At 10:20 p.m., Wangting Mountain blazed with light.The winding mountain road had not yet opened to the public. Someone had rented it for a private car meet. Dozens of modified cars crowded the foot of the mountain, music thundered from the speakers, and the air reeked of gasoline and scorched rubber.When Shen Kaiyue drove the Luan Group’s black executive van into the lot, the crowd fell silent for two seconds.Surrounded by sports cars covered in custom decals, the square black van looked like a man in a business suit who had wandered into an outdoor nightclub.Someone whistled.“Who brought the school pickup van?”Shen lowered his window. “Where is Luan Xiaoman?”“Looking for Sister Man?” A young man with dyed yellow hair pointed uphill. “Finish line. Go catch her if you can.”As he spoke, two beams of light appeared on the mountain road.A silver-gray sports car burst around the final bend. Its engine drowned out the music and its tires screamed over the asphalt. The car swung int

The black envelope was thin. The message inside had plenty of attitude.Shen Kaiyue finished reading the line and slipped it into his pocket.“How many people?”The security guard glanced toward the gates. “I didn’t count. More than thirty cars. There’ll be even more people.”“Are they blocking the road?”“Completely.”“That won’t do,” Shen said. “I still have to get off work.”The guard stared at him. His mouth opened, but he decided not to ask why Shen was still thinking about clocking out at a time like this.Luan Zhaowan came out of the house with a light coat over her shoulders. She did not ask who was outside. Her gaze went straight to Shen’s right hand.“You put the handkerchief away?”“It’s in my pocket.”“Don’t use it to wipe the car.”“Depends how bad the damage is.”She ignored that and turned to the guard. “Save a copy of the gate footage. Record every license plate. If anyone crosses the gate, call the police immediately.”“Yes, Ms. Luan.”Luan Xiaoman followed them outsi

The check was real.Xue Hongfei did not look like a woman making a joke.She stood among tools and disassembled parts without a drop of oil touching her wine-red dress. It was not because she watched every step. People moved things out of her way without realizing they were doing it.Shen Kaiyue picked up the check.“Who am I protecting?”“Me and my club.”“For how long?”“Eight tonight until midnight.”“Midnight won’t work.”Xue Hongfei lifted one eyebrow. “Too long?”“I leave at eleven thirty.”“Another appointment?”“Yes.”“Busy man.”“I just entered the business. Things are going well.”She laughed.Her smile was nothing like Luan Zhaowan’s. Zhaowan kept every emotion under control. Xue Hongfei seemed to show hers on purpose, but never more than half.“South Embankment Salvage Yard?” she asked.“News travels that quickly?”“Half the South District was parked on one road last night. It would be harder not to hear.”She handed him a contract.“My club is called Twilight Harbor. It’s

At 11:18 p.m., the black executive van left Twilight Harbor.Shen Kaiyue drove.Luan Zhaowan sat in the front passenger seat.Luan Xiaoman had tried to squeeze in too, but her sister sent her to Zheng Kailu’s old pickup with one sentence: “Your car still hasn’t passed inspection.”Xue Hongfei drove her own car at the rear of the small convoy.The van remained quiet for a while.Shen spoke first. “What you said back there could be misunderstood.”“Which part?”“Picking up another woman.”“Is there a problem?”Luan Zhaowan continued reading the salvage-yard documents without looking up.“Company vehicles may not be used for unauthorized purposes. That is asset management.”“So you were supervising the car.”“What else?”“I thought you were supervising the driver.”She closed the file and turned toward him.“Shen Kaiyue.”“Mm?”“Watch the road.”“I could drive this route with my eyes closed.”“Try it.”“Not with my boss in the car.”She returned to the file, though the line of her mouth

Meng Kuoshan did not throw the first punch.Shen Kaiyue did not move either.Three meters separated them. Neither assumed an elaborate stance.The longer they waited, the quieter the crowd became.Cui Chongshan stood outside the warehouse with one hand pressed against his teacup. He clearly had not forgotten his three-second defeat the previous night. His eyes remained fixed on Shen’s feet, and he never drank his tea.Meng Kuoshan watched Shen’s feet too. He refused to rush.Shen took the first step.An ordinary step.As Shen’s shoe touched the ground, Meng turned and drove a punch beneath his ribs. The strike traveled short, without a wide swing. By the time it became visible, the knuckles had reached Shen’s shirt.Shen tightened his abdomen and dropped his left arm.Thud!The fist still clipped his ribs.He retreated half a step.Someone in the crowd shouted approval.Meng did not chase recklessly. He pivoted and drove a second punch at Shen’s chest.This time, Shen did not block.H