After leaving the law firm, Li Zangqiu and Chu Shichen parted ways.
Li Zangqiu waved for a taxi with a grim face. Before getting in the car, he said "Take care of yourself", which attracted passers-by to glance at them.
Chu Shichen would not lose his composure in public, so he got into the car in silence and ordered the driver to start the car and take him home.
The lights on the long street were just coming on, and the half of Chu Shichen's face facing the window was dyed colorful. He was annoyed by the dazzle and half-closed his eyes. The scene of his confrontation with Li Cangqiu kept flashing before his eyes.
Everything happened as expected, because everything Chu Shichen did and said was deliberate, and Li Cangqiu would explode sooner or later.
But it was beyond Chu Shichen's expectation that if Li Cangqiu was the mastermind, he shouldn't have attacked so early today.
Because if an accident happened at the signing party, Li Zangqiu would be suspected and have motive since he had an argument with Chu Shichen beforehand. Moreover, Lawyer Lei was present throughout the whole process, so he would not be able to deny it even if he wanted to.
Li Zangqiu was definitely not a reckless person. Today, they had already fallen out. What was next? What would happen on the day of the party
The traffic was bustling and the horns were honking. Chu Shichen was a little annoyed. He clenched his fists and tapped his temples gently. He kept plucking the strings in his mind. It was Li Cangqiu, not Li Cangqiu...
The driver glanced in the rearview mirror and asked, "Director Chu, are you carsick?"
Chu Shichen replied: "No."
The driver said, "That's good. If you feel uncomfortable, I'll pull over for a while."
"I'm fine." Chu Shichen opened his eyes, "I'm just a little tired, it's okay."
The driver smiled and said, "Then I won't report it to Mr. Xiang."
Chu Shichen was puzzled: "Huh?"
The driver said, "Mr. Xiang has instructed that no matter how big or small the situation is, you must tell him if you have any questions. This car is equipped with a positioning system, so Mr. Xiang knows where we usually go and how long we stay in each place."
Chu Shichen had just learned about it. He understood that Xiang Mingzhang was thinking about his safety, and said, "I haven't heard you mention it before."
The driver said awkwardly, "To be honest, I thought Mr. Xiang was keeping a close eye on you to prevent you from using the bus for personal purposes, so I didn't dare tell you. But I didn't think it was necessary, so I couldn't help but ask about it during the last report, and Mr. Xiang said he didn't need to hide it from you."
Chu Shichen laughed, lowered the window, and the wind blew in, making him feel refreshed. He asked, "If there is another car following us, can you spot it?"
"It should be possible." The driver has been in this business for nearly 30 years and is very experienced. "It's not as mysterious as in the movies. You have to keep your eyes open while driving. It's easy to spot."
After returning from Guangzhou, Chu Shichen was extra careful, but he never caught any trace of Alan again. Was he hiding too deeply, or did he stop tracking him
Will Alan show up again on the day of the signing party
After returning home, Mrs. Chu was packing her luggage for New Zealand. Because she was not sure how long she would be away, she brought a lot of things and the suitcase was not big enough.
Chu Shichen stopped on the stairs and listened to Mrs. Chu going in and out downstairs looking for something. She was very impatient and stopped from time to time, saying that she didn't want to go anymore as if she regretted it.
"I'm scared if Xiaochen is left alone."
"A mother worries about her child no matter how far away he is. It is unreasonable for a mother to leave her child behind and walk away alone."
"I'm also afraid of causing trouble for him... I'm so annoyed... "
Chu Shichen couldn't help but recall the past. He sent his mother and sister to seek refuge overseas. On the eve of his departure, his always strict mother hugged him and cried on his chest.
Amid the war, his mother did not dare to ask when he would return, and he did not dare to promise where they would be reunited.
At that time, the farewell was forever. Chu Shichen suddenly felt weak in his limbs. He listened to Mrs. Chu's chattering and walked up the remaining flight of stairs holding the railing.
There was a suitcase in the bedroom's dressing room, and Chu Shichen planned to give it to Mrs. Chu.
The suitcase contained a toiletries bag and commonly used medicines, so he didn't have to pack them separately every time he went on a business trip. Chu Shichen took them out and put them in the closet. When he looked up, he caught a glimpse of a calligraphy scroll on the top grid.
Chu Shichen took down the "Pozhenzi". The scroll was wrapped with several layers of kraft paper to prevent moisture. He tore it apart with force, untied the tie, and held the pole to unfold the entire scroll.
"… Eight hundred miles of roasted meat is distributed to the subordinates, fifty strings play the music from beyond the Great Wall, and the soldiers are inspected on the battlefield in autumn."
When Chu Shichen read it again after knowing the truth, he seemed to witness Xiang Mingzhang writing angrily. As he recited it, he felt a chill in his lungs, as if the biting west wind had blown into the horse farm.
He held up the calligraphy, his hands sore but he still stared at it inquiringly, the horizontal, vertical, left and right strokes connecting his numerous thoughts.
From being suspicious of the yacht accident, to launching an investigation, to being followed, to deciding to take the initiative to force the real murderer to show up. Chu Shichen has thought about the causes and consequences, methods and motives thousands of times.
He thought he was quite meticulous, but he always felt that the logic was not smooth enough, and there were small problems among the intricate threads, as if something was missing in some link.
The cell phone rang, Chu Shichen came back to his senses and sloppily rolled up the scroll.
Xiang Mingzhang sent a message and asked: Are you asleep
Chu Shichen replied: Not yet.
Xiang Mingzhang: Go to bed early, I have an appointment with Xu Liao tomorrow.
Chu Shichen: Okay, good night.
The next morning, Xiang Mingzhang drove to pick up Chu Shichen and go to Yunjiao.
There was a sign saying "Closed" on the door of the bar. The waiters were on holiday, and the large windshield seemed deserted. It was still the same booth, and Xu Liao had prepared drinks for them.
He asked while holding an ice cube, "Are there enough people?"
"It's enough." Xu Liao replied, "There will be some security around the venue that day, which is visible, and some will be arranged among the guests."
Chu Shichen said, "Xuguyuan has three exits. The plan is to lock the east gate, and all vehicles will enter from the main gate and exit from the west gate. During this time, all vehicles will be parked in Garage No. 1."
Xu Liao said: "We have asked the guests about the cars they will use that day and recorded the license plates and driver information. If there are any unfamiliar vehicles, we can find them immediately and check them out."
"To be on the safe side," Xu Liao continued, "there are several areas and exhibition halls in Xuguyuan, so the party venue will be adjusted before it starts."
Chu Shichen understood and said, "Because the yacht explosion was caused by tampering at the venue, in order to prevent the other party from repeating the same trick, we will temporarily notify everyone to move to another place."
Xiang Mingzhang considered, "But a yacht is special. It's small and on the sea, so it's difficult to escape."
It is different on land. There are plenty of vehicles and the roads are familiar. The Xuguyuan venue is large and open, so it is not easy to lay mines and it is easy to evacuate in the event of an accident.
In other words, it might be easier to target the person involved than the venue.
Chu Shichen said: "Will the other party take action at the design exhibition?"
"It shouldn't happen." Xu Liao analyzed, "There are too many people in the design exhibition, from schools and society. The wider the scope, the more detailed the investigation will be."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "If the other party wants to attack, they can either take advantage of the chaos or wait for the target to be alone."
Chu Shichen took a sip of his cocktail and imagined the night when the yacht accident happened. The fire caused a commotion and everyone fled in all directions, while the real "Chu Shichen" was drunk and locked in the room.
What was Alan doing when he pretended to be Chang Cheh
Sneak into the room during the chaos to make sure "Chu Shichen" won't wake up and run away? Or get rid of "Chu Shichen" before the explosion
Chu Shichen said: "I think Alan might show up."
Since the mastermind hired Alan, he probably didn't just send him to follow the situation. He must have been waiting for the right opportunity to act.
Alan doesn't know that his identity has been exposed and there is a high possibility that he can sneak into the party again.
Xiang Mingzhang was also thinking about this and said, "I'll have someone watch him carefully in the monitoring room and lock him down if he's spotted."
According to the plan, Chu Shihui and Mrs. Chu would quietly leave after the design exhibition and go directly to the airport. Bai Yongti would depart from Manzhuang and fly to New Zealand together after reunion.
In order to avoid any problems, Xiang Mingzhang said to Xu Liao: "My mother is shy, so you should accompany her on the plane when the time comes."
Chu Shichen said: "There are people in New Zealand who will help settle them, so just send them there."
"Don't worry." Xu Liao nodded, "We can contact each other anytime."
After discussing all the arrangements, Chu Shichen drank the wine at the bottom of the glass. The sun was shining brightly outside the window. It was early spring in March, and those who were impatient started to go on picnics.
Xiang Mingzhang thought the last sip of lemonade was too sour, so he stopped drinking it, put down the glass, picked up the car keys, and said, "There's nothing to do here except drinking. Let's go."
Chu Shichen smiled and said, "Who among us is in the mood to have fun?"
Xiang Mingzhang picked up his coat with one hand, pulled Chu Shichen up with the other, walked out, and said, "It's good to go for a drive when you're not in the mood."
After leaving Yunjiao, Xiang Mingzhang drove the jeep into the street. Last time he went for a drive on the winding mountain road in the suburbs, today he changed direction and drove straight.
The engine roared in his ears, Chu Shichen leaned back in his chair and glanced out the window. Gradually, a line of blue continued to extend and connect with the distant horizon.
There was a strong wind blowing on the coastal highway. Xiang Mingzhang slowed down and drove down the beach from the entrance. He stopped the car, and the dragon claw tires of the jeep made a cracking sound as they rolled on the gravel.
The last time Chu Shichen ran to the beach in the middle of the night, he almost scared Xiang Mingzhang to death. He thought Xiang Mingzhang never wanted to see the sea again in his life.
"Why come to the beach?" he asked.
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Do you remember what I said? Alan was hired because he knows yachts and is good at sailing."
Chu Shichen said: "Remember."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "The employer values his strengths and hires him to do a job, which means that his expertise will definitely be used."
They held a signing party to lure Alan out, and all the actions were carried out on land, but what would happen if Alan showed up
No one knows what the worst-case scenario will be. Will it be related to the sea
The doors and windows were closed, but Chu Shichen suddenly felt a chill. It was early spring again, and it was time for the signing party.
He murmured, "Are you worried that I'll end up in trouble at sea like 'Chu Shichen'?"
Xiang Mingzhang corrected him: "It's not the same as 'Chu Shichen'. Last spring, you also had an accident at sea... Shen Ruozhen."
(End of this chapter)