Chapter 88

Xiao Mei, who was just over twenty years old and studying at Haicheng University with a bright future ahead, was publicly cornered and bullied in that alley where she could be discovered at any moment.

She endured endless humiliation in her lifetime, and after death carried a heavy stain of disgrace.

The heart-wrenching pain made Ji Chenbiao feel as if all the strength in his body had been drained away, his bones crushed into powder.

He suddenly clenched the piece of fabric over his chest, gasping heavily. His eyes were bloodshot, and the taste of rust filled his mouth.

Dadan was so frightened by his father that he froze in place. Mr. Li also couldn’t bear to turn his head away; the truth was far more tragic than they had ever guessed.

The three men who saw Ji Chenbiao’s reaction weren’t good people to begin with, but now they surprisingly felt a bit of guilt.

Especially the one who looked the least approachable; he pulled out a tissue and handed it to Ji Chenbiao.

“I’m sorry for what I did. You should report it to the police. I’m willing to testify and help accuse Young Master Gu’s actions. I am also willing to atone for what I did in the past.”

Since his wife and child passed away, he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep.

After doing such a terrible thing himself, it was pretentious to make excuses now, but if he could do it over again, they wouldn’t have been able to help it.

After all, Young Master Gu had said that if anyone didn’t dare to comply, they’d end up like Xiao Mei.

You don’t know how painful it is until the knife falls on you. If you had a choice, no one would want to be the one who experiences such a thing.

The Gu family was powerful and influential; it was not something they could resist.

After his confession, the other two understood that even if they withheld the truth, it would be meaningless.

“If you can guarantee my family’s safety, I can also testify.”

In Haicheng, basically all the upper-class families were connected through blood ties and marriage, firmly binding them together.

Offending one was equivalent to offending all. Especially for those without strong family backgrounds like them, quietly disappearing one night was all too easy.

“All right. I can arrange for your parents and relatives to live in very safe places, but since you hurt my sister, I want you to pay the price as well.”

Ji Chenbiao knew the ringleaders were the heir of the Lu family and his fiancée, as well as the eldest son of the Gu family, but these people who directly harmed his sister were also not innocent.

“Of course.”

All three agreed to the deal with Ji Chenbiao. They were temporarily protected by people sent by Mr. Li to prevent the Gu family from discovering anything suspicious.

The Lu family heir had already married his fiancée; they lived fairly peacefully and now had a child. Perhaps they didn’t even remember that back in college they once encountered a girl named Xiao Mei.

After they left, Ji Chenbiao finally lit a cigarette, needing to process all his emotions.

He was unwilling to admit that the carefully nurtured Xiao Mei might not even be considered a passerby in the eyes of these people.

Xiao Mei had exhausted all her efforts and barely had a chance to change her fate—only to die under the weight of jealousy.

Dadan disliked the smell of smoke, but this time he didn’t stop him. He tiptoed into the kitchen, poured a glass of water for his father, and placed it by his side.

Ji Chenbiao reached out and hugged Dadan. The chubby child filled his arms and also filled his empty heart.

“Dadan.”

“Hmm?”

Dadan only knew that Daddy was very down and sad. He didn’t understand all the complicated matters but gently patted his father’s back to comfort him.

“Daddy?”

Ji Chenbiao had no appetite all day. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw only his sister’s face.

All this time he only knew his sister had been wronged, but he never imagined the humiliation to be this severe.

He knew imprisoning the heir of the Gu family would be difficult, but he was determined to do it. Fortunately, it was a time when the government was cracking down hard on criminal activities, so even if they wanted to protect him, it would be too late.

Back then, surveillance was very rare but not non-existent. After thorough investigation, Mr. Li found a somewhat blurry surveillance video.

It was from the entrance of a nightclub near Haicheng University. The club owner, to prevent troublemakers, had specially purchased surveillance equipment from abroad. The footage had been well preserved for many years.

After gathering all the evidence and witness testimony, Ji Chenbiao hired the most famous lawyer in Haicheng.

He spent two days digesting the negative emotions caused by the incident, gradually regaining his strength.

More important than his own depression was bringing justice to his sister!

Having come this far, there was no reason to give up halfway.

Since obtaining the video, Ji Chenbiao and Mr. Li moved the company overnight to a mountain city beyond the reach of the Gu and Lu families.

On an auspicious day, the heir of the Gu family was arrested at the company by the police. The news caused an uproar, even making it to the newspapers.

The Gu family head and his wife had only two children. When the child was unruly in his youth, they never thought to give up on him, let alone now that he was on the right path.

They rushed everywhere, trying to find the cause. After about a week, they found out it was because of something from several years ago.

If the victim’s family forgave them, the charges could be greatly reduced. The Gu family arranged some connections, hoping he could be released early.

After inquiring around, they learned where Ji Chenbiao currently lived and came knocking with gifts.

Before coming, the Gu family head and his wife had thoroughly researched Ji Chenbiao’s preferences and prepared a valuable jade pendant, perfect for a child to wear.

Ji Chenbiao did not refuse the meeting but did not want these people to soil the place where he would be staying for a long time, so he arranged to meet them in a private room of a teahouse outside.

To set a good example for little Dadan, Ji Chenbiao asked his assistant to care for him for half a day, then entered the room with two bodyguards.

“Mr. Ji, right? That incident was indeed my son’s fault. He was young then and acted foolishly out of impulse,” the Gu family head said impatiently as soon as Ji Chenbiao entered. Ji Chenbiao bypassed him and sat in the main seat, quietly responding with a soft “hmm.”

Ji Chenbiao’s attitude made the Gu family head unsure of his thoughts, but for his son’s sake, he steeled himself to continue.

“That incident was a long time ago. I’m sure your sister wouldn’t want you stuck on this for so long. Now that you’re a father, you have children as well. You must understand the feelings of us parents.”

If Ji Chenbiao hadn’t mentioned it, he could still pretend. But once brought up, a flash of anger crossed his eyes.

Could it be that only their children counted as children? Was his sister’s life worth nothing?

He shrugged lightly, feigning helplessness, and smiled:

“Sorry, I can’t relate to the feelings of parents who raise such children.”

The Gu family head, experienced and high-ranking, got a bit angry at this remark and was about to yell, but his wife gently patted his hand to calm him.

“That was indeed our son’s fault. As parents, we’ll give him a good talking-to when he returns home.”

“But my husband is right. That incident happened so many years ago. If our son serves a few years quietly in prison, you won’t gain anything from it, right?”

“Your sister has already passed away so many years ago. She should have reincarnated by now, don’t you think?”

“Rather than the dead, shouldn’t the living be more important? Am I right?”

The mistress of the Gu family was evidently more skilled in negotiation than the head of the Gu family. Every word she said hit the mark, even aiming to draw a distance between Xiao Mei and Ji Chenbiao with a single sentence.

“As an apology, you can name any request, as long as it’s something the Gu family can fulfill.”

“And even if it’s beyond the Gu family’s capabilities, there’s always the Lu family—a joint effort can surely grant what you desire.”

First, she offered temptation, then pulled in the Lu family to subtly apply pressure.

If it were anyone less steadfast, they might have caved at this point, intimidated by the combined influence of the Gu and Lu families, weighing the pros and cons and choosing compromise.

But Ji Chenbiao couldn’t do that. Years of his effort had been aimed at one goal: vindicating his sister’s name. Now, on the brink of accomplishing it, how could he possibly give up?

“I admit, Madam, your offer is indeed enticing.”

“But forgive me—there’s only one thing I want: for Young Master Gu to face every consequence of the sins he has committed.”

What did he do? He orchestrated the assault of Xiao Mei by nine men—a vile and humiliating act. How could they possibly endure their own son facing such a fate themselves?

Seeing the negotiation failing, the head of the Gu family slammed the table hard and shouted:

“Don’t be ungrateful. You’d better drink the wine we’re offering instead of the penalty wine. We’re willing to talk with you out of respect; don’t you understand where you are? This is Haicheng!”

Even under such threats, Ji Chenbiao’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. On the contrary, his lips curved into an amused smirk.

“Haicheng, is it? Oh, I thought it was called Gu City.”

The more flustered they became, the more delighted Ji Chenbiao felt. Rising to his feet, he brushed away imaginary dust on his shoulders and bowed politely toward the two of them.

“I hope we’ll meet again—in court.”

No matter if his sister had reincarnated or not, no matter what benefits he could have gained from compromising over this incident, Ji Chenbiao only focused on one thing. No amount of money could compare.

These two could still brazenly threaten him simply because Ji Chenbiao’s retribution had not fully commenced.

The ones who directly harmed Xiao Mei—he would send them to prison.

And the mastermind, Young Master Gu, would also be punished by the law.

But it didn’t stop there; in truth, Ji Chenbiao wanted far more.

The Lu family heir, his current wife, and the families—Lu and Gu—that empowered their evil deeds—all of them would meet justice.

The Gu family dared to threaten him now only because they still underestimated him.

Even though Ji Chenbiao had meticulously gathered enough evidence to send Young Master Gu to prison, they still treated him as insignificant.

Their family’s influence had flourished in Haicheng for far too long, too long for them to remember humility.

When Ji Chenbiao returned to his hotel room with simmering fury, he saw little Dadan sitting on the carpet before the large floor-to-ceiling window, playing cheerfully with his toy car.

“Vroom vroom, here we go!”

The child’s voice was particularly clear and cheerful under the sunlight. Ji Chenbiao stood there for a long time, only moving toward Dadan slowly after composing his emotions.

“Dadan.”

“Daddy!”

Hearing his father’s familiar voice, Dadan stretched out his arms excitedly and jumped onto Ji Chenbiao, wrapping himself around his neck.

“Is your work finished now?”

“Yes, almost done. But there are still a few things I need to handle, so we might return a bit later.”

Until he personally saw them pay for their sins, Ji Chenbiao could never willingly go back.

“Okay!”

The food culture in Haicheng wasn’t that different from Mountain City—not nearly as unbearable as Myanmar’s cuisine.

In a way, Dadan was a simple kid to appease—if the food suited his taste, he wouldn’t feel pressed to leave.

Give him a toy car or a book, and he could stay quietly entertained for hours.

At first, Ji Chenbiao worried Dadan might have autism, as some people claimed, but the more he thought about it, the less it seemed likely. After all, his son was far too hyperactive.

Rather than struggling to communicate with the outside world like in autism cases, Dadan seemed immersed in a marvelous little world of his own imagination.

“Dadan, do you think Daddy is being too harsh?”

The question had lingered in Ji Chenbiao’s mind during the ride back; he hated his own indecision, especially his hesitation over this matter.

For example, facing those who directly harmed Xiao Mei, Ji Chenbiao hesitated to go after their families.

Perhaps because Ji Chenbiao himself was once part of the lowest stratum of society, he fully understood the inevitability of being trapped in certain situations.

Many people hate to admit that, in truth, every individual operates with extreme self-interest in any circumstance.

When plotting against the Gu and Lu families, he often found himself pondering whether his actions would leave their elderly and children destitute.

“No, not harsh. They deserve it! They bullied Auntie! It’s not over-the-top for Daddy—it’s them who went too far.”

Dadan’s thoughts were much simpler, focused entirely on the harm done to Auntie Mei.

This innate disgust prevented Dadan from feeling any sympathy for them, making it difficult to appreciate anything they did.

“You’re right.”

Ji Chenbiao nodded, feeling that he had gained some clarity through this. He frowned slightly and playfully pinched Dadan’s nose.

When these things upset him, he found it ironic that Dadan seemed to have figured things out better than he, despite being so young.

“Hey, Daddy, you can’t pinch my nose! It’ll make me look bad.”

“Why do you need to look good?”

“Doesn’t matter—I just do!”

Dadan covered his nose to stop his dad from pinching it further and dashed off to continue playing with his toy car. Meanwhile, Ji Chenbiao opened his briefcase, retrieving some documents and reviewing them.

Learning to read words was certainly one of the best decisions he ever made; it made these tasks so much easier.

The evidence Ji Chenbiao had prepared was thorough, and with professional legal support, the verdict for Young Master Gu was quickly finalized.

The laws on this matter were still very strict at the time, combined with the sheer maliciousness of his actions, he was eventually sentenced to life imprisonment.

The once arrogant Young Master Gu, who had acted rashly in front of Ji Chenbiao, refused to accept the sentence and shouted in court that he would appeal.

Judging from the displeased look on his lawyer’s face, however, it seemed the chances of a successful appeal were slim.

The Gu family’s deep connections had carried them far, but the government was currently emphasizing cracking down on similar crimes, and no one wanted to be made an example.

Beyond that, the original crime—the destruction of a young girl’s life due to jealousy over his sister—was undeniably loathsome.

Leaving the courtroom, Ji Chenbiao encountered the Gu family.

The Gu family head and his wife were visibly more haggard and weary compared to their previous suave appearance.

“Mr. Ji, have you never heard the saying, ‘Forgive others when possible’?”

“No, didn’t you already investigate me before? I’m just an ordinary person—someone who only recently learned to read. How could I possibly understand such profound philosophy?”

Ji Chenbiao had stopped bothering to hide his arrogance in front of them. His casual and indifferent attitude left the mistress clutching her handbag in frustration.

“You—you’d better be prepared for retribution from our family!”

“Oh? Not yet, but I’m quite looking forward to it.”

When Ji Chenbiao began his collaboration with Mr. Zhou, he was already wary of the possibility of retaliation from others. As such, aside from Mr. Zhou, his partnerships with others were not deeply entrenched.

And Mr. Zhou was someone who, no matter what, would never abandon the collaboration with him.

The benefits that Dadan could provide him were unmatched by anything others could offer in an entire lifetime.

Dadan hugged his father’s neck and even stuck out his tongue to make a funny face at the Gu family patriarch, whose face turned visibly green with rage.

The Gu patriarch always believed that, by promising not to retaliate against Ji Chenbiao, he had already shown him great mercy. However, in truth, Ji Chenbiao had never cared about such promises; he was completely indifferent as to whether or not they would strike back.

Their schemes had no bearing on his plans. Put another way, Ji Chenbiao never considered the Gu or Lu families innocent.

The only reason Young Master Gu had recklessly harmed someone with no social backing was that the Gu family had provided him with the confidence and power to do so.

“Daddy, I will help you.”

After getting into the car, Dadan rubbed his fluffy little head against his dad affectionately.

“I know. Thank you.”

Ji Chenbiao understood very well that saving Mr. Zhou’s child, while significant, wasn’t nearly enough for Mr. Zhou to go to such lengths for him.

The deeper bond they had built afterward hinged entirely on Dadan’s unique physical condition, which brought great benefits for Mr. Zhou—enough that he wanted to be tied to Ji Chenbiao for life.

“You’re too polite!”

Dadan seemed to have recently picked up this phrase from someone, and regardless of the situation, he would say it in his sweet childlike voice, which was absolutely adorable.

Ji Chenbiao carefully stored away the sentencing document, planning to burn it as an offering to Xiao Mei when he had a chance to return to their hometown.

The gang members who directly participated in the crime were either sent to prison for confessing or accused by others even if they refused to acknowledge their involvement.

As for the man whose wife and daughter had passed away, he was the only one among them without any remaining ties and thus had no fear of retaliation.

He had questioned himself countless times: Why had he committed such heartless acts, and why was his retribution not dealt upon himself but instead upon his wife and daughter?

When he was about to be apprehended, he actually felt a sense of relief, calmly accepting the consequences.

Everyone connected to that incident was ultimately sent to prison.

The Gu patriarch and his wife tried various means to rescue their son, but none could change the reality.

At one point, they even harbored resentment toward Ji Chenbiao and went so far as to blame their own daughter. They believed that if it weren’t for their daughter complaining in front of their son, he would never have committed such an atrocious act.

Patient and unperturbed, Ji Chenbiao watched them tear each other apart like dogs. Meanwhile, he quietly tampered with the businesses run by the Gu and Lu families.

With some subtle maneuvering, Ji Chenbiao had his assistant bring Dadan to their stores and purchase all the raw stones that had any chance of yielding jade.

Soon, customers began noticing that none of the stones from their stores yielded any jade, sparking suspicion that the stores were fixing their products.

Additionally, Ji Chenbiao poached the master jade sculptors from both families, offering them highly favorable terms to join his company.

These jade sculptors, having reached the pinnacles of their careers, no longer cared much about material wealth. Instead, they were drawn by the materials stored in Ji Chenbiao’s safe.

Although Mr. Zhou initially promised not to get involved, upon realizing Ji Chenbiao’s intentions, he gave him a subtle push. He ensured that, for the time being, the Gu and Lu families couldn’t procure any raw materials from Myanmar.

With their existing stock unable to produce even a single quality piece of jade and no new sources in sight, combined with the loss of their master sculptors, both companies faced unimaginable pressure.

The Gu patriarch, preoccupied with his son’s legal troubles, couldn’t devote much attention to these matters. By the time he attempted to retain some high-quality jade to save face, it was already too late.

As for the Lu family, they, too, were scrambling to deal with the crisis.

To put it plainly, both families had become overly arrogant, convinced that their long-standing dominance in Haicheng rendered them impervious to such setbacks.

In an effort to salvage their reputation, the Lu family heir devised a grand jade exhibition in Haicheng to showcase their family’s power and strength.

However, this played directly into Ji Chenbiao’s hands.

The disruptions Ji Chenbiao caused were mere scratches to the Lu and Gu families—not significant enough to bring them down. If they had the patience to weather the storm, they could have brushed it off.

But the Lu family heir, the same man who had once pursued Xiao Mei, felt personally affronted and was determined to teach whoever was behind this a harsh lesson.

As a provocation, the Lu family heir even sent Ji Chenbiao an invitation to the exhibition, inviting him to attend with his son.

The Lu family, despite their predicament, had plenty of jade artifacts stored as family heirlooms. This time, they spared no effort in putting on a show, risking it all to humiliate Ji Chenbiao.

Dadan held the golden-embossed invitation for a long time, trying to decipher the limited words he recognized. Pointing at it, he softly read out loud:

“Ah—it says ‘invite’…”

“It says ‘invitation,’” Ji Chenbiao corrected automatically, though he hadn’t even looked at the invitation.

Frowning, Dadan glanced up at his father briefly before continuing to read.

“Mr. Ji, please come…”

“…to the third floor of the Glorious Hotel for a jewelry exhibition and exchange.”

Ji Chenbiao leaned over to help him read the rest of it, sighing inwardly. As expected of the Lu family, it hadn’t taken them long to uncover his background.

He was certain the Lu family wouldn’t issue an invitation to someone entirely unrelated to the jade industry.

“Daddy, are you going?”

Dadan pouted as he asked, clearly hesitant. He didn’t want his dad to go but wasn’t sure how to express it.

“Of course, we’ll go.”

Ji Chenbiao smiled and gently ruffled Dadan’s hair.

“You’ll come with me, won’t you?”

“Well… okay then.”

Initially reluctant, Dadan finally agreed, albeit begrudgingly, upon hearing that his father wanted him to attend as well.

The Lu family spared no expense in making the jewelry exhibition extravagant. Given their reputation, the attendees were all wealthy and influential figures.

When Ji Chenbiao observed the opulence around him, he quickly realized they intended to intimidate him.

Unfortunately for them, after years of being at Mr. Zhou’s side, he had encountered similar sights many times before. None of this made an impression on him.

Not only him, but even little Dadan, whom he carried in his arms, found the scene rather dull.

Compared to the true elite they had witnessed abroad, this display fell short in both wealth and grandeur. Even the most lavish banquets held by Uncle Zhou surpassed this exhibition, not to mention the rich cultural heritage of the local aristocrats they had met in Myanmar.

If the Lu family thought such a show would leave them awestruck, they were destined for disappointment.

“I heard you came from Mountain City. You must have never seen anything like this before?”

The Lu family patriarch approached with a glass of wine in hand, smiling as he addressed Ji Chenbiao. His opening words made no effort to hide his condescension and disdain.

Many onlookers discreetly observed the exchange, curious as to how this man had offended the Lu family.

“Indeed, I’ve never seen an exhibition where the host’s arrogance towers over the event itself,” Ji Chenbiao retorted calmly.

Someone in the crowd couldn’t resist laughing, then quickly covered their mouth to avoid being noticed.

Those invited to the jade exhibition by the Lu family patriarch were mostly prominent figures in Haicheng, people accustomed to attending impressive banquets. Yet, they sincerely felt that this particular event was nothing extraordinary.

If it weren’t for the rare chance to view the Lu family’s decades-long private collection of jade, they wouldn’t have bothered engaging in the conflicts among these circles.

“Even if you’ve managed to scrape together some reputation now, what does it matter? This is a level you’ll probably never reach in your entire life.”

“I admit you might have some minor skills, but you had to struggle and scheme to stand here today—unlike me, who was born into this position.”

From the crowd came the voice of the Lu family heir.

Recently, he had not only faced disdain from his in-laws and wife but also continual nagging from his own parents, blaming him for how glaringly obvious his actions had been in the past.

It was true that these people looked down on Ji Chenbiao. However, the fact that he managed to gather enough evidence under their noses to put the Gu family heir behind bars proved that he did have some capability.

A person with such skills is best not turned into an enemy unless absolutely necessary.

Yet the Lu family heir scoffed at this notion. Back then, his pursuit of Xiao Mei wasn’t because of any real interest—it was purely a wager he made with his brothers over an upcoming luxury car. Did they honestly think he’d take a poor country girl seriously?

Despite being subjected to such belittlement, Ji Chenbiao remained unphased and lightly swirled the wine in his glass.

“Say what you will. The fact remains that I’m standing here now—on equal footing with you.”

“I don’t care to argue about meaningless things. So you managed to put him in jail, but what difference does it make? When he gets out, he’ll still be the Gu family heir.”

With that, the Lu family heir strode back into the crowd. Though dismissive, his statement wasn’t entirely incorrect.

Several guests were discreetly observing Ji Chenbiao, hoping to catch some sign of him slipping. But to their disappointment, he remained utterly calm and composed, with not a trace of reaction on his face.

Ji Chenbiao, instead, picked up a small, delectable-looking cake from the banquet table and brought it up to Dadan’s mouth. Dadan, ever the little glutton, tried to swallow it whole. He opened wide but could only manage to bite off half.

The exhibition officially commenced, and one by one, jade pieces were brought onto the stage. When the final piece was presented, many attendees held their breaths.

An extraordinarily stunning Imperial Green jadeite shone brilliantly under the lights, radiating an enchanting glow.

Those who had previously speculated about the shady dealings of the Lu family were visibly impressed and quickly suppressed their doubts upon seeing such a rich private collection.

While the Lu family’s moral character might be questionable, their capabilities and influence were undeniable.

When it comes to business partnerships, some might care about character, but most prioritize whether the collaboration will yield substantial profits.

The seat where Ji Chenbiao sat was strategically positioned, allowing him to overhear bits of conversations from those nearby. The Lu family clearly assumed this jade exhibition had turned the tide in their favor.

The Lu family heir even raised his glass to Ji Chenbiao from afar, his gaze brimming with pride and smugness as if to declare victory.

And then, at that moment, an elderly gentleman seated in the front row suddenly remarked:

“This… In all my years, I’ve never seen jade so crystal-clear—it looks almost like glass.”