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Lan Wanji's Life. 9

The air was thick with tension as the journalist leaned closer to Wanji, his voice barely a whisper. "I've been here for far too long. I need money to leave the country unnoticed."

Wanji sat back in his chair, his eyes calculating. "I can arrange that," he replied. "But first, I need answers. What's the deal with Victor and Marie, and what does Wen Chao have to do with this?"

The journalist hesitated, glancing around as though he feared someone might be listening. After a long pause, he began, his tone low and bitter. "Victor... Victor moved from God knows where to America. He was just 18  when his mom remarried—Jin Guang Shan, one of the wealthiest men you'll ever meet. But money can't buy character. Jin was notorious for his affairs, getting under anything with a skirt. Everyone knew, but no one dared to cross him."

Wanji raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "And Victor?"

"When Victor saw what kind of man his stepfather really was, something changed in him. He watched Jin, saw how easily he threw money around, how untouchable he seemed. So, Victor made a choice. He started seducing his stepfather, playing into his weaknesses. It wasn't long before they were sleeping together."

Wanji's expression darkened, sensing where the story was heading. "And no one found out?"

The journalist shook his head. "Not at first. But Victor wasn't stupid. He made sure to record everything—videos, photos, without Jin Guang Shan's knowledge. When the old man got tired of their arrangement and threatened to kick Victor out, Victor played his trump card. He sent the videos to Jin and asked how his mother would feel if she ever found out."

Wanji let out a low whistle. "And I take it Jin caved?"

"Of course," the journalist said. "Jin Guang Shan was trapped. He couldn't let his wife—Victor's mother—know about the affair, so he kept paying Victor off. Kept buying his silence. That went on for years until he got tired and killed Jin. The truth came out then when his wife went through his phone. She found everything—texts, videos. It destroyed her.

She called me in a panic, her voice shaky, saying she had something important to tell me. Given my background as a journalist, she knew I'd be the perfect person to confide in. I was intrigued, ready to hear whatever it was that weighed heavily on her mind. We were in the middle of the conversation when there was a sudden knock on the door. Victor came home, unannounced, and her face turned pale.

Without a moment's hesitation, she motioned for me to hide behind the large chair near the curtains. I quickly slid into the narrow space, heart pounding in my chest. From my hiding spot. My breath came in shallow bursts as I tried to remain as quiet as possible.

It felt like hours, but it was only minutes as they argued, she stood her ground, her words sharp and full of anger. But something in him snapped. His eyes grew cold, and without warning, he started chanting. She didn't have time to scream. The pain was unbearable as her tongue fell from her mouth. Blood spilled everywhere, but the look on his face was one of eerie calm. He wasn't done. He chanted more and her fingers dropped one after the other. "Can't talk can't write" he grinned. I went to withdraw your late husband's money but seeing how you are I can't give you much he said. He threw the money at her feet. It was a twisted offering meant for her to "take care of herself," as if that could undo the horror of what had just occurred. There was no apology for his actions. he turned and walked out, leaving her on the floor, clutching her mouth in agony. I took her to the hospital but she died a few days later. I got scared and didn't publish the story.

"Sounds like a sociopath," Wanji muttered. "But what about Marie? Where does she fit in?"

The journalist's expression shifted, a look of sorrow creeping across his face. "Marie... Marie's story is tied to Wen Chao. Victor and Wen Chao started seeing each other after Jin's death. It wasn't long before their relationship turned into a full-blown affair. Wen's father, Wen Ruohan, wasn't having it. He was a man of power, and the idea of his son with someone like Victor disgusted him. So, he arranged for Wen Chao to marry Marie, the daughter of one of his colleagues, to shut down the affair."

"But it didn't stop, did it?" Wanji asked.

"No," the journalist said. "The affair continued, and Wen Ruohan grew desperate. He threatened Victor and told him to stay away from his son, but Victor didn't care.

Victor had Wen Ruohan kidnapped and used dark magic on him and the man willingly had sex with him and Victor made videos. He sent it to the man afterward. But he also has videos of him and Wen Chao. He leaked them online. The scandal should've destroyed the family, but Wen Ruohan had power and connections. He made the videos disappear, scrubbed the internet clean, but not without a cost."

Wanji frowned. "What kind of cost?"

"My son," the journalist whispered, his voice breaking. "In the midst of all the chaos, I was affected. My business was ruined, and my son... they killed him. They were searching for Jin Guang Shan's phone. I picked it up the day Victor cut his mother's tongue, and somehow my son had videos of Victor and Wen Ruohan. I don't know if it was directly Wen Ruohan or Victor cleaning up the mess, but my life was destroyed. My son is dead, and I've been in hiding ever since. Only Marie knows where I am."

Wanji's gaze hardened. "And now you want out."

The journalist nodded, his voice shaking. "I need to leave this country. I need enough money to disappear, start over somewhere they can't find me."

Wanji considered the man in front of him, the weight of his story, the darkness that followed him. After a moment, he stood, his decision made. "I'll get you the money," he said. "But remember, this comes with a price. You might leave unnoticed, but the ghosts of your past will follow you wherever you go."

The journalist nodded, fully aware that no matter how far he ran, he could never truly escape the tangled web he'd been caught in.

Wanji stood tense, hands resting on his knees as he looked at the journalist across the table. "Where do you need the money?" he asked cautiously.

The journalist rolled his tired eyes, and responded quickly, "Give it to Marie."

Wanji frowned but didn't ask any more questions. "Okay," he responded.

Wanji's gaze hardened as he asked, "So why do records show Victor and Wen Chao as cousins raised in foster care?"

The journalist leaned back. "That's what Victor wanted, he did surgery and changed his face. Wen Ruohan had no choice but to comply, or Victor would expose their videos. Victor's into dark magic—he'll hurt anyone."

"Give me your home address," the man said, voice calm but commanding. Wanji hesitated, but ultimately obliged, scrubbing the address down on a piece of paper and handing it over.

"Good," the man said, pocketing the note. "I'll send you Jin's phone and my son's laptop. When I reached my destination safely. Whoever killed him took his phone, but he always backed everything up on his laptop. You'll find all the files there."

Wanji felt his heart skip a beat. This was the first real lead he'd had in months. If what the man said was true, the files might hold the key to unraveling everything, to exposing the truth. Maybe, Wei Ying would finally take him seriously.

A flicker of hope ignited in Wanji's chest, but he knew not to trust it fully. He had been disappointed too many times. Still, as he left the room, he couldn't help but feel that this could be the break he had been waiting for.