Chapter 1698
The First Farewell
Zhang Yuan put on his clothes, then a coat, and prepared to leave the bedroom.
"What's wrong?" Cheng Hao also got out of bed and asked with some concern.
"I don't know, don't move, it's cold outside."
"I'll be right back."
He gently stroked his sister's hand to reassure her.
But it's impossible to feel at ease.
If the police come looking for you in the middle of the night, how big of a heart do you have to be to not take it seriously?
Arrive at the front yard.
The winter snow seemed to be getting heavier, and a layer of white frost had settled on the ground in the yard, accumulating to a considerable thickness. As you walked along, it crunched under your feet.
I met two police officers in uniform in the lobby.
The two men saluted and introduced themselves.
“We are police officers from Jiaodaokou Police Station in Dongcheng District.”
Are you Mr. Zhang Yuan?
"Exactly, would you like an autograph?" Zhang Yuan joked lightly to lighten the mood.
It also helps relieve one's own stress.
The two men were serious and didn't criticize him, but simply continued talking.
Do you know Mr. Huang Julong?
"I know him." Zhang Yuan nodded slowly after hearing the other person mention Brother Long's name, as if he had something on his mind.
Where is he now?
"Dandan, go and call Brother Long over." Zhang Yuan instructed his assistant, "He's right here, coming right away."
After waiting a while and seeing that everything was alright, Brother Long, who had been lying down to rest, quickly put on his clothes and went to the front hall.
After they both arrived, the police announced the purpose of their visit.
“Someone reported to us that Mr. Huang Julong, under the direction of Mr. Zhang Yuan, physically assaulted him.”
"Please come with me."
Zhang Yuan glanced at Brother Long, and after a moment's thought, he roughly got a direction.
"Can I change my clothes?"
"It's quite cold outside."
“Okay, but not too long,” the other person replied, adding another sentence.
"Do you think we should bring some spare clothes?"
"Call your family and tell them."
Zhang Yuan's heart skipped a beat when he heard the first sentence.
I need to bring a change of clothes... does that mean I'll have to stay inside for a while?
He understood after hearing the second sentence.
I was at home, and he told me to call my family.
Why don't you just say it directly?
So the key lies in the three words "make a phone call".
They're wearing a recording device, so you can't just say anything.
It's clear that his house is bigger than his own home, and he's a big star, a very wealthy and powerful person.
I'm asking you to make the call, not to tell your family, but to contact them as soon as possible if you have any connections, so as not to make things worse and cause trouble for all of us.
They're just getting paid; there's no need for them to cause trouble for themselves.
"I'll be right back, just a moment."
"Dandan, bring some tea."
"No need," the other party refused.
He went back to his bedroom and told Cheng Hao to go to sleep first, as he was going out for a while.
"What exactly happened?"
"Someone must not know the rules."
"I'll take care of it, no problem."
Although he appeared confident, the other party remained worried.
After changing into casual clothes and putting on a wool coat, he called the leader of the Sanlitun Police Station.
Although they are in charge of different areas, in the parlance of the crosstalk world, they are all "chickens in the same nest," meaning they are all on the same side.
As the saying goes: "Those who work in public service naturally find it easier to cultivate themselves."
The difference between being greeted and not being treated well is obvious.
Just like going to the yamen in ancient times, whether you get a beating or a scolding is just a matter of a word from the magistrate.
After getting on the vehicle, the wheels left several tracks in the snow in the alley, and it slowly drove towards the yamen (government office).
We arrived at our destination in no time.
The other person asked him on the way if he had called to notify him.
He said he had already taken action and that someone would take care of him.
After the other party understood, he deliberately parked in a secluded corner when he arrived at the yamen (government office) so that no one would see him coming to the station.
They didn't take him to the interrogation room, but instead found an air-conditioned office and asked him to sit down. Soon after, someone came to ask him questions.
Sure enough, things turned out pretty much as he expected.
"This is the clever guy you found?" Zhang Yuan glanced at Brother Long. "Is he really that clever?"
Brother Long blushed, ashamed that he hadn't done a good job.
The situation is not complicated. The clever person Zhang Yuan mentioned is the bodyguard he fired.
For most people, the wise saying in life can be summed up in one sentence: "If you don't court death, you won't die."
First, the leak made things very embarrassing for him.
After being fired, he didn't realize his own kindness and even went so far as to threaten his former spouse.
He then asked Brother Long to teach him a lesson.
I've already told you, the mistake you made was leaking information about my girl, and then you went and bothered the people around her.
It seems you don't think you have a problem.
Verbal reprimands are not enough, so corporal punishment has to be used.
Brother Long personally went to punish him, searched for a long time to find the person, and gave him a set of military boxing.
Both of my arms have had their joints dislocated. Even if they are reattached, they will still be incredibly sore on rainy days for the next few years.
Brother Long is skilled; he guarantees no one will die, at most you won't be able to get out of bed for ten days or half a month.
By now, you should understand, right?
No, not at all.
Anyone who isn't particularly quick-witted already understands.
Those with a blockheaded mind are more obedient, but it is precisely this kind of seemingly clever but actually petty-mindedness that leads to big problems.
After leaving the hospital, I got my medical records and injury report, and went straight to the police station.
That's why we have this whole mess today.
The current situation is classified as minor injury, level one, which, according to the law, carries a sentence of up to three years in prison.
However, once an understanding is obtained, compensation is provided, and the other party issues a letter of understanding, further discussion is possible.
It's even possible to operate it so you don't have to spend the New Year inside.
The other party mainly sued Brother Long for beating him, which, according to the law, is intentional injury.
It is also alleged that Zhang Yuan was the mastermind behind it all.
The matter is simple: Brother Long is not a clever person, but he is a straightforward one.
They insisted that it had nothing to do with Zhang Yuan and that they did it themselves.
If you remove the boss from the picture, he can still save me.
The boss has been dragged down with me, who's going to bail me out?
He understood this simple principle immediately.
Sometimes, true happiness comes naturally, and cleverness can backfire.
Once Zhang Yuan has legally exonerated himself, he can leave after signing and affixing his seal.
But Brother Long has to stay put for a while until things are settled.
Therefore, he did not leave immediately.
After a busy night, dawn broke.
The police were quite kind; they brought him some steamed buns from the cafeteria to fill his stomach.
He then called the company's regular lawyer.
"So what are your thoughts now?" the lawyer asked after listening.
"Let's see what they say," Zhang Yuan thought to himself.
At this point, the other party's purpose is nothing more than two things: to vent their anger or to seek money.
He felt that both should be present.
"What about your recommendation?" he asked the lawyer in return.
"You're an artist; your reputation is the most important thing."
"Use compensation to shut them up and ensure they won't talk nonsense."
"I'll be at the police station in a bit. Please don't show up. I'll handle the negotiations with them."
That's where lawyers come in.
In fact, in China, lawyers mainly do legwork and negotiation, especially in criminal cases, where 99% of the discretion lies with the public security organs, procuratorates, and courts, and lawyers have no influence over it.
Even in the eyes of most judges, lawyers are laughable and insignificant, and they look down on them completely.
So what if you have evidence? I can choose not to accept it; I still have discretionary power.
"Aside from this lawsuit, we should try to settle things amicably if possible."
"I need your help with some financial matters..."
We've discussed it with the lawyer and are waiting for the other party to arrive.
I took a break and called Zhao Decai again.
If there's nothing wrong, it's Fatty Zhao; if there's something wrong, it's Brother Zhao...
They brought the lawyer over and explained everything about Brother Long.
"The main goal is to get Brother Long out as soon as possible and resolve this matter."
"There is no budget limit, but we will try to keep the price down as much as possible."
The lawyer acknowledged the situation and began to take over the entire case.
Zhang Yuan reassured Brother Long again.
They stayed with him while he waited for the dismissed bodyguard to arrive for negotiations.
After a flurry of activity, it was almost evening when the lawyer reported on the results.
"A settlement fee of 50 yuan, and the other party is willing to issue a letter of understanding."
"We still need to pay an additional 8 yuan for lost wages, medical expenses, and nutrition expenses."
"No problem," Zhang Yuan agreed without hesitation.
Brother Long will have to stay a while longer until everything is finished.
He called Cheng Hao to let her know he was safe.
I had just put down my phone and was about to say hello to Brother Long when the phone rang again.
He picked it up and saw that it was a call from Xixi.
"Hey?"
Do you have time now?
"Hmm...yes."
"Then come to my house."
He readily agreed, as he also needed to discuss this matter with her... and other things as well.
I said goodbye to Brother Long and prepared to leave.
The police were quite polite, saying that it was snowing heavily outside and they could take him home.
Zhang Yuan glanced out the window; the snow that had fallen last night had turned into a heavy, fluffy snowfall.
"Okay, thanks." "But I don't want to go home yet. Could you take me somewhere else?"
Some people had put in a good word for them with the leaders, and they did them a favor in return.
……
An hour later, Sisi, who was sitting at a small table by the window of the villa, saw a police car parked outside her front yard.
It was already dark, so no one paid any attention.
She hurriedly went to open the door.
"what happened?"
Why did you come in a police car?
This girl was incredibly nervous.
"Let's go inside and talk."
"Okay, take your time, no rush."
"Let me pour you some water first."
The two quickly settled down.
The other person's eyebrows furrowed.
"What exactly happened?"
"Don't be nervous, tell me slowly," Zhang Yuan said gently.
Despite trying to stay calm, I couldn't hide the exhaustion from not having rested all night.
"Tell me first, what do you want to see me about?"
“I…” She held the water glass and took a sip.
"I told you before that I needed some time to carefully consider our relationship."
"I just got back from a busy trip out of town today, so I wanted to ask you to let's chat."
"Okay, I understand." Zhang Yuan lowered his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.
"You should tell me about the police car first. I'm worried and uneasy."
"It's about that incident before," Zhang Yuan said without hiding anything.
“Last time you told me through your agent that the traitor in my security company was threatening your staff.”
"I'll send someone to teach them a lesson."
"As a result, they sued me."
"But it's alright, it's all taken care of, it won't hurt me."
These words made her already worried face even more troubled.
tsk...
It turns out it's still related to me.
Because of the trouble caused by his two subordinates.
Thinking to myself, if it weren't for these two losers, none of this would have happened.
Her thoughts were different now than before.
After thinking about it for several days, I still feel uncomfortable, as my privacy and personality have been violated.
But then I thought, if I don't have any busybodies around me, I might as well not know and just let it go.
If you're confused, you won't feel so troubled.
Therefore, there are some things that outsiders should not interfere with. They may be proud of something, but in the long run, they will most likely be disliked.
Sisi thought to herself, "Zhang Yuan's 'spies' have already learned their lesson, but what about my side?"
Although it was true, she already felt disgusted.
"I said, it's your turn to continue." Zhang Yuan sighed and gestured for the other person to continue.
"I've thought about it carefully recently."
“These things that have happened in the last month have left me feeling unhappy.”
"It has not been completely resolved to this day."
"That's just my personality."
"But I know you would do this, it's just your personality."
"This caused friction between us."
She looked intently into Zhang Yuan's eyes.
But I always felt that this man was very different from his usual self.
I'm feeling listless.
It's not just the kind of lack of energy from fatigue, but a general state of lethargy.
This is a very rare sight for him.
For many years, she had felt that Zhang Yuan's mental health was a bit too good.
"But no matter what, I need to apologize for what happened on New Year's Eve."
"Although I didn't agree, I still disappointed you." She was still troubled by the video Zhang Yuan had taken.
"It was also bad of me to deliberately ignore you during this time."
"This way of handling the problem is wrong." After thinking about it, she realized that her approach was not acceptable.
"You've finished talking, now let me say something," Zhang Yuan said somewhat dejectedly when he saw her stop.
"it is good."
"It wasn't just my oversight that I had the bodyguards investigate your staff."
"Indeed, as you said, I did not take your independent personality into account."
“You are a person who yearns for freedom and independence, but I destroyed all of that with my own hands.”
“I also need to apologize for this,” he said with great sincerity.
"I am indeed a little upset about being neglected, but I can understand it."
"This is part of your personality, so there's no need to blame yourself."
"Hmm." Hearing him say that, Sisi smiled.
"But like you said, doing this is part of my personality."
"So I can't guarantee that I won't do it again in the future."
These words stunned her, who had just been smiling.
You don't lie to me at all?
Even if you know you might not completely change, shouldn't you at least lie to me?
"This may be an irreconcilable conflict between us."
"It's not something that can be solved simply by separating for a short while." Zhang Yuan said, rubbing his temples vigorously.
"I think……"
Normally, he's very eloquent and has a background in storytelling and crosstalk, but at this moment he was speechless and unable to speak.
"I think."
"We should still separate," he said softly with great difficulty.
"What?" Sisi's ears are sharp; she heard everything.
Zhang Yuan did not respond, but simply covered his face.
He had thought about it on his way here.
It is precisely because of her unique personality.
She is not at all like the traditional Chinese woman.
Besides genetics, her father is highly educated, and her mother is also very strong-willed.
Liu Xiaoli is a very decisive person; compared to the average woman, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her fierce.
But not the kind of person who looks aggressive like Dong Mingzhu.
Liu Xiaoli is gentle yet firm; though she doesn't make a fuss, she is decisive in her actions.
Inherited from her parents, coupled with her precocious intelligence and childhood experiences, her personality is far stronger than that of the average girl.
Moreover, their strength lies within, not in their outward appearance.
How should I put it?
I shared everything I knew with Professor Cheng Hao at the Central Academy of Drama, and then I received a gold medal on my first try.
How do I explain that a random draw guarantees a minimum reward?
Given her personality, if she finds out, I don't know how much she'll hate me.
Let alone being friends in the future, we can't even be casual acquaintances; we'll definitely never see each other again in this lifetime.
It would be better if I confessed voluntarily and received leniency in return.
She took the initiative to discover it, and I took the initiative to explain it. Although the events were the same, the nature of the events was different.
Criminal law includes the concept of "reduction of sentence for voluntary surrender" because it aligns with human nature.
His idea is quite good.
But when it comes to actually speaking, once you look into the other person's eyes and face, it's like your mouth is coated with superglue, and you just can't open it.
"What's wrong with you?" She was silent for a moment, then her eyes reddened.
"I made a mistake," Zhang Yuan said with difficulty.
"What error?"
"That kind of mistake?" She glanced out the window at the spot where the police car had just been parked.
“No, a bigger mistake.” He covered his face with his hands.
Physically, it is difficult to face the other party.
"You have to tell me, right?"
"It's hard to say." He felt as if a large white steamed bun was stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down.
The details of the matter are impossible to explain.
I don't know if it's shame or fear of seeing the other person sad and crying.
"In short, I think our separation is the best outcome at this stage."
Sisi bit her lip, and a tear slid down her cheek.
She didn't know the specifics, but she already had a general idea of what it was about.
She had not completely reconciled with the other party today.
Otherwise, they would hug tightly as soon as they entered the door, showing their affection.
She just wanted to talk and express her feelings properly.
Also, listen to the other person's feelings and peacefully discuss a way to keep the relationship going.
Of course she couldn't bear to part with it; it had been so many years.
I'm a sentimental person.
Her agent and assistants, the longest of whom have served in the military, have been in service for 10 years.
Not to mention people, even the rest chairs used on set are over ten years old, and some down jackets and sportswear have been worn for over ten years and people are reluctant to throw them away.
This is quite different from female celebrities who change dozens or even hundreds of outfits every quarter.
This applies to other matters as well, and even more so to Zhang Yuan.
We've grown up together, accompanied each other, and more than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.
I wouldn't bear to throw away clothes that are over ten years old, let alone a person who is over ten years old.
So when she heard Zhang Yuan's unexpected decision, she was speechless, just like him, and couldn't say a word.
The two sat facing each other in silence.
"Then I'll go first." After what seemed like an eternity, Zhang Yuan finally mustered the courage to speak.
"Ugh..." She tried to respond, but couldn't even utter a complete syllable, so she could only let out a sob.
"I..." Zhang Yuan wanted to say something more.
No matter what words of comfort, farewell, or apology I wanted to say, my mind was completely blank, and I couldn't say anything.
He numbly walked to the door, turned the handle, opened the door, went out, and closed the door.
……
Years later, when the two reminisced about this incident while reviewing their accounts, they both felt incredibly embarrassed, as if it were a matter of life and death.
Still young.
What seemed like a catastrophe when you were young is now just something to laugh about over tea when you're older.
Whether it's his feelings or the troubles Zhang Yuan will soon face... (End of Chapter)