Chapter Fifty-Nine: This Money Is Really Heavy...

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Just before his death, Johnson finally heard the first—and also the last—words spoken to him by Zhuo Nan. The eyes behind that mask resembled the gaze of a wild beast far more than a man’s... “Yoursinisnotdeath,butyouinsultme......” (Your crime does not merit death, but you have insulted me...)

With Zhuo Nan’s final slap, Johnson’s enormous body crashed to the ground, never to rise again...

Long Kun, carrying two boxes of money, trotted after Zhuo Nan. As they left, Zhuo Nan gave Ghost Man Chao one last instruction: “I don’t want to hear any rumors about me outside.” His tone brooked no argument, and his cold eyes pressed so heavily that Ghost Man Chao could only nod desperately under the weight.

Ghost Man Chao knew exactly what Zhuo Nan meant. Anyone among the underlings who knew Zhuo Nan’s true identity would have to die. It seemed that, besides Black Bear and Pig Biao, there were a dozen others present in the villa that day... Zhuo Nan’s heart was indeed dark enough...

Now, these two fellows carrying two big boxes looked just like migrant workers coming into the city. If a pot-bellied boss with a gold chain around his neck happened by and saw Long Kun, he’d definitely ask, “Hey, big guy, looking for work? My construction site needs people. Go carry cement…”

“Brother Nan, what are we going to do with all this money?” Long Kun swore he’d stick with Zhuo Nan for life. Two months ago, Zhuo Nan had brought in a hundred bucks; today, damn it, it’s ten times more. Ghost Man Chao handed over a full ten million.

Chao had gritted his teeth to promise Zhuo Nan five million, but then Zhuo Nan bet on himself to win. Ghost Man Chao thought about it and decided to give him a round number, figuring if Brother Nan was pleased, he wouldn’t cause trouble for him...

Zhuo Nan laughed, brimming with confidence. He was slowly savoring the feeling of being a boss, the respect of others washing over him from head to toe in overwhelming comfort.

“Long Kun, do you remember what I told you? You need to look farther ahead, not just focus on immediate gains...” Ghost Man Chao played the humble subordinate, while Zhuo Nan played the boss, lecturing Long Kun in a tone that sounded convincing enough.

Long Kun feigned awe, but was inwardly puzzled, “Brother Nan, when did you ever say something so wise to me?”

“Brother Nan, you’re right, you’re right,” Long Kun quickly echoed, but soon followed up, “Brother Nan, about the money…” What he cared about most was how to spend so much money for maximum satisfaction...

Truthfully, Zhuo Nan was also thrilled. How could he not be? He’d lived two lives and never seen so much cash—ten million, all in blue bills, ten thousand per bundle, a hundred bundles in all. If you used them to hit someone, even if they didn’t die, they’d surely be knocked out. Why? You can imagine...

But the situation reminded Zhuo Nan to keep his cool, very cool. After all, he was now a boss-level figure. This little bit of money—just a flick of the fingers. He could tell his underling, “Take it and spend it.” And so the next scene unfolded.

“Long Kun, I’m giving you six million...” Zhuo Nan said with swagger.

Long Kun was dumbfounded by Zhuo Nan’s words. “Brother Nan, you’re amazing—just like that, six million. This money is like paper... But if I walk away with six million, and Brother Nan and Ghost Man Chao only get four million after all their hard work, how’s that fair?”

“Brother Nan, I didn’t mean I wanted money just now...” Long Kun was straightforward and simple-minded, but that didn’t make him a fool. Getting six million out of nowhere wasn’t necessarily a good thing... But before he finished, Zhuo Nan interrupted him: “Long Kun, I know that’s not what you meant. But now you’re my brother. We share fortune and hardship. The six million isn’t all for you; take two million back to the bar and distribute it among the brothers. How you divide it is up to you. Oh, and don’t forget Yang Yilin’s share.”

Long Kun thought, “Brother Nan is still thinking about that girl at a time like this—maybe he’s got something going on with her...”

Looking at Long Kun’s expression, it was clear this rascal’s mind had wandered off again. Zhuo Nan couldn’t be bothered to explain—after all, isn’t explanation just an excuse? “Long Kun, you’re now a top executive. Don’t act like before—remember your status.”

Long Kun nodded repeatedly, “Brother Nan, I’ll do as you say. But dragging two big boxes around like this really isn’t fitting for our status. Why did Ghost Man Chao offer you a check and you refused, insisting on cash?”

A cold sweat trickled down Zhuo Nan’s forehead. Why cash? It was embarrassing to admit—he’d never seen so much money, so he wanted to admire it for a bit... Now, all he felt was how heavy it was—exhaustingly heavy...

But he couldn’t reveal this thought to Long Kun, or he’d be ridiculed for being inexperienced. “Long Kun, cash is safer. Checks are too unpredictable. Having the money in hand is what counts...” Zhuo Nan gave this explanation. Surprisingly, Long Kun found it very convincing, thinking, “Brother Nan really is thorough, much more thoughtful than me...”

Zhuo Nan continued, “Ghost Man Chao is taken care of. Now it’s up to you.”

Long Kun tensed, “Brother Nan, don’t worry. I won’t let you down.”

Zhuo Nan nodded and smiled slightly, “Good. I definitely won’t misjudge you.”

**** Scene Break ****

At the bar, Long Kun was distributing the money. He wasn’t foolish enough to show up dragging a huge box of cash like Zhuo Nan, but he did have a sizable leather bag in front of him. The core members—Spare Rib, Hu Li, Shi Yang, Hou Fei—each got one hundred and fifty thousand, and they were all overjoyed. When Long Kun pushed a bundle of money in front of Yang Yilin, she felt her head spinning. Didn’t the company just issue bonuses a couple of days ago? Why was there another payout today, apparently even bigger? Could this be a company dedicated solely to handing out money?

“Vice President Yang, this is a special instruction from Brother Nan—one hundred and fifty thousand bonus. Please accept it...” Long Kun said solemnly.

Too much money wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Yang Yilin felt as though her emotions were all mixed up—joining a criminal gang did bring in a lot of money, but was it a bit too hot to handle? Even though she really needed it...

“President Long, I can’t accept this money...” Yang Yilin’s refusal was firm.

Long Kun thought he misheard—are there really people like this nowadays? “Vice President Yang, did a pig step on your head...? You’re being given money and you don’t want it?”

Yang Yilin frowned slightly; Long Kun’s words were too crude. “President Long, please don’t insult me.”

Long Kun was startled—not so much by her attitude, but because he remembered that this woman and Brother Nan had something going on. She might become the boss’s wife, so he absolutely couldn’t offend her now. With this realization, Long Kun immediately changed his expression, looking as sleazy as possible, plastering on a smile: “Sister-in-law, this money is from Brother Nan. Please accept it. If you don’t, I won’t be able to explain to Brother Nan.”

Yang Yilin was baffled—he called me sister-in-law, what does that mean? “President Long, what are you talking about?”

Long Kun saw her expression and thought she was playing coy. He quickly moved closer, making Yang Yilin step back. “Don’t worry, sister-in-law—I won’t say anything about you and Brother Nan. I understand, keep it low-key...”

Seeing Long Kun’s shifty demeanor, Yang Yilin felt annoyed. “What nonsense is this...” Her face tightened. “President Long, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I won’t take the money.”

Long Kun grew anxious. If he failed to carry out Brother Nan’s instructions, he’d be in trouble. He thought, “Maybe I talked too much and made sister-in-law embarrassed.” He quickly changed tact, “Sister-in-law, Brother Nan told me to give you the money. If you don’t want it, I won’t be able to report back to him. If you really don’t want it, you can accept it now and return it to him when he comes. But if you don’t take it now, I can’t explain myself, right? Vice President Yang, please help me out.”

Long Kun’s words were quite sincere, making Yang Yilin feel a bit embarrassed. Thinking it over, he had a point—he was just carrying out Zhuo Nan’s order. She didn’t want to make things difficult for him...

“All right, President Long, I’ll accept the money for now. When Zhuo Nan arrives, I’ll return it to him.” Yang Yilin said solemnly.

Long Kun grinned slyly to himself: “You’ve taken the money, my task is done. As for you and Brother Nan, that’s none of my business.” He plastered a fawning smile on his face. “Vice President Yang, thank you, thank you...”

Yang Yilin rolled her eyes, unable to stand his behavior. “President Long, if there’s nothing else, I’ll get back to work...”

“Good, good, Vice President Yang, carry on. Oh, and take the money with you.” Long Kun said as he handed her the plastic bag.

Yang Yilin took the bag, feeling only one thing—it was really heavy...