Chapter Fifty-Six: The First Intimate Encounter

Pan Lun sat in Xu Wei's new office, a polite smile on his face as he looked at Xu Wei in full police uniform.

Xu Wei harbored a deep dislike for this uninvited guest, but his expression betrayed nothing of his irritation.

With a smile, Pan Lun said, “Director Xu—oh, pardon me, it’s Commissioner Xu now, isn’t it? Truly, three days apart and you’re a new man. We haven’t seen each other in such a short time, and you’ve been promoted again. Wealth, power, and a beautiful mistress—now that’s what I call a real winner in life!”

Xu Wei was far from pleased. He had warned Pan Lun not to come to his office and to be mindful of appearances. Pan Lun was well aware of this, and since they’d become acquainted, he’d never set foot in Xu Wei’s office again.

Xu Wei was therefore particularly displeased by Pan Lun’s presumptuous visit today. Having just been promoted, he was all the more unwilling to let any association between them come to light. Yet outwardly, his expression remained as cold and aloof as ever, showing no sign of displeasure.

He said, “Mr. Pan, I’m not quite following you. This is work hours, and I’m not fond of idle chatter during office time. If this isn’t work-related, let’s talk after work. But not tonight—I have plans. If it’s not urgent, let’s wait a couple of days until I’ve cleared my desk.”

Pan Lun chuckled. “Of course it’s urgent—so urgent I wouldn’t have dared disturb you otherwise!”

Xu Wei glanced at him, realizing that Pan Lun wouldn’t be dismissed so easily. “I have an important meeting shortly. If it’s urgent, let’s get to the point—what is it?”

Still smiling, Pan Lun said, “I’m a businessman; I came to you for business, naturally. Business is built on mutual trust, but with the way things are being handled on your end, I’m not sure we can keep working together.”

Xu Wei fixed his gaze on Pan Lun. “We may be friends, but some things shouldn’t be said lightly. I’m a public official, not a businessman—much less your partner. If you’re talking about the Mingtan project, you should find Qiu Luan, not me. I’m no longer the Mingtan sub-bureau chief. Even if I wanted to help, I couldn’t.”

Pan Lun smiled. “Would I come see you in person for such a minor project? I’m not a foreman—mere millions aren’t worth my time.”

His expression turned grave as he continued, “I’m talking about your little mistress—what does it mean that she’s suddenly vanished? Is this how you handle hundred-billion-yuan deals? Is this your idea of partnership? And what about Sun Zhengtao and Qian Zhen, whom she introduced? They’ve both disappeared as well. Don’t you owe me an explanation?”

Xu Wei’s demeanor grew serious. “Mr. Pan, you can eat whatever you like, but you can’t say whatever you like. Miss Song and I are just friends, nothing more. As for those people and those deals, I know nothing about them. I’ll have Miss Song get in touch with you. I have a meeting to attend, so if there’s nothing else, I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

Pan Lun knew he was being shown the door, but he had no intention of falling out with Xu Wei just yet. He stood, dusted off his coat, and said, “Since you’re busy, I won’t keep you. But I do hope Miss Song contacts me promptly. I’m not some paper tiger—I don’t appreciate being toyed with.”

With that, Pan Lun left without a backward glance. Xu Wei’s face had turned livid with anger, but he picked up his personal phone and dialed Miss Song. “Tang Xin, don’t be upset. I was wrong. Didn’t you want to buy a place in Tanghua? I’ll buy it for you. Call Pan Lun this afternoon—he came looking for me at the office!”

After hearing her response, Xu Wei hung up, sat back in his chair, and closed his eyes for a moment’s rest.

By all rights, Xu Wei should have been riding high in recent days. He’d gained much from the recent cadre reshuffling at the Mingtan sub-bureau and had been promoted from Mingtan to become a member of the Ming City Bureau’s Party Committee. Mingtan’s affairs were no longer his concern; any mess left behind would be cleaned up by his successors. In officialdom, things were going smoothly for him.

On the personal front, he had the talented Tang Xin by his side, enjoying both career and romance.

Yet when it came to money, Xu Wei’s luck had not held. His recent promotion had cost him a fortune, and his business dealings had been repeatedly disrupted, leaving him in a sorry state.

These setbacks had led to a quarrel with Tang Xin—he’d lost his temper, even striking her. Tang Xin ended up in the hospital and, still furious, had ignored business matters, which was why she hadn’t contacted Pan Lun. He hadn’t expected Pan Lun to come looking for him in person.

Xu Wei ground his teeth. “Damn Hai Feng. Everything was going smoothly until that wretch turned things upside down. And Qiu Zhiyong, always shielding Hai Feng and the others, has cost me loss after loss. I can’t even lash out, and even my own brother has been dragged down. I must find a way to deal with Hai Feng and his lot.”

Lost in thought about eliminating Hai Feng, Xu Wei was interrupted by a knock at the door, pulling him back to reality. He put the matter aside and resumed his work.

After receiving Xu Wei’s call, Tang Xin got in touch with Pan Lun, arranging to meet at three that afternoon in a café called “Simba” in the southern part of Ming City.

When Pan Lun arrived, he spotted a woman with long hair, draped in a black wool coat and wearing sunglasses, waving from a corner. Only then did he realize Song Xin had arrived early. He sat down across from her and remarked, “Miss Song, what’s with the sunglasses indoors? Are you shy, or do you shrink from the light?”

Song Xin smiled faintly. “I haven’t been well lately. Let’s get to the point, shall we?”

Pan Lun grinned. “I don’t usually do business with people wearing sunglasses. If you’re not sincere, perhaps you shouldn’t have come.”

With a helpless sigh, Song Xin took off her sunglasses, revealing her face.

Pan Lun was taken aback. Song Xin’s once-delicate features were covered in bruises, her left eye ringed with dark purple, a shocking sight.

Seeing his reaction, Song Xin managed a bitter smile. “Told you—I really shouldn’t take these off. I must’ve startled you.”

Pan Lun knew at once that Xu Wei was responsible. He hadn’t expected the seemingly frail Xu Wei to be so violent, but he understood this was the price of being a kept woman—a gilded cage always comes with hidden thorns. If you choose wealth and luxury, you must accept the side effects.

He said, “I don’t mind how you look. If you’d rather keep the glasses on, go ahead.”

Song Xin smiled. “No need. If you’re not bothered, I won’t wear them. This way, at least I show some sincerity.”

He didn’t ask further about why Xu Wei had beaten her—he cut straight to business. “You owe me an explanation. The people you introduced keep disappearing, and you went missing too. What’s going on? Are we doing this deal or not?”

Song Xin offered a wan smile. “I wasn’t hiding—I’ve been in the hospital, in a coma until a couple of days ago.”

Pan Lun looked at her face and believed her. He didn’t press for details. “Your situation is understandable. But the fact remains—the people you introduced have all vanished. Don’t tell me they’re all in the hospital as well.”

With a bitter laugh, Song Xin replied, “Not the hospital—the police took them.”

Pan Lun was puzzled. “Arrested? Didn’t you say they were reliable? That your operation was solid? How could they all get caught, one after the other, in just six months? Are our country’s police really that formidable? Don’t treat me like a child.”

Song Xin sighed, took a sip of coffee, and met his eyes. “They were all caught. I have no reason to lie to you. This time, we ran into a tough opponent—they were just unlucky, really. They caught the attention of the wrong person, and none of them escaped.”

Pan Lun asked, “One person took them all down? Didn’t you say they barely knew each other? And they weren’t even in the same place—Chai was in An’nan, wasn’t he? Could they all have been arrested by the same person? Or have you been exposed?”

Song Xin smiled. “Don’t worry, we’ve not been exposed. Our partnership is safe. They were just unlucky enough to cross a madman—someone who doesn’t care about jurisdiction. Provincial or international, if he sniffs out a problem, he’ll never let go. If he sets his sights on you, it’s just bad luck.”

Pan Lun pressed, “Who is this person?”

Song Xin replied, “He’s known as ‘Ghostbane’ in Ming City.”

Pan Lun frowned. “‘Ghostbane’? Never heard of him. Who is he?”

Song Xin explained, “He was a police officer in Ming City’s Public Security Bureau, now transferred to the Mingzhou Provincial Police Department. It was he who triggered the investigation and arrest of half the bureau’s leadership.”

Hearing this, Pan Lun recalled a newspaper article titled ‘A Chief’s Iron Grip, Yet a Lowly Policeman Clears the Clouds,’ and blurted out, “You mean that traffic cop?”

Song Xin nodded. “He was a traffic cop then.”

Pan Lun was astonished. “How did your people get tangled up with him? Wasn’t he just a traffic cop? How did he get involved in your affairs?”

“He’s long since left traffic duty,” Song Xin replied. “The deputy director of the provincial bureau, Qiu Zhiyong, brought him to the department—officially for communications, but in reality, he’s been leading teams to make arrests. Sun Zhengtao and the rest were all caught by ‘Ghostbane.’”

Pan Lun was bewildered. “He makes arrests all over the map? Overseas too? He’s just a minor officer—how can he have so much power, so much reach?”

“He’s not normal—one screw loose, and with Qiu Zhiyong backing him, there’s nothing he won’t do. Plus, he’s got a team of real talents. Somehow, no matter how deep we hide people, he finds them.”

Pan Lun asked, “Has he set his sights on us? Is our partnership still secure?”

Song Xin assured him, “Don’t worry. None of those caught have ever seen me, nor know my real name. Even if they wanted to betray me, they couldn’t. Our business won’t be affected.”

“I hope you’re telling the truth,” Pan Lun said. “Xu Wei’s a Party Committee member now. You’d better tell him to keep an eye on ‘Ghostbane.’ If our business gets ruined because of you, I won’t let it go.”

“Whatever tricks ‘Ghostbane’ has, I don’t know—but you should know what I’m capable of. If you’re lying to me, I won’t let this rest. A Party Committee member doesn’t scare me.”

Song Xin heard the warning in his tone and replied with a smile, “I’d never deceive you. We’re in the same boat—there’s no reason for me to lie. Of all my partners, you’re the only one who’s met me in person. Isn’t that proof of my sincerity? Our business will not be affected. If Sun Zhengtao and the others are gone, I’ll find replacements. There’s always someone willing to make money.”

“That’s good,” Pan Lun said. “Our past cooperation has been pleasant—I hope it stays that way. But you need to get to the bottom of this. I don’t believe their arrests are all just bad luck. If there’s a leak on your end, you’d better find it. Otherwise, I’ll have to consider ending our partnership.”

Song Xin looked at Pan Lun. She knew that the coal industry’s profits were low, and Pan Lun was extravagant. The Pan Group had not yet recovered from the Pan Zhong affair, and without the funds from Pan Lun’s online betting operations, the group would have collapsed already. His threats were mostly bluster.

Still, she knew Pan Lun was no easy mark and not someone to offend lightly. So she said, “Don’t worry—I’ll handle it.”

With her reassurance, Pan Lun nodded and left the café, heading for the airport. He had booked an evening flight to Manzhijia, where he intended to manage his casino and online betting business.

At the same time, the White Tiger Team had packed their bags, also bound for Manzhijia. By coincidence, they were on the same flight as Pan Lun. During check-in, Pan Lun and the members of the White Tiger Team crossed paths for the first time, neither party recognizing the other—they were simply fellow travelers on the same flight.

Neither side realized that, in the near future, a fierce battle would erupt between them as rivals.

Before long, Xu Wei learned that the White Tiger Team was heading to Manzhijia. A sense of unease crept over him, and he immediately told Tang Xin to notify Pan Lun. But Pan Lun had already turned off his phone and was stretched out in the first-class cabin, enjoying the attentions of the flight attendant. Not far behind him sat the entire White Tiger Team.

A storm was brewing between them, yet for now, there was no trace of gunpowder—only the tranquil, gentle beauty of the night accompanied their journey.