Deep in the Night - Chapter 23

Fang Jin’s gaze subtly shifted, but only for an instant.

When he turned back to Elder Ke, his expression was perfectly normal, and his voice was composed: “It is an honor to meet you, Elder Ke. My name is Fang; I’m CEO Gu’s assistant. CEO Gu often speaks of you to us. Indeed, seeing you in person is better than hearing the reputation.”

Someone who has long served as an assistant or vice-head speaks with impeccable politeness. Elder Ke immediately laughed: “Oh, come now. What is there about this old man that is worth this boy mentioning? Stop flattering me!” He waved his hand and laughed heartily. Anyone could see he was only being modest but was, in fact, extremely pleased.

The entourage behind him offered their congratulations, and Gu Yuan chimed in with a few pleasantries. However, his attention was clearly not on his grandfather. He turned and glanced at Fang Jin, his look discreet but carrying undeniable concern.

“I’ll come find you again this afternoon, CEO Gu,” Fang Jin naturally bowed slightly toward Gu Yuan amid the surrounding voices. “I have noted your instructions.”

Gu Yuan had no choice but to wave his hand, signaling him to leave first.

Fang Jin strode through the hotel corridor. The mirrored picture frames on the walls reflected his cold, beautiful profile, utterly devoid of emotion.

Gu Yuan’s mother came from a prominent family. However, he himself had been in the UK for many years, and the Ke family and the Gu family had almost no interaction. Over time, people had forgotten that he had a powerful maternal clan: the Hong Kong Ke family, the leading shipping and transportation conglomerate in the region. Their investments spanned numerous industries, including hotels, real estate, and even triads. The current head is Ke Wenlong, now over eighty, and the heir is his only son, Ke Rong, who is Gu Yuan’s uncle.

Given such a strong maternal clan, why did Gu Mingzong dislike Gu Yuan being too close to them?

Fang Jin returned to the Presidential Suite where Gu Yuan was staying. He walked through the massive circular drawing-room but didn’t enter his own guest room, going straight to Gu Yuan’s room instead.

Both the Ke family and the Gu family had triad backgrounds in their early days. However, the Gu family began gradually laundering its reputation after Gu Yuan’s birth, while the Ke family’s transition from illicit to legitimate business only happened in recent years. Fang Jin had always paid keen attention to such hidden, private information. He knew there were still rumors that the Ke family’s clean-up was a sham and that a Ke surname figure appeared in every local gang leadership election, though these rumors were kept strictly off the official record.

If these claims were true, Gu Mingzong’s veiled dissatisfaction with the Ke family was understandable, and their lack of interaction over the years made sense. Furthermore, if Gu Yuan was indeed not Gu Mingzong’s biological son, the fact that his life was spared until now could also be explained: due to the constraint of the Ke family.

Ke Wenlong’s only son, Ke Rong, still had no children.

Though Gu Yuan was only a grandson, he was Ke Wenlong’s only third-generation blood relative!

Fang Jin pulled out Gu Yuan’s laptop from the filing cabinet and entered the password.

Gu Yuan’s computer system utilized a rotating password schedule, the mechanism of which Fang Jin had mastered long ago. This was not about seizing an opportunity to harm Gu Yuan, but rather a deeply ingrained psychological need for information resources inherent to Fang Jin as the weaker party. He had used various methods to decipher Gu Mingzong’s system passwords long ago, and Gu Yuan’s security settings followed the same lineage, so he simply adapted the method.

He had never logged onto Gu Yuan’s computer this directly. To avoid detection, his movements were extremely cautious. He immediately logged into Gu Yuan’s various private bank accounts and simultaneously opened his email, searching purposefully with various keywords for the information he sought.

If Ke Wenlong’s attitude toward Gu Yuan was so familiar, their relationship was clearly not the non-interaction suggested on the surface.

Sure enough, Fang Jin quickly found what he was looking for—large sums of money transferred between Gu Yuan and Ke family-related trusts and foundations, as well as several million USD Gu Yuan borrowed from the Ke family to overcome a temporary cash flow problem after the Minda Shipping incident!

Fang Jin was momentarily paralyzed, his only coherent thought being: Gu Mingzong must know.

It was precisely because he knew that he became increasingly wary of Gu Yuan, especially since Gu Yuan might not even be his biological son!

Fang Jin quickly wiped the keyboard, meticulously removing any potential fingerprints from the laptop casing, put the computer away, and restored everything to its original state.

A series of clues rapidly flashed through his mind—the mysterious Gu Mingda in the photo, his own young parents twenty years ago, Ke Wenlong who bought him and sent him to the Gu family, and Gu Yuan’s mother who inexplicably died that year… All the scattered clues and details began to coalesce, suddenly reviving a different, long-dormant question.

It was a question Fang Jin had pondered in his youth but had gradually dismissed over time: How exactly was he sold to the Gu family?

There was a time in his childhood when he wasn’t afraid of Gu Mingzong, and he had naively gone and asked. Gu Mingzong’s answer at the time was: Your parents couldn’t repay their high-interest loans after their business failed and committed suicide. The creditors took you, and in the black market for selling children, a rare blood type like yours is very expensive, so you were sold to the Gu family.

The young Fang Jin didn’t think too much about it then. He remembered his family’s debt, the many nights his parents took him out to hide, the traumatic image of them finally unable to cope and committing suicide, and the black market child trade was something he personally experienced.

However, when Fang Jin re-examined this statement as an adult, it held many inconsistencies.

Why did the traffickers test his blood?

Why was he specifically sold to Ke Wenlong?

In his memory, the timing of his parents’ suicide and his entry into the Gu family was very close. He didn’t recall any complications in between, meaning Ke Wenlong bought him almost immediately after his family was destroyed. How could Ke Wenlong know that among the many trafficked children in the black market, Fang Jin was the one with the rare blood type? Was he constantly monitoring black market transactions?

If the answer was yes, then Ke Wenlong’s actions might imply he had prior experience—

He knew how precious Rh-negative blood was; he had bought such a human blood bank before.

The old photograph flashed before Fang Jin’s eyes again. Having studied it intently these past few days, every detail was deeply etched into his mind.

Gu Yuan’s mother, heavily pregnant, the obstetrics hospital, and his own parents.

An incredible thought suddenly struck Fang Jin’s mind.

For the past few days, his suspicion had been focused on some unknown past connection between his young parents and the Gu family. However, Ke Wenlong’s involvement now directed his thinking down a new path—a terrifying, chilling one.

Only parents carrying the Rh-negative blood gene can give birth to an Rh-negative child.

His blood type was the same as Gu Yuan’s, suggesting that his parents might have had the same blood type as Gu Yuan’s parents.

In other words, his parents might not have gone to that hospital to await the delivery of Gu Yuan’s mother voluntarily, or even appeared in that photo voluntarily!

———

Gu Yuan couldn’t find Fang Jin that afternoon; several phone calls went unanswered. Fearing that Fang Jin might be ill or mentally distraught, he ordered his subordinates to search everywhere, but they couldn’t find a trace of him.

It wasn’t until the welcome reception hosted by the conference organizer that evening that Fang Jin appeared in the venue, dressed in black.

Gu Yuan’s first reaction upon seeing him was to pull him over and scrutinize him, checking if his complexion was poor or if he was uncomfortable anywhere. However, he abruptly restrained himself, only looking at him coldly and asking, “Where did you go? Why didn’t you answer my calls?”

“…I’m sorry,” Fang Jin lowered his eyes, avoiding his gaze. “I wasn’t in a good mood today, so I sat in the hotel garden all afternoon.”

He wore a tailored, high-quality black suit and a black shirt that evening, making him look exceptionally lean and tall. The all-black ensemble contrasted with his skin tone, making him glow with a dazzling paleness under the brilliant crystal chandeliers of the banquet hall.

Gu Yuan’s gaze carefully swept over his dark, slender eyebrows, lowered eyelashes, and straight nose, finally resting on his bloodless lips, seeming unable to move away.

After a while, he cleared his throat. “I have to give a speech soon, so I don’t have time to manage you. You didn’t eat properly during the day, did you? Later, don’t worry about socializing with me. Go find a corner and eat something properly.”

Fang Jin replied with a simple “Yes.”

It was then time for Gu Yuan to go to the stage. Fang Jin bowed slightly, preparing to retreat. Unexpectedly, just as he turned, Gu Yuan stopped him, then stepped closer, almost pressing against him, and reached out to meticulously fasten the second button on his shirt.

In that instant, their breaths intertwined, their air mingled, and Gu Yuan’s handsome, focused face filled Fang Jin’s entire line of sight.

“—That’s better.”

Gu Yuan lifted his head. Both could see each other’s reflection in their eyes, as if the whole world had dissolved into a distant silence, leaving only the two of them standing face to face in that moment.

Gu Yuan leaned in and kissed Fang Jin lightly on the lips.

It was merely a fleeting kiss, light enough to barely feel the contact. Yet, the moment their lips touched, tiny currents seemed to spread throughout his body, so soft and tingling that his heart skipped several beats.

“I’m going,” Gu Yuan said softly, finally turning toward the stage.

Behind him, Fang Jin gasped and leaned on the wall, his cold fingers trembling slightly.

———

Jinyianting, the most luxurious hotel owned by the Ke family, had spared no effort to host the welcome ceremony for the assembly of celebrities, making the banquet lavish, dignified, and flourishing. After the special guests finished their speeches, it became free time. Waiters in tuxedos moved through the crowd with trays of various drinks, the scene elegant and harmonious.

Ke Wenlong finished a cheerful round of small talk with a business partner, then turned to his attendant, saying, “I’m going to the restroom.”

He walked through the entire ballroom into the staff-only area backstage, where a private lounge and restroom had been set up for him. Ke Wenlong was advanced in age. He slowly finished his business, then went to wash his hands. Just as he finished tidying up and was about to leave, he suddenly looked up and saw a person standing behind him, reflected in the mirror.

—It was a young man, dressed in black, with a lean figure and flawless, beautiful features, looking like a piece of art carved from ice and snow under the light.

No one could easily forget this face, especially since they had only just met that morning.

It was Gu Yuan’s assistant.

“Elder Ke has come out,” the young man said coolly into his phone, leaning against the amber marble wall. “I’m going to speak with him now.”

The restroom was quiet, and the voice coming from the other end of the phone was clearly audible: “—Go. If he has any questions, tell him to come and talk to me.”

Ke Wenlong’s wrinkled eyelids suddenly snapped open.

He recognized the voice: it was Gu Mingzong!

The young man replied with a calm “Yes” into the phone, hung up, and said flatly, “Elder Ke.”

Ke Wenlong turned around, his aged, cloudy eyes now focusing with a sharp intensity. “Assistant Fang—how did you get in here?”

They confronted each other in a space less than ten square meters. One was a crime boss who had held sway in Hong Kong’s underworld for decades, with vast wealth and power, capable of shaking half the island with a stamp of his foot. The other was a young man in his twenties, numerically weaker but possessing a calm, steady aura that inexplicably seemed to pressure the elder.

“CEO Gu Mingzong asked me to relay a message to you,” Fang Jin said calmly. “He wants to know: He painstakingly arranged the Minda Shipping affair to temper Young Master Gu, yet the Ke family intervened without authorization and helped him indiscriminately. Is such interference with the Gu family’s education a sign of dissatisfaction with how the CEO treats his son?”

—If Ke Wenlong had previously suspected the voice on the phone might have been digitally fabricated, perhaps tampered with, his last shred of doubt was now almost dispelled.

The underlying machinations of the Minda Shipping incident were orchestrated by Gu Mingzong—even Gu Yuan only suspected it. Yet, this assistant could casually spill such a secret, clearly knowing that the Ke family had provided assistance to Gu Yuan. If Gu Mingzong hadn’t told him, how could a fourth person in the world know such a confidential matter?

Ke Wenlong’s perpetually cheerful expression vanished, replaced by a profound gloom. “Assistant Fang, I thought you were Gu Yuan’s man. So, whose favor are you currying, Gu Mingzong’s?”

“You speak too harshly, Elder Ke. I was sent by CEO Gu Mingzong from the start to assist the Young Master, so naturally, I am the CEO’s man.”

Ke Wenlong asked coldly, “Does Gu Mingzong have no one else? He sends an inexperienced child like you to speak with me?”

Fang Jin looked at him calmly and said, “My name is Fang, and my given name is Jin, meaning caution. Fifteen years ago, I entered the Gu family under your personal direction, Elder Ke. Given such a deep connection, have you forgotten me?”

Ke Wenlong was stunned into silence.

“So… so it was you…” he finally whispered. “You didn’t die! It’s actually you!”

In that moment, Ke Wenlong’s expression was strange—a mixture of disgust, resentment, and contempt. Though it flashed by quickly, the look was clearly captured by Fang Jin’s eyes.

“But my visit today,” Fang Jin continued easily, as if he hadn’t seen the expression, “is not just at the command of CEO Gu Mingzong, but mostly for the Young Master I currently serve. After all, with a new emperor comes new courtiers. If the Young Master fails to take the position, a former retainer like myself will certainly not have an easy life. Therefore, please bear with me, Elder Ke, if my words are a little harsh today.”

Fang Jin paused, locking eyes with Ke Wenlong’s cold gaze: “—Outsiders may not be clear, but you and I both know that the Second Young Master is a wastrel who only knows how to indulge in wine, women, and reckless spending. The commercial empire created by the CEO is destined to collapse if handed to him. The CEO has almost resigned himself to this fact and decided that only the Eldest Young Master can be the successor. However, at this crucial, undecided juncture, the Ke family is impatiently trying to curry favor with the Eldest Young Master and collude with him secretly. Elder Ke, do you no longer wish for your only grandson to smoothly become the successor?”

Ke Wenlong was instantly dumbfounded.

The interactions between the Ke family and Gu Yuan were extremely secretive, known only to a few individuals, and none of them understood the hidden risks. Though he himself vaguely sensed them, it was difficult to withdraw from the massive profits associated with the speculation.

Fang Jin’s words were the first to fully and completely expose the issue on the table.

Gu Mingzong loathed the Ke family. With the Ke family’s involvement, it would be difficult for Gu Yuan to become the heir. The more power and help the Ke family provided, the further they would push Gu Yuan away from the center of power!

Ke Wenlong urgently tried to regain his composure. He had weathered decades of storms and could not be easily dominated by a young upstart.

“—You are merely a human blood bag, someone who must die when commanded to,” he sneered, looking down on Fang Jin, his arrogance unmistakable. “It’s one thing for Gu Mingzong to send you as a messenger, but by what right do you dare to speak on the matter of the Gu family’s succession?”

Fang Jin, however, slightly curled the corners of his mouth into an odd smile.

Ke Wenlong’s reaction of angered humiliation was entirely within his expectations.

Everything this old man was saying, his psychological state, even the smallest emotional change in his cloudy old eyes, had been within the scope of Fang Jin’s calculations and assumptions all afternoon.

—So far, not a single word had been wasted; the conversation was proceeding exactly in the direction he had guided it.

“Because the CEO trusts me,” Fang Jin said effortlessly. “He is willing to forego my value as a human blood bag for my worth as an aide and confidant. To that end, he spared no expense and spent years finding two others to prepare to supply blood for the Young Master. Do you understand now why I have the confidence to say these things?”

Ke Wenlong bellowed, “You’re lying! Gu Mingzong spent a fortune and years searching for backup blood? He would never care that much about Gu Yuan’s life!”

“The CEO can only choose this one successor, so his concern is certain. Do you remember Gu Yuan’s car accident several years ago, which required a massive blood transfusion?”

Ke Wenlong instinctively wanted to interrupt, but Fang Jin said grimly, “Besides the emergency blood bank and a portion drawn from me, the remaining blood was CEO Gu Mingzong’s. If he wasn’t concerned about Gu Yuan’s life, why would he do that?”

Ke Wenlong was momentarily dumbstruck. When he recovered, he wanted to refute but didn’t know where to start.

“…You don’t need to say any more,” he said hoarsely after a while. “In any case, I don’t believe a single word you’ve said. Go back and report to Gu Mingzong however you like.”

He turned to push the door open and leave. However, at that moment, Fang Jin spoke coldly from behind him: “—Elder Ke, the reason you don’t trust CEO Gu’s concern for the Young Master’s life as the successor is because, under the same circumstances back then, he didn’t save your daughter but let my parents go, is that correct?”

Ke Wenlong’s back stiffened abruptly.

The restroom was silent. A dropped pin could have been heard.

Fang Jin slightly held his breath. He could feel cold sweat seeping from his palms.

The ultimate destination of the entire conversation was this point. However, this was an extreme gamble with minimal odds, as all conclusions were based on his own baseless speculation—assuming one of his parents had the same blood type as Gu Yuan’s mother, then the visit to the hospital before delivery had a very reasonable explanation: to prevent dystocia, a blood transfusion would be needed.

Gu Yuan’s mother came from a wealthy family, so the medical standards must have been top-notch. The most logical explanation for her death from dystocia even under the best conditions was massive hemorrhage that was irreversible due to the rare blood type.

But Fang Jin’s parents clearly survived later, and the only person who could have let them go was Gu Mingzong. This was because, whether out of dissatisfaction with the Ke family or resentment toward the woman and his fraternal twin brother for deceiving him, Gu Mingzong was the person who least wanted Gu Yuan’s mother to live. To murder her by proxy through massive hemorrhage, while indifferently letting Fang Jin’s parents escape, was absolutely something Gu Mingzong would do.

Fang Jin needed confirmation of this.

However, all of this was mere speculation. If he was wrong, and Ke Wenlong realized that Fang Jin had been bluffing him from start to finish, there was no telling what this decades-long underworld veteran might do.

Fang Jin stared intently at Ke Wenlong’s back. After several long minutes, the elder finally turned around, his jaw clenched so tightly that his wrinkled face looked somewhat distorted:

“The biggest regret of my life is that I wasn’t at the hospital then.”

“If I had been there, do you think your mother would still be alive, and would you still have the chance to stand here and gloat at me?!”

A sudden sense of weightlessness surged through Fang Jin.

So that was it.

It really was the case.

He felt as though he was treading on air, his consciousness drifting, his mind blank. His entire nervous system felt encased in emptiness. He knew he should be sad, upset, or angry, but in reality, he felt no emotion, no pain whatsoever.

“…Then let the Ke family do whatever they want,” he heard his own voice say. On the surface, he was calm and composed, but in reality, it was an unconscious, numb performance; he had to finish the act:

“The Ke family can continue to cling to the Young Master. When you push the CEO to his bottom line, you will naturally know what happens.”

This last line was actually quite subpar. Ke Wenlong didn’t need to answer, or could have simply snorted and walked away. However, the elder was accustomed to being stubborn and had been suppressed by Fang Jin throughout the entire encounter, holding a fire in his throat. He immediately let out a heavy, cold snort:

“Tell Gu Mingzong that he knows that I know about the things he did back then! Unless he wants an all-out war, he’d better tolerate it, and not force the Ke family!”

Fang Jin’s heart leaped. What did that mean? Ke Wenlong held leverage over Gu Mingzong?

Before he could even ask, a loud bang echoed as Ke Wenlong slammed the door shut and left.