Finally, Luo Zhengsheng’s voice trailed off, ending in a heavy sigh. "Ah, Son-in-law... I don’t have much time left. I know the state of these old bones better than anyone."
He lifted his head to look at Lu Yun. "Son-in-law... I must swallow my pride and ask you this one last time."
"I hope that for my sake, an old man, and for Qinghe’s sake, you’ll watch over Yuanli and Yanyan for me. And... and my... that..."
It was as if Luo Zhengsheng’s throat had closed up. Shame was written all over his face; in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to say the name.
Lu Yun, of course, knew who he meant. Who else could it be but Luojin?
"Rest assured, Father-in-law. I know what to do."
Luo Yuanli and Luo Yanyan were Luojin’s children, and Luo Zhengsheng’s last attachments in this world.
’As for Luojin himself... I already have a plan. I can ensure he lives out the rest of his days without worrying about food or clothing.’
For the Lu Family today, supporting Luojin’s branch of the family—all three of them—was nothing.
Even if ten or twenty times that many relatives needed their care, it would be a trivial matter, a mere drop in the bucket.
Upon hearing Lu Yun’s promise, the tension in Luo Zhengsheng’s body suddenly vanished, replaced by a profound sense of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
His eyes welled with tears and his lips trembled. Finally, he just gave a heavy nod.
"Good... Good!"
The next moment, the frantic and piercing cries of a woman echoed from outside the hall, rapidly growing closer.
"Father-in-law!!! Oh, Father-in-law!!!"
A woman in her fifties, dressed in a plain, gray-cloth dress with disheveled, gray-streaked hair, burst in, wailing inconsolably.
Her face was streaked with tears, her expression a mask of desperate grief and indignation. It was Luojin’s mother, Luo Zhengsheng’s eldest daughter-in-law.
"My Luojin... My dear boy! He... someone brutally broke both of his legs! The bones are shattered! The doctor said he can’t be healed!"
"He’s the eldest grandson of the Luo Family, for heaven’s sake! That person... how could he be so vicious?"
"And no matter what, he’s still a son-in-law of the Luo Family, he’s Luojin’s uncle! Does he have any shred of familial decency left in his heart?"
As she cried, she suddenly glanced to the side and saw Lu Yun, sitting silently in a chair with a completely blank expression.
In that instant, her wailing ceased, her expression freezing. It was replaced by a bone-deep terror and alarm.
She was a woman of the old school, born and raised before the fall of the Yin Dynasty. Pedantic ideas about social hierarchy and the divide between official and commoner were ingrained in her very bones.
According to the deep-rooted beliefs of her generation, Lu Yun was not merely a relative; he was an esteemed official of the former dynasty, a great personage one had to kneel and kowtow to, a man in whose presence one dared not even lift one’s head!
At home, she could cry and complain to her father-in-law. But with this "Lord Official" of a son-in-law sitting right before her, all her courage evaporated in an instant, leaving only instinctual dread.
"Get out!!!"
Luo Zhengsheng, trembling with rage, used the last of his strength to roar at his daughter-in-law.
"Yes... Yes... SOB... SOB..."
The woman, scared out of her wits, didn’t dare utter another word and fled the hall, practically tumbling over herself.
Watching his daughter-in-law’s miserable retreat, Luo Zhengsheng slumped back into his chair in defeat.
"My apologies for that display, Son-in-law. Ah, it’s all my fault. The fault of this useless old man."
"It’s all because I refused to listen to your advice back then. I just kept indulging him, and that’s how I raised such an unworthy son, bringing unrest to our family. I have failed Qinghe, and I have failed you..."
Listening to the old man’s guilt-ridden self-blame, Lu Yun slowly rose to his feet and adjusted his collar.
"It is nothing. It’s getting late, Father-in-law. You should get some rest and take care of your health. I must be going."
"Yes... yes... of course." Luo Zhengsheng struggled, trying to stand and see his guest out.
"There’s no need, Father-in-law. Please, stay." Lu Yun gestured with his hand, stopping the old man’s movement.
Luo Zhengsheng watched his son-in-law’s back disappear through the doorway. He glanced around the empty, dilapidated hall and finally, slowly, closed his eyes.
The Longyuan Bay Pier at night was a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of the day.
Having been temporarily taken over by the Security Bureau under the pretext of "securing the scene and investigating the case," the Lu Family Pier’s workers, foremen, and security staff who normally worked here had all been ordered to leave.
Inside the pier district, besides a few lone streetlights casting dim, yellow halos over the empty freight yards and berths, the only people left were a handful of stern-faced Security Bureau officers in black uniforms, standing guard at key positions with rifles slung over their shoulders.
However, the scene on a nearby street, not far from the pier, was completely different.
It was now close to eleven o’clock at night, the time when the nightlife was just reaching its crescendo.
Neon lights from Western-style dance halls flickered on both sides of the street. Faint jazz music drifted through the air, and all manner of people milled about the entrances.
Rickshaw pullers squatted in corners, waiting for fares; gangsters loitered in twos and threes, collecting protection money and maintaining "order"; and gaudily dressed, heavily made-up taxi dancers came and went, escorted by their companions...
Just then, an all-black Ford sedan cut through the bustling, noisy street, heading straight for the closed entrance to the Longyuan Bay Pier.
The entrance was brightly lit, flanked by six Security Bureau officers in crisp black uniforms. They stood at attention, fully armed, their eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.
The black sedan slowed to a stop before the closed iron-bar gate, its headlights illuminating the blank face of the armed guard in front.
Strangely, however, the guards merely glanced at the model of the car, showing no intention of stepping forward to question or stop it.
Yan Lintong, sitting in the passenger seat, casually leaned the top half of his body out the window and nodded to the head guard on duty.
The head guard gave a nearly imperceptible nod in return. A moment later, two guards silently pulled the heavy iron-bar gate open, leaving just enough room for the car to pass.
The black sedan drove through without a moment’s hesitation. The reason it could pass so smoothly, as if through an unguarded area, was not without cause.
Zhou Shi’an, the Vice Commander-in-Chief of the Security Bureau overseeing the Longyuan Bay Pier district in Yun Port City, shared a deep, personal connection with Lu Yun.
Years ago, when Zhou Shi’an was just a lowly patrol captain, Lu Yun had saved his life.
As Zhou Shi’an rose through the ranks, he never forgot the life-saving debt he owed Lu Yun.
Though they had few public dealings, their private relationship was exceptionally strong.
So when trouble broke out at the Longyuan Bay Pier, one phone call from Lu Yun was all it took. Zhou Shi’an immediately understood the situation and made the necessary arrangements behind the scenes.
The guards on duty tonight were all Zhou Shi’an’s trusted men, so naturally, they wouldn’t obstruct Lord Lu’s car.
The car drove through the empty pier district for some time before finally pulling to a stop near the impounded freighter.
Bright searchlights lit up the ship’s hull, and figures could be seen moving about on deck.
Yan Lintong quickly got out, circled around to the back of the car, and respectfully pulled open the rear door.
Leaning on his Rosewood Walking Stick, Lu Yun slowly stepped out of the car. He glanced at the brightly lit freighter and instructed Yan Lintong, "Lintong, you stay here and keep watch. I’m... going aboard to have a look myself."
"Yes, Master."
Meanwhile, back at the pier entrance, the Security Bureau officers—both at the gate and those patrolling the freight yard and berths—each received a thin envelope.
The man distributing the envelopes was the very same head guard who had opened the gate for Yan Lintong.
He moved impassively from one guard to the next, whispering a few words before pressing an envelope into their hand.
"Hey, hey, keep it quiet. We’re getting paid. This is your cut."
The guards who took the envelopes broke into knowing smiles.
They quickly tucked the envelopes into the inside pockets of their uniforms, then replied in a chorus of hushed voices.
"Thanks, Captain Zheng!"
"You’re a real one, Captain Zheng!"
"Don’t you worry, we know the score!"
As low-level guards, their monthly salary was only two or three silver dollars, barely enough to feed their families.
In a place like Yun Port City, with its skyrocketing prices and flood of foreign goods, life was a constant struggle.
Who would be stupid enough to offend an incredibly powerful and well-connected man like Lord Lu for the sake of some empty slogan like "loyalty to one’s post"?
Especially not to die for that bunch of bastards from the Antiquities Division, a crew of arrogant pricks who never cut them in on any of the spoils!
These days, in a snake pit like the Security Bureau, any colleague who was genuinely "by-the-book" and "incorruptible" had either offended the wrong person and was now pushing up daisies...
...or they’d been so battered by open attacks and hidden schemes that their careers were ruined.
Who among those that managed to survive in a place as lucrative and politically complex as the pier district wasn’t a master of the game?
They all knew when to turn a blind eye and when to be a little "flexible."
"Good. Stay sharp, all of you."
Captain Zheng nodded in satisfaction. "Remember, tonight we’re just on a routine patrol. We saw nothing, and we know nothing."
"Lord Lu is just here to ’check on’ his own impounded ship, which is perfectly reasonable. This... is only the first half. After the shift change, once you’re off duty, you can pick up the rest at the usual spot!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Don’t worry, Captain Zheng!"
The men answered in a hushed chorus, their voices thick with suppressed excitement. This little bonus was worth several months—maybe even half a year—of their regular salary.
’Who the hell would be stupid enough to refuse? That’s not just turning down money; that’s making an enemy of all of us!’

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