Winner Takes All

As soon as he arrived at Ennan, Li Shuo went straight to Zhao Jinxin’s the office. He especially wore a solemn black suit to cover up the turbulent undercurrent in his own heart.

Zhao Jinxin’s secretary saw him and stood up from his seat: “Mr. Li, you can immediately go into Mr. Zhao’s office.”

“Okay.”

“He went to a meeting to talk to the representative of Hongyun Capital.”

“Hongyun Capital? Is it Mr. Zhou?”

The secretary led Li Shuo into the office: “Yes, can you sit in the office for a while, what would you like to drink?”

“Coffee, thank you.” Zhou Jinxing is here? Zhao Jinxin did not say that he was in a hurry to come to the company for a meeting with Zhou Jinxing. He and Zhou Jinxing hadn’t seen each other for more than a month, and they only paid New Year’s greetings by phone during the Chinese New Year.

Li Shuo sat on the sofa and looked at Zhao Jinxin’s office. Unlike the mahogany and leather office in Ennan Headquarters in New York, this office has Zhao Jinxin’s personal style. Modern craftsmanship based on metal and glass is the main theme of the decoration, and there are many unique artworks displayed.

Li Shuo’s gaze fell from the mural to the desk, and finally stopped on the unfolded suitcase next to the desk.

He walked over and picked up a very famous clan-like outer box in the box. It was familiar to him. It was the Chinese zodiac sheep handicraft that he gave to Zhao Jinxin at the beginning. The suitcase seemed to have been opened in a hurry. There were only two sets of clothes and a few daily necessities inside it. This piece of brocade, plus the outer box, took up almost half of the box.

Zhao Jinxin brought this back specially…

Li Shuo passed through the translucent outer box and stared at the gorgeous pattern on the brocade for a long time before slowly putting the box back in its place.

As he got up, he caught a glimpse of two photo frames on the desk. One was Zhao Jinxin and his parents, the other was with him… It was when they were in Qiandao Lake. They held Ann and Bee and they looked almost pasted together. His face and bright smile can sting people’s eyes.

Li Shuo was upset and turn the photo frame upside down on the table.

He sat back on the sofa, clutched the corner of the document folder tightly in his hand, closed his eyes, and silently read the “Ksitigarbha’s Original Wish Sutra” in his heart.

Slowly, his mind calmed down.

He doesn’t know how long it took when the office door was finally pushed open.

Li Shuo opened his eyes.

Zhao Jinxin walked in with a smile on his face: “You are here. Have you waited for a long time?”

“It wasn’t long.” Li Shuo rubbed his brows with his fingers, “Where is Mr. Zhou? Has he gone back?”

“He went back,” Zhao Jinxin said cleanly.

“Why didn’t you tell me he is here so I can say hello to him?”

“Why do you want me to tell you?” Zhao Jinxin curled his lips, “I wish you would never see him again.”

Li Shuo frowned: “Don’t you think you are making troubles unreasonably?”

“Really… It may be because you have never explained what your relationship with Zhou Jinxing is to me. Even if it is one word of assurance could already make me feel at ease.”

Li Shuo took a deep breath: “What can I explain to you?”

Zhao Jinxin narrowed his eyes: “Even if I misunderstand, it doesn’t matter to you, right? I don’t even deserve an explanation.”

Li Shuo closed his eyes, he wanted to end it all.

“Okay, I don’t want to fight with you.” Zhao Jinxin wiped his face, “It’s almost time for lunch, I’ll take you to eat something delicious.”

“No need.” Li Shuo stood up and threw the document folder in his hand on the coffee table, “I’m here to talk to you today to discuss business.”

Zhao Jinxin looked at the document with a bad premonition rising in his heart: “What is this?”

“Just open it and take a look.”

“I don’t want to look.” Zhao Jinxin said irritably.

“Okay, I’ll read it for you.” Li Shuo opened the file bag and flipped through the thick pile of materials. “These things took me a lot of work, um… it took me a lot to find some materials. A lot of money. As far as four years ago, the Ennan Group had some evidence of tax evasion, false reporting of quotas, stock manipulation, black box tendering, bribery, false accounts, and violation of the Import and Export Quarantine Law.”

Zhao Jinxin’s face changed suddenly, and his fists clenched unconsciously.

“This time, I was in a hurry and could not find a lot of evidence that is strong enough.” Li Shuo moved his lips expressionlessly, “but the media doesn’t need such conclusive evidence, right? Any exposure of these things can make your stock jump off the cliff. At that time, there will naturally be qualified institutions to investigate.”

Zhao Jinxin stared at Li Shuo viciously, his body trembling slightly.

“You gave me a document folder, I return to you a document folder, isn’t it fair?” Li Shuo said solemnly, “Zhao Jinxin, do you really think I am a lamb to be slaughtered? I promised you at first, just because I was worried about my dad’s condition. It’s extremely stupid and ridiculous that you have to do such a detrimental thing to others. I will not accompany you to fool around, but if you really dare to continue doing stupid things, I will fight with you to the end.”

“Yes, I am stupid, I am ridiculous… In your eyes, I must be like a lunatic.” Zhao Jinxin’s voice trembled more and more, his eyes were fierce and sad, like a beast that was forced to a desperate situation.

“You are a lunatic.” With a wave from Li Shuo’s hand, the pile of materials flew out, falling like snowflakes in between them.

At that moment, the air seemed to freeze, and the surrounding temperature dropped sharply, like a cold winter. Li Shuo looked into Zhao Jinxin’s eyes, his chest hurting so much, “You did what I hate the most. You and Shao Qun are worthy to be brothers, but he,… at least, is more devoted than you.”

“Do you really think that I will hurt your father…” Zhao Jinxin’s eyes were blood red, “I just can’t help it. I explained, I apologized, I desperately wanted you to believe in me again, but you… You… Damn it, why are you so cruel?” Zhao Jinxin’s eyes were full of tears, and they gradually became blurred so that he could not see anything. He wished that time could turn back, he would prevent himself from doing all the stupid things, he would hold Li Shuo firmly and never let go.

Li Shuo bit his lip lightly, his sight suddenly became frozen, nowhere to go. At the very least, he didn’t dare to see Zhao Jinxin’s tears. He desperately reminded himself that this poor Zhao Jinxin was pretending. After all, he had seen all the bad aspects of this man, tasted those fangs and claws, and how can he believe in the seemingly harmless appearance before him.

Li Shuo lowered his heavy head, stepped on the snow-white paper step by step to head for the door.

Zhao Jinxin hugged Li Shuo fiercely, and with the brutal force that seemed to embed him in his body, his voice became so painful, “Li Shuo, I beg you, I beg you. Don’t go. Trust me again. Just once. Trust me again, I am willing to do everything for you. I love you. Don’t go…” Zhao Jinxin cried out aggrievedly like a child.

Li Shuo’s eyes widened, desperately holding back the tears that filled his eyes. He raised his arm, patted Zhao Jinxin’s back lightly, and said in a hushed voice, “When you grow up to the point where you can bear the promise of a lifetime, you will meet the destined person by then. But unfortunately, that person won’t be me anymore.”

At this moment, Li Shuo couldn’t realize more strongly how much he actually liked Zhao Jinxin, so much that he became a coward, because he was too afraid to lose and dare not own his own feelings. After all, he had confidently planted his trust twice. He couldn’t trust Zhao Jinxin anymore and couldn’t bear the heartbreak again, so he made the most sensible choice.

Between them, only this can be done.

Li Shuo tried to push Zhao Jinxin away, but Zhao Jinxin hugged him tighter without saying a word.

“Jin Xin…”

“Don’t go, don’t go.” Zhao Jinxin let out a bloody voice, “I will tie you up. I will lock you up. Don’t go… Please don’t go…”

Li Shuo gradually felt that his body was losing strength with unspeakable anger, resentment, and heartache poured into his heart, too heavy, as if the whole person was being dragged into the abyss of darkness by some kind of power.

It is just a relationship, why can it hurt so much? He doesn’t need to use extreme pain to verify the so-called ‘true love’, he doesn’t want this shit ‘true love’, it hurts too much, he dare not ask for it…

Li Shuo began to struggle hard, as if what was holding him was not the warm arms he once liked, but only vines covered with thorns, the tighter he was held, the more blood was spilled.

Both of them fell into an unprecedented madness, desperate like a swamp, wanting to drown people.

Suddenly, the office door was pushed open.

The sudden intruder also broke the suffocating barrier in an instant. Both of them were stunned and looked at the incoming person stiffly.

He is Shao Qun.

Shao Qun who he hasn’t seen for a long time.

Shao Qun looked at them in shock and looked at the mess all over the place. He took a deep breath, closed the door with his hand, rubbed his hair vigorously, and said in a deep voice, “What the fuck are you two doing?”

Li Shuo took advantage of Zhao Jinxin’s stunned moment, and forced to break free of the restraints, and lifted his foot to leave.

Shao Qun stopped in front of Li Shuo, staring at him viciously.

To the person he hated most, Li Shuo didn’t even have the strength to express his disgust. He said weakly, “Step aside.”

“My brother is crying, haven’t you seen it?” Shao Qun gritted his teeth.

“I saw it. You should take full responsibility.” Li Shuo smiled an extremely unpleasant smile, “It was you at the beginning who brought him to my side. Now you take him away.”

Shao Qun’s expression seemed to turn cannibalistic: “You say that again.”

Li Shuo articulated the words again one by one: “I don’t want him. Take him away.”

Shao Qun raised his fist, wanting to smash it towards Li Shuo. Li Shuo saw that the fist was about to fall, but he didn’t even have the strength to dodge. He seemed to have been drained of energy.

A black figure rushed over and with one hand, held Shao Qun’s arm.

Zhao Jinxin clutched Shao Qun’s shoulder tightly, and tremblingly said, “Don’t…”

“Are you a fucking idiot?!” Shao Qun roared, “You see who he is. This is Li Shuo!”

“I know. He is Li Shuo.” Zhao Jinxin slowly lowered his head, pressed against Shao Qun’s shoulder, and whispered, “He is Li Shuo.”

Li Shuo clenched his fists and left without looking back.

There are only two brothers left in the office and the room was engulfed in silence.

Shao Qun clenched his fists over and over, his face was red with anger, and his hostility was daunting. He gritted his teeth and said, “Zhao Jinxin, what’s wrong with you? how can you be at such a state?”

“…I like him. Brother, I like him.” Zhao Jinxin hugged Shao Qun, as if praying to an indescribable faith, as if he would get a response as long as he said ‘like’ over and over again.

Shao Qun sighed heavily: “Damn, it’s my fault. Why did I let you play with him…” He was so regretful that he wanted to kill someone.

Zhao Jinxin looked hollowly at the papers on the floor and said quietly: “Brother, I want to hide him away. Only I can see him in the world.”

Shao Qun was silent.