Xu Yi could only make preparations for his second-best option.

However, although he had bodyguards around him and police nearby, he still had to prepare to prevent his opponent from burning bridges and forcibly taking control. After all, Zhang Jingchan was no pushover either. He definitely had accomplices—more than one.

Xu Yi had a bodyguard dress up as him and stay in the villa, while he changed into the bodyguard’s clothes and drove away from the villa. The police were only there to protect him, not monitor him, so this was easy. On the road, two subordinates who truly belonged to them, arranged by Liu Ying, got into the car.

Xu Yi had them drive the car directly to Li Weiyi’s building.

Soon, the bodyguard brought her down.

Li Weiyi had a sweet smile and concerned eyes, as if gazing at her beloved: “Achan, what did you need me for? Uncle and Auntie… are they alright?”

Xu Yi took her hand and touched her hair by her temples. He saw that although the line of her neck tensed instantly, her smile only grew more charming. Xu Yi also smiled, opened the car door and said, “Mom and Dad are fine. Get in the car, I’m taking you somewhere.”

Li Weiyi’s legs had actually gone weak, but she still strode in. The two sat in the back row. She asked, “Where are we going?”

Xu Yi kept holding her hand, leaning back against the seat and closing his eyes—this gesture was just like Zhang Jingchan. He said, “I’ve been very tired these past few days, under a lot of pressure. My parents’ situation, and catching Xu Yi and his group—I can only wait for results. There’s nothing more I can do. So I want to go to a quiet place and get through today. I want you to accompany me. After midnight passes, we’ll go back together.”

Li Weiyi listened with her heart pounding in alarm, uncertain whether his words were a test or simply playing his role, and not knowing what exactly he was scheming. But she had no choice. So she said softly, “Achan, wherever you go, I’ll accompany you.”

His palm suddenly tightened: “It’s a promise then.”

——

This was a secluded old street. The surrounding area was undergoing demolition, and among the houses on both sides, only sporadic lights were on.

Zhang Fengming was hiding in an old house close to ruins. These past few days he’d been eating instant noodles, and the clothes on his body were filthy and stinking beyond recognition. When police occasionally passed by on the street, it scared him into cold sweats all over his body, and he would hide in the deepest part of this dilapidated house, not daring to move.

He regretted it immensely now. Last night, following the instigation of that woman Liu Ying in bed, and having drunk too much alcohol, dizzy and muddled, he had run out from their safe hideout to seek revenge on Zhang Moyun. He truly hated this younger brother down to his bones. Just for taking some extra money—Zhang Moyun himself was so wealthy, yet showed not half a bit of brotherly feeling. They had crawled out of the same mother’s belly!

As a result, he had snuck into the villa without even seeing Zhang Moyun’s face. Seeing the police lights flashing on the distant road, his drunkenness mostly cleared, and he hurried to flee.

But with police chasing from behind, like a stray dog, he had barely managed to hide in this safe house arranged by Liu Ying, yet still hadn’t found an opportunity to escape back to their hideout. Liu Ying said someone would be arranged to meet him tonight, but his heart still felt panicked.

The boat to Jiangcheng was arriving tonight.

Once in Jiangcheng, he could take a plane abroad the day after tomorrow with a fake passport and identity.

The more Zhang Fengming thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong about last night’s events—those two siblings had bad intentions. Moreover, since suddenly leaving Furida yesterday morning, Xu Yi hadn’t shown his face again. Everything was being arranged through Liu Ying for everyone.

Damn it, Zhang Fengming thought with red eyes full of resentment, if they dared abandon him, even in death he would bite off a piece of flesh from their bodies.

——

What Zhang Fengming didn’t know was that shortly after he fled from the villa last night, Ding Chenmo’s people had already targeted him, following him all the way here. He also didn’t know that at this moment, not far below his building, an inconspicuous sedan was parked, pitch black with all its lights off, with two people sitting inside.

Ding Chenmo’s brow was practically twisted into knots as he said, “I’ll send people up right now to arrest him and interrogate him about their hiding place. You don’t need to take this risk.”

Zhang Jingchan sat in the passenger seat, as still as a solitary pine tree. He said, “There are only a few hours left until midnight. What if he stubbornly refuses to talk? Even if you get the location out of him and arrest the other three, Xu Yi will be completely unharmed. If you push him to desperation and he jumps off a building right at midnight, am I supposed to just wait for death?”

Ding Chenmo’s expression changed repeatedly. He said through gritted teeth, “I’ll go handcuff Xu Yi right now! Keep him cuffed until midnight, waiting for you two to complete the switch. Whatever consequences come afterward, I’ll bear them!”

Zhang Jingchan smiled and said, “Old Ding, you’ve been clean your whole life. If you end up getting stained because you’re helping me and get stripped of this police uniform, I can’t accept that. Moreover, whatever methods we can think of, can’t Xu Yi think of them too? Right now if you want to handcuff him, can you even find him?”

Ding Chenmo was startled and immediately called his colleagues on duty near the Zhang family villa. Before long, word came back that Xu Yi was not at the villa, his phone was off and couldn’t be located, and it was unclear where he had gone.

Ding Chenmo said angrily, “This kid is really hiding! Too damn cunning!”

Zhang Jingchan, wearing Xu Yi’s refined and handsome face, had a demeanor and presence that was completely another person. One of his elbows was propped against the car window, his thumb and forefinger pressing against his chin as he said, “It seems Xu Yi has decided to settle for his second-best option. For him, this isn’t the best choice. If he’s cowering, then I can only take the initiative. Since what he most wants to do is kill me, then I’ll walk right in front of him.

“Whether Zhang Fengming knows that he and I have switched—I’ll know after going up there and testing him with a few questions. However, I believe he doesn’t know. Right now Xu Yi is protecting them because everyone is an accomplice, and they have leverage over him. Now that the 34-year-old Xu Yi is installed in my body, and he wants to replace me and live on, how could he hand over more leverage to them? So he definitely won’t tell Zhang Fengming and Cheng Chuan the truth. This gives me an opportunity to take advantage of the opening. Only I have such an opportunity.”

Ding Chenmo let out a heavy sigh, finally persuaded by him. He had to admit that Zhang Jingchan’s plan, viewed through his eyes as an old criminal police officer, was full of both inspiration and courage—if one didn’t consider that Zhang Jingchan wasn’t actually a police officer. Ding Chenmo said with a stern face, “I’ll have people look for Xu Yi immediately, preparing for the worst-case scenario. At worst, we’ll detain him under the pretext of protecting him. At the very worst, I’ll give up my retirement pension! Make sure the tracking device and bug are well hidden. Lure Zhang Fengming into taking you to their hiding place. It would be best if you can lure Xu Yi there and get him under control, but don’t force it if you can’t. Once it’s midnight, regardless of your progress, we’ll immediately implement the arrest. Once we detect you’re in danger, even if it’s not yet midnight, we’ll act immediately.”