Chapter 1040: The Face Behind the Smoke
Chapter 1040: The Face Behind the Smoke
The afternoon sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of De L’amour, casting a warm glow across Yue Ling’s office.
Lu Tian had finished adjusting the cuffs of his newly acquired black suit while Yue Ling returned to reviewing the documents on her desk.
He glanced at the time.
It was almost time for him to return to Lu Corps.
However, before leaving, there was something he wanted to discuss.
"Wife."
Yue Ling didn’t look up from her documents.
"Hmm?"
"You mentioned wanting to visit City Z."
Her pen paused and she lifted her head to look at him.
Then she smiled faintly.
"I did."
"When do you want to leave?"
Yue Ling leaned back in her chair and considered his question.
"I was thinking about tomorrow."
Lu Tian nodded without hesitation.
"Alright. I’ll have Xu Long clear my schedule and prepare the jet."
Yue Ling blinked.
"Tian, you don’t have to do all that."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Why not?"
"There’s no need to trouble yourself with rearranging your schedule. I can take a regular flight and you meet me there when you’re done with work."
Lu Tian walked around her desk and stopped beside her chair. He rested one hand against the armrest and leaned closer.
"Yue Ling."
She looked up.
"What?"
His dark eyes stared into her bluish-green ones.
"What is the point of owning a private jet if I don’t use it?"
He leaned slightly closer towards her.
"And why would I let my wife travel alone?"
Yue Ling stared at him.
For several seconds, she couldn’t find a suitable response.
Then she laughed.
"You always have an answer for everything."
"Only when my wife is being unreasonable."
Her eyes widened.
"I’m being unreasonable?"
Lu Tian smiled.
"Very."
She playfully smacked his arm.
"Lu Tian!"
He chuckled before gently catching her hand.
"Besides, I promised to accompany you."
His expression softened.
"Whatever you need to do in City Z, I’ll be there."
Yue Ling’s smile gradually became tender. She knew this trip wasn’t merely about visiting old friends.
There were people she wanted to see.
Memories she needed to revisit.
And graves she had been putting off visiting for far too long.
Lu Tian understood without requiring her to explain.
That alone meant more than she could express.
"Alright," she finally whispered. "We’ll go tomorrow together."
He smiled.
"Good."
Lowering his head, he pressed a gentle kiss against her lips.
"I’ll pick you up after work."
Yue Ling nodded.
"Don’t work too late."
"Only if you promise the same."
She laughed.
"I’ll try."
Lu Tian gave her one last kiss before reluctantly stepping away.
"See you tonight, wife."
"See you tonight, husband."
He left her office with a faint smile.
And just as promised, when evening arrived, he returned to De L’amour to pick her up.
The two drove home together, enjoying a peaceful night away from the demands of their companies.
Neither knew that elsewhere in Imperial, the people closest to Yue Ling were preparing to walk into a far more dangerous night.
Night had settled over Imperial when Liu Shan arrived at his bungalow.
The lights were already on.
Several familiar vehicles were parked outside, and through the living room windows, he could see figures moving around inside.
He entered and closed the door behind him.
"Everyone’s here?"
Lin Hui looked up from the couch.
"Almost."
Liu Shan glanced around.
Qi Li sat near the coffee table, examining something on his tablet.
Tang Zhonghui stood beside the window.
Ju Suo and Lian Ni Shang occupied another couch, while Shan Sinan leaned against the wall.
The twins, Gui Tian Lan and Gui Zhongmin, were discussing something quietly near the dining area.
Only one person was missing.
"Xu Long?"
Lin Hui asked as he walked up to the assistant. He expected them to arrive together.
"He called earlier."
Liu Shan explained, removing his coat.
"Something came up. He’ll join us later."
He figured since Yue Ling and Lu Tian were leaving for City Z in the morning, Xu Long must have been assigned some tasks.
Tang Zhonghui glanced at the clock.
"Then we shouldn’t waste time waiting."
Liu Shan nodded.
"Agreed."
He walked toward the coffee table and placed several documents beside Qi Li’s tablet.
"We’re running out of time."
The room grew quiet.
Everyone understood what he meant.
Lu Tian was already suspicious.
And if the King of Hell decided that he had waited long enough, their investigation would no longer remain a secret.
Liu Shan looked toward Lin Hui.
"You and Tang Zhonghui will return to the massage parlor."
Lin Hui straightened.
"The one near De L’amour?"
"Yes."
Liu Shan nodded.
"See whether the man who was following Choi Li Sun shows up again. If he does, don’t approach him immediately."
Tang Zhonghui folded his arms.
"You want us to follow him?"
"Only if it’s safe. Find out where he goes and where he’s staying."
Lin Hui nodded.
"Understood."
Liu Shan turned toward Ju Suo, Lian Ni Shang, and Shan Sinan.
"You three will investigate the lounge bar."
Ju Suo raised an eyebrow.
"The one where Qi Li got ambushed?"
"That’s the one."
Lian Ni Shang glanced toward Qi Li.
"Any chance the same men are still hanging around?"
Qi Li adjusted his rimless glasses.
"Unlikely. But someone there might remember Choi Li Sun."
Shan Sinan nodded.
"We’ll see what we can find."
"Be discreet," Liu Shan warned. "That place isn’t as harmless as it looks."
He turned toward Qi Li.
"You’ll return to Retro."
Qi Li looked up.
"Red Militant?"
"Yes."
Liu Shan’s expression hardened.
"We destroyed their organization, but I want you to search the remains of their base again. There might be something we overlooked."
Qi Li considered his words.
"Records? Hidden compartments?"
"Anything. Liu Peng escaped for a reason. If he had connections to Choi Li Sun before the purge, there might still be evidence."
Qi Li nodded.
"I’ll take another look."
Finally, Liu Shan turned toward the twins.
"Gui Tian Lan. Gui Zhongmin."
Both men straightened.
"Glory," Liu Shan said.
The atmosphere shifted.
"You two will go as planned and find out everything you can about Choi Li Sun. Who he’s meeting, who he’s working with, and whether anyone has seen him recently."
Gui Tian Lan exchanged a glance with his brother.
"We can handle that."
Liu Shan’s gaze sharpened.
"Remember. That place is not to be underestimated."
Gui Zhongmin smiled faintly.
"We got it."
Lin Hui studied Liu Shan for a moment.
Then he crossed his arms.
"And what about you?"
Liu Shan looked at him.
"What?"
"You’ve assigned everyone else somewhere to investigate."
Lin Hui tilted his head.
"What are you going to do?"
Liu Shan was silent for a moment.
Then he exhaled.
"I’m going to see those three men Xu Long mentioned."
Lin Hui raised an eyebrow.
"You know where they are?"
Liu Shan nodded.
"It wasn’t difficult to find them."
Tang Zhonghui frowned thoughtfully.
"Assistant Xu said they’re from City Z."
He paused.
"Do we know them?"
The room fell quiet.
Every pair of eyes turned toward Liu Shan.
He looked at his teammates.
Then took a deep breath.
"It’s Qin Jun, Song Jing Li, and Kira."
Silence.
For several seconds, no one spoke.
The names were painfully familiar.
People they had known in City Z.
People connected to a past they had believed was finally behind them.
Lin Hui slowly leaned back against the couch.
"Damn."
Tang Zhonghui rubbed his forehead.
"It had to be them."
Ju Suo looked between the two men.
"You’re serious?"
Liu Shan nodded.
"All three are in Imperial."
Qi Li removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"That complicates things."
"More than you know," Liu Shan muttered.
Lin Hui looked at him.
"How long have you known?"
Liu Shan hesitated.
"Since I first located them in Imperial a while ago."
Tang Zhonghui frowned.
"And you didn’t tell us?"
"At the time, I didn’t think it was necessary."
Liu Shan sat down.
"When I first found them, they asked me to help locate someone."
"Who?" Lin Hui asked.
"Choi Li Sun."
The room became even quieter.
Liu Shan continued.
"They said they had come from City Z to find him. I helped them gather some information, but I didn’t ask too many questions."
"Why not?" Qi Li asked.
Liu Shan lowered his gaze.
"Because I didn’t want Boss involved."
Lin Hui sighed.
"And now?"
"Now I regret not asking more."
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"I should have known something was wrong when they refused to explain why they were looking for him."
Tang Zhonghui frowned.
"Qin Jun isn’t someone who would travel all the way to Imperial without a serious reason."
"Exactly," Liu Shan replied.
"And with Choi Li Sun deliberately changing his appearance to resemble Lee Shin..."
He stopped.
The unfinished sentence hung heavily in the room.
No one needed him to continue.
They all understood what was at stake.
Qin Jun and Lee Shin shared a bond as strong as brothers, despite having no blood relation.
Their brotherhood was built on loyalty, trust, and years of shared experiences.
If they were here in Imperial, it meant they had a strong connection to their search for Choi Li Sun.
Lin Hui slowly stood.
"Well, we better get going."
He looked around the room.
"We don’t have much time left."
Everyone nodded.
The team began gathering their belongings.
Before leaving, Lin Hui turned toward Liu Shan.
"Get everything you can from those three."
His expression was unusually grave.
"Right now, we need every piece of information available."
Liu Shan nodded.
"I know."
He looked toward the rest of Alpha Team.
"Stay vigilant. The places you’re going tonight can be dangerous."
His gaze settled on the twins.
"Especially Glory."
Gui Tian Lan smiled.
"Don’t worry."
Gui Zhongmin nodded beside him.
"We’ve got this."
Liu Shan studied them for another moment.
Then sighed.
"Just don’t do anything reckless."
Lin Hui chuckled.
"You’re asking the wrong people."
Despite himself, Liu Shan smiled faintly.
One by one, the members of Alpha Team left the bungalow.
Soon, only Liu Shan remained.
He stood in the quiet living room, staring at the documents scattered across the coffee table.
Then he reached for his keys and walked out of his home.
Deep within Retro, the night was far from peaceful.
The streets were crowded with people who preferred the darkness to daylight.
Luxury cars lined the roads.
Drunken laughter spilled from bars and private clubs.
Men with dangerous reputations moved freely through the district, conducting business that would never survive beneath the scrutiny of the law.
And at the center of it all stood Glory.
From the outside, Glory resembled an extravagant nightclub.
Music thundered through its walls. Colored lights flashed behind tinted windows.
Beautiful women and men passed through its guarded entrance.
But those familiar with the underworld knew the truth.
Glory was more than a nightclub.
It was a place where information was bought and sold.
Where alliances were formed.
Where enemies negotiated temporary peace.
And where the dirtiest transactions took place behind closed doors.
Tonight, the atmosphere was particularly restless.
The destruction of Red Militant had left a power vacuum in Retro.
Rumors were still spreading.
Old alliances were weakening.
And countless people were scrambling to claim whatever remained.
Through the crowded street, Ji Chu Hua approached Glory’s entrance.
She wore a fitted dark coat over an elegant dress, her brown hair falling neatly over her shoulders.
A security guard recognized her immediately.
"Miss Ji."
She gave him a brief glance.
"Is he here?"
The guard nodded.
"Yes."
Without another word, he stepped aside.
Ji Chu Hua entered.
The deafening music greeted her immediately.
She wrinkled her nose at the mixture of alcohol, cigarette smoke, and expensive perfume.
Men and women crowded the dance floor.
Some laughed drunkenly.
Others whispered in secluded corners.
Ji Chu Hua ignored them.
She knew exactly where she was going.
As she moved through the crowd, a drunken man stumbled into her path.
"Hey, beautiful."
He grinned.
"Want to spend the night with me?"
Ji Chu Hua gave him a disgusted look.
"Get lost."
The man laughed.
"Come on. I’ll pay you well."
Her expression turned icy.
"Touch me, and you’ll regret it."
Something in her voice made him hesitate.
Ji Chu Hua brushed past him without another glance.
She climbed the staircase leading toward the private rooms.
The music grew muffled, though the bass still vibrated through the walls.
Several closed doors lined the corridor.
Behind them, conversations were hidden beneath the noise of the nightclub.
Some rooms hosted private parties for sexual entertainment.
Others concealed meetings between people whose names rarely appeared in public.
Ji Chu Hua continued toward the far end.
She had been here before.
More times than she cared to admit.
And she knew that the man waiting inside was not someone who appreciated being kept waiting.
Reaching the last door, she stopped.
Then turned the handle.
She didn’t knock.
She never had.
The door swung open.
A thick cloud of cigarette smoke drifted into the corridor.
Ji Chu Hua frowned.
Then she heard it.
A man’s low groan.
A woman’s breathless voice.
Her expression darkened.
’You’ve got to be kidding me.’
She stepped inside.
The private room was dimly lit. Dark red leather furniture surrounded a polished coffee table, while expensive bottles of liquor lined the shelves behind a miniature bar.
A bulky man dressed in a black suit sat on a stool, calmly drinking.
He didn’t turn when Ji Chu Hua entered.
Instead, his attention remained fixed on the loveseat across the room.
Ji Chu Hua followed his gaze.
Two figures were entangled on the dark red leather.
A man reclined against the backrest while a woman straddled his lap, their intimacy making it clear that neither had expected—or cared about—an interruption.
Let alone the eyes of the other man in the room.
Ji Chu Hua’s face twisted with displeasure.
But her attention quickly shifted away from the woman.
Her eyes settled on the man.
His head was tilted back.
Shoulder-length blond hair framed his handsome face.
His eyes were half-lidded, his expression one of lazy satisfaction.
Then he noticed her.
His gaze shifted toward the doorway.
A slow smirk curled across his lips.
"You’re here."
His voice was low.
Amused.
"Faster than I had hoped."
Ji Chu Hua’s jaw tightened.
"It seems I’ve arrived at a bad time."
She didn’t turn around but stepped farther inside.
"Sun."
Choi Li Sun chuckled.
The woman on his lap barely acknowledged Ji Chu Hua’s arrival. Instead, her movements sped up.
Ji Chu Hua scoffed irritably as the loveseat creaked louder with each passing movement.
She was about to make another cutting remark when her gaze finally settled on Choi Li Sun’s face.
The words died on her lips.
Her steps faltered.
For a moment, she forgot what she intended to say.
That face...
She stared.
She had known Choi Li Sun was undergoing procedures to alter his appearance.
After all, she had helped arrange most of the process.
She had even seen the photograph he had chosen as his reference.
But she had never expected the result to be so convincing.
The shape of his face.
His eyes.
The curve of his lips.
Every carefully reconstructed feature resembled the man in the photograph.
The resemblance was almost perfect.
Only the jagged scar crossing the right side of Choi Li Sun’s face and the differences in their hair.
The man in the photo she saw had a buzz cut, while Choi Li Sun kept his hair.
Ji Chu Hua slowly inhaled.
’Incredible.’
She knew the man sitting before her wasn’t the person in the photo.
Yet seeing that familiar face brought an unsettling thrill through her.
Then her gaze dropped toward the woman occupying his attention.
Jealousy surged through her.
’Who is she?’
Her fingers curled.
’How dare she be the first woman to enjoy his attention after he changed his face?’
If anyone deserved that privilege, it should have been her.
She had helped him.
She had taken risks for him.
Yet here he was, entertaining another woman while making her wait.
Ji Chu Hua forced herself to look away.
"If you’re finished, get rid of her."
Choi Li Sun laughed at the irritation in her voice.
He grabbed the woman’s waist and his thrusting sped up.
With one final thrust, he groaned a satisfied release inside her.
He murmured something to the woman, who finally moved away from his lap.
Without any concern for Ji Chu Hua’s presence, he reached for a cigarette.
He lit it.
Inhaled.
Then slowly released a cloud of smoke.
"Hua."
"Yes?"
Two voices answered simultaneously.
Ji Chu Hua froze.
Her brows drew together. She turned toward the woman.
Only then did she notice the details she had overlooked.
The woman had brown hair.
Almost the same length as hers.
A delicate mask concealed the upper half of her face.
Even her figure bore a passing resemblance to Ji Chu Hua’s.
Her expression darkened.
"What is this?"
Choi Li Sun glanced between them.
Then laughed.
"Something that doesn’t concern you."
He leaned toward the masked woman and gently pinched her chin.
"Hua, sweetheart."
His voice softened into a mocking tenderness.
"Go wait downstairs for me."
The woman nodded obediently.
"Yes, Sun."
She stood, adjusted her clothes, and walked toward the door.
As she passed Ji Chu Hua, their shoulders nearly brushed.
Ji Chu Hua stared at her.
The woman didn’t look back.
The door opened then closed.
At the miniature bar, the bulky man groaned in disappointment.
"Just when it was starting to get good."
He set his glass down irritated that the show was over.
Choi Li Sun glanced at him.
The man turned his gaze toward the direction the masked woman had disappeared.
He stood with a lewd smirk as he tugged at his crotch hiding the hardness beneath.
"Take your time, Boss. I’ll go down and keep an eye on her."
Choi Li Sun waved his hand dismissively.
"Do whatever you want."
The man chuckled and followed the masked woman outside.
The door closed behind him.
Silence settled over the room.
Only the distant throb of music remained.
Ji Chu Hua finally sat down and crossed her arms.
Her eyes were filled with anger.
"What the hell was that?"
Choi Li Sun took another leisurely drag from his cigarette.
"What was what?"
"Don’t play stupid with me."
She gestured toward the door.
"That woman."
He smiled.
"What about her?"
"Her name is Hua?"
Choi Li Sun tilted his head.
"Is that a problem?"
Ji Chu Hua stared at him.
"You know exactly what I’m asking."
His smile widened, but the chilling coldness in his eyes betrayed the sinister intentions lurking beneath it.
"Do I?"
She clenched her jaw.
He was enjoying this.
Every second of her irritation.
Every flicker of jealousy she failed to conceal.
Ji Chu Hua stepped closer.
"What was the point of arranging this meeting if you were only going to put on a show?"
Choi Li Sun’s smile slowly faded. He lowered the cigarette.
His eyes narrowed.
"Hua."
His voice was quiet.
Dangerously quiet.
Ji Chu Hua stopped.
"You know better than to speak to me in that tone."
The room seemed to grow colder.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then Choi Li Sun leaned back against the loveseat.
He studied her with an expression that held none of the earlier amusement.
"Have you forgotten who you’re speaking to?"
Ji Chu Hua’s fingers tightened around her arms.
She wanted to snap back.
Wanted to demand an explanation.
But she knew better.
The man before her was not Gui Ting Fei.
He was not Ning Xingyu or Hung Woo.
He was someone far more dangerous.
Someone whose temper she had learned never to underestimate.
She forced her expression to soften.
"Sun..."
He raised a hand.
"Careful."
One word.
A warning.
Ji Chu Hua swallowed her anger.
Then slowly lowered her arms.
"I didn’t mean to disrespect you."
Choi Li Sun watched her.
The silence stretched.
Finally, his lips curled into a faint smile.
"Much better."
He took another drag from his cigarette.
Ji Chu Hua remained seated. Her gaze drifted toward his reconstructed face.
That familiar face.
The face of a man who she is aware is dead.
She couldn’t help wondering what the man would have looked like if he were alive.
Would the pleasure Choi Li Sun gives be the same?
The possibilities made Ji Chu Hua’s heart quicken.
Choi Li Sun noticed the change in her expression.
His smile deepened.
"Something on your mind, Hua?"
She looked at him.
Then smiled faintly.
"Just admiring your new face."
He chuckled.
"Do you like it?"
Ji Chu Hua stepped closer.
"Very much."
Choi Li Sun’s eyes glinted.
"Good."
He slowly exhaled another cloud of smoke.
"Because I went through a great deal of trouble to get it perfect."
Ji Chu Hua stared at him.
For a brief moment, she wondered whether he had chosen the man’s face merely to hide from the law.
Or whether there was something much darker behind his decision.
But before she could ask, Choi Li Sun spoke again.
"Now..."
He tapped the ash from his cigarette.
"Let’s discuss why I called you here."
Ji Chu Hua straightened.
Finally.
The reason she had risked coming to Glory.
The reason she had tolerated his humiliation.
She took a seat across from him.
"I’m listening."
Choi Li Sun leaned forward.
The dim lighting cast shadows across his reconstructed features, making the jagged scar on his right cheek appear even more pronounced.
His smile disappeared.
"Tell me, Hua..."
He paused.
"How are things going with the Ji family?"
Ji Chu Hua’s eyes flickered.
Then she smiled.
"Better than you might expect."
Choi Li Sun studied her.
"Is that so?"
She nodded.
"The old man’s health is deteriorating. It won’t be long before Ji Corps needs a new chairman."
"And you intend to take that position?"
"Of course."
He chuckled.
"Ambitious as ever."
Ji Chu Hua lifted her chin.
"I know what I deserve."
Choi Li Sun stared at her for a moment.
Then his smile returned.
"Good."
He leaned back.
"Because I have plans of my own."
Ji Chu Hua narrowed her eyes.
"What plans?"
Choi Li Sun didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he looked toward the closed door.
Then back at her.
His lips curved into a sinister smile.
"Tell me something first."
Ji Chu Hua waited.
"Han Yue Ling..."
He spoke the name slowly, almost savoring it.
"Is she still planning to marry Lu Tian?"
Ji Chu Hua’s expression darkened.
"Yes."
"When?"
She hesitated.
"Soon."
Choi Li Sun’s eyes narrowed.
"How soon?"
Ji Chu Hua looked away.
"I haven’t confirmed the exact date."
For several seconds, he remained silent.
Then he laughed softly.
A cold, humorless sound.
"You’ve been spending all this time chasing Lu Tian, yet you don’t even know when your cousin is getting married?"
Ji Chu Hua’s face flushed.
"I’m working on it."
Choi Li Sun shook his head.
"Then work faster."
He leaned forward.
His reconstructed face emerged from the shadows.
The resemblance to the dead man was suddenly more unsettling than ever.
"I’ve spilled too much blood and buried too many secrets..."
He paused.
A thin smile crossed his lips in a murderous way.
"...just to let my plans fall apart now."