5: Charm

Boom!

The mountain highway was now taken over by the fugitives, and several modified unmarked racing cars were closely chasing Shen Cizhu’s Koenigsegg. In the darkness of the night, the Koenigsegg was like a gleaming silver python racing on the road. The deafening engine roared, and at the highest horsepower, the very ground started to shake.

“Damn it! He’s driving so fast, like he doesn’t care about his life! Catch up! Catch up with him, or the boss will kill us!” The person in the back of the unmarked racing car pounded the glass window fiercely, while the driver clenched his teeth and stepped on the gas pedal, zooming like an arrow, determined to catch up with Shen Cizhu.

Shen Cizhu laughed, tears of exhilaration glistening in his eyes. He felt so alive!

Despite the car’s numerous scratches and signs of impending disrepair due to collisions with guardrails and mountainsides, and despite its $4.8 million price tag, he didn’t care. On the contrary, he was ecstatic.

Being chased, facing death, and feeling the breath of mortality were incredibly exhilarating. It had been a while since he had been chased like this.

Shen Cizhu had a strong aversion to sedate business cars. They were too safe and too slow. When Xie Yan was around, he never had a chance to drive a sports car himself. Tonight, he seized the opportunity and wouldn’t let it go.

He tightly gripped the steering wheel and sped recklessly forward, disregarding whether he was headed towards a cliff or waterfall. It felt thrilling to throw himself into the unknown. He had previously participated in the World Rally Championship (WRC) overseas, the world’s most challenging and brutal motorsport, where top drivers competed in harsh terrains like gravel, ice, asphalt, and mud, taking 11 months to determine the ultimate champion. Shen Cizhu had won that time, even though he had lost sensation in both his legs and had to be rushed to a hospital.

This time, Shen Cizhu was going to win again, but it was through his collaboration with the police and Xie Yan. It was a manhunt, a coordinated effort to capture the group of individuals sent by Wen He to murder him. He was in the lead, with Xie Yan in the rear, aiming to encircle the attackers.

The night was as deep as an abyss, and ahead was a partly damaged guardrail with a treacherous corner. It would be certain death to charge through it. In a hair-raising moment, Shen Cizhu didn’t stop; instead, the car slithered around the corner like a snake.

The unmarked racing cars behind him were stupefied!

F*ck he’s really a lunatic! That young master Wen who gave the job didn’t say Shen Cizhu was a lunatic!!!

How can we compete with this?!

Clang!

The Koenigsegg turned its front end and blocked the road with its luxurious, shining silver body, completely obstructing the path! Shen Cizhu breathed heavily, his black leather gloves helplessly loosening their grip on the steering wheel, and he glanced out the window.

It was a cliff.

The unmarked racing cars in the rear immediately slowed down as their wheels screeched sharply due to friction. They couldn’t afford to crash through—colliding would mean that both Shen Cizhu’s Koenigsegg and their cars would fall off the 700-meter-high cliff!

In an attempt to mutually decelerate and control the situation, the unmarked racing cars quickly formed an oval formation, self-consciously regrouping.

Shen Cizhu once again turned the partially damaged Koenigsegg around and headed straight for the unmarked racing cars.

“The cars in front, stop immediately!”

Sirens wailed from the front as the police, who had been lying in ambush here, came driving from around the corner. They weren’t after Shen Cizhu; instead, they were heading straight for the unmarked cars!

With Xie Yan in the rear and the police cars in the front, there was no escape for the several unmarked cars. One masked man, however, stealthily jumped out of the car’s back and attempted to flee.

Xie Yan’s Maybach performed a drift maneuver to block the road. The cars were just inches away from each other, and the front of Xie Yan’s car was nearly going to collide with the man’s face.

The man’s legs gave way, and he fainted out of sheer fright.

As Xie Yan got out of the car and dragged the man to his feet, the police ran over. They handcuffed the man for speeding violations and arrested these hooligans who were driving unmarked cars.

Just then, a motorcycle engine roared in the emergency lane on the highway.

They’ve decoyed us away!

They intentionally sent someone to divert Xie Yan’s attention, allowing the main culprit to escape on a spare motorcycle.

Xie Yan didn’t manage to catch the main culprit.

Other than the mastermind, the rest of the people who were caught by the police were probably just some hired hands, completely unaware of the core details of the case.

The mission had failed. The true core members were still concealed within their luxurious protective shells of wealth and power, continuing their reign of impunity.

Xie Yan got out of the car and saw Shen Cizhu not far away. His sports car was completely unusable, and someone had come to tow it away.

“Mr. Shen, it seems we’ve failed this time… According to our intelligence, these people have no connection to the criminal gang involved in the cruise ship case,” the leading police officer said regretfully to Shen Cizhu.

He sighed, “We’ve wasted a good opportunity to draw out the snakes. To be honest, if it weren’t for higher-ups approving it, we wouldn’t have used you as bait. Fortunately, we closed the highway early; otherwise, who knows how much damage it would have caused. You were driving too fast, and it scared us.”

“On the privately constructed highway in the Shen estate, my accident wouldn’t affect anyone else. Don’t worry, I’m perfectly fine,” Shen Cizhu patted the police officer’s shoulder with a smile. “I’ll be more cautious about safety next time.”

After the tumultuous events, the passage of time seemed to have slowed down. The sound of fallen leaves landing on the ground was clearly audible.

“Their next target is the Shen family, and I won’t allow it,” Shen Cizhu leaned in and whispered lowly in the officer’s ear, “The failed capture in Budapest, where they bombed the cruise ship and fled with the money, leaving nearly two hundred guests missing… Isn’t that despicable? In a month, the cruise ship will reopen, and they will show up. I will enter as a guest, and the truth will come to light. Don’t worry, I’m not afraid to die; my safety only concerns me, but honor and innocence belong to the Shen family.”

“I won’t let those scum hiding in the shadows harm the Shen family even a bit, even though my younger brother is among them.”

Now, the enemy was in the dark, while they were in the light, and it didn’t stop there.

Wen He is currently unaware that Shen Cizhu has learned of his involvement in the crime. Shen Cizhu merely returned to China and disrupted his wedding. This action prevented him from marrying Sheng Xiaoning, and he foolishly couldn’t control himself, revealing his true intentions.

Chasing after Shen Cizhu just for a woman was ridiculous. What’s even more amusing is that the woman he loves is Shen Cizhu himself. This was a trap easily set up by Shen Cizhu, catching the naive and incompetent Wen He.

Wen He was just a small-time follower. Dealing with Wen He was not significant. What mattered more were the people behind Wen He, the ones whose identity was unknown.

They had set their sights on the wealth and power of the Shen family, aiming to take over the Shen family and drag it down into the abyss of crime.

Shen Cizhu would make them pay.

“In a month, when I board the cruise ship, I’m willing to assist you in solving the case as a person involved in the case, and I’ll ensure they end up in prison,” Shen Cizhu said, emphasizing the last word, letting it linger in the air. Each word was enough to shake anyone who heard it. Family loyalty could indeed make someone risk their life, sacrificing themselves for honor, innocence, and compassion.

The person who had driven recklessly on the highway just moments ago didn’t seem like him.

Shen Cizhu was undoubtedly compassionate. To save more people from the suffering caused by criminal gangs, he wouldn’t fear death. He would even forsake his own family, including his younger brother, who had suspicions of involvement and provided financial support to the criminal organization.

A female police officer quietly watched Shen Cizhu.

When Shen Cizhu left, their eyes met. His pupils, even in the darkness of the night, were like mesmerizing gemstones. The shifting eyes resembled a lustrous and dense green lake. His snow-white forehead, black hair that brushed against the curve of his brows.

The vermilion teardrop mole trembled with a subtle sway along with his smile, exuding an intoxicating sense of wicked beauty.

Her heart seemed to be gripped tightly, making it impossible to move. She felt a mixture of panic and amazement.

A face like a serpent, a heart like Guanyin.

She possessed the skin of a ruthless beauty but a heart full of compassion.

After the police arrested the suspects and left, Shen Cizhu walked over to Xie Yan.

There were only the two of them left.

Shen Cizhu leaned against Xie Yan’s Maybach. This was the private parking lot of the Shen family, inaccessible to outsiders, and now only the two of them remained here.

Shen Cizhu pinched Xie Yan’s chin. “Incompetent.”

“I’m sorry, I was useless,” Xie Yan mumbled.

“Xie Yan, the police can only detain them for a short time for speeding violations and unlicensed driving. These are small fry, including Wen He. I need you to go after the big fish at the end of the line. If you can’t do it, I’ll find someone else to replace you.”

He raised his neck slightly, forming a swan-like curve of snow-white, and the throat trembled slightly with an amused smile. “You betrayed me before, and you abandoned me for your father. This time, I’ve been kind enough to use you again. This time, I want you to participate in the operation against me. That’s my mercy.”

“But the actual result tells me that you can’t be my subordinate. You can’t even catch a small leader. What were you doing when the dumbass was running away? Are you blind? Or crippled? Mute? Dead? Useless—”

The androgynous beauty’s alluring exterior emitted a seductive aura, wrapping around Xie Yan’s neck like a delicate thread.

With a light touch, Shen Cizhu caressed Xie Yan’s lips. Xie Yan’s lips were slightly pursed, and he used his long, gloved fingers to press into Xie Yan’s mouth, pinning down his tongue, then withdrew with a press.

“Get lost as soon as possible. I need someone smarter,” Shen Cizhu said ruthlessly.

Smarter…

Shen Cizhu thought of Xie Hou.

The young man who, even in the darkness, was as clear and pure as an immortal exiled from heaven. He had a pair of emotionless, exquisite phoenix eyes. Such people were the most ruthless, the most aloof, and the most suitable to follow someone as eccentric as Shen Cizhu.

“Is your brother named Xie Hou, right?” Shen Cizhu smiled and said to Xie Yan, “He looks good.”

Xie Yan’s heart nearly stopped, and the amber-colored pupils trembled intensely.

“Zhuzhu…” He looked at Shen Cizhu, the beauty in the white suit.

White suits were often chosen because they didn’t show bloodstains and were suitable for strategists who could give orders from on high without getting their hands dirty.

Black suits didn’t reveal bloodstains and allowed killers to conceal their actions, making them ideal for ruthless, bloodthirsty executioners who could be completely loyal to the master.

There will only be one controller, but there can be many executioners. As long as Shen Cizhu wants, anyone can replace Xie Yan.

Anyone, including his own younger brother. His brother was indeed smarter, but…

Xie Yan lowered his head, his brows drooping, which made his handsome and stern face appear somewhat pitiable.

He was helpless, and he could only apologize to Shen Cizhu.

What should he do?

He had indeed betrayed Shen Cizhu, and Shen Cizhu detested betrayal the most.

It was his fault, and he could only apologize. But Shen Cizhu wanted to discard him and use his younger brother to replace him…

Why did Shen Cizhu want his younger brother and not him?

Xie Yan clenched his fists, and a feeling called jealousy began to take root in his heart.

He felt jealousy for the first time.

Just when he was about to try to keep Shen Cizhu, Shen Cizhu got into his Maybach and drove towards his private apartment, moving away from the direction of the Shen residence.

Shen Cizhu didn’t want to share a home with Xie Yan, but Xie Yan had to go back. Ultimately, his loyalty was to Shen Cizhu’s father, for a life-saving favor ten years ago, and he had to remain faithful.

Xie Yan used a spare car to return to the Shen residence. He drove slowly, and along the way, he had to stop intermittently. In the silence, he could only hear the increasingly rapid thumping of his heart, followed by a taste of sweet blood in his throat, burning and incinerating his nerves.

He started coughing violently and couldn’t stop. His throat felt like it was tearing apart. His lips, hands, and clothes were all sticky with blood. After taking medication, he leaned against the car seat, exhausted, and closed his eyes.

He had no idea how much longer he could live…

He remembered the first time he met Shen Cizhu. At that time, Shen Cizhu was only fifteen years old, and his hair wasn’t as long as it is now; it obediently hung down to his delicate shoulders, making him look like a pretty doll.

At that time, Shen Cizhu had just returned to the Shen residence from the eye clinic, with bandages wrapped around his eyes that wouldn’t be removed for at least six months. Due to his eye condition, Shen Cizhu’s parents had to find a personal bodyguard to ensure his safety.

His extravagantly dressed parents personally went to select a bodyguard for Shen Cizhu, and Xie Yan was among the candidates.

Xie Yan had been promoted into the bodyguard company by Shen Cizhu’s father, who had once saved his life and given him a decent job. Therefore, he felt grateful to the Shen family, and this gratitude extended to the young master as well.

The young master sat in a wheelchair, pushed into the office by his father. His mother gently introduced the identities of the bodyguards to him. Xie Yan stood among the group of retired mercenaries and elite special forces members, feeling out of place, as he was the least remarkable among them.

“It’s you. From now on, you’ll follow me, right? Your name is Xie Yan?” At that time, Shen Cizhu still had gauze covering his eyes. He made Xie Yan bow, then used his soft, snow-white hand to touch Xie Yan’s face, pinching and rubbing it in a cruel and vicious manner. His fingernails even scratched Xie Yan’s cheeks.

“Xie Yan, you’re my little dog now, okay? You can’t betray me; otherwise, I will kill you.”

Even at the age of fifteen, he had already developed an arrogant character. He seemed to dislike having a personal bodyguard and had chosen the worst one to complain to his parents.

He had chosen Xie Yan.

Xie Yan considered himself dull and uninteresting, and since Shen Cizhu had been pampered since childhood, he didn’t like someone like Xie Yan. Therefore, he constantly gave him a hard time.

But Shen Cizhu never fired him; it was he who abandoned Shen Cizhu.

At the moment Shen Cizhu’s father discovered their love affair and, after hearing a request from Shen Cizhu’s father, he decided to break up with Shen Cizhu. It was his fault, and he had let down Shen Cizhu.

However, he couldn’t refuse a request from his savior, especially given the vast differences between him and Cizhu. If Cizhu continued to follow him, he would probably suffer, and he couldn’t bear that thought.

Cizhu couldn’t be held back by him, and he couldn’t bear it either.

As Xie Yan thought about it, he suddenly became very sad, like he was regretting and struggling. “If you want to replace me with my younger brother… I would be willing, as long as you’re happy.”

Shen Cizhu was born full of contradictions and complexity. He was a coexistence of good and evil, able to disregard everything for personal desires and willing to face life and death for the honor of his family.

Outsiders couldn’t fathom any of Shen Cizhu’s emotions, hidden beneath his masterful facade. Shen Cizhu had become blurred and enigmatic, even to himself, as he delved into this globally sensational case. What was it all for? Just to protect the Shen family from being plundered by those criminals?

Xie Yan didn’t dare to say.

Whether it was a Bodhisattva who saved sentient beings or a wicked beyond belief devil.

As long as it was Shen Cizhu.

Xie Yan loved him.