Chapter 113

The rain had been falling for several days in the city of Linjiang. The sky was a perpetual, suffocating gray, and the temperature had plummeted, leaving the streets damp and desolate. Jiang Chi sat in his office, staring blankly at the pile of documents on his desk. He hadn’t been back to his apartment in days; he had been living in the hospital, keeping watch over the child. The doctor’s words echoed in his mind, a relentless, icy reminder that time was slipping away.

His phone buzzed, the harsh vibration shattering the silence of the room. He picked it up, his expression unreadable.

"Hello?"

"Jiang Chi?" The voice on the other end was cold, sharp, and unmistakably familiar.

Jiang Chi’s grip on the phone tightened. "I didn't expect you to call."

"I have something you want," the caller said, ignoring the tension in Jiang Chi's voice. "If you want it, meet me at the old tea house on the outskirts of the city. Alone."

Jiang Chi didn't hesitate. He grabbed his coat and walked out, his footsteps echoing through the empty corridor. Outside, the rain was still falling, a relentless drizzle that blurred the world into shades of slate and charcoal. He drove in silence, his mind fixated on the destination.

When he reached the tea house, he found a solitary figure standing by the doorway. The man was tall, wrapped in a long, dark coat that seemed to blend into the shadows. He didn't turn when Jiang Chi approached.

"You're late," the man said, his voice devoid of warmth.

"I'm here," Jiang Chi replied, his tone icy. "Where is it?"

The man turned, revealing a face marked by a jagged, pale scar that ran from his temple to his jaw. He smiled, a thin, cruel expression that didn't reach his eyes. "Always so impatient, Jiang Chi. Just like your father."

Jiang Chi felt a surge of rage, but he kept his face impassive. "Don't bring him into this. Where is the envelope?"

The man reached into his coat and pulled out a worn, thick envelope. He tossed it onto the table between them. Jiang Chi reached for it, but the man placed a hand over it, stopping him.

"Not so fast," the man whispered. "Do you know what's in here? It's the end of everything you've built. Everything your family worked for, gone in a single stroke."

Jiang Chi stared at him, his eyes like flint. "Give it to me."

"You want it so badly?" The man laughed, a dry, rasping sound. He slid the envelope across the table. "Take it. It’s exactly what you deserve."

Jiang Chi snatched the envelope and ripped it open. Inside were a series of photographs—pictures of a young girl, her face obscured by shadows, standing in front of a familiar building. Jiang Chi’s heart stopped.

"Where is she?" he demanded, his voice trembling with suppressed fury.

"That's for you to find out," the man replied, turning to leave. "But remember, Jiang Chi, some things, once lost, can never be recovered."

As the man disappeared into the rain, Jiang Chi stood frozen, the photographs clutched tightly in his hand. The rain continued to fall, washing away the world around him, leaving only the cold, biting reality of the choice he had just made. He knew then that the game had only just begun, and the price of victory would be higher than he ever imagined.