Chapter 558

Chapter 558 Let’s Work Together!

Ye Binglan had ordered a table full of Sichuan dishes. Su Rui was very interested in Sichuan cuisine and ate without any pickiness, sweeping through the food like a whirlwind.

It was only when he was halfway through eating that he noticed Ye Binglan hadn’t touched her chopsticks at all.

“Are you still worried about what happened last night?”

Su Rui assumed Ye Binglan was unsettled because it was her first time killing someone, so he smiled and said, “When I went through something like this for the first time, I was sick to my stomach too. But after so many years, it’s become as ordinary as a meal — I don’t feel anything at all anymore.”

Having been forged through the dark underworld of the West, Su Rui could now drink and eat right beside the bodies of his enemies without a second thought.

Hearing Su Rui say this, Ye Binglan couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow.

This man had grown up alongside her since childhood, carefree in the orphanage. But after they were separated, he had been thrown into a world of blood and violence, while she had been taken away by her adoptive parents and spent every day savoring the warmth of family and the tenderness of parental love. Their fates could not have been more different.

Thinking about how she had been enjoying happy times with her family while Su Rui was simultaneously enduring brutal and bloody battles, Ye Binglan’s heart was filled with bitterness.

“Brother, you’ve suffered so much all these years.”

“It’s nothing.” Su Rui said carelessly, “If a day goes by without some fighting and killing, I’d actually feel out of place.”

“Oh.”

Ye Binglan lowered her head, the rims of her eyes faintly red.

“Come on, eat something. We should celebrate making it out safe and sound with a proper feast.” Su Rui picked up some food with his chopsticks and placed it in Ye Binglan’s bowl.

Ye Binglan’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she gave a small nod.

A flicker of puzzlement crossed Su Rui’s expression. “Speaking of which, there’s something that’s been bothering me.”

“You’re the little sister I grew up with. Almost no one knows that besides the old director of the orphanage. If the Yamamoto Group wanted to take a hostage to threaten me, the obvious choice would have been Lin Aoxue. But not only did they fail to find Lin Aoxue — they didn’t go after anyone from Bikang Company either. Instead, they kidnapped you, and they even knew about your relationship with me. That’s the part I can’t figure out.”

“I know why.” Ye Binglan hesitated for a moment, then spoke anyway.

She knew this matter wasn’t going to be easy to deal with — it was even more complicated than the large-scale battle the night before.

What happened last night was a massive armed clash between two sides. As long as the Qinglong Gang’s Li Yang stepped forward afterward to explain things to the local Ninghai government, it wouldn’t cause too much trouble.

But this situation was different. Wang Guangming still held the outward position of deputy captain of the criminal investigation unit at the Northern District Sub-bureau. There was no direct evidence proving he had betrayed Ye Binglan, and while this “betrayal” did violate the law, all the Japanese ninjas were dead and couldn’t testify. With only Ye Binglan’s accusations and no hard proof, there was simply no way to verify the truth.

Word had it that Wang Guangming, a man of common origins, was currently dating the daughter of a Ninghai municipal party committee leader. With that connection, his future looked bright.

Although the party leader’s daughter had been married before and had a five-year-old son, why would Wang Guangming — a man singularly focused on climbing the ladder — care about any of that?

If Ye Binglan were to step forward and accuse Wang Guangming now, how many people would actually believe her? Most would probably assume she was making things up out of spite after a failed romance.

And if Wang Guangming denied everything to the bitter end, Ye Binglan would have absolutely no recourse.

Once things died down, Wang Guangming might very well launch a series of retaliations against her. She’d be in for a world of trouble.

“What happened?” The moment Su Rui heard Ye Binglan say that, he immediately put down his chopsticks, his expression turning grave.

He had already read it in her face — the reason behind all this was certainly not simple. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have left her so cautious and hesitant. After all, the Ye family’s connections in the capital were formidable. Even though Ye Binglan was only an adopted daughter, if she had the will to draw on the Ye family’s influence, there were very few things she couldn’t accomplish.

“Brother, I’m not sure I should say anything.” Ye Binglan regretted letting it slip. She knew Su Rui’s temperament — if he found out, he would go after Wang Guangming without a second thought for the consequences, and getting him dragged into this would not be good at all.

“What could you possibly not be able to tell me?” Su Rui had clearly anticipated her worry. He looked her directly in the eyes and said, “I won’t let anyone bully you. This time your life was already put in danger — there absolutely cannot be a next time.”

“But I’m worried about causing trouble for you.” Ye Binglan spoke the words that were on her heart.

“When your safety is at stake, what does a little trouble matter?”

Someone had dared to set their sights on his little sister, and it made Su Rui burn with rage.

A top-level Japanese ninja like Inada Junichi had tried to kidnap Ye Binglan and gotten blown sky-high by Su Rui. He truly wondered how many lives the person who sold Ye Binglan out thought they had — enough to survive what was coming.

Su Rui’s words warmed Ye Binglan’s heart, and so she told him everything that had happened that day, leaving nothing out.

After Su Rui finished listening, he closed his eyes and sat at the table in thought for a full minute. When he opened his eyes again, they were filled with an icy gleam.

That cold gleam made people stiffen all over. Diners nearby had already sensed this inexplicable chill without knowing where it was coming from.

In a Sichuan restaurant in the middle of summer — how could it feel so cold?

Of course, it was purely a psychological sensation. If Su Rui actually had the ability to function as a human air conditioner, scientists would have hauled him off for dissection long ago.

“Come with me.”

After a moment of silent deliberation, Su Rui grabbed Ye Binglan by the hand and strode out of the Sichuan restaurant in a flash.

“You haven’t paid yet!” the cashier called out, running after them.

But it was already too late. All she could see were the taillights of Su Rui’s car disappearing into the night.

“Unbelievable — people who dine and dash still exist these days!”

The cashier walked over to Su Rui’s table in frustration, only to find three hundred-yuan bills tucked under a plate.

Su Rui’s attention to detail was nothing short of remarkable — even at a moment like this, he hadn’t forgotten to pay. It showed that he was still maintaining a degree of calm.

“Where in the south of the city does Wang Guangming live?” Su Rui drove at full speed, racing through the streets.

“I wasn’t that close to him. All I know is it’s somewhere in the south of the city. He can’t afford to buy property in Ninghai on his salary, so he’s just renting.” Ye Binglan answered honestly.

With one hand on the steering wheel, Su Rui called Luo Feiliang, the current deputy director of the Ninghai City Bureau.

The phone rang for a long time with no answer.

Su Rui called several times in a row, and the result was the same each time.

It was clear that Luo Feiliang’s attitude toward Su Rui had done a complete 180. He no longer dared to get mixed up with this trouble magnet. If he hadn’t gotten so close to Su Rui, his wife and daughter would never have been taken hostage by whoever was pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Listening to the unanswered ringing, the cold gleam in Su Rui’s eyes sharpened another degree. He dialed Shangguan Mo instead.

“Rui bro, what brings you to call this late?” Shangguan Mo picked up immediately.

“Shangguan, is Luo Feiliang with you?”

“He’s in his office.”

“Good. Pass the phone to him — I need to speak with him.” Su Rui said calmly.

“Sure, give me a moment.” Shangguan Mo seemed to sense what was about to unfold. Without a moment’s hesitation, this scion of a prestigious family moved with swift efficiency.

Shangguan Mo walked to the door of Luo Feiliang’s office, knocked three times, and without waiting for a response, pushed the door open and walked straight in.

Luo Feiliang was sitting at his desk, staring blankly at a photograph on the table.

It was a family portrait — his daughter smiling so brightly, his wife smiling so gently. But the two people who mattered most to him were no longer by his side.

And all of this was because of Su Rui.

Luo Feiliang let out a long, heavy sigh.

Deep down, he had no desire at all to oppose Su Rui. His own conscience had kept him on Su Rui’s side throughout.

But when the enemy threatened the lives of his wife and daughter, Luo Feiliang had faltered and wavered — because nothing was more important than their lives. If they were gone, Luo Feiliang knew he would follow them to the next world without a second thought.

“Chief, your phone call.”

Luo Feiliang showed no intention of answering. He continued to stare at the photograph on the desk. In just over a month, he seemed like a completely different person.

Shangguan Mo had no choice but to put the phone on speaker and set it on the desk. “Rui bro, you can talk now — Chief can hear you.”

At the sound of the words “Rui bro,” Luo Feiliang finally snapped out of his daze and fixed his gaze on the phone on the desk, his expression complicated.

“Luo Feiliang, I’ve already heard about your situation, and I’m sorry.” Su Rui’s voice came through clearly from the other end of the line. “I hope we can work together to rescue your wife and daughter.”

There is an old saying in ancient China: I did not kill Bo Yi, yet Bo Yi died because of me. Su Rui had not harmed Luo Feiliang’s wife and daughter, yet he was the direct cause of their abduction. If he could not save these two innocent people, Su Rui would have no peace of mind.

Luo Feiliang was just about to speak when the mysterious figure’s warning suddenly echoed through his mind — the warning that if he was found to be in contact with Su Rui, his wife and daughter’s lives would be threatened.

With that thought, he changed course and said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Su Rui couldn’t help but feel exasperated. “Luo Feiliang, have you lost your mind? Why are you still playing dumb at a time like this?”

“Let me explain.”

Shangguan Mo cut in. “Chief, I privately swept your office and found three listening devices. It’s safe now.”

Hearing Shangguan Mo’s words, Luo Feiliang looked up in surprise. He had no idea what had motivated Shangguan Mo to do this.

“I noticed you’d been acting off for a while, so I monitored your calls.” Shangguan Mo gave a helpless shrug.

“I give you my word that I’ll handle the matter of your wife and daughter.” Su Rui narrowed his eyes. “Luo Feiliang, you’re one of national security’s key-groomed officers — you should understand better than I do that cooperating with the other side is like negotiating with a tiger for its hide. In the end, you might not be able to save your wife and daughter, and you could lose your own life in the bargain.”

The look on Luo Feiliang’s face was one of immense gravity and inner conflict.

He understood this perfectly well, of course. But he didn’t even know who the other party was — how was he supposed to save his family?

“The one thing you need to be clear about is this: right now, I’m the only one who can help you.”

Su Rui paused for a moment before continuing. “Taking the risk may not guarantee your wife and daughter’s survival. But if you don’t take the risk, they will certainly die.”

Su Rui’s words were calm yet heavy, and the sharp light in Luo Feiliang’s eyes gradually surfaced, little by little.

“All right. Let’s work together.”