It's Just a Secret

it looked impressive with six volumes for each subject in middle school, compared to the large financial investment books they would encounter later, these seemed insignificant.Moreover, Su Cen had a...Chapter 8 It's Just a Secret

Then, many people came to Zhengzhou one after another to visit the hospitalized Lin Zouwu. There were friends of Lin Zouwu from Beijing, and even Wei Dingding from Shanghai brought fruit baskets and other gifts. After standing in front of Lin Luoran and saying some comforting words, they left. Also coming were Ye Huishang, a famous aristocrat in Beijing whom Wang Weiwei had once harbored feelings for, along with a group of young princes and princesses from the capital city. There were also classmates from Xia Hai No. 1 High School and No. 27 Middle School who hurried over upon hearing the news. These people were mostly those who had a good relationship with Lin Zouwu and could immediately travel to Zhengzhou. Other people like Zhu Zhixian, Zhang Feifei, and acquaintances of Su Can also came from time to time; sometimes as many as four or five people would come in one day, making the ward lively.

It was clear that Lin Zouwu had a wide circle of friends who were popular. Even when hospitalized, people came from all directions to visit him. However, this made Lin Zouwu quite depressed and he often showed off his seemingly plump but actually robust arms saying, "You guys keep coming one after another like it's the fair; I'm almost becoming a national treasure. Damn it, I'm still very healthy."

Tang Wu flew over from Shanghai afterwards. After leaving the ward, she lightly held Su Can's hand and then walked to Lin Luoran who was standing nearby. The strong girl finally leaned on Tang Wu's shoulder, hugging her tightly around the waist. Soon, half of Tang Wu’s sleeve was wet.

Su Can paid close attention to the entire matter; he smelled a hint of wariness from Hunan Xinghua Corporation under New Source Group.

He had been in Zhengzhou for several days and was waiting for updates from the police.

In Beijing, Gao Heng frowned as he listened to Gao滄海 (Canghai) arrange things on the phone with his usual diplomatic skills.

Hanging up the call, Gao Canghai stroked his cigarette and said, "Zhao Changhe has gone missing. The provincial police are investigating this case, but it’s impossible to find him. His son was attacked recently; apparently Lin Family's son was involved too. Zhao’s son wasn’t badly hurt though someone threatened him or something since Zhao didn't leave any clues behind. Otherwise he wouldn't have been so scared and called for help everywhere. At present, the investigation team of the provincial police should be looking into Zhao Changhe's disappearance. The man himself isn't bad, but his son is quite foolish."

Gao Heng sipped his Lafite wine. This brand wasn’t yet notorious these days; he smiled and said, "Who were those people who attacked Lin Family’s son was hospitalized, so they will definitely get involved in this matter. It shouldn't escalate too much. Two million should be enough to settle everything. We need to cut off the thread somewhere. Zhao Changhe suddenly broke the rules at this moment and wanted to withdraw; disappearing under such circumstances is quite normal."

"Don’t worry, when will you ever doubt your big brother" Gao Canghai smiled. He sometimes used unconventional methods so skillfully that they became second nature to him. The important thing was his ability to implement what he deemed right and this was crucial. After some thought, Gao Canghai added, "If my second brother asks about this matter, don't mention it too much to him. He isn’t of our ilk and may not understand certain values."

Gao Heng nodded in agreement, finishing his drink as swiftly as he usually handled matters.

Before the investigation by the provincial police made any progress, Sun Mou and Li Mou, who were involved in blocking the hotel entrance and attacking others, confessed first. They implicated seven or eight people at the scene that day but all denied receiving instructions from anyone else; they only helped out of brotherhood because Zhao Changhe went missing and took a friend's money, leaving behind no mastermind.

This incident caused a great stir locally in Hunan Province. People speculated wildly: some said Zhao Changhe was involved with the financial problems at Xinghua Corporation and ran away; others believed he had already processed immigration documents and would eventually come back to help his son, while another theory suggested that Zhao's disappearance implied something dangerous had happened to him when certain interest groups got involved.

Wang Weiwei told Su Can, "Xinghua Corporation is a listed company under New Source Group. It’s undergoing restructuring this year with many ups and downs. This Zhao Changhe either knows how deep he's in or has figured out something that made him unwilling to be enslaved or threatened anymore; he wants to break free. However, Zhao values family ties so much that it’s unlikely he wouldn’t arrange for his son Uo Zhibin if there was danger ahead. Therefore, the possibility of Zhao Changhe encountering an accident is high. Unfortunately, we don't know what exactly Zhao saw and got involved with, but after this incident, Uo Zhibin has become thoroughly scared."

Su Can nodded without further comment.

With Lin Zouwu soon transferring to Beijing for treatment, Su Can couldn’t stay in Zhengzhou either. He left together with Tang Wu and Lin Luoran back to Shanghai.

Tang Wu took care of Lin Luoran while Su Can ran around helping out. Li Pengyu handled the check-in procedures as Su Can helped carry luggage. Since it was still early, they found a café for a quick rest; Su Can bought four cups of coffee.

After boarding the plane and taking off into the sky, Su Can turned to look at Tang Wu and Lin Luoran beside him. Lin Luoran’s hand was held by Tang Wu, her face beautiful yet sorrowful without much speech during the journey—when Su Can offered her a cup of coffee earlier, she only replied with “thank you,” showing no emotional fluctuation. On board, she clung to Tang Wu; when seeing Su Can look at her, her gaze met his but had no focus.

After returning to Shanghai, everything seemed to proceed as usual.

The sun would rise gradually every day on the horizon. Xiao Xu would still get up early at 6 am to read English even though this was their final year of university. Li Han would go for morning runs and sometimes gather a group from his department to play basketball, often eliciting cheers from female classmates in the gymnasium. Zhang Qiao frequently ran between his dormitory and home; occasionally he rode through campus roads on his ex-girlfriend’s current boyfriend's bicycle, staring blankly at roads lined with fallen leaves that seemed endless. Sometimes he lost track of time.

Wang Dongjian mustered the courage to call an old senior sister and confess his feelings for her. It was said both sides remained silent for a long while after which she gave him an address in Shanghai, home to a renowned biotech company, saying "I'll be waiting there." So Wang Dongjian worked hard on scientific papers and posters featuring bar graphs and immunohistochemistry for his discipline exhibition, barely passing the CET-6 test. He always looked forward to reaching his goal.

Cheng Congcong is about to study in Germany and has already passed the application. She will enter Munich University through a master's program channel, and her Nan Da grade point average (GPA) can be recognized and converted by the university. She only needs to complete the required GPA over the next three years to receive her degree certificate.

Cheng Congcong will still inform Tang Wu, Tong Tong, and Ruan Sigu about her departure. She says she'll miss everyone when she's there and will remember to use Facebook (in Chinese) to stay in touch. Of course, I mean the version of Facebook in Chinese, even though its servers are located in Shanghai data centers, which might result in slower webpage loading times.

Su Cen sometimes attends Lin Guangdong’s new acquisition distribution channel scheme meetings for Daohe United. He watches as Lin Guangdong shows his prowess in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Sometimes he celebrates with everyone at the Merro Building after completing an impressive program that receives acclaim. Qiao Shuxin and Tang Wu are co-vice presidents of Facebook (Chinese version), but it’s clear that CEO Kate is gradually pushing Tang Wu to the forefront. As Tang Wu manages the entire Facebook (Chinese version) backend efficiently, all management teams are prepared to promote her further to a crucial position where she can fully utilize her talents.

One month later, news spreads of Lin Zhoudwu's plans to go to America for treatment. He will travel to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in the U.S. to undergo medical treatments with the world’s most advanced medicine, fighting death one last time.

However, before going to America for treatment, Lin Zhoudwu arranged a meeting place with everyone.

A few days later, people from all over the country gathered in Xia Hai, that city that's always filled with gentle breezes.

The first person who returned to Xia Hai upon hearing about Lin Zhoudwu’s return was Wang Weiwu. Their family bought a two-story townhouse in the municipal committee compound at only 100 thousand yuan back then. When Wang Bo left, it hadn't been sold yet. Perhaps this was prepared for his retirement and leisure days in Xia Hai one day. It marked the turning point of the Wang family’s fate and where he first met that teenage boy named Su Cen.

The house remained largely untouched, with furniture covered under dust-proof covers. When Wang Weiwu and Li Pengyu arrived ahead of time to prepare for Lin Zhuoran's arrival, they hired a cleaning service to thoroughly clean the place up, adding simple decorations from Lin Zhuoran which gave it a new look.

Su Cen took off his backpack as he looked at this house that belonged to them five years ago. It felt like they were still having late-night snacks and watching TV together just yesterday, with Lin Zhuoran chasing after Lin Zhoudwu upstairs and downstairs while wearing pajamas, the sounds of footsteps echoing on wooden stairs. The present moment seemed unchanged, but in reality, everything had changed.

After turning on the television, everyone played Pro Evolution Soccer (PES). Back then when PES 3 was just released, Owen’s character model was still jagged and blocky. Su Cen could dominate using glitches and techniques back then; Batistuta hadn't yet delivered his final performance. Now Konami's PES is up to version 9 with matured 3D motion capture technology and more realistic images, allowing everyone to enjoy the World Cup from home.

Lin Zhoudwu proposed having some grilled food late at night as they used to do before. Without a word, Su Cen put on his clothes and left for the nearest street stall selling barbecue and beer, running all the way back with them after searching several blocks since the original place had closed down long ago. Su Cen knew exactly how this city changed over the past six years, including where night markets were located. He navigated through the changes accurately despite rarely returning here; everything remained vividly imprinted in his precise mind.

Over the next few days, they visited parks and went to City No. 1 High School. New security guards tried to stop them from entering but an old teacher from the politics and education department let them pass when he saw who they were, still marveling at their appearance now compared to back then. He wondered where these young men and women could go after causing such a ruckus in this school.

Walking through places they used to walk past on their way to and from school, study hard, play soccer, or have midnight snacks together, they came across the newly constructed sports field of City No. 1 High School while old structures remained intact. They sat on the concrete stands where occasionally cracks appeared as if hearing echoes of mischief during late-night truancy and ball games in this place. Rusty wind vanes still spun quietly with a sunset setting behind distant mountains.

Su Cen could see Tang Wu’s figure from back then here. He also saw the evening when she stood under the magnificent hues, opening beer caps for them while revealing her slender legs gleaming in moonlight and sharing her habit of collecting these bottle rings with him before she moved to Shanghai.

Lin Zhoudwu pointed at the overgrown field excitedly, saying "That’s where I once played soccer. Once I even beat Class 2 by a score of 3:0 back then. It was crazy."

All youthful and reckless stories eventually fade but remain deeply etched in memory.

Finally, Su Cen and Lin Zhoudwu walked alone on the sports field while others blew wind behind them.

Su Cen said with a smile that there was something he wanted to talk about privately. He mentioned Zhao Zhibin finally contacted him again. His father left some materials at home regarding Hunan Xinghua and his disappearance, which had a significant connection to the new state-owned enterprise New Energy Group and Gao Cainiao among others. Su Cen said he couldn’t understand the intricacies but felt it should be handed over to him since Zhao Zhibin was an old comrade they all trusted.

Su Cen’s heart shook violently as he saw Lin Zhoudwu's eyes, nodding heavily.

"I've met many people before, but no one is like you. If I must say there's someone who left a deep impression similar to yours, it would be Li Luo, Wang Weiwu’s cousin, that big brother we all admired. You once said something that became my motto: 'busy living or busy dying.' When you saved the girl jumping off the building and said those words, they felt like some sort of enlightenment for me. Since then, I've calmly faced life day by day without seeking fame or power. Sometimes people don’t get what they wish for in life—first loves, first actions, first dreams of breaking free from family constraints, etc. Life is long but maybe we'll just be mediocre until old age if nobody dares to break the shackles of fate, even lacking the courage to take a different path around the corner. Sometimes watching your rise from nothing makes me feel like seeing my own aspirations become more tangible as you soar higher."

"Brother, thank you."

Su Cen smirked, "No need to thank me. I am also lucky."

The two of them sat down side by side. Lin Zouwu's body was weak and could not sustain physical activities; she would cough after walking a few steps. Suddenly, she said, "At this last moment, there are some things stuck in my heart that make me unhappy. Why don't we exchange our biggest secrets My secret is even unknown to Wang Weiwei and Lin Luoran."

"Mm-hmm. Go ahead," Su Cen nodded.

Lin Zouwu suddenly covered her mouth and whispered, "In the past, I accidentally peeked at Lin Luoran when she was bathing. This is something you can't tell her about; otherwise, I guess I would have been reported to Comrade Lenin Ma earlier."

"I coughed a couple of times," she continued, "In the past, I also stole Wang Weiwei's money. At that time, I really wanted a clay mask, and I happened to see his wallet there. Later on, he was upset and said that Sun Youfu had reached into his wallet again. Haha, now this boy is an Air Force Second Lieutenant in the Yinchuan Sixth Fighter Regiment. Also, you think only Wang Weiwei has secretly liked Ye Huishang That's a summer when we all went to a state guesthouse, and I saw her standing by their car looking bored. What a nice girl! Back then, I already had feelings for her. To put it in Li Pengyu's words, life is as desolate as spilt blood. Of course, this is something you can't tell anyone else either. Now, your turn, I can hardly wait to hear your biggest secret."

Su Cen smiled and said, "Imagine a failed person who has lived aimlessly for thirty-something years, with many regrets in life. He's not wealthy; even at his last moments, he is still struggling for survival, unable to see any hope. Just like the masses of people today. Suddenly one day, he dreams back into the past and returns to those days when he first met all his friends. He is familiar with social changes and knows how to seize opportunities around him. So he strives to challenge fate."

"Are you talking about a clichéd time travel story" Lin Zouwu frowned and said, "I can recommend Back to the Future from 1985 or DreamWorks' Time Bandits for you. Or maybe The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke related to Casimir Effect, or The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene about cosmic strings and time travel theories. But then again, sending a naturally failed person back in time is probably risky; he can't be as versatile as Xiang Shaolong, who would have been killed countless times by history and numerous heroic figures."

Then Lin Zouwu saw Su Cen's smile spread widely, hearing his voice coming from afar say, "I am that failed person in the story."

A kind of unprecedented shock mixed with a hint of horror made Lin Zouwu feel numb and sensed the deep night sky above her as if it could swallow people at any moment.

He just stared blankly at Su Cen, who continued to smile at him, completely unaware how terrifying his smile looked to others.

Does death make one afraid Yes. Then would time also make someone afraid Yes, and perhaps even more so.

In the distance, they heard Lin Luoran's group approaching; she giggled and said, "Are you two playing a back-to-back game"

At this moment, Lin Zouwu seemed to take a deep breath. She widened her eyes and asked, "When will Shenzhou-6 be launched"

Su Cen thought for a moment, "Sometime in October this year; the exact time is uncertain. Shenzhou-7 will be sent into space on September 20th, 2008, and that same year on May 12th, an 8-magnitude earthquake would hit Sichuan, killing ten thousand people. In two years' time, Michael Jackson would die in Los Angeles due to a medical accident. The first nuclear power plant would shut down due to the earthquake causing a reactor shutdown resulting in a nuclear leakage explosion; radioactive particle storms would sweep across the world, becoming one of the three most severe accidents in human history, second only to Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine."

Lin Zouwu's face was quivering and blank, "Do you know that Leslie Cheung will jump from a building"

"I've also seen Chen Kuahsi's pornographic photos," Su Cen said in a way that made one want to hit their head against the wall, "Next year at the German World Cup, Brazil will be eliminated early. Italy will eventually win the final against France and become champions. The top four teams are Italy, France, Germany, and Portugal."

Lin Zouwu suddenly slapped her thigh, pointed at Su Cen, and said excitedly, "I know, I damn knew it! Italy's midfield was weak; Totti's rise made up for this shortcoming. Zidane can win the Ballon d'Or, but France cannot be crowned champions. The champion is Italy, which will lift the World Cup."

That night, Lin Luoran and others found that Lin Zouwu insisted on sleeping with Su Cen, talking all night long.

"Has al-Qaeda been wiped out"

"Old Saddam was sentenced to death after his trial. Al-Lad later also died."

"What about the strong Americans and the Olympics"

"There are some issues, but the overall event was quite successful."

"Did y_'s third album succeed Did Lost conclude What was it about"

"I haven't listened to those things much and I want to sleep now."

"So you knew Tang Wu before, and you already knew her future. Then you changed both of your lives."

Su Cen nodded.

"What about me Do you know anything about me"

"Sorry, in my previous life, I didn't meet any of you."

Lin Zhouwu nodded and said with mixed emotions, "In the past, I was afraid of death, but you taught me that there are many unbelievable things in this world. Maybe death is just another beginning. Thanks to you, I now have a different understanding of life. After this, I will go to America to challenge Death. But if I fail and leave, I want my last moment to be smiling."

In Western Sichuan Province's Rongcheng City, in the villa garden, Su Cen laid out materials he had brought before Wang Bo. Present in the Wang family home was also Wang Weiwei’s mother from the Ministry of Public Security, Jia Ying, whom Su Cen met with back in Xiahai. Despite many years passing, this woman still carried a vibrant and spirited demeanor.

Jia Ying warmly welcomed Su Cen when he entered. Wang Bo had already known about Su Cen's purpose for coming and took the materials handed over by Zhao Changhe from him but didn't move them immediately. He placed them on the table, and Jia Ying quietly observed him. Finally, Wang Bo said, "Regardless of what these materials bring us, whether we can tear open a hole in the dark curtain or struggle to extricate ourselves, at this moment, I cannot let the truth slip through my fingers."

Jia Ying nodded with a smile and said, "If Grandpa were here now, he would definitely say that some people need a good spanking for being uncooperative."

Wang Bo took hold of the materials in his hand finally smiling. "As for being down and out, I've already experienced it back when I was in Xiahai. At worst, I can return to those days again. Besides, my house in Xiahai is still standing so if necessary, I could go there for retirement."

Jia Ying glanced at Wang Bo and said, "When that time comes, we’ll both retire together."

In 2002, Gao Canghai's Xinyuan Group drastically changed its management model, setting up four departments under the headquarters' decision center: collection, extraction, chemical engineering, and sales. From raw material acquisition to product sales, they were all centrally coordinated. Simultaneously, Hunan Xinghua Company was restructured with major shareholders changing from Xinyuan Group to a state-owned investment company to address issues of excessive關聯交易and competition between parent companies.

Before this happened, the top management within Xinyuan Group, China's largest state-owned enterprise, had already reached agreements with several capital giants. They heavily invested in stocks under Xinyuan Group, enabling these capital giants indirect entry into restricted rare resource industries like oil refining and chemical engineering. If policies relaxed, they could seize opportunities to become major private enterprises.

Su Cen explained to Wang Bo that among these entities was one with local Hunan connections. They were uncertain how many listed companies under Xinyuan Group were involved in this incident or the extent of secret fund transfers by shell companies but understood that Hunan Xinghua Company was just part of a larger scheme.

Zhao Changhe had threatened to expose illegal control and manipulation through associated information, possibly involving unresolved benefit distribution issues. Mistakenly, Zhao Changhe didn't realize who he was threatening. Given the actions of Xinyuan Group, it could mean that even the China Securities Regulatory Commission would be implicated in this massive entanglement. Those involved wouldn't allow Zhao Changhe to tear down everything. Now whether Zhao Changhe is missing or dead remains unknown, but he had preemptively locked materials under his savings book cabinet and warned his son Zhao Zhibin not to disclose them.

Wang Bo carefully read through the entire document with a growing heaviness on his face then handed it over to Jia Ying beside him. "Can the Ministry of Public Security immediately open an investigation based on this material"

Jia Ying nodded, saying, "We will promptly establish an investigative team and have Hunan Provincial Public Security Bureau assist in the inquiry. This matter involves a wide scope. If it indeed reaches such proportions, some top private enterprises might be implicated behind the scenes. The Ministry of Public Security will thoroughly investigate while simultaneously reporting to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection's Secretary Cao. First, we must secure Gao Canghai of Xinyuan Group. In recent years, Secretary Cao has repeatedly approached Gao Canghai urging him to address economic irregularities and violations, seeking leniency through cooperation and warning against forming alliances or leaving Beijing. However, Gao Canghai is domineering; sometimes the Central Commission's advice goes unheeded. If we can't act decisively this time, the Gao family might manipulate things to remove themselves from trouble."

"Absolutely cannot let them escape. Jia Ying, you coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security and report these materials to the CCDI; with your connections, even Secretary Cao must pay attention. I'll head to Beijing to prevent them from setting up defenses so they don't get away clean. They have too many methods for that." Wang Bo rose, took out his phone to contact someone who could handle these documents, then looked at Su Cen and narrowed his eyes. "Su Cen, you're deeply involved; it's best just to observe and protect yourself."

Su Cen was moved by this, clearly understanding that Wang Bo knew the nature of the approaching battle and how uncertain their adversaries might be in preserving their interests.

"If I could avoid being entangled, I would have long ago. But this is a historic moment; there's no way I can stand aside." Su Cen dialed a call then told Wang Bo and Jia Ying, "I need to immediately go to the US."but unusually remained silent.Guo Su Can glanced at him without blaming Xue Yiyang for his silence. He understood that Xue Yiyang knew who the provocateurs were; sometimes, tolerance in Shiyi High mea...