Chapter 119: Exposed

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The Jianghua Building was famous throughout Leijiang—so famous that men and women, young and old, all knew of it. One reason was that it housed the city’s largest securities company, drawing countless speculators who dreamed of making their fortune. Another was that it contained the biggest brand-name shopping center in the city, with every imaginable luxury and commodity on display. But the most important reason, perhaps, was the formidable reputation of the building’s owner.

For the past two days, a brand-new Mercedes 600 had been the favorite subject of conversation among every social class in Leijiang. The owner of the nearly two-million-yuan luxury car had once again become the center of public attention. Even his driver, dressed in a crisp, perfectly tailored suit and tie, had given people plenty to gossip about.

Nie San had recently been basking in triumph and enjoying the limelight. Riding in his new Mercedes, he swept constantly between government offices, business venues, and entertainment establishments. His head was so brilliantly polished that even a fly would need crutches to keep its footing. The platinum chain around his neck was scarcely thinner than the leashes wealthy ladies used for their dogs. Whenever he spoke with anyone, he wore a confident smile, occasionally raising his left hand in a suave gesture to stroke his head. The diamond-studded gold Rolex on his wrist, worth one hundred and twenty thousand yuan, often flashed with such dazzling brilliance that it nearly blinded anyone nearby.

That afternoon, Nie San, in particularly high spirits, made two phone calls. Before long, two police cars arrived at the underground parking garage of Jianghua Building. Four plainclothes officers stepped out, startling Kang Ning, who had just parked his battered Jeep beside them.

Fortunately, the officers entered Nie San’s private elevator in the middle and quickly disappeared. Only then did Kang Ning realize that they had not come for him. He remained in the Jeep, chewing gum and waiting calmly.

Kang Ning had been conducting this sort of preliminary investigation and covert surveillance for seven full days.

Ten minutes later, the private elevator opened. Surrounded by seven or eight burly men, Nie San emerged, laughing and talking loudly as he headed toward his Mercedes. From their conversation, Kang Ning learned that Nie San had made a wager with two of the policemen beside him: whoever lost the shooting match later that evening would pay for dinner.

In the blink of an eye, Nie San’s luxurious car was escorted out of the parking garage by two police cars, one in front and one behind. Kang Ning started his Jeep and followed at a leisurely pace.

After leaving the city proper, Kang Ning immediately understood from their direction that the group was heading for the shooting range in the western suburbs. After a moment’s thought, he turned off at an intersection, abandoned the pursuit, and returned to the city. He had just parked in the lot of a department store when a tall figure silently appeared outside his driver’s-side window, taking him completely by surprise.

“Well, well! When did you switch to this wreck? You had a perfectly good Passat, but you just had to drive an old Jeep—and one with Chongqing plates, no less.”

Du Jianwu regarded Kang Ning through half-closed eyes, wearing a smile that was not quite a smile.

“Not bad. You’ve turned that handsome hair of yours into a bird’s nest and put on a set of shabby work clothes. Don’t tell me you went bankrupt just a few days after arriving in Chengdu? But I heard Big Brother Gao say that you and Lu Jing bought a split-level apartment worth several hundred thousand yuan in Chengdu’s finest neighborhood, Splendid Garden.”

Kang Ning did not seem bothered. Smiling, he answered a different question altogether.

“Brother Du, you seem to have plenty of free time. Where’s your car?”

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Du Jianwu raised a hand and pointed to a spot more than twenty meters away.

“Over there. I just came back from the western suburbs and ran out of gas. What? Giving me a ride for part of the way won’t delay you, will it?”

Kang Ning’s heart tightened. He knew that Du Jianwu had most likely discovered where he had been going. And Du Jianwu certainly would not have come all this way without a purpose. So Kang Ning extended the invitation openly.

“Then get in. Look at you, acting so sinister and cryptic. Anyone who didn’t know you would think you’d caught a debtor.”

Du Jianwu let out a laugh, walked around to the passenger side, opened the door, and climbed in without ceremony.

“Let’s go?”

“You must have somewhere in mind.”

Du Jianwu took out a cigarette, lit it, and said loudly, “Anywhere you like. If you truly have nowhere to go, then just drive around.”

Kang Ning shook his head, started the engine, and drove out of the parking lot. He really did begin cruising aimlessly along the main road. Even after several miles, he said nothing to Du Jianwu. Instead, his eyes kept wandering toward the pretty girls by the roadside. In his excitement, he even began whistling, infuriating Du Jianwu until his face turned livid.

“Don’t think that by dragging this out you can keep me from knowing what you’ve been up to. Enough. Let’s go take a look at that village in the southern suburbs. How about it?” Du Jianwu began seizing the initiative.

Kang Ning asked, puzzled, “Which village?”

Du Jianwu was not offended. He smiled and continued.

“The one where the comatose owner of that countryside restaurant lives. Oh, right—I also heard that the comatose man’s elder brother, who happens to be the village chief, broke his back after falling from a motorcycle. He told people that just before the accident, someone riding a bicycle had slapped him beside the road. Unfortunately, not a single person believed him. They all assumed the fall had addled his brains. I’ve thought about it again and again, but I still can’t make sense of it. Don’t tell me he ran into a ghost?”

Kang Ning grinned at Du Jianwu.

“Hard to say. Sichuan has always been a place full of ghosts and spirits. Otherwise, where would all those Taoist temples and ancient monasteries in its famous mountains and along its great rivers have come from?”

Du Jianwu had not expected Kang Ning to possess such remarkable composure. He sighed helplessly.

“I don’t know whether anyone else has noticed, but I do know that miracles have been happening in Leijiang one after another these past few months. It’s almost as though Heaven has finally opened its eyes, and wicked people are receiving their due punishment. Tsk, tsk. Looks like I ought to find time to burn a few sticks of incense at Sweet Dew Temple. Why don’t we go there now?”

“Your choice,” Kang Ning replied readily.

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Just as expected, Kang Ning turned around at the next intersection and drove toward Sweet Dew Temple.

After parking outside the mountain gate, the two men entered the temple side by side. Yet neither bought incense or candles from the stall in front of the main hall, nor did either drop so much as a single coin into the donation box by the entrance. Instead, they slowly wandered around the hall.

At last, without a word, they walked together into an empty courtyard and sat down beside a stone bench beneath the pine trees. There, they exchanged smiles in silence.

“I give up.”

Du Jianwu shook his head with a bitter smile. Pointing at Kang Ning’s nose, he said admiringly, “You look like such a refined and scholarly man. Who would have guessed that you possess such unfathomable depths and such a calculating mind? One satisfying deed after another—you’ve carried them all off beautifully. By the way, I just remembered. What are you planning to do with that million?”

“What? Are you short of money, Brother Du?” Kang Ning asked with a smile.

Kang Ning remained so calm because, throughout the journey, he had analyzed Du Jianwu’s intentions with lightning speed. After considering the matter repeatedly, he was certain that Du Jianwu held no evidence against him. His attempt at blackmail was based on deduction alone. He therefore faced the entire situation with perfect composure.

Du Jianwu burst out laughing.

“You really hit the nail on the head. So, how about giving me a share? Better yet, why not give Big Brother Gao a share too?”

“No problem. I don’t have a million, but when I left the auto-repair shop, I had managed to save a little over forty thousand. Name your price. Just leave me enough to live on—I have no intention of becoming someone’s kept man.”

Kang Ning’s expression was sincere and generous, leaving not the slightest flaw for anyone to pick at.

At last, Du Jianwu could no longer contain himself. His smile vanished, and he fixed Kang Ning with a hard stare before uttering a sentence that made Kang Ning feel intensely guilty.