Returning to '97, creating a new life

A suspected target has been identified.

I'll investigate you, you self-righteous idiot.

This involves a value of 40,000 yuan.

Xu Kai believed that there was no need to watch anything else; just watching the money Song Jun took out was enough to seal his fate.

Wang Jianshe: "I'll go and take a look along the way."

Yes, what kind of idiot would you expect to be good at planning his escape route?

Seeing Wang Jianshe leave temporarily, Xu Kai looked at Xu Dalong. Both of them knew that Old Wang was unhappy. They were very wary of such dirty deeds. They had found such an idiot outside and caused such a big problem. They should deal with it themselves and not cause even more trouble.

When Wang Jianshe actually found the cotton-padded clothes and the blood-stained switchblade in a trash can along the way from the arcade to the video arcade, Xu Kai was speechless. This Song Jun was definitely missing a screw in his head, uneducated and not very bright, it was terrifying.

Doesn't he know how serious the consequences of his actions are?

A complete legal ignoramus.

Even the most audacious gangsters know to run away and avoid potential trouble after committing a crime. At least they don't underestimate law enforcement officers. You're completely treating these people like idiots.

Wang Jianshe took the clothes and switchblade from the plastic bag. Without saying anything more, Wang Jianshe instructed Yang Yu and Xu Meilan to simply report the facts.

Ma Xin was told to shut up and go back to work.

Currently, only Wang Jianshe, Xu Dalong, and Xu Kai know about the so-called "suspected" clues he mentioned.

Xu Dalong smoked many cigarettes in the car. After a long while, his eyes hardened and he said, "Alright, let's leave it at that for now. The money will be deducted from my share of the profits later."

Xu Kai felt no sympathy for Xu Dalong at all; he had even sensed that the other party wanted to take him along to solve the problem.

Think beautifully.

Back then, Xu Kai thought Song Jun wasn't a good partner, so he withdrew after receiving the full withdrawal fee, and even took Xu Dalong with him to enjoy a life of luxury. But Xu Kai was greedy and went back to Song Jun to make a penny more. Now that he's in a similar situation, no one pities him, and no one will stand with him.

If you withdraw early, even if something happens afterward, even if Song Jun ends up making baseless accusations, everyone will still stand with you and help you deal with the problems.

Now, you've caused so much trouble, messing with him and still not solving the problem, you've created such a huge landmine.

Money is a small matter. What if this idiot does something stupid again?

When I got home, I called Yunshang. She had already gone home, and I let her know that nothing serious had happened, which put her mind at ease.

Soaking his feet by the stove in the kitchen, feeling the warmth of the fire, Xu Kai thought it over carefully and couldn't help but sigh that Wang Jianshe, an old hand, was experienced and reliable in handling things.

I know everything, but I say nothing. I'm giving Xu Dalong the choice.

If we proceed through the proper channels, arrest him and handle the matter accordingly, recover the money, and Xu Dalong, you need to address any potential threats from Song Jun in a relatively open environment; if we don't arrest him, you can decide for yourself. The matter can be big or small, but we can't let everyone share the losses with you.

One should never stop learning. With Xu Kai's current mental state, he has the drive and the attitude to reflect and learn, and he is not young and arrogant.

He thought that Xu Dalong's long hours of smoking while thinking might be a way of waiting for him to act impulsively in his youth. Once he got involved, Xu Dalong would definitely cooperate with him without hesitation, and then something that originally had nothing to do with him would suddenly become something he could control.

They're all ancient foxes, none of them are simple.

Yun Sheng called, agreeing with Xu Kai's continued silence and stating that it was the best choice. Xu Kai knew that Yun Sheng's call was related to Yun Shang; otherwise, Yun Sheng wouldn't have said much about him, a grassroots partner. They would have considered all aspects and continued if it was suitable. If he couldn't keep up with Yun Sheng's way of thinking, like when he abandoned Song Jun, Yun Sheng wouldn't have continued the partnership, to avoid a future situation where a foolish partner would harm everyone.

This matter has been shelved. There are relevant people responsible for investigating it, but given the current lack of technological means at this stage of investigation, there are no clues, so it can only be shelved in the end.

Song Jun was in a car accident. The driver fled the scene, and there are no clues.

After being knocked down, his legs were crushed, and his shinbones below the knees were shattered, making it almost certain that he will never be able to stand up again.

Any family experiencing something like this before the New Year would be devastated.

He didn't use the money he robbed to pay off his debts; instead, he gambled away most of it. Faced with exorbitant medical bills, and when Song Jun's family was forced to sell the video arcade, Xu Dalong visited Song Jun at the hospital and offered to help, securing a good price for the sale.

After paying medical bills and repaying some loans from friends, the remaining debts to relatives fell to the parents. What could they say to their son, who was destined to spend his future in a wheelchair? They were just an ordinary working-class family. Fortunately, the money from selling the video arcade eased their debt burden, preventing them from having to sell their house.

At home, the parents' backs won't be completely bent from the weight.

Aside from a lukewarm thank you to Xu Dalong, Song Jun spent the entire New Year in the hospital. He suddenly fell into a state of utter despair, and when he couldn't sleep at night, he would sigh and say, "This is fate, the punishment God gives me for doing wrong."

He wanted to shout that he wouldn't go back to the video arcade, so that even if he were in a wheelchair in the future, he would have a way to make a living. Faced with medical expenses and debts, faced with his parents' savings that he had already emptied, what could he say?

The video arcade made money, and with it came pagers, leather jackets, and a much more upscale lifestyle.

Whose fault is it?

He secretly ran an illegal video arcade, hiding it from his partners. When he was arrested, he didn't even have the face to ask his partners for help and could only silently bear the consequences, losing a lot of money.

I just made some money again, but my partner wants to withdraw from the video arcade. I borrowed all my parents' money and sold the video arcade at a high price.

He thought that from then on, a life of wealth and luxury would beckon him again, and all the money he earned would be his. He indulged in eating and drinking and enjoying life, only to be caught in another inspection and fined.

After all the calculations, I realized that this supposedly lucrative business hadn't actually made me any money except for the things I spent on myself. In fact, it had drained my parents' savings. My mindset was off, and with the help of friends, I started betting big at the card table. Winning a few times in a row felt even better than doing business.

He lost, lost so much that he couldn't borrow any more money. He wanted to take a risk, but despite his seemingly tough life, he ultimately dared not step into unfamiliar territory. He could only target his former partner Xu Kai, who had been kind to him, and steal his profits.

Pay off debts?

My initial thought was to pay back the money as soon as I had it.

When things were still unresolved and he hadn't found himself, the relief he felt made him realize that getting money could be so simple.

Let's try one more time.

………………

"This guy is quite a formidable character."

The twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.

Yun Sheng treated Xu Kai to dinner. Everything at the arcade, from New Year's goods and bonuses to shift schedules, was arranged. In order to keep everyone working during the New Year, they even offered triple wages.

Everything was arranged. Yun Sheng had made money in the past six months and opened a new seafood restaurant. He treated Xu Kai to a high-class seafood feast.

Yunshang peeled crab meat for Xu Kai, and Yun Sheng also had a new female companion. Compared to Zheng Wenwen before, this one was very quiet and spoke very little. She silently peeled shrimp for Yun Sheng, and when it came time to raise a glass, she would also pick up her own juice with a smile on her face, a smile that did not show her teeth and she did not say anything.

In front of her, Yun Sheng didn't hide anything, but he also kept his words within limits. Xu Kai understood and kept some topics to himself.

The two were in the same state as they were at the Little Boy Restaurant two Christmases ago: you know what I'm saying, I know what you want.

This refers to Xu Dalong.

He's a ruthless character; no one would believe that what happened to Song Jun had nothing to do with him.

"He's just showing off his muscles; he's realized Old Wang isn't happy about it."

With outsiders present, calling him "Old Wang" is quite appropriate.

Xu Dalong handled things brilliantly. Yun Sheng and Xu Kai put themselves in his shoes and realized that while he was ruthless and there was some potential danger, at least there wouldn't be a fool who could potentially sabotage them at any time.

Song Jun should thank Xu Dalong. From now on, he will be supported by his parents. The previous cooperation with Xu Dalong will naturally become a thing of the past. The fact that Xu Dalong visited him in the hospital, left a thousand yuan as a gift, and even helped to get a high price for the video arcade is comparable to Xu Kai's perfect exit when he parted ways with Song Jun.

Xu Kai was once a marginal partner among the four. If there were a risk assessment score for being kicked out, he would definitely get the highest score.

As the arcade becomes increasingly profitable, the unequal status and power of Xu Dalong cause his score to gradually approach that of Xu Kai. What makes him uneasy is that Xu Kai has another identity—the increasingly likely son-in-law of the Yun family.

Once it's confirmed, I'll undoubtedly be the most marginalized of those four people.

After Song Jun's incident, Wang Jianshe said nothing, yet he said everything. Xu Dalong had no choice but to demonstrate his ability and ruthlessness to get things done, gaining recognition while also flexing his muscles. "I can do it. I didn't join you just because of my clothes. My abilities aren't limited to protecting the arcade."

Xu Kai went all out today, drinking a bottle of Moutai with Yun Sheng, and then three bottles of beer each. Both of them have a good tolerance for alcohol. They then went to the "Emperor" Performing Arts Plaza, opened a bottle of Chivas Regal, and drank it directly with ice without mixing it with Coke or Sprite.

"He's emotionally exhausted, I'll keep him company and help him relax." Worried about Xu Kai, Yunshang quietly pulled her brother away, and Yun Sheng explained the situation to her.

Making money together as a partnership is not that simple.

The "Ke Zai Lai" roast lamb restaurant is already exhausting with all the welcoming and farewells and dealing with people. Now that something has happened at the arcade, Xu Kai is even more tired. Yun Sheng understands this and the more he understands, the higher his opinion of Xu Kai becomes.

At his age, to be able to remain calm in the face of prolonged high pressure and occasional outbursts, and only indulge a little at appropriate times, is quite remarkable. Yun Sheng asked himself if he could do it, but he wasn't sure.

I can analyze things, but if something really happens, can I really handle it?

Xu Kai placed his hand on the back of Yunshang's hand and patted it gently. Despite her flushed cheeks and strong smell of alcohol, he reassured Yunshang that he was fine and could control himself before he got too drunk.

"what!"