Reservoir Dogs chapter 9

Are You Satisfied with Me?

Xiao Zhou covered the phone, glanced at the noise inside, and softly reassured Jiang Chengyuan, “Sorry, I’ll be back soon. Something unexpected happened today.”

Jiang Chengyuan didn’t make it difficult for him, just impatiently urged him a couple of times before hanging up.

Xiao Zhou returned home to say goodbye to Liu Xia. Xu Cuiping, still seething with anger, shot him a cold glance without saying much.

Liu Xia knew he had to leave. Reluctant to see him go but unable to make him stay, she hastily rummaged through the kitchen and handed him a package. It turned out to be a pack of cigarettes and a bottle of foreign liquor, wrapped securely in multiple layers. Xiao Zhou was surprised. Seeing the dilapidated house, he hadn’t expected to find such things.

Liu Xia grasped his hand and said, “Since you have to rely on others to live, you will inevitably suffer some grievances. There’s not much the family can offer; take these with you. If he accepts them, he’ll treat you a little better.” Her voice choked, and she wiped her eyes before continuing, “Don’t worry about Xu Cuiping’s matter. The police will investigate what happened. Just take care of yourself and don’t get into conflicts over this. If you get a chance, come home more often. Let mom know in advance, and I’ll cook something good for you.” She said this while caressing Xiao Zhou’s face, unable to hold back her emotions.

Her hands were rough and hard, yet warm and reassuring. Xiao Zhou lingered for a moment before pulling away to leave.

He hadn’t intended to take the cigarettes and liquor, but Liu Xia insisted. Not wanting to worry his mother, he secretly slipped all his saved money into her coat pocket before leaving with the cigarettes and liquor.

There were no streetlights in the alley, and it was pitch dark. Liu Xia stood at the entrance, holding a flashlight to light his way.

Xiao Zhou looked up to see his mother’s aged face illuminated by the dim light, her temples graying, looking much older than her actual age. His eyes welled up with tears. Unable to bear looking any longer, he hurried out of the narrow alley without saying a word of farewell.

He had taken a taxi on his way here, but with his pockets empty, he couldn’t afford such a luxury on the way back.

Fortunately, he remembered the name of Jiang Chengyuan’s neighborhood. Relying on asking for directions, night buses, and his legs, he found himself increasingly lost until he ended up under a bridge.

Squatting by the roadside, he pulled out his phone, intending to seek help. He anticipated Jiang Chengyuan would be furious. However, before he could dial the number, his old phone’s battery died, the screen flashed, and then went black. After several attempts to restart it, the screen flickered a couple of times before the phone finally died.

Xiao Zhou stared blankly at the useless phone in his hand. Cars passed by in front of him, neon lights blazed overhead, and a cold wind swept by. He rubbed his bare arms, wearing only a short sleeve, and sneezed.

He got up and walked aimlessly along the roadside. A few steps away, the river’s dark waters surged silently, a cool breeze blowing in, occasionally accompanied by the distant sound of cargo ships honking as they entered the port. Across the river, the skyline of towering buildings stood solemnly.

He glanced at the landmark buildings, roughly estimating his position in the city. It seemed he had taken the bus in the wrong direction, crossing almost half the city from his intended destination.

Tired from walking, he sat down on a roadside bench to rest, wondering if he could sneak in unnoticed before dawn without Jiang Chengyuan finding out.

Just then, a black Mercedes screeched to a halt in front of him, dust swirling. Recognizing the license plate, he saw the dark window roll down slightly, revealing a pair of deep eyes, sharp and bloodshot.

Startled, Xiao Zhou stepped closer, about to open the back door, but was stopped, “Sit in the front.” The voice was hoarse, suppressed with anger, indicating a foul mood.

Not daring to disobey, Xiao Zhou got into the passenger seat.

The car’s interior was cramped and stuffy, the windows tightly closed, enveloping Xiao Zhou in the man’s scent—a faint mix of smoke and alcohol, dominated by a strong tequila aroma and a hint of bitter orange blossom.

Sweat formed on the tip of Xiao Zhou’s nose. He didn’t dare to breathe through his mouth but couldn’t avoid breathing altogether. The intense Alpha pheromones wrapped around his senses like a net. He understood why the car was sealed so tightly—this scent could drive an entire street of Omegas crazy.

In the confined space, the pheromone concentration doubled, making Xiao Zhou uncomfortable.

Alphas had an absolute advantage over Omegas, which was unfair. Xiao Zhou felt extremely uneasy being overpowered without any ability to resist.

Perhaps the rarity of Omegas was due to this terrifying power disparity. Everyone wanted to be an Alpha, enjoying the dominance and power, with no one willing to be the oppressed and forced side.

His body was limp, every pore sweating as if he were about to dissolve into water himself.

He blinked away the sweat hanging from his eyelashes. Jiang Chengyuan was staring at him, his gaze under the dim street lamps on either side of the street, dark and intense, resembling a nocturnal owl on the hunt, assessing Xiao Zhou’s endurance as though evaluating how much longer he could hold out.

No matter how big Xiao Zhou’s heart was, he could tell there was something wrong with Jiang Chengyuan. Normal people wouldn’t experience successive heats like this, and with such intensity—almost three to four times that of a regular Alpha.

But Jiang Chengyuan seemed accustomed to all this intensity. Even enveloped in such potent pheromones, he remained calm, able to drive here alone, pretending not to be affected. Even when his territory was invaded by an omega, he didn’t pounce like a wild beast, out of control; instead, he waited and observed.

Jiang Chengyuan suddenly approached, one hand caressing Xiao Zhou’s neck. Calluses from years of gripping pens made his touch rough. Xiao Zhou tensed his back, instinctively tilting his neck higher.

That hand touched him, applying some pressure, pulling him closer and leaning in, their noses almost touching.

Xiao Zhou unconsciously swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. He accidentally brushed against Jiang Chengyuan’s lips. His breath was hot, almost burning the skin it touched.

Jiang Chengyuan held him like this quietly for a while. Xiao Zhou knew he was smelling his pheromones; perhaps to him, Xiao Zhou was like a humanoid sedative, like a watermelon chilled from a well in a summer night.

He didn’t know if Jiang Chengyuan would bite him again. The wound from the last bite hadn’t scabbed over yet, still swollen and painful. He closed his eyes, hoping that if Jiang Chengyuan did bite him again, it would be gentler and he wouldn’t pump so much pheromone into him.

Those pheromones wreaked havoc inside him, keeping him awake all night.

Perhaps mindful of the current situation, Jiang Chengyuan just used his teeth to touch the wound on Xiao Zhou’s gland, then licked away the blood seeping out.

“Why did you come here?” Jiang Chengyuan let him go, sitting up straight, sounding like he was finally ready to interrogate.

Xiao Zhou opened his eyes. “Took the wrong bus, got lost.”

Jiang Chengyuan scoffed coldly, “Aren’t you wealthy? Why didn’t you take a cab?”

Xiao Zhou hesitated, then lifted the plastic bag he had been holding and offered Jiang Chengyuan the good cigarettes and foreign liquor inside. “My mom sent these for you.”

Jiang Chengyuan’s hand, which had been reaching for a cigarette in his pocket, paused. “What’s the meaning of this?”

Xiao Zhou said reluctantly, “It’s a bribe for you.”

Jiang Chengyuan glanced at the contents of the bag, disdainful, and somewhat amused. “A bribe? With just these?”

Xiao Zhou clearly didn’t want to give them up, quickly taking the bag back. “If you don’t want them, I’ll take them back.”

Jiang Chengyuan narrowed his eyes. “So you left your money behind, only to bring back this?”

Xiao Zhou nodded. “I can’t just take my mother’s things for free.” He looked anxious to hide the items, but the passenger seat was too small. No matter how he tried to hide them, they were too big. He frowned slightly as he looked down.

Jiang Chengyuan watched him closely. Xiao Zhou was very thin, and the oversized round-neck T-shirt he wore was too large and worn out. Any movement would reveal prominent collarbones and straight shoulder lines, with some faint, unhealed bite marks on them, possibly from exertion, with a slightly bruised edge.

Jiang Chengyuan’s throat tightened a bit. This was the first time he had been interested in Xiao Zhou outside the influence of pheromones. Of course, this might also be related to the alcohol he had drunk before coming here and the omega who had flirted with him before he came.

“Why can’t I reach you on your phone?”

Xiao Zhou took out his brick-like phone and fiddled with it again before reluctantly saying, “It’s broken.” His eyes showed regret and reluctance.

Jiang Chengyuan looked at him and smiled. He started the car and drove back to Jialin Jingyuan.

Back home, he removed the tracking bracelet from Xiao Zhou’s feet and said, “Look, I let you go out alone for the first time, and this happens. I can’t always come to pick you up.”

Xiao Zhou withdrew his feet, pale toes sinking into the soft carpet. He sat on the sofa, his brow slightly furrowed, waiting for Jiang Chengyuan to continue.

“And your phone is broken, but I need to contact you, and now you can’t afford to buy a new phone.”

Xiao Zhou nodded. “Yes.” It wasn’t just the money for a new phone; he also wanted to give money to Liu Xia. He could see that the situation at home was difficult, perhaps worse than it appeared.

Jiang Chengyuan stood up. “Have you passed your driver’s license test?”

Xiao Zhou hesitated, then nodded.

“I wanted to give you money before, but you refused. How about this—I’ll hire you as my driver, and I’ll pay you a monthly salary.”

Respectful enough and considerate of his embarrassment, it showed a thoughtful approach. Jiang Chengyuan thought Xiao Zhou would be grateful and accept with gratitude, slipping a bit deeper into the abyss of dependence on him.

But Xiao Zhou just looked at him and said, “I have a question.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want to know why you chose me.” This question had been haunting Xiao Zhou. “You need an omega, but there must be better choices than me.”

“I’m flawed.” Even as a modified Omega, he still couldn’t go into heat naturally up to now.

“In appearance, there’s no advantage either.” In any case, it had nothing to do with delicacy or fragility.

“And, you look down on me, think I’m guilty, don’t you?” Xiao Zhou tilted his head slightly, his tone remaining composed.

Jiang Chengyuan’s gaze was speculative, but gradually cooled down. “If you’re saying this because of what was said before, I still don’t think there was anything wrong with what I said.”

Xiao Zhou shook his head. “No, I didn’t mean to blame you. I was just curious.” He paused. “You look good, with no lack of attraction, not like someone who would lack a partner. There’s no need to settle for less. I want to know what my value is here.”

He didn’t know if this would make Jiang Chengyuan tell him the truth. Jiang Chengyuan didn’t seem like someone who would easily let down his guard and talk about his past to strangers.

But they would spend a long time together. Either way, one side had to take the first step forward.

Jiang Chengyuan stood in front of him, looked down at him for a moment, unconsciously raised his hand and touched the wound on the back of his neck, then said, “You must have noticed that my gland was injured, causing some problems with pheromones, easily triggering a sensitive period. The doctor suggested having a fixed omega would help me. But based on the fragile nature of emotional continuation, I don’t like being controlled, nor can I tolerate mark ruptures. Comparatively, mutual constraints would be more enduring and stable.”

“You need me, and I also need an omega. But the pheromones of ordinary omegas are too strong and have a negative impact on me. Your current state is just right, and I’m satisfied. So for now, you’re the ideal candidate.” Jiang Chengyuan put down his hand, hanging down by his side. “Actually, saying this to you doesn’t mean much. You don’t have much choice. I’m not a good match, but I suppose I won’t be too bad either. If you really dislike it, I can send you back. As I said before, I don’t like to force.”

Jiang Chengyuan paused, his gaze falling on him. “Now it’s my turn to ask, so, are you satisfied with me?”

Xiao Zhou widened his eyes, with a hint of amber in his pupils under the indoor light. He didn’t have any special feelings towards Jiang Chengyuan, neither liking nor disliking, just as Jiang Chengyuan said, if they only sought mutual benefit and achieved balance, other things weren’t that important.

So he nodded and stood up from the sofa. “If I’m to be your driver, what do I need to do?”

Jiang Chengyuan smiled slightly. “Bring me to the law firm at 9 o’clock, the rest of the time is yours to manage. But when I call you, you need to appear within ten minutes.”

Xiao Zhou noted it down.

…

Lying in bed yet unable to sleep, when he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, he recalled Xu Cuiping’s sharp cries, accusing him repeatedly. He wasn’t sure how much of it was true and how much was false, but he knew that society’s opinion of lawyers was always biased.

When he first entered university, he had attended a popular legal lecture given by a renowned domestic criminal law professor at their school.

Though over fifty, the man was still vigorous and resolute, with a humor that belied his appearance. As soon as he took the stage, he told them a joke: In a cemetery, there was a lawyer’s tombstone inscribed with the words:: “The Grave of Lawyer XX, a Truly Honest Man.” People who came to the tombstone were surprised and asked, “How can two people be buried in one grave?”

The audience burst into laughter, but the man’s expression gradually turned serious. He said that not only the general public but even government officials often failed to fully understand the significance of criminal defense. Some believed that law enforcement agencies went to great lengths to apprehend and prosecute suspects, while defense lawyers merely spoke for the guilty, emphasizing only the favorable aspects for the suspects, leaving the truth or ambiguity of guilt unaddressed, with a biased stance that was far from objective or neutral, even actively seeking loopholes in the police investigation process.

It could be said that regardless of which side they faced, criminal defense lawyers were often viewed with suspicion. 

But this did not mean that lawyers were meaningless. If you have never lost your freedom, you would not understand the value of the legal system. You do not understand, simply because you have not experienced it.

He said that criminal cases did not exist in terms of winning or losing. Even if a declaration of innocence was obtained, it did not mean that one had defeated the country or upheld justice. If this profession were to have a goal, he believed it would be to clarify the truth, making the facts of the crime closer to reality and upholding the correct implementation of the law.

The lecture was profound yet accessible, citing classic references and discussing current legal issues. It broadened Xiao Zhou’s horizons, allowing an outsider to glimpse the thirty-year development of domestic criminal defense.

Finally, the professor concluded with a quote from Bruno: “Law provides protection against arbitrariness, offering people a sense of security and reliability, ensuring they do not find themselves in ominous darkness in the future.”

After the lecture, Xiao Zhou specifically looked up information about the professor. His name was Wu, Wu Yichang. Despite holding an honorary professorship at a prestigious university, he was the foremost criminal defense lawyer in the country, renowned for decades of practical experience, and made national headlines for correcting a wrongful criminal conviction through an appeal.

Later, when Xiao Zhou found himself behind bars, he gained a deeper understanding of Professor Wu’s words.

The lawyer defending him was Professor Wu Yichang’s favorite student. In his most desperate and helpless moments, he provided assistance free of charge.

However, the team of lawyers was mixed; where there is gold, there are also mouse droppings.

For every witness of justice, there is someone scheming for personal gain.

Which side did Jiang Chengyuan stand on?

Author’s Note:

Professor Wu’s speech was a blend of various books and speeches.