Chapter Sixty-Three: The Cicada Sheds Its Shell

When Pan Lun received Song Xin’s call, he was in the midst of a lavish banquet. Although he looked down on the parasites around the table, he was keenly aware that without their support, how could he become a truly successful schemer? Pan Lun understood well that having more friends was never a bad thing; many hands make light work. These so-called friends brought him vast wealth, shoring up the Pan Group’s position in Mingnan, so he was only too happy to invest in their ventures.

Watching Song Xin’s avatar flash persistently on his phone, Pan Lun couldn’t fathom why she would be reaching out at this hour. He flatly rejected her video call, choosing instead to continue his social duties, but Song Xin was relentless, sending request after request for a video chat.

Pan Lun’s mood was already sour. He had been physically and mentally exhausted these past days dealing with the inspection team. Short of murder, he had done everything within his power to manage the situation. Finally, he had seen the inspectors off and could enjoy a moment of peace—he couldn’t understand why Song Xin had to disturb him at such a critical juncture.

With Song Xin’s avatar blinking incessantly, Pan Lun reluctantly excused himself from the table. He knew Song Xin was not one to call without reason; her persistence could only mean something urgent. Making an excuse to leave, he returned to his hotel room.

He answered the video call with a face full of impatience and said, “What is it now? Why are you so desperate to reach me?”

On the other end, Song Xin’s expression was anxious. She demanded, “Why did you take so long to answer? What have you been doing?”

Pan Lun bristled at her tone, feeling she’d forgotten her place. He tried his best to remain composed and replied, “The environmental inspection team is in Mingnan—you should know that. Of course I was busy handling their affairs.”

Song Xin pressed on, agitation in her voice. “Forget the inspection team for now. Do you know that Haifeng and his people have come to Mingnan?”

Her words caught Pan Lun off guard. He had no idea how the notorious “Ghostbane,” who had disappeared in Manciqa, could have turned up in Mingnan. Maintaining a calm façade, he said, “So what if he’s here? Mingnan is my territory—he can’t make any waves. Let him come. So long as the inspection team is gone, I don’t care where Haifeng goes. I have no time to concern myself with him.”

Song Xin grew even more anxious. She interrupted, “Can’t you see what’s happening? You went to Manciqa, and Haifeng showed up there. Now you’re back in Mingnan, and he’s here too. Don’t you see the pattern? He’s targeting you!”

Pan Lun, disgruntled, retorted, “You’re the one who doesn’t understand. I told you before there were issues on your end, but you wouldn’t believe me. Everyone you’ve worked with has been taken out one by one, and now you tell me Haifeng has set his sights on me?”

“I have no old feud or new grudge with Haifeng—we’re not even from the same city! If not for your people, why would he be after me?”

Before Song Xin could respond, Pan Lun continued, “What’s Xu Wei doing, anyway? Let me be clear: if anything happens to me, neither you nor Xu Wei will escape. If I go down, we all go down together.”

Song Xin said, “That’s exactly why I’m telling you about Haifeng’s movements—we’re all in the same boat. I don’t know why Haifeng is picking off everyone, but now is not the time to dwell on it. The important thing is that he’s after you. You need to run!”

Pan Lun burst out laughing, but his face quickly twisted with malice. He snarled, “Run? You told me to run when Haifeng went to Manciqa. Now he’s in Mingnan, and you want me to run again?”

“Instead of dealing with Haifeng, you expect me to keep running like a rat? Is this your idea of collaboration?”

Then, his tone shifted. “Does Haifeng have three heads and six arms? Am I supposed to hide at the mere sight of him? Mingnan is my realm—what can he do to me? Don’t tell me Xu Wei’s so frightened he can’t even show his face. If he’s that timid, he might as well crawl into a hole and never come out.”

Song Xin insisted, “You have to run, or Haifeng and his people will destroy you. Bide your time—so long as you survive, you’ll have another chance. There’s no need to go head-to-head with him now.”

Pan Lun replied, “You may be afraid of him, but I’m not. He’s just a lowly cop—why should I be so jumpy? He’s a nobody. If the inspection team were still in Mingnan, maybe I’d worry about him. But they’re gone now, so what if ten Haifengs come for me? If he dares step foot here, I’ll make sure he never leaves.”

He paused, his temper cooling slightly, then continued, “You all should be reflecting on why Haifeng keeps hounding you, instead of making me clean up your mess. You need to figure out how to deal with him, not just keep telling me to hide.”

At that moment, Xu Wei’s face suddenly appeared beside Song Xin’s. Xu Wei, visibly agitated, said, “If you don’t run now, you’re finished. Not only is Haifeng in Mingnan, but the provincial department has been mobilizing police forces for days. All six municipalities around Mingnan are gathering police, yet not a single officer from Mingnan is being moved. Isn’t that obvious enough? If you don’t leave now, you won’t even have the chance to escape.”

Pan Lun was startled to see Xu Wei’s face. After so many exchanges, Xu Wei had never appeared personally—Song Xin was always his mouthpiece. For Xu Wei to show up now meant this was no ordinary matter. Pan Lun muttered, “They’re really coming for me? Does a minor figure like Haifeng have that much pull—to mobilize police from six cities?”

Xu Wei replied, “Of course Haifeng doesn’t have that kind of power, but behind him is Deputy Director Qiu Zhiyong from the provincial public security bureau. This is definitely a decision from the top. You must leave Mingnan immediately—any later and it will be too late!”

Pan Lun asked, “Why would the provincial authorities target me? Just because of a gambling website? There are so many out there, not just mine. Why would the big shots care?”

Xu Wei shot back, “Your gambling site runs over ten billion a year—isn’t that enough to draw attention? And how many of your dealings in Mingnan could withstand scrutiny? Haifeng is elusive; he could already be in Mingnan and might have been investigating you for some time. The gambling site plus your activities in Mingnan—frankly, they have every reason to want you dead.”

Pan Lun said, “Who here in Mingnan hasn’t taken my money? If I go down, they all go down. Can Haifeng and his people shoulder that responsibility? If I fall, thousands will lose their livelihoods. I don’t believe they’d dare touch me.”

Xu Wei grew more agitated. “You still don’t get it—this isn’t a Mingnan operation, it’s coming from the province. Those cronies of yours are useless now. You can’t threaten the government with your group anymore. The world won’t stop turning without you—someone will take over your company. The only person left hungry will be you. The ordinary people will be fine; your move is pointless.”

Pan Lun sneered, “Cronies? Aren’t you one of my cronies, Xu Wei? If I go down, you’re not going anywhere either. You’re in Mingcheng—I don’t believe Haifeng can act with impunity and you can do nothing. Don’t try any tricks now, or we’ll all go down together.”

Xu Wei, exasperated, said, “What will it take for you to understand, my dear Mr. Pan? I’m nothing at the provincial level. Do you think I have the power to overturn their decision? Getting you out early is the best I can do. Go now—any later and you’ll have no chance.”

Pan Lun was still unwilling to give up on everything he had built. He said, “They’ll need evidence to arrest me, won’t they? They can’t just arrest me on a whim.”

Xu Wei was nearly in tears. “For heaven’s sake, don’t you understand? Haifeng is crazy, but he’s not stupid. If he’s making a move, he must have a mountain of evidence against you. Even an idiot knows about your activities in Mingnan—do you think you can fool Haifeng? Run, now!”

Hearing this, Pan Lun began to panic. “But liquidating assets takes time. I can’t sell all those factories and mines overnight. How can I just leave now?”

Xu Wei was almost driven mad by Pan Lun. “Are you still thinking about that damned money? If you don’t leave now, not only will you not get a penny, but you’ll end up in jail too. Go, please—don’t make me beg you!”

Pan Lun asked, “Then where should I go? Manciqa?”

Xu Wei shook his head. “Definitely not Manciqa. If Haifeng knows about your casino there, it’s no longer safe. Going there would be walking into a trap. You must not go.”

Pan Lun replied, “Then where can I go? I only have some petty cash on me—if not Manciqa, I’ll have nothing left.”

Xu Wei said, “Contact your people and transfer all your funds to my account. I’ll launder it and send it out for you. Your casino is legal, and with that plus the gambling site’s profits, you’ll have more than enough for a lifetime.”

Pan Lun became suspicious at this suggestion. “You’re not trying to steal my money, are you?”

Xu Wei replied, exasperated, “You still doubt me at a time like this? I can’t take your casino, and if I help you, it’s because we’re partners. If anyone finds out, I’ll go down too. Do you think I want money more than my life?”

Hearing this, Pan Lun realized Xu Wei couldn’t possibly be lying now; he truly had no other way out. He sighed and said, “Fine, I’ll do as you say. I’ll contact Manciqa, then I’ll leave.”

Xu Wei finally relaxed upon hearing Pan Lun agree to leave Mingnan. He said, “Contact them on the move—don’t delay any longer. Leave Mingnan immediately. Go to Mingcheng Airport; I’ve booked you a ticket to Annan. You’ll leave the country tomorrow.”

Pan Lun nodded. “Got it, I’m leaving now.”

Xu Wei reminded him, “Don’t tell anyone in Mingnan about this. The more people know, the more likely Haifeng and his people will catch on, and then you’ll have no way to escape.”

“I understand,” Pan Lun said, hanging up the call.

At this point, Xu Wei had no idea that Manciqa had already been wiped out. He was even hoping to squeeze one more sum out of Pan Lun, then dispose of him. In Xu Wei’s mind, as long as Pan Lun vanished, no one could trace anything back to him. But things didn’t go as planned. Before long, Pan Lun called again. “Comrade Xu, something’s wrong—I can’t reach anyone in Manciqa.”

“What’s going on? Why can’t you get through?” Xu Wei asked.

Pan Lun replied, dejected, “Wang Zhi isn’t answering his phone, and there’s no word from Li Zishen. I have no idea what’s happened.”

Xu Wei realized he had acted too late. He guessed those people were already in Haifeng’s hands. He told Pan Lun, “Forget about Manciqa for now. Wait until you’re safe to try again. You’ve left Mingnan, right?”

“But if I can’t reach them, I’ll have nothing left. What’s the point of fleeing abroad then?” Pan Lun lamented. “My casino is legally registered in Manciqa. Could Haifeng really have enough power to take it down?”

Xu Wei knew full well that while the casino was registered, the gambling site was anything but legal. If Haifeng was targeting the site, then the casino was sure to be implicated. What’s more, all the money used to fund the casino came from ill-gotten gains at home. With Haifeng’s methods, he would never leave that casino for Pan Lun to continue his reign.

But Xu Wei reassured him, “Nothing will happen to the casino, don’t worry. It’s a legal business in Manciqa. If anyone takes action, the locals won’t allow it—it could become an international incident. Not even Haifeng or Qiu Zhiyong would dare. I’ll send someone to check on your casino in the next couple of days. Just focus on getting out of Mingnan!”

Pan Lun was crushed. So many years of hard work were turning to dust before his eyes, and the thought was unbearable. But if he didn’t leave now, as Xu Wei said, he would never get another chance. “Understood. I’ll pack and leave Mingnan now.”

After the call ended, Xu Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed onto the sofa. Tang Xin brought him a glass of liquor, which he downed in one gulp. He said, “Pan Lun is finally willing to leave Mingnan! But his money must have already been seized by Haifeng and his people—we won’t get a cent out of this.”

Tang Xin said, “As long as we’re not implicated, it doesn’t matter. Our business won’t be affected—we don’t need his money.”

Xu Wei grew irritated. He looked at Tang Xin and said, “Not affected? From Sun Zhengtao to Qian Zhen, then to Chai Wei, and now Pan Lun—our business has already suffered greatly. At this rate, even our last operation will end up in Haifeng’s hands.”

Tang Xin asked, “Could it be that he’s been watching us from the start?”

Xu Wei said, “Impossible. No one in Mingcheng knows our business—only Pan Lun in all of Mingzhou is aware. Haifeng can’t have been after us specifically.”

Tang Xin pressed, “Then why has everyone associated with us been targeted one after another?”

Xu Wei shook his head. “I don’t know. But now’s not the time to dwell on it. Have the arrangements in Annan been made?”

Tang Xin nodded. “All set. Yan Maoqing is handling it personally—there’ll be no slip-ups. Once Pan Lun arrives in Annan, he’ll never leave alive.”

Xu Wei nodded. “Good.”

Pan Lun had no inkling of these machinations. Following Xu Wei’s instructions, he packed his bags and left Mingnan that very day.

The next day, Pan Lun arrived at Mingcheng Airport, where a stranger handed him a passport and a plane ticket. Seeing the name “Wang Lun” on the passport, Pan Lun knew this was his new identity. Taking the passport, he watched the man turn and leave, then sat alone in the airport, settling in for a long wait.

As the hours dragged on, Pan Lun slowly regained his composure, and the more he thought about it, the less wise it seemed to flee to Annan. He couldn’t reach anyone in Manciqa, the Pan Group was lost—what was the point of going to Annan? He had, at most, one million in cash. What could he do with that over there?

Moreover, he’d left in such a hurry that his wife and child had only just been notified. He couldn’t be sure they would escape as smoothly.

Thinking of his son, Pan Lun felt a pang of guilt. He’d been so busy scheming and building his empire that he’d neglected his child, simply sending his wife and son off to Jinghua and paying them no mind.

His wife had complained more than once about his lack of attention to their son, but Pan Lun had always looked down on her as a narrow-minded woman, dismissing her concerns. To him, sending their child to the best schools, letting him study abroad, and returning to take over the family business was the best possible plan. Anything his wife said went in one ear and out the other.

At times, Pan Lun even contemplated divorcing this dowdy, aging wife. Compared to the young starlets and secretaries who warmed his bed, she seemed wholly unworthy of his status. The only reason he hadn’t divorced her was her docile nature—she gave him no grounds for it. Besides, she’d given him a son, and Pan Lun clung to the old belief that a man should not cast aside the wife of his youth. As long as she could tolerate his numerous affairs, he saw no need to remove the “main flag.”

But now, Pan Lun found himself missing his wife and child. That quiet, unassuming woman was suddenly impossible to forget, and he ached for his gentle son. He’d always thought the boy too timid, too much like his mother, lacking ambition and presence—so much so he blamed his wife for their son’s meekness. Yet now, he longed for that kind and gentle child.

It seemed almost a year since he’d last seen his son. His days had been consumed by socializing or indulging in pleasure, and he’d forgotten the warmth of home. He knew that if he left now, he would never see his family again.

He guessed that Wang Zhi and the others had already fallen into the authorities’ hands, and his casino was likely under Haifeng’s control. Though it was a legal enterprise in Manciqa, Pan Lun knew full well how much dirty money had been laundered through it. If Haifeng had destroyed it, he had little cause to complain.

He was also puzzled by Xu Wei’s eagerness to help him escape. Was Xu Wei really acting out of loyalty, or for some other reason? Pan Lun had never liked that old fox, which was why he was content to deal with Song Xin rather than Xu Wei directly.

But now, with his back against the wall, Xu Wei was helping him arrange an escape route. Was it truly out of shared risk? Would Xu Wei continue to help once he reached Annan? And what would become of him, alone and vulnerable in a foreign land?

As Pan Lun pondered these questions, an announcement rang out: “Passengers for the flight to Annan, please proceed to boarding.”

The broadcast jerked Pan Lun from his thoughts. He stood up, shook his head, and pushed aside the worries that plagued him, blending into the crowd preparing to board the plane.