The day before, Goldmoon Group Chairman's office.
The boisterous board meeting had long since dispersed, leaving only Li Zicheng in the vast office.
The air still carried the scent of cigars and champagne, and a strange, cold aura of power.
He slowly paced, finally stopping in front of a heavy, built-in safe on the inner side of the office.
This was Ding Qing's private safe; only he and Ding Qing knew the password.
He took a deep breath, his fingers trembling slightly as he input the familiar string of numbers.
Click.
The safe door sprang open.
Inside, there were no bundles of cash or gold, only a document and a beautifully packaged gift box.
Li Zicheng's gaze was first drawn to a slightly old document bag.
He pulled out the document, and with just a glance at the few words on the cover, his breath caught, and his face instantly turned pale.
"Internal Investigation File: Undercover Police Officer Li Zicheng (Codename: Dandelion)"
It detailed his police ID number, family background, training experience, the plan to infiltrate Goldmoon Group, his single-line contact method with Chief Jiang... everything that could prove his true identity was there.
So, Big Brother... knew all along.
He knew it all along!
He knew it when he killed Shi Wu and Xin Yu.
Li Zicheng's fingers clutched the edge of the document, his knuckles white from the force.
A huge, inexpressibly complex emotion surged through him.
Was it fear?
Was it anger?
Was it a sense of betrayal?
Or was it... an indescribable absurdity and bitterness of being seen through yet silently protected?
Why did Ding Qing keep this?
To threaten him?
To control him?
No.
Li Zicheng understood instantly.
With Ding Qing's personality and methods, if he truly wanted to harm him, he would have been dead a hundred times over.
This file was Ding Qing's last resort... prepared for him.
If one day Ding Qing was gone, or the group completely collapsed, this file could prove his police identity, perhaps allowing him to... survive, or even return to a "normal" life.
Ding Qing was plotting for him, his "brother," until his dying breath.
Li Zicheng's vision blurred.
He abruptly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, there was only a cold, decisive resolve to cut off everything.
He picked up the file, walked to the desk, and took out the heavy metal lighter Ding Qing often used.
Whoosh!
A flame shot up, greedily licking the edges of the paper, spreading rapidly, turning the cold words and seals into curling ashes.
The firelight illuminated Li Zicheng's expressionless face, as if burning away his last trace of attachment and illusion about the past.
From then on, there was no longer an undercover police officer Li Zicheng in the world, only Director Li Zicheng of Goldmoon Group.
He picked up the exquisite gift box from the safe and opened it.
Inside were two luxury brand wristwatches, one men's and one women's, both stylish and delicate in design.
Mickey Mouse patterns were printed on the dials.
These were gifts Ding Qing had specifically bought for him and his wife when he went to Shanghai "on business" last time. Ding Qing had even said with a grin, "Ah, Zicheng, when you become a father, you should have some childlike fun!"
"Siba, you bastard, Big Brother! Why did you still buy a fake..."
As he spoke, Li Zicheng's eyes reddened, tearing up.
He picked up the Mickey Mouse watch and looked at it silently for a long time.
The adorable Mickey Mouse on the dial seemed to mock this cruel and absurd world.
He slowly put the children's wristwatch, which was completely out of place with his current identity and demeanor, on his wrist.
The cold metal strap against his skin, an indescribable heaviness and warmth enveloped him simultaneously.
This was the last and only memento his Big Brother had left him.
The flashback ended, downstairs at the group's building.
Johnny leaned against his car, watching Li Zicheng emerge from the building. He had changed into a more tailored black suit, his aura already different, a deeper, more composed, and detached look in his eyes, characteristic of someone in a high position, yet a subtle weariness and loneliness also clung to his brows.
He saw Johnny and walked over.
"Leaving?"
Li Zicheng asked.
"Yes, business is done."
Johnny nodded, "It's time to take care of some personal matters."
Li Zicheng understood what he meant. He didn't ask further, just extended his hand and patted Johnny's shoulder heavily: "This time... thank you. If you come to Korea in the future, remember to contact me."
His tone was very sincere, with the straightforwardness typical of people from the underworld, clear about favors and grudges.
At this moment, he wasn't the Chairman; he was more like the brother who once struggled on the streets with Ding Qing.
Johnny smiled and also patted his arm: "Take care."
Without more words, both knew that their respective paths were full of bloodshed and unknowns.
This farewell might be eternal, but... who knew?
Johnny opened the car door, got into the driver's seat, started the engine, and the black sedan slowly merged into the traffic, disappearing at the end of Seoul's bustling streets.
Li Zicheng stood rooted, gazing in the direction where the car vanished, not moving for a long time.
On his wrist, the Mickey Mouse watch remained cold.
Before leaving Yeosu, Johnny went to a safe house. No one else knew about this safe house, and when Johnny walked in, pushing the door open, a man covered in bandages was sitting in a wheelchair, with a woman behind him.
Seeing Johnny enter, he coughed and laughed, saying, "Siba, I can't believe it was you who saved me in the end!"
"Oh, there's nothing to be done. Who told you to be my employer and pay a hefty price? So saving your life is nothing, and besides, I find you agreeable."
Johnny walked up to him, casually pulled up a folding chair, sat down, crossed his legs, and looked at him, "So, you've decided to retire behind the scenes? Your good brother is heartbroken."
"Zicheng, he still needs time to grow, and I've also figured it out. It's time to step back. Just let him handle some things. When the time is right, I will naturally meet him."
Ding Qing smiled, clearly satisfied with Li Zicheng's growth, and not surprised by Li Zicheng's choice, because he had already paved all the paths beforehand, and Li Zicheng had no choice but to take this path.
However, after dying once, Ding Qing also saw things very clearly, so he simply went all the way and chose to retreat.
But would life truly go as he wished?
After chatting for a while, Johnny bid farewell to Ding Qing and headed towards Seoul on the highway.
Johnny drove north along the coastal road. Outside the window, Yeosu's industrial port and messy streetscapes gradually fell behind, replaced by an open coastline and distant rolling mountains.
Sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting fragmented golden light on the sea. The scenery was magnificent, but Johnny's eyes remained cold and focused, without a hint of appreciation.
About four hours later, the city's outline reappeared on the horizon, becoming clearer and denser.
Seoul, I'm back again!
The vast urban jungle came into view, with skyscrapers standing in dense rows, elevated highways crisscrossing, and traffic flowing like weaving threads, showcasing the busy and oppressive feel of an international metropolis.
Johnny did not enter the most bustling city center but, following the navigation, drove towards Seoul Third Hospital in the Gangbuk area.
This was a comprehensive hospital that looked a bit old, its building slightly worn, but it was still busy with people coming and going.
He parked his car in a temporary spot on the street opposite the hospital, not getting out immediately.
He rolled down the window, lit a cigarette, and sharply scanned the hospital building.
His gaze finally settled on the seventeenth floor of the main inpatient building.
According to intelligence, Room 1705 was on that floor.
His eyes showed no fluctuation, only the absolute calm of a hunter who had locked onto his target.
The cigarette butt was flicked out the window, tracing a faint arc before landing on the ground.
Johnny opened the car door, got out, adjusted the collar of his shirt. Two glock 34s were concealed beneath his suit; no one would have imagined that a business elite was actually an assassin.
He crossed the road, walking steadily towards the hospital entrance.
The scene finally froze on his back as he walked into the hospital's revolving door, and above it, the indifferent sign flashing "Seoul Third Hospital" in Korean and English.
"White Ghost? Have you cleaned your neck and waited for me to come?"
Johnny grinned, and a bloodthirsty glint began to flicker in his eyes.
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