Xiang Mingzhang turned the steering wheel and headed to Yunjiao instead.
The bar was locked and not open for business. Xiang Mingzhang took Chu Shichen in through a small door on the side. This was a renovated building from an old western-style house. The first and second floors were Yunjiao, and Xu Liao lived on the third floor.
There was a dog in the house, and it barked at the crack of the door when it heard footsteps. Not long after Xu Liao got home, he opened the door and said in surprise: "Mr. Xiang, Secretary Chu, aren't you here to have a drink with me?"
Xiang Mingzhang and Chu Shichen entered the house. The living room was a little messy. As soon as they sat down, the Doberman came close to sniff. Chu Shichen tensed up: "... Xiang Mingzhang."
Xiang Mingzhang grabbed the collar around Doberman's neck, pulled the dog to his side, and said, "It's okay."
Xu Liao poured two glasses of water and brought them over: "Is Secretary Chu afraid of dogs?"
"Not bad." Chu Shichen had never raised such a big guy before. He took out his phone and talked about business. "Mr. Xu, I think I found Alan."
He showed the video to Xu Liao, played it over and over again, and compared it with more than 200 profile photos. He found a person who was very similar to the man in the video, with only the length of his hair being different.
On the way, Chu Shichen sent the photo to Peng Xin for identification. As time had passed, Peng Xin couldn't be completely sure, but said that it looked a bit like the bassist at the time.
Xu Liao watched the video again and asked, "When was it filmed?"
"It was the last day of the business trip to Shenzhen," Xiang Mingzhang said, "and we went shopping in Guangzhou."
The man in the video was standing across the alley, facing the window of the video store. Xu Liao said, "He was staring at you. Did he meet you by chance, or was he following you?"
Chu Shichen remembered that a motorcycle passed him. He saw a pair of eyes in the rearview mirror and looked back, but there were so many people at the time that he didn't catch anything.
Could it be that person is following us
Xiang Mingzhang asked in confusion: "When did he start following us? How did he know we were in Guangzhou?"
Chu Shichen couldn't figure it out: "I don't think something is right."
"Of course it's wrong." Xu Liao said, "Assuming he is Alan and is related to the yacht explosion, he disappeared immediately after the incident for fear of being found. Why would he reappear around the person involved?"
Chu Shichen immediately understood this contradictory feeling and said, "Isn't he afraid that I will see him and recognize him?"
Xiang Mingzhang reminded: "You have lost your memory, and I have never seen him."
Chu Shichen leaned back on the sofa, tilted his head slightly, and glanced at the photo hanging on the wall. It should have been taken in the past. In the photo, Xu Liao was wearing a foreign police uniform and holding a Doberman. Both the man and the dog looked majestic.
He asked, "What is the purpose of a thief who has not succeeded in stealing and takes the initiative to find the owner?"
Xu Liao said: "The possibility of an apology is almost zero."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "That means they are preparing to strike again."
After saying this, Xiang Mingzhang was secretly shocked. He felt horrified when he thought about Chu Shichen picking out albums in the music store without any precautions while someone was secretly watching him from the opposite side.
Xu Liao copied the video and planned to contact Thailand. Once Alan was confirmed, the yacht accident would be finally clear.
Xiang Mingzhang and Chu Shichen went downstairs and left. It was late at night and the wind started to blow, and there was a chill on the empty street.
Xiang Mingzhang sent Chu Shichen home. The lights on the villa were on, but the car was parked outside the gate with all the lights off and the door still locked.
Chu Shichen understood that Xiang Mingzhang was worried, but he didn't know what to say. They investigated stumblingly just to find the missing Alan, but who could have expected that the other party would show up on his own initiative.
Chu Shichen asked: "What are you thinking about?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Call the police."
"It's been so long, the yacht has been dealt with." Chu Shichen said, "Besides, we are in the open and they are in the dark, how can we catch them?"
Xiang Mingzhang knew that Chu Shichen's identity could not withstand verification, and it would be even more troublesome if there were any complications. He grabbed Chu Shichen's hand and said, "You should move to Manzhuang first."
Chu Shichen said: "No, I can't abandon my family."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "I will arrange for Mrs. Chu and Miss Chu to leave for a while, just like going on vacation, to avoid the foreign country."
"Xiang Mingzhang, calm down."
"How can I stay calm?" Xiang Mingzhang turned around and asked, "Shen Ruozhen, you might be in danger, tell me how to stay calm?"
Chu Shichen unbuckled his seat belt and leaned over to grab Xiang Mingzhang's shoulders. He almost bumped into him and kissed him. Their lips and teeth touched, and they both trembled in pain.
Xiang Mingzhang quickly took the initiative and pressed Chu Shichen down on the seat to take advantage of him. It was dark all around and the wet sound of saliva filled the car, mixed with their breathing.
The kiss was too fierce and too hasty, and the emotional catharsis temporarily overshadowed the love. Chu Shichen groaned in pain and tasted a faint fishy smell. A piece of his lip was sucked by Xiang Mingzhang.
Separating the ruler and the fingertips, Xiang Mingzhang touched him and asked, "Does it hurt?"
Chu Shichen couldn't help licking the wound, but he licked Xiang Mingzhang's fingertips and said, "This is an upscale community, very safe, and there are patrols every day."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "There are a hundred ways for the other party to sneak in."
Chu Shichen thought: "The yacht explosion was obviously planned in advance, but it failed. If there is a second time, the other party will not act rashly."
Xiang Mingzhang asked back: "Since they are cautious, why do they continue to use Alan? Why not switch to a complete stranger?"
Chu Shichen didn't understand either, so he said soothingly, "We can't panic. Let's wait until Mr. Xu has some news. Don't worry, okay?"
After getting out of the car, Xiang Mingzhang walked with Chu Shichen to the door, and he wanted to remind him again and again: "Call me immediately if you have anything."
Mrs. Chu was always gossipy. After waiting all night, she asked, "Xiaochen, where did you and Mingzhang go?"
Chu Shichen replied: "I went to visit Aunt Bai."
Mrs. Chu dropped her cards in surprise: "Ms. Bai lives in seclusion and rarely sees people. Mingzhang actually brought you to pay New Year's greetings. How far have you gotten along?"
Chu Shichen was confused and hesitated for fear of saying the wrong thing. Chu Shihui interrupted and said, "I heard from Uncle Sen that Mr. Xiang will give my brother a promotion after the new year."
Mrs. Chu was happy even when she lost the game. She said, "Xiaochen, why don't you invite Mingzhang to your house these two days? I'll show my appreciation to you. It's the right time to do so during the Chinese New Year."
Chu Shichen responded, went upstairs to his room, lit a cigar and walked to the terrace. The outline of a car could be vaguely seen in the shade of the trees. Xiang Mingzhang had not left yet.
After the card game downstairs was over and the thick cigar burned out, Chu Shichen finally heard the engine starting.
In any case, tonight's unexpected discovery is a good thing. Chu Shichen contacted Lawyer Lei. If Alan's identity can be confirmed, they must be prepared to intervene.
It was early morning. This New Year's Day was really eventful. Chu Shichen probably couldn't sleep, but he sent a message to Xiang Mingzhang saying "good night".
On the second and third days of the Chinese New Year, Chu Shichen stayed at home and did not go anywhere. To show her sincerity, Mrs. Chu personally called and invited Xiang Mingzhang to be her guest.
On the fourth day of the New Year, Xiang Mingzhang arrived, an hour earlier than the agreed time, with a trunk full of gifts, euphemistically called flowers and food shipped by air, because he was afraid of wasting things.
Chu Shichen took Xiang Mingzhang to the reception room. He was wearing a loose camel-colored sweater. His hair was uncombed and a little fuzzy. When he lowered his head, it naturally fell in front of his forehead. He held the coffee pot and poured a cup. He asked, "Do you want sugar cubes?"
Xiang Mingzhang sat on the sofa with one of his long legs crossed, looking up at Chu Shichen and said, "You know my habits."
The door was closed, and Chu Shichen said, "I'm afraid you've been missing me too much these past two days, and you need some sugar to comfort you."
Xiang Mingzhang grabbed the coffee pot and put it aside. He reached out and pulled Chu Shichen to him. His sweater was soft, and he touched and rubbed it: "Not enough sugar cubes."
Although they said that, in fact both of them knew their limits and would not do anything out of line. They just felt at ease hugging each other.
Xiang Mingzhang said: "There is news about Xu Liao."
Alan is indeed Thai. He used to help people take care of yachts in Bangkok, Hong Kong and other places. He is very familiar with the structure and maintenance of yachts.
At the end of January this year, Alan suddenly terminated his contract with his employer and left Thailand without further news.
Chu Shichen calculated the time: "The yacht contract was signed in early March. When did you and the real Chu Shichen start negotiating?"
Xiang Mingzhang recalled: "Mid-January."
The real purpose of "Chu Shichen" signing a contract on the yacht was for Xingyu. According to the timeline of the chat records, he returned to China at the beginning of the year and frequently asked Xingyu to meet up and sent invitations to the band, which was around January.
Chu Shichen said: "So Alan went to the party and entered the bar early. When Chang Cheh got injured, he took the initiative to replace him. I guess Alan was responsible for Chang Cheh's injury."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Not necessarily, he has an accomplice."
Chu Shichen almost forgot about the other missing person and asked, "Zhang Kai?"
"Yes." Xiang Mingzhang said, "In fact, I think there are other people. After the yacht exploded, they were picked up and sent away."
Alan and his accomplices had been hiding on Krabi Island in Thailand, where there were many people on vacation and it was easy to hide, and they did not leave until the New Year.
Chu Shichen said: "This time it's to follow us."
The context of the past and present emerged, and Xiang Mingzhang calmed down instead, saying: "A contract signing and a business trip are both related to official business."
Chu Shichen pondered: "These two things are not secrets, and many people know about them, but who would care so much?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "I can't think of anyone other than Li Zangqiu who is against Chu Shichen selling his shares, knowing that Chu Shichen has lost his memory and has the energy and ambition to do so."
Chu Shichen knew that Li Zangqiu was not a good person, but he felt that it would not involve human lives.
Xiang Mingzhang's suspicion was also reasonable. "Chu Shichen" had equity but no real power and knew nothing before, which meant he was controlled by Li Cangqiu. Once Yisi was acquired by Xiang Yue, Li Cangqiu's power and status would be shaken, so of course he opposed it.
Chu Shichen said: "But it has been sold. I am just a salaried secretary now."
Xiang Mingzhang said, "But you do more than just secretary work. Over the past year, Li Zangqiu has been losing ground. How much has he lost? As he lost his glory, Du Heng also went downhill. In addition, Li Heng and Miss Chu's marriage was stranded. I'm afraid Li Zangqiu is holding a grudge against you."
Chu Shichen asked Qian Hua indirectly these two days whether he had ever offended anyone before, and Qian Hua said probably not.
If it was really Li Cangqiu, Chu Shichen thought sympathetically, could people really go to such lengths to harm others for the sake of profit
Suddenly, there was a burst of laughter in the garden, as if some guests had arrived.
Chu Shichen walked to the window and saw that Li Zangqiu and Li Heng had gotten out of the car, bringing with them his young wife who was visiting for the first time.
The relationship between the two families had been cold for several months. The Chu family had many female members, so it was convenient to bring his wife to talk. Li Zangqiu was obviously trying to break the ice.
Xiang Mingzhang patted the creases on his trouser legs, stood up and said, "I'm just hungry."
Chu Shichen said: "Then let's go out and meet the guests."
The author has something to say:
Alan: Sawadee Ka
(End of this chapter)