Jiang Dao didn’t care about the evaluation of him on the internet at all. Even if the rumors are fiercer than a tiger, he would still be unmoved – because he doesn’t live based on those people’s words. Life in this world is too easy for him.
But… Qin Xiao’s last sentence actually made him a little scared.
There was an unknown subtle anxiety in his heart. His limbs trembled instantly, remembering that afternoon where sunlight prickled his eyes and he lost yet another comrade-in-arms on the battlefield.
…So, this time, what important thing is he going to lose?
Qin Xiao still sneered and said something else on the phone, but Jiang Dao didn’t want to listen anymore.
He cut off the call without hesitation. Fingers trembling slightly, he paused for a second before choosing Chu Yinlong’s number and calling.
The other side picked up almost immediately.
Jiang Dao was suddenly at a loss for words.
What should he say?
Explain that he didn’t bribe the director?
But that thing… in a sense “he” did it. It was a crime he had to bear for the original owner.
For a long time, neither side of the phone spoke.
Even the breathing through the phone was extremely light, as if a little force would shatter something precious and fragile between them.
In the end, Jiang Dao whispered, “…Teacher Chu.”
Chu Yinlong asked, “Is it true?”
Jiang Dao couldn’t answer.
But his silence itself was an answer.
After a moment of silence, Chu Yinlong exhaled. “Got it. There is one more thing, tell me the truth.”
Jiang Dao: “Ask.”
Chu Yinlong: “Did he give you the money back?”
“No.” Jiang Dao was certain about this.
Chu Yinlong exhaled slowly and said, “I will find someone to deal with this matter. You stay in the apartment, don’t go out for the past two days, and don’t go to the studio.”
Jiang Dao: “Okay.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Yinlong hung up.
Sitting down beside the bed, the sense of panic in Jiang Dao’s heart still showed no sign of abating.
It was getting dark outside the window, but he didn’t turn on the light as he sat motionless in the dark room, eyelashes drooping, neither sad nor happy.
After a long time, someone suddenly knocked on the door. Assistant Xiao Yang’s voice sounded: “Are you at home? I brought you some food. Open the door.”
After the voice fell, there was a pause before the combination lock buzzed, and Xiao Yang came in and turned the light on with a snap.
“Don’t worry too much, public relations will take care of everything.” The assistant put the lunch box on the table. “Even if you don’t believe us, you still have to believe the boss! Come on, eat.”
Jiang Dao quickly adjusted his expression and turned towards him with an impeccable smile. “I’m fine. Of course I trust him.”
But just as he sat down at the dining table and put his phone aside, a notification sounded, accompanied by a picture message.
Seeing Qin Xiao’s number, Jiang Dao frowned and opened it up.
In the picture, were some documents with the LOGO of “Chu Yinlong Studio” marked with “Confidential” in the upper left corner.
“Brother Yang, look at this!” Jiang Dao stood up abruptly and handed the phone to his assistant.
Xiao Yang took it, glanced at it, and his face suddenly turned pale: “This, this… This is our endorsement letter of intent, and there are several plans… and scripts! It’s all signed and confidential… How can someone?!”
Jiang Dao’s face turned serious. “Can you be sure of the authenticity?”
Xiao Yang hurriedly opened the tablet and searched for a moment, then his face turned ugly. “The internal file numbers are all correct. It should be true… at least the covers are.”
At this moment, Qin Xiao’s call came in again.
Jiang Dao made a shushing gesture at Xiao Yang and switched the phone to speakerphone.
Assistant Yang understood very well, and Jiang Dao immediately clicked ‘connect’.
Over the phone, Qin Xiao asked with a smile, “Did you see what I sent you?”
Jiang Dao took a breath, seeming nervous. “What do you want to do?”
Who knew, after revealing such a thing, his words were no longer direct, and became more cautious.
“Oh, isn’t it what you want to do?” He spoke very slowly, as if he was enjoying the fun of teasing his opponent. “Why ask me? It was you who took these pictures in order to make father acknowledge your ability. You want to use this to attack Longqi Entertainment, so they have to pay sky-high liquidated damages and lose credibility. Isn’t it?”
Jiang Dao clenched the hand hanging by his side, but his expression didn’t change.
He looked up at Xiao Yang to see his brows wrinkled. Fortunately, there was no doubt about him in his eyes.
After a long while without hearing a reply, Qin Xiao said again: “For the sake of your hard work, I will give you a chance to come and talk face to face with me.”
Jiang Dao asked, “Where?”
Qin Xiao said: ” Eight o’clock tomorrow morning, Yanxi Jingshan Villa. Please don’t be late.”
The phone hung up.
Xiao Yang got up immediately: “I have to go back to the studio!”
This matter cannot be dismissed, and must be dealt with as soon as possible.
Before leaving, he glanced at Jiang Dao worriedly and added: “Don’t worry, it will be fine. Don’t go out tomorrow. The boss is already on the plane and will be back tomorrow morning. Wait for him!”
Jiang Dao didn’t reply, just looked at him lightly.
Thinking he had agreed by default, Xiao Yang was relieved, and hurriedly left with his bag.
There was no emotion on Jiang Dao’s face.
He opened the lunch box calmly, chewing slowly, and eating up the nutritious meal inside.
Then he got up and went to the closet, carefully selected a few pieces of clothes, and changed. Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror, he neatly folded the cuffs of his shirt, and meticulously tied the straps on his leather boots.
He raised his head and looked at the tall, slender boy in the mirror.
There was no expression on his face, no light in his eyes, only an empty and silent darkness.
Five minutes later, a car pulled out of the apartment complex and rushed into the chilly night of early autumn.
…
Chu Yinlong frowned and opened his eyes.
The screen showed that less than three hours had passed since takeoff.
Despite not sleeping at all last night, his brain was sleepy, but he couldn’t fall asleep.
After several attempts to no avail, he opened the in-flight entertainment system, picked a movie at random, put on his headphones, and tried to fall asleep.
It was a war movie.
The veteran’s face was full of vicissitudes, looking at the cloudy sky, sighing: “You can’t win this war.”
Beside him, was an ignorant young man. “Why? We also have powerful artillery, powerful spearmen, and the warriors who are not afraid of death. Why can’t we win?”
The veteran shook his head gently, raised his hand and stroked the top of the boy’s hair: “Child, you have to understand that in war, in addition to strength, there is another thing that can determine the outcome. That is—”
“—information.”
…
Jiang Dao parked his car outside a hot spring hotel at the foot of Jingshan Mountain.
Checking the address of the villa under Qin Xiao’s name again, he reconfirmed it was correct. Then he snuck over the hotel’s outer wall, hiding in the blind spot of cameras to climb over a forest fence, and melted into the dense trees covering the mountain.
At midnight, the villa area in Jingshan, Yanxi.
With the help of the trees inside and outside, a shadow lightly crossed the high-voltage safety net at the top of the wall, and quietly fell into the lush green landscape of the villa area like a cat.
Covered by the greenery, Jiang Dao surveyed the villa area for two more hours, mapping out all the surveillance cameras and the route of security patrols, and then detoured to Qin Xiao’s villa.
After flipping into the courtyard, the two mastiffs in the courtyard were startled and barked twice, rushing towards Jiang Dao.
Jiang Dao narrowed his eyes slightly, lowered his body, and prepared to counterattack.
The result — the two mastiffs suddenly braked a few meters away from him, whimpering, before turning around with their tails tucked, and ran back into the big cage in the corner of the courtyard, never showing their heads again.
Jiang Dao breathed a sigh of relief silently, hid himself in the shadow of the back wall, listening to the loud gasps coming through the window.
…
After watching the movie, Chu Yinlong raised his hand and pinched his eyebrows, but he still didn’t feel sleepy.
Forcibly closing his eyes, he recited Buddhist scriptures in his heart, but there were still some lingering fragmentary images in his mind.
The movie just now was about country A’s hero.
The teenager grew up rapidly in battle, and finally became a top special forces soldier. Scouting, infiltrating, assassinating, stealing intelligence… He was always on the front line of obtaining war information, which brought to his army the final victory.
In a daze, Chu Yinlong felt as if he had just woken up from a dream. But when he opened his eyes, he saw someone holding a knife to the side of his neck – the man was wearing the clothes of the special forces in the movie, appearing silently beside him to take away his life.
There was light shining through the window, and Chu Yinlong looked at the face of the person who appeared in shock.
His mind cleared suddenly, and the roar of the aircraft engine echoed through ears once more.
After an exhale, Chu Yinlong couldn’t help smiling to himself. His dream is really unreasonable – he actually dreamed that Jiang Dao was a special forces soldier, and came to kill him?
Probably read too many scripts.
…
The person on the bed was sound asleep.
Next to him was a naked boy.
In the darkness, Jiang Dao stared at the two sleeping bodies for a long time, then quietly turned and left.
When walking towards the door, he changed out the leather gloves. Stuffing them into his jacket pocket, he took out a pair of thin silk gloves and put them on slowly.
He opened the door and went out without making a sound.
Like a ghost, Jiang Dao wandered the entire villa for more than two hours.
When the sky began to turn bluish gray, he returned to an empty room on the second floor. His eyes swept across the lights and cameras arranged in the room, and fell on the small open space in the middle.
In the open space, there is a strangely shaped chair with a series of buckles and straps connected to the back and armrests of the chair.
Unafraid, Jiang Dao sat in the chair, hooking his legs out on the armrests lazily.
Then he closed his eyes and began to rest.
…
Apocalypse JD comes out — I honestly wish the author developed this further
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