When one has passed away, it is akin to them slipping out of existence. No longer will you be able to see them, hear them again. Meanwhile, you too will be out of their sights.
Having slipped out of existence, Tan Yao would no longer see the tears, witness the laughter. He could not know about the silent sea as well as the wild waves back where he had passed.
……
That evening, Old Jin carried a bottle of wine and went to look for Huang Yaming at the mines. He poured half its contents onto the ground in a single go.
Then, he took a swig from it before passing it to Huang Yaming, saying, "In his lifetime, he got to know the best bros, enjoyed the most unattainable women, died at the best age. It actually isn't that bad."
Huang Yaming set it aside, saying, "I know. Still, I never forgive any slights. Now that my bro is gone, I've definitely got to do something. Otherwise, I'll simply never be at peace with myself."
Old Jin knew that he could not stop him this time. If he did so, or if he refused to help, Huang Yaming might do something rash, and he might very well be the next Tan Yao then.
While under some pressure regarding the overall situation, Old Jin lent Huang Yaming three people. One was a woman with a tattoo of a snake on her back, another an old lawyer whose license had been revoked for blatantly breaking the law and the last an assassin who could not see the light of day.
As for who Huang Yaming would choose and what he would do, it was none of his concern as he did not give any suggestions at all too.
It was later recorded that there were fifteen casualties in that explosion outside Xihu City. Two had survived the blast. One was the former secretary of Fang Chen's father, the other being Cao Qing. Having been blasted by the impact that day, the two had unexpectedly survived despite being heavily injured.
The secretary named Song hovered at the brink of death for three days and was finally saved after much effort.
He awoke and rejoiced that he was still alive. The first piece of news that awaited him was that his three mistresses who had good relationships with him that went many years back had jointly reported him. The second piece of news was that his only son, studying abroad in America, had been found in possession of drugs and jailed.
It was the same person who had orchestrated these two incidents. It was that old lawyer who looked almost sixty but was actually fifty, lacking a front tooth. This had only taken three days.
Afterwards, Huang Yaming paid him the money and rent to upkeep two girls studying dance in university for a year along with two hundred thousand yuan of pocket money.
According to the nurses, Secretary Song had spit out a mouthful of blood on the spot and then returned to death's door...from which he had never come back again.
The other fortunate survivor of that blast, Cao Qing, stayed in the hospital for over a month till fully recovered. During this time, Cao Qing's parents and he himself all lost their official positions. Still, he fortunately managed to preserve his life and avoid going to jail.
In his destitute state, all his friends who had associated with him for the sake of money and power, his girlfriend included, left him. There was just one classmate from senior high who reached out to him.
Cao Qing thought back on how he had actually never thought much of this classmate who possessed an ordinary background in the past, having been cold and indifferent towards him too. Who would have thought that in his time of dire need, he would actually extend a helping hand.
When they were drinking together once, the drunk Cao Qing very emotionally teared, declaring, "Only in troubled times does one know who their bros truly are. Thank you. Look, I, Cao Qing, will definitely make a comeback one day. At that time, I definitely won't forget you."
Cao Qing still harboured hope at this time, just that he could not find a direction for the time being. In his depression, he hung out and played with this classmate from senior high. While feeling a bit numb, he thought less about the tragic events that had befallen him, and was still able to pass the days by.
The senior high classmate loved gambling and was pretty lucky in that aspect too. For a period of time, the expenditure of the two virtually all came from here. After accompanying him to gamble for a few times, the bored, idle Cao Qing finally ended up placing bets one day…
He won twenty thousand that day. For the first time after his fall from grace, he invited his ex-classmate buoyantly to a meal.
He still won the next day. The third day, he lost a little, but not a lot. The fourth day, he won everything back. The fifth day, he lost a bit too much...in a week, Cao Qing lost all that he had saved up and the final sum of money that his parents had secretly left for him.
"Let's get dead drunk while we can," Cao Qing's senior high classmate withdrew the final bit of money from his account and invited Cao Qing to drown his sorrows in wine.
Cao Qing got drunk that night. He even hooked up with a woman. The tail of a snake could be seen on the woman's half-naked back as it was incomparably attractive. Snakes were lascivious by nature. Cao Qing was turned on by it as he forcibly dragged that woman who was putting up some resistance to the back alley of the bar.
When he took off his pants, the woman went from pushing him to yelling loudly and putting up violent resistance.
Still, Cao Qing was already all ready to do it…
When people arrived at the scene, the trembling woman still had a sharp rock raised in her hand as she cowered in a corner. There was blood on the rock...there was blood in Cao Qing's pants too. His important thing had been half cut off by the rock.
His senior high classmate rushed over and said he would call the police, but Cao Qing grit his teeth and said, "Don't, don't call the police. Send me to the hospital…"
Cao Qing's appendage could not be reattached in the end. Still, his ex-classmate went around everywhere to borrow money and ultimately managed to preserve his life.
Without a dime to his name, having become disabled, Cao Qing was still determined to continue living.
When he was discharged, he was about to thank his classmate, saying: Just wait. When I, Cao Qing, make a comeback one day…
His senior high classmate, having already 'loyally done everything that could be expected of him', told him exceptionally helplessly and sincerely, "Forget it! It's not that bro isn't willing to continue helping you. The main thing is this: I've found you're really too damned unlucky! This bro really doesn't dare to hang out with you anymore!"
This 'sincerity' actually had a greater impact on Cao Qing than when all his fake friends had abandoned him in the past. Cao Qing began wondering: Just how unlucky am I, exactly?!
It turned out he was really very unlucky. Afterwards, he found three jobs in a row, and even though he had already lowered his requirements to the point where pure physical labour was fine too, Cao Qing was actually still fired three consecutive times just when his probation period was nearly over.
The third time Cao Qing was fired, as he was walking on the streets, a car drove past. He saw Huang Yaming inside, smiling as he looked at him.
That same day, Cao Qing who felt utter despair from his worst luck leapt off a bridge to his death.
As he was overcome by the water, scenes from this final segment of his life unceasingly assailed him. Full recovery...ex-classmate...gambling...bar...woman...eunuch...surviving...jobs…
It suddenly all clicked for Cao Qing. The reason he had managed to live till now was only that someone wanted to send him a round of torture and despair unto death.
Huang Yaming read about Cao Qing's suicide in his office at Bright Brilliance. He lit three cigarettes and stuck them in, offering respects to that person who had once established Bright Brilliance together with him, shared this office with him.
"Those who were there that day have all been sent on their way. Even you didn't make it. How could others?!"
Of the three people Old Jin had given Huang Yaming, there was still one who had never been used, that assassin. He should originally have been the swiftest, most convenient choice.
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