countered, suppressing the urge to mention money right away.

“You’re trying to blackmail me?” Huang Weiwei suddenly barked, “Kid, take a look in the mirror, do you know who I am? Tell me where you are, your name, and I’ll have you dealt with in minutes. Believe it?”

Er Niu was stunned by her aggression—he’d suffered at her hands before and lacked the upper hand now.

With the others egging him on, Er Niu gritted his teeth and fired back, “Fine! Come and get me. I’m standing right outside the police headquarters, waiting for you!”

A woman is like a spring—when you’re weak, she’s strong; when you’re tough, she softens.

Huang Weiwei fell silent, but still tried to threaten him: “Listen, I don’t know if you’re from the underworld or not, but my brother is Huang Xing of the Emperor’s Dynasty. Show me some respect and you won’t regret it.”

“Your brother killed someone in a hit-and-run too?” Er Niu played dumb.

Huang Weiwei was speechless, then blurted, “Let’s just get to the point. What do you want?”

This time, Er Niu hesitated. He had the ace, but what was the right price to name?

Da Niu held up two fingers. Hu Ming signaled five. Shitou flashed ten. Er Niu covered the phone and asked, “What’s this, rock-paper-scissors?”

Everyone was exasperated. At the crucial moment, Lin Shengnan stepped up as the big sister. She typed a figure into her phone—five million. Even Liu Jingye was taken aback.

With her backing, Er Niu found his resolve. “Five million. Not a cent less.”

“What? Where would I get that kind of money?” Huang Weiwei shrieked.

Er Niu sneered, “Come on, everyone knows you’re a socialite—Ferraris, Bentleys, all top of the line. Don’t tell me you care about small change like this.”

“That car’s not even mine!” Huang Weiwei was nearly in tears.

But Er Niu didn’t give her time to argue. “You have two hours. And let me remind you, Miss Huang, use your time wisely. Otherwise, once you’re in prison, you’ll be there for at least seven years. You’re in your prime now… but after all those years, you’ll be old and faded.”

“Fine!” Huang Weiwei bit out. “I’ll do it. I’ll scrape the money together right now. How do I get it to you?”

“I’ll contact you in two hours.” Er Niu hung up.

The group erupted in wild celebration, thrilled at the thought of becoming millionaires overnight.

“How are we splitting the money?” Hu Ming asked excitedly, all the while sneaking glances at Liu Jingye and Lin Shengnan, who appeared to be uninvolved.

Liu Jingye lit a cigarette, stepped outside with his phone, acting as if this had nothing to do with him.

Lin Shengnan, ever the voice of reason, said, “Each of you prepare a bank card. Have her transfer one million into each account.”

Suppressing his excitement, Hu Ming pointed to Liu Jingye outside and whispered, “What about him?”

Lin Shengnan waved him off. “Don’t worry about him. I’ll give him a share from mine.”

“Your share and his?” Shitou said with a dopey grin. “Sounds like you two count as a couple. Maybe we should all chip in a bit for a wedding gift.”

Everyone laughed, thinking it was a joke, but Shitou was half-serious. Lin Shengnan and Liu Jingye were the people he admired most in life.

Lin Shengnan blushed furiously under their teasing, cast a quick glance outside, then lifted her glass and drank deeply.

At the door, Liu Jingye called Yuan Xiaoying. She had just survived an assassination attempt and been ordered off the case, now holed up in the police station, serving as Liu Jingye’s informant.

He got straight to the point. “How’s Deputy Chief Liang?”

Yuan Xiaoying replied just as directly, “He’s in the command center, flanked by provincial leaders. He can’t pull any tricks.”

“And over at Emperor’s Dynasty?” he asked.

“We brought in all their core members last night for questioning, holding them for at least forty-eight hours. I just slapped that dog Huang Xing in the interrogation room. The bastard is still trying to get things from me—wants me to return what he gave me before. Is he planning to die for his money?”

Liu Jingye broke out in a cold sweat, shaking his head with a wry smile—first, at Huang Xing’s undying greed, still pining for his drug formula; second, at Yuan Xiaoying’s boldness in slapping him.

This story proves that, regardless of dynastic change or social transformation, there is one eternal truth in this land: the poor never fight the rich, and the rich never challenge the authorities.

Yuan Xiaoying still had work to do, so they exchanged just a few words before hanging up. Liu Jingye finally relaxed—the plan was about to succeed.

Back inside, the others, finally spent, returned to their rooms to sleep. When they awoke, they’d be millionaires.

Only Lin Shengnan remained, sipping her beer. Liu Jingye sat down across from her, cigarette in hand. She said, “If the money comes through, each of them will get a million. The rest is for you.”

“You’re not taking any?” Liu Jingye looked at her, curiosity piqued, making even the big sister a little shy.

She turned her head and said, “Their families all have it tough.”

“And your family?” he pressed gently.

“I’m alright,” she replied with a bitter smile. “Just two younger brothers who need money for houses and wives.”

“A million should be enough,” Liu Jingye said. “You’ll have some left over for your own dowry.”

“No, I don’t want it. It’s all yours,” Lin Shengnan said firmly. After she spoke, both she and Liu Jingye were stunned into silence.