Chapter 138

Chapter 138

Yu He stood there, stunned, “What did you just say?”

Knowing that Yu He had heard him clearly, Fu Yunzhen chose not to repeat his previous statement, instead, he continued to explain, “Lao Ma is not an individual; it is a code name, an identity.”

In this grand scheme of things, the shadow of Lao Ma is everywhere. He has been scheming behind the scenes, stirring up storms, and calculating everyone into his plan.

Everyone is looking for ‘Lao Ma’.

Yu He, Fu Yunzhen, Guai Zi Three... they all want to drag Lao Ma out from the shadows.

Unexpectedly, this Lao Ma was actually right by their side.

Who could have thought?

After all, information obtained previously indicates that Lao Ma's reign in Chinatown dates back over two decades. Consequently, they naturally assumed "Lao Ma" to be of considerable age, never associating him with Huang Shaohang, who is even younger than Yu He.

"In Huang Shaohang's second year in Northern Myanmar, he acknowledged the previous generation's Lao Ma as his godfather and did a lot for him. Last year, he officially took over 'Lao Ma’s' identity, territory, and power, thriving among the Chinese community in Northern Myanmar over the years."

Now, the renowned Lao Ma is none other than Huang Shaohang.

Yu He blinked, his body going limp as he sank onto the sofa. He didn't ask Fu Yunzheng where he got his information, merely muttering to himself, "Why would he?"

Why set a trap for Fu Yunzheng while also helping them? Why change his mind about letting them return to the country after already deciding to?

If Huang Shaohang is so powerful, how could he have been bullied by Guai Zi San to such an extent?

Many actions carried out under 'Lao Ma's' identity contradict Huang Shaohang’s own character, leaving Yu He utterly perplexed.

The truth is concealed behind layers of mist, seemingly elusive yet about to be unveiled at any moment.

Yu He looked to Fu Yunzheng for answers, his eyes flickering with immense hope that Fu Yunzheng could resolve his confusion.

Fu Yunzheng exhaled silently, gently yet cruelly unveiling the harsh truth to Yu He: "His target has never been me, from beginning to end, but you."

In the end, Fu Yunzheng, unwilling to see Yu He confront the result directly, didn’t disclose Huang Shaohang's true intention outright.

Using gentler terms, Fu Yunzheng slowly explained the entire plan: "The debt trap Guai Zi San fell into was set by Lao Ma, and the plan began even before we arrived in Northern Myanmar. Huang Shaohang had been lurking around everyone, with Guai Zi San, Li Wentai, Ah Kun, and both you and I, all being his pawns."

Even Huang Shaohang himself was a pawn, his every injury meticulously calculated.

He was willing to use his own life as a bargaining chip, forcing Yu He to make choices in line with his plan time after time.

To gain Yu He’s trust, he mobilized all his power, capturing and releasing Fu Yunzheng three times, eventually clearing all suspicions about himself.

In this entire game, Guai Zi San was merely a pawn ready to charge forward. Owing a debt to Lao Ma, he had no choice but to follow Lao Ma's orders.

When Lao Ma instructed him to set up an ambush for Huang Shaohang at Ah Kun’s alley, he had to appear at that specific time and place, facilitating Huang Shaohang and Yu He's reunion, as well as severing the contact between Yu He and Fu Yunzheng.

The chess game began to unfold slowly from the moment Fu Yunzheng was tricked into going to Wang Hai Lou.

Every choice Yu He made was within Huang Shaohang’s plans.

Even though Huang Shaohang was the one manipulating the chessboard and everything behind the scenes, with Guai Zi San serving as a smokescreen, Huang Shaohang perfectly maintained an image of innocence.

Yu He, with his elbows on his knees, crossed his hands in front of his face, unconsciously biting his knuckles in thought.

If the meeting in the back alley of Ah Kun’s house was a premeditated setup, how far back does this chess game go?

Did it start when Li Wentai approached Yu He at the entrance of Chinatown, or was it even earlier?

Yu He had his doubts about Huang Shaohang as well.

Their meeting was too coincidental, and it happened to coincide with Fu Yunxiang's disappearance. Yu He once asked Huang Shaohang almost sternly at the Wenhua Hotel.

Huang Shaohang's explanations were reasonable, but he then dispelled Yu He’s doubts through his actions. Not only did he bring people to Wanghai Building to help Yu He demand someone, but he also really brought Fu Yunxiang out.

Just this one action successfully eliminated Yu He's doubts about him.

“He doesn’t want to trap me; he wants to trap you.” Fu Yunxiang’s eyelids drooped slightly: “He set up a trap with one identity, and repeatedly let me go with another identity. Besides gaining your trust, he genuinely wants me to leave Northern Myanmar, to leave you.”

It was an almost flawless plan: first set a trap with the identity of Lao Ma, then appear in front of Yu He in a vulnerable identity, taking on layers of pressure to help Yu He.

No sooner had he sent Yu He and Fu Yunxiang to the airport than he betrayed himself, informing Kuazi San in the identity of Lao Ma to use ‘Huang Shaohang’ to threaten Yu He to come back.

So, in the few hours when Yu He was locked in the basement with Huang Shaohang, he did not doubt Huang Shaohang for a second.

Even though Fu Yunxiang had reminded Yu He on the first day he checked into Wenhua Hotel.

The so-called "suppress first, then raise": under such circumstances, the trust re-gained in Huang Shaohang would be even deeper.

It’s like when you hit it off with someone at first sight, wishing to be best friends, sharing everything, and being very close. In the process of getting along, if you find that he is not as good as you thought, the disappointment will be particularly strong due to the high expectations.

Conversely, if you really dislike someone when you first meet, opposing them in every way, or even making things difficult for them, and then you slowly realize that he is not as bad as others say, or as you think, you will feel guilty, reflect on your bias, and feel that you have treated him unfairly. You will unconsciously treat him better.

Yu He's trust in Huang Shaohang was deepened in this way.

This trust was also mixed with Yu He’s guilt, making it even more indelible and profound.

Yu He thought more than once: Huang Shaohang helped me wholeheartedly, how could I have not believed him at that time? I was really awful.

The return on low expectations is extremely tremendous.

Huang Shaohang deliberately revealed ambiguous flaws, all to gain Yu He’s wholehearted trust.

It truly is a brilliantly intricate chess game.

Interlocking, it was nearly foolproof.

Under the surge of intense emotions, Yu He’s facial contours tensed up, and his voice was hoarse as he asked Fu Yunxiang, "Did you always know there was something off about him?"

Fu Yunxiang, with closed eyes, gently massaged his temples and said, “You might not believe it when I say it, but Huang Shaohang has never concealed his hostility towards me.”

Yu He looked up, “I know you doubted him, and you’ve told me that, but you never told me he was hostile to you. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Fu Yunxiang helplessly curled his lips and sighed softly, "Yu He, what could I have said? He is your junior, your friend, the person who took the initiative to get me out of Wanghai Building. He’s helped you time and again. If I voiced my suspicions about him, it would put you in a difficult position. Without solid evidence, would you have believed me?"

Yu He gripped Fu Yunxiang’s shoulders, “What do you mean ‘would I have believed you’? Are you saying I would believe him over you?”

Fu Yunxiang furrowed his brows, “This isn’t a multiple-choice question, Xiao He. The moment you start choosing between believing him or me, you’ve already fallen into his logical trap.”

Huang Shaohang deliberately aroused Fu Yunxiang’s vigilance and suspicions.

The Huang Shaohang that Yu He saw was completely different from the Huang Shaohang that Fu Yunxiang saw. Given the difference in perspectives, Fu Yunxiang could only endure in silence. Without sufficient evidence, what could he say?

Should he say that Huang Shaohang was not right, or that Huang Shaohang was plotting against Yu He? Speaking out, would it really strengthen Yu He’s guard against Huang Shaohang, or would it create discord between him and Yu He?

Yu He was very smart; he understood all at once.

Fu Yunxiang was his lover, and Huang Shaohang was his friend. These two relationships should never have been measured on the same scale.

However, in this chess game, Huang Shaohang always designed multiple-choice questions for Yu He to solve.

He forced Yu He to choose between him and Fu Yunxiang.

Just this morning, while Fu Yunxiang accompanied Yu He back to Wanghai Building, Yu He didn't accompany Fu Yunxiang to meet Kuazi San. Instead, he chose to visit the injured Huang Shaohang first.

Was Yu He’s choice wrong?

Actually, no.

After all, from Yu He’s perspective, Huang Shaohang was a pitiable person who got hurt because of him. His choice followed the most basic logic of a person.

But from Fu Yunxiang’s perspective, Yu He was choosing a person who was always challenging him and plotting against Yu He.

Yu He was oblivious, yet with every choice he made, he became an unwitting blade in Huang Shaohang’s hands, unknowingly wounding Fu Yunxiang.

Every choice he made was a neglect of Fu Yunxiang.

Yu He suddenly loosened his grip, then tightly embraced Fu Yunxiang again, "I'm sorry, Fu Yunxiang, I’ve let you suffer."

The feeling of being deeply upset due to unfair treatment is referred to as feeling wronged.

Fu Yunxiang hadn’t felt this way for a long time.

There are countless injustices in the world, too many to count.

Everyone has their moments of feeling wronged. Fu Yunxiang, a pragmatic utilitarian, knew from a young age that feeling sad wouldn’t solve any problems or eradicate unfairness.

The world is only so big, with limited benefits to go around; if someone is gaining an advantage, someone else is bound to be at a disadvantage.

If you don't want to be at a loss, you have to keep climbing upwards.

Feeling sad is useless. No one will sympathize with you just because you are upset. Only by standing at a high enough place and becoming a rule-maker can you reduce the injustices that fall upon you to a certain extent.

This is a world for the victors.

Fu Yunxiang never felt wronged by the fact that he had long suspected Huang Shaohang while Yu He trusted him immensely.

Fu Yunxiang was always clear-headed; he knew it was not Yu He’s fault.

Even though Yu He was being used as a pawn, he was unaware of it, and Fu Yunxiang would not blame him.

For Fu Yunxiang, in this chess game, Huang Shaohang had simply taken the initiative, gaining the upper hand, while he himself had made a strategic error, leaving no way to turn the tables and restricting his moves.

The outcome of this game, victory or defeat, is yet to be determined.

Fu Yunxiang does not believe he will keep losing.

He will win.

Therefore, until Huang Shaohang's true identity was exposed, Fu Yunxiang never felt wronged. Now that Yu He has finally seen through the confusion and is standing with him again, Fu Yunxiang should feel even less wronged.

He won.

He turned defeat into victory, finally unveiling Huang Shaohang's disguise. From this moment on, their positions of offense and defense are switched, and he once again takes the initiative. It is time for him to enjoy the joy of victory.

Yet, for some unknown reason, the second Yu He held him tight and apologized, Fu Yunxiang suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of being wronged.

A dense surge of sourness welled up from the depths of my heart, choking up my trachea and reaching my throat, before turning sour again in my nose, wetting the warm rims of my eyes.

My breath drove a wrenching pain in my chest, as if a handful of sand was stuffed in my throat, leaving me unable to speak or breathe.

Fu Yunzhe cradled Yu He's neck, his scattered fringe veiling his eyes and concealing the reddened corners.

He buried his head in the crook of Yu He's neck, quietly shedding a tear.