Song Yuzhang: Chapter 66 - Run Into
Chapter 66: Run Into
Holding the file in his hand, Song Yuzhang first glanced behind Liu Chuanzong. The office door was tightly shut, so he immediately beckoned him over.
Liu Chuanzong followed obediently and came up to him.
Lowering his voice, Song Yuzhang asked, “What do you mean by ‘not three hundred million’?”
Liu Chuanzong lowered his head, his voice still dry. “The bank’s shortfall, at most, is less than one hundred million.”
For a moment, Song Yuzhang’s mind went blank.
Less than one hundred million? How did two hundred million suddenly vanish?
Compared to three hundred million, the difference wasn’t just numerical—it was massive.
If the deficit was under one hundred million, then with those thirty million US dollars, the situation wasn’t entirely hopeless. It might not be a dead end after all. But then there was Song Zhenqiao...
Song Yuzhang’s gaze fell on the top of Liu Chuanzong’s head.
Liu Chuanzong was forty-one this year, but the hair on top of his head was completely white, like a silver pheasant.
Thoughts whirled through Song Yuzhang’s mind, and a chilling, brutal possibility quietly surfaced. It was a disturbing thought—but not impossible.
Having seen plenty of strange things in the world, and being no saint himself, Song Yuzhang asked cautiously, “Who else knows about this?”
“No one.”
Song Yuzhang let out a deep breath and took another good look at Liu Chuanzong.
His appearance was plain, modest, meticulously dressed, his face always freshly shaved—looked like a man who accepted his lot in life.
Such an obedient, puppet-like servant who had signed a death contract and stayed loyally by someone’s side for over twenty years.
Only someone like that could earn Song Zhenqiao’s trust.
Perhaps to Song Zhenqiao, Liu Chuanzong was merely a well-trained dog. It wasn’t so much that he trusted Liu Chuanzong, but that he trusted his own ability to train people.
Too much confidence—far too much. Who is born a servant? Who would want to be one?
The more Song Yuzhang thought about it, the more astonishing it became. He had to admit—Liu Chuanzong was truly a master of deception.
Even he had been fooled at the beginning!
The claim of a three-hundred-million deficit had really shaken him—he never stopped to question if it was true or false, only staggered under the blow. He hadn’t even considered the possibility that Liu Chuanzong might be lying.
He simply didn’t look like someone capable of lying!
Right—Meng Tingjing had even said last night that the deficit should be around one hundred million.
That bastard might be a scoundrel, but he wasn’t entirely wrong.
As for Liu Chuanzong… changing the number from one hundred million to three hundred million didn’t benefit him in any way. So it must have been because of some deep hatred for Song Zhenqiao. No wonder—no wonder that day, when Liu Chuanzong said he had driven Song Zhenqiao to his death, there was a flicker of joy in his eyes. Song Yuzhang had thought he was mocking him—but in truth, Liu Chuanzong had been genuinely glad.
After the relief came waves of thought.
This matter involved him, but also didn’t involve him. Liu Chuanzong seemed to be someone who separated personal feelings from business, so he didn’t need to feel overly anxious. Since Liu Chuanzong had chosen to tell him, it meant he bore him some goodwill.
And this information was extremely important to his current situation. He had to calm down and think things through.
With a calm expression, Song Yuzhang waved his hand lightly, as if brushing off the shocking news like dust from his sleeve. He said mildly, “Alright, I understand. Go arrange a meeting with Shen Chengduo for me.”
“Yes.”
As soon as the office door closed, Song Yuzhang sank into a chair.
One hundred million.
Just like that, two hundred million vanished!
He couldn’t help but feel delighted—but also found it laughable how cheap people could be. If he’d been told from the start that the bank owed one hundred million, he would’ve been just as devastated as if it were three hundred million. But now that he knew the truth, suddenly one hundred million didn’t seem so bad.
The Song family had thirty million. Song Qiyuan was already beginning to waver.
Shen Chengduo had another ten million. After he had kept him at a distance for this long, it was time to raise that ten million.
Calculating it all—
A deficit of one hundred million really didn’t seem so terrible.
As he thought, Song Yuzhang laughed. He knew deep down he was still oversimplifying things—but he couldn’t help it.
A debt of one hundred million—ha! That’s great!
Song Yuzhang was in high spirits the entire day. Liu Chuanzong reported back that Shen Chengduo had agreed to meet in the evening—not at the Vienna restaurant, but at one of his private villas.
Song Yuzhang agreed, guessing Shen Chengduo was still uneasy after the two of them had been arrested in Vienna last time.
“Brother Song, I’ve been waiting a long time…”
As soon as Shen Chengduo saw Song Yuzhang, he greeted him warmly with a broad smile.
Song Yuzhang returned the gesture with equal warmth.
The two stood facing each other in the breeze, basking in the warmth.
Shen Chengduo praised Song Yuzhang for looking energetic. After Song Yuzhang accepted the compliment with a smile, he returned it with the same four words: “You too, Brother Shen.”
Since nothing decent ever came out of Shen Chengduo’s mouth, Song Yuzhang’s ears had a built-in filter, and he didn’t take any offense.
The banquet today was lavish, with a table full of fine wine and delicious dishes. Shen Chengduo said he had specially invited Chef He from the International Hotel to cook. “That old man has a huge ego—really doesn’t know his place. Took me quite some effort. Had to knock out several of his teeth before he was willing to show up.”
Song Yuzhang sat down and looked at him with a half-smile. “Then I won’t eat any of it.”
“Why not?”
“Afraid he might’ve spit in the food.”
Shen Chengduo laughed heartily. “I was joking. I just paid him a bit more money.”
“I was joking, too,” said Song Yuzhang with a chuckle.
He had left Shen Chengduo hanging for several days. Though it hadn’t been entirely intentional, from Shen Chengduo’s perspective, Song Yuzhang had clearly been putting on airs. If he didn’t sit down and have a proper talk with him now, Shen Chengduo might start thinking Song Yuzhang was the one being disrespectful.
He probably wouldn’t knock out any of Song Yuzhang’s teeth, but he’d definitely bear a grudge.
Even a fragile person like Xiao Yuxian had been given no mercy after offending Shen Chengduo—proving that this man, despite his crude appearance, was someone who held grudges over the smallest slights.
As the two of them drank and talked, Shen Chengduo said, “I really must apologize. Your father died, and I didn’t even visit. Someone like me isn’t exactly suited to show up at Old Master Song’s funeral anyway. Mainly, I didn’t get an invitation. Hope you understand.”
Song Yuzhang replied, “My eldest brother handled everything during the funeral. Back then, the family hadn’t split yet, so I wasn’t in any position to make decisions. I understand your concern, Brother Shen. We’ve shared a prison cell before—our bond runs deeper than formalities. I don’t care about face. Do you?”
How could Shen Chengduo still say he cared—especially after Song Yuzhang brought up the whole police station episode?
After the banquet, the two finally reconciled and moved to the second floor of the villa.
Two stunningly handsome young men were waiting upstairs. Song Yuzhang paused at the sight, and Shen Chengduo patted him on the back. “I know you’re not into this. They’re all mine.”
Sure enough, the two beautiful youths flanked Shen Chengduo on either side.
Song Yuzhang sat down across from him on the sofa while Shen Chengduo lounged with one boy lighting his cigarette and the other pouring water.
“Brother Song, now that the Song Bank is under your control, what are we doing about our deal?”
“You’ve made up your mind? Ready to entrust your money to our bank?”
“I’ve thought it through. If you doubt someone, don’t use them; if you use them, don’t doubt them. I, Shen Chengduo, trust you, Song Yuzhang—you’ll make me rich.” He took a drag on his cigarette and pointed at Song. “And you’ll get me promoted.”
Song Yuzhang smiled. “Promoted? You want to become an official?”
Shen snorted and waved dismissively. “No way. Being an official sucks. So stiff and boring. You think it’s glamorous being the director of this or that bureau? There’s always someone above you from another department watching your every move. It’s dog-eat-dog—none of them are worth a damn. We’re not chasing that. And anyway, among you guys, who can say for sure who the real officials even are? I’ll tell you from the bottom of my heart—it’s not about money. What I really want is that kind of ‘official.’”
Song Yuzhang nodded with a smile. “I understand.”
“You do?”
“I do.”
“Great!” Shen Chengduo pushed the two boys off him, raised his glass, and said, “Let’s toast to Brother Song, the one who truly gets it!”
The two boys laughed and lifted their glasses as well.
Song Yuzhang took a small sip from his glass.
Shen Chengduo wasn’t pleased. “Why such a tiny sip? You two, go persuade him.”
The two pretty boys giggled and came toward Song with their glasses. He flailed comically. “Brother Shen, come on now…”
Shen Chengduo watched and laughed, puffing out smoke. “Can’t stand your fake decency. I haven’t even touched these two yet—completely clean.”
Just then, someone came in and whispered a few words into Shen Chengduo’s ear. Shen immediately stood up. “Where is he?”
“Downstairs.”
“Alright, I’m coming!”
Shen Chengduo turned to Song Yuzhang. “Brother Song, sit tight, I’ll be back in a moment.” He motioned to the two boys to stay with Song Yuzhang. “Take good care of our young Master Song—lucky you two little sluts!”
Laughing loudly, Shen Chengduo headed downstairs. Song Yuzhang, harassed by the pair, turned his face away and took a deep breath, then said with a faint smile, “What’s that smell on you? Too much perfume—I can’t take it. Go wash up before coming back.”
The two boys were driven into the bathroom. Song Yuzhang walked to the window and glanced down, spotting a new black car in the courtyard—someone had clearly come to talk business with Shen Chengduo.
“Second Master Nie, the stories don’t do you justice—seeing you in person is…” Shen Chengduo struggled to find the right words, then finally pulled one out. “Like Pan An reborn!”
Nie Yinbing was unmoved by the flattery. “I hear you know a lot of information brokers in Haizhou—your network’s extensive.”
“Oh, not at all—nothing compared to you, Mr. Nie.”
“I’m talking about the shady kind, not anything legitimate.”
Shen Chengduo almost bit his tongue and broke into a cold sweat. “Shady? I wouldn’t go that far…”
“Don’t you run dance halls and casinos? I heard you know people from all walks of life.”
Nie Yinbing sat down on the sofa.
“Heh heh,” Shen Chengduo let out two dry laughs. “I do know a few people, but they’re all law-abiding.”
Nie Yinbing said, “I want you to help me find someone.”
“Oh? Of course, Second Master, just say the word—who are you looking for?”
Nie Yinbing was already a bit irritated.
Tian Guangyao had proven utterly useless—after days of effort, he still hadn’t produced a decent sketch. He claimed the man was too good-looking, that no drawing could do him justice. The moment Nie Yinbing heard that, he knew something was wrong and asked if he had been drawing from life. Only then did Tian Guangyao remember his original task and stammered out that he had actually been drawing based on Young Master Song’s appearance.
Nie Yinbing was furious. Considering Tian Guangyao was Nie Bonian’s teacher, he held back and issued a cold warning: “Only for Bonian’s sake am I sparing your life.”
No photo, no sketch—every time Nie Yinbing described the man, people just looked confused. No matter how clearly he explained, they always seemed lost. It drove him mad. He was so clear—why couldn’t anyone find him?
“A man, very handsome.”
Shen Chengduo waited for more.
“That’s it.”
Shen Chengduo: “……”
He tried to remain polite: “Are there any distinctive features? A name? Hometown? Age… anything?”
“Zhao Jianfang. Early twenties. From the Eastern District.” As for distinctive features… Nie Yinbing thought for a moment. “He’s very eloquent. Not a single blemish on his face.”
Shen Chengduo was once again at a loss.
A man in his twenties, eloquent, no blemishes, and handsome—that… other than the age, none of that really helped!
Shen Chengduo had no choice but to ask again, “And when and where did he go missing?”
Nie Yinbing replied, “Over half a year ago, in Jiangzhou.”
“Why did he go missing?”
Nie Yinbing looked at him, eyes cool and calm. Shen Chengduo took the hint and didn’t press further.
“Alright, alright, I’ll do my best.”
Shen Chengduo had no choice but to accept the task. Rare as it was to have the Nie family ask him for something, how could he refuse?
As he escorted Nie Yinbing to the car at the gate, he suddenly remembered something. “Second Master Nie, by coincidence, young Master Song is upstairs right now. Why not stay a bit and come up for a little fun, a little reunion?”
Young Master Song?
Nie Yinbing frowned. The name clicked. “Song Yuzhang?”
“Yes, yes!” Shen beamed, thinking to himself how close Song Yuzhang must be with the Nie family—Nie Yinbing had only just returned to Haizhou, and they already knew each other.
Nie Yinbing wasn’t particularly interested in Song Yuzhang, but after hearing his name several times—especially with Tian Guangyao claiming to have based his sketch on Song Yuzhang’s appearance—and thinking about how the figure in that drawing did bear a resemblance to Zhao Jianfang, Nie paused.
He didn’t like how Tian Guangyao kept comparing Song Yuzhang to Zhao Jianfang. So when he headed upstairs now, it was with the mindset of debunking that comparison.
Zhao Jianfang had unmatched charm—how could he be compared to just anyone?
“Brother Song, this is Second…” Shen Chengduo swallowed the word brother and pushed open the door. “Second Master Nie is here.”
As the door swung open, Shen Chengduo was stunned by what he saw.
On the sofa, Song Yuzhang had his long legs propped leisurely on a footstool, one arm around a delicate pretty boy, his head buried under the boy’s pale, sheer top—who knew what he was doing in there—while his other hand roamed beneath the clothing of another boy pressed against his side.
Shen Chengduo, shocked, quickly turned to glance at Nie Yinbing—only to see him, visibly repulsed by the indecent scene, turn and walk out immediately.
“Se-Second Master…”
Shen Chengduo hurriedly chased after him.
“Please don’t go!”
“I’ll call a few more people up to join the fun—plenty to go around!”
Nie Yinbing had already reached his car. He looked at Shen Chengduo coldly. “Just focus on finding that person.”
After sending him off, Shen Chengduo rushed back upstairs—only to find the lascivious scene had completely vanished. The two pretty boys were kneeling off to the side, clothes disheveled, while Song Yuzhang sat across from them, also looking slightly unkempt—his meticulously styled hair was a mess, the top two buttons of his shirt undone, and his sleeves wrinkled. He was lighting a cigarette.
“Brother Song, weren’t you enjoying yourself just now? What happened? You don’t like these two?”
Song Yuzhang didn’t respond. He lowered his head, lit the cigarette with long, elegant fingers, placed it between his lips, took a deep draw, then let out a cloud of milky smoke. Through the haze, a faint sensuality flickered across his face—but so did a touch of heaviness.
Shen Chengduo fell silent.
Seeing the handsome Brother Song in such a post-tryst pose made something tingle sharply in his heart—a strange, itchy feeling he couldn’t quite name.
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