Reservoir Dogs chapter 101
Threats
Jiang Wenhao was still in detention, so Jiang Wenxing had come to discuss with Jiang Chengyuan.
Jiang Wenxing waited for half an hour. He was already in a bad mood and was getting a bit irritable. But considering he had a favor to ask, he stood up politely to greet Jiang Chengyuan with a handshake, behaving courteously.
It was only a couple of days ago that he learned Jiang Chengyuan had handed the case over to someone else in the same law firm and had already taken the new lawyer to meet Jiang Wenhao.
Jiang Wenhao had of course opposed it, but Jiang Chengyuan was adamant. He not only returned all the fees but also paid double the penalty for breach of contract, stating that he was just taking a responsible attitude by recommending another lawyer. Whether or not to use him was up to Jiang Wenhao to consider, and he would no longer be involved in the case.
But Jiang Wenxing couldn’t let him walk away so easily. Jiang Chengyuan had performed so impressively in the first trial; with him in the second trial, it was secure. To change lawyers so hastily, even with the foundation of the first trial, details would be unfamiliar, and the strategy wrong, making it far from certain. Jiang Wenxing absolutely wouldn’t allow his brother’s case to have even the slightest flaw.
He suspected that Jiang Chengyuan was merely trying to raise the price, and he had come to see exactly what Jiang Chengyuan wanted.
Jiang Wenxing was too lazy to beat around the bush and went straight to the point, asking what Jiang Chengyuan wanted. As for the price, everything could be discussed; he only hoped the matter could be concluded well and satisfactorily.
Jiang Chengyuan, however, shook his head, saying it was not about money but that he had some personal matters and indeed could not take the case.
Lin Shen, who had prior knowledge of the case, also knew that Jiang Chengyuan had firmly decided not to get involved anymore, so he stepped in to smooth things over, suggesting that Jiang Wenxing consider other lawyers in the firm, all of whom had significant achievements in their fields.
After several rounds of negotiations, Jiang Chengyuan showed no signs of yielding.
Seeing that Jiang Chengyuan was impervious to soft tactics, Jiang Wenxing’s eyes turned more sinister. He suddenly stood up from his chair and asked Lin Shen to step outside. “I need to discuss something privately with Lawyer Jiang.”
Both Jiang Chengyuan and Lin Shen were surprised, and Lin Shen hesitated for a moment before leaving the reception room.
Once the room was empty, Jiang Chengyuan looked at Jiang Wenxing. “What do you want to discuss privately?”
Jiang Wenxing smiled and took out a pair of earphones, handing them to Jiang Chengyuan. “Lawyer Jiang, listen to this. It might change your mind.”
Jiang Chengyuan put on the earphones, and Jiang Wenxing pressed play on his phone.
A recording played through the earphones; it was a call made to Jiang Chengyuan on the day of Jiang Wenhao’s incident, based on instructions from Jiang Heng.
Jiang Chengyuan’s expression changed.
Seeing his reaction, Jiang Wenxing smugly pressed the pause button. “Do you remember what you said? Destroying surveillance, moving vehicles, interrogation scripts—all taught by you. This recording could ruin you.”
Jiang Chengyuan slowly removed the earphones and held them in his hand. “Illegally obtained recordings cannot be used as valid evidence. The court won’t accept recordings without other corroborating evidence.”
Jiang Wenxing saw through his bluff, “But if there’s a witness’s testimony, it’s different,” his eyes turning fierce. “If you force my brother to his death, don’t blame him for dragging you down to hell with him.”
Jiang Chengyuan coldly stared at him, not speaking for a moment.
Jiang Wenxing grew even more confident. “Besides this, do you remember the high-pressure water gun incident you were supposed to handle? You thought you could cover up the bribe to that ophthalmologist perfectly? We might lose some money, but as for you, even if it’s not a fixed sentence, you won’t have a future in the legal profession. Adding these two matters together, inducing false testimonies, improperly influencing judicial activities, providing false evidence—any of these could land you in prison for several years.”
Jiang Wenxing became more excited as he spoke. He rarely saw such a mix of blue and white on Jiang Chengyuan’s poker face, giving him a sense of satisfaction from finally venting his pent-up frustration. After all the silent losses Jiang Chengyuan made him suffer, it was finally his turn to get even.
Jiang Chengyuan and Jiang Wenxing stared at each other for a while. Although there was a slight ripple in Jiang Chengyuan’s eyes, he remained relatively calm. “Even if someone else takes over, as long as we follow the previous strategy, we won’t necessarily lose. If you drag me into this, it will implicate Jiang Wenhao. It’s not worth it.”
Jiang Wenxing raised his eyebrows, his attitude strong. “Of course, I don’t want things to get this messy. My goal is pure and simple, just to win. So I need to find the best person to fight and ensure this case is foolproof.”
Jiang Chengyuan lowered his eyes, remained silent for a moment, then nodded and said, “Alright, I can continue.”
Jiang Wenxing was pleased, not expecting Jiang Chengyuan to be so easily scared. In fact, using his own brother to bring down Jiang Chengyuan was not something Jiang Wenxing was particularly happy about. His tone softened involuntarily, “Don’t worry, as long as you do your best, you will be rewarded accordingly.”
Jiang Chengyuan smiled, but his eyes remained cold. “You’re too kind, Mr. Jiang.”
With his goal achieved, Jiang Wenxing took his leave. After leaving Jiang Chengyuan’s office and arriving downstairs, Jiang Wenxing still felt a bit uneasy.
A driver was already waiting at the entrance. He got into the car, dialed a number, and instructed someone to secretly monitor Jiang Chengyuan during this period and report any movements to ensure nothing goes wrong before the second trial.
After Jiang Wenxing left, Lin Shen came in and asked Jiang Chengyuan what they had talked about.
Jiang Chengyuan sat cross-legged on the leather sofa, holding a half-burned cigarette between his fingers. He shook his head, his expression slightly gloomy. With the other hand, which was hanging by the side of the sofa, he snapped a phone card in half.
In the afternoon, Jiang Chengyuan left the law firm earlier than usual. He first went to a flower shop to pick up the flowers he had ordered in advance.
When the car passed through an old street, he saw a long queue in front of a shop, waiting for freshly baked egg tarts. He looked at his watch and saw he had time, so he parked the car and queued up to buy two boxes, tied with a thin string.
By the time he arrived downstairs at Xiao Zhou’s company, it was almost time to get off work.
As soon as Xiao Zhou opened the car door, he saw a large bouquet of red roses on the passenger seat, bright and eye-catching, filling the entire seat. Jiang Chengyuan smiled at him through the roses, his brows and eyes reflected in red. “199 roses, do you like them?”
Xiao Zhou was initially stunned, then frowned and looked down at the flowers that he couldn’t hold with one hand. “Why did you buy these?”
Jiang Chengyuan said, “I’ve never given you anything before. There has to be a first time. If you don’t like it, I can get something else next time.”
Xiao Zhou looked up at him and after a while, said, “I like them, but you don’t need to buy these. I’m not a little girl.”
Jiang Chengyuan smiled good-naturedly and simply said, “Get in the car.”
The passenger seat was filled with flowers, so Xiao Zhou frowned, “But where will I sit?”
“Just hold the flowers in the back seat.”
Xiao Zhou bent down and struggled to pick up the flowers. To open the back door, he held the flowers with one hand and reached for the car handle with the other. The flowers were so close to his face that he could smell the strong fragrance, with fresh rose petals still covered in dew, brushing against his chin.
When he sat back in the passenger seat, the floral scent still lingered. He gradually relaxed, wiping the dew off his chin and smiling slightly.
Jiang Chengyuan had been watching him. Seeing him smile, his gaze softened. He handed over the egg tarts he had bought. “I saw people lining up to buy these, so I got some too. I don’t know if they taste good. They’re freshly baked. Try them. If you like them, I’ll get more next time.”
Xiao Zhou took them and untied the red string, as if unwrapping a gift.
There were four in a box. Xiao Zhou took a bite of one, the rich, hot custard filling his mouth. The pastry was fragrant, soft, and crisp, with a moderate sweetness and rich taste. He found it delicious and handed an unbitten one to Jiang Chengyuan. “It’s really good. You should try it too.”
The car stopped at a red light. Jiang Chengyuan turned his head and saw Xiao Zhou holding the egg tart in one hand and catching the crumbs with the other, offering it to him with a focused expression and a bit of egg tart crumbs at the corner of his mouth.
Jiang Chengyuan looked at him and said, “Come closer.”
Xiao Zhou thought he couldn’t reach, so he leaned in closer, only to see Jiang Chengyuan bypass his outstretched hand, lean in, and kiss him on the lips. He licked the egg tart crumbs off the corner of his mouth and pried open his lips, thoroughly exploring his mouth. He didn’t pull away until the car behind them honked impatiently.
“It’s quite delicious, very sweet.” Satisfied, Jiang Chengyuan returned to his seat, eyes on the road, and drove off.
Xiao Zhou, dizzy from the kiss, pressed his lips together, still feeling something foreign in his mouth. He pulled back his hand and shoved the ignored egg tart into his mouth, chewing and swallowing it whole without really tasting it.
That evening, as Xiao Zhou was studying, he had only read a few pages before Jiang Chengyuan pulled him into bed, the pen in his hand dropping to the floor with a thud.
Unlike Jiang Chengyuan, Xiao Zhou was never very enthusiastic about this aspect.
But today, Jiang Chengyuan was focused on pleasing him, barely caring about himself. Xiao Zhou’s fingers involuntarily gripped Jiang Chengyuan’s hair tightly, pulling him down. He watched for a while, then nervously tilted his head back, unable to believe Jiang Chengyuan would orally please him. The intense stimulation was both novel and exciting for him.
After a while, Jiang Chengyuan climbed up to kiss him. Xiao Zhou was still in a daze, his eyes unfocused, feeling as if his body was being tossed by waves, tasting a bit of saltiness in his mouth.
Jiang Chengyuan turned him around and penetrated him, and Xiao Zhou let out a muffled groan. Jiang Chengyuan didn’t move again, quietly waiting for him to adjust. One hand clasped Xiao Zhou’s hand, playfully encircling his ring finger, “Don’t you think this spot feels empty?”
Xiao Zhou’s other hand gripped the bedsheet tightly, taking two deep breaths before saying, “You don’t have to hold back, I’m okay.”
Jiang Chengyuan paused, his face pressed against Xiao Zhou’s back. He stretched out his arm, palm reversed to clasp both of Xiao Zhou’s hands, then crossed them over Xiao Zhou’s chest, tightening his grip.
Xiao Zhou’s body was pushed forward by Jiang Chengyuan’s movement, but the crossed arms bound him, preventing any escape.
Jiang Chengyuan kissed the blush spreading to Xiao Zhou’s earlobes, “Do you love me?”
Sweat soaked his eyelashes, and though his consciousness was fragmented, Xiao Zhou turned his head to kiss Jiang Chengyuan’s arm faithfully, “Yes, I love you.”
Jiang Chengyuan tightened his embrace and chuckled slowly, “I love you too.” He whispered in his ear, “I know what you want.”