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墨書 Inktalez
Nine years ago, Sister Hong was just a young girl. Due to her family's poverty, she began working for the original owner of the company, specializing in funeral lamentation. Some people are destined to follow a certain path in life.
Sister Hong had an innate talent and understanding for this work. Her rendition of "Grief at the Funeral" could not only bring tears to the bereaved family but also moved the guests to tears as well. Thanks to Sister Hong's reputation, Chen Senran managed to attract business away from his competitors.
By her second year in the industry, Sister Hong had already become a prominent figure. However, there is a saying that fame brings trouble, and beautiful women who gain popularity often attract unwanted attention. Soon enough, Sister Hong found herself in a predicament.
In Jiangcheng, the notorious Social Boss, known as Father, was attacked and died despite efforts to save him. While arranging for his subordinates to investigate the murderer throughout Jiangcheng, the Social Boss also began preparations for the old man's funeral.
During the lamentation that day, Sister Hong's performance astonished the Social Boss. In front of guests and his subordinates, he paid her ten thousand yuan for her services and gave her an additional ten thousand as a tip. While giving the tip, he took a closer look at her; she was truly stunning.
Sister Hong receiving ten thousand was normal, but it was unexpected that her boss Chen Senran also received ten thousand yuan. After the funeral, Chen Senran called Sister Hong into his office and gently advised her:
"Xiao Hong, you only earn about eight hundred yuan for crying. The big brother gave you ten thousand directly and then tipped you another ten thousand. Shouldn't you go thank him?"
Sister Hong replied, "The way she looked at me was like a knife; I'm afraid..."
Chen Senran insisted, "What are you afraid of? She praised you in front of me and said that if there are any big jobs in their circle in the future, they will take care of you! Go on, I'll drive you there. If you don't go, won't it feel like you're cutting your own path short?"
With no other choice, Sister Hong agreed. Chen Senran even helped her buy some boxes of tea leaves as a small token of appreciation.
He dropped Sister Hong off at the Social Boss's villa and said, "I have some things to take care of; I'll come back to pick you up later." Then he drove away.
Upon Sister Hong's arrival, the Social Boss appeared very approachable—nothing like the ruthless figure rumored in stories. He accepted Sister Hong's gift and sent his servants away before personally brewing tea for her: "This is top-quality tea available on the market. Have a cup and enjoy; it’s worth your long trip here."
After drinking a cup of tea, Sister Hong felt clear-headed but found her body unresponsive. Weakness overtook her as she slumped down; the Social Boss picked her up and laid her on the bed, removing her clothes one by one...
As night fell and the wind died down with the rain ceasing, the Social Boss coldly remarked, "So she's still a virgin? That bastard Chen Senran really planned this." He tossed three bundles of money aside and left.
From that moment on, Sister Hong transformed from a girl into a woman. She didn’t cry or make a fuss; she dressed herself again, took the money, and even thanked the Social Boss as she left.
Chen Senran's car was parked outside the villa. Seeing Sister Hong emerge, he feigned concern: "Xiao Hong, why did you take so long?"
Sister Hong maintained her composure: "I've been so tired these past few days; I borrowed your guest room for a nap."
On the ground lay a man who finally regained consciousness. Sister Hong comforted him: "It's okay; this is my cousin. I didn't tell him about you; he thought you were someone bullying me."
The scar on the man's face was quite menacing, but he smiled at me: "You’re something else! You managed to take me down at such a young age; I’ll remember you."
I could only smile wryly. Who am I? What do I even count as?
Sister Hong continued to share her story. At the age of twenty-four, she started dating a physical education teacher from Forty-Five Middle School, and they quickly got married. However, less than six months into their marriage, one day after work, Sister Liu returned home to find her husband asleep at the table. When she called out to him with no response, she approached and shook him, only to find his head drooping lifelessly to one side. A quick touch revealed that he was already cold.
Sister Hong became a widow. It is often said that widows attract trouble, and a beautiful widow attracts even more. In her apartment, she frequently faced harassment from unsavory characters. One night, a group of three or four thugs cornered Sister Hong as she rode her bicycle home, covering her mouth and nose as they dragged her toward an abandoned public restroom. Her shirt was torn, and her skirt was ripped. Just when despair set in, Scarface appeared like a superhero, swiftly dispatching the thugs with a few moves of Muay Thai.
Scarface escorted Sister Hong back home, providing her with a sense of safety she had never experienced before. Eventually, they naturally ended up sleeping together. Sister Hong felt she had made herself clear, yet I still had several questions stuck in my throat. But looking at the two of them in front of me, I said nothing.
I owed Mr. Zhao's mother my life; Mr. Zhao had mentioned that I could reach out to him if I needed anything. I called his driver and bodyguard, Qin Zhijian. He was present when I saved Mr. Zhao's mother and later helped me find hospitals that could treat her condition when others could not.
Qin Zhijian asked me, "Brother Xiao Hu, what do you need from my boss?" I replied that I wanted to use some connections to look into a few people. Qin Zhijian said, "No need for our boss; I can handle it myself!"
Brother Qin turned out to be a scout; many of his comrades were in law enforcement, some even holding positions of authority. The bond among comrades is unlike any ordinary relationship. Brother Qin arranged a meeting for me, but the deputy director of our district station bought out the entire event ahead of time.
Brother Qin set me up to sit with Deputy Director An Beishang. We talked extensively; I voiced many of my questions, and Deputy Director An took them seriously, occasionally exchanging opinions with me.
Sister Hong once again took me to Heavenly Abode and asked me to carry a handbag for her. While she went to the restroom, I opened the bag and found it stuffed with five bundles of cash. When we arrived at our destination, she left me waiting in the lobby on the first floor. Within five minutes, she returned without the bag.
Who did she give the money to? Why did she need to give someone money? Ever since that time I confronted Scarface, I had not heard any cries in the middle of the night.
I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt toward Sister Hong.
The Author's Note
Chapter 024: A River Runs Through a Hill, flowing through Gou Gou Camp
1.
Deputy Director An took my concerns seriously but did not inform me about any progress; he would occasionally ask me about certain matters instead. I wasn't a professional; I merely provided information leads and didn't concern myself with how he operated.
During this time, Sister Hong seemed to have more social engagements than usual. There were several nights when she returned to the shop reeking of alcohol, and during the day, she appeared burdened with worries. This was unusual for her.
In our line of work, many people have their taboos. From what I understood, Sister Hong didn't even have a close friend. So, who was she drinking with? Why did she always drink so much? I was genuinely worried about her but didn't know how to approach the subject.
One day, Sister Hong called me over. "Xiao Lin, come with me to a gathering tonight." She handed me a bag, which felt hard; it must have been filled with money.
I couldn't hold back any longer. "Sister, why do you keep giving them money?"
Sister Hong paused for a moment and sighed. "It's complicated. I got into this mess without thinking. It's easy to get on a pirate ship but hard to get off!"
The car turned left and right until we reached a parking lot. Damn it, it was Heavenly Abode again.
We went up to a private room on the third floor, and to my surprise, the host was Pretty Boy—the one who had bullied Sister Hong last time and whom I had beaten up. Beside him was Scarface, lighting cigarettes and pouring drinks.
When Pretty Boy saw me, he looked like he had seen a ghost. He jumped up and shouted, "You dare come here? I'll make sure you regret it!" He grabbed a glass from the table and threw it at me. I caught it effortlessly and shot him a fierce glare, causing his voice to choke in his throat.
In my hand, the glass shattered as I "accidentally" squeezed too hard.
Scarface exchanged glances with him and waved at a few security guards who had just entered. "It's fine, it's fine; you can leave now." Then he turned to me. "Little brother, come sit next to me; it's all a misunderstanding."
Misunderstanding my ass; your hat is practically turning green from envy.
Pretty Boy rolled his eyes at me in frustration as I took a seat without acknowledging him.
Dishes began arriving—cold ones, hot ones—plentiful and lavish. The drinks came too: red wine, white wine, and beer. But judging by the atmosphere, the alcohol wasn't top quality, nor was this a good feast.
The drinking session progressed slowly. Through their conversations, I gradually learned that Pretty Boy was actually the brother-in-law of the manager of Heavenly Abode and also the head of security here, while Brother Dao was an assistant in security.
If Brother Dao knew that his boss almost slept with his woman, I wondered if he would still act so subservient around Pretty Boy.
They were discussing money.
Pretty Boy smirked insincerely. "Boss Hong, prices are soaring like they have wings these days; shouldn't our payment go up too? Don't worry; I'm not greedy. It used to be fifty thousand; let's just raise it by twenty thousand—seventy thousand total sounds fair. Honestly, that's not much..."
Sister Hong looked troubled. "Water Brother, I'm aware that without you in the middle there wouldn't be Wanhau... But right now, the company's profits really aren't that high; please understand!"
Water Brother lowered his head to sip tea. "Business isn't done like that. Look at Chen Senran; that bastard charges eight thousand for an ordinary urn and five thousand for the worst grave site! You're too soft-hearted; if this continues, you'll ruin the business! We need to talk business here; don't you agree?"
He continued while casting glances at me.
This clearly indicated his refusal of Sister Hong's request.
What does Wanhau have to do with this bastard?
I wasn't clear on the details and didn't want to interrupt; instead, I focused on my food.
Scarface kept insisting that I drink more. "Little brother, those who can fight can drink! Come on; let's get familiar with each other." Although his words sounded friendly enough, I sensed some kind of conspiracy in the exchanged glances between him and Pretty Boy.
I declined politely. "Brother, I'm feeling under the weather; let's save it for another time."
I developed a deep dislike for this "brother-in-law."
—His woman was negotiating terms with someone else while he sat there without saying a word? Is he even a man?
Pretty Boy proposed another condition: he took out a tall glass and filled it with 52-degree liquor. He raised his glass towards Sister Hong. "How about this? You drink one cup, and I'll reduce three million from what you owe."
Seeing Sister Hong's troubled expression, he turned to me: "Or you could drink one cup too; that would also reduce three million!"
It was indeed difficult to deal with Sister Hong. I reached out and brought the cup closer, ignoring Sister Hong's gaze as I downed the drink in one go. I slammed the cup on the table and said, "Pour it!"
I downed five cups in a row. Each time Pretty Boy poured the drinks, I forced myself to drink more alcohol. To them, I must have looked like a mess, sweating profusely, and the tissue in my hand quickly soaked through.
Sister Hong, concerned, kept trying to stop me. Her face looked grim, but she dared not confront Pretty Boy. "Water Brother, please understand. As a woman in this line of work dealing with death every day, it's really not easy! Boss Chen has been at it for so many years, and I haven't learned many of his skills!"
Eventually, Pretty Boy relented a bit. "Alright, beautiful. For the sake of Scarface and these five cups of liquor, let's settle on fifty-five thousand. No less!"
Before Sister Hong could respond, Scarface quickly expressed his gratitude. "Thank you, Water Brother! I appreciate it. Here, let me toast you..."
This man with a scar on his face was nothing but a coward.
Sister Hong glanced at Scarface but said nothing more. She lifted her glass and drank on her own. The negotiations were over, and it was time to disperse.
A waitress in a cheongsam brought over some juice. During this time, I ate the dishes they had shared and drank from the same pot of tea as them. As everything wrapped up, I casually picked up a glass of Fruit Sweat.
Sister Hong clinked her glass with mine before taking a sip. The icy sensation was refreshing.
After finishing the Fruit Sweat, Sister Hong stood up, and I followed suit. Suddenly, her bag slipped from her hand and fell to the ground. I wanted to help her pick it up but suddenly felt dizzy and unsteady.
Water Brother stood up with a twisted expression and yelled at me, "Damn it! Last time you ruined my plans and gave me a black eye; now that it's my turn to deal with you! What's wrong with your sister? Today I'm going to have her right in front of you!"
In my vision, Sister Hong had slumped softly to the ground while I felt stars exploding in my eyes.
Brother Dao laughed even more obsequiously. "Water Brother, you have no idea what she's like—both soft and alluring..."
I collapsed too, lying there unable to move as my consciousness began to fade. In a daze, I saw Sister Hong being laid back on a hastily cleared table, her clothes being violently torn open by Pretty Boy...
As everything spun around me, Brother Dao kicked me hard in the chest. "Damn it! You dare kick me? Today you'll know what I'm capable of!"
A few security guards wielding batons rushed in, swinging their weapons mercilessly at my body—my head, arms, legs...
The pain kept me barely conscious, but I couldn't move; all feeling had left my limbs. The house, tables and chairs, floor—everything around me was spinning.
Water Brother's lewd laughter and Scarface's furious shouts echoed in my ears. Just as I lost consciousness completely, my hand finally managed to reach for something at my waist.
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