Chapter 39: Self-Inflicted Harm

Cheng Shi did not wait for Sister Wan to say anything else and hurried away.

Sister Wan called out from behind him, "Comrade Cheng Shi, you're welcome to visit again!"

Cheng Shi felt as if he had just walked out of a seedy karaoke club, and the hostess he’d been assigned was so hideously ugly that he couldn't bear to think about it. Goosebumps rose over his skin in waves. He walked a good distance away before stopping under the shade of a tree to wait for Cheng Juan to finish her shift.

A few minutes later, he heard Sister Wan shouting to the customers inside, "Everyone, we're closed for the day. Please come early tomorrow."

Soon, Cheng Juan emerged.

Cheng Shi went up to her, looking aggrieved. "Sis, did you see that earlier?"

Cheng Juan suppressed a smile and nodded. "I saw. They were very enthusiastic toward you."

Cheng Shi said, "They were just..."

Cheng Juan explained, "The director said everyone has to start drumming up business, or they’ll face layoffs and mergers."

Cheng Shi suddenly realized, "Oh. I see." So, a sense of crisis really is what drives vitality.

Seeing Li Zhigang in the distance, Cheng Shi smiled at Cheng Juan. "Your knight has arrived."

Cheng Juan’s cheeks flushed. "What knight? I don't know what you're talking about."

Cheng Shi hopped onto his bicycle and waved. "I'm off."

Li Zhigang’s cheeks were also red, yet he tried to remain composed, pretending not to see Cheng Shi and turning away to look at the scenery. Cheng Shi was stifling his laughter as he pedaled away leisurely.

Cheng Juan smiled at Li Zhigang. "Why are you so afraid of him?"

Li Zhigang sighed. "I used to treat him very poorly, but now he still often speaks well of me in front of your uncle and aunt. I just feel too embarrassed to face him."

Cheng Juan replied, "Don't worry, he doesn't take it to heart. My brother is a broad-minded person."

***

Chen Jie had almost been beaten to death by Cheng Shi that day and was so terrified he didn't dare show his face for several days. Tonight, his hands were itching, so he arranged to play cards with some gambling buddies at a hotel.

After losing several rounds in a row, he became irritable and started cursing, "Damn it, what rotten luck. Nothing is going my way."

One of his gambling partners laughed, "Don't be such a sore loser. When you were winning all that money, we didn't complain."

The door was kicked open from the outside. A group of police officers stormed in. The people at the table were stunned for a moment before jumping up and lunging for the window, only to be dragged back and pinned to the floor by the police.

They shouted, "On what grounds are you arresting us?"

The officer replied, "Someone reported you for gambling."

"We didn't do anything, we were just playing cards." The police pulled money out from under the tablecloth. The men lowered their heads.

Liu Jie was ready to cry. *Damn it, I get caught just for playing cards. Which bastard reported me?*

As it turned out, Liu Jie was released after being detained for less than ten minutes.

Liu Jie thought, *It must be my dad who came to get me.*

The others yelled, "We were all caught together, why does he get to leave so soon?"

The police officer said, "He provided information that led to an arrest, so he gets to leave first."

Upon hearing this, the others glared at Liu Jie with fury, mentally cursing his ancestors up to the third generation and all his relatives. "Holy crap, so you were the informant! We only lost a night of cards; was it really necessary?"

"Shameless! Just wait until we get out, we'll see how we deal with you."

The joy on Liu Jie’s face turned to terror. He scrambled to defend himself, "I didn't! It wasn't me!"

The others turned their heads away, ignoring him completely.

The police officer barked, "Get out if you're told to. What are you babbling about?"

Liu Jie stepped out of the police station, but he hadn't gone far when a sack was suddenly thrown over his head, followed by a flurry of kicks and punches. He vaguely remembered how badly he had been beaten that night and didn't dare to fight back. However, the force of these blows wasn't as vicious as that night, and it felt like there were two people.

The rain of blows finally stopped. Liu Jie waited a while before pulling the sack off, catching a glimpse of a tall and a short figure disappearing into the darkness. His eyes widened. *Wait, aren't those the guys I hired to rob Cheng Shi? I gave them a tip on how to get rich, why are they beating me up instead?!*

*Talk about bad luck—it’s like bad luck opened the door for more bad luck. This is the worst.*

Liu Jie didn't dare tell Liu Jianshe what happened and took time off to rest at home. He heard that his fellow gamblers hadn't been detained long since they showed a good attitude, and were soon released. Liu Jie thought it was finally over and dared to come out.

But in broad daylight, in alleys or outside his office, he would be ambushed and have a sack thrown over his head. The force was different every time, clearly the work of different people. This went on for days, endless and relentless, until he was on the verge of a breakdown.

One day, while he was in the middle of using the restroom, he was pinned to the urine-soaked floor and kicked twice. He finally broke down, ripped the bag off his head, and shrieked, "Who? Who is it? Which god have I offended?!"

It wasn't just that; anonymous tip-off letters were being sent to the provincial and municipal authorities. Some claimed, "Factory Director Liu Jianshe is enabling his children’s misconduct." Others said, "Liu Jianshe promoted his son, Liu Jie, in violation of regulations." There were even claims that "Liu Jie is playing with women."

The superiors called Liu Jianshe and told him to rein in his son. Regardless of whether these reports were true, they weren't enough to force Liu Jianshe out of power. However, because there were so many of them and they clearly came from different sources, the authorities had to take them seriously.

Liu Jianshe felt certain that Cheng Shi was behind it, trying to ruin Liu Jie’s reputation while warning him not to mess with that machine tool again. He didn't mention a word of this to Liu Jie, feeling that his son was being unfairly implicated.

Liu Jie, however, had heard whispers. He thought it over and concluded that it must be his former gambling friends, who mistakenly believed he had turned them in for a reward and were now seeking revenge. He tried to explain himself, but they avoided him like the plague. He tried calling them to arrange a game and smooth things over, but they would either hang up the moment they heard his voice or say sarcastically, "What? Does Comrade Liu Jie want to earn another merit?"

"You're so noble, so enlightened—we aren't worthy of sitting at the same table as you. Why bother with us?"

"Can you just stop going out and hurting people?"

For the first time, Liu Jie felt the sting of a backfiring scheme. He regretted ever messing with Cheng Shi.

***

Zhang Ziqiang came to pick up Cheng Shi early in the morning.

When Cheng Shi came downstairs and saw him, he was momentarily stunned. Zhang Ziqiang had cut his hair, and his signature floral shirt and jeans had been replaced by a white shirt and black trousers. He looked like a completely different person—previously a scruffy hoodlum, now a clean-cut, professional man.

Zhang Ziqiang felt awkward under Cheng Shi’s gaze and rubbed his head. "A bet is a bet. But, truth be told, I do feel much sharper with my hair cut."

Cheng Shi teased, "Yo, you look quite spirited, young man."

Zhang Ziqiang jumped up and hooked an arm around his neck. "I was really worried you might change your mind this morning, because..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a black Mercedes pulled up next to the Crown.