Insights Chapter 100: The Kiss

Chapter 100: The Kiss

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Late at night, on a main road traversing north and south in Penang. A luxury car speeds down the road. Seated inside is a young man with glasses. This man is Han Qingyi, the head of the Penang Love Foundation and one of the key figures in the Hetu Trading Association. For a long time, he has provided the association with a large amount of illegal funds through money laundering and other operations. Now, finally, his deeds have been exposed.

Since getting into the car, Han Qingyi has been constantly on the phone. At this moment, holding his phone, he listened to his subordinate’s report. “Mr. Han, what should we do? We might not be able to hold off those two policemen here.” His subordinate’s voice is tinged with desperation.

Han Qingyi says, “Do your best to delay them. Reinforcements will arrive soon. And quickly clean up the foundation’s related documents. We must minimize the impact.”

After hanging up the phone, Han Qingyi gritted his teeth and looked out into the dark night through the window. His brow furrows. Regardless, his road to fortune is probably lost.

The night scenery of Penang passed by continuously, with the tall buildings illuminated, but he had no interest in admiring the beauty. Han Qingyi studied abroad and came from a wealthy family. He has always been talented in mathematics since childhood. He liked numbers and liked turning numbers into money. He was a thorough opportunist, never satisfied with the status quo, always feeling that he should achieve something.

When he returned to his home country at a young age, he originally wanted to start a business but found that he had missed the boom of the internet industry.

He didn’t want to work diligently in traditional industries either.

So, he turned his attention to finance. Investments, loans, private equity, virtual currencies. He was very smart, starting by leveraging his family connections, tirelessly ingratiating himself with the powerful. His talents were recognized, and he successfully entered the association. Due to his money laundering abilities, the president handed over the foundation to him to manage. He quickly mastered the foundation’s operations, and money laundering became effortless for him.

Many funds could be laundered through donation methods, circulating in various directions. However, as a private foundation, there was too little turnover on the books. No matter how much he laundered, it was like splashing in a small pond. His position in the association was also unstable, like a lackey, only helping others with some shady deals. He realized he had to find a way to secure his position.

A few years ago, he met that person, introduced to him by Mu Yuwei. That person was called the Dream Master.

Someone who could construct dreams for people. The Dream Master seemed adept at observing people’s innermost desires. After a few interactions, he discovered Han Qingyi’s predicament.

The Dream Master said, “Isn’t your problem simply a lack of money? You can persuade people to leave their inheritance to the foundation. Wouldn’t that solve the problem?”

He replied, “It’s not easy to attract donations. Those old folks are very stingy.”

The Dream Master asked him, “Do you have enough courage?”

He answered while sipping his wine, “Of course.”

Money laundering itself is a criminal offense.

For many years, he has been engaging in various nefarious activities. In his eyes, committing murder pales in comparison to the allure of power and money. In his quest for advancement, he no longer feared anything, including selling his soul to the devil.

The Dream Master said, “Then I can offer you a shortcut, a business model. If you operate according to this model, you might quickly become a pillar of the association.”

Then the Dream Master told him about a method to deceive people out of their inheritance under the guise of elderly care. This method exploited the darker aspects of human nature. He was astounded by the calculations involved.

The Dream Master accurately grasped the human psyche.

After hearing the entire plan and operational methods, he felt that his mind had been opened, and he had a premonition of great success. He asked the Dream Master, “You gave me this idea, what do you need in return?”

He was prepared. Money, status, beautiful women, he was willing to offer anything.

“No need for repayment, just go and do it. I’m merely validating my theory,” the Dream Master said with a smile. “Seeing such things happen brings me pleasure.”

He thought the Dream Master was peculiar, but that didn’t diminish his appreciation for him, nor did it affect their collaboration.

After the Dream Master laid out his ideas, they gradually implemented them in business and action. He was a person with great courage, attention to detail, and strong operational skills. They started with a small experiment, manipulating only ten people, who quickly became corrupted and became the cornerstone of the organization, as well as their loyal followers.

Among them were managers and Professor Pang. Soon, the foundation handed over tens of millions of yuan to the association in one go, becoming the association’s “cash cow.” At that time, Wang, the bureau chief, was in office, and management was lax. There was little attention given to the elderly.

Han Qingyi began to expand rapidly, replicating this model shamelessly in the city, amassing wealth and reaping profits. He even opened several overseas companies to facilitate the flow of money. His position in the association became increasingly central, until he reached the top.

After Director Ding took office, Han Qingyi was reminded several times to scale down operations, but he loved money too much. He knew he was different from others; he had to make himself useful. As long as this path existed, as long as that money existed, he could maintain his position in the association.

If he lost this path to wealth, he could be kicked out of the core at any moment. Han Qingyi now regretted it. He didn’t regret that he should have stopped earlier but regretted not having those annoying policemen taken care of during the last meeting. He had just called the president of Hetu Trading Association, who reassured him not to panic, saying he would handle it and to stay calm.

But Han Qingyi had never felt such panic before.

The illegal plundering of inheritance by the foundation would be exposed, which would be a huge blow to him, the foundation, and even the association behind them. He felt as if he were watching a building collapse before his eyes.

In the past six months, he had seen too many people abandoned by the association, from Zhong Zhichun to Yao Lin. Those people spoke nicely, but when something really happened, they would keep their distance. He was afraid of becoming abandoned himself. And all of this was because of those damn police!

Han Qingyi’s eyes were red. He called his trusted subordinate, gritting his teeth, and ordered, “If there’s a chance, let the cleaning company kill those policemen who got in.”

“Kill… kill people?” The subordinate was obviously stunned. “Mr. Han, if we kill someone, especially policemen, the significance of this matter will be different.”

Without killing, there was still a way out, but once someone was killed, especially policemen, there would be no way out. Han Qingyi couldn’t listen to any persuasion anymore. He said coldly, “What’s the difference? If all these things are discovered, do I care about the lives of these two people?”

Thinking that years of effort might be ruined in an instant, he felt endless resentment rising in his heart.

The genteel demeanor of Han Qingyi in the past disappeared completely, replaced by madness and indifference.

“Isn’t Ah Jin from the cleaning company there? How much money? I’ll pay! Transfer the money to their account now! And you, create a traffic accident on the road leading to the estate, try to delay the officers from arriving.”

After hanging up the phone, Han Qingyi’s eyes were filled with a sinister look. He said, “If they want me dead, I’ll make sure someone else takes the fall!”

As soon as he finished arranging, his phone lit up again. Han Qingyi glanced at it, softened his mood slightly, and still answered it. On the screen appeared a lovely girl. “Daddy, Daddy, when are you coming home?”

Han Qingyi smiled, the ferocity on his face disappeared, replaced by elegance and kindness. “Yingying, Daddy will be working late tonight. Remember to drink your milk. Daddy loves you, and I’ll bring you a gift when I get back.”

In the eyes of outsiders, he was an outstanding business elite, Huo Lei devoted to charity work, a loving father, and a dutiful son. He still maintained his good image until now. Unfortunately, everything he had built over the years seemed like a dream. After tonight, the dream would end. Everything would dissipate into thin air.

.

Late at night, within the estate. The escalated dispute had turned into a melee. The conflict between people and staff finally erupted. The ground was a mess, many chairs were overturned, some even shattered into pieces. Inside the house, the sounds of fighting and screams were incessant. The enraged crowd was tearing at the staff.

Professor Pang was pinned to the corner, desperately shielding his head, while a middle-aged woman in her forties took off her shoe and beat him with it. The manager had already fallen to the ground.

Gu Yanchen and Shen Junci were facing several assailants, who were fearless. Gu Yanchen leaped up, leveraging his momentum to kick down one person, then threw a heavy right hook at another, landing squarely on his cheek. The man spat out blood and a few broken teeth.

As the assailant attempted to get up, Shen Junci came from behind, grabbed him by the neck, and exerted pressure on the carotid arteries on both sides. With reduced blood supply to the brain, the opponent soon became dizzy. After struggling for a while, his body went limp.

Seeing another person grappling with Gu Yanchen, Shen Junci twisted the man’s right hand from behind. As Shen Junci circled around, he smashed a decorative vase directly onto the man’s head. He targeted the weakest point in the skull’s posterior, swiftly rendering him combat ineffective. Their coordination was seamless, as if rehearsed.

Gu Yanchen shook off the person in his grip, while Shen Junci leaned against his back, surveying the surroundings.

During this time, the trapped people had rushed to the door, but others were coming in from outside, blocking their way back in. It was clear that the reinforcements had arrived first. They had to end this quickly!

Before those people rushed in, Gu Yanchen grabbed a broken chair nearby and hurled it at the main light fixture hanging from the ceiling. Then he pulled Shen Junci and crouched low, avoiding it. The fixture consisted of dozens of large glass spheres connected together, all hanging from a main support line. After the impact, sparks flew, and the fixture crackled before falling from the ceiling.

As the glass light fell to the ground, it made a loud crashing sound. Shards of glass flew like bullets. Several people on the other side couldn’t dodge in time and were hit. Some were scratched by the glass, not fatal but immobilized. For a moment, the room was plunged into darkness.

A gap appeared in front of the crowd, and now was the best time to break free. Those still trapped in the house broke through the opponent’s line of defense and rushed out from the doorway.

Gu Yanchen picked up a dagger from the ground for self-defense and shouted to Shen Junci, “Let’s go!”

Shen Junci followed closely, rushing out of the hall. It was now late autumn night, and the weather was chilly, shrouded in darkness. Once they exited the main building, they realized that the estate was even larger than they had imagined. There were not many lights in the estate, most of them enveloped in darkness, resembling a magnificent but sinister maze.

The open space in front of them was filled with greenery, resembling a labyrinth. The crowd panicked and scrambled, eager to leave this eerie place. Many of the people attending the training tonight were elderly. Several middle-aged women were running at the rear, not far from Shen Junci.

In this dark night, Suddenly, a gunshot rang out. A bullet landed not far from them. Things had escalated to the point where the other side wanted to kill! Someone was shooting at the crowd from a high vantage point. Then, a second bullet was fired, hitting the thigh of a middle-aged person in front, who screamed in agony and fell to the ground. The crowd screamed, and some froze in fear, holding their heads and crouching on the ground.

Shen Junci turned around and saw someone holding a gun on the platform of the second floor of the estate. In the dim light, they couldn’t see the person’s face clearly. The person was shooting from above with a thermal scope, making the people below seem like live targets.

Shen Junci decisively pulled Gu Yanchen, “Let’s go this way!”

Their target was surely them. At this point, it would be safest for them to run into the crowd, but that might result in civilian casualties and turn into a massacre. They had to run in a different direction from the crowd to draw the attackers away.

After they changed direction, the shooter indeed turned the gun towards them, sparing the ordinary civilians and chasing them instead. Whether the shooter’s aim was off or deliberate, it seemed like they were toying with them. The bullets landed close to them but didn’t immediately kill them.

Gu Yanchen sensed that the person upstairs was likely a professional sniper. It was probably the same person they encountered at the steel mill last time. At night, at this distance, with professional equipment and terrain advantage, hitting them would be harder than not. He quickly assessed the situation in his mind.

The foundation’s people probably wanted to kill them out of revenge, and the cleaning company had to act after taking the money. But it seemed like they were also a bit afraid of provoking the police, as they weren’t eager to kill them.

Before Shen Junci had run a few meters, another shot rang out, and his calf felt hot as a bullet grazed it. Shen Junci lost his balance and fell to the ground.

Gu Yanchen turned back to help him up, “Are you hurt?”

Shen Junci gritted his teeth, “Just grazed.”

His injury wasn’t serious, just a scratch on his leg, with a bit of bleeding.

“Hurry!” Gu Yanchen didn’t dare to linger, pulling him up and running forward. He knew the range of this type of gun. As long as they moved forward a bit more, they would be safe.

The sniper from above continued to shoot calmly. The gunshots were close to their ears. Bullets landed not far from them, sparking on the ground.

In the midst of the hail of bullets, Shen Junci was pulled forward by Gu Yanchen. Suddenly, he felt Gu Yanchen’s body tremble. He wanted to ask him, but Gu Yanchen said, “I’m fine, hurry!”

In just a few seconds, they reached the corner and finally escaped the sniper’s attack.

The sniper upstairs put away the gun and spoke into the earpiece, “Boss, mission accomplished. Following your instructions, someone got injured but not killed.”

Mu Yuwei’s voice came through the earpiece, “Retreat. As long as we’ve received the money, we’re done. Don’t bother with their mess.”

.

Gu Yanchen and Shen Junci ran towards the side of the estate. Two more bodyguards appeared in front of them, confronting them directly. These people were trained and more agile than the ones they faced before, and they were also much taller. At this moment of desperation, Gu Yanchen didn’t hold back anymore. He took out the knife he picked up earlier.

After a few moves, Gu Yanchen gauged the opponent’s strength. Although the person in front of him was muscular, it was clear that it was mostly for show, like a beast in a circus. Gu Yanchen’s moves, on the other hand, were simpler and more practical. He used a lethal move, combining a knee strike with a swift knife slash, aiming directly at the opponent’s vital points.

If the opponent didn’t defend, the knife in his hand would pierce their chest. The bodyguard raised his hand to block, but still received a bloody scratch on his chest, causing him to groan in pain and clutch his chest.

As Gu Yanchen passed by, before the opponent could even turn around, he skillfully threw the knife upwards with one hand, completing a seamless transition, and stabbed the opponent in the back, cleanly taking him down.

Shen Junci didn’t have a weapon. After exchanging a few moves with the person in front of him, he realized his own weakness. He used a feint, aiming an elbow at the opponent’s ear. When the opponent raised his hand to block, he quickly changed tactics, delivering a swift kick to the opponent’s body.

The strong man was hit in a vulnerable spot, causing him to almost kneel in pain. Shen Junci followed up with a hammer fist straight to the opponent’s temple. The man fell to the ground.

After swiftly taking down the two opponents, they didn’t linger and turned to run forward again. Finally, they managed to shake off their pursuers for a while. Gu Yanchen was still looking for a way out when Shen Junci pulled him.

Only then did Captain Gu notice a gap of less than half a meter on the right side, extremely well-hidden in the darkness of the night. They hurriedly squeezed into it. After the intense exercise, both of them were breathing heavily, but to avoid being discovered, they tried their best not to make any noise. The gap was narrow, and their bodies were almost pressed tightly together.

In the dim light, they could only see each other by the moonlight. At this moment, Shen Junci realized that he and Gu Yanchen were almost pressed together, feeling each other’s breath. Gu Yanchen extended his left hand, carefully supporting Shen Junci’s head.

Shen Junci asked in a low voice, “How long until backup arrives?”

Gu Yanchen, still catching his breath, replied, “Probably, if it’s quick… a few minutes.” He paused for a moment, then continued, “If there are no obstacles.”

Their safest option now was to hide here for a while until the reinforcements arrived.

“These people are insane,” Shen Junci said, realizing that they were attacking and killing police officers despite knowing who they were.

Gu Yanchen said, “It shows they’re scared.”

The other side was making a last-ditch effort.

Shen Junci asked, “Are you okay?”

While evading the sniper’s attack, Shen Junci clearly felt Gu Yanchen’s body tremble for a moment.

Observing that it was safe around them, Gu Yanchen didn’t answer him directly. Instead, he gently adjusted Shen Junci’s face with his hand, “Let’s talk to pass the time. Ten minutes will pass quickly. Is your heart okay?”

Shen Junci nodded. He felt his heart pounding after the intense exercise but could endure it. Gu Yanchen looked down at Shen Junci. In the moonlight, the person in front of him lowered his head, and a bit of his forehead was visible through his bangs, with fair skin.

Suddenly, Gu Yanchen said, “Before I got Wuliang, I had a cat.”

Shen Junci asked, “What happened later? Why haven’t I heard you mention it before?”

Gu Yanchen cleared his throat and continued, “It was a mix of American Shorthair and tabby. When I found it, it was pitifully small. Its dad had died, and it was crying by his side, homeless and aggressive towards anyone who approached. Later, I brought it back and fed it cat food, and it gradually became tame. I used to visit it often, sometimes playing with it. One rainy day, it got drenched, making its eyes look even bigger…”

In the darkness, Shen Junci listened quietly, sensing a deeper meaning behind Gu Yanchen’s words. Then he smelled a scent, one that as a medical examiner he was intimately familiar with—the smell of blood. At first, he thought it was coming from his own leg injury, but when he bent down to sniff, he realized it wasn’t. His wound wasn’t severe enough to produce such a strong bloody odor.

“You’re injured!” Shen Junci suddenly realized that Gu Yanchen had been lying to him and reached out to find the wound on him.

“My cat went missing one day,” Gu Yanchen paused and said, “Do you know that feeling of losing a cat? It’s like being consumed with anxiety but not knowing what to do. I kept going back to the places where the cat used to be, where it might still be. Day after day, searching. I felt like if I just waited a little longer, the cat would show up.”

Shen Junci finally found his wound, it was on the right side of his abdomen, soaking his clothes. Gu Yanchen must have been injured earlier, enduring until now. For a moment, Shen Junci’s mind went blank, then he forced himself to calm down. It couldn’t be too serious; otherwise, Gu Yanchen wouldn’t have made it this far, no matter how strong he was.

In the darkness, he couldn’t see the wound, so he relied on his hands to feel Gu Yanchen’s abdominal muscles and locate the entry point of the bullet. Fortunately, there was no exit wound behind him. The entrance wound in front was small; the bullet had probably ricocheted, not causing extensive damage or penetrating the body.

Shen Junci was relieved that it was below the liver area. If it had hit the liver, he would be in big trouble now. It also missed the kidneys; otherwise, the pain would have been unbearable. Afraid there might be other injuries, he moved his hand down along the waist.

Gu Yanchen suddenly grabbed his wrist, “That’s enough, you might cause trouble if you keep probing.”

Shen Junci felt his eyes welling up, but he still wanted to reassure Gu Yanchen, “It’s okay, it didn’t hit any vital organs, you’ll be fine…”

Gu Yanchen said, “I know, I shouldn’t die.”

He had endured many injuries, large and small. When he usually sniped others, he knew what kind of injuries could be fatal. If hit by a high-speed bullet, even with a small entry, the exit could create a large hole in the body, shredding the internal organs. His injury was from a ricochet, avoiding vital organs; he was already lucky enough.

The wound throbbed with pain, and there was a burning sensation. He felt a bit dizzy, but he could still bear it. He felt he still had some time before he would pass out.

Gu Yanchen took a deep breath and continued the story he hadn’t finished, “Aren’t you concerned about my cat? Over the years, whenever I see other cats, I keep wondering, where could my cat be? Is it doing well? Whenever I see a similar cat, I want to go up and check if it’s mine…”

“Cats have a way of finding their way back. It might be somewhere, living well. You don’t need to worry,” Shen Junci estimated the severity of the injury and the amount of bleeding. He could almost imagine the impact of the bullet inside the body.

The priority was to stop the bleeding. Shen Junci wanted to take off his coat to make a makeshift tourniquet, but the space was cramped, and going outside was dangerous. Right now, he could only hope that reinforcements would arrive soon.

In the end, he chose to use his hands, overlapping them and pressing them on the wound on Gu Yanchen’s abdomen. He could feel Gu Yanchen’s body tremble when he pressed down. Blood still flowed out through the gaps between his fingers, but the speed slowed down.

Shen Junci pressed harder, and a burst of pain erupted from the wound. Sweat appeared on Gu Yanchen’s forehead, and he groaned softly, “Be gentle.”

Shen Junci asked, “Does it hurt?”

Perhaps dealing with corpses too much had made him indifferent to the pain of living people. Of course, it hurt. Gu Yanchen gritted his teeth, leaning against the wall, sweat beading on his forehead. After enduring a wave of intense pain, he finally eased up.

Shen Junci’s forehead was constantly in his view.

Gu Yanchen took a deep breath and whispered in his ear, “Can I kiss you? Maybe it won’t hurt anymore, if I kiss you.”

Shen Junci dared not loosen his grip, just leaned forward, closed his eyes, and prepared himself, saying, “Go ahead.”

His voice still sounded indifferent, as if he was resigned to death. With the permission granted, Gu Yanchen lowered his head, his soft, cool lips gently touching Shen Junci’s forehead, leaving a light kiss.

Is that how it ends? Shen Junci sighed. He suddenly opened his eyes and leaned towards Gu Yanchen’s direction.

Gu Yanchen hadn’t reacted yet. Shen Junci closed his eyes and kissed his lips. Gu Yanchen couldn’t describe the feeling. His lips were covered by something soft and warm, with a subtle, sweet taste. It started as if testing the waters, slowly and repeatedly. From tentative to more intense, and then relentless. Flashes of light flickered before his eyes. A tingling sensation surged up.

Gu Yanchen couldn’t help but put his hand on Shen Junci’s waist. Then their tongues intertwined. Shen Junci’s hands were still pressed against him, and the pain from the wound turned into numbness. Holding the person in his arms, it felt as if his soul was about to leave his body.

Their mouths and tongues intertwined, and Gu Yanchen felt like even if he died at this moment, it would be worth it. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it would explode. It was a lingering kiss. A kiss until he felt his brain deprived of oxygen. Until he felt like he was about to faint.

Only then did Shen Junci let go of him. His dark eyes flickered, and he rubbed against Gu Yanchen’s face, then leaned his head against his ear and said, “That’s what a kiss should be like.”

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the distance, and faintly, the sound of sirens could be heard, and the headlights of cars illuminated the dark night.

The reinforcements had finally arrived.