There was a crackdown on Qiao Xinâs gang in the provincial capital. More than ten core criminals of the gang were arrested, including murder by gun, contract killing, gang fighting, intentional injury, extortion and blackmail, and other such crimes. Among them, three were sentenced to death.
Jianghaiâs crackdown on crime was also pulling in their net. Wang Laohu bore the brunt of it. Wang Laohuâs luck wasnât great. While Yan Ziyi, Luo Jiu, and these people were all shifting to work behind the scenes, Wang Laohu was still fighting on the front lines. He opened a casino and engaged in usury, illegally collected debts, robbed, blackmailed, and stabbed people to death in fights. Wang Laohu deserved his downfall. He suffered difficulties, and he was punished for several crimes after being caught. The businesses of murder and arson in the past all had to be settled later. The most important thing was that there was no one backing Wang Laohu, and he didnât know how to win connections on the right side of the law. After getting in trouble, there was no one to protect him. He was made an example of and shot.
A group of people were arrested and sentenced. Jianghaiâs gangdom fell into silence and panic. Luo Jiu had died, and Yan Ziyi was silent. Fang Yu, who was originally to succeed Luo Jiu, in order to avenge for Luo Jiu, involved himself as well and ran away. Jianghaiâs once popular âYan Luo Coexistenceâ gangdom state, after the wind of this crackdown passed, was once again reorganized. Thatâs a later story.
Qiao Hong had good luck. Even though his lung lobe had been penetrated, at that time, he was brought to the hospital with one breath remaining. He was unconscious for a few days before waking up. But he was still greeted with a bullet, the bullet of legal justice.
When Qiao Hong was later sentenced to death by firing squad, Luo Jiu, who had been involved in the gangdom all his life, finally made his enemies receive retribution through the countryâs laws.
At that time, hearing that Qiao Hong hadnât died, Yang Lei sighed in relief and furrowed his brows.
Since Qiao Hong didnât die, Fang Yuâs criminal evidence was conclusive. But since he didnât die, the conviction would ultimately be lighter.
Although Yang Lei hid Fang Yu, he knew that they couldnât keep hiding like this. He couldnât possibly hide for a lifetime.
âUncle.â
Once Yang Datian saw Yang Lei he knew why he had come.
âIf you want to save him, there is only one path.â
Yang Datian didnât beat around the bush at all. He looked at Yang Lei.
âTell him to turn himself in.â
âWounding someone with a gun will be a minimum of seven years. With the situation right now, it will only increase! If he doesnât turn himself in right now, if he is arrested and brought back, the nature of things will be different. Jail for ten or eight years would be light. If things donât go well and heâs made an example of, it will be a heavy sentence.â
Yang Datian wasnât scaring Yang Lei. He was telling the truth.
âIf Fang Yuâs past is really brought out, you saw how Wang Laohu and those people were sentenced.â
Yang Lei didnât say a word.
Yang Datian was also helpless. Fang Yuâs crime originally could be light or heavy. In normal times, there was hope that things could be handled internally, but with the crackdown, it was different.
âFortunately, there was no death. Turning himself in can alleviate the circumstances of the crime. During sentencing, this will be considered. âŠIf you want me to speak, I have to have a grasp of things.â
Yang Datianâs words were already an exception. He treated his nephew Yang Lei like his own son. Because of family reasons, Yang Lei got involved in gangdom. Because of this, other people often talked about him, the Public Security director, behind his back. Yang Datian didnât care about any of that. He loved this nephew from the bottom of his heart. He knew the reason why Yang Lei was like this, so he loved this child even more. Although Yang Lei was on the streets, he never begged him for help in these matters. Even when Yang Lei himself committed a crime and was locked up and sentenced, he never begged him. This was the first time that he begged him on the behalf of someone else.
âHow many years can you reduce the sentence by?â
After a long silence, Yang Lei asked.
âIâll try my best.â
Nothing in the world was absolute. Yang Datian also couldnât make this guarantee.
âUncle, you must help me. âŠFang Yu is very important to me.â
Yang Lei raised his head and repeated those two words to Yang Datian.
âVery important.â
Yang Datian looked at Yang Lei, shocked.
From childhood to now, he had never seen such an expression on Yang Lei.
Yang Datian thought for a moment.
âXiao Lei, if you really want to save him, there is someone you can see.â
âWho?â
Yang Datian didnât answer. His gaze fell on the television.
Yang Lei followed him and also looked at the television.
The television news was broadcasting news on the provincial leaders investigating the construction of the new train station. The camera swept over the faces of the main leaders one by one. Yang Datianâs face was solemn and serious.
Yang Lei contacted Fang Yu on time every other day.
âLao Liang and the others are all lying low. Theyâre fine. Er Hei can also get up. âŠNo one committed a crime. Theyâre all behaving well. The brothers all listen to advice. Donât worry.â
Yang Leiâs tone seemed relaxed.
ââŠLao Wen has also been arranged for. She has withdrawn from school. After a while, Iâll contact someone to have her transfer schoolsâŠâ
ââŠXiao Wu came over. The tears that he wiped away⊠He didnât say, Can I not listen to you? They know that you donât want them to worryâŠâ
âIs there anything missing? Have you met someone who interrogated you? âŠâ
ââŠThe situation was tense for a while. Itâs passed a little now. Theyâre all arresting the people on Wang Laohuâs side. Weâre fine hereâŠâ
ââŠMe? What can happen to me? No one has bothered me⊠What is my background? Would they dare to stare at me? Are they tired of living? âŠâ
Yang Lei quietly joked, pretending to be relaxed.
ââŠOkay, I have to hang up. Donât worry and wait for my news. It will be soon.â
After Yang Lei hung up the phone, his relaxed tone was gone. His mood became heavy.
He contacted Fang Yu on time twice. Each time, he could only say a few short sentences. Yang Lei didnât tell Fang Yu the truth. The police already had their eyes on him. Even if he were Yang Lei, it would be the same. It was also very difficult for Yang Lei to make this call.
When he walked to the gate of the military district, Yang Lei stopped for a moment. He still walked in.
He went up the stairs slowly and got to the home entrance. Yang Lei thought for a moment, pushed the door open, and closed the door.
Yang Lei didnât expect that, when he walked into the house this time, he couldnât come out again until a few days later.
Yang Datian was angry. Yang Datian locked Yang Lei up for several days in a row.
âYou still have the face to plead for others? Did you know that during this crackdown, you brought me utter humiliation?!â
With Yang Dahaiâs current official position, who dared to say anything to his face? But oneâs mouth could say both good and bad things. With his own son like this, how could there be no talk?
âDad!â
Yang Lei shouted with difficulty.
Hearing this cry, Yang Dahai was stunned.
Starting from when Yang Lei was twelve or thirteen, after that paternity test incident, Yang Lei never called him dad again.
ââŠâ
There were mixed feelings in Yang Dahaiâs heart.
He had already waited for this cry for many years. He even thought that Yang Lei wouldnât be willing to call him this again in this lifetime. As a father, as a father who felt guilty towards his son, and even more, as a father who felt regret that the rift between himself and his son was difficult to repair, Yang Dahaiâs heart was filled with mixed feelings. He couldnât be calm any longer.
His son was finally willing to call âDad,â but it was to ask him for something. Yang Dahai didnât know if this was his own grief or if it was a sin he had committed.
âYou can beat me or discipline me as you like. I will do whatever you want me to do in the future. As long as you promise me this, beat me!â
Yang Lei knelt in front of Yang Dahai, just like how, when he was young and Yang Dahai angrily punished him, he was forced to kneel on the ground to reflect and wasnât allowed to eat.
âIâve never asked you for anything. If you still recognize me as your son, help me this one time. Just this one time. In the future, Iâll listen to you for everything.â
Yang Lei straightened his back upright, looking straight at Yang Datian. This was a man before whom he was once unwilling to even lower his head, but now he was willing to kneel at his feet and beg him.
This was his greatest hope. This was Fang Yuâs only hope.
Yang Lei once hated this family. He hated that fate caused him to be born into this kind of family and have this kind of father. But right now, Yang Lei had never been this grateful that he was born into such a privileged family. At this time, he could only rely on privilege. If he were just an ordinary citizen, he wouldnât be able to save Fang Yu. Fang Yu would be sentenced for ten or twenty years, or like Dahu, he would have been shot. Even if Fang Yu could run away, he would forever be a wanted criminal. He would have to live hiding and in fear in the shadows. His life would be ruined. Execution and reducing the sentence: only privilege could help him. The things of this world were just cruel like this.
ââŠJust what kind of potion did that Fang Yu give you? You will do things to this extent for him??â
Seeing his son kneeling at his feet, Yang Dahai was shocked and pained.
No one knew about Yang Leiâs self-esteem and unyieldingness better than him. Yet now, he was humbly kneeling to beg him! For a gangdom criminal who had shot and killed someone!
ââŠI owe him a life!â
Yang Lei gritted his teeth.
Yes, he owed Fang Yu a life. It wasnât owing. His own life was Fang Yuâs!
âDonât bring your Jianghu habits into my door!â
Yang Dahai was furious.
âItâs because youâre involved with these kinds of people that youâve become the way you are today!!â
âLock him up! Whoever dares to let him go, donât enter this house!â