A Letter from Keanu Reeves

Two days later, Shao Yaozong sent an account document to Zhao Shengge as promised. Zhao Shengge made a copy for himself and immediately forwarded it to customs and the inspectorate.

Under Zhao Shengge’s protection, Shao Yaozong’s shipment quickly cleared the inner port. Unfortunately, it encountered monsoon ocean currents and drifted at sea for several days before resuming its journey once the weather calmed.

It wasn’t until the cargo ship had passed the Gixi Strait that Shao Yaozong sent an encrypted video. However, he didn’t provide the password. By the time the Criminal Investigation Bureau successfully cracked it, the shipment had already reached an international port. Chasing it down on international waters would prove far more troublesome.

But this was no longer Zhao Shengge’s concern. As planned, he secured the plot of land he desired. His goal was to build a dedicated port, laying the groundwork for his own transportation network and maritime empire.

To completely eradicate the gang’s influence, the Securities Regulatory Commission, Banking Regulatory Commission, and Criminal Investigation Bureau jointly raided Shao Yaozong’s private vault in Yingchi. Stored inside were smuggled goods, gold, and cryptocurrency. They also scrutinized everyone present at Yingchi that night.

The White Crane Hall gang had operated in Haishi for years, with its members hidden across various industries—some were high-salaried white-collar workers in Fortune 500 companies, others were welfare-dependent janitors, and even officials and politicians. The group’s structure was diverse, with many members subjected to mental conditioning akin to a cult.

Plans to dismantle the gang had been in place for some time, but a breakthrough was elusive. With Zhao Shengge willing to intervene, the operation became significantly smoother.

Adhering to the principle of “better to err on the side of caution,” the police screened all individuals present that night. They compiled a long list and asked Zhao Shengge if any of them were his people—mistakenly arresting an ally could cause unnecessary friction.

Glancing over the list, Zhao Shengge calmly replied, “None.”

Among the surveillance footage was a clip of Chen Wan’s car, capturing Zhao Shengge stepping out of it. The Criminal Investigation Bureau, acting out of caution, inquired if the car belonged to him. If it did, they would exempt it from investigation, saving their team some effort.

Zhao Shengge denied ownership, stating it was merely a shared ride. He even advised the officers to investigate properly and not cut corners.

“Who knows what kind of demons and monsters you might uncover?”

Chen Wan, a friend of Zhuo Zhixuan, wasn’t anyone significant. Zhao Shengge saw no need to look into him. He didn’t have time for such trivialities. However, people like Chen Wan often appeared questionable—whether they were humans or something else entirely, the police and judiciary would discern with their proverbial “golden eyes.”

Chen Wan wasn’t an innocent character. People like Tan Youming and Zhuo Zhixuan might be airheaded, but Chen Wan could even charm someone as sharp as Shen Zongnian.

Chen Wan was summoned for questioning while he was negotiating a contract on the transfer of a new patent with a business partner from Singapore.

This project was crucial to Ke Xiang’s current stage of development. Chen Wan had poured immense effort into it, burning the midnight oil and enduring numerous unwanted social engagements to secure this opportunity.

As the police escorted him out, the shocked and skeptical expressions of the investors betrayed their shaken confidence.

Although Chen Wan remained composed and reassured them, promising he was only going to answer a few questions, he could clearly see the distrust and hesitation in their eyes.

Fearing that his hard work would go to waste, he assured them he’d provide an explanation as soon as possible before reluctantly leaving with the police.

Coincidentally, Zhuo Zhixuan called him, and Chen Wan briefly informed him of the situation. Zhuo immediately offered to leverage his family’s connections to intervene, but Chen Wan stopped him.

Zhuo Zhixuan held little sway in his family, and Chen Wan didn’t want his friend to trouble estranged relatives on his behalf.

Chen Wan insisted on first assessing the situation himself and cautioned Zhuo Zhixuan against spreading the news. He didn’t want this matter reaching Zhao Shengge—it wasn’t exactly a badge of honor to be summoned by the police.

Throughout the process, Chen Wan displayed remarkable composure. Having grown up in the treacherous environment of Xiaolan Mountain, he had seen much worse.

The police, for their part, didn’t make things difficult for him, merely asking routine questions. Chen Wan, being clean and upright, had nothing to hide. However, when the officers brought up the passenger in his car, Chen Wan used clever wording to distance Zhao Shengge from the situation.

He didn’t outright lie, but he was noticeably more cautious and guarded compared to his answers about himself.

The police, well aware that Zhao Shengge was untouchable, didn’t call him out on the wordplay. If anything, Chen Wan’s effort to shield Zhao Shengge further confirmed his innocence in the matter.

Still, the officers, seasoned investigators, rarely encountered someone with such steadfast psychological strength who could play word games with them. One officer tried to intimidate him, saying, “Mr. Chen, it’s best not to toy with the police. This is a criminal investigation, and every word you say is on record. Providing false testimony is a criminal offense.”

Chen Wan remained courteous, his trustworthy demeanor unwavering. “Officer, I stand by every word I’ve said.”

The officer scrutinized him meaningfully before later mentioning the incident to Zhao Shengge during a call about tracking the contraband shipment.

Zhao Shengge, while casually toying with a gun model he had purchased at the airport, paused briefly before resuming his idle movements.

Unsurprisingly, yet inevitably, Chen Wan was cleared of suspicion. In the process, he exhibited traits Zhao Shengge was reluctant to acknowledge—traits like intelligence, discretion, and reliability.

But Zhao Shengge still didn’t like him. He disliked unpredictability, opportunism, and, most of all, overestimating one’s cleverness.

Due to the minor hiccup caused by the police inquiry, Chen Wan faced some trouble with his investors. Thankfully, his quick thinking turned the situation to his advantage. He explained to the investors that his visit to the police station was merely to assist in an investigation. Transforming a potential liability into a strength, he reassured them of the lack of any further risks. Eventually, they signed the contract as scheduled.

After several twists and turns, Chen Wan became entangled in these issues and missed a few gatherings with the group of young masters. When Tan Youming asked about him, Zhuo Zhixuan unleashed a tirade against the police, calling them incompetent for recklessly detaining people and tarnishing Chen Wan’s reputation.

Among the group, Zhuo Zhixuan and Tan Youming were indeed the closest. Although they had grown up and were now more measured in their relationships, they still shared an unbreakable bond forged through a carefree youth of indulgence, poor academic performance, and mutual understanding. As a result, these two always found themselves united in opinion, especially when railing against the police for their treatment of Chen Wan.

Zhuo Zhixuan described in detail how the police had inconvenienced Chen Wan, adding exaggerated accounts of how the investigation had delayed his projects and exhausted him mentally and physically. Tan Youming slammed the table in righteous anger, declaring that Chen Wan’s only flaw was his honesty—he didn’t know how to leverage power to his advantage.

Zhuo Zhixuan, feeling understood, exclaimed in agreement. His eyes occasionally flicked toward the head of the table. Of course, Zhuo Zhixuan had no idea that the real culprit behind the events of that night was seated right there in the seat of honor. Nor did he know what had truly transpired. He was merely curious to see if the mention of Chen Wan’s name would elicit any reaction.

None came.

Zhao Shengge remained as detached as ever, turning his teacup in his hand, an observer with no stake in the matter.

In Zhuo Zhixuan’s eyes, Zhao Shengge’s true nature was cold. His outward kindness, calm demeanor, and polite refinement were merely a cultivated facade—born of years of practice and the self-restraint of a leader. Beneath it lay a calculated indifference, a generosity laced with condescension, and a lack of genuine empathy.

But Chen Wan disagreed. He insisted that Zhao Shengge was a good, upright, and kind person.

Zhuo Zhixuan had no response to that.

Wherever Zhuo Zhixuan and Tan Youming were present, silence was a rarity. Zhao Shengge’s expression remained indifferent, showing no interest in their conversation about Chen Wan.

He found the evening dull. The food wasn’t particularly good, and the room felt stuffy, as though the air wasn’t properly circulated. Their private room was reserved exclusively for them, unused when they weren’t around. Perhaps the manager had forgotten to open the windows to ventilate it in advance.

Zhao Shengge barely touched his food. Shen Zongnian noticed and glanced at him, only to be met with a shrug.

The conversation about Chen Wan dragged on. Somewhere, Chen Wan would probably never have expected to be the focal point of the group’s chatter, even in his absence.

Jiang Ying, less familiar with Chen Wan than the others, wondered aloud why Chen Wan was so stubborn. If he had simply asked for their help, it would have been resolved with a single phone call.

Zhuo Zhixuan waved it off, saying, “He doesn’t like troubling others.”

Tan Youming vowed to straighten out Chen Wan’s tendency to overthink, and Zhuo Zhixuan eagerly seconded him. Jiang Ying even offered to smooth things over with the police, noting that while procedures had to be followed, there was no need to make things difficult. Though he didn’t know Chen Wan well, he had a good impression of him.

Zhao Shengge thought, It couldn’t have been that tough.

The police had a very different opinion.

Chen Wan came across as someone who could effortlessly adapt to any situation. Even in a brawl, he’d probably stab someone with a knife and then smile apologetically while saying, “I’m terribly sorry.”

When Zhuo Zhixuan’s gaze flicked toward Zhao Shengge once more, the latter met his eyes directly. Zhao Shengge’s look was composed, his posture relaxed, and there wasn’t the slightest hint of unease.

Zhao Shengge had spoken very little all evening. But as the gathering neared its end, he proposed, “Now that the Baoli Bay deal has been finalized, how about I invite everyone to celebrate with a trip out to sea?”

The suggestion was generous, and Tan Youming was instantly excited.

By “a trip out to sea,” he meant taking a yacht into international waters. Many activities prohibited within the jurisdiction of Haishi were permitted in international waters, allowing for unrestricted enjoyment.

The only catch was that going out to sea required tedious procedures—lengthy approvals and plenty of red tape. While some might have the money for it, they wouldn’t bother due to the hassle. Then again, whether something was truly troublesome depended on how strong one’s connections were.

As Zhuo Zhixuan and Tan Youming excitedly discussed possible activities for the trip, Zhao Shengge cast a casual glance at Zhuo Zhixuan and said, “Let’s take the Jingjian 17 this time. It’s been sitting idle since its maiden voyage.”

The Jingjian 17 was part of the luxury cruise ship series manufactured by Minglong Corporation. A massive, extravagant vessel, it was the only one of its kind in Asia. It was rarely used except for hosting highly distinguished guests or marking significant occasions.

Tan Youming exclaimed in excitement, “That’s extravagant!”

“The Jingjian is too big for just us. We’d get lost on it!”

Zhao Shengge replied, “Then invite more people. It’ll be good publicity for Minglong’s new port project.”

Predictably, Zhuo Zhixuan immediately said, “Then I’m inviting Chen Wan!”

Zhao Shengge said nothing.

Shen Zongnian set down his drink and cast a glance at Zhao Shengge.