Chapter 137: A Taste of One's Own Medicine (Part Four)

Jiang Xiwen continued, "Second, I do not trust Zhang Yong’s character. His past behavior gives me sufficient reason to believe he is the kind of person who would sacrifice his own daughter for the sake of his official position.

Although currently, or perhaps even in the future, he may never encounter a situation where he has to harm family members to get promoted, I personally feel that under specific conditions, he could become such a person. Therefore, we must guard against him. Even if we ultimately help him clear his name, we still must not tell him or anyone else everything we have done.

Right now, we and Zhang Yong can be called an alliance of interests, but what about later? Who knows if conflicts will arise in the future? Even though we are helping him now—helping a good person who currently counts as an upright official—we are, after all, using illegal methods. If he unintentionally or intentionally leaks what we are doing now, everything we’ve done will become a vulnerability in his hands. Do you understand?"

Qi Huanchang shook his head and said, "Xiwen, I still feel like you're making a fuss over nothing. Is it really necessary to be this cautious?"

"Fatty, you might not understand now, but in the future, when our business grows larger, you will naturally understand. Of course, I am by no means the type of rational person who guards even against friends. The reason I dislike Zhang Yong is because his rationality regarding his family's behavior has reached the point where he can completely disregard them for a title. Not only do I not want that kind of rationality, but I also despise it.

Take us, for example. We are friends. To use a phrase favored by soldiers who have been to battle, we are friends who can entrust our backs to each other.

If a person maintains that defensive mentality toward everyone, then he will never have a single friend in his life to whom he can entrust his back. What meaning would such a person's life have?

So I hope you won't overthink it. Whom I am cautious with and whom I open my heart to depends on whether that person is a brother and a true friend."

Qi Huanchang was clearly moved by the phrase about entrusting one's back to the other. He nodded with some agitation and said, "I understand what you mean. Go ahead. What do I need to say when I call Fang Sixiang, and how should we talk after making an appointment to meet him?"

Jiang Xiwen smiled and said, "Don't get so excited. Bluffing requires a calm state of mind as well. In a moment, say this on the phone..."

The next evening, at Zhenxing Teahouse, Qi Huanchang brought the items Jiang Xiwen had specified. He sat in a corner of the teahouse, waiting for Fang Sixiang's "gracious presence."

Unlike Jiang Xiwen the day before, he didn't need to put on a smiling face. What he had said to Fang Sixiang on the phone was enough to make Fang Sixiang nod and bow to him.

The reason this matter had to be handled by Qi Huanchang was because Jiang Xiwen himself was one of the people implicated in the whistleblowing letter, and Jiang Xiwen was Fang Sixiang's enemy. If Jiang Xiwen came personally, it would likely cause Fang Sixiang's emotions to fluctuate and make him lose his rationality, leading him to fight desperately to the bitter end regardless of the consequences.

"Ah, Huanchang. Hello, hello! What a great spot you've chosen, a wonderful place—elegant and comfortable!" Fang Sixiang walked over from a distance. The moment he saw Qi Huanchang, his face was covered in smiles. Last night, he had received Qi Huanchang's call without any pleasantries; he was told directly that Qi Huanchang had gathered evidence of his acceptance of bribes from Liu Dashan, and if he didn't want to be reported, he should come to Zhenxing Teahouse by six o'clock this afternoon.

Fang Sixiang had pondered for a long time. He knew that coming meant admitting to his own problems, but if he didn't come, and the other party really sent the report, everything he had spent half a lifetime striving for would be completely ruined.

When Qi Huanchang and Jiang Xiwen were discussing this, Qi Huanchang had wanted to mention making a deal with Fang Sixiang on the phone, believing that would be more likely to entice Fang Sixiang to keep the appointment, but Jiang Xiwen had rejected the idea.

Fang Sixiang was no ordinary person; he was adept at calculations. If he knew Qi Huanchang was doing this for money, he might well stall.

From Fang Sixiang's perspective, he would definitely think that if Qi Huanchang reported him, it wouldn't do Qi Huanchang any good either. Therefore, Qi Huanchang wouldn't report him yet and would surely wait until Fang Sixiang offered money. And Fang Sixiang could use the time before Qi Huanchang's patience broke its limit to investigate where Qi Huanchang's evidence had come from.

Fortunately, Qi Huanchang had accepted Jiang Xiwen's advice and did not mention a deal or money, which kept Fang Sixiang awake all night. How did this Qi Huanchang find out about these things? Could he be one of Liu Dashan's men? The only reason Liu Dashan hadn't reported him was probably so he would have leverage now. How terrifying.

Fang Sixiang had thought it over repeatedly and still couldn't figure out what Qi Huanchang wanted, which was why he decided to take the risk and come, planning to play it by ear.

"Director Fang, you're here. Sit down!" Qi Huanchang said coldly. In the past, Fang Sixiang used to speak to him just like that, and now he held a slight mischievous urge to return the favor.

"Hehe, why so polite? Just call me Old Fang," Fang Sixiang said with continuous smiles as he sat down. "Huanchang, look at you—you've even resigned, and only now do we have the chance to sit down, drink tea, and chat properly. It really is a pity. We were both so busy before and just didn't have the time. If you still want to come back, just say the word. An exceptional teacher like you is welcomed by me, Fang Sixiang, and welcomed by No. 2 Middle School."

Of course, Fang Sixiang knew that Qi Huanchang had resigned voluntarily without any external pressure, so the purpose of inviting him out today certainly wasn't to return to No. 2 Middle School. Saying this was merely a probe to let the other party state their purpose of blackmailing him with evidence of his bribe-taking.

Qi Huanchang sneered, "Director Fang, let's not beat around the bush. You wrote that whistleblowing letter, didn't you? And you took those photos too, right? I need you to do something else."

Upon hearing Qi Huanchang's words, Fang Sixiang began to regret coming here. Clearly, Qi Huanchang was not one of Liu Dashan's people; the evidence the other party held was most likely fake, meant purely to extort him.

Fang Sixiang deliberately put on a stunned expression, acting as if he didn't understand what Qi Huanchang was talking about. Since he was already here, he had to calm himself down quickly, assess the situation, and figure out whether the damaging evidence Qi Huanchang spoke of was true or false. If it was real, he had to find a way to destroy it, depending on what conditions the other party would demand.

"Act. Go ahead and put on a good act!" Ever since Fang Sixiang stepped into the teahouse, Qi Huanchang had known that this fellow was definitely guilty of taking bribes. Now, as long as he maintained the right scale for intimidating him, everything would be under his control. Following the plan devised by Jiang Xiwen, he took a stack of more than a dozen sheets of letter paper out of his briefcase.

The handwriting on the very top page was very familiar to Fang Sixiang—it belonged to Liu Dashan. He stretched his neck slightly, wanting to see clearly what was written on it, but Qi Huanchang instantly pulled it back.

Fang Sixiang's movement made Qi Huanchang admire Jiang Xiwen even more, because even this detail had been anticipated by Jiang Xiwen, deliberately using the first page to attract the other party's attention, leaving him unsettled and blindly guessing.

"This is the original, of course I can't let you see it. If you got your hands on it, I'm afraid you'd tear it to shreds immediately.

All the records of Liu Dashan's bribery are on these dozen or so sheets of paper, and your name is among them. I might as well tell you, my brother worked by Liu Dashan's side. As Liu Dashan's most trusted subordinate, he had long known where these materials were hidden, and just in case, he told me the hiding spot early on. Now that he's locked up, I am the only one who knows this list of bribe-takers. Tsk tsk, there are a lot of people..."

At this point, Qi Huanchang deliberately put on a provocative expression and laughed heartily, "Even if you want to see it, you can't. However, if you are willing to do as I say, you still have hope of getting this material of yours. Afterward, whether you want to destroy it or keep it as a souvenir is entirely up to you."

"Xiao Qi, Qi Huanchang! What do you take me, Fang Sixiang, for? Do you think you can blackmail me with a draft of paper that can't even be clearly seen? Ridiculous!" Although Fang Sixiang was deeply suspicious, he would not admit anything before seeing concrete evidence.

Qi Huanchang shook his head and said, "Fang Sixiang, it seems you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin. Look over there." Qi Huanchang pointed a finger at a middle-aged man wearing a duck-tongue cap at a nearby teahouse table and called out, "Buddy."

The man slowly turned his head, raised the duck-tongue cap slightly, smiled at Fang Sixiang, and then waved a greeting, mimicking the motion of a steering wheel, but did not speak.

Fang Sixiang felt a jolt in his heart. He recognized this man. When he went to Liu Dashan's house back then, this man had acted as the driver. Liu Dashan seemed to trust him deeply and treated him very politely, calling him Old Ning.

Because the man's gaze toward him back then had been terribly cold—cold enough to make one's hair stand on end—Fang Sixiang had not forgotten him.

Although Ning Yu was no longer an undercover agent and had returned to the police force, for his personal safety, it had not been widely publicized, and Ning Yan's school files still omitted her father's contact information.

When Jiang Xiwen heard Ning Yu mention having once driven Fang Sixiang, he decided to ask him for this favor, and Ning Yu also suspected that Fang Sixiang had taken bribes, so he agreed to this method.

Fang Sixiang abruptly turned his head away, refusing to look at Ning Yu any longer. Panic finally showed on his face as he said to Qi Huanchang, "Him? How do you know him? Didn't you say your brother was thrown in prison? Did you get these materials from him or from your brother?"

"Guess however you like, suit yourself! In any case, I have the materials. Whether you follow my demands or not is up to you." Qi Huanchang adopted an indifferent attitude.

Fang Sixiang pondered deeply. After a moment, he regained his composure and laughed, "Xiao Qi, you're still a bit green. I remember this person now. Although he was Liu Dashan's driver, Liu Dashan was later arrested because of him. He's the father of a girl in my wife's class, an undercover cop, right? Trying to shake me down? Laughable!"

Of course, Jiang Xiwen had already anticipated what Fang Sixiang would say if he found out Ning Yu was an undercover cop. Therefore, Qi Huanchang showed no panic at all. Maintaining his nonchalant demeanor, he said, "Since you've figured it out, I won't hide it from you anymore. He is indeed my brother, and this information came from him.

Just think, being a cop is exhausting and doesn't pay well. Over the past few years, he ate and lived well with Liu Dashan and had long since wanted to quit being a police officer. But there was no choice; Liu Dashan's criminal evidence was already largely in the hands of the police department. To save himself, he had to take Liu Dashan down. Of course, he quietly kept this criminal record to use later for promotions and wealth.

Yet it's inconvenient for him to show his face, so he sent me to see you. Just in case, he's still sitting nearby waiting. Who would have thought you actually knew he was an undercover cop, so he had no choice but to show his face and let you know. Whether you want to obey or not, you have to obey.

If you want to fight this to the end and accuse him of concealing criminal evidence, that's fine. At worst, he hands over your incriminating evidence, which still counts as a meritorious deed. Who do you think the police department will believe—you or their own colleague?

Liu Dashan was good to you and didn't rat you out, presumably considering his son's future. But he never expected that his records had been watched by my brother for a long time. Since he has no use for them right now, we are using them first. I'll give you five minutes to think about it. If you disagree, I'm leaving."

Hearing Qi Huanchang's words, Fang Sixiang froze. The explanation was entirely logical and without any flaws. All he had to do was judge whether the other party was putting on an act—whether Qi Huanchang and this police officer were bluffing him, and the moment he confessed, they would arrest him.

If the other party had really come for Zhang Yong's whistleblowing letter, Fang Sixiang would have felt much more at ease, because it meant the other party was coming to make a deal with him. If not, the only consequence of confessing would be destroying his own future and ending up in a jail cell.

Big beads of cold sweat trickled down the back of his neck. As the five-minute mark approached, Qi Huanchang began counting down tauntingly: "Ten, nine, eight, seven..."

Until the count reached zero, Fang Sixiang still hadn't spoken. Qi Huanchang hesitated no longer and stood up to leave. Just as he stepped away from the table, he was grabbed by Fang Sixiang. Qi Huanchang smiled inwardly; Jiang Xiwen was right. This kind of bluffing extortion was just like bargaining for vegetables at a wet market.

"What is it, Director Fang? Why are you holding me back?"

"Hehe, Huanchang, I've figured it out." Fang Sixiang plastered on a ingratiating smile. "Sit down, please sit."

Qi Huanchang sat down with a displeased expression. "Speak if you have something to say, spit it out if you have to."

Fang Sixiang wore a full smile. He was accustomed to wearing such smiles when facing superiors, and deploying it now was second nature. "I want to ask, what is your relationship with Zhang Yong, and why are you helping him like this?"

"Do you even have the right to ask that?" Qi Huanchang said coldly.

"Uh, no, no. Well then, you name it. As long as you give me my evidence back, I'll agree to any other demands."

"You will write a whistleblowing letter accusing Li Changtian of bribing Gao Feng. Also at Zhenxing Teahouse, you photographed Gao Feng's son, Gao Jie, meeting secretly with Li Changtian."

Listening to Qi Huanchang's words, Fang Sixiang grew increasingly alarmed. What on earth was Qi Huanchang's background? How could a small, resigned computer science teacher know about all these matters? The fact that he could mention Gao Feng and his son meant he knew Gao Jie was the mastermind behind framing Zhang Yong, but simply lacked the evidence.

If he were forced to reveal the entire truth and admit his collusion with Gao Jie, it would be no different from confessing to taking bribes from Liu Dashan, which he could never agree to. That was why Qi Huanchang had resorted to this counter-framing method. But how could such a letter prove Zhang Yong's innocence?

Fang Sixiang recalled a phrase: The waters here are truly too deep.

"What, you're not willing?" Qi Huanchang said coldly. "It seems you don't have a choice anymore!"

"No, how could that be? I'm just wondering how you came to know about all this." Fang Sixiang forced a smile. "Huanchang, when should I start writing?"

"Right now. The paper is already prepared for you. Write it in the exact same handwriting as your original whistleblowing letter. We've seen that letter. If you try any tricks, don't blame me for being ruthless." With that, Qi Huanchang took out paper and a pen.

Fang Sixiang took them politely and, just as he was about to write, asked, "If I do this, I'll offend Gao Feng and his son. Will I..."

"Stop talking nonsense with me. The reason I'm having you write an anonymous letter is precisely to bring them down. If you still doubt this, you're insulting my intelligence." Qi Huanchang's tone was stern and severe.

Fang Sixiang could only let out a "hmph" and obediently started writing. He used his left hand. Qi Huanchang was slightly surprised, but didn't show it on his face because he immediately understood: Fang Sixiang could write just as well with his left hand, which explained why Gao Jie had mentioned that Fang Sixiang could write in a font that left no trace of his identity—it turned out this fellow was ambidextrous.

After finishing one letter, he was made to copy it four more times. Once everything was completed, Fang Sixiang breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Then what about my criminal files?"

"We're not done yet. Tomorrow you still need to cooperate and take a trip with me to the Yangjiang Hotel. Tonight, you're going to stay at the youth hostel with my brother here; I'm afraid you, Director Fang, might try some tricks again."

"You?! This is illegal confinement!" Fang Sixiang flared up, though his voice remained very low, clearly afraid of being overheard.

Ning Yu strode over, but this time without a smile. His gaze was as cold as a killer's as he stared at Fang Sixiang. The cultured Director of Studies was instantly terrified, hurriedly recovering his smile as he said, "Well, then, at least you have to let me call my wife to explain."

"All of that can wait until we get to the hostel!" Qi Huanchang grabbed Fang Sixiang's arm. "Let's go, Director."

After securing a room at the hostel, Ning Yu led Fang Sixiang inside. This was the second task Jiang Xiwen had entrusted to him: keeping an eye on Fang Sixiang for the night.

Meanwhile, Qi Huanchang took all the materials written by Fang Sixiang and headed back to deliver them to Jiang Xiwen.