Siheyuan: I just came across and wanted to chase me away

Seeing Li Jianjun's serious expression, Zhang San's joking expression vanished instantly. He slammed the glass he was holding onto the table with a loud clang, and nodded solemnly, "Brother Li, just give the order! As long as it's within my power, I'll go through fire and water for you without hesitation! You can rest assured, I guarantee I'll handle it perfectly for you!"

Li Jianjun finally relaxed his brow, leaned forward, and lowered his voice to recount the whole story in detail—from being tricked into drinking by Lili and her gang that day, to signing the agreement in a daze and then having it stolen, to later plotting to use the stolen agreement to turn the tables on Gu Nan, even including the detail of hiding the agreement in a secret compartment of Lili's bedside table. Finally, he stared intently into Zhang San's eyes, his gaze serious and brooking no mistake: "Remember, this matter must be handled cleanly and efficiently, leaving no trace. All doors and windows must be restored to their original state, and no one can know that I ordered it. Not even your closest brothers can utter a single word, understand?"

Zhang San nodded, a glint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. His fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his knuckles turning white. "Brother Li, you can rest assured! I guarantee I'll handle this perfectly, like nothing ever happened. Not only will I steal back all the receipts, but those bastards who set you up—shouldn't we teach them a lesson too? Break a leg or knock out a tooth? Just say the word, and they'll know what's what! Daring to scheme against you, they're really asking for it!"

Li Jianjun stroked the stubble on his chin, pondered for a moment, and tapped his fingertips lightly on the table: "Let's steal the receipt back first. The rest isn't urgent. The most important thing right now is that brat Gu Nan. After I deal with him, I'll settle accounts with Lili and the others later. They dared to try and set me up with this honey trap. Do they really think I, Li Jianjun, am an easy target? They don't know what's good for them!" He became angrier as he spoke, his chest heaving violently. Recalling the shock and anger he felt when he was extorted that day, his teeth were grinding, and the veins on his forehead were throbbing.

Zhang San chuckled twice, revealing a set of teeth stained yellow with tobacco, and couldn't help but ask, "Brother Li, not to be nosy, but with your shrewdness, how could you have fallen for their trick?"

A flash of annoyance crossed Li Jianjun's face. He picked up the wine glass on the table and took a big gulp, not even noticing the wine dripping down his chin. He poured out his recent troubles in a rambling manner—after being dismissed from his position, he was constantly bullied at the factory, and people gossiped about him wherever he went. That day, he had wanted to drown his sorrows in alcohol, but Lili and her friends had pestered him, and after a few words of persuasion, he had gotten drunk and unwittingly fallen into their trap. Finally, he slammed his hand on the table, making the empty wine bottle shake and spill a lot of wine: "Damn it, I never thought I would fall into such a ditch! I'm so angry! When the time comes, you better teach them a lesson they won't forget, don't hold back, let them know that messing with Li Jianjun will only lead to trouble!"

"Alright!" Zhang San replied crisply and immediately turned to whisper to his two underlings beside him. He kept his voice very low and gestured on the table with his fingers, saying that he should find three quick and agile brothers, and that the back window railing was the easiest to pry open. His eyes gleamed with excitement at the prospect of pulling off a big heist.

Seeing his eager expression, Li Jianjun felt a little more at ease—as long as they could get the written agreement back, they could turn the tables, and then Gu Nan and Lili, those who needed to be settled, wouldn't escape. He picked up the glass of water on the table and took a sip. The icy liquid slid down his throat, but it couldn't quell the burning anger in his heart; he felt a burning sensation in his internal organs.

Li Jianjun sat on a stool in the corner of the tavern, two empty bottles already stacked in front of him, the smell of alcohol mixed with cheap tobacco lingering in the air. He watched Zhang San and his gang, spitting as they talked, threatening to block Gu Nan's path and throw dirty water at his doorstep. The anger Gu Nan had suppressed surged up again, making his temples throb. He clicked his tongue, picked up his glass, took a sip of the remaining liquor, and thought to himself—he hadn't expected that going out for a drink to drown his sorrows would lead to such an opportunity to use someone else to do his dirty work. It seemed it was time to put dealing with Gu Nan on the agenda; he couldn't let that kid climb the corporate ladder so easily at the steel mill, stepping on him for advancement.

But Gu Nan was always as disciplined as a rock, never warmed up. He went to the factory on time and went home on time, living a monotonous life, never having any extra social engagements. It would be difficult to find an excuse to get him out. Li Jianjun twirled his wine glass on the table, his brows furrowed in a deep frown—he had to think of a good way, preferably to find an excuse to invite him out for a meal. As long as Gu Nan had a drink and was a little tipsy, then he could have Lili and the others pester him, and they were sure to create some ambiguous situations. Ideally, they could take some photos that would cause misunderstandings, and then see how he could still pretend to be aloof at the factory, how he could remain the "good cadre" in everyone's eyes.

Zhang San talked animatedly about his plan for a long time, mentioning that he would pretend to be a distant relative of Gu Nan and that he would ask someone to find an "important matter" to force Gu Nan to attend the appointment. Seeing that Li Jianjun hadn't responded, he stopped, swallowed, and leaned forward to ask, "Brother Li, is our plan working? If you think it's good, then you can point out that Lili to me, and I'll take the brothers and follow them from a distance. When the opportunity arises, we'll get back all those things she forced you to write—the guarantees, the IOUs—make sure not a single one is missing, so she can no longer control you."

Li Jianjun looked up at him, his eyes carrying an unmistakable warning: "Remember, don't rush into anything. My plans still need their help. If we alert Lili now, this whole thing will fall apart. Just keep a close eye on her and see who she associates with. Don't interfere with their contact with me. I'll deal with them after I've settled things with Gu Nan. You'll get your share of the benefits then."

Zhang San quickly patted his chest and assured him, clapping his hands loudly, "Brother Li, you can rest assured! Don't you know how we handle things? We're always reliable and quick-witted, we guarantee we won't mess things up for you. If you say go east, we'll never go west."

Li Jianjun nodded, picked up the hot water on the table, and took a couple of sips. The warm water slid down his throat, and the headache he had gotten from drinking alone gradually subsided. He stood up, straightened his wrinkled clothes, and tidied his hair. "Alright, it's about time. I'll take you to meet her now. I'll give you a brief introduction to Lili in a bit. Remember what she looks like. The rest is up to you. Don't lose her, but don't get too close and give yourself away."