GHLCS Chapter44

Duan Zhanzhou has been scouring the city for the killers’ whereabouts recently, keeping himself extremely busy. Perhaps due to his hectic schedule, he often forgets the little things.

 

For example, when he woke up in the morning, he found that he was not sleeping in his own room.

 

Holding his head, he recalled having a few more drinks with Uncle Qiao last night, but his memory of what happened afterward was hazy.

 

The sound of running water came from the bathroom, and soon after, the door opened. Cong Lin stepped out, wearing a loose shirt with water still dripping from his face. It was clear he had just taken a shower and hadn’t even had time to put on his pants, leaving his calves exposed.

 

Duan Zhanzhou immediately frowned and said in an irritated tone, “Is this your room? Why am I in your room?!”

 

Cong Lin stood there, trembling and shaking his head.

 

“You disgusting guy, were you planning to take advantage of me while I was drunk?” Duan Zhanzhou grabbed Cong Lin by the neck and lifted him like a chicken. “Good thing you’re mute—I don’t have to listen to your disgusting excuses!”

 

Cong Lin’s face flushed red, his mouth opening and closing as if struggling for air. Seeing this, Duan Zhanzhou grew even more irritated and threw him to the ground in frustration.

 

Maybe it was the way Cong Lin was sitting that made his legs more visible. Duan Zhanzhou was startled, quickly squatted down, and sneered, “Why are you dressed like this so early in the morning? If you’re so eager for attention, I’ll gladly toss you onto the street and let everyone stare at you to their hearts’ content.”

 

He wasn’t joking. Stepping forward, he seized Cong Lin by the neck and dragged him toward the door. Cong Lin was stunned, his eyes widening in panic. He kicked his legs frantically, clung to Duan Zhanzhou’s arm with all his strength, and shook his head desperately!

 

As he reached the door, Cong Lin latched onto the doorframe like a drowning man clutching a lifeline. His fingers, scraped raw against the wood, trembled with resistance, yet he refused to let go.

 

Duan Zhanzhou was so angry that he kicked him hard: “Are you afraid now? Heh… why weren’t you so timid when you killed Cong Wei? Huh?!”

 

Cong Lin had been enduring in silence, but when Duan Zhanzhou spoke this, he finally lifted his head. In his eyes was a complex, unspoken repression—an emotion that Duan Zhanzhou caught, and to his surprise, it stirred something within him.

 

He suddenly remembered that this boy whom he hated so much was only seventeen years old this year.

 

Seventeen years old—an age when one is still vulnerable, easily frightened, and easily wounded.

 

At this moment, there was a gentle knock on the door.

 

Cong Lin quickly let go and shrank into a corner. Duan Zhanzhou opened the door, and Xu Hang was standing outside.

 

Xu Hang didn’t enter. He only glanced inside through the door, quickly grasping the situation: “I heard there was a lot of noise this early, so I came to check on things.”

 

Duan Zhanzhou shoved his hands into his pockets and said, “This is Xiaotong Guan, not your Jinyan Tang. You have no right to comment on how I handle my people, do you?”

 

“It has nothing to do with me to begin with,” Xu Hang said, glancing at Cong Lin, who was crouching in the corner. Cong Lin also met his gaze. “But since you seem to dislike him so much, I’ll borrow him to move some herbs to my medical hall. Do you have any objections?”

 

“This…” Duan Zhanzhou hesitated, obviously not happy.

 

“What? Can’t bear to part with him?” Xu Hang deliberately provoked him.

 

Duan Zhanzhou was fuming. “Nonsense! Just take him away, I would rather not see him!” To emphasize his point, he grabbed Cong Lin and shoved him into Xu Hang’s arms outside the door before slamming it shut.

 

What a guy, so easily provoked.

 

Xu Hang supported Cong Lin all the way and got on the rickshaw.

 

Cong Lin had been waiting for Xu Hang to speak first, but seeing that Xu Hang remained calm, he decided to break the silence: “Did you come to see me on purpose?”

 

Xu Hang smiled but didn’t respond until they returned to Heming Medicine Hall. Once inside, he went to the inner room, retrieved a bottle of dragon’s blood powder, and placed it in front of Cong Lin, saying, “Use this to treat the gunshot wound on your body.”

 

A sparrow perched on the roof flew off, startled.

 

Cong Lin’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean by that?”

 

Xu Hang’s voice was calm as he continued, “The scar on your elbow was caused by Duan Zhanzhou pushing you against the brazier when you were still at Jinyan Tang. The shape of the wound is a half moon. Coincidentally, the killer at the Japanese consulate that night had a similar scar on his elbow when he passed by the window. Cong Lin, you’re a smart person, so we don’t need to say much more.”

 

The two looked at each other tentatively, Cong Lin chuckled and simply took off his coat, revealing the gunshot wound on his shoulder, bit open the bottle cap with his mouth, and poured the powder on it. Such a rough method was very painful, Cong Lin was sweating profusely, but he didn’t say a word.

 

He is a tough guy.

 

After applying the ointment, he licked his lower lip: “Why don’t you tell Commander Duan and let him arrest me?”

 

“Catching you would be like alerting the enemy. I want to know who you are working for.”

 

“Aren’t you already alerting the enemy? I’ve been exposed in front of you, so… either I kill you, or you kill me. Is there any other possibility?”

 

“Of course, there is.” Xu Hang stood up and took out an old piece of clothing from the inner hall and gave it to Cong Lin so that he could change the blood-stained clothes.

 

“Whoever your ‘superior’ may be, they’re clearly an enemy of the Duan family, but you’ve fallen for Duan Zhanzhou. So, even if you’re exposed, you won’t go back and report to them, will you?”

 

Cong Lin’s neck felt stiff, as if it was being strangled.

 

Xu Hang understood completely and tapped the table lightly with his index finger: “That’s why I didn’t tell Duan Yelin that your disguise is no longer effective. It’s more beneficial to keep you around than to eliminate you.”

 

“Hehe… hahaha…” Cong Lin laughed out loud as he listened. However, it wasn’t the kind of cheerful laughter; it was the kind that revealed deep cunning and calculation.

 

He raised his head only after he had laughed enough. “Young Master Xu, you didn’t tell Commander Duan out of selfish motives, right? I know that he took you back by force. From the moment I saw you, I realized you’re someone who hides things even more deeply than I do. I acted against the Duan family because of orders from my ‘superior,’ but you… what are your intentions toward the Duan family?”

 

“That’s none of your business.”

 

Cong Lin tilted his head slightly and replied calmly, “Of course, it’s none of my business, but why should I reveal my secret to you? You can hand me over if you wish. No matter what punishment Xiaotong Guan imposes, I won’t say a word.”

 

Xu Hang leaned forward a little: “You are a professional killer. Torture is of course useless to you, but have you ever thought that once you are gone, your ‘superior’ will send a new group of people to deal with the Duan family? At that time, how are you going to protect Duan Zhanzhou?”

 

Cong Lin actually understood this logic perfectly. He had only pretended to be confident earlier to deceive Xu Hang, but he hadn’t expected that Xu Hang had already seen through him.

 

“What do you want to know?”

 

“I said, I just want to know who you work for.”

 

“What can I get if I tell you?”

 

“Once you leave this medical hall, everything that happened today will be forgotten. I won’t expose you or use this against you. From now on, you can act according to your own abilities.”

 

After Xu Hang finished speaking, he made tea for himself. He was not worried about Cong Lin’s answer at all because he was confident enough that Cong Lin had no reason to refuse him.

 

Cong Lin, who was already on the verge of anger, unexpectedly attacked and aimed his claws at Xu Hang’s neck. Xu Hang did not move and gently opened his thin lips: “You used my ointment, and you still want to kill me. Aren’t you afraid of being poisoned?”

 

The dark hand stopped just three inches before the throat, looking extremely unwilling.

 

Seeing how nervous he was, Xu Hang raised his eyebrows, like playing with a monkey: “It’s just a joke.”

 

Just those two sentences left Cong Lin speechless, stripping him of any advantage in the confrontation. He was now forced into a position of weakness, no longer in control.

 

He withdrew his hand, lowered his head, and thought for a long time. Cong Lin pinched the edge of the table with his hands, raised his head after a long time, and squeezed out three words from between his teeth.

 

“The Chief of Staff.”