Chapter 21: Zhang Lei

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Late at night, on the streets of Shanghai.

Mo Ran wandered alone by the roadside, clutching a travel bag in his left hand. That’s right—he’d been thrown out, all because of a single remark that had thoroughly enraged Su Qingcheng.

Even though the chill in the air made him shiver uncontrollably, his mind kept replaying Su Qingcheng’s tigress-like fury, which he found oddly amusing from time to time.

“From this moment on, I’m free,” Mo Ran murmured with a bitter smile, glancing up at the high-hanging moon above. Yet, seeing himself in such a sorry state—like a dog without a home—it was impossible for him to feel any real joy.

Three years of his youth had earned the orphanage a million yuan. No, to be precise, it was 1.3 million, since Su Qingcheng had paid him a monthly salary of ten thousand along with full benefits. Out of that, he’d spent fifty thousand on himself, saved ten, and sent the rest to the orphanage as repayment for Mother Mo’s twenty years of care. Was it worth it? Truth be told, Mo Ran didn’t know. All he knew was that he’d done everything he could, and now he could finally be at peace.

“If I’d known, I would have collected this month’s salary too.” A cold gust snapped him back to reality. He suddenly realized that all he had left was ten thousand yuan. Frustrated, he squatted by the roadside, sighing in dismay. Back in Su Qingcheng’s villa, he’d been so preoccupied with the unpaid 1.36 million that he’d forgotten everything else.

He kept walking, oblivious to the time as he hadn’t checked his phone. He only knew that it was bitterly cold—the air he exhaled formed a visible mist. He didn’t know how far he’d gone, only that he was exhausted, especially his feet, which felt numb with cold and ached with every step.

It was then that colored lights flickered in the distance. Looking up, Mo Ran saw the enormous sign for “Express Bar” glowing in changing hues beneath the LED lights, illuminating the air above.

“How did I end up here?” he wondered aloud, surprised. He’d walked nearly ten kilometers—no wonder he was so tired.

Dazed, he noticed two burly men. Each held one end of a large woven sack, hurrying out of the bar in a panic. They hoisted the sack onto a small dump cart typically used on construction sites.

That scene instantly sharpened Mo Ran’s senses. If he wasn’t mistaken, when the men lifted the sack into the cart, the flickering sign revealed the faint outline of a curled-up human figure inside.

Mo Ran quickened his pace and followed.

Near the bar stood an abandoned building, construction long halted after the developer’s sudden disappearance a decade ago. Attempts by the city government to revive the site had failed for lack of interested investors.

The two men pushed the cart across the rough, uneven ground, using their phone flashlights to guide them, unaware that someone was quietly tailing them.

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Unaware of being watched, the men stopped by the edge of the site, then together tossed the sack into a pre-dug pit and began frantically shoveling dirt on top.

From a distance, Mo Ran couldn’t see everything clearly in the dim light, but he could tell they were nervous. They barely covered the pit before fleeing, not even bothering to pack the soil down. They left behind not only the cart but also two shovels, abandoned in their haste—even though, apart from the bar, there wasn’t a single surveillance camera on this stretch.

To be safe, Mo Ran remained hidden in the weeds for a while longer. Once he was sure they’d gone, he sprang from his hiding place, hurried to the pit, and used his phone’s flashlight to find the spot. He wedged the phone between the cart’s tire and bed, shining light on the pit, then grabbed a shovel and started to dig.

Fortunately, the panicked men hadn’t packed the soil tightly, making it easy to dig through. Soon, Mo Ran uncovered the sack.

He didn’t hesitate. Jumping into the pit, he used a sharp stone to cut open the sack. As he’d suspected, there was someone inside—a familiar face: Zhang Lei, Xiao Xiao’s eldest cousin.

Zhang Lei reeked of alcohol, the acrid stench so strong it made Mo Ran nauseous, though he forced himself to endure. Judging by Zhang Lei’s appearance, he seemed to be regaining consciousness. His eyes were wide, staring blankly at Mo Ran as he gasped for breath, clearly suffocating moments earlier.

“Lei, are you all right?” Mo Ran asked as Zhang Lei’s breathing slowly steadied.

“I was at the bar. How did I end up here?” Zhang Lei stared at Mo Ran in confusion.

“This isn’t the place to talk. Let’s get out of here first,” Mo Ran replied, wiping the wooden handle of the shovel with his hem.

“Alright.” As a developer of car operating systems for new energy vehicles, Zhang Lei was no fool. He immediately understood what Mo Ran meant.

Without warning, he slapped his thigh hard—a slap that echoed in the night, snapping him fully awake. Mo Ran couldn’t help but marvel at the gesture.

“You’re saying you saw two men stuff me in a sack, then push me in that cart and bury me over there?” Back at Zhang Lei’s home, after hearing Mo Ran’s account, Zhang Lei jumped off the couch in shock.

“That’s right. Who would have thought people still do things like this these days? Lei, who did you cross?” Mo Ran nodded, a bit uneasy. If those men came back, wouldn’t he be in big trouble?

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“You’d best stay out of this. Knowing too much won’t do you any good.” Zhang Lei snapped out of his reverie and looked at Mo Ran, shaking his head in polite refusal.

“Understood.” Mo Ran nodded, recognizing the warning.

“By the way, what are you doing out here so late instead of sleeping?” Zhang Lei suddenly remembered to ask.

“I got kicked out by my wife,” Mo Ran admitted, scratching his head awkwardly under Zhang Lei’s surprised gaze.

“What happened?” Zhang Lei was skeptical; he couldn’t imagine Mo Ran, of all people, being thrown out by his wife.

“Well, here’s how it went.” Mo Ran sighed, no longer caring about saving face, and recounted the whole story.

After he finished, Zhang Lei was silent for a while. Then he reached out, patted Mo Ran’s shoulder, and said, “Brother, you’re a good man. You’ve been through a lot.”

“Lei, I…” Mo Ran felt a pang of emotion and was about to speak when Zhang Lei stopped him.

“That’s enough. No need for words. You saved Xiao Xiao, and now you’ve saved me. Our family owes you a great debt. Stay here for now. Tomorrow, I’ll have my father find you some work. He knows everyone in this area.”

…