When I went looking for Xing Meng, I found a clue.
Xing Meng was not a prostitute; her background was good, and her name was Ye Wanying.
...
If it were solely up to my abilities, I wouldn't have been able to find Xing Meng. I don't know what means Li Qiang used, but the police responsible for the investigation at the time didn't rely on facial recognition to find Xing Meng's true identity.
Ye Wanying, an art student!
Her boyfriend was a good friend of Jiang Keyang.
...
The intelligent Jiang Kexin had already guessed her brother's situation. As a rising star in the anti-drug squad, the real Jiang Keyang had employed too many unscrupulous methods.
But Jiang Kexin told me that this wasn't a matter of right or wrong. Jiang Keyang's methods were dirty, but they helped society eliminate more drug lords.
Jiang Kexin believed that given Gao Ziyan's methods of controlling the Gao family, she must have realized Xing Meng was not a prostitute. Yet, she still chose to employ such tactics and schemes, which indicated that Gao Ziyan was not a good person.
...
Perhaps the common man's sense of justice would dictate that Jiang Kexin should have exposed her own family. But Jiang Kexin didn't do so. She was unconventional, fundamentally rejecting hypocrisy and not emphasizing so-called true human nature. Perhaps by the time people were contemplating the value and meaning of life, Jiang Kexin had already seen through it all.
Jiang Kexin withdrew from the investigation, her intention clear: she was protecting her brother.
...
Hearing me say this, Teacher Wang Ren smiled sincerely. She was actually quite fearful that her daughter would judge her brother using the word "justice."
Wang Ren didn't want her children to turn against each other. She and her husband might have once shared love, but having reached their age, her primary concern was for her children. This is my assessment of Teacher Wang Ren. She was indeed engaged in high-IQ crime, but what distinguished her from other high-IQ criminals was her firm belief that they failed because they lacked real-life experience.
But Wang Ren never lacked that. She was an orphan, but she had her loving elder brother, Tao Yue. She had the Old Wang couple who ran a bun shop. And even though there was no father-daughter relationship, Teacher Wende arranged a wealthy life for her throughout her years. Zhang Si harbored resentment towards others, but he truly treated Wang Ren as a sister, and this fact remained even when he intended to kill her. Zhu Guang was somewhat inferior among the fellow disciples, but Li Jiu and Cao Shi were truly like younger brothers to her. They could be lectured or disciplined at any moment.
Her husband loved her.
Her son saw her as an idol.
Her daughter, though not particularly expressive, was, to be honest, a replica of Wang Ren at her core.
Kindness, decisiveness, tenderness, ruthlessness, practicality, and brilliant intelligence—these elements combined meant that, in time, Jiang Kexin would become the next Wang Ren.
Finally, even I, for a long time, considered Teacher Wang Ren a cherished mentor and friend. I shared an inexplicable connection with Lao Gui, Li Jiu, Zhang Si, and Zhu Guang.
But Lao Gui had ulterior motives; his starting point was not good.
Li Jiu stood at a height, looking down at me, and simply gave me an opportunity.
Zhang Si and Zhu Guang served as stepping stones in my journey as a schemer. Without their appearance, it would have been difficult for me to reach my current level.
Only Wang Ren told me the stories of the past.
She taught me the warmth of a schemer.
Even the principle of doing good deeds without seeking reward was something I learned from Teacher Wang Ren's stories.
Unlike other schemers whose intelligence far surpassed ordinary comprehension, her schemes, while seemingly profound, were the most grounded in reality.
In my heart, Wang Ren was the invincible schemer.
...
Wang Ren laughed sincerely, and I was lost in thought.
Finally, it was Wang Ren who broke the silence.
"Just this, and you still cannot win."
"Time is almost up, let's watch TV."
As I spoke with Teacher Wang Ren, I turned on the local channel. A news report was playing; it seemed a Hong Kong television station was also broadcasting. Gao Ziyan had transferred all her shares to her elder brother, Gao Zihui.
Last year in Hong Kong, Gao Zihui's withdrawal marked the beginning for Gao Ziyan. It has only been a year. Gao Ziyan transferred all her assets to her brother and left the Gao family with nothing.
"Do you think Gao Zihui can be a good head of the Gao family?"
"It's not important. Firstly, someone needs the Gao family's economic structure. Secondly, compared to Gao Ziyan, Gao Zihui might have more overt ambition. Of course, Gao Zihui also has a significant weakness."
"You mean his mental illness."
"Exactly. After all, Gao Zihui was mentally abused by the second wife for many years. That's a clear weakness."
Wang Ren sighed and shook her head. "If the late Elder Gao Ji heard this news, he would probably jump out of his coffin."
I smiled and replied, "Then there would be no schemers left; we'd need to hire a Taoist priest."
Hearing me say this, Wang Ren smiled. "What if I disagree?"
"Within two years, if Gao Zihui dies, or the Gao family suffers a major catastrophe, perhaps Gao Ziyan can return. However, after two years, if the Gao family is confiscated, Gao Ziyan won't intervene either. She's a smart girl; she'll have had two years to let go of all this absurdity and find her life's purpose."
"Isn't it love?"
"I don't know about that. Also, Ke Yingying has become the leader of the schemers. If you object, you can remove him and continue to threaten me."
Teacher Wang Ren listened and sighed deeply. "You're progressing too fast."
"Yes, if Ke Yingying, Gao Zihui, and your children were to re-establish a triangular balance, it would surely align with the will of heaven. Of course, if you disagree, our conflict will continue. But I don't think it's necessary."
Hearing me say this, Teacher Wang Ren looked at me and said earnestly, "So, your final step is to persuade me."
"Something like that."
"What reason do you use to persuade your enemy?"
"Firstly, I have been wrong all along. I thought you were a villainous leader, and as the righteous party, I had to eliminate you at all costs. Or, you are the righteous party, and I am the villain who should be eliminated. In reality, there's no need for that. If neither of us is wrong, and the one at fault is the one in the heavens, the existence of schemers is never meant for mutual calculation. We can actually stand together and break through that layer of heaven. Even if we might lose everything for this endeavor, we will still persist, because the meaning of a schemer's existence is to serve heaven, not to be bound by it."
Teacher Wang Ren looked at me with surprise. "Tang Nan, as of now, you are not as good as I am. However, under your leadership, the schemers might develop better than they did under me. You may leave now?"
I smiled awkwardly. "I told my wife I wouldn't be back for lunch."
"You still want to freeload a meal."
"I'll cook for you; it's a form of respect for an elder uncle."
"Since you call me Shibo, then Jiang Kexin is your junior sister. Cao Qian is dead, leaving only you and Jiang Kexin from the fifty-sixth generation. What outsiders think of you is irrelevant; you must support each other."
"Alright, Shibo."
Wang Ren finished speaking and handed me the teapot. "Sincerely pour me a cup of tea, call me Shibo, and then leave."
"What about the meal?"
"You don't need to cook it; eating it would upset me."
...
I smiled awkwardly. That was the last time I saw my Shibo. Later, the news reported that the renowned psychology expert and leading figure in criminal psychology, due to her prolonged struggle with distorted minds, had developed a severe psychosomatic illness and was undergoing secluded restorative treatment at a certain psychiatric hospital.
The news report was brief, just a few words.
...
A few days later, Gao Ziyan's case was also concluded. After transferring all her assets to Gao Zihui, no one troubled her anymore.
I saw her for the last time at the airport. Gao Ziyan had her hair in a ponytail, wore white canvas shoes, and carried a student bag. Stripped of her formal professional attire, she looked much more relaxed.
I watched her from afar as she sat on a waiting chair, wearing headphones, with a first-class ticket to Hong Kong placed beside her.
At this moment, Gao Ziyan was listening to music and reading a collection of modern poetry.
She smiled, and that smile was etched in my heart. Like the blooming and falling of flowers, any sadness can become a thing of the past. May Gao Ziyan's remaining years bloom as brightly as her current smile.
...
As I left the airport, I saw someone and was slightly surprised.
He also seemed taken aback when he saw me.
After all, this was a chance encounter.
In the past, I often saw his obsequious, disingenuous demeanor, but this time, he appeared somewhat calm. He walked past me as if he didn't recognize me.
That's right, it was Ke Yingying.
I never expected him to be leaving Beijing so late.
As the leader of the special task force, I had traveled to Xi'an to investigate Ke Yingying's organization, which was akin to a criminal syndicate.
I had always assumed Ke Yingying had returned there. But as we passed each other, I inadvertently noticed the ticket in his hand; he was going to Sichuan.
Hmph, this cunning fellow is indeed an old hand who can understand the Three Immortals Offering Tripod formation. I always thought Mr. Ke was playing dumb, but now I realize he truly has some skills.
But what about Jiang Kexin? Although it hasn't been officially announced yet, Jiang Kexin will sooner or later become a nationally, even internationally, renowned profiler in Beijing.
...
Just then, Lin Han's call came through. "You said you were going to the restroom, where did you disappear to?"
"What's wrong?"
"Tang Yi wants to eat ice cream."
"Let her eat it!"
"No, she was complaining about a sore throat yesterday."
"Alright, I'll be right back."
...
When I returned, Tang Yi said to me considerately, "Daddy, Brother wants to eat ice cream."
I didn't say anything and glanced at Huang Huang. This was most likely Huang Huang's idea; this child dotes on his sister.
"Wife, I'll take them to buy water. You and the baby in your belly find a place to rest. We'll join you in the VIP area later."
"Okay!"
Holding one child in each hand, we walked a short distance before I whispered to them, "I'll buy you ice cream, but don't tell Mommy."
"Okay!"
The two children cheered, and I quickly motioned for them to be quiet, then nervously glanced at Lin Han. Fortunately, Lin Han had found a chair to rest and didn't notice us.
The three of us, like thieves, ran off without a trace.
...
That's right, I was also leaving Beijing by plane today, heading to Xi'an.
At the time, I didn't think much of it, but I never expected that parting would be for ten years!
...