Chapter 41: A Light Embrace, Lifting the Cheongsam

Chapter 41: A Light Embrace, Lifting the Cheongsam

The National Government Hong Kong Office was located in a three-story European-style old building, originally occupying only half a floor with a few offices.

Over the past year, more and more special tasks and materials have been transferred here, and the office space expanded from half a floor to the entire three-story building.

The director of the office, who was previously in a partially inactive role, could no longer handle the increasingly important position as the job's significance rose.

At the beginning of this year, the old director was dismissed, and Gao Dongming, the former head of the Nanjing Special Service Department, was given the important role and transferred to the position of director of the Hong Kong Office. Along with him, more than ten agents from the original Special Service Department also took up their posts.

Among them, the leader was Cui Yuan, who had a slicked-back hairstyle.

Cui Yuan and his subordinate Liu Pangzi found a photo that was mostly burned, leaving only a corner in Ji Shukuan's office, which looked quite strange. He took the photo out, placed it in a small notebook, and handed it to Director Gao for review.

They were suspicious about Ji Shukuan's sudden death.

Because the tycoon competing with Ji Shukuan to buy the shoe factory was surnamed Zhang, and no one knew Boss Zhang's exact origins.

Boss Zhang did not appear in person but delegated Guang Touli, the head of the Hongmen Bamboo Branch, to negotiate with Ji Shukuan.

According to the investigation, Guang Touli was usually a very steady person, so why did he turn violent this time after a disagreement?

In the chaos, Ji Shukuan was shot. The dispute should have stopped, and he should have been sent to the hospital for emergency treatment immediately. However, the Hongmen people believed that Ji Shukuan had drawn his gun first, violating the code of honor, and a group of people surrounded him seeking an explanation, delaying Ji Shukuan's medical treatment.

This ultimately led to Ji Shukuan's death.

The whole incident seemed to be the responsibility of both sides, with impulsive people involved, looking quite normal, but upon closer examination, there was a touch of the bizarre.

An inexplicable oddness.

Cui Yuan sat on one side, crossing one leg over the other, and said, "I don't know why Deputy Director Ji burned the photo. I asked his subordinates, and they all said they didn't know. However, his assistant mentioned that Deputy Director Ji had recently been looking into his father's death and seemed to have some leads. I wonder if this has anything to do with it?"

"Investigating the cause of Commander Ji's death? Wasn't Commander Ji killed by the Communists?"

"There is such a rumor, but the real culprit has never been found. So, it's impossible to confirm that it was the Communists."

Related to Commander Ji's death?

Director Gao carefully examined the photo with only a corner remaining.

The photo showed half a persimmon tree, with the tree full of bright red persimmons.

Director Gao, who came from the intelligence department, immediately saw the clue: "This photo should have been taken recently. Look, the persimmons on the tree have turned red, which is characteristic of this season."

Cui Yuan nodded: "In typical households, persimmons are usually picked when they are almost ripe and allowed to ripen for a few days before eating. This is strange; the persimmons are fully ripe yet unpicked, and no one has stolen them. This is likely the property of a wealthy family."

Director Gao agreed: "A hillside villa."

Cui Yuan continued: "Also, the front of this photo seems to be hair, long hair, indicating that this is a photo of a woman."

Related to a woman?

Cui Yuan frowned: "But I asked the people around Deputy Director Ji, and they all said he usually had no romantic interests. There was no potential for marriage, not even a woman around him. Except for one person."

Director Gao looked up: "Who?"

"Mrs. Zhao. Last month, he invited Mrs. Zhao out for dinner, but Mrs. Zhao was rather distant with him. Just last week, Deputy Director Ji specifically asked a friend in the Housing Department's political affairs section to help halt the property deed review for a dormitory building under Mrs. Zhao's shoe factory."

This Ji Shukuan was somewhat unethical.

Director Gao recalled that he had just met Zhao Zhiao and his wife last weekend, and indeed, Mrs. Zhao was a stunning beauty.

If the burnt photo was unrelated to Commander Ji's death and just a personal affair, that would be easier to explain.

Director Gao asked, "Were Zhao Zhiao and his wife also at the scene when the incident happened yesterday?"

"Yes, because the shoe factory has a dormitory building that is Mrs. Zhao's property. The building had just been renovated, and they were there to check the plumbing and electrical systems. Zhao Zhiao also injured his arm while trying to save Deputy Director Ji."

Director Gao thought for a moment, then shook his head. If there was really a connection, they should have stayed away from the scene rather than being there.

He gently tapped the photo: "Send someone to discreetly check their house and see if this is indeed a corner of the Zhao family garden."

"Alright. I'll arrange it later."

Director Gao asked again, "What did the police station say?"

Cui Yuan shook his head: "They're playing both ends against the middle. The British have a better relationship with Hongmen than with us. The police said several people on Guang Touli's side were also injured. Both sides are responsible, so there's no way to handle it. If it weren't for Zhao Zhiao's face, I doubt they would even bother with us. It's infuriating!"

Director Gao was also filled with anger: "Those damned foreigners! Throwing their weight around on Chinese soil! If this were in Nanjing, it would be much easier to handle."

Cui Yuan also gritted his teeth in hatred: "In Nanjing, we would definitely catch Guang Touli and interrogate him thoroughly. I could make him beg for mercy. But now, there's no way. We can only rely on ourselves to uncover the truth."

"Let’s investigate first and see where it leads." Director Gao had his own team of agents who could be useful at critical moments.

After discussing this, Cui Yuan didn't leave immediately but asked in a low voice, "Director, I heard that a special operations team from the Confidentiality Section has been transferred from Nanjing to carry out a mission. Will these people also work here openly?"

Director Gao lit a cigarette: "Since they're from the Confidentiality Section, how could they work here openly?"

"True! Have they arrived?" This wasn’t just Cui Yuan’s curiosity; the whole intelligence team was curious.

"This is not something you should inquire about. Some things, even I don't know." Director Gao waved his hand, signaling him to leave.

Cui Yuan ran a hand over his slicked-back hair, stood up, and left.

*

Lin Yufan took the day off today, partly to accompany Zhao Zhiao to Ji Shukuan's memorial to burn joss paper, and partly to show Fifth Brother around.

She stayed at home in the morning and first called the paper factory that was listed for sale.

The person who answered the phone was a middle-aged man. The basic situation was that the paper factory had accumulated a large amount of book paper and pulp, with a severe overstock. The boss had taken over from the previous owner just a year ago, and due to a change in plans, he wanted to sell it off.

Lin Yufan asked, "Isn’t there a paper shortage all over? Why would your paper factory need to transfer because of an overstock of book paper?"

The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment before saying, "Book paper is something that comes in fast. Yesterday there was a shortage, but tomorrow there might not be. Our boss set the price too high, trying to sell at a higher price. While we were still negotiating the price, the other party had already bought cheaper new stock from elsewhere."

So that was the reason.

Lin Yufan arranged to visit in the afternoon.

After getting ready, Lin Yufan changed into a simple cheongsam and prepared to leave for the funeral home with Zhao Zhiao.

Zhao Lixiang also wanted to go but was stopped by Wang Junyao.

"Your older brother and sister-in-law are going. Why do you need to go too?"

At this time, Ji Shuping was at her most vulnerable. She was worried that if her son went too often, he might develop genuine feelings, which would be hard to handle.

Zhao Lixiang deliberately needled her: "Didn't you tell me to spend more time with Ji Shuping? I'm just following your advice to comfort her."

Wang Junyao knew her son often acted out against her. She gritted her teeth in anger, "Her eldest brother just passed away. Don’t go stirring up trouble."

Lin Yufan didn’t want to get too involved with the Ji family, so it was better to nip it in the bud while Wang Junyao was having second thoughts due to her selfishness.

She said, "Li Xiang, your elder brother and I will go. Don’t you have work later? Don’t be late."

Zhao Lixiang, eager to accompany Lin Yufan, was slightly disappointed when she told him not to follow, and he didn’t insist.

Zhao Zhiao suggested, "If you’re bored and have nothing to do at work, apply for a transfer to another department."

To avoid seeing Ji Shutong every day.

Zhao Lixiang insisted, "I’m doing well in this department."

He was always looking for a fight.

Everyone ignored him.

Wang Junyao handed Lin Yufan a box of premium American ginseng, "Give this to Shuping and tell her to look after herself. She mustn’t collapse at this time."

Lin Yufan nodded in agreement.

Lin Yufan often found Wang Junyao’s temperament hard to pin down—selfish yet kind. Or perhaps both?

Deep down, Wang Junyao wasn’t a bad person. Everyone is selfish. If roles were reversed, she’d do the same.

At the funeral home, after paying her respects, Lin Yufan handed the condolence money to the manager and then gave the box of American ginseng to Ji Shuping.

Ji Shuping’s eyes were puffy from crying, and her voice was hoarse. Having just lost her father and then her elder brother, anyone would be devastated.

Lin Yufan didn’t offer too much comfort, only saying, "My condolences, please take care of yourself."

Though grieving, Ji Shutong stayed strong, as he would now have to shoulder the responsibilities of the Ji family.

"Thank you, Elder Brother Zhiao, thank you, Sister-in-law. Without your help, we’d be lost."

Zhao Zhiao said, "We’re family, no need for formalities."

After hugging Lin Yufan, Ji Shuping took the ginseng and said, "Sister-in-law, please thank Madam Wang for me. Without your help, we’d be lost here, not knowing what to do."

The Hong Kong office took charge of Ji Shukuan’s funeral arrangements, and Zhao Zhiao sent people to assist, so the siblings weren’t left helpless.

When Director Gao and others arrived to pay their respects, Zhao Zhiao stood and chatted with Director Gao for a while.

Director Gao asked about Zhao Zhiao’s injury.

Zhao Zhiao slightly raised his left arm, "It needed over ten stitches. I’ll have them removed in half a month. It should be fine."

Director Gao sighed, "Fortunately, it was a knife wound, not a bullet. A bullet would’ve been worse."

Zhao Zhiao sensed that Director Gao seemed to imply something. He said, "Seeing that lives were at stake, the other side was also afraid of escalating the situation. Later, it was all knives and sticks; they didn’t dare to fire recklessly."

"I heard that Guang Touli tried to block the way to the hospital, is that true?"

"Guang Touli got hurt too. He didn’t block the way, but his subordinates were defiant and wanted to fight. I was accompanying my wife to inspect the utilities of a building she just bought. She handles everything personally. That day, we only had two bodyguards with us. Otherwise, we could have rescued Shukuan from their hands earlier. If we had sent him to the hospital sooner, there might have been hope." Zhao Zhiao couldn’t help but explain a bit.

Director Gao sighed, "You don’t need to feel guilty. The doctor said even if he had been brought in earlier, it wouldn’t have helped. The bullet hit his heart, leaving a big hole. How could he be saved? These Hongmen desperadoes are truly ruthless!"

Zhao Zhiao noticed Director Gao occasionally glancing in Lin Yufan’s direction, his expression calm and unreadable, whether it was unintentional or with intent.

"The police station is useless. I’ve already complained to the superintendent I know about this, hoping it will make a difference."

"At most, they'll nab a few underlings and lock them up for a couple of weeks. I checked it out, and that's usually how gang fights are handled around here. Unless someone can point out who pulled the trigger, you're pretty much stuck with group crimes like this." Director Gao didn't want Zhao Zhiao to think less of their office, so he blamed it on the usual unwritten rules.

Zhao Zhiao said he’d already complained to the police superintendent, just to show Director Gao he was mad and had tried his hardest. So, he jumped at the chance to agree: "Yeah, Director Gao’s got a point. Without knowing who pulled the trigger, this case might just go nowhere."

Director Gao: "If it weren’t for you, the cops would’ve been even more sloppy."

While they were talking, more guests showed up. The new arrivals, spotting Zhao Zhiao, naturally came over to say hi.

Director Gao, sitting close by, couldn’t just take off.

Cui Yuan slipped in through the side door and whispered to Director Gao: "The Zhao family garden wall’s too high; our guys can’t get over it."

Director Gao glanced at him: "Can’t you get a view from the hill?"

"The trees block everything; you can’t see a thing. We’ll have to figure something else out."

Director Gao thought it over without saying a word.

After about an hour at the funeral hall, Zhao Zhiao and Lin Yufan took off first.

They’d barely gotten home when a servant came in to report that Director Gao from the National Government Hong Kong Office had come to visit.

Since they didn’t have an invite, the car was still waiting outside the gate.

Zhao Zhiao thought it over and told the servant to let Director Gao in.

He stood by the study window, watching as Director Gao’s car pulled in and stopped in front of the yard.

Director Gao got out of the car, looked around, and then his eyes landed on the northwest corner.

The guy with the slicked-back hair who got out on the other side did the same, his eyes also stopping on the northwest corner.

What’s over in the northwest corner of the garden?

Zhao Zhiao thought carefully, feeling as if he had an idea.

He quickly went downstairs and received Director Gao in the tea room downstairs.

"Right after you left, the Ji siblings talked to me about the issue of Shukuan's burial. They want to bury Shukuan in Hong Kong first and consider moving him back to their hometown for burial later, to return to his roots. We originally suggested buying a plot at Ma On Shan Cemetery, but since it's a cremation cemetery, the Ji siblings still hope for a traditional burial for their brother. They've taken a liking to the East Point Royal Cemetery. You know, without connections, it's impossible to buy a plot there now..."

Zhao Zhiao understood Director Gao's meaning and smiled: "That's easy; I'll have someone make a call."

"That's great. I knew you had the connections to handle it. I didn't come to the wrong person." Director Gao smiled, took a sip of tea, and then asked: "Where are your mother and the other ladies?"

Zhao Zhiao: "My wife is talking with my mother, and the concubines are out visiting."

Director Gao didn't press further and chatted for a while before leaving.

After getting into the car and leaving the Zhao family garden, Cui Yuan, sitting beside him, whispered: "Director, this is the place. If the person in the photo is a woman, it should be Mrs. Zhao's photo. Ji Shukuan had no interaction with Zhao Zhiao's concubines."

Director Gao hissed: "Who said she's a Communist?"

Then he couldn't help but ask: "What's this Mrs. Zhao's background?"

Cui Yuan explained: "Mrs. Zhao's surname is Lin. Her ancestors were from an official family. She initially married into the Second Branch of the Zhao family. After being widowed a few years ago, she has been living in seclusion and hasn't appeared in public. Her past is very clean. Looking at her from all angles, Mrs. Zhao doesn't seem like a Communist."

Director Gao instructed: "Keep an eye on her and see if there's anything unusual."

After saying this, Director Gao felt something was off: "Do you think people might misunderstand our intentions if we're seen watching a beautiful, wealthy lady?"

Cui Yuan was amused, "Her looks are beside the point; the main issue is she's Zhao Zhiao's wife. If Zhao Zhiao finds out, things could get messy."

Director Gao glared at him, "You planning to tell him?"

"So, do we tail her or not?"

"Keep tabs on her for now."

"I suspect it's just Deputy Director Ji's wishful thinking. He didn't get his way, so he torched the photo. Or maybe there's some secret we don't know about. Sadly, I combed through Deputy Director Ji's office but came up empty."

*

Lin Yufan brought Fifth Brother to check out Turtleback Mountain first.

Truth is, Turtleback Mountain isn't that tall; its peak only matches the height of the five-story building across the way.

Lin Yuwu eyed the mountain and groaned, "You dropped 250,000 HKD on this wasteland?"

Lin Yufan nodded, "It's a 999-year lease."

"Didn't your brother-in-law blow a fuse?"

"Almost."

Lin Yuwu blinked helplessly, "Ah, your brother-in-law's a saint, he can put up with it. But not me. If your sister-in-law pulled a stunt like that, I'd... I'd freeze her out for two months."

Lin Yufan laughed, "Fifth Brother, look at the location of this mountain, surrounded by commercial districts..."

"But it's a barren mountain."

"Hear me out. If a developer's willing to flatten this mountain and build a big commercial hub, we're talking serious cash."

Lin Yuwu thought for a moment, "Move the whole mountain? With all those graves? How'd you even do that? And the scale of it—it's massive!"

Knowing the future historical progress, Lin Yufan was dismissive, "If there's money to be made, developers will shell out whatever it takes."

"What's a developer?"

Lin Yufan broke it down for Fifth Brother: real estate developers are a new breed in the game.

Lin Yuwu shook his head, "I don't get it. But if it's handled by pros, it sounds doable."

"So don't write off my wasteland; it'll be worth a fortune down the line."

"How long are we talking?" Lin Yuwu started planning to save money for his sister, "It's a waste to let it sit. Why not throw some fruit trees on there?"

"No planting. It won't stay empty for long." Lin Yufan started walking down the mountain.

When they got to Yilan Residence, Lin Yuwu finally relaxed.

The revamped Yilan Residence was stunning, and Lin Yuwu couldn't stop gushing, "You scored big here. They were asking 199,000, and you snagged it for 100,000? That's half off! You could flip it at the original price and pocket 100,000."

"The 199,000 was Boss Xie's scam price," Lin Yufan explained, then added, "Earlier, Tielong put up an ad outside, and tons of people came to check it out. But I haven't nailed down the price yet."

"No hurry. I'm on it. I'll scope out the market, see what others are charging, so we don't undersell. If you're not strapped for cash, we can take our time." Lin Yuwu was also a man of initiative, and Lin Yufan felt confident leaving these matters to him.

"Fifth Brother, I'll leave these 24 properties to you."

"You can count on me."

Lin Yufan checked her watch; she still had the paper mill to hit in the afternoon, so she brought Fifth Brother along to the Hongxing Paper Mill in Hong Kong Island's east district.

Gangxing Paper Mill is in a pretty out-of-the-way spot, nestled at the foot of a mountain in the Eastern District.

The paper mill itself isn’t huge, but the warehouses are massive—two large ones, one for book paper and the other for pulp.

Director Wang, who greeted them, said, "We’re overstocked. Back when pulp was cheap, our boss bought over ten thousand Hong Kong dollars’ worth of it, and now it’s all stored here. We still haven’t sold all the book paper we made in the first half of the year."

Lin Yufan asked, "Why isn’t it selling?"

Director Wang shook his head, "Our boss always thinks our book paper is better than others’, so we charge more. If you take over, you’ll need to go for a low-price approach to make it work. The competition’s too fierce now."

Lin Yufan wasn’t buying the paper mill to turn a profit. She remembered in her previous life, when she first arrived in Hong Kong, newspaper prices rose twice in a row because the city was short on paper.

There’s going to be a major paper shortage in the next year or two. If she wants to start a novel publishing house, she’ll need to secure her own paper supply.

The publishing house is still just a pipe dream, but the paper’s already being stockpiled.

"What’s your boss’s asking price?" she inquired.

Director Wang held up a number with his fingers, "Seventy thousand—the whole factory, including the two large warehouses of book paper and pulp."

Lin Yufan shook her head, "Your pulp and book paper are likely worth around twenty grand, and the rest of the factory buildings aren’t worth fifty thousand. This place is too remote."

Lin Yuwu seized the chance to criticize, "In this middle-of-nowhere spot, this rundown factory still expects to fetch fifty grand? Your boss isn’t cut out for business, just slashing prices as he goes. I’d say you’d be lucky to get thirty grand for this place. And those papers of yours—you can’t even sell them yourselves. Now you’re dumping two warehouses of goods on us at the original price, your boss not budging a cent, and clearing out all the stock in one go. I just picked up a local phrase—are we the suckers here? We’re not fools, are we?"

Director Wang chuckled nervously, aware the price was high but unable to say so directly. "Sure, we’re a bit out of the way, but the property’s pretty sizable. Our boss spent a lot on it last year. How about I give you my boss’s number, and you can talk to him directly, okay?"

"Okay, write it down for me."

Lin Yufan accepted the slip of paper from Director Wang, thanked him, and left Gangxing Paper Mill.

Back in the car, Lin Yuwu turned to his sixth sister, "What’s your budget?"

After settling the Turtleback Mountain payment, Lin Yufan only had fifty thousand in cash left. She said, "Not more than fifty thousand."

Lin Yuwu nodded, "Fifty grand’s still too much. Leave it to me—I’ll handle the negotiation."

Fifth Brother was definitely the right guy for this. Lin Yufan suggested, "Get Tielong to take you to the private eye, Tu Laoliu. Have him check if the boss of Gangxing Paper Mill is desperate for cash. Director Wang mentioned his boss is in a hurry for money. If we can corner him on this, he might sell cheap."

Lin Yuwu patted Tielong in the passenger seat, and Tielong grinned and nodded.

*

After dinner, Lin Yufan was reading in the living room when Zhao Zhiao, who was half-crippled, pushed the door open and sat down beside her.

"Today, Director Gao came in, sneaking around..."

Lin Yufan didn’t understand, "What sneaking around?"

"I’m worried he’s not thinking straight—suspecting you’re a Communist."

Hearing this, Lin Yufan couldn’t help but laugh. She whispered, "I’m not a Communist, so I’m not afraid of him. But I don’t know if my husband is?"

Zhao Zhiao replied honestly, "I’m not."

As Lin Yufan expected, she pointed upstairs, "Is the third concubine?"

Zhao Zhiao didn’t answer directly, but his silence gave Lin Yufan the answer she’d already guessed.

Thinking about it, she suddenly grew concerned, "Would Director Gao try to assassinate me?"

Zhao Zhiao shook his head, "They’re still unclear about your identity, so they wouldn’t go that far. After all, this isn’t their territory, and he wouldn’t dare mess with Zhao Zhiao’s wife. But they’ll definitely have someone tail you. In the near future, they’ll likely know your every move."

Lin Yufan didn't like being followed like this, "What should we do then?"

"Listen to my arrangement. We'll catch them in a trap."

"How do we catch them in a trap?"

Zhao Zhiao leaned in close, "Sit on my lap, and I'll explain it to you slowly."

Lin Yufan glared at him sideways, "You're being naughty."

Seeing her husband in a formal suit, looking so serious, she remembered the song Zhao Lixiang used to play, which was so fitting, "The song 'Fake Seriousness' is meant to describe you."

Zhao Zhiao laughed, he reached over and, before his wife could speak, covered her mouth, "Don't worry, I've washed my hands."

With that, he gently embraced her, lifted her cheongsam, and placed her on his lap. Lin Yufan, mindful of his injured hand, didn't dare to struggle and had to obediently sit down.

He sat while she was on top, both fully clothed, with only their waists and abdomens exerting effort, unprepared, with a hint of awkwardness, both couldn't help but hold their breath, never felt such a thrilling mix before, sweat dripped from their foreheads, she pressed against him, her hands were trembling, "Don't move."

To distract herself, she asked, "What's the plan next? Should we avoid Director Gao?"

Zhao Zhiao lifted his waist slightly, saying, "Of course not. The more this happens, the more we need to confront him head-on and show our strength."