It was already past ten at night. Calling Gu Xiaofei at this hour made me feel a bit embarrassed.
But I had no choice. If I didn't make this call, Zhao Hu and I wouldn't be able to get out of this situation.
Given Zhao Hu's heroic spirit earlier, at the very least I had to help him—otherwise it wouldn't be right as brothers.
Maybe it was really too late, because the first time I called, Gu Xiaofei didn't answer.
I thought to myself, "Maybe she really has gone to sleep."
At this moment, Third Brother was watching my actions closely. I understood that if I couldn't raise the money, he'd probably rough Zhao Hu up.
With no other option, I had to make a second call.
But Gu Xiaofei still didn't answer, which puzzled me greatly.
She always answered my calls immediately; there was no reason for her to ignore me now.
Seeing this, Third Brother realized I couldn't raise the money and his expression changed immediately.
"Damn it! How dare you trick me?" he said, and without warning, his fist slammed hard onto my face.
I instantly flew into a rage and rushed to hit him, but unexpectedly, two thugs beside Third Brother grabbed me and held me back.
Third Brother rubbed the top of his head, and I saw it was swollen.
Clearly, that was from the stick Zhao Hu had used on him earlier.
Third Brother stepped in front of me, patted my cheek, and said, "I've been around on the street for years; I've never taken such a loss. So, tell me, how do you want to settle this?"
As expected, it was all about money.
At that moment, Zhao Hu, lying on the ground, said, "The one who owes and the one who hits are both me. If you want to find someone, find me."
Right after he spoke, someone kicked him hard in the head.
Apparently, these people were merciless toward Zhao Hu.
I grew upset and told Third Brother, "What you're doing is illegal. I'm going to report you to the police."
Third Brother scoffed coldly, "Don't you know whose turf this is in Nanzhou? Besides, paying your debts is a matter of course."
He added, "If you really don't have the money, then I'll have to take you away."
I fully understood: he intended to detain us illegally.
Just then, my phone suddenly rang.
Honestly, when I heard it ring, I was overjoyed because there was an 80% chance it was Gu Xiaofei calling.
"Let me answer the phone. Maybe I can help you raise the money," I said.
Third Brother glanced at me and waved to the two thugs, and they let go of me.
I quickly took out my phone, only to see it was an unknown number.
Damn, it was so late and still someone bothering me with a spam call.
Normally, I wouldn't answer, but given the situation, I had no choice.
After all, appearances had to be maintained.
A gentle female voice came through the phone, asking, "Are you Zhao Jian?"
I was puzzled, wondering how she knew my name.
"Who is this?" I asked skeptically.
"I'm Qin Jingyi. How are things over there now?"
At last, the boss's wife had some conscience—she called to check on our safety.
I thought for a moment and said, "Boss's wife, Zhao Hu owes money to someone and is stuck. Could you lend me some money so I can repay that debt?"
"How much do you need?" she asked.
Hearing that, I knew she was willing to help.
As a wealthy young lady, 100,000 yuan wasn't a big amount for her, and given her connection with Zhao Hu, she wouldn't just let them suffer.
So I told the boss's wife, "Zhao Hu owes 100,000 yuan. If you have the means, I hope you can help. Zhao Hu and I will work hard to repay you."
The boss's wife sighed and said, "I've always heard from Zhang Zhiyuan that you're a good person. I never understood what was so good about you, but now I see—you're quite loyal."
Her compliment made me feel good inside.
She continued, "Zhao Jian, I don't know how to get the money to you?"
I thought a moment and said, "Boss's wife, just transfer it to me."
"But I don't have your account information."
"No need to transfer to your account, just send it to mine." Third Brother had been eavesdropping on our conversation; when he heard about transfer, he immediately spoke up.
I agreed—indeed, this would avoid a lot of hassle.
So I gave the boss's wife the account Third Brother had given me.
Within three minutes, Third Brother's phone pinged with a text message.
Seeing it, he beamed and patted my shoulder. "Kid, not bad. That's decent. If you ever need help, remember to find me. Zhao Hu knows how to contact me."
I cursed inwardly, "I don't want anything to do with you loan sharks."
At that moment, the thugs released Zhao Hu. He got up from the ground, his face bruised and swollen.
"Kid, you still owe me 8,000 yuan. A month later, it's 10,000," Third Brother said nastily to Zhao Hu.
I was shocked, thinking, "The interest on this loan shark money is terrifying—8,000 yuan debt turns into 2,000 interest a month. It's easier money than any job."
I regretted not paying off Zhao Hu's debt all at once.
But even if I had, knowing his nature, he'd probably be in huge debt again soon.
As we stepped out of the bar, Zhao Hu suddenly asked me, "Zhao Jian, who exactly did you borrow that 100,000 from?"
My face darkened—I didn't want Zhao Hu to know the boss's wife's real identity.
I thought for a moment and said, "A friend of mine. Why?"
Zhao Hu said, "I heard the voice on the phone was a woman. Is she your old flame?"
This guy was so suspicious—it really frustrated me, but I couldn't explain right now.
Zhao Hu said, "Zhao Jian, I always thought you an honest guy, but turns out, you've been seeing someone behind Lu Wan's back."
Hearing this, I was furious. I wanted to hit him.
Seeing my anger, Zhao Hu waved his hand. "Alright, alright, I'm not messing with you anymore."
My anger gradually subsided, but Zhao Hu added, "That girl really has good temperament. It's such a shame to miss her."
Damn it. Didn't this guy already get with the boss's wife? What's there to regret now?
Zhao Hu went on, "Listen, women like that—quiet, elegant married ladies—are the most appealing. Last time I stayed at her place, it was amazing."
Despite looking like a beaten pig, Zhao Hu spoke fluently when it came to chasing women.
Honestly, I envied him. The boss's wife was my goddess—I always thought she was pure and untouchable.
Never thought the truth was so tragic—that she let a guy like Zhao Hu be with her. Such a shame.
Seems like where there are beautiful women, you have to take your chance—I was just too naive before.
Thinking of my deep love for my wife Lu Wan, I felt sad.
I suddenly asked Zhao Hu, "Do you know anything about my wife?"
Maybe because I helped him a lot today, Zhao Hu leaned close and whispered, "Zhao Jian, to be honest with you, your wife's cheating."
Zhao Hu sounded convincing, and I knew this was probably true—he wouldn't lie to me. I knew his character.
I asked, "Tell me honestly, who is my wife having an affair with?"
Zhao Hu looked around as if sneaking a secret, then said, "I heard it's the school's disciplinary director. According to Fang Min, they've been together for quite some time."
This threw my mind into chaos.
I was sure that if my wife was cheating, it would be with my old flame Lu Feng, but Zhao Hu offered a new lead.
If the cheating involved more than one, it would collapse all my previous beliefs about her.
And I absolutely couldn't accept that.
I stared at Zhao Hu and asked, "Is this true or not?"
Zhao Hu said, "Fang Min told me herself. Why would I lie to you? Fang Min also said that one time your wife met with the director, and you got suspicious. Your wife called Fang Min and said they went to get their hair done together."
That incident was clear in my mind—I remember my wife wore red underwear that day.
At this, I gritted my teeth, too angry to speak.
Seeing me like this, Zhao Hu said, "Don't get too mad, women are like that. She doesn't cherish you, so you don't have to cherish her. Separate lives is better."
Though lighthearted, he didn't understand how much I had sacrificed to protect this family.
I asked, "Can you help me find evidence? It would be better for me if I had something when splitting with Lu Wan."
Zhao Hu shook his head. "Zhao Jian, you know how clever your wife is. She won't leave evidence for you to find—don't joke."
Then he added, "But since you're loyal like this, if I get any news, I'll tell you first. After all, we're good brothers."
I patted his shoulder and said, "That's what I call a real brother."