章節 79: Chapter 79：The Final Deception
Guo Xiaopeng opened the bottle and poured wine for Chen Ran.
Chen Ran quickly declined, "Chairman, you know I don't drink." Guo Xiaopeng ignored him and filled the glass, instructing, "Get some ice from the kitchen."
Chen Ran stood up and left. Guo Xiaopeng quickly poured the blue concoction he had prepared into Chen Ran's glass. When Chen Ran returned with the ice, Guo Xiaopeng put the cubes in both glasses and raised his cup, "Cheers!"
Chen Ran tried to refuse again, "Chairman, I really can't drink."
Guo Xiaopeng showed him his empty cup, saying somberly, "This might be our last drink together."
Chen Ran had no choice but to pick up his glass and, with great difficulty, drank the wine.
Guo Xiaopeng began to wax poetic, "Huang Tingjian of the Northern Song Dynasty wrote, 'A cup of wine in the spring breeze of the willows, ten years of lamps in the night rain on the rivers and lakes.' How fitting for this moment."
Chen Ran, not fully understanding, still tried to be agreeable, "Chairman, you are truly learned." Guo Xiaopeng poured more wine for him. "Recently, a great writer dreamed of a beautiful phrase, 'ten years of lamps in the night rain on the rivers and lakes,' and wrote an article that was ridiculed."
Chen Ran, now visibly drowsy, still tried to speak, "Chinese poetry is vast. It's easy to misquote."
Guo Xiaopeng watched Chen Ran's face change and said, "But he should think: whether daydreaming or night dreaming, he couldn't come up with such a perfect phrase!" Chen Ran's speech slowed, "If... he thought that way, he... wouldn't have been embarrassed..."
Guo Xiaopeng raised his glass again, "From now on, I will wander the world..."
Before he finished, Chen Ran collapsed onto the table.
Guo Xiaopeng's face turned cold. He looked at his watch and muttered, "Chemistry is the most precise science. Ten minutes means ten minutes." He drained his glass with a flourish, "Who could come up with such a brilliant plan?"
He quickly dragged the unconscious Chen Ran to his room, placed his own ID card and the savings book he had given Chen Ran in the bathtub, and filled it with water. He then hurried back to the living room, threw his jade keychain on the sofa, and carried a gasoline can from the balcony, dousing the floor and Chen Ran's body.
Before leaving, he lit a candle, his face appearing grotesque and terrifying in its light. This was his first time killing someone. If he weren't driven to desperation, he wouldn't have done it. He always believed his sharp mind could outwit any situation. After locking the door, he took a taxi to the airport. Holding Feng Yang's ID, he passed through security and entered the terminal. Looking at his watch, he calculated that the fire trucks should be extinguishing the fire by now. He sat in the waiting area and watched the news: "A fire broke out in Gulang West residential area today, currently under rescue, casualties unknown..."
Two hours later, he exited Kunming Airport.
Compared to the high-end business suite in Haizhou Tower, Lu Xiaofei's current dormitory was much simpler. With Guo Xiaopeng still at large, Zhang Xiaohua arranged for her to stay in the single dormitory at the Public Security Bureau for safety and convenience.
Lu Xiaofei was browsing the internet, with news about G playing on her computer. The phone rang. It was Li Xinjian, inviting her to dinner. Lu Xiaofei politely declined, "Xinjian, I'm really busy."
Li Xinjian pleaded, "Just for a little while."
Lu Xiaofei's tone was gentle but firm, "Another time, okay?"
"Alright then," Li Xinjian sounded disappointed.
Lu Xiaofei put down the phone and resumed working on the computer, but she couldn't focus. That night, she couldn't sleep.
Early the next morning, after a quick wash and a glass of warm milk, Lu Xiaofei went to the Criminal Police Unit office. When Li Xinjian arrived, she noticed he hadn't slept well either, with red eyes. They sat in silence until Li Xinjian couldn't hold back, "Xiaofei, should we talk openly..."
Lu Xiaofei, knowing what he wanted to say, interrupted, "Have you confirmed the letters and calls from Xiamen?" Seeing she was unwilling to discuss personal matters, Li Xinjian relented, "Xiamen Public Security drew a one-kilometer radius around the post office and phone booth, conducting a detailed search with Guo Xiaopeng as the main suspect." He handed her several forms, "These are the suspicious individuals."
Lu Xiaofei examined the forms. The phone rang.
Li Xinjian answered, suddenly gripping the receiver tightly, "What? Repeat that!" The voice on the other end was clear, "Guo Xiaopeng has committed suicide."
Lu Xiaofei also heard and stood up abruptly. Li Xinjian murmured a few affirmations and slowly put down the phone. Their expressions mirrored each other: not quite happy, not quite sad, but filled with regret.
Li Xinjian slumped into his chair, shaking his head, "A bit sudden, isn't it?"
Lu Xiaofei didn't answer, "Let's wait for the data from Xiamen."
The mountain road wound like a silver ribbon around the peaks. Birds chirped and flitted through the dense forest.
Guo Xiaopeng leaned against the bus window, gazing at the rare rural scenery. He thought about the news headlines: "Drug Lord Guo Xiaopeng Dies in Fire in Xiamen." He imagined Lu Xiaofei's reaction: surprise, confusion, maybe some regret mixed with nostalgia.
He chuckled to himself. Life's unpredictability might be divine design, making him fall for his nemesis. This deep-seated pain would always be with him. "Where there's life, there's hope," the old saying resonated deeply with him now. As long as he survived this dangerous period, he could rise again. He was still confident.
The bus stopped. Guo Xiaopeng grabbed his bag and got off. A new destination awaited him...
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