Blinded chapter 29
On that day, Xie Li drove Chang Xiaojia out for a drive, so in the afternoon, Xie Li also drove him back early to make it in time for the family dinner.
Chang Xiaojia got out of the car in the front yard of the villa, stood by the car door, and bent down to look at Xie Li through the window.
Xie Li said to him, “Go ahead. I’ll call the kitchen to bring dinner to me.”
Chang Xiaojia nodded. He lifted his head, looked at the three-story villa in front of him with a gloomy expression, and walked towards the entrance.
Xie Li parked the car in the garage and, holding the car keys, went back to the small building where Chang Xiaojia stayed. He used the phone in the hallway to call the kitchen and have them deliver dinner. Chang Xiaojia usually didn’t eat with his stepmother and elder brother in the front, and if he wanted a meal at home, he would call the kitchen to have it delivered.
After making the call, Xie Li walked towards the second floor. Before stepping onto the last step leading to the second floor, he saw Chang Guanshan sitting on the sofa in the reception room.
In that instant, Xie Li’s heart tightened. He slowed down his steps and said, “Mr. Chang, Young Master Jia is already waiting for you to have dinner in front.”
Chang Guanshan smiled slightly and said to Xie Li, “I’m not here for Xiaojia. I’m here for you. Come over and sit.”
Xie Li took a deep breath, walked slowly to the opposite side of Chang Guanshan, and sat down. “Mr. Chang, what’s the matter?”
Chang Guanshan looked him over. His gaze was different from the coldness of the night before, appearing more gentle. “Your name is Xie Li, from Chongfeng City, a veteran, involved in business, unfortunately betrayed by a partner, arrested for retaliatory assault, and during your time in prison, you met Xiaojia.”
This was the identity arranged for him when Xie Li came to Harbor City as an undercover agent. It was also the identity and experiences that Chang Guanshan could find out.
Xie Li nodded. “That’s me.”
Chang Guanshan leaned back on the sofa, raised one leg, and clasped his hands, placing them on his knee. “You’re only 26 years old.”
“Yes,” Xie Li replied.
Chang Guanshan smiled. “Very young.”
“Yes,” Xie Li said. “But I’ve experienced a lot.”
Chang Guanshan nodded. “Having many experiences at a young age can be both good and bad.”
Xie Li listened without speaking.
Chang Guanshan asked, “What are your plans?”
Xie Li said in a low voice, “I still want to work for Young Master Jia and do something at Hongfang.”
Chang Guanshan’s tone was unhurried. “Whether you want to work for Xiaojia or work at Hongfang, I think you need to make it clear.”
Xie Li looked at him.
Although not young anymore, Chang Guanshan was still a handsome man. The mature temperament accumulated with age even made him more charming compared to his son, Chang Xin. Facing Xie Li, Chang Guanshan spoke in a different tone and attitude than when talking to Chang Xiaojia the night before. With Chang Xiaojia, it was like coaxing a young child, but with Xie Li, it was more like a caring elder.
Chang Guanshan continued, “Working for Xiaojia means selling your body. Although you have that capability, I believe you have more to offer. Your body is not something you should easily give away; it would undervalue yourself. What do you think?”
Xie Li tightened his lips. After a while, he said, “Young Master Jia suffers from severe insomnia, both in prison and now. I don’t want my value to him to be just accompanying him to sleep. But if he needs me, I can’t leave him either.”
Chang Guanshan nodded slowly. He said to Xie Li, “You’re a good kid. But over time, it will only spoil Xiaojia. Addressing the symptoms, not the root cause. I don’t want you two to continue like this.”
Xie Li interlaced his fingers and placed them in front of him. “Mr. Chang, how would you like me to handle this?”
Chang Guanshan said, “Actually, I think you’re not bad, and Xiaojia likes you. I want to keep you by Xiaojia’s side, but I think you should temporarily move out for a while. Firstly, to let Xiaojia calm down, and secondly, I’ll be at home during this time. I can accompany Xiaojia to see a doctor and find a way to treat his insomnia. If, in the end, Xiaojia still feels it’s not working, we can sit down and discuss. Do you find this feasible?”
Xie Li suddenly sighed in his heart. He had considered that Chang Guanshan might outright tell him to leave, but he had never anticipated that the other would choose such a method—a method that involved negotiating with him in a calm manner, considering Chang Xiaojia’s fatherly status.
Faced with this Chang Guanshan, Xie Li found himself nodding in agreement without saying a word.
Just when he nodded, Xie Li couldn’t help but think that Chang Guanshan was indeed patient. Anyone else would have directly kicked him out, so why waste words persuading him?
Xie Li wanted to wait until Chang Xiaojia came back to tell him before leaving.
But Chang Guanshan said, “Xiaojia will be upset if he sees you leave. Leave quietly; I’ll talk to him.” After that, he added, “You’re from out of town, and you probably have nowhere to stay. I’ll have someone arrange a house for you temporarily. Go live there for a few days. Once Xiaojia settles down, I’ll arrange for you to meet him again.”
After that, Chang Guanshan gave Xie Li a contact number, asking him to find a person named Chen Chao. “That’s Uncle Chao. He has been with me for over twenty years and is reliable.”
Xie Li nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Chang. I’ll pack up and get ready to leave.”
Chang Guanshan said, “Don’t use Xiaojia’s car. I’ll have someone take you.”
When Xie Li returned to the room, Chang Guanshan had already left. After his footsteps disappeared from the hall, Xie Li walked to the balcony and looked down. He saw Chang Guanshan walking steadily along the garden path towards the front.
He felt somewhat uneasy. He realized that his understanding of Chang Guanshan was too limited, and it wasn’t just him; even Yu Zhengkun’s knowledge of Chang Guanshan was quite restricted. All they knew was that Chang Guanshan in public was always calm and composed, wearing a gentle smile on his face and being sincere in his interactions with others. That’s how he managed to have a group of loyal brothers at Hongfang, and his business continued to grow. In an interview with a magazine, Chang Guanshan once said, “In business, what I value is not profit, but friends. I open my heart to every partner.”
When Chang Guanshan’s figure disappeared, Xie Li came back to the room to pack his things. He thought about how Chang Xiaojia might react, whether he would be angry or upset. But it didn’t matter; as long as he settled down a bit later, he could call him and reassure him that he just didn’t want to confront Chang Guanshan directly and was leaving temporarily.
He hoped Chang Xiaojia wouldn’t get upset with him over this.
Xie Li didn’t have many belongings when he came, and now that he planned to leave, he only packed the essentials into a small travel bag, carrying it in his hand as he walked out of the small building.
The driver arranged by Chang Guanshan was already waiting for him in the garden.
As the car left Chang’s residence, Xie Li looked back, wondering if Chang Xiaojia had a good dinner. He guessed that facing his family, Chang Xiaojia might find it hard to swallow.
On the way, Xie Li called Chen Chao and arranged to meet him at a designated location.
At the agreed-upon place, Xie Li met Chen Chao. Chen Chao opened the car door, sat directly in, and asked the driver to continue driving. Their destination was an old residential area.
Chen Chao, in his fifties, wore a faded old suit and a pair of slippers. His sparse hair was combed backward, revealing yellow teeth when he spoke. He always had a cigarette in his mouth and didn’t look like someone around Chang Guanshan.
Chen Chao told Xie Li that they were going to Chang Guanshan’s house in the old city. According to him, Chang Guanshan was a generous person, and several houses in the city were reserved for friends in need.
Xie Li asked, “Mr. Chang has a good relationship with both his sons, right?”
Chen Chao took the cigarette out of his mouth and said, “Very good. Old Chang values relationships. Look, he has always taken care of us old buddies.”
Xie Li smiled at his words. “I also think Mr. Chang is a good person.”
The driver dropped them off at the entrance of the residential area. Chen Chao got out first, and Xie Li followed him, walking inside.
The environment of the residential area wasn’t great. Several tall buildings were crowded together, and in the middle was a narrow and dim sky.
Chen Chao led him into the innermost building, took the elevator to the fifteenth floor, and came out of the elevator into a long corridor. There were over a dozen doors on both sides of the corridor, and at this moment, all of them were tightly closed.
Xie Li followed Chen Chao until the end of the corridor to a door. Chen Chao took out a key from his pocket, inserted it into the lock, and opened the door.
The room was pitch black, with only the light coming in from the corridor.
Chen Chao stood at the door, showing no intention of entering. Instead, he said to Xie Li, “Here it is. Go in and take a look.”
Xie Li glanced at him and said, “Alright, thanks, Uncle Chao.” He stepped into the room with one foot. Before he could fully enter, he suddenly turned around, grabbed Chen Chao’s wrist, and pulled him in front of him, blocking a knife that had come from behind the door.
Then, Xie Li kicked Chen Chao from behind. With a howl, Chen Chao fell inside, colliding with the person inside who was trying to come out.
Xie Li turned and ran, thinking that he had underestimated Chang Guanshan’s ruthlessness.
But Chang Guanshan also underestimated Xie Li’s strength. When Chen Chao opened the door, Xie Li sensed something was wrong because Chen Chao neither entered and turned on the light nor handed the key to him. It seemed like he was waiting for him to walk into the ambush set in the darkness.
Naturally, Xie Li wouldn’t just sit and wait for death. When he went past the elevator, he noticed it hadn’t stopped on this floor. So, he decisively entered the stairwell.
Unexpectedly, there were two people waiting in the stairwell. As soon as he approached, they blocked his way—one from the left and one from the right.
Xie Li pushed against the fire door, lifted his foot to kick one of them away, then turned, grabbed the other person’s shoulder, effortlessly threw him over his shoulder, and, without lingering in the fight, quickly ran downstairs.
“Stop!” one of them shouted from upstairs.
Xie Li ignored them. At that moment, he suddenly heard a gunshot, and almost simultaneously, the intense sound of bullets hitting the metal handrail next to him.
That person actually had a gun and shot at him directly from between the two floors of the stairwell.
Xie Li’s heart tightened. Not daring to stay, he quickly ran down along the wall.