Chapter 44: Shooting the Breeze, Thinking on Empty

Chapter 44: Shooting the Breeze, Thinking on Empty

In Director Gao's office, Liu Pangzi spilled out his latest findings.

"Commander Ji had just met with Zhao Zhiao and his wife at the Second Branch in Haicheng when he was killed in an explosion; and when Ji Shukuan was investigating Commander Ji's death and had just made some progress, he was gunned down, with Zhao Zhiao and his wife present at the scene... Is it really just a coincidence?"

Cui Yuan exchanged a glance with Director Gao, as if to say it made sense.

Director Gao frowned, "So, what exactly did Ji Shukuan discover? Are you implying the Zhao Zhiaos are involved?"

Although Liu Pangzi was fat, he was quick-witted. He said, "Why don’t we ask the Ji family? Maybe they know something?"

Cui Yuan neither wanted Liu Pangzi to take credit nor to complicate matters, "We’re swamped—why even bother? If Zhao Zhiao were an ordinary person, we might handle it. But he's not. He’s got more connections in high places than we do, he knows more local gangsters than we do, and most importantly, he's so rich. To continue investigating would be to offend him. That’s not worth the trouble."

Director Gao nodded, but he didn't want to dampen Liu Pangzi's enthusiasm, "I’m on top of this, Pangzi, don't go investigating on your own anymore, I will arrange it next. Your discovery is very important, keep it up."

Hearing Director Gao's praise, Liu Pangzi quickly smiled, "This is what I should do. It's all thanks to the guidance of the Director and the Captain."

Suck-up! Cui Yuan cursed in his heart.

Director Gao had Liu Pangzi leave, and he and Cui Yuan continued to go over the material list.

"Let’s wrap this up today, I have something to do tomorrow, it's the weekend."

*

On Saturday afternoon, the garden on the roof of the Qin family apartment was filled with many cultural figures from Haicheng.

When Director Gao arrived, Qin Hai personally went downstairs to greet him.

"Director Gao, you’ve really done us a favor by coming, thank you for gracing our humble abode, your presence really brightens the place."

"Oh, Editor Qin, I didn’t know you were in Hong Kong."

Director Gao and Qin Hai had known each other for many years, but they were not close friends. Mainly, media folks back then weren’t under government control, but they could exert important influence at critical moments, so officials would show them some respect.

Director Gao handed his hat to Cui Yuan and had him go back first.

Then he followed Qin Hai upstairs, "So? Is Editor Qin thinking of starting a newspaper in Hong Kong?"

Qin Hai really had such an idea, he led Director Gao upstairs, "Launching a daily or evening paper is a tall order, but I do have an idea to start a bi-monthly magazine."

"Starting a magazine is also good. What kind of magazine?"

"A mix of literature and current affairs—what do you think?"

"That's a good idea."

"We’d love for Director Gao to contribute some articles, wouldn’t that boost our sales?" Qin Hai's flattery was loud.

Downstairs, Ji Shutong and Zhao Lixiang arrived together. Zhao Lixiang originally didn't want to come, but Ji Shutong insisted on dragging him along, so he had to tag along.

Zhao Lixiang knew that Ji Shutong had a dream of being a writer, he encouraged, "You write a good novel, just submit it directly, why must you enter this circle?"

Ji Shutong whispered, "I've tried, the big magazines turned it down flat, a friend's small magazine did publish a few of my pieces, but very few people read them. This year I wrote a novel, 120,000 words, I want to see if any publisher is willing to help me publish it."

Upstairs, Qin Hai saw Zhao Lixiang and warmly welcomed him, "Ah, Li Xiang, I thought you weren't coming."

Zhao Lixiang greeted with a smile, "Editor Qin, long time no see."

They were former colleagues at the Guangming Daily.

Qin Hai was shameless. The scandal of him secretly intercepting Si Mu's manuscript at Guangming Daily might not be known to others, but Zhao Lixiang, who was interning at Guangming Daily at the time, surely knew all the details.

If it were any other colleague, Qin Hai might have kept his distance as far as possible, but Zhao Lixiang was different—his brother was a big shot in Hong Kong.

Moreover, most of the guests at this gathering were literati and media professionals, and Zhao Lixiang was considered the most influential figure among them.

So, he was treated like a VIP as soon as he arrived.

Zhao Lixiang wasn’t into these kinds of social events, so he simply took a drink and sat in a corner chatting with Ji Shutong.

Ji Shutong was a straightforward guy, looking to widen his network, but once there, he found himself at a loss, only meeting others when they came over to say hi to Zhao Lixiang.

That’s exactly why he made sure to bring Zhao Lixiang along.

Out of all the guests, he knew Director Gao the best.

Director Gao was a government bigwig, running the Hong Kong office, so he got the seat of honor.

Noticing the seat next to Director Gao was free, Ji Shutong said to Zhao Lixiang, "I’m gonna say hi to Director Gao. Do you want to come along?"

Zhao Lixiang had no interest and shook his head, "I don’t know him, so I’ll pass."

Ji Shutong walked over, "Director Gao, I didn’t expect to meet you here."

Director Gao saw Ji Shutong and paused to remember he was Ji Shukuan’s brother, "Shutong, what are you doing here? Come on, take a seat."

Ji Shutong pulled out a wicker chair and sat down. After they chatted for a bit, Director Gao mentioned, "I had a big meeting on the day of your brother’s funeral, so I couldn’t come. Later, I asked the secretariat, and they said the ceremony went smoothly."

"Yes, thanks to the folks at the office. The cops are wrapping up my brother’s case and wanted me to sign off, but I didn’t."

Director Gao expressed understanding, "Even the toughest outsider can’t beat the local big shot. Without Zhao Zhiao stepping in, Guang Touli wouldn’t have coughed up a dime."

Ji Shutong replied, "We’re not after the money. I just want my brother to get justice."

A bit embarrassed that the office hadn’t done much, Director Gao paused before saying, "Oh, by the way, I remember something. Your brother’s assistant told me he was looking into your dad’s case and had some leads. But the assistant couldn’t clarify the specifics. Do you know the details?"

Of course, Ji Shutong knew about this. He explained, "It’s just a mix-up, and nothing’s really moving forward."

"What mix-up?"

"It’s just a mix-up, no need to elaborate." Ji Shutong was worried that mentioning it might cause trouble for Zhao Zhiao.

But Director Gao directly asked, "Is Zhao Zhiao mixed up in this?"

Ji Shutong was surprised, "How’d you figure that out?"

Director Gao briefly explained Liu Pangzi’s discovery to Ji Shutong, who also became puzzled, "Indeed, both my father’s and my brother’s deaths seem to have some connection with Brother Zhao, but it shouldn’t involve Mrs. Zhao."

"Oh? Why do you say that?"

Ji Shutong didn’t hesitate anymore and revealed everything he knew, "The so-called progress in my dad’s case is because I saw Brother Zhao’s concubine in the garden, and she looked just like someone."

"Who?"

Ji Shutong said, "Four years back, my dad met this amazing painter, Dong Zhen, in Chongqing. My father admired her greatly and even introduced her to the head of a confidential department at the time. However, when Dong Zhen went to paint for that official, she killed him and then disappeared without a trace."

Director Gao was shocked, "Was the victim Minister Lü?"

"Yes, it was Minister Lü."

"After Minister Lu's death, wasn't it discovered that he had collaborated with the Japanese and betrayed the country?" This incident was internally reported and widely known among government departments at the time.

Ji Shutong nodded, "That's right. So no one held Dong Zhen accountable at that time, and there was no arrest warrant issued. Later, my father suspected that Dong Zhen had been sent by the Communist Party to kill Minister Lu. Although the government didn't hold Dong Zhen accountable, she vanished without a trace. Over the years, my father always wanted to find her and figure out who she really was. Before my father was murdered, he received an anonymous letter, in which someone arranged to meet him in person to reveal Dong Zhen's whereabouts."

Director Gao listened intently, "And then?"

Ji Shutong's face fell, "My father went to the meeting as the letter instructed, but he was killed by a bomb on the way."

"So it's safe to assume that your father's death is closely tied to Dong Zhen."

"That's what we suspect."

"You just mentioned that one of Zhao Zhiao's concubines in the Zhao family garden looked a lot like Dong Zhen?"

Ji Shutong explained, "When I was in Chongqing, I saw Dong Zhen once in my father's study. I was the only one in our family who'd seen her, so when I mentioned that one of Zhi Ao's concubines in the Zhao family garden looked a lot like Dong Zhen, my brother decided to get to the bottom of it. Later, my brother managed to get a group photo of the three concubines, and he showed it to me to see if Dong Zhen was in it."

Director Gao nodded slightly, "You just said it was a misunderstanding, so Dong Zhen wasn't one of the three, right?"

"Right. None of them. I'm sure of it."

Director Gao paused, "You saw a photo, not the real person."

"Just a photo."

"How can you be sure the photo's genuine?"

This question stumped Ji Shutong, and he gave an awkward smile, "My brother got the photo; it shouldn't be wrong, right?"

That makes sense.

Director Gao finally realized that the burned photo was of Zhao Zhiao's concubines.

But he had previously mistaken the person in the photo for Mrs. Zhao. Why didn't he explain?

Why didn't he explain?

Was it guilt, or did he really not know who was in the photo?

Director Gao asked, "You went to the Zhao family garden, but didn't see the three concubines?"

Ji Shutong replied, "I didn't see them. After Mrs. Zhao came to Hong Kong, she was quite traditional and didn't seem to like letting the concubines come out to meet guests."

Director Gao recalled his visit to the Zhao family garden and didn't see many concubines either. Was it a coincidence, or...

"I have a suggestion, Shutong. Your family is closely related to the Zhao family. If you have the chance, you should see Boss Zhao's concubines in person. Seeing is believing. What if Boss Zhao doesn't know the true identities of his concubines? Right?"

That makes some sense. Ji Shutong was slightly dazed, "Director, you make a good point."

At that moment, Yang Pinwen from Qunqing Press was holding a glass of sparkling wine, nodding and bowing everywhere to network.

His uncle knew Qin Hai, but not well. Yang Pinwen slightly bent his waist and greeted Qin Hai with a flattering smile, "Editor Qin, hello, I am Yang Zheng's nephew, my name is Yang Pinwen, I am a senior planner at Qunqing Press."

"Oh, hello, Qunqing Press? What books have you published?" Qin Hai didn't know much about Hong Kong publishers.

Yang Pinwen mentioned a few slightly well-known books, and Qin Hai immediately understood that it was just a small press trying to network.

Qin Hai was smooth, and he had just experienced a Waterloo at Guangming Daily. What if these small connections could be useful in the future?

So he didn't cold-shoulder Yang Pinwen, but greeted him with the same enthusiasm as always.

The thing is, Yang Pinwen is pretty good-looking, with a gaze that could charm anyone, and he kept putting his hand on Qin Hai's thigh. Qin Hai knew exactly what he was up to. Qin Hai, being no stranger to this game, didn’t let the opportunity slip and naturally didn’t refuse.

This made Yang Pinwen dream up the unrealistic idea that they could team up right away.

In such a public place, they kept it brief. Qin Hai had many people to attend to, so he said to Yang Pinwen, "Make yourself at home, no need to hold back. Stick around for a bit. I need to greet some new guests."

Stick around for a bit.

Yang Pinwen clung to these hopeful words.

"Editor Qin, I’m sure you’re swamped."

With some time to kill, Yang Pinwen mingled with the writers and literati. When he heard that the young man sitting in the corner was the younger brother of the well-known tycoon Zhao Zhiao, he jumped at the chance to introduce himself and get to know Zhao Lixiang.

Zhao Lixiang was indifferent to everyone, neither friendly nor aloof, not trying to win anyone over or ruffle any feathers. He hadn’t shown interest in the literati or media earlier, but when Yang Pinwen mentioned he was a senior planner at a publishing house, his eyebrows raised slightly.

Zhao Lixiang asked curiously, "How does your publishing house pick its books? What’s the criteria?"

"Each editor has their own standards, and so does the editor-in-chief. If it’s got one standout quality, it’s got a shot." Yang Pinwen raised his pinky slightly, his eyes locked on Zhao Lixiang, as if trying to win him over.

Zhao Lixiang glanced at him and very unromantically reminded, "You’re looking a bit cross-eyed there."

Yang Pinwen: "..."

He quickly looked away, embarrassed, and switched topics. "Does Mr. Zhao have any books he’s looking to publish?"

Zhao Lixiang didn’t, but Ji Shutong did. He wanted to help him out, "What if it doesn’t meet the standards? Can you pay to get it published?"

Seriously? That’s a thing?

Today wasn’t a waste; he’d found a backer.

Yang Pinwen immediately responded, "Of course! If Mr. Zhao wants to publish something, just let me know, and I’ll make it happen."

Yang Pinwen then walked Zhao Lixiang through the whole publishing process, the steps involved, and the costs.

*

When Lin Yufan woke up in the morning, she ignored Zhao Zhiao. She was angry with him but not with the concubines.

It was a rare weekend, and she played mahjong with the concubines as usual.

Zhao Zhiao was also busy today; he had to go to Guangzhou in the afternoon. When he finished packing and was ready to leave, he remembered he was in a cold war with his wife.

He couldn’t bring himself to apologize. After going downstairs, he stood in the small living room and said to everyone, "I’m going to Guangzhou and will be back in three days. Do you want anything?"

It wasn’t often he thought of them while traveling for work.

The Fourth Concubine spoke first, "I want Hui Ji’s wife cakes."

The Second and Third Concubines both said they wanted chicken biscuits, any brand would do.

Only Lin Yufan said nothing.

Zhao Zhiao was about to turn and leave but held back, asking his wife, "What do you want?"

The Second Concubine chimed in, "First Madam, what would you like to eat?"

Lin Yufan had no choice but to reply, "Nothing in particular."

It seemed she was still angry.

Zhao Zhiao couldn't apologize to her in public, so he kept quiet and left.

With Zhao Zhiao away, Lin Yufan enjoyed her freedom and happiness. After work each day, she’d play a few rounds of mahjong.

One day, after a mahjong session, her Fifth Brother, Lin Yuwu, dropped by.

Noticing Fifth Brother’s cheerful expression, Lin Yufan sensed good news.

They headed to the tea room to talk.

Lin Yuwu reported the latest achievements: "I sold two properties yesterday, and both deals closed today. I recouped 20,000, just wrapped up the accounts with Hong Yu, and handed the money to Gui Xiang."

Lin Yufan didn't expect them to sell so quickly. She asked, "You only posted the ads yesterday, and they’re already sold?"

"Yep, sold in a day. There are still a few interested buyers. I told them new listings will be up in a few days, so they should stay tuned. Next, I’ll list 2-3 more units, raising the price by $2 per square foot."

Lin Yufan couldn’t help but compliment Fifth Brother on his business savvy, but she knew most buyers were mainland families fleeing to Hong Kong, and it made her uneasy.

"Fifth Brother, maybe don’t hike the price too much. Just add $1 this time. Our costs are low, after all. The buyers aren’t exactly in a great spot."

Lin Yuwu didn’t want to argue: "Fine, I’ll take your advice."

Then he remembered something: "Boss Xie wants to chat with you."

"About what?"

"His shoe factory was hotly contested by two groups before, but now there are no takers. He’s fuming. Now, there’s finally a buyer for the factory, but they won’t provide employee dorms, so the two dorm buildings are unwanted. Boss Xie likely wants to see if you’re interested in the other two buildings."

Lin Yufan figured it wasn’t a bad deal, so she told Fifth Brother to set up a meeting with Boss Xie for the weekend.

*

The editorial team held another meeting.

As usual, Lin Yufan went to the third floor to take notes.

The meeting started, and Director Chen, as usual, gave a quick rundown of the publishing house’s recent status. "The trend isn’t improving. Xiaoming’s novel isn’t well-placed, and sales dipped this week."

There was nothing anyone could do about it.

Editor-in-Chief Wang asked if anyone had fresh ideas since the last meeting.

The editors offered suggestions that were mostly rehashed, with the consensus being that good works are rare.

Big authors snub their small press, and small authors’ works lack proper promotion, so they don’t get noticed.

Finally, Yang Pinwen raised an eyebrow, a hint of pride in his voice: "I met Qin Hai over the weekend."

Someone asked curiously, "You managed to meet him?"

Yang Pinwen: "Of course. He's been a good friend of my uncle for many years. Qin Hai promised to introduce Nan Luo and Si Mu to me."

Lin Yufan didn't catch the names of the two writers clearly. She just wrote down a few homophones in her shorthand notebook.

"Everyone knows who Nan Luo is, but some of you might not know Si Mu."

Si Mu?

Lin Yufan doubted her hearing and looked up.

Noticing Lin Yufan’s slight look of surprise, Yang Pinwen grew even more smug.

"Si Mu—some of you may have heard of him. Anyone from Haicheng would know," he said, glancing at Lin Yufan from the corner of his eye. "This year, through his series of anti-Japanese chronicles, he single-handedly sparked a sensational manhunt story that swept through Haicheng’s literary, political, and everyday circles. The impact was so huge that it was the talk of every street and alley in Haicheng."

Yang Pinwen grew more and more excited as he spoke, "Si Mu isn’t just anyone—he’s the pen name of a renowned writer."

Lin Yufan, the person in question, was at a loss for words.

An editor nodded, "The story about the little girl selling cigarettes, right? The Hong Kong Ming Daily covered it since the girl fled to Hong Kong, so it’s widely known."

Yang Pinwen added, "So Si Mu’s recent influence has even surpassed Nan Luo’s."

Someone asked, "Whose pen name is Si Mu?"

Yang Pinwen spread his hands, "The writer prefers to use Si Mu now because the pen name’s hot right now, and he’s an anti-Japanese hero adored by the public. With so many Haicheng cultural figures moving to Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Daily has covered it too, making Si Mu a name with both buzz and recognition."

Someone questioned, "But if Si Mu’s a big-name writer, would he even consider our little press, Qunqing?"

Yang Pinwen chuckled, his fingers curling coquettishly, "That’s why connections are everything right now. Qin Hai has promised to help me figure it out."

Though everyone despised Yang Pinwen’s ladder-climbing tactics, they had to admit his connections were unmatched in the room.

After all, landing Nan Luo was a feat, and now with Si Mu in the mix, it’d at least give their press a short-term boost.

Editor-in-Chief Wang was very proud, "If we can sign these two big-name writers and publish their works, it’ll definitely skyrocket our reputation. Pinwen, you’ve outdone yourself this time."

"Thanks for the praise, Editor-in-Chief," Yang Pinwen said in a flirtatious tone that made everyone squirm.

If Lin Yufan hadn’t known Qin Hai didn’t even know her, she might’ve almost fallen for Yang Pinwen’s nonsense.

Yang Pinwen pressed on, "I have another piece of good news."

"What good news?"

"The Zhao family—the wealthiest in Hong Kong—you all know them, right?" Yang Pinwen teased.

Hui Yan, an editor who had always disliked him, deliberately interrupted, "No, who’s that?"

The person sitting next to Hui Yan, thinking she really didn’t know, hurriedly explained, "Their car dealerships and trading firms dominate Hong Kong’s market."

Hui Yan glared at the person who explained, as if to say, "Who asked you to explain?"

Yang Pinwen was smug, "The Zhao family’s second son is a close friend of mine. He’s willing to bankroll a book for his friend."

Hui Yan asked with a smile, "Is he publishing it for his boyfriend or girlfriend?"

Yang Pinwen knew Hui Yan was trying to mock him, but he raised his eyebrows and faced the challenge head-on, "A male friend."

"The second son of the Zhao family wants to fund the publication of a book for his male friend?"

"Exactly. Since he’s footing the bill, he’ll also splash out on promotion and prime bookstore spots. Then, we can hitch a ride and sell our other books as well."

Everyone nodded in agreement, seeing the logic.

Yang Pinwen added, "The second son himself works at the Hong Kong Ming Daily, so he can also place free ads for his friend’s novel in the Hong Kong Ming Daily. These are resources we can tap into."

When Lin Yufan first heard about the wealthiest Zhao family, she began to wonder if they were talking about her own family.

Then, when she heard about the second son working at the Hong Kong Ming Daily, she realized it must be Zhao Lixiang.

Is Zhao Lixiang going to fund the publication of a book for his male friend?

Today, during the meeting at the publishing house, I heard two absurd rumors about our own team.

After the meeting, Yang Pinwen, feeling triumphant, walked over, looked at Lin Yufan, and said sarcastically, "Let me see how you jotted down my so-called constructive suggestions in the meeting notes. Let's see if you even know how to spell Nanluo and Si Mu."

As he spoke, Yang Pinwen snatched the notebook off the table, only to find it scrawled with a bold line: "Bragging without a draft, thinking without a brain."

"What the hell is this?" Yang Pinwen's sharp voice suddenly rose.

Lin Yufan, though reluctant to engage, shot back, "What does it matter how I write in my notebook? As long as the President, the Editor-in-Chief, and the Department Head can read it when I type it up, that's all that matters."

Yang Pinwen pointed at the words on the draft, "'Bragging without a draft, thinking without a brain,' who are you referring to? Who is bragging? Who is brainless?"

Lin Yufan, who had been looking for an opportunity to provoke him, seized the chance: "Whoever’s bragging and brainless knows it deep down. If you think you're bragging and brainless and want to claim it, I can't stop you."

Yang Pinwen was so furious he was about to blow a gasket. After a long pause, he said, "You wait. If I fulfill all the promises I made in today's meeting, Lin Yufan, you must apologize to me. A public apology in the papers!"

Lin Yufan couldn’t help but laugh, "If you can get Si Mu to sign with our publishing house, I'll apologize to you in the Hong Kong Ming Daily. If you can't, I don't need your apology. You just need to publish in the Hong Kong Ming Daily that 'Yang Pinwen is a stupid donkey, bragging without a draft, thinking without a brain,' and that's enough."

Taking it that far?!

The crowd, ready to leave after the meeting, froze in their tracks.

Yang Pinwen felt as if he had been insulted, gritting his teeth in anger.

Someone who loved stirring the pot egged him on, "Planner Yang, bet with her! I'm rooting for you."

Biting the bait, Yang Pinwen snapped, "Fine! It’s a deal!"

He was sure he could handle that old lecher Qin Hai.

The crowd chimed in, "We all heard it—we’ll be your witnesses."

Hui Yan nudged Lin Yufan's shoulder and whispered, "Even if he succeeds, so what? You already won by insulting him like that. Well done. A bragging, brainless stupid donkey, how did you come up with such a fitting description?"

After saying that, Hui Yan couldn't help but burst into laughter first.

Editor Hui Yan, a single mom in her thirties, had laugh lines that made her look vibrant.

Lin Yufan smiled and thanked her.

She wondered where Yang Pinwen would pull a Si Mu out of thin air.