Hard to Get Them Out

I hadn't held out much hope for Song Xiaotian in the first place.

But he turned out to be even more ridiculous than I'd imagined.

He'd already been fired!

Fang Man and I both stared wide-eyed. Apparently, even she hadn't known he'd been fired.

"Bro, when did you get fired? Does my godfather know..."

"No."

Song Xiaotian shook his head. "He'd beat me to death if he knew. I'll keep it from him as long as I can. Xiaoman, you absolutely cannot tell him about this."

Fang Man was speechless too.

If you'd been fired, why didn't you say so earlier? Why were we even having this meal?

Wasn't this just wasting time?

My buddy was still locked up at the station. He'd been caught red-handed, so it wouldn't take long for them to press charges. I had to get him out as soon as possible.

But Song Xiaotian was Fang Man's godbrother, so I couldn't really lose my temper with him.

"Brother Tian, do you know anyone who could help get my buddy out?" I asked, clinging to one last shred of hope.

Song Xiaotian gave me a puzzled look. "Buddy, you came to me to get someone out. Why would you need anyone else? I may have been fired, but I can still help you."

I laughed. "What, with a jailbreak?"

He looked completely serious. "My grandfather was in the military, and so was my dad. His old army buddies are all big shots now. I could call any one of those uncles, and he'd help get your friend out."

Song Xiaotian sounded serious. It didn't seem like he was bullshitting.

But looking at him, I still couldn't quite trust him, so I glanced at Fang Man.

Fang Man nodded at me, confirming that he wasn't bullshitting.

Excitement surged through me. "Brother Tian, would those uncles of yours really help?"

Song Xiaotian looked at me. "Don't worry about any of that. You're Xiaoman's boyfriend, which makes you family. Why would I lie to you? But your friend has to have genuinely been framed. If he really committed a crime, I'm afraid I won't be able to help."

After hearing that, I was convinced he really could help me.

But now I didn't know what to tell him.

Because we really had gone into Du Ruhai's home. That was trespassing.

How was I supposed to explain everything that had led up to it?

Seeing me hesitate, Song Xiaotian frowned slightly. "Your friend didn't actually commit a crime, did he?"

Fang Man grew anxious too. "What exactly did the boss do?"

I sighed. "I can tell you, but I'm afraid it'll scare you."

Song Xiaotian shook his head. "Go ahead. Brother Tian has seen plenty and been through all kinds of trouble. I really don't believe there's anything that could scare me."

So I told them, giving a concise account of the whole story without hiding anything.

But when I finished, Song Xiaotian and Fang Man looked dazed, as though they didn't believe a word of it.

I took the urn straight out of my backpack.

"I'm not lying. If you don't believe me, look. Here's the proof."

"H-h-h... holy shit!"

Song Xiaotian sprang up in fright, staring at me in horror.

Fang Man went pale with fear too and nearly opened the door to flee.

"Y-you... put it away first! I believe you! I believe you!"

I hurriedly put the urn back in my bag.

The two of them sat back down.

Still shaken, Song Xiaotian looked at me. "Actually, I believed you as soon as you finished telling us."

I found that a little hard to believe. "You really believed what I said?"

He nodded. "You came to me for help. You wouldn't make up something this bizarre, so I believe everything you said is true."

"But I really didn't expect anything this creepy to actually exist..." He and Fang Man looked at each other, struggling to take it in.

I said, "None of that matters right now. What matters is getting Meng Yifan and the Seventh Master out as soon as possible. I'm afraid that once they're sentenced, Du Ruhai will have them harmed in prison."

Song Xiaotian thought for a moment, then said, "I'll make a call and ask around for you. After all, it was Du Ruhai's house you entered, and he's no ordinary man. He has considerable influence. This could be tricky."

With that, Song Xiaotian went outside to make the call.

I was worried about whether he could really help me.

After all, we were up against Du Ruhai. He held absolute sway in Lanjiang City. Unless the person helping us was a truly major figure, I was afraid they wouldn't be able to keep him in check.

About fifteen minutes later, Song Xiaotian returned.

He told me his contact would try to get them out, and it would take roughly two to three days. If they weren't out within three days, Meng Yifan and the Seventh Master were definitely going to prison.

Hearing that, I didn't know whether to feel happy or afraid.

Song Xiaotian had said his connections were incredibly powerful. If even people that powerful weren't particularly confident they could get them out, I couldn't help feeling that Meng Yifan and the Seventh Master were in serious trouble.

But for now, all I could do was wait for news from Song Xiaotian, because there was no one else I could turn to for help.

After we finished eating and left the restaurant, Fang Man didn't want to go back to the shop. She wanted to stay with me.

But how could I let her? I could barely protect myself. I was afraid she'd get dragged into this.

"Go back to the shop and look after it for Meng Yifan and me."

"Once I've sorted everything out, I'll come find you."

I was firm about it.

Song Xiaotian tried to persuade her too. "Listen to Chen Mo. You're a girl. Don't get involved in this."

With both of us urging her, Fang Man finally gave in, and I persuaded her to leave.

After she left, I pulled Song Xiaotian aside and tried to press the ten thousand yuan I'd just withdrawn into his hands.

But he pushed it back. "You're treating me like an outsider. Xiaoman and I grew up together. She's my sister, and you might be my brother-in-law someday. You're seriously underestimating Brother Tian's character."

I was the one offering him a gift, yet his words left me feeling a little embarrassed.

But he was right. We really might be family one day.

"Brother Tian, then I won't stand on ceremony."

"Could you do me another favor?"

He looked at me. "Go ahead..."

I told him honestly, "We don't know whether Meng Yifan and the Seventh Master can get out, so I need a backup plan. I want the detailed files on that family massacre fifteen years ago, along with the information on Lü Zhengxian. I need to prove that Du Ruhai is Lü Zhengxian. Otherwise, even if Meng Yifan gets out, neither of us will be able to make a living in this city."

Song Xiaotian grew serious and frowned. "Forgive me for being blunt, but you're being a little unrealistic. Whether Du Ruhai is Lü Zhengxian or not, right now he's Du Ruhai-the man who holds absolute power here. Trying to bring him down would be like throwing an egg against a rock."

I told him I knew. I knew even better how insignificant I was.

But I had to get my hands on something. We'd been to Du Ruhai's villa, and he would soon find out who had been there. That meant we'd already crossed him.

If we didn't have some dirt on him, he might have Meng Yifan and me killed one day.