[Volume Title] Volume 2: Holding Your Hand Tightly
No. 41 Gently Untangling the Threads
We were in the basement of the entertainment complex.
Besides Pai Ge, I also saw Ouyang Dati and Lu Yibing, who had been absent for a while.
The other Black Dragon Society members, who usually filled the room, were nowhere to be seen. The basement, with its empty tables and chairs, felt strangely desolate.
“Let’s get straight to the point.”
Pai Ge gestured for us to sit around the largest poker table, then tossed two Joker cards onto the felt surface. “Upper Capital City is like these two Jokers. Everyone wants them, the highest bidder wins.”
“Naturally, we, the Black Dragon Society, have no interest in power struggles. Even if the entire Yixian Province collapses, we won’t bat an eye.”
“Whoosh!”
He suddenly flicked a card towards Xiaodie, who caught it reflexively.
She flipped it over. It was the Ace of Hearts.
“Haha, you’re just like Yi Yao. Excellent reflexes and focus.” He chuckled, then took a sip of tea from his cup. “You must have noticed what’s happening with your father.”
She nodded silently.
“Someone is targeting him. At this rate, his downfall is inevitable.”
Under Pai Ge’s enigmatic smile, Huang Yingdie finally spoke. “What do you need me to do?”
“No, no, little sister, you’ve misunderstood us from the start.”
He waved his hand dismissively. “We don’t interfere in politics. And even if we wanted to, it’s too late. You seem to be unaware of the reality of the situation. We didn’t call you and Yi Yao here to help your father.”
Her hands, resting on her lap, trembled slightly.
“You’re Yi Yao’s… friend? Let’s just say that. Yi Yao is one of us, and we don’t want her to get hurt. Do you understand?”
“Pai Ge,” I interrupted, “I don’t quite understand…”
“Someone in this city has concrete evidence of your father’s corruption. They’re planning to expose him to the media, along with their allies. When that happens, not only your father, but all his associates in Upper Capital City will be destroyed. Yi Yao, if you’re still close to his daughter when that happens, you’ll be dragged down with them.”
I was stunned.
In the other world, Huang Yingdie’s father had indeed been executed for corruption.
But not this early. I remembered his downfall happening in 2017. Why…
“Originally, those people wouldn’t have been able to touch him this year. But he made a fatal mistake.”
“Mistake?”
Pai Ge gestured towards Ouyang Dati.
“Yi Yao, you remember the kidnapping incident, right?” Ouyang Dati sighed. “That organization had connections in Upper Capital City and the Golden Triangle. That’s why I assigned a sniper to protect you. But I didn’t expect the mayor to use all his resources to eliminate their entire network in the city within three days. He gave his enemies the perfect opportunity to strike.”
So that’s what happened…
If I hadn’t saved Xiaodie, her father wouldn’t have taken such drastic measures, and his crimes wouldn’t have been exposed.
Because she lived, her father’s fate was altered.
My actions had inadvertently affected the entire city.
“Is there nothing we can do? Like destroying the evidence…”
“Politics is a complicated game. It would take three nights to explain everything. And he has indeed committed many unspeakable acts. Yi Yao, all I can tell you is that, within a week, his crimes will be exposed. And once public opinion turns against him, even Huang Tianqi won’t be able to save him.”
“Those people?”
“Their identities are irrelevant. We have two issues to address. First, Huang Yingdie, what’s your plan when your father’s empire crumbles? Second, Yi Yao, you and Huang Yingdie have been in the news twice, portrayed as close friends. When her father is publicly condemned, you’ll inevitably be implicated. What will you do then?”
Huang Yingdie stood up abruptly.
“I understand.”
She kept her head down, her expression hidden.
Her voice was calm, eerily calm.
Even the usually clueless Xiaodie could understand the underlying message: your family is in trouble, and it’s affecting Yi Yao. We’re here to help, as friends.
“I just remembered I have something to do at home. I’ll be going now.”
She turned and walked towards the elevator, her head still bowed, her voice flat.
“Xiaodie!”
I instinctively reached for her arm, but she pulled away. I looked at Pai Ge, who simply gestured for me to let her go.
“Xiaodie! Wait!”
I squeezed into the elevator just as the doors were closing. I looked at her, her small frame trembling slightly, and said gently, “This isn’t your fault.”
“I know…”
She suddenly threw her arms around me, burying her face in my shoulder. “I know… I knew it would happen someday… ever since I saw Dad accepting bribes…”
“I hate him so much, but why does my heart ache knowing he’s going to be taken away from me…”
The elevator was a small, enclosed space. I could smell her faint fragrance.
We hadn’t pressed any buttons, and the lights dimmed.
Only our soft breaths broke the silence.
“Yi Yao…”
She whispered after a long silence.
“Hmm?”
“Do you think death is scary?”
“Yes.”
“My father wouldn’t have gone down this path if it weren’t for me… Two years ago, I was seriously ill. The treatment was expensive. He had no choice but to use his power to gather funds. The surgery was successful, but on the day I was discharged, I was forced to wear a fancy dress and attend a banquet for those who had helped me, to face the reporters. I’ve hated public appearances ever since.”
“I’d rather face hundreds of enemies than those hypocrites. They constantly remind me that I’m only alive because of their charity…”
“Once you start down this path, there’s no turning back. Dad has been telling me that he’s bought me a new house with his legitimate earnings and that I should move out soon. But… I can’t leave. If I leave too, he’ll have nothing left…”
She released me and wiped her tears. “Sorry for burdening you with my problems. I feel better now that I’ve said it out loud.”
“It’s okay.”
I smiled faintly. “My family is in a similar situation. My mother doesn’t have much time left, and my father wants me to drop out of school and get a job to support the family.”
“Sounds like your family favors boys over girls.”
“They do. Our entire clan does.”
“Then you…”
“I won’t give up. And neither will you.”
I scratched my cheek awkwardly. “Although I still don’t understand how we became so close.”
“Fate.”
“Yes, it must be fate.”
“Heehee, you have your cute moments, Yi Yao.”
She pressed the button for the ground floor.
“What are you doing?”
She pushed me out of the elevator. “I want to go home alone.”
The doors started to close.
“Don’t worry, everything will be fine. I survived a gunshot, you survived a stab wound. We’re both still here. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.”
Her voice faded as the elevator descended.
“How did it go?”
Pai Ge approached me, a deck of cards in his hand, his face cheerful.
I nodded. “She’ll be fine. She’s not the type to give up.”
“Honestly, I never expected your relationship to develop this way.” Ouyang Dati chimed in. “I thought you were just helping her for the money. But now, it seems like there’s something more. Yi Yao, are you falling for her?”
“Please, even if I was, she wouldn’t be interested.”
I walked back to the poker table, picked up Pai Ge’s teacup, and took a sip. “So, what do we do now?”
Pai Ge shrugged. “Huang Zhiqiang’s fate is sealed. We have neither the desire nor the ability to interfere in politics. The decision is yours.”
“Mine?”
“Yes. That’s why we called Dati and Bing Bing here. Ouyang Dati has connections in the military. He can’t get involved in politics, but he can protect a girl. If you insist on saving Huang Yingdie, we can take her to a safe place, Bing Bing’s master’s place.”
He gestured towards the emotionless girl who was licking her lollipop.
Ouyang Dati sighed. “I can protect her, but it’s a remote mountain area. Sending a pampered girl to a place like that… I doubt she’ll last long. Look at Bing Bing. She was a perfectly normal girl, but martial arts training turned her into…”
“Thud!”
A lollipop hit him squarely on the head.
“Don’t… don’t throw knives! Bing Bing, I’m sorry!”
Ignoring their antics, I looked at Pai Ge. “Are there any other options?”
“Other options? The other option is to do nothing. Let nature take its course.”
“That’s an option?”
“Haha, I’m not finished. By ‘doing nothing,’ I mean Ouyang Dati won’t provide any protection. But don’t forget, Yi Yao, you’re a wild card.”
“You escaped from kidnappers, you saved Huang Yingdie from Huang Qinghao. My gut feeling tells me you have the power to change people’s fates.”
“You’re practically a member of the Pai family now. We’ll train you unconditionally.”
He walked over to me and patted my shoulder, a knowing smile on his face. “How you use the skills we teach you is entirely up to you.”
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