Chapter Forty-Five: The Mysterious Figure Reappears

At seven in the morning, Chai Yan was still lost in slumber, his arms wrapped around his beloved, when the relentless ringing of his phone pulled him back to reality. It was the call notification from Giant Chat Voice. Dragged from the depths of his dreams by the shrill sound, Chai Yan was deeply disgruntled.

He fumbled for his phone, tempted to smash the damned thing to pieces, but when he saw the profile picture flashing on the screen, he forced himself to swallow his anger.

"Mr. Song, what's going on with you lately? Why do you keep sending me voice messages so early in the morning? I’m nearly driven to neurosis by you!" Chai Yan complained with a tone of grievance.

Mr. Song on the other end paid no heed to Chai Yan’s mood and asked calmly, "Do you remember when I told you to watch out for 'Ghostbane'?"

Chai Yan had long forgotten when Mr. Song had warned him to be wary of anyone, so he hesitated for a moment before replying perfunctorily, "Of course I remember. How could I possibly forget what you said?"

Mr. Song pressed further, "Do you really remember, or have you wiped my words from your memory? I told you the Qian brothers were taken down by 'Ghostbane.' If you want to become the next Qian brothers, there’s nothing I can do about it."

Only now did Chai Yan recall Mr. Song had mentioned the 'Ghostbane' from Mingzhou. He suddenly sobered up and hurriedly asked, "Did you receive some news? Has 'Ghostbane' really fixed his sights on me?"

Mr. Song replied coolly, "Didn’t you say you weren’t afraid of 'Ghostbane'? Then why are you so concerned about him?"

By now, Chai Yan was fully awake. He said into the phone, "Mr. Song, please stop teasing me. I’m not afraid of Haifeng, but even if you’re not scared of thieves, you should worry if they’re eyeing you. If he’s coming, I need to prepare!"

Mr. Song snorted and told Chai Yan, "Isn’t it a bit late for you to start preparing? I’ve heard Haifeng has been in Annam for over a month already. I don’t know what he’s up to, but you’d best be alert."

Hearing that Haifeng had already been in Annam for over a month, Chai Yan instantly felt anxious. He asked nervously, "He’s been in Annam for a month? Is he really after me? Where are they?"

Mr. Song answered, "That’s unclear. Just remember, caution keeps you safe for a thousand years. He was at Ming City University before and now has brought his people to Annam. It’s highly likely he’s coming for you."

Mr. Song then asked, "Have you noticed anything unusual over there?"

Chai Yan thought hard about Mr. Song’s words but couldn’t recall anything out of the ordinary. So he replied, "Everything seems normal. Nothing unusual at all!"

Mr. Song said, "That’s good. Just stay vigilant—he’s not an easy adversary."

Now, Chai Yan was entirely awake. The news about Haifeng’s arrival had startled him, but as he became clear-headed, his fear lessened.

The weight on his heart eased, and he said to Mr. Song, "But Mr. Song, why would he come after me? Just because a student committed suicide? I didn’t kill anyone. What does it have to do with me?"

Mr. Song replied, "Are you sure that student’s suicide has nothing to do with you? Don’t you know whether you’re involved? Besides, you operate an adult streaming platform, targeting the domestic market. Haifeng wanting to catch you is hardly surprising."

Chai Yan knew Mr. Song was right; his business was far from legal, and Haifeng had a hundred reasons to want to arrest him. Still, Chai Yan believed he held the advantage in this game. He was convinced Haifeng couldn’t possibly know his whereabouts; his dealings were all online, leaving no trace. Of course, if the girl had revealed his location before her death, that would be another matter.

Even if she had, Chai Yan felt it wouldn’t matter much. He wasn’t in the country—he was in Annam, and the region’s ruler was General Batou. Without his orders, not even the Annam government could extract anyone from here. How could Haifeng, a mere officer, take away someone favored by the local prince?

Thinking this, Chai Yan told Mr. Song, "Honestly, Mr. Song, you don’t need to worry so much. No need to jump at shadows. According to what you said, he’s been here a month already, and I haven’t noticed a thing. Maybe he’s not here specifically for me."

He paused and continued, "Besides, I’m in Dayan, not back home. Even if he’s after me, what can he do? In Annam, Haifeng has no authority. Even if the government agreed to cooperate, what could he accomplish? This is General Batou’s turf. What can he do even if he comes? If Haifeng dares to come to Dayan for me, I’ll make sure he doesn’t leave. Rest assured!"

Mr. Song replied, "Don’t be so sure of yourself. He’s not easy to deal with. You’d best keep a low profile and be cautious these days."

Chai Yan answered, "Don’t worry, there’s nothing to worry about here. Haifeng can’t do a thing to me. By the way, you haven’t sent me this round’s payout list yet. Should I give money to anyone who comes to claim?"

Mr. Song said, "Leave it for now. Focus on your own affairs. We’ll deal with the payout list after this blows over."

He added, "I urge you to stay careful and don’t take this lightly. Haifeng is not someone you can handle easily. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be called 'Ghostbane.'"

With that, Mr. Song ended the call.

Chai Yan stared at his phone. Suddenly, he felt that this almighty Mr. Song was nothing special after all—just a coward. A mere police officer could make him jump at shadows and live in fear. Chai Yan realized Mr. Song wasn’t as formidable as he’d imagined; just an ordinary man.

Mr. Song’s evident fear of Haifeng made Chai Yan feel less intimidated by Mr. Song. Now that he had the prince as his backer, he no longer needed to obey someone he’d never even met. Chai Yan decided he didn’t have to listen to Mr. Song anymore, nor did he need to worry about Haifeng.

He glanced at the time and felt a surge of irritation. Once, twice, all for this mysterious Haifeng disturbing his sleep. Annoyed and wide awake, he got out of bed and paced the room.

Chai Yan still couldn’t figure out what had gotten into Mr. Song. Why was he so insistent about Haifeng? Had he suffered at Haifeng’s hands before? He knew he was in Annam, under General Batou’s protection. Why did Mr. Song keep warning him?

Then he recalled that Mr. Song had mentioned the Qian brothers were apprehended by Haifeng. How did Mr. Song know about that? What connection did he have to the Qian brothers? How did he know about their dealings with Chai Yan?

At that moment, Chai Yan remembered his old friend from Ming City and dialed Xu Wei, hoping to learn more about Haifeng. But when he called, he was met with, "The number you dialed is not in service." Chai Yan realized Xu Wei must have already stopped using that number, which only made him more frustrated.

He inadvertently glanced at the girl still sleeping on his bed. Suddenly, her innocent, lovely face disgusted him. He yanked the sheets from under her, sending the girl tumbling to the floor.

She opened her eyes in terror, staring at Chai Yan, who barked, "Look at the time! Still sleeping? Is sleeping all you know how to do? Why bother being a streamer—just go sleep with people!" With that, he summoned a subordinate and said to the girl, "Since you like sleeping so much, you might as well do it properly!" Then he ordered his man to take her away, to sleep with the rest of his subordinates.

The girl realized what was about to happen and began crying, begging Chai Yan to spare her. But her tearful, panicked face only improved his mood.

He ignored her pleas, watching coldly as his men dragged her away. Once she was gone, his irritation faded. Now, he felt himself to be the true master here, the one who called the shots, who decided life and death.

His spirits lifted. He thought he didn’t need to worry about Haifeng or Mr. Song—he could simply enjoy his life, unhindered by anyone. Before he knew it, he felt sleepy again, lay down on the bed, and drifted off.

When Haifeng and his team learned that Chai Yan had been in contact with Mr. Song, a hush fell over them. Once again, "Mr. Song." From Sun Zhengtao to Qian Zhen to Chai Yan, this so-called "Mr. Song" was like a ghost, ever present yet always lurking in the shadows.

Who exactly was "Mr. Song"? Was it the same person or different ones? Did all the puppet masters prefer to be called "Mr. Song"? Why did everyone show him such respect? This omniscient "Mr. Song"—who was he really? The members of the White Tiger Squad were baffled by these questions.

Li Mengyang, however, had a deeper thread of thought. The idea that Tang Xin might be "Mr. Song" kept echoing in his mind.

First it was fraud, then loan-sharking, and now this adult streaming syndicate. Li Mengyang doubted Tang Xin could be involved so deeply, but he couldn’t explain why Sun Zhengtao’s script book and the Qian brothers’ playbook both featured Tang Xin’s distinctive linguistic markers. Could it be mere coincidence? Li Mengyang hoped so; besides, he had no evidence to support his suspicions, so he kept his doubts from Haifeng and the others.

After listening to Qian Zhen’s voice chat, Haifeng pondered and said to Zhao Zhijie, "They mentioned a payout list and money claims. That means there must be transactions between them. Can you find clues to their dealings?"

Zhao Zhijie replied, "I can try. Judging from their conversation, it’s likely this 'Mr. Song' and Chai Yan are laundering money. The adult streaming platform brings in over ten million a day. If they’re laundering through it, it’ll be hard to trace 'Mr. Song.'"

Haifeng thought for a moment and said, "Let’s put that aside for now. We’ll finish things here in Annam first, then go after 'Mr. Song.'"

He then turned to Zhang Mufeng, "How’s the car? Are the devices ready?"

Zhang Mufeng replied, "The car’s ready. Zhao Zhijie helped me set up all the equipment. We can move out anytime."

Haifeng asked Li Weiwei, "How’s our first bullet?"

Li Weiwei smiled, "No problem. It’s a small matter. The script is ready, and as we discussed, I raised the amount fivefold. Just waiting for them to enjoy it."

Haifeng smiled. With these reliable White Tiger Squad members, he was sure the operation would be a success. He said, "Let’s head out!"

That night, the prince, Chai Yan, and their friends were throwing a wild party in the villa—music and laughter filled the air, beautiful women in revealing swimwear moved among them. Occasionally, a girl would be led around naked, crawling like a dog through the villa.

The prince was happily drinking with Chai Yan. He was extremely pleased with his partner—not only had Chai Yan filled his coffers, but he regularly gifted him new "toys," which delighted the prince. To the prince, Chai Yan, the "Little Matchstick," burned himself to illuminate others; naturally, the prince lavished care on his "matchstick," ensuring his safety and happiness.

This was precisely why, in the Dayan region, Chai Yan was untouchable, and his business enjoyed the greatest protection.

As the prince and Chai Yan drank merrily, a subordinate brought over the prince’s phone, whispered a few words into his ear, then handed him the device. The prince glanced at the phone, then at Chai Yan, before bowing his head to study the screen intently, ignoring Chai Yan.

Chai Yan wondered why the prince was suddenly engrossed in his phone at the party. Without warning, the prince leapt to his feet and shouted, "Enough noise! Turn off the music!"

Instantly, the party fell silent—no music, no cheers, no clinking glasses. It was as if time had stopped; everyone stood frozen in place.

The prince surveyed the room, noting the stifling silence. He then softened his expression, replaced his fierce look with a smile, and said, "Nothing’s wrong. Carry on, everyone. Turn the music back on!"

With those words, the music resumed, the party returned to normal—but the prince had lost all interest in festivities. He shot Chai Yan a vicious glare, said nothing, and strode off alone to his room.