Zhong Yi was summoned by Chu Ge via WeChat. Since the masked man he played chess with every day had been beaten, he naturally had to call him.
Chu Ge had become somewhat accustomed to their reluctance to call the police when trouble arose. When people with superpowers were attacked, their first reaction was to seek revenge themselves, not to call the police.
Calling the police might be considered shameful, a return to the old-fashioned,江湖 (jianghu) spirit.
Perhaps it wasn't necessarily a good thing… but Chu Ge still "did as the Romans do" and contacted Zhong Yi first. Anyway, if they needed to call the police, Zhong Yi would, and he could call even more.
If it was about Du Lianfeng, Zhong Yi knew more than anyone else, and Chu Ge himself didn't want to get involved.
But then he saw Zhong Yi standing silently by the old man's bedside for a long time, then sighing softly: "Since gaining superpowers, many people have changed."
Chu Ge looked at him quietly without speaking.
Zhong Yi turned to look at Zhu Mengmeng and Cai Zhijian, then whispered to Chu Ge, "Let their families take care of them first. Shall we go for a walk?"
Chu Ge knew that Zhong Yi had likely figured out the source of the injuries, and might even know who did it. He nodded to Qiu Wuji, who comforted Zhu Mengmeng for a while, and the young couple followed Zhong Yi out the door.
The three strolled along the tree-lined path of the hospital. Zhong Yi stared blankly at the desolate fallen leaves for a long time before sighing, "Why weren't you in a hurry to call the police this time? Lin Wuyang is your classmate, isn't he?"
Chu Ge said, "I feel like none of you like calling the police. Last time, when Panda and Zijun were injured so badly, you didn't even think about calling. So let's see what you think first. After all, it's a matter for the police station."
Zhong Yi was silent for a moment, then shook his head, "There's a reason why this trend has formed. In many cases, calling the police is useless; it only makes things deadlocked and impossible to resolve."
"Why? I've seen it very effectively with Wuyang several times." "Believe it or not, it'll be useless for you to go looking for him this time."
"Why?"
"Because modern medicine can hardly diagnose this kind of injury anymore. You've been looking for so long, and the doctor still hasn't given Old Zhu an analysis of the injury." Zhong Yi slowly said, "If they can't even figure out the injury, other things will be even more difficult... The emergence of superpowers has created countless unsolved cases. The police still can't find out who the assailant is. For someone like Rong Fu, you can go to the police, but what's the use of going to the police for this kind of thing..."
Chu Ge said, "That's still better than searching blindly yourself, right?"
Zhong Yi smiled: "The person I loved passed away, and we still don't know who did it."
Chu Ge and Qiu Wuji's eyes widened simultaneously.
They knew Zhong Yi must have a story, but since they weren't close enough to ask, they didn't expect him to suddenly reveal it.
"So I've maintained a distant relationship with the authorities. If I really joined, I'd have to follow the rules. Some methods might become unusable, and even if I found my enemy, I'd have to follow procedures. What if the evidence is insufficient… I won't accept that." Zhong Yi said calmly, "I'll use my own methods. If I've identified someone, I can do what I should." Chu Ge remained silent.
No wonder he said going to the police would only lead to a stalemate and prevent anything from being done… While he didn't quite agree, he could understand.
Zhong Yi finally got back to the main point: "Regarding Old Zhu, his injury is mental, which has affected his nerves, causing paralysis. Do you believe it or not, the doctor's analysis will be that he had a stroke, and the external injuries were caused by falling from the building during the stroke… If I say that, I'm afraid Zhu Mengmeng will cause a medical dispute." Qiu Wuji: "…"
"But it really has nothing to do with the doctor. Even if experts were to assess it, that would be the result." Zhong Yi smiled: "Similar things aren't just happening to me, nor is it just Old Zhu. Since everyone has power, they tend to do what they can themselves, so their first reaction is…" "Usually, it wouldn't be calling the police." Chu Ge said, "Is this why you said, 'Since the advent of superpowers, many people have changed'?"
"No, I was referring to the perpetrators," Zhong Yi said calmly. "For example, if you had a grudge against someone, there wasn't much you could do before. You'd just hurl a few insults and that was it. At worst, you'd have a fight, but it wouldn't get you anywhere. Now? Your spirit is incredibly strong, reaching the seventh star. Even if you used your concentrated spiritual power to attack someone, that person could be turned into an idiot, and since you hadn't made contact, no one would know it was you… Would you do something like that?" Chu Ge paused, wanting to say no, but swallowed his words.
If he really had a deep-seated hatred for someone, he might actually do it.
Come to think of it, he hadn't considered anything like that before. He'd mostly thought about people like Rong Fu who relied on strength to commit violence. Now he realized that people often resort to underhanded tactics, and those are much harder to deal with. To put it bluntly, Chef Jin making others think that competitors' food is bad is one example, but since they're on the same side, they don't pay much attention...
"Even in the business world..." Zhong Yi continued, "Scheming against others and ruining their business is a common trick, nothing surprising. A slightly more sophisticated method is to use subtle persuasion, and a deal that was originally impossible is closed, or a contract that wouldn't have been profitable is turned into a profit that's normally unattainable. Nobody knows how it happened. Over a few years, your business empire would probably be almost fully established."
Chu Ge: "..."
"So, the Zhang and Wang families' methods are too low-level... Oh, speaking of which, Zhang Xinglong actually has a lot of ideas, it's a pity his son isn't." Zhong Yi smiled: "But overall..." "Speaking of which, the Zhang family's operations are just small fry. You could say that anyone involved in organized crime here is just a small fry... There are big shots in Nanjiang, you just haven't come into contact with them." Chu Ge: "..."
"The examples I gave earlier were all relatively legitimate. But what about the slightly more vicious ones? Like, I want to buy your property at a low price, and you won't sell? What good were sending bullets as threats before? Someone would just stab you in the police station, and you'd be in trouble. Now, I don't need that. I can secretly make you die a mysterious death. Will you sell or not? Or are you too stubborn to sell? Then you can lie there, I'll ask your family." Zhong Yi's expression finally turned cold: "Old Zhu has most likely encountered this kind of situation this time." Chu Ge quickly remembered Zhu Mengmeng's family's purple clay mine, which possessed spiritual energy! They'd probably encountered a lot of covetousness in the past, but without encountering a ruthless person, Old Zhu couldn't sell unless he refused.
But this time, a ruthless person came.
Zhong Yi's judgment was logical. Chu Ge and Qiu Wuji exchanged a glance, both agreeing that this was very likely the correct answer.
"Old Zhu used to be a tough guy, a mine owner, not someone to be trifled with," Zhong Yi sighed. "But then he had a baby, and the child's cuteness touched his heart, softening his tough exterior. He gradually settled down, cultivating his character and indulging in art and elegance, photography, opening a teahouse, becoming more and more refined year by year… And what happened? Kindness is often taken advantage of. If he had his old temper, who knows who would have attacked whom first this time."
Chu Ge also sighed. "How old are you anyway? You look about my age, but you look like a decades-old film reel. You even know this?"
Zhong Yi smiled slightly. "Guess?"
Chu Ge said, "So I guess your ability isn't painlessness at all. I suspect your ability is related to lifespan, that you don't feel pain." "It's not a skill, it's a side effect." Zhong Yi looked up at the sky, and after a long while, he smiled: "No wonder you're their son." Chu Ge asked: "So, do you know who did what happened to Old Zhu this time?" "There are suspects, but it's uncertain." Zhong Yi said: "I'll investigate first. If it's confirmed, would you help me? I think you really just want to live a peaceful life and don't want to cause trouble." Chu Ge smiled: "It's okay. When I'm in trouble, I can be like the Calabash Brothers." Zhong Yi asked curiously: "Old Zhu and you have no relationship, where does this loyalty come from?" Chu Ge squeezed Qiu Wuji's hand: "Mengmeng is Qiu Qiu's friend." Qiu Wuji hadn't said a word until now, and then smiled slightly. Not wanting to cause trouble doesn't mean being afraid of trouble. Sect Master Qiu's sword is in its sheath, almost rusted. Zhong Yi thought strangely for a while, then suddenly laughed: "Really... they're unlucky. I always felt that others weren't the boss, but provoking you guys was the real boss."