Chapter 13: Playing It Too Smart
Two days later, Shao Yaozong sent the account statement to Zhao Shengge as promised. Zhao Shengge made a copy for his records and passed it off to customs and the regulators.
Under Zhao Shengge’s patronage, Shao Yaozong’s shipment quickly cleared the inner port. Unfortunately, it encountered monsoon-driven currents and drifted aimlessly at sea for several days before setting off again once the waters were calm.
It wasn’t until the ship actually crossed the Jixi Strait that Shao Yaozong sent an encrypted video file, but he didn’t provide the password directly.
By the time the CID successfully deciphered it, the shipment had already passed through the international shipping port, making a chase in international waters more troublesome.
However, this was no longer Zhao Shengge’s concern. He secured the land as scheduled and intended to build a private dock, establishing his own transportation and logistics network and a maritime dominion.
To uproot entirely the gang’s influence, the financial regulators, along with the criminal investigation department, jointly investigated the goods, gold, and cryptocurrencies Shao Yaozong had privately stored at *Yingchi*. Everyone who appeared at *Yingchi* that night was also scrutinized.
White Crane Hall had been entrenched in Haishi for many years, with hidden members in various industries—from high-paid white-collar workers in Fortune 500 companies to cleaners receiving social security benefits, and even officials and politicians. The organization was a mixed bag of people who had undergone psychological indoctrination, not much different from a *cult*.
The authorities had long planned to dismantle it but couldn’t find a decisive breakthrough. Zhao Shengge’s willingness to dive into this mess made things much simpler.
Adhering to the principle of better to be safe than sorry, the police followed procedure and screened everyone who appeared that night, compiling a long list. They asked Zhao Shengge if any of them were his people, as arresting the wrong person could lead to embarrassing mix-ups.
Zhao Shengge glanced at the list and said, "No."
The surveillance footage from that night captured Chen Wan’s car, as well as Zhao Shengge getting out of it. The head of the CID, being cautious, asked if the car was his. If it was, they would skip the check to reduce the workload.
Zhao Shengge denied it, saying it was just a ride he hitched. He instructed them to conduct a thorough investigation and not cut corners.
Who knew what kind of shady characters they might uncover.
Chen Wan was a friend of Zhuo Zhixuan and not someone of significance. Zhao Shengge didn’t have the time to specifically investigate him, but people like him often seemed problematic. Whether they were human or demon, the police and judiciary would see through them with their sharp eyes.
Chen Wan was no pushover. While Tan Youming and Zhuo Zhixuan might be naive, it was rare to see someone who could even charm Shen Zongnian.
Chen Wan was summoned for interrogation during a negotiation. He was discussing the transfer contract for a new patent with a Singaporean.
This was Kexiang’s most important project at the time, and Chen Wan had put a lot of effort into it—staying up late, attending countless unwanted social events, and leveraging many connections to secure this opportunity.
Chen Wan was taken away by the police in front of the investor, who looked both shocked and suspicious.
Despite remaining calm and composed, and even managing to reassure the investor that he was fine and just needed to answer some questions, Chen Wan could see the distrust and hesitation in the investor’s expression.
Worried that all his hard work might go to waste, Chen Wan promised to provide an explanation as soon as possible. The police were in a hurry, so he had to go to the station first.
Coincidentally, Zhuo Zhixuan called him, and Chen Wan gave him a heads-up. Zhuo Zhixuan immediately offered to contact his family connections for help, but Chen Wan stopped him.
Zhuo Zhixuan didn’t have much influence in his family, and Chen Wan didn’t want his friend to plead with estranged elders on his behalf.
Chen Wan suggested they wait and see how things unfolded, and he instructed Zhuo Zhixuan not to spread the news. He didn’t want it to reach Zhao Shengge’s ears—being invited for tea by the police wasn’t exactly a proud moment.
Chen Wan remained calm throughout, a testament to his upbringing in Xiaolan Mountain. Such situations were nothing to him.
The police didn’t give Chen Wan a hard time; they just followed procedure and asked some questions. Chen Wan was clean and could withstand scrutiny. However, when the police mentioned the passenger in his car, Chen Wan skillfully steered the conversation to exclude Zhao Shengge.
It wasn’t exactly a lie, but he was clearly more cautious and guarded when answering questions about Zhao Shengge than about himself.
The police, of course, knew Zhao Shengge was innocent and didn’t expose Chen Wan’s wordplay. His defense of Zhao Shengge only further confirmed his non-involvement in the matter.
But the officer, having worked in law enforcement for many years, rarely encountered someone with such strong psychological resilience who played games with the police. He deliberately intimidated Chen Wan: "Mr. Chen, it’s best not to play mind games with the police. This is a criminal interrogation, and every word you say will be recorded. Providing false statements is a criminal offense."
Chen Wan, with his good temper and trustworthy appearance, replied, "Officer, I take full responsibility for every word I’ve said."
The officer scrutinized him meaningfully and mentioned the matter while calling Zhao Shengge to coordinate the tracking of the shipment.
Zhao Shengge lowered his eyes, playing with the toy gun model he had bought at the airport as he listened.
When the officer mentioned something, his casual movements paused for a moment before resuming.
Surprisingly, yet logically, Chen Wan was confirmed to have no issues and exhibited some traits that Zhao Shengge was reluctant to admit, such as intelligence, discretion, and reliability.
But Zhao Shengge still didn’t like it—he disliked uncertainty, opportunism, and self-importance.
Because of this minor setback, Chen Wan encountered some trouble with the investors. Fortunately, he cleverly explained that he had gone to the police station to assist in the investigation, turning a setback into an advantage. Seeing no further risks, the investors signed the contract with him as scheduled.
After several twists and turns, Chen Wan got tied up and missed a few of the young masters’ gatherings. When Tan Youming asked about it, Zhuo Zhixuan berated the police as incompetent, accusing them of randomly arresting people and dragging Chen Wan into unnecessary trouble.
Though they had all grown up together, Zhuo Zhixuan indeed got along best with Tan Youming among them.
Though they had matured and developed a sense of discretion, no longer as close and open as they were in childhood, both of them had the demeanor of privileged young men—carefree, playful, and not excelling academically. Therefore, Zhuo Zhixuan talked the most with Tan Youming in this group, and their tirade against the police was relentless.
He detailed the trouble the police had given Chen Wan that day, exaggerating that Chen Wan’s project was delayed, he was overwhelmed with responsibilities, and he appeared exhausted and unwell.
Hearing this, Tan Youming was equally incensed, slamming the table and saying that Chen Wan was good in every way but too naive to leverage his connections.
Zhuo Zhixuan felt he had found a like-minded ally, exclaiming that they were of the same mind! His gaze occasionally swept over the seat at the head of the table.
Of course, Zhuo Zhixuan didn’t know that the instigator was seated at the head of the table, nor did he know what had happened that night. He simply wanted to see if the other party would show any reaction or fluctuation upon hearing the name.
There was none.
Zhao Shengge stayed as aloof as usual, turning his teacup and watching from the sidelines.
In fact, Zhuo Zhixuan had always felt that Zhao Shengge’s true nature was very cold. His gentleness, calmness, and seemingly friendly demeanor were just the surface of years of cultivation and refinement, exuding the condescension and pity of someone in power, rather than genuine empathy from the heart.
But Chen Wan insisted that the other party was an upright and kind person.
Zhuo Zhixuan had nothing to say.
Where Zhuo Zhixuan and Tan Youming were, it was unlikely to be quiet. Zhao Shengge looked disinterested and wasn’t very engaged in the topic about Chen Wan.
He felt a bit bored tonight. The food wasn’t very good, the room felt a little stuffy, and the air felt stale.
This was their private room. They didn’t come often, and usually, no other guests would use it. Perhaps the manager had forgotten to have someone open the windows for ventilation in advance.
Zhao Shengge hardly touched his food. Shen Zongnian glanced at him, and Zhao Shengge shrugged.
The discussion about Chen Wan lingered. He would never have thought that one day, even in his absence, he would be the focus of these young masters’ conversations.
Since Jiang Ying wasn’t as close with Chen Wan as the others, he asked why Chen Wan was so stubborn. Actually, if he had simply reached out to them, it would have been a simple phone call.
Zhuo Zhixuan waved his hand: “He hates burdening others.”
Tan Youming said they should correct Chen Wan’s habit, and Zhuo Zhixuan responded enthusiastically. Jiang Ying even offered to help smooth things over with the police. The procedures should be followed, but there was no need to make things so difficult for him. He hadn’t met Chen Wan much, but he had a good impression of him.
Zhao Shengge thought to himself, surely he’s not that useless.
The police officer didn’t say that.
Chen Wan seemed like the type who could handle any situation with ease and grace. Even if a fight broke out, he could stab someone and still manage an elegant smile, saying he was truly sorry.
When Zhuo Zhixuan’s gaze unconsciously swept over again, Zhao Shengge met his eyes politely and calmly. The other party leaned back in his chair, relaxed, without a trace of guilt.
Zhao Shengge didn’t speak much tonight until the gathering was about to end, when he proposed, "The deal for the land in Baoli Bay has been officially signed. How about I take everyone out to sea to celebrate?"
He seemed very generous, and Tan Youming was enthusiastic.
Going out to sea meant heading into international waters by yacht, where many entertainment activities prohibited within the jurisdiction of Haishi were allowed. Once in international waters, no one could regulate them, and they could do as they pleased.
However, the procedures for going out to sea were quite complicated, with numerous approvals and long waits. Many people with money still found it troublesome, but whether it was troublesome or not depended on how strong one’s connections were.
Zhao Shengge glanced at Zhuo Zhixuan, who was discussing with Tan Youming what activities they would do, and casually said, "Let’s take Whale Ship 17. It’s been idle for a long time after its maiden voyage."
The Whale Ship series is a heavyweight cruise ship series under Minglong, and the model 17 is the only one of its kind in all of Asia. It’s a lavish, extravagant behemoth that rarely sets sail unless there are very distinguished guests or significant celebrations.
Tan Youming exclaimed excitedly, "Such extravagance!"
"The Whale Ship is too big! With just a few of us, we’d be lost in it."
Zhao Shengge said, "Then invite more people. It’s a perfect chance to showcase Minglong’s new dock."
Zhuo Zhixuan immediately said, "Then I’ll call A Wan."
Zhao Shengge remained silent.
Shen Zongnian set down his glass and gave Zhao Shengge a look.