Chapter 44: Meeting the Parents?
Qin Zhansheng’s face was sallow. He stayed outside all day as if his essence had been sucked dry, not daring to go home. He looked everywhere, asking if there were any powerful masters in Ning City who could help.
One of his partners from Hong Kong, who had always believed in Feng Shui and metaphysics, immediately recommended a local master in Ning City upon hearing Qin Zhansheng’s plea.
Qin Zhansheng rushed over without stopping, but he arrived at a bad time. The Master wasn’t home, but his disciple was.
Thinking that a dead horse should be treated as a live one, Qin Zhansheng thick-skinned asked the disciple to take a look for him. Just in case, Qin Zhansheng didn’t say who was haunting him.
The disciple saw at a glance that Qin Zhansheng was entangled with Yin energy and pointed it out directly: “Are all your family members dead?”
The words were rough, but the logic held. Although Qin Zhansheng found it a bit harsh, he accepted it. “Ah, yes, yes, yes. The ones haunting me are my family.”
The disciple threw him a talisman paper. “Take this. If the talisman paper burns out, come get another one.”
Qin Zhansheng pinched the talisman paper, leaving reluctantly. “Is there no way to solve it completely?”
The disciple said indifferently, “It can’t be solved. You will die sooner or later.”
Qin Zhansheng choked and left resentfully. On the way back, he was still comforting himself. “What he said isn’t wrong; everyone dies. What if I die decades later?”
On the way, he received a message from Jiang Si: 8 PM tonight at the coffee shop downstairs from the company. If you don’t want to die, come.
At first glance, he thought Jiang Si was threatening him and flew into a rage. Being threatened by a ghost was one thing, but who did Jiang Si think he was to dare threaten him?
Looking again, Qin Zhansheng sensed something different. He had seen Jiang Si being cyberbullied and heard talks with Ge Kai had collapsed. Could it be that he was desperate and starting to retaliate?
Qin Zhansheng knew better than anyone what Jiang Si looked like when he went crazy. If pushed too far, he really dared to pull out a knife and stab someone.
After thinking it over, Qin Zhansheng agreed.
At 8 PM, Jiang Si appeared in front of the coffee shop on time, accompanied by a specifically hired lawyer.
Seeing the two, Qin Zhansheng frowned. He didn’t get up, mocking, “You came prepared.”
Jiang Si didn’t speak. The lawyer took the lead in introducing himself amicably.
“Hello, I am Mr. Jiang’s lawyer. I have full authority to represent him and the case of the late Mr. Lou.”
“He and who?” Qin Zhansheng thought he heard wrong.
“Mr. Lou Qilei. You should know him,” the lawyer said genially.
Hearing this name, Qin Zhansheng tensed up. His hand reached into his pocket, trying to draw some sense of security from that thin sheet of yellow paper.
He braced himself and said, “I will discuss his matters with his family. Why are you getting involved?”
Jiang Si said, “He asked me to help. Didn’t he tell you yesterday?”
Qin Zhansheng felt as if he had been struck by lightning, freezing on the spot.
That face, which he had once coveted, now looked as ferocious as a vengeful ghost. That faint smile on the corner of his lips looked like a malicious sneer no matter how he looked at it.
It seemed it could turn into Lou Qilei’s face with eyes wide open in death at any moment.
“How do you… how could you…?”
“Don’t ask so many questions. Just say, can we talk properly today?”
At this moment, Qin Zhansheng suddenly realized what Jiang Si’s message meant.
It meant literally: If you don’t want to die, come talk to me.
It wasn’t Jiang Si who wanted to kill him; it was Lou Qilei behind Jiang Si…
Or perhaps even more.
Qin Zhansheng thought of his wife and children, and his face turned even paler. He swallowed tremblingly. “What do you want to discuss?”
Although the lawyer didn’t know what riddles these two were speaking in, his good professional ethics allowed him to maintain a professional demeanor. “Here is the situation. Mr. Jiang only wants to restore his copyright to the work, and the company must undertake the obligation to explain the situation to the public. As for Mr. Lou, he requests that your company pay compensation according to the legal regulations for work-related death.”
As he spoke, he took out two contracts, turning first to Lou Qilei’s work injury compensation. “According to the latest work-related death compensation standards in Ning City, the compensation your company needs to pay should be the sum of the funeral grant, the one-time work-related death compensation, and the pension for dependent relatives.”
“Considering Mr. Lou was divorced and has only one daughter, and the daughter is critically ill and needs additional humanitarian support, the dependent relative pension will be increased by twenty percent on top of the original basis each month. Calculating this way, the total amount your company needs to compensate is—”
“1,786,500 Yuan.”
“It needs to be paid in one lump sum. No arrears allowed.”
After the lawyer finished speaking, not only was Qin Zhansheng silent, but even Jiang Si didn’t know what to say.
More than one million to buy a human life—was it worth it?
Lou Qilei didn’t think that much. When he heard the amount, he subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. With this money, at least his daughter’s medical expenses would be covered.
“Mr. Qin can take a look at the contract first.” The lawyer pushed it over.
Qin Zhansheng looked down and flipped through two pages, unable to help saying, “How can it be this much money?”
He still felt it was too much.
The lawyer paused and said, “This amount is calculated based on regulations according to the average wage in Ning City. As far as I know, Mr. Lou’s salary was higher than the average wage.”
Qin Zhansheng was dumbfounded. Thinking of something, he closed the contract and said, “Lou Qilei’s death isn’t just the company’s responsibility. Doesn’t the commercial building property management have responsibility? Why should we be the only ones to pay?”
The lawyer suppressed the urge to curse and continued, “This is work injury compensation, directed only at your company. As for the property management, there is a separate contract.”
“That still won’t do. This is too much. Lou Qilei only worked at the company for ten years. The company giving him a job and basic living conditions was already good enough. Now you’re opening your mouth like a lion demanding over a million!”
Qin Zhansheng said, “Did he bring that much value to the company?”
Lou Qilei, hearing this with his own ears, could barely suppress his anger. His hands clenched tightly at his sides, wishing he could pounce and strangle him.
Jiang Si suddenly interjected, “Is it that the company doesn’t want to give it, or you don’t want to give it?”
The lawyer looked sideways, his eyes asking: Is there a difference?
Qin Zhansheng panicked for a moment but steadied his expression. “Of course, it’s the company. As a senior executive, I can’t help but consider the company.”
“I’m very sad about Little Lou’s death too. But the key fault in this matter doesn’t lie with the company; he accidentally fell down the elevator himself. He’s dead, but the company is still alive. The company has been in a difficult period recently and really can’t take out so much money.”
Jiang Si stared at him for a while, then nodded. “Fine. Since you think that way, I have no other choice. If we can’t settle privately, let’s talk in court.”
Saying this, he stood up first. The lawyer couldn’t stay any longer either and followed him out. At the door, he asked him, “So about this matter?”
“Please organize everything and submit the indictment to the court.”
The lawyer kindly reminded him, “Mr. Jiang, the other party’s attitude doesn’t seem like someone afraid of a lawsuit. You’d best be mentally prepared.”
Jiang Si: “I know. You just prepare; I’ll handle the rest.”
Only then did the lawyer feel relieved, said goodbye, and left.
After he left, Jiang Si locked eyes with Qin Zhansheng from a distance and smiled silently.
Lou Qilei was anxious. “We can’t just let this go.”
“We can’t let it go, just wait.” Jiang Si felt he had discovered the secret Qin Zhansheng had been hiding.
“There’s a saying in our line of work: you can’t take a penny more of money that isn’t yours. If you take it, it becomes money that buys your life.”
After returning, Jiang Si called Hai Di.
At that time, Hai Di was working overtime in his study. The moment he saw the phone, his eyes softened instantly. He picked up and said gently, “Are you done over there?”
Jiang Si sighed. “We parted on bad terms. Couldn’t reach an agreement. So I came back first.”
His eyelids drooped listlessly. Hai Di asked with concern, “What exactly happened? Can you tell me?”
Jiang Si was about to speak when he glimpsed the skyscrapers outside the window. He changed the subject and asked instead, “Boyfriend, is your family extremely rich? Is your status in Ning City quite high?”
“?” What kind of question was this?
Hai Di thought about it seriously. “It’s decent. Anyway, raising a hundred of you wouldn’t be a problem. As for status… in modern society, everyone is equal. There’s no such thing as high or low.”
Jiang Si’s eyes lit up, and he smiled. “Can I ask you to help me investigate someone?”
“Speak.”
“Qin Zhansheng, Vice President of XX Media Film Industry,” Jiang Si said. “I want to know if he has any bad habits, like gambling or drugs.”
Hai Di pondered. He felt the name was a bit familiar but couldn’t recall immediately. He didn’t find it difficult. “Sure. As long as it’s in Ning City, it can be found.”
“Thanks for your hard work,” Jiang Si said, sweet words coming easily. “Luckily I have you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have any acquaintances in Ning City and wouldn’t know who to ask for help.”
“Isn’t your friend in Ning City?” Hai Di still remembered his visit to the hospital.
“He passed away unexpectedly a few days ago.”
“…”
Hai Di hurriedly remedied the situation. “It’s what I should do. I was just worried I had no way to help you. We don’t need to be so polite; just say it if you need anything.”
Through the screen, Jiang Si made a finger heart at him and smiled. “Love you.”
He was lying on the bed as he spoke. His freshly dried hair stuck softly to his cheeks, making his skin look white as snow. When he smiled, his red lips and white teeth were stunning.
Hai Di was dazed for a moment. Infected by the smile, his own lips curved. “Are you used to staying at the hotel? Why don’t you come to my house? There are plenty of guest rooms, and the auntie and chef are there, so meals would be convenient for you.”
Jiang Si hesitated. “But your parents…”
“They’ve been looking forward to you visiting. Especially my mom; she prepared a meeting gift a long time ago,” Hai Di said.
Jiang Si was reserved for a few seconds. “Let’s wait until I visit Uncle and Auntie properly. It’s not very appropriate right now.”
“What’s inappropriate about it? If you don’t like it, I have my own houses in other places. I can take you to stay there.”
Jiang Si was awed by his lavish words and finally had a substantive understanding of Hai Di’s financial situation.
Property in Ning City—and he actually owned several sets!
Jiang Si’s annual salary back then wasn’t small either; with bonuses, it was over three hundred thousand after tax. But that could only buy a few square meters of land in Ning City.
“Although I’m very tempted, it’s really not appropriate.” Jiang Si sighed and moved the camera toward Lou Qilei. “See for yourself.”
Lou Qilei looked blankly into the camera. Jiang Si introduced him: “This is my partner.”
“…Hello,” Lou Qilei greeted.
His whole body exuded a greenish-white pallor that wasn’t human. His cheeks were swollen, his eyes red, and his clothes tattered.
Thanks to his bizarre illness, Hai Di had seen a lot over the years. He spotted something wrong at a glance and answered stiffly.
“Hello.”
“I have some things to help him resolve here. Going to your place isn’t very convenient,” Jiang Si explained.
It made no sense to drag a ghost along to live with his boyfriend’s family.
Hai Di rubbed his forehead helplessly. “I understand.”
After a moment, he added, “Then be careful yourself.”
“Don’t worry,” Jiang Si emphasized. “Ordinary ghosts can’t beat me. If I encounter other issues, don’t I still have you?”
According to Jiang Si’s years of experience watching anime, properly expressing a need for the other person between couples can bring satisfaction to the partner and deepen the relationship.
Seeing Hai Di’s softened expression now, he knew this move worked well.
“It’s getting late, rest early.” Jiang Si glanced at the documents under Hai Di’s arm and reminded him, “Don’t stay up late when you’re getting older, or you’ll go bald easily.”
Just two days ago, he received a crying call from Wang Zhao, who was filming deep in the mountains, saying he was showing signs of alopecia areata at a young age and frantically asking Jiang Si how he maintained his hair.
Jiang Si had spread his hands at the time. “Mom and Dad gave good genes; never did any maintenance.”
Hai Di, who had just deepened his smile: “…”
“Impossible.” He stated seriously, “My schedule is very healthy every week, and I exercise often. My family doesn’t have a hair loss gene either.”
Regarding his image, Hai Di couldn’t tolerate nonsense.
“That’s good.” Jiang Si nodded. “Please continue to maintain your beauty; it’s friendly to my eyes.”
Hai Di wanted to say something else, but Jiang Si was already waving at the camera. “Goodnight, goodnight. I’m going to sleep. You rest early too.”
Swallowing his words, Hai Di said, “Goodnight.”
The phone interface jumped back to the chat screen. Hai Di had just put down the phone when there was a knock on the study door. Mrs. Hai pushed the door open.
Leaning against the door frame with interest, she asked, “Who were you chatting with just now?”
Hai Di: “No one.”
“Stop pretending. Your voice was clamped so sweet, and you say ‘no one’.” Mrs. Hai was full of enthusiasm. “Are you in love? What’s the person like? How old? Where are they from?”
“Speak up. It’s not like I’m going to investigate them privately.”
Hai Di was helpless. “Mom, stop asking. You’ll know when you meet.”
Mrs. Hai looked at his determined eyes and knew she couldn’t get anything out of him, so she had to give up.
“At least tell me if it’s a man or a woman, right? It can’t be that the partner isn’t even human?”
Hai Di’s soul would leave his body every now and then over the years, so Mrs. Hai had long accepted supernatural beings and even had several friends in metaphysics.
Her only worry was that if her son brought back a ghost, she might not even be able to see them.
“…It’s a human. Where is your mind going?” Hai Di admired her imagination.
After speaking, he paused for a moment, suppressing the upward curve of his mouth. “It’s a man.”
As he said this, his mind was filled with Jiang Si’s smiling face. His eyes curved into a pool of water filled with starlight—extremely beautiful.
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