Film and Television: My Cheat Code is AI

Today is the day for a meeting of all core employees of Haida Company.

Zhang Yang arrived earlier than usual. The Haida Building has twelve floors, with a dark blue glass curtain wall that gleams coldly in the morning sunlight. Several rows of cars are parked downstairs, and Zhang Yang recognizes a few of them—the black Passat of the Four Kings, Liu Yida's silver Audi, and Zhao Fei's Mercedes-Benz S-Class parked at the very back, with license plates ending in three eights.

He parked his car in the corner, turned off the engine, and didn't get out immediately. Through the windshield, he looked at the building. The clouds in the sky were reflected on the glass curtain wall, moving slowly like something floating on water.

"Bean bag."

【exist. 】

"All the company's core personnel are here today. Mark all the identifiable people."

[Environmental scanning has begun. Currently identifiable personnel within the field of view: Two of the "Four Great Generals" have entered the building; Liu Yida's vehicle is in position. Zhao Fei's Mercedes has been parked for over forty minutes; the engine temperature has dropped to ambient temperature. The remaining personnel will be marked one by one once they enter the scanning area.]

Zhang Yang pushed open the car door, straightened his collar, and walked into the building.

The receptionist smiled and nodded at him as usual. Zhang Yang smiled back, walked down the corridor towards his office. The corridor was busier than usual, with people from various departments coming and going, folders in hand, their leather shoes clicking on the marble floor. People greeted Zhang Yang, and he responded to each one.

I had just sat down in my office, not even taking off my coat, when there was a knock on the door. Zhao Fei's secretary pushed the door open and came in. She was a woman in her thirties, with short hair and glasses, and she always spoke in a calm and unhurried manner. "Brother Zhang, President Zhao wants to see you."

Zhang Yang stood up and followed her out.

Zhao Fei's office was at the end of the corridor, and the door was open. When Zhang Yang walked in, Zhao Fei was standing by the window, his back to the door, a cigarette between his fingers. The window was a cracked open, and the smoke was torn into thin strands by the wind, seeping out through the gap. Hearing footsteps, he turned around.

"There will be a meeting in a bit." Zhao Fei got straight to the point without any pleasantries. "The location and time for picking up the goods will be handled by Liu Yida and Changmao. You'll be coming with me to a place tonight."

Zhang Yang stood in front of the desk, listened, and then asked, "Okay, Fei-ge, should I bring any weapons?"

Zhao Fei shook his head. He took the cigarette out of his mouth, flicked it into the ashtray, and the ash fell, some of it scattered by the wind blowing in through the window cracks. "Just carry one with you."

He paused, then looked up at Zhang Yang. The light from the window shone in from behind him, casting a backlit silhouette of his face, obscuring his expression.

"If all goes well, we'll be on a plane to America tomorrow."

His voice wasn't loud, but he pronounced every word clearly.

"Don't tell anyone about this."

Zhang Yang nodded, his expression unchanged. "Okay, I'll get ready."

Just as he was about to turn around, Zhao Fei called out to him.

"No need," Zhao Fei said calmly. "If everything goes smoothly, our trip out is only temporary. If not, no matter how much you prepare, it won't help."

He paused, stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray, pressed his finger on the cigarette butt, and the ember went completely out.

"Don't tell your sister-in-law anything. This is just between you and me."

Zhang Yang looked at Zhao Fei and nodded. "Okay, Brother Fei, I understand."

He didn't ask any more questions, turned around and walked out.

The door closed behind him.

The corridor was still bustling with people, and a phone rang from one of the offices, someone calling out a name. Zhang Yang walked through the sounds towards his office, his pace as unhurried as when he arrived.

The word "doubao" came to mind.

[Analysis of Zhao Fei's statement: His gaze was focused and steady, with no frequent blinking or shifting eyes. His speech was calm, with natural pauses between sentences. His logic was consistent—he was indeed planning to leave and genuinely wanted you to accompany him. There were no signs of lying.]

【but……】

Human behavior is unreliable, especially in life-or-death situations.

Zhang Yang looked at the words, his face expressionless.

Of course he knew. Zhao Fei was indeed loyal, but also suspicious. He was loyal, which was why he remembered Zhang Yang killing Qin Feng for him. He was suspicious, which was why he wouldn't entrust his life to anyone. These two traits coexisted in Zhao Fei, and were not contradictory at all.

Especially now. Wu Jun'er is dead, Huang Si'er is in jail, and Gu Yang is in jail too. Both gangs are gone overnight. Zhao Fei says, "These guys can't bring me down," but he knows better than anyone that he's the police's next target. At a time like this, he can't completely trust anyone. Including Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang pushed open the door to his office, walked in, and sat down in a chair. The teacup on the table was still steaming; his secretary had placed it there earlier. He didn't drink it, but simply watched the wisp of steam slowly rise and dissipate into the air.

After he left, the door to the inner room of Zhao Fei's office opened.

Zhang Li walked out from inside.

Zhang Li was Zhao Fei's driver, Zhang Yang's predecessor, and had worked for Zhao Fei for over a decade. After Zhang Yang arrived, Zhang Li was transferred to the finance department, nominally a promotion, but in reality, Zhang Yang had taken his place. Some people in the company said that Zhang Li was definitely resentful, but Zhang Li never showed anything to Zhang Yang. He greeted him as usual when they met, nodded as usual in meetings, laughed when he should laugh, and remained silent when he should remain silent. This man kept himself very well hidden.

Zhao Fei didn't turn around. He was still standing by the window, looking down at the building, as if he was looking at something, or as if he wasn't looking at anything at all.

"You still doubt him?" Zhao Fei asked, his voice flat.

Zhang Li stood respectfully beside the desk, not sitting down. "Brother Fei, Zhang Yang is a very cunning person."

Zhao Fei didn't respond, waiting for him to continue.

"I followed him before." Zhang Li's voice was low and his speech was slow, as if he was carefully considering his words. "But it seems he discovered me."

Zhao Fei took another cigarette from the pack, put it in his mouth, but didn't light it.

Zhang Li continued, "I asked the people at Blackwater. He showed signs of gun training."

Zhao Fei picked up the lighter, twirled it in his hand, lit a cigarette, and took a puff. "I know that. He said he used to be a smuggler in the north for a while, so it's normal that he knows a little about shooting."

The office was silent for a few seconds. The sound of a car driving by downstairs came through the window, the tires rolling on the road, approaching from afar and then receding again.

Zhang Li took a step forward, his voice turning serious. "Boss, I've been with you for decades."

He didn't say what followed, but the meaning was already clear.

I've been with you for decades. Do you trust me or him?

Zhao Fei took the cigarette out of his mouth and tapped it against the edge of the ashtray, letting the ash fall. He looked at Zhang Li and remained silent for a few seconds.

He knew he couldn't let his subordinates down. Zhang Li had been with him for over a decade, since before he became "General Manager Zhao." Back then, Haida was just a shell company, with only two desks and a telephone in the office. Zhang Li had driven for him, shielded him from drinks, and even taken a knife for him. He couldn't let someone like that feel he trusted an outsider more than him.

Zhao Fei spoke, his tone suggesting he had made a decision.

"Okay. That's settled then."

He put out his cigarette.

"Tonight I'll have Zhang Yang go to the site with Liu Yida. You'll handle the finances at the company."

He paused, his gaze falling on Zhang Li's face.

"Meet me at Villa Number Two tomorrow night."

He added, lowering his voice.

"Only you know about this villa."

Zhang Li nodded, his face expressionless. "Okay, Brother Fei."

He turned and walked out through the side door.

Zhao Fei stood alone by the window, putting the half-finished cigarette back into his mouth. Smoke seeped from the corner of his mouth, rising down his face and being dispersed by the wind through the window cracks. Cars flowed endlessly on the street below. He stood there, seemingly lost in thought.

The conference room was on the eleventh floor. It featured a long conference table, black leather chairs, and a huge landscape painting of the Welcoming Pine of Huangshan Mountain, framed grandly on the wall. When Zhang Yang entered, the room was already more than half full. There were department heads, the real estate company manager, the property management company CEO, and a few others whose names Zhang Yang couldn't recall. They were all people involved in normal company affairs.

Zhang Yang found a corner seat and sat down. Zhao Fei sat at the top of the conference table, next to Liu Yida. The Four King Kongs sat in a row of chairs behind Zhao Fei against the wall, all four dressed in dark suits, sitting in similar postures, as if they were made from the same mold.

The meeting began. Normal company business was dealt with first. The real estate company manager reported on the development progress of three plots, listing a bunch of figures: construction period, costs, and sales rate. The property management company's general manager then reported, saying that last month's property fee collection rate had dropped by two percentage points, his tone almost complaining. Zhao Fei listened, occasionally nodding, occasionally asking a question, his voice low, but always focusing on key figures. Zhang Yang sat in the corner, listening, his fingers lightly tapping on his knee.

After finishing the routine business, Zhao Fei raised his hand. "Alright, that's enough for today. Meeting adjourned."

People from all departments stood up, the sound of chair legs scraping against the floor echoing throughout. A few minutes later, fewer than ten people remained in the conference room.

The Four Great Generals. Liu Yida. Zhang Yang. Zhang Li. There were also two others Zhang Yang knew but hadn't really dealt with—Long Hair and a guy named A Kun, both of whom were Liu Yida's men.

The door closed.

The atmosphere in the meeting room shifted. Not tense, but heavy. It was as if the air itself had gained weight.

Zhang Yang sat in the corner, his gaze sweeping over the room impassively. The Four Heavenly Kings sat behind Zhao Fei, all eight eyes fixed on him. Liu Yida sat to Zhao Fei's right, a notebook open in front of him, but it was blank. Zhang Li sat to Zhao Fei's left, leaning back in his chair, his hands crossed over his stomach.

Zhang Yang thought to himself: If the police rushed in now and wiped them all out, it would save a lot of trouble.

But the thought only lasted a second. He knew it wouldn't work. Haida's evidence wasn't enough. He'd be arrested, but without proof, he'd be released in less than forty-eight hours. Then Zhao Fei would disappear faster than anyone else.

Zhao Fei spoke up.

"Dazi," he said, looking at Liu Yida, "tomorrow night you take Changmao and the other three to pick up the goods. Then wait for my news."

Liu Yida nodded and made a note in his notebook.

Zhao Fei shifted his gaze from Liu Yida and turned it to Zhang Yang.

"Yangzi, you go with Dazi too."

Zhang Yang's fingers stopped on his knee.

"Old Liu is still delivering the goods this time, but he's accompanied by two newbies." Zhao Fei's voice was very ordinary, as if he were arranging something perfectly commonplace. "You protect Liu Yida."

Protect Liu Yida.

Go pick up the goods.

I won't follow Zhao Fei.

These pieces of information flashed through Zhang Yang's mind almost simultaneously. Last night, Zhao Fei had said, "You're coming somewhere with me," but this morning his meaning had changed. Where did Zhang Li just come from? The inner room of Zhao Fei's office. What were they talking about in there?

But there was nothing on his face.

"Okay, Fei-ge."

He nodded, his tone as usual.

In my mind, the word "doubao" almost popped out.

[Warning. Zhao Fei's trust level towards you has fluctuated.]

[Analysis—This morning Zhao Fei's arrangement for you was "Come with me somewhere this evening." It has now been changed to "Go with Liu Yida to pick up goods." This change occurred after Zhang Li came out of Zhao Fei's inner office.]

[Inference—Zhang Li raised some kind of questioning about you. Zhao Fei accepted it, or at least partially accepted it.]

Be vigilant. Be vigilant. Be vigilant.

The words lingered in my mind, red, like some kind of flashing signal light.

Zhang Yang looked at the words, his expression unchanged.

Liu Yida smiled. He turned to look at Zhang Yang, reached out and patted his shoulder. His hand was thick and warm as it landed. "Brother Fei, you've finally decided to let Brother Zhang Yang come out and work this time. I've been looking forward to him doing that."

The one sitting on the far side of the Four Heavenly Kings spoke up, his voice as rough as sandpaper. "Yeah, Brother Fei, Yangzi's been here for so long, it's time for him to show himself."

Another chimed in, "I haven't thanked the doctor Yangzi found for my father yet."

Zhang Yang just smiled and didn't reply.

Last year, Liu Yida's mistress contracted a gynecological disease. Zhang Yang arranged for her to go to the hospital, where she stayed in a private room. The attending physician was someone Zhang Yang had found through several connections. Liu Yida's wife knew nothing about this. Later, Liu Yida intercepted Zhang Yang in the company's fire escape, held his hand for a long time, and said nothing. But from then on, whenever Liu Yida had the chance at the company, he would speak up for Zhang Yang.

The Four Great Generals also owed Zhang Yang favors. Some needed loans for working-age assistance, some needed hospital beds for elderly relatives, and some wanted their children to get into good schools. Zhang Yang did everything he could, and even things he couldn't. It wasn't that he had any special abilities; he just knew when these favors would come in handy.

For example, right now.

Zhang Yang sat there, feeling the enthusiasm of the people in the conference room speaking up for him, a perfectly measured smile on his face. Neither arrogant nor overly humble. He simply smiled, as if slightly embarrassed by the praise, yet unwilling to offend anyone.

Zhao Fei smiled as he watched this scene. The smile lingered on his face for two seconds before he patted the table.

"Okay, it's decided then."

He stood up, pushed his chair back with a soft thud.

"Let's go. Let's go to Fumanlou downstairs and have something to eat and drink."

The group stood up and walked out. The Four Great Warriors led the way, followed by Liu Yida and Zhao Fei, with Changmao and Akun behind them. Zhang Yang brought up the rear.

As he walked out of the conference room, he glanced at the window at the end of the corridor. Outside, the city's hazy skyline stretched out, with tall and short buildings crammed together, and a few chimneys belching smoke in the distance.

The elevator was crowded with seven or eight people. Some were talking about Fumanlou's braised pork knuckle, others were responding, and laughter echoed muffledly in the elevator. Zhang Yang stood at the very back of the elevator, leaning against the mirror, looking at the backs of the people in front of him.

Zhang Li didn't come down. He stayed upstairs.

The elevator reached the first floor, the doors opened, and people were coming and going in the lobby. Zhao Fei walked at the front, and the glass door was pulled open from the outside, letting in a blast of cold air.

As Zhang Yang walked out the door, he looked up and glanced at the gate.

Across the street, about fifty meters away, was a gray van parked. The van had a faded, old-looking sign that said "GG" for a hardware store painted on it. The windows were tinted dark, obscuring the inside from the outside.

But Zhang Yang knew what it was.

[Target vehicle – parked for more than three hours. The vehicle's condition (GG) does not match the actual address. The window tint has a light transmittance of approximately 5%, consistent with characteristics of vehicles monitored by the police.]

The police have started monitoring the situation.

Zhang Yang withdrew his gaze and followed Zhao Fei and his group across the road, entering the Fumanlou restaurant. The glass door closed behind him, shutting out the sounds from outside.

The lobby of Fumanlou Restaurant was bustling with activity. Dark brown wooden tables and chairs lined the walls, and red menus hung on the walls. The air was thick with the aroma of stewed meat and the pungent scent of baijiu (Chinese liquor). Waiters moved between tables with trays, their calls echoing throughout the room. Zhao Fei had booked a private room on the second floor, with windows facing the street.

As they went upstairs, Zhang Yang was the last to walk. He held onto the handrail, taking each step carefully. The wooden handrail in his palm was worn smooth and shiny, and felt cool to the touch.

He has now been assigned to Liu Yida's team.

I'm not following Zhao Fei.

I followed Liu Yida to pick up the goods.

Hopefully, they can keep an eye on Zhao Fei's side.

Zhang Yang paused for a second on the stairs, then continued upwards. The door to the private room on the second floor was open, and someone was already pouring tea. Zhang Yang went in and chose a seat by the window. From this angle, he could just see the gray bread truck across the street.

The car windows were still dark, and I couldn't see anything.

But Zhang Yang knew that someone inside was watching him.

He picked up the teacup, blew away the tea leaves floating on top, and took a sip. The tea was very hot, so hot that it numbed his tongue.

He didn't look out the window again.