Chapter 578: Smile

Wang Jincheng?

Hearing these three words, Li Qingshan was shocked and subconsciously turned to look at Chen Ling.

"What business do you have with our sir?" Kong Baosheng at the door asked cautiously. "Our sir is a good person, and the opera house is a legal business... Oh, except for these two door gods, they aren't legal."

Wang Jincheng’s gaze fell on the two fierce-looking "door gods," who shuddered and quickly looked away.

"Baosheng, please invite Chief Wang in." Chen Ling’s voice came from inside the opera house. "You go ahead and buy the groceries, don't worry about things here... By the way, Brother Li, you go with him, just pick whatever you want to eat."

"Okay."

Li Qingshan understood that Chen Ling wanted to talk to Wang Jincheng alone, so he walked straight to the door, took Kong Baosheng, and headed toward the vegetable market, not forgetting to leave Wang Jincheng a polite smile before leaving.

Wang Jincheng naturally didn't stop them, and after letting the two leave, he walked slowly into the opera house.

"This opera house of yours is a bit too dilapidated."

"I'm short on funds, there's nothing I can do about it." Chen Ling smiled slightly and poured a cup of hot tea for Wang Jincheng, placing it at one end of the square table.

Wang Jincheng didn't stand on ceremony and sat down at the table.

"Are those two at the door the ones you said Li Ruohong sent?"

"That's right." Chen Ling sighed deeply, looking on the verge of tears.

"I come from a poor background, from a remote town outside the main city. By chance, I was appreciated by the Huang Consortium and had the opportunity to enter the main city. To carve out a place for myself here, I spent all my family’s savings to barely buy this small building. Who knew that before I could even open for business, that bully Li Ruohong would come looking for me...

When he couldn't force me to sell the opera house, he sent people to guard the door, not letting a single customer in. During this time, the opera house hasn't had any business at all... I really had no other choice, so I dared to ask you in person to uphold justice.

If you don't believe me, you can just ask those two bullies at the door."

Chen Ling, in his red robes, sat lonely in the corner of the square table, his expression desolate and mournful, staring blankly at the door, as if he would shatter at any moment.

Seeing this, Wang Jincheng sighed slightly in his heart.

When investigating the dance hall earlier, they had noticed this new opera house, and he had specifically sent people to check the records. He had understood Chen Ling’s background before coming, and what he said was consistent with what other officers had secretly observed over the past few days... This new owner of Jinghong, Lin Yan, was indeed ill-fated.

"I promised you before that I would give you an answer."

Wang Jincheng took a red cloth wrapped tightly from his pocket and placed it on the table.

"This is..." Chen Ling’s eyes were full of confusion.

"These are the body fragments of [Heart 6] Chen Ling." Wang Jincheng paused. "The Li Ruohong you saw was actually him."

Chen Ling blinked. "What do you mean?"

"[Heart 6] Chen Ling is a Twilight Society member who is extremely skilled at disguise and infiltration. The arrogant and domineering Li Ruohong you saw during this time was actually his 'performance'... Before, at the birthday banquet, when you came to find me, he was sitting right next to me. I had already been held hostage by him at that time." Wang Jincheng smiled helplessly.

"Now you know why I told you to leave first, right?"

Chen Ling suddenly realized: "So that's it... I was wondering why things felt so strange at the time, so he was right there... So the explosion at the venue later was also his doing??"

"That's right, it was all planned by him."

"This Chen Ling is truly insidious and vicious..."

Chen Ling pointed to the red cloth on the table. "Then this is..."

"Our long-term layout against the Twilight Society has finally paid off." Wang Jincheng said slowly. "[Heart 6] Chen Ling, as well as [Spades 6] and [Heart 9], have all been killed, and the Great World Dance Hall, which served as the Twilight Society’s stronghold, will be permanently sealed...

From now on, no one will come to interfere with your opera house again."

Chen Ling stared blankly at Wang Jincheng, stunned, and the entire opera house fell into silence.

After a long silence, Chen Ling pursed his lips and stood up, bowing deeply to Wang Jincheng. His vermilion sleeves almost touched the ground, and his voice trembled slightly:

"Thank you, Chief, for upholding justice for Jinghong House... Lin Yan will forever keep this kindness in his heart."

Wang Jincheng waved his hand. "Heart 6 deserved to die, and dealing with the Great World Dance Hall was a necessary procedure. No need to thank me. I came today to tell you, and to fulfill the promise I made at the birthday banquet."

After saying this, Wang Jincheng stood up, drank the tea in his cup in one gulp, and walked straight out of the opera house.

Wang Jincheng stepped over the threshold of the opera house and, seeing the two "door gods" still standing outside in a daze, frowned and glanced at them coldly.

The next moment, the two "door gods" felt a chill down their necks, as if they were being stared at by some terrifying beast, and cold sweat couldn't stop seeping from their backs...

They looked at each other with pale faces and, without hesitation, turned and ran wildly into the distance, feeling that if they ran any slower, their heads would be punched off!

Wang Jincheng watched their retreating figures, withdrew his gaze unhurriedly, and a faint smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

Although he was exhausted today, Wang Jincheng was in a very good mood. He decided to take his subordinates to a small tavern after work to have a good time, which could be considered a celebration for killing [Heart 6].

"No need to see me off. You perform well... Next time I have time, I'll come to listen to your opera."

Wang Jincheng brushed the dust off his clothes, lifted his chin, said this to Chen Ling inside the house without looking back, and then walked straight toward the end of the road.

Chen Ling’s voice followed immediately from inside Jinghong House:

"Jinghong House is always at your service, Chief."

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

I don't know how much time passed, but Wang Jincheng’s figure completely disappeared into the misty rain.

In the empty and ancient Jinghong House, only the red-clad figure remained sitting alone at the table, one hand supporting his head, his eyes curved into a playful arc.

Mist floated up from the road outside the threshold, and the world was so quiet that it seemed only the sound of raindrops hitting the eaves remained.

In this haze,

The Great World Dance Hall across the street was completely sealed off, with no one asking after it;

Around the casino on the other side, those figures who used to squat there all day were no longer seen, and even the mysterious gaze above the clouds didn't know where it had gone;

Someone’s body was buried in the yellow soil with grievances, unable to close their eyes even in death;

Someone walked toward the entertainment city full of joy, drinking until they were drunk;

Birds flew in from all directions, circling under the eaves of Jinghong House, intending to build their nests here, as if this were already the safest place in the entire Mortal Main City.

Beside the square table with lukewarm tea, the red-clad figure played with the "Heart 6 body parts" wrapped in red cloth. After holding it in for who knows how long, he finally let out a soft sneer.

The opera house was empty, and his light laughter echoed under the eaves. He casually took a sticky note script from his pocket, tore it into pieces in a few movements, and let them scatter in the breeze...

"They all believed it..."

"Hahaha!!"

"They all believed it, they all believed it!! Hahahahahahahaha!!!"

Pairs of dark red pupils opened silently in the void, their eyes filled with mockery and playfulness. Surrounded by them, the red-clad actor’s laughter became more wanton and more arrogant!!

[Audience Expectation +5]