What are the weaknesses of Brother Chang? If I had to say, it would be his daughter. I understand Teacher Wang Ren; he's not the type to condemn an entire family for the crimes of one individual.
Cao Qian said she was going to push the door open, but I stopped her with my hand. She didn't get angry, her eyes held a hint of a smile. From the bottom of my heart, I didn't want any further association with her. I said sternly, "No, Cao Qian, I'm telling you solemnly one last time, this house does not welcome you."
"Master told me to come. If I say you don't welcome me, he said you are kind-hearted and wouldn't dwell on past grievances. Clearly, Master doesn't know you!"
Does Cao Qian know Old Ghost is not dead? Probably not. This was likely Old Ghost's plan all along. From the experience in Hong Kong, Old Ghost treated this disciple very well, never speaking harshly to her no matter what she did.
"Who is your master?" I asked intentionally, knowing full well. If I didn't ask, it would make Cao Qian suspect Old Ghost was still alive.
"Tang Nan, bluffing is not your style. I only have one master, and in terms of seniority, I am your senior sister."
"Are you worthy?"
"Come on, Tang Nan, let's not flatter ourselves. The Schemers in our lineage are not exactly paragons of virtue. Your master, Li Jiu, my master, Cao Shi, and our senior uncles, Zhang Si, Zhu Guang, and Wang Ren – find me one good person among them, and I'll leave right now."
Cao Qian's words were so righteous that there was no room for rebuttal.
...
I couldn't win an argument with Cao Qian; I'd lose ten out of ten times. In every encounter, she actually had the upper hand, and I always ended up in the role of being forced to fight back when cornered.
"If you have something to say, say it at the door," I stated my position firmly, still blocking her.
"Tang Nan, if you don't let me in, I'll stand at the door and shout that you're a john who doesn't pay."
Cao Qian started throwing a tantrum, making me tremble with anger. I pointed at her nose and asked, "Do you have any shame?"
"Yeah, have I ever had any?"
Honestly, I was completely controlled by Cao Qian. In this patch of Beijing, if she started shouting, it would be difficult to resolve. Besides, I believed she would excel at such shameless acts.
...
After she came in, she sat in the south room. Cao Qian took a plastic bag from her purse, inside which was a paper bag, and inside that, a jianbing. "It's still warm, eat it while it's hot."
I didn't stand on ceremony, took it, and started eating. "What's the matter?"
"I can't hold on much longer."
Cao Qian put on a pitiful act. I scoffed, "What?"
"Don't play dumb."
"I'm not playing dumb."
"It's Gao Ziyan. I'm losing on all fronts. I've used all my skills, my capital, my connections, my schemes. Now, all my money is either tied up or trapped. This Gao Ziyan is truly something else; she's beaten me thoroughly with a bunch of nobodies."
Hearing this result, I wasn't gloating, but genuinely happy for Gao Ziyan. Honestly, when I helped Gao Ziyan secure the position of family head, I was afraid she'd be bullied by her senior sister.
"What does that have to do with me?"
"Master told me before he died that if I couldn't hold on, I should come to you. Just like he and Li Jiu dealt with Gao Ji back then, we'll deal with Gao Ziyan together."
"Cao Qian, no wonder you're losing; your skill at lying is too weak. You know better than I do what kind of person Gao Ji was, and what kind of person Gao Ziyan is."
"Tang Nan, open your eyes. What good, pure-hearted children are there in these wealthy families? Do you really think Gao Ziyan is some Snow White who writes poetry? If she were, would Uncle Wang Ren have kept her in Beijing?"
"What wrong has Gao Ziyan done that you've found leverage to frame her?"
"I admit I'm not a good person. You can call me ruthless, you can call me cheap, whatever you say, I'll admit it. But my wickedness is just one side of human nature; it hasn't escalated to the level of a dream. When wickedness reaches another level, it becomes truly evil. Tang Nan, you're not the Tang Nan you used to be; you should be able to see this."
"What leverage have you got on Gao Ziyan? You've prepared well to convince me."
Cao Qian took out a stack of documents from her bag and handed them to me. I opened them and started reading while eating the jianbing. Most of it was data: Hong Kong's stock market lost 33.5 billion in the first quarter of this year, and last year's losses were even greater.
It also listed Gao Ziyan's three major crimes.
First, she used global economic trends to short the Hong Kong stock market, causing nearly a hundred billion in losses for the Hong Kong stock market in 2008.
Second, she used her family's influence to pressure the head of the Monetary Authority to resign, and then nominated herself to become the youngest head of the Monetary Authority.
Third, she supported separatists and provided funding for their actions.
"Did Gao Ziyan do all this?"
"Even Uncle Wang Ren intervened. Could it be fake?"
"For such a major issue, you intend to keep her in Beijing with a baseless accusation?"
"The leaders above have also given the word for Hong Kong to conduct its own mediation. According to the information I've obtained, the resignation of the Monetary Authority head is certain. Once that happens, Gao Ziyan will take over as head, the economy will improve, and she will become the hero. This will allow her to firmly establish herself in Hong Kong."
"What's wrong with that?" I asked with a smile.
Seeing my expression, Cao Qian glared at me, "You're still smiling? I'm telling you, it has always been the Gao family's dream to own Hong Kong. Gao Ji didn't accomplish it, and Gao Ziyan is already working hard to achieve this dream."
"I don't believe it," I blurted out instinctively. This was sheer slander.
"What's there not to believe? She's pure, she's virtuous, and everything she does is not illegal. Is she not a bad person just because she is like this? Tang Nan, you must understand, as long as family interests are prioritized over national interests, then she is the biggest villain."
I fell silent. This matter indeed had nothing to do with personal virtue; it was a matter of stance. But no matter what, I had to stand on the nation's side. This would never change. This is the motherland that raised me; no one can undermine its prosperity and strength. This is something I cannot compromise on.
"Cao Qian, you should leave."
"What did you say? Tang Nan, are you going to be a traitor?"
"I will never be a traitor. And another thing, I want to make it clear to you: even if I were to deal with Gao Ziyan, I would not cooperate with you, nor would I tread the same path as Li Jiu and Old Ghost."
...
The wheel of fate was still turning. When Wang Ren said those words to me, I knew things wouldn't be that simple. When the uninvited guest, Cao Qian, appeared, I finally understood what Wang Ren meant by the wheel of fate.
Wang Ren had told me that Li Feng wasn't prepared for me. She had hurt me deeply, and he hadn't expected me to return. He said Li Feng was prepared for my senior sister, Cao Qian.
Even if Li Feng was a natural Schemer, how could he possibly deal with Cao Qian?
Now, it seemed like a grand scheme.
It concerned peace, and it concerned all of us.
I temporarily put Cao Qian's issue aside. The main problem I still needed to figure out was: what role does Chang Dachun play in this scheme? I had to understand this. I had to win against Wang Ren and prove her wrong, which meant I had to know why Chang Dachun would be involved. Only by defeating Wang Ren once would I be qualified to intervene in the entire affair. If I guessed correctly, the third person Wang Ren mentioned who was bound to commit a crime must be Gao Ziyan.