80: End of Chapter 80

"Two or three years?"

Chen Zhi's eyes flashed with a cold, almost contemptuous sharpness. "Who said two or three years? You just don't know about the death sentences. Do you think those with shorter legal sentences have it any better? Losing everything, experiencing the disparity day and night, the entire family having no chance of rising again—as long as you live, that heart-gnawing pain accompanies you every single day. Ha! Dreaming of a life where power, money, and beautiful women all bow to you, only to wake up feeling a sense of loss—let alone the pain of having truly possessed it and then losing it, even losing your nest egg."

Thinking about it, Lin Ning realized that living was indeed harder than dying, but he still couldn't help but retort, "There are still plenty who hid their money and went abroad to enjoy life after getting out."

"How much can they actually take out?" Chen Zhi sneered. "You think they can walk away unscathed without coughing up everything they swallowed, with interest? Even if they're lucky enough to sneak out with a few scraps, do you think that's heaven? Away from their homeland, without roots, they're nothing but stray dogs with money in the eyes of others. Is that kind of life really so easy?"

Lin Ning asked, "What about foreign spies? They might even return home as heroes."

Chen Zhi leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping lower, but carrying an iron-like chill: "Those with our blood on their hands—have you seen any of them escape? As for the others... stealing secrets, subversion, the law has its own judgment. More importantly," his gaze became obscure, "if we don't follow the rules, what about our comrades abroad?"

Damn! Almost forgot, our side has people operating abroad too.

Everyone has an unspoken agreement: as long as it's not a major incident involving bloodshed, the sentences for espionage in any country aren't long.

It's because you can kill my people, and I can kill yours, so if everyone stops playing, it becomes a game of flipping the table.

Having learned the information he wanted to know, Lin Ning decided to leave.

Lin Ning got up to leave, leaving Chen Zhi dumbfounded.

He had been worried that Lin Ning might be feeling indignant or that his beliefs had been shaken, and was wondering how to counsel and comfort him.

He couldn't help but say, "Those who get dragged into the mud are, after all, the minority... Most of the cadres who are selected are still able to maintain their original intentions."

Lin Ning raised an eyebrow, looked at Chen Zhi's conflicted expression, and laughed. "Brother Chen, I know! If everyone were like that, our country wouldn't be able to develop so quickly and so well, and those foreigners wouldn't have to go to such great lengths to trip us up. Even in our own residential complex, you can't guarantee everyone is a good person; a few maggots popping up isn't enough to make me doubt the meaning of life."

"And you, stop racking your brain trying to give me a lecture on ideology. I'm off!"

Unfortunately, he didn't manage to pull off the "turn around coolly and leave gracefully" script. As soon as he took a step, the soreness in his flank and legs flared up simultaneously, causing his posture to instantly deform, walking with a limp, his back view looking quite pathetic.

Having failed to show off, Lin Ning glared fiercely at Li Chao after leaving, swearing to himself that once his skills were trained up, he would definitely pay him back; anyone who doesn't keep their word is a dog!

Just as he entered the residential compound on his little e-scooter, he ran into Jin Er, Xu San, and Zhang Shitou "studying" a chess game under a tree again.

Just as he wanted to lower his head and slip away, he was called out.

"You're back, Lin Zi!"

Seeing Lin Ning's grimacing, limping state, their eyes immediately lit up.

"Yo!" Jin Er threw down a chess piece and crowded over. "What act is this you're putting on now? Who beat you up?" This scene inexplicably reminded Lin Ning of the embarrassing situation a few days ago when he was surrounded by them with his shirt covered in nosebleeds.

"Combat training! Professional training!" Lin Ning emphasized testily.

"Combat?" Xu San rubbed his chin, looking like he didn't believe a word of it. "Sister Lin, you're either weak or injured; why don't you just stop going out!"

Jin Er and Zhang Shitou laughed and jeered from the side, "A Sister Lin fell from the sky..."

Lin Ning was so angry he nearly choked, "Me, 'Sister Lin'? With just the three of you, I'd give you a one-legged handicap! Get lost! And another thing, why are you guys so idle every day? Are you mascots for the neighborhood?"

Jin Er spread his hands, rightfully indignant, "The work you gave us, we brothers finished it quickly! So we're just enjoying some leisure time. What, jealous?"

Lin Ning: "..."

Just you wait, you brats, later I'll drag you all over Beijing and wear you out!

Giving them a double-middle-finger salute, Lin Ning made a strategic retreat.

Back home, gritting his teeth, he applied half a bottle of safflower oil to himself before collapsing onto the bed and letting out a long sigh.

He took out his phone and called Wang Qiao. "Big Old Wang, what was Brother Tao's reaction after hearing the news? Did the police look for you?"

"They did, just a simple statement. After Brother Tao found out 'General Manager Zheng' was a fake, he kept saying how lucky it was that we were vigilant. When he comes back tomorrow, he definitely wants to treat us to a big meal. The police have contacted him too." Wang Qiao spoke very quickly, and after impatiently explaining the current situation, he asked excitedly, "Lin Zi, what do we do next?"

"What do you mean, what do we do next?" Lin Ning asked, puzzled.

"Find Duan Pingheng's gang! He must have a gang, one person can't do all this. Plus, I heard from Brother Tao that General Manager Huang and the others aren't naive; besides the confirmation letter, they also verified the funds. The special account provided by that Duan guy had 200 million in security deposits. This is definitely a professional fraud gang."

Lin Ning perked up at this and immediately started scolding him. "Who do you think you are?! You also know they're a professional fraud gang?! You found a pawn on the front stage and you're already getting cocky, wanting to do the police's job too? Do you have the resources? Do you have the ability? Just do what you're told to cooperate, that's all. You want to be a hero? Don't you know heroes die fast? We're just righteous citizens, don't add extra drama for yourself! Go reflect on this properly!"

Not giving Wang Qiao a chance to react, Lin Ning hung up the phone after finishing his scolding.

Wow! Body and mind refreshed! How could he not pass on the scolding he himself had received?!

WeChat notification sounds rang out in succession—three or four 60-second voice messages. Presumably knowing Lin Ning wouldn't listen to them, he finally sent a text message: [You are such a dog!]

After dinner, Lin Ning was exercising his Psychic Power when a knock came at the door.

Lin Ning subconsciously used his Psychic Power, focused into a thin thread attached to his vision, to probe toward the door—

His gaze rested on the brownish-red security door, but his Psychic Power passed through the door panel, vaguely sensing a person standing outside—a familiar aura, with no malice.