Chapter 9: Repression Under the Shadow

  The entire street was deserted, like a no-man's land, with no pedestrians in sight. The flashing police lights were particularly eye-catching. Wang Jingyi was standing at the entrance of the bar waiting for herself.

  A group of scantily clad people huddled in a corner of the bar while busy police nearby searched for more evidence.

  The thing I was worried about on the road still happened. When I called Lezi, he didn't answer, and I thought he had already arrived here, but unexpectedly, there was no sign of him here at all.

  Yang Mu was just an ordinary citizen who had no ability to stop the bar from being sealed, all he could do was comfort Wang Jingyi and tell her not to worry.

  Things came too suddenly, so Yang Mu didn't even have a chance to talk to Bang Bang, and from start to finish, he didn't see Le Zi at all. Yang Mu's mood was terrible to the extreme.

  Holding onto the last shred of hope, I gave Jin Yang a call and didn't hear any news about Le Zi. Naturally, Yang Mu also didn't mention anything about the bar.

  Went with Wang Jieyi to the police station to ask about the situation, and the answer was to go back and wait for the court summons, because Lezi's behavior had already constituted a violation of the law.

  Yang Mu was almost out of his mind arguing with them, isn't it just a special business method? Compared to some places that are even worse, how can this be illegal? Now there are several entertainment venues that don't do this, why pick on Bao Bao and not let go.

  Yang Mu was finally "invited" out by several police officers, but Yang Mu still tried his best to comfort Wang Jieyi, after all, he was a man and couldn't let his brother's woman suffer.

  Although it was already dawn, Yang Mu hesitated for a moment and still made a phone call to Banger's father, carefully informing him of the situation.

  In his impression, Bàngbàng's father was a calm person, but unexpectedly he remained silent for a long time after hearing the news and finally asked Yangmu if it was true or not.

  In the past few years, his business was not doing well. Every time he saw the three Yang brothers, he still had a smile on his face. Now that his business is also considered to be among the best in the local area, but for the sake of his son, he has become so flustered and at a loss.

  "Uncle, don't worry too much, I'll think of a way."

  Originally wanted to say will and Lezi together think of a way, but ultimately did not mention Lezi's name.

  Yang Mu couldn't understand why Lezi had been avoiding this matter all along. Since graduation, Yang Mu had gradually felt the changes in him, but he always believed that their brotherly affection would never change.

  The next day, he arrived early at the police station door and waited for Lezi's arrival. In the end, he didn't wait for Lezi but instead waited for Jinyang.

  After following Jin Yang in, she naturally knew what had happened last night. Because Yang Mu made a big fuss here last night, the people here also ignored Yang Mu.

  Yang Mu gritted his teeth and went outside to buy two packs of good cigarettes, which he handed out one by one as a gift to apologize, saying that he was a friend of Lezi and Jinyang, and that last night he had unknowingly ruined the harmony of his own family.

  Originally there was no deep hatred, plus Yangmu's thick skin naturally quickly got along with them, at this time Jinyang also came out of the director's office.

  "How is it?"

  "There's trouble because last night was a special operation personally commanded by the relevant municipal leaders. But Lezi should be unaware of it, the director said he had been executing tasks outside all day yesterday and hasn't returned yet."

  "Thanks, sis. I'll thank you properly after I get the stick out."

  "What's going on? Am I not your friend?"

  Yangmu could only smile slightly, hoping that Lezi really didn't know anything about this matter as she said.

  Driving that great Chevrolet to the airport to pick up his dusty and tired father, Yang Mu really felt a little heartache seeing his anxious look.

  These elderly parents have really paid too much for their children. Their children's affairs are always the most important and urgent things to them.

  It's hard for a strong dragon to suppress a local snake, let alone this is a very large place, so even Bao Bao's father doesn't know anyone here.

  Perhaps it was Bàngbàng's father who told Lèzi he had arrived, and finally Lèzi showed up. Of course, this time it was still Bàngbàng's father treating a large group of younger people to dinner, but his own son was not among them.

  Le Zi came with Jin Yang, and from Le Zi's evasive eyes, Yang Mu also guessed that things were not as Jin Yang had said, nor did he know why he had come here tonight.

  Is it to thank his father for his meticulous care during college, or to acknowledge the fact and end this brotherly affection that has lasted for several years.

  Jin Yang is a hot scene queen, although she has never seen Bao Bao's father, but still managed to coax the old man into slightly relaxing his eyebrows.

  Everyone sitting here has their own thoughts, and there is no longer the warm and harmonious atmosphere that used to be on the scene.

  The old man still didn't know what was going on, and although his own son was now in danger, he was still concerned about the well-being of Yang Mu and Le Zi.

  Yang Mu couldn't bear the care that was like fatherly love, so he called Le Zi to go outside and smoke a cigarette together. Le Zi looked at Jin Yang, nodded, and followed Yang Mu out.

  Each of them lit a cigarette, and Yang Mu waited for him to speak up, which could also show his slightest apology, but he never spoke.

  "Do you still remember how you learned to smoke?"

  Yang Mu looked at Lezi who was surrounded by smoke and asked, Lezi took a few more puffs of the cigarette that he was about to throw away and smiled as he said:

  "You've been influenced by you and Bàng Bàng two chain smokers for a long time, so naturally you've learned it."

  "Do you still like the brand Hongjiao now?"

  "It's not that I don't like it."

  "Where were you last night?"

  "Why didn't you just ask me directly if I knew what happened last night?"

  I still held onto a glimmer of hope.

  Lèzi coldly laughed a few times, then indifferently said to Yangmu:

  "Do you still have a glimmer of hope for me? Yang Mu. Then why did you tell Uncle about this, do you think I won't take care of it?"

  Yang Mu did not respond, but he indeed thought so. This may be the first manifestation of distrust between the two brothers in all these years.

  "If this had happened a few years ago, would you still have thought of me in this way?"

  Le Zi looked at Yang Mu waiting for his answer, and after a long time, Yang Mu finally said two words: "Won't happen."

  Le Zi let out a mournful laugh, seemingly directed at himself as well as Yang Mu.

  "So it's not anyone's fault, but rather that people need to learn how to grow up, and growing up requires paying a price."

  "Don't you think this price is a bit high?"

  Yang Mu still confidently believes that brotherly love should come before career, so he still hopes that Lezi will have a hint of remorse.

  "This is my job, if I told him in advance, my future would be ruined."

  "You're so great now that you've ruined it. Don't you know how much Bao Bao sacrificed to open this bar in the first place?"

  "Of course I know, but I also need to have my own life. All these years, I've been living in your shadow, and it's suffocating, suffocating, you know?"

  Yang Mu was stunned, Lezi's words were like a sharp knife piercing his heart. He had never thought that his brotherly relationship with Bao Bao would become his shadow, had he been self-righteous all along?

  "Of course I remember your kindness, so this time I won't ignore it, no matter how you look at me."

  Le Zi went in, leaving Yang Mu standing alone on the street, Le Zi's words "oppression" kept echoing in his ears, and he couldn't shake them off for a long time.

  This meal was very effective, at least for Lao Yezi and Wang Jingyi, Yang Mu had already seen the joy on their foreheads.

  This is probably what Lezi said he wouldn't ignore, and when he returned home, Dong Yurou was already asleep. Yangmu carefully cleaned up and lay on the bed to make a phone call to his family.

  In their conversation, Dad and the eldest brother always have too many worries about themselves, especially the eldest brother who keeps asking if they have a partner, and if not, it's better to introduce one to Yang Mu.

  To reassure them, Yang Mu had to lie that he was currently dating someone and told them not to worry. After Yang Mu assured them several times that he wasn't deceiving them, they suggested that they would come visit him sometime.

  This night was particularly intoxicating, Yang Mu wanted to sleep without thinking about anything, but the people in life always floated in his mind, Jiajia, Lezi and Bangbang, as well as Dan Ya who was far away across the ocean.