Winner Takes All

Title: 谁把谁当真 (Winner Takes All)

Author：水千丞 (ShuiQianCheng)

Translator: 月野 見事 (TsukinoMigoto)

Protagonists ：黎朔 (LiShuo), 赵锦辛 (ZhaoJinXin)

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On his way back home, Li Shuo road-raged after someone because of his restlessness. He had been driving for so many years and he had never gone to such extreme even when someone scratched his car. He realized that it was not safe to drive in this state so he called Xiao Chen over.

After paying the money, Xiao Chen got into the driver seat and looked at Li Shuo’s distressed look. He sighed: “Mr. Li, if you have to go out during this period, ask a driver to pick you up. I think you are in a pretty bad condition.”

“Um.”

“As for Xu Darui, let’s call the police if it doesn’t work. He is blackmailing you. You really don’t need to be so kind.”

“……what?”

“Xu Darui.”

Li Shuo only reacted after two seconds: “Oh, forget it. Handle it low-key, but as the last resort, if he tries again next time, he can only see the police.” At this point of time, Xiao Chen didn’t know Xu Darui had threatened Li Shuo with the recording. If he knew, he may be more nervous than him.

Xiao Chen sighed again: “Mr. Li, am I to take you home?”

“Yes.”

On the way, Li Shuo finally recovered a bit from Zhao Jinxin’s affairs. He asked: “Have you contacted Xu Darui these two days?”

“He texts me and calls me every day to ask for money.” Xiao Chen curled his lips in disdain, “really not worthy of sympathy. ”

“Well, hold him steady.” Li Shuo pressed his eyebrows wearily.

“Mr. Li, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?”

“I’m fine.” Li Shuo leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and kept thinking about everything that had happened in Zhao Jinxin’s office.

In fact, he is not sure at all. The reason why the information was thrown away was because he had forged at least half of the contents based on the existing information, and Zhao Jinxin could puncture it after checking. Sure enough, as he expected, in that situation, it was impossible for Zhao Jinxin to distinguish the authenticity of the information, and his goal was achieved.

But he can’t feel the slightest joy.

He even began to wonder if he was doing this right.

If Shao Qun did not show up at the time and faced Zhao Jinxin who was crying and begging, what would he do? He didn’t know, he couldn’t imagine what would have gone down.

He only knew that he didn’t want to see Zhao Jinxin’s tears.

Li Shuo was stagnant at home for a few days. He didn’t want to go out or see anyone. He wanted to call Wen Xiaohui to explain, but he didn’t know what to say, and he felt ashamed so he couldn’t tell him the truth.

In the end, Cheng Sheng became the first person to talk to him these days. Cheng Sheng is going back to the United States. He is looking for a meal, and he has to bring both the Chang brothers to get to know him.

Li Shuo has no objection. As usual, the overall enthusiasm is to pull the blind date sooner or later. Cheng Sheng would be there so there should be less embarrassment. After all, he is not in the mood to take the initiative to socialize.

When he arrived at the diner, Cheng Sheng complained as soon as he saw him: “Why don’t you dress well? With such heavy dark circles, where did you go last night?”

Li Shuo smiled wryly: “I was a bit busy.”

“They are coming soon.” Cheng Sheng pressed his fist against Li Shuo’s shoulder, “You must be up for your energy and be worthy of the bull I made you out to be.”

“What bullshit did you blow?”

“I’m blowing you a very handsome and elegant gentleman in the industry. But you don’t want to get your hair done, and you won’t give me face.” Cheng Sheng played with Li Shuo’s hair unceremoniously.

Li Shuo slapped his hand away: “I’ve said it all, I’m really not in the mood to start a relationship now, don’t make me have a fuss with you for a while.”

“What are you doing… Don’t be so decadent, okay? You’re not like the Li Shuo I know at all.”

Li Shuo shook his head and laughed at himself: “I just need some time to change back to the Li Shuo you used to know.”

Cheng Sheng decided to look at him for a long while and sighed: “Okay, but, really, you can be sorry for anyone, just don’t be sorry for yourself.”

Li Shuo smiled: “Okay.”

At this time, Chang Wenwu led a person into the restaurant.

Li Shuo turned his head to look and suddenly had a good feeling for the young man who was smiling from the distance.

“Mr. Li, Cheng Sheng.” Chang Wenwu laughed and pressed the shoulders of the two of them, “Sorry to be late.”

“It’s okay, we have just arrived.” Li Shuo said that he was about to get up.

“Don’t get up and sit down.” Chang Wenwu pointed to the person he had brought, “Come on, let me introduce you, this is my younger brother called Chang Wenyou, who teaches chemistry at No.9 Middle School. Wenyou, this is President Li, Li Shuo.”

Chang Wenyou smiled slightly, his little white teeth were as neat as a braided shell. He is sunny and handsome, “President Li, Brother Cheng Sheng, Happy New Year.”

“Happy New year, Happy New year.”

Li Shuo smiled and stretched out his hand: “Nice to meet you.”

While shaking hands, Chang Wenyou looked at Li Shuo generously, with undisguised affection in his eyes, but when he met Li Shuo, he was obviously a little shy, and his shy smile brought up a cute little dimple.

Chang Wenwu is very good at selling his brother. He is complimenting his younger brother without a trace during the dinner and he is humorous. Although Cheng Sheng assured Li Shuo that he won’t make him uncomfortable, he still ridiculed him from time to time. Fortunately, Li Shuo is comfortable, and the atmosphere is not awkward, but harmonious.

Chang Wenyou has an outgoing personality, loves sports and reading, and has a wide range of experiences. He is a very likable young man. Before the change, Li Shuo would be happy to get along with him, but now he has no such thoughts at all.

After eating, they exchanged contact information.

After bidding farewell to the two brothers of the Chang family, Li Shuo went to a bar with Cheng Sheng to sit down and talk with him.

The two of them didn’t go to a gay bar this time. They picked a nearby one. They just want to chat, and drink.

Cheng Sheng is still unwilling to enlighten him. He understands Cheng Sheng’s feelings very well. As a friend who has known each other for almost 20 years, this is indeed his most abnormal time. Even if he broke up with Han Feiye, it is far less painful than it is now.

The two were drinking and talking and it had turn late at night without them realizing it.

“I toast to you.” Li Shuo raised the cup, “You have to catch a plane tomorrow, so you should go back to rest.”

Cheng Sheng touched the cup with him: “I don’t know when we will meet again next time, take care of yourself.”

“The same to you.”

The two lift their cups up and drink.

Li Shuo called a substitute driver. He first sent Cheng Sheng back to his residence and then sent himself home.

After stopping the car, Li Shuo tightened his coat and walked towards his home. When a cold wind blew, he couldn’t help but shrink his neck.

At this time and at this temperature, there is actually a small couple walking the dog. The girl’s hand was held by the boy and put in her pocket. The two talked and laughed, seemingly not afraid of the cold and darkness.

Li Shuo smiled faintly, and walked past quickly.

While passing through the community park, Li Shuo vaguely saw four or five men standing in the pavilion, with clouds and mists in their mouths and cigarette butts on the ground, which did not look like people in the community.

When Li Shuo approached, those people seemed to have spotted him too and looked at him.

Li Shuo was alert and slowed down. He squinted his eyes, looked at the people in the dark, and vaguely found a familiar figure.

Is it…

Those few people came over.

Li Shuo’s heart tightened. The man with a bald head and a bruised face walking on a slight slope is Xu Darui who he has not seen for many years! The men next to them looked like bad company.

Li Shuo stopped, put his hand in his pocket, and grabbed the phone. He set the emergency alarm button.

A few people walked up to Li Shuo. They looked at Li Shuo up and down unceremoniously.

One of them crooked his mouth and smiled: “Li, hello.”

Li Shuo nodded: “Your name?”

The man chuckled, “Just call me Lao Diao.” He pushed Xu Darui forward, “Do you know this brother?”

Li Shuo looked at Xu Darui, even though he knew that Xu Darui was now impoverished, but when he saw it, he was still full of emotion. The big boss with high spirits and outrageous laughter was completely different from the old man who was described as haggard and wincing. Xu Darui was only in his early fifties, but he seemed to be about the same age as his dad.

Li Shuo felt pitiful and hateful towards him in his heart.

Li Shuo said lightly: “Brother Xu, how did you find my house?”

Xu Darui glanced at Li Shuo, his eyes appeared to be quite complicated. There was a hint of guilt, shame and also resentment. He slowly said, “I followed Assistant Chen.”

“What about the purpose?”

“…money.” Xu Darui said mechanically, and his whole body was like a plant that had failed, without any anger.

“I said, I will give you the money, but it will take some time.” Li Shuo looked at Lao Diao and said indifferently, “You brought so many people here, are you trying to provoke me?”

Lao Diao grinned: “Mr. Li, don’t say that, how dare we provoke a big boss like you? We, we just want to get our money back soon. It is justifiable to kill people and pay off debts, right?”

“I will pay off the money in five installments, and I can’t spend that much at once.”

“Don’t make fun of me, Mr. Li. Your office rents a monthly office of hundreds of thousands. If you live in this kind of place and drive such a good car, you can’t get millions of dollars?”

Li Shuo narrowed his eyes and emphasized: “1.3 million, and another 1.3 million is left. I will pay it back in batches. I can’t spend that much money. Whether you believe it or not.”

Old Diao smiled: “Mr. Li, we have interest, otherwise what do we lend to others? For charity? Now the interest has risen to… well, let’s make a whole, 6 million.”

Li Shuo looked at him coldly: “What did you say?”

Lao Diao made a “six” gesture: “6 million. You have also seen what it will become when a person enters the prison and comes out. People like Mr. Li are really not suitable for that kind of place, so, we will help you keep the secret.”

Li Shuo glared at Xu Darui fiercely.

Xu Darui dodged his eyes, and he trembled: “If you give me the money earlier, it won’t be like this… They are going to cut my hand, I can’t…”

Lao Diao shook the phone, and the recording of Xu Darui and Li Shuo was played on the phone. It was clear, and it was particularly ear-piercing in the quiet community.

Li Shuo looked at Lao Diao blankly: “Before that, you were collecting debts, and it was reasonable. From now on, you are extortion. You are not reasonable enough.”

“How can this be called extortion?” Lao Diao laughed and said, “We are collecting debts.” He took out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, “Look clearly, this is the contract that Xu Darui signed with us. You give us 6 million, between us is settled. As for the grievances between you and Xu Darui, it doesn’t matter to us. Anyway, we find him to get the money, he finds you to get money and blackmail… That’s what he blackmailed you. We only want money.”

Li Shuo said coldly: “I will only give you 1.3 million, no more points.”

Lao Diao sneered: “6 million, you have already paid 300,000, and there is still a shortfall of 5.7 million. I will give you a week to collect the money, otherwise, for him, I will cut and sell his useful parts. You… this means as if you’re doing it yourself.”

Lao Diao picked up Xu Darui’s collar: “Let’s go.”

Li Shuo clenched his fists, his eyes bloodshot raging anger.

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Next update: 2022/03/07 (on knoxt), 2022/03/09 (on wattpad)