Qin Mu sat in Xiao Chengzong’s room until dawn.
Before his death, Teacher Xiao had been handling a case commissioned by an elderly man in his sixties named Zhang Wenhua, who had developed organ damage after long-term use of a nutritional supplement produced by ‘Baolijian’* under the banner of the Kuangmu Group. A month ago, he was diagnosed with liver cancer.
This was not a first case incident. Since it was launched five years ago, there have been numerous reports of adverse effects on the products, which boasted ‘strengthening the body and rejuvenating youth’ and claimed to be ‘the culmination of traditional Chinese medicine, absolutely safe with no side effects’.
‘Baolijian’ contained a traditional Chinese herb with trace amounts of SBXD*, which could accumulate in the liver and increase the risk of cancer. Yet, the company never altered the so-called ‘secret traditional Chinese medicine formula’ and instead ramped up its marketing efforts, quietly settling the few lawsuits that arose.
Last September, Xiao Chengzong represented a patient with liver cysts in a compensation case against Kuangmu Corporation. Although the compensation was kept low, it was the first time the lawsuit was won with difficulty. Following this, many others affected by ‘Baolijian’ sought Xiao Chengzong’s help for their rights. Xiao Chengzong began to gather evidence, consulting with famous experts in medicine and pharmacology to analyse the product and case studies, preparing extensive groundwork.
The old man did this not for fame or fortune but for justice. Like a fearless needle, he wove together a thread of suffering, about to pierce through the glossy facade to expose the ugliness beneath. At last, Baolijian Company could no longer sit still.
Afterwards, Xiao Chengzong received threatening letters written in blood, silent midnight calls, and was even pushed down a staircase. The police never found valuable leads and treated these incidents as pranks. The old man was afraid that his relatives and friends would worry and get involved, so he kept silent about it.
Although the old friend had gone, the work remained. The neatly stacked materials and open notebooks on the old wooden desk seemed to await the old man’s return quietly. This was the brightest spot in the room, where the old man had worked long hours, smoothing the edges of the desk. Qin Mu slowly traced the wood’s grain with his fingers, as if silently communicating with the deceased. He sat there for a long time until his phone rang, then he packed up all the materials and left.
He booked an early morning flight to J City to handle the change of attorney for Zhang Wenhua. Before leaving, he met with Chu Yu and obtained some information.
The person in charge at Baolijian was Zhao Jinchuan, one of the famous ‘Four Young Masters’ of J City. There were many scandals and rumors about him, from drunk driving and hitting people, to beating a cohabitating actress to disability, to drug use and debauchery at parties… These evil acts that would land an ordinary person in jail for life had no effect on him.
Because his last name was Zhao.
The Zhao family was deeply rooted in J City. With General Zhao laying the foundation, the younger generation naturally could enjoy the shade. The Zhao family had numerous branches, extensive marriages, and intertwined business and political interests. It was like a giant spider entrenched in J City, stretching out its slender legs in the giant web, sensitively detecting the vibration of each silk thread.
Among these many spider legs, the thickest belonged to Zhao Dongsheng. Zhao Dongsheng, Old Zhao’s youngest son, was sharp-minded and cunning from a young age, unlike his two older brothers. He leveraged the resources from his well-positioned father and brothers to make a name for himself in business. He later married Song Min, the daughter of a dairy industry magnate, to establish the powerful Kuangmu Empire.
Their marriage was purely a business arrangement with no real affection. Song Min, who detested his philandering ways, moved to the US for recuperation after bearing twins. Having spent his life among countless women, Zhao Dongsheng eventually let one slip into his arms—Fang Huiyun. She was a folk singer who was reserved for grand occasions. She was more than ten years younger, had a pretty appearance, a keen mind, and the ability to adapt to any situation. Their fateful encounter led to the birth of a child.
However, Old Zhao was vehemently against it, causing constant conflict. Zhao Dongsheng didn’t dare acknowledge the child, keeping the mother and child away for seven to eight years. Fang Huiyun waited patiently until Song Min passed away to bring Zhao Jinchuan into the family.
The illegitimate child suddenly became a young master, but his inherent temper and character were extremely difficult to change. Zhao Jinchuan was both inferior and conceited, sinister and extreme. He could not tolerate any criticism from others and was very ruthless in doing things.
Old Zhao disliked this grandson and never invited him to family dinners. Zhao Dongsheng was annoyed by his troublemaking nature but couldn’t disown his own blood, especially with Fang Huiyun’s constant persuasion. Zhao Jinchuan refused a nominal position in the corporation, demanding to start something big, so Zhao Dongsheng gave him startup funds. With some dubious health supplement formula, Zhao Jinchuan built Baoli Jian, beginning his path of making money through harmful means.
J City’s complex web of interests included the Golden Eagle’s hidden lines. As its leader, Chu Yu couldn’t act openly but could assist Qin Mu privately. He provided detailed information, including relationship charts of key figures, distribution of interests, and other data. For Qin Mu’s safety, he assigned a capable bodyguard, disguised as an assistant, to accompany him.
While waiting at the airport, Qin Mu received a message from Zhou Yi:
—Arrived at the airport?
—Arrived.
—No new developments from the police. Teacher’s widow is in stable condition, and some classmates are helping with the funeral arrangements, don’t worry. Take care of yourself.
Qin Mu replied with an ‘OK’ and rubbed his brow after taking off his glasses. He hadn’t slept for a day and night. His nerves stretched thin, showing signs of fatigue.
Outside the glass wall, a massive airplane roared into the dawn sky, like an unruly bird disappearing into the horizon. The bodyguard, Gangzi, reminded him, “Lawyer Qin, it’s time to board.”
Qin Mu packed his laptop into his bag and headed towards the boarding gate.
At the same time, the bizarre night in J City was just ending.
Zhao Jinchuan reached out from under the covers to silence the incessantly ringing phone, pulling the naked body beside him close, sucking at her breasts. The guest was woken up by his antics and caressed his head playfully, “So early in the morning! You wore me out last night.” Her voice was soft and sweet; it was the popular singer Yang Xue.
Zhao Jinchuan, still playing with her nipple, moved his hand downwards, touching something that made her cry out. He chuckled, “Why are you squeezing so tight? Spread them, let me see if I’ve swollen you up.”
“Ah, Young Master Chuan, I beg for mercy… Can I beg for mercy? I have a schedule today. If you do it again, I won’t be able to get up.”
As they tangled in the sheets, the phone rang again. Yang Xue caught a glimpse of the caller ID and was filled with jealousy, “Oh, which ‘great beauty’ is this?”
“My mom, why are you jealous for no reason?” Zhao Jinchuan slapped her buttocks hard, snatching the phone and answering it. After a couple of sentences, he grew impatient, “Alright, alright, I’m coming back.” The call killed his mood, and he was ready to leave after a shower.
Yang Xue handed him a warmed cup of milk, “Have some, you drank so much last night…”
Zhao Jinchuan pushed it away with a cold face, “Mind your own business.”
He was an extremely emotional person. One moment he was in a sunny mood, the next stormy. It was obvious that he was in a bad mood at the moment. The milk spilled over Yang Xue’s hand, burning her. She placed the cup aside without saying anything, laughing it off, “It’s raining outside, let the driver pick you up.” She knew he had drunk a lot yesterday and was probably still over the limit. However, she didn’t dare advise him directly, only suggesting indirectly.
Zhao Jinchuan caught on, raising an eyebrow, “Why? Afraid I’ll get arrested for drunk driving and won’t be there to support you?” He slapped her face a few times, “Don’t worry, your man can handle anything. Be good, don’t give me a headache.”
The slaps were hard. Yang Xue’s face was tilted to the side, but she smiled good-naturedly, “I was worrying for nothing.” She owed it all to this man’s money, from being an unknown member of a girl group to a top-tier idol. She would rather endure his drunken beatings, rough sex, and sudden mood swings than fall from fame to obscurity. This was the path she chose.
After seeing Zhao Jinchuan off, Yang Xue went to the bathroom to wash. Last night, in the heat of the moment, he had been rough with her at the table’s edge. She had a large bruise on her lower back, purple bite marks on her chest, and her lower body was sore. It stung when water touched it. She finished her difficult shower and stood in front of the mirror. Her reflection blurred by steam, like a nameless shadow. She wiped the mirror, revealing her reddened eyes. Her phone rang; her assistant was urging her downstairs. She quickly wiped her tears, responding, “I’ll be right there.”
*Note: All companies, cases, drugs, and characters mentioned in this text are fictional and do not allude to any real entities or individuals.
T/N:
Sorry for the long update lol
I’ve been quite busy and honestly the first few chapters have heavy scenes (not smut heavy but content heavy) so I took longer time to process things lmao
I planned to release a few chapters to compensate for the absence of new chapter the past few weeks ><
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