114: Chapter 114 Before Bedtime, Feng Hualian Knocks on the Door

Liu Zhen was taken to Zhao Meng's territory.

The Basement of an underground casino.

Zhao Meng's methods were more direct than Boss Xue's.

He didn't need evidence; he only trusted his own judgment.

Liu Zhen was Boss Xue's man, a spy sent to infiltrate his side.

"Brother Meng, I'm really not a spy! It was Cao Kun! Cao Kun ordered it all!" Liu Zhen kowtowed on the floor, his forehead already broken and bleeding.

"Who is Cao Kun?" Zhao Meng asked his underling.

The underling shook his head: "Never heard of him. Probably made up."

Zhao Meng lost his patience.

His conflict with Boss Xue had escalated recently, and he was already full of pent-up anger.

Liu Zhen had walked right into the line of fire and become the punching bag.

"Beat him. Beat him until he tells the truth." Zhao Meng lit a cigarette and sat to the side, watching.

Steel Pipes, fists, kicks... Liu Zhen was beaten like a sandbag.

At first, he screamed in agony, but later, he didn't even have the strength to cry out, only able to emit weak moans.

After more than ten minutes of beating, Zhao Meng raised his hand to call a stop.

"Willing to talk now? What did Xue Jinlong send you to do?"

Liu Zhen's mouth was full of blood, several teeth missing, his speech slurred: "Brother Meng... I really... am not..."

"Still stubborn." Zhao Meng threw his cigarette away. "A Biao, that new stun baton you bought, let's test its effect."

The underling named A Biao grinned maliciously, pulling out a black rod-like object. He pressed a switch, and blue electric sparks crackled at its tip.

"No... don't..." Liu Zhen shrank back in terror.

But the stun baton was already pressed against his body.

An intense electric current shot through him. Liu Zhen's entire body convulsed, and he lost control of his bowels and bladder.

The shock lasted five seconds. When it stopped, his eyes were rolled back, and foam dribbled from his mouth.

"Brother Meng, another shock might kill him," A Biao said.

Zhao Meng frowned.

He only wanted to teach Liu Zhen a lesson, not actually kill him.

After all, Liu Zhen might know some of Boss Xue's secrets. Keeping him alive could still be useful.

"Take him to a hospital. Don't let him die."

Liu Zhen was dumped at the entrance of a private hospital on the outskirts of the city.

After an examination, the doctors found intracranial bleeding and spinal damage. Although he was resuscitated, he became a vegetable, with little chance of ever waking up.

The news reached Cao Kun while he was at home playing on his phone.

His phone vibrated with a message from Liang Lingmeng: "Liu Zhen is in trouble. At Renhe Hospital, vegetative state. Heard he offended some gangsters."

Cao Kun put down his phone, his expression calm.

Then, the voice of the system sounded in his mind.

[Ding, mission 'Help Feng Hua Lian Escape Liu Zhen's Clutches' completed]

[Mission reward: Four hundred thousand huaxia coin have been deposited]

The corner of Cao Kun's mouth lifted slightly.

Liu Zhen was now a vegetable, no longer a threat to Feng Hua Lian.

Mission complete, reward received. Everything was going according to plan.

He picked up his phone and sent Feng Hua Lian a wechat: "Let's have dinner tonight. I have something to tell you."

...

That evening, Cao Kun took Feng Hua Lian to an upscale Western restaurant.

Feng Hua Lian was very nervous.

She had never been to a place like this.

When the waiter handed her the menu, her hands trembled looking at the prices.

"Order anything you like," Cao Kun said. "It's a good day today. Let's celebrate."

Feng Hua Lian ordered the cheapest set meal.

Cao Kun didn't press her. He ordered several signature dishes for himself and a bottle of red wine.

When the aperitif arrived, Cao Kun raised his glass. "To your new life."

Feng Hua Lian clinked glasses with him, taking a small sip of the wine, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Mr. Cao, you said you had something to tell me..."

"Liu Zhen won't threaten you anymore," Cao Kun said calmly. "He's a vegetable now, lying in a hospital. The chance of him waking up is very small."

Feng Hua Lian's wine glass wobbled, spilling some of the red wine.

"A... a vegetable?"

"He offended the wrong people and got beaten up." Cao Kun handed her a napkin. "You don't need to know the details. In short, you and your family are safe now."

Feng Hua Lian sat there in a daze. After a long while, silent tears began to flow.

It wasn't sorrow, but relief.

She was finally free from that nightmare.

"Thank you... thank you..." She choked on her sobs.

Cao Kun waited quietly for her to finish crying, then handed her a handkerchief.

Throughout the meal, Feng Hua Lian was distracted.

Looking at Cao Kun across from her, a tidal wave of emotion surged in her heart.

This man had saved her, saved her family, given her a new life.

And now, he had completely eliminated the last threat.

What she owed him, she could never repay in this lifetime.

After the meal, Cao Kun drove her back to Yuelan Bay.

Arriving downstairs, Feng Hua Lian didn't get out of the car immediately.

"Mr. Cao..."

"Hmm?"

"You... could you come up for a while tonight?" She lowered her head, her voice very soft. "I... I have something I want to say to you."

Cao Kun looked at her flushed cheeks and understood.

"Okay."

They went upstairs and opened the door.

The room was very clean. Feng Hua Lian was a diligent girl, keeping the apartment spotless.

She made tea for Cao Kun, then sat on the sofa opposite him, her hands nervously twisting together.

"Mr. Cao, I... I don't know how to repay you."

She finally spoke up. "You saved me, gave me a job, gave me a place to live... I... I have nothing, only..."

She looked up, her eyes glistening with tears and a kind of resolve. "If you don't mind... I... I'm willing..."

She didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Cao Kun put down his teacup and walked over to stand before her.

Feng Hua Lian tensed up, closing her eyes, waiting for what was to come.

But Cao Kun only gave her a gentle hug, like an older brother hugging his younger sister.

"Feng Hua Lian, you don't need to repay me this way," he whispered in her ear. "I helped you because you deserve help, not because I wanted to get something from you."

Feng Hua Lian opened her eyes, tears welling up. "But... but this is all I have... I have nothing..."

"You have many things," Cao Kun released her, looking seriously into her eyes.

"You're young, smart, kind, and strong. You deserve a better life, better love, a better future. Don't see me as your lifeline. See me as... a friend. Okay?"

Feng Hua Lian's tears fell harder.

She threw herself into Cao Kun's arms and cried loudly.

This time, Cao Kun didn't push her away.

He patted her back gently, letting her cry out three years' worth of grievances, fear, and pain.

After crying for over ten minutes, Feng Hua Lian slowly calmed down.

She released Cao Kun sheepishly, her face red. "I'm sorry, I got your clothes wet..."

"It's fine." Cao Kun smiled. "Go wash your face and get some rest early. You have work tomorrow."

Feng Hua Lian nodded and walked toward the bathroom. At the door, she suddenly turned back. "Mr. Cao..."

"Hmm?"

"Can I... really be your friend?"

"Of course." Cao Kun's smile was warm.

Feng Hua Lian smiled too. It was the purest, most relieved smile Cao Kun had ever seen.

That night, Cao Kun still slept in the guest room.

But before bed, Feng Hua Lian knocked on his door.

She had already changed into her pajamas. Her hair was still damp, carrying the fresh scent of shower gel.

"Mr. Cao... could I... sleep with you?" Her voice was small but firm.

"Just... sleeping. I... I'm a little scared alone."

...