The clean ward and the clean bed quilt, but it is difficult to see the brightness of life.
My daughter is in a coma, pale as a corpse. Jiahui stares at the monitor, her sitting posture a little stiff.
One after another misfortunes have weakened even the strongest body.
At this moment, the emotional rift seems not worth worrying about compared to the loss.
Silence, a kind of suppressed calm, while inexplicable waves are inevitable in the heart.
It all started with a status update. Bai Ying uploaded a family photo on her circle of friends.
There are her parents-in-law, her, me, and two babies. This is a photo taken on the 100th day celebration.
Immersed in the joyful scene, there is no text, no mood. Except for the photo, there is nothing.
At that time, in that place, I felt an indescribable absurdity, a chilling weirdness.
Posting this family photo at this time - the atmosphere is inappropriate.
When I tried to call her, the call was already disconnected. With the technical support of Yan and Chen, we quickly determined her IP address.
Arriving at the rental place, we split into two groups just in case. This was the explanation I left for Jiahui. In fact, I was more worried about one situation.
When I reached the door, I saw it was half-open, and I felt something was wrong.
I pushed it open and entered. Bloodstains were visible on the ground, dragged bloodstains, as if wiped with a rag. The foul smell of excrement on the floor mixed with blood and the air of burning charcoal.
Holding my nose, I kicked the brazier away and walked quickly inside. It was a small room, and the bathroom... could not be opened.
The bathroom door was locked, water faintly flowing, and eerily quiet.
I lifted my foot, but couldn't kick it open, and there was no reaction from inside. Power erupted from the silence.
It felt like hitting wood, my arms felt like iron, and I slammed into the bathroom door of the rental apartment, finding it less secure than I'd expected.
I flung it open, and was stunned to see the water still pouring out, as if, even then, she was still washing, cleaning her skin...
A pool of water, her breasts half-exposed, unable to hide her white, snow-capped peaks. A sudden glimpse of spring, but with a piercing chill.
Leaning back against a jade pillow, her bright eyes tightly closed, her face, breathtakingly beautiful, resembled a peerless lotus.
Not a snow lotus, but a blood lotus. She had severed her pulse, rippling it in the bathwater like a crimson rose.
The sleeping lotus, a deep crimson, spread out layer by layer, and also soaked in layer by layer...
until the fingertips touched the cervical artery, and the weak breath was still faintly there...
huh. He breathed a sigh of relief, carried the person out of the bathtub, wrapped him in a bath towel, and laid him on the bed.
As long as he was breathing, he could still be saved. She had rented this place for a year, and with two children, there must be a medical emergency kit. The room was not big, and she found it quickly.
She put on a bandage and a simple disinfection bandage to prevent continued bleeding; the wound was very sharp, the vein was cut, and the tendons were also cut; fortunately, the aorta was fine, and it was discovered in time, so there was no heavy bleeding.
The blood in the bathtub was most likely caused by her cutting her wrists directly there. The initial heavy bleeding would slow down as the blood coagulated.
In most cases, wrist-cutting suicide is not easy to succeed; the subconscious mind of the human brain will avoid itself and often misjudge the degree of "severe damage" required. Although Bai Ying is a doctor, she has no experience in wrist-cutting.
However, blood loss can easily lead to coma, and prolonged soaking in water can also cause death from hypothermia. Dry her body and put on a bathrobe, which can quickly absorb water and maintain body temperature.
Fetch water from the bathroom, extinguish the charcoal brazier, and then call Jiahui to arrange for emergency treatment.
Then he randomly washed some water on the floor to make it less eye-catching and pungent, although it still smelled fishy.
Judging from the scene, Hao Jianghua must have suffered a certain amount of damage and torture, but he still ran away; this was a blessing in disguise.
Fortunately, we arrived in time, and fortunately, Old Hao ran away, otherwise, how can we describe the worst outcome?
Bai Ying's suicide attempt failed, and Old Hao escaped. Such news was not known to the Hao family.
The noise lasted all day, until dusk, the curses and swearing outside the yard gradually subsided. However ,
the Hao family members were not at ease. Looking out through the window, there were still a lot of strong young people and old men left behind.
After today, what about tomorrow? What about the day after tomorrow? The Hao family didn't dare to think about this question any further.
Li Xuanshi dragged her sick body, looking completely lifeless. Xu Lin stood silently by her side.
Sometimes someone would pretend to serve her, and would always cast a fleeting glance, eager yet uneasy.
Not until Wu Tong showed up did the nannies and maids reluctantly leave.
"Don't blame them." Xu Lin spoke at the right time. Even duckweed drifting with the current would want to grab something.
Li Xuanshi said sadly: "I only feel sorry for them."
A fool would not make it clear. The building was about to collapse, so why bother blowing out the last candle.
"You feel sorry for them, but who will feel sorry for you?" Xu Lin sighed. "You were the first to bear the brunt of the Hao family's downfall. Are you truly indifferent?"
Li Xuanshi paused for a moment. "Hao Jianghua's crimes are irredeemable. Zheng Qunyun isn't answering his calls anymore, so who else can cover up?"
"If we contact Zuo Jing, with him and Yingying here, do you think Tong Jiahui will..."
"Sister Lin, I know you mean well... but it won't work..." Li Xuanshi said only one sentence before she fell silent.
She didn't want to, and I didn't want to either—this unwilling and detached matter was destined to fail. "Hao Jianghua brought this upon himself, and no one can save him. As for the Hao family... they'll all disperse, and if they can escape unscathed, they'll be lucky."
"The worst-case scenario, losing money to avoid disaster, but even losing everything, I'll accept it..."
Xu Lin was stunned. Li Xuanshi fetched two bottles of wine from the counter, joking that if she didn't drink, she might end up being sold off by the court.
The Hao family was ablaze with lights and revelry that night.
The nanny and maids worried that a ruffian from outside would scale the wall and cause trouble, while the people outside worried that the Hao family had escaped. Neither side's anxiety interrupted the two women's intimate gathering.
The women of the Hao family are parasites, huddling together for warmth in the cold; the flickering candlelight illuminates the solitary figure in the small room.
Amidst the violent fury outside the Hao household and the anxiety within, Wu Tong remains the most composed.
In the young nannies' moments of helplessness, in Li Xuanshi's moments of emotional resignation, Wu Tong's interventions are seen as reliable; in a sense, she has already seized power.
The wine flows like tea, the food like sweet porridge.
Looking at the ungainly old man before them, handling his plate as if it were pig food, their eyes are filled with contempt.
Hao Jianghua can sense the disgust radiating from the Shanshui Manor security guards, but he doesn't care. They're all dogs, looking down on each other.
A day ago, he was still stained and reeking of blood, feces, and urine as he rolled out of the van at the gates of Shanshui Manor.
The stench was intense, and just as the security guards were about to throw him out, he cried out, "I want to see Mina."
To this day, he hasn't seen Mina, but the manor has arranged for him to receive simple medical treatment, clean himself up, and enjoy a good meal.
What does this mean? It means Mina already knows the news, and it proves his worth.
Even after a hearty meal and a satisfying feast, the pain and stench of his body were hard to mask. Hao Jianghua
's heart was swelled with resentment at the mere thought of Bai Ying. He had forcibly endured all the abuses inflicted upon him by Bai Ying. While seemingly waiting to die, he wasn't simply waiting to be slain. Instead
, he was biding his time, waiting for his chance to survive. Hao Jianghua's greed for life far outweighed his fear of death. A good death would be worse than a good life, and he would do anything to achieve that.
From poverty to beggar, to marrying and becoming an official, his greatest strengths, besides playing with women, were acting like a grandson. He'd done it to Li Xuanshi and Zheng Qunyun.
Acting like a grandson was all about appearing weak; to achieve this, he'd deliberately pulled a trick, being caught before he even reached the door.
Failure? No. This is cheating. If he doesn't do this, he won't have any chance at all.
The anesthetic is indeed effective, but not as strong as this, and his crawling is not as slow as imagined; he just pretends to crawl slowly so that she will think he can't escape.
Perhaps it's because of his good physical foundation, or perhaps it's because he has been taking various tonic soups for many years, which has given him a certain resistance to drugs.
Coupled with the sensory stimulation of feces, urine and farts, which amplifies the woman's disgust, the operation ends with wrist cutting, but it also gives him the possibility of escape.
Flesh injuries are never a problem when it comes to survival; being weak and powerless, but as long as you can hold on, it is enough.
The pain was so extreme that he dared not make a sound. He tilted his head and listened for a long time. He could vaguely hear water running in the bathroom, but Bai Ying did not come out again.
He leaned on a small stool and raised half of his body. He was able to hook his hands on the door lock and handle, and turned it gently. The door to escape was already open .
When people are in desperate situations, they have choices to make and places they want to go.
Some people will commit suicide in despair to wash away their sins. Others will try every possible means to survive.
Being alive is like a flower on cow dung. Hao Jianghua took a deep breath. Even though the surroundings were filled with his stench, he still felt the fragrance.
Watching the surveillance video, Hao Jianghua, the bereaved dog, rolled off the bread and fell to the ground, and now licked the dinner plate with a disgusting look.
Mina frowned slightly. This old dog was really disgusting, but he was still useful.
Useful in the sense that someone wanted to use him. Hao Jianghua was just left here, and there was no news yet about the person who would decide how and when to use this old dog.
After infusion and blood supplementation, Bai Ying's complexion improved slightly, but she was still in a coma. With
heavy blood loss and CO2 inhalation, it would take time for her to wake up even after high oxygen treatment.
Bai Ying had a brief reaction, and then fell asleep again in a daze.
Jiahui rested her hands on her legs, rubbing them meaninglessly from time to time.
Love and hate, no place to put, worried about gains and losses.
"Don't worry, she will be fine." I said so.
It may not be against my will. Whether Bai Ying is okay or not still needs various follow-up examinations; but, being alive, at least can make Jiahui feel at ease.
I will not be too demanding on Tong Jiahui's attitude towards Bai Ying. No matter how big the rift is, they are still mother and daughter after all. She is the flesh that fell from her body. There is only that one thought, thinking of Li Xuanshi. In the end, it is still different.
"What do you think...she this time..."
Jiahui murmured.
I was slightly stunned and silent, then I confided: "Very good."
A year ago, I held a knife, and a year later, she held a knife.
Stupid, but "very good". It's not about right or wrong, but whether it should be done or not.
"I didn't expect her to do this. This is different from the past..." Jiahui looked up at me, "Can you..." There was
tenderness, kindness, and maternal love in her eyes; a look mixed with emotional expectation...
I could only force a smile and didn't respond.
I understand what her expectations are. Perhaps it was the shock brought to her by Bai Ying's suicide, that decisive way... It would be difficult for her to bear the loss again.
But, I can no longer promise. Those were not casual words, but heavier than Mount Tai. The Bai family, Bai Ying... I can no longer carry them on my back.
Bai Ying, it would be great if she could change. At least, in this matter... there is no need to blame. For her, doing something is better than not doing anything; for me, the time has passed.
If back then... I was just deceiving myself. As a doctor, by the time she decided to pick up the knife and cut off everything, it was already too late.
As dusk fell and night fell, Jiahui was making the bed for fear of a cold weather.
Bai Ying's condition, apart from being weak, was not as bad as imagined.
What was really bad was...
Jiahui pulled my hand over and placed it on Bai Ying's abdomen.
"Yingying, you are weak now... You should stay with the child more..."
"Wait until she gets better, then find another time..."
I was stunned and fell silent.
Bai Ying is a pregnant woman. I instinctively forgot this point, but I had to face it.
The hospital had suggested that drainage was a good way.
This wrong crystal, whose life was destined to die in the drugging incident, suffered another disaster.
Lowering her eyes slightly, she stroked her belly, feeling reluctant to let go; she even felt a certain throbbing in her heart.
Perhaps it was also a delusion. After Xiangxiang and Jingjing's life stories were shattered, the fetus in her belly seemed so absurd. It
was caught off guard, and then it disappeared like a shooting star. Although it was still alive, it would never be born.
After taking drugs and ingesting CO, Bai Ying's physical condition could not provide sufficient nutrition; even if it did not die in the womb, it would have to end with drainage.
Letting it be born would be a disrespect for life and a continuation of injustice.
"When she wakes up, can you... not scold her?"
"Okay."
I agreed to this promise, but my palms were begging for forgiveness from the little life.
Sinners are entangled in sins; the night is the best color.
Too many shameful things, desires and sins, will be buried in the vastness.
Late at night, Jiahui couldn't resist the sleepiness; but I was awake.
As the day of judgment approached, I fell into insomnia. Many troubles only swarmed through my mind when it was late at night and everyone was asleep.
The beating of several encrypted messages brought me the answer, while the other party was also waiting for my answer.
Typing down a few paragraphs of code meant that the night would become the opening of the performance.
The next day, Bai Ying woke up slowly, still weak. When she saw us, she wanted to say something but hesitated.
She obviously had too much to say, but her physical condition did not allow it.
Don't worry. I said calmly that she still needed to lie down for a few days to recover her body first.
It wasn't a disingenuous statement. She needed to recover to say goodbye to her young family, and to attend the trial.
Furthermore, several others in the same group were also expected to be present, which would take time to finalize.
Taking advantage of this lull, Bai Ying was willing to say anything. Anything was fine, perhaps even testifying in this revenge trial.
After a night of rest, Hao Jianghua found a respite, but he grew increasingly uneasy.
Mina had been absent, and he remained oblivious to the outside world, unaware of the situation at the Hao family.
No matter how much he pressed, the black-clad guards remained silent. Near noon, he was informed that Mina wanted to see him. See
you again, beautiful woman. Dressed in a black and gold cheongsam, embracing a cat, her face aloof and serene.
"Miss Mina..." Hao Jianghua tried to approach, but was held aside by Mina's bodyguards.
The woman didn't look him in the eye, instead stroking the cat until it curled up obediently. Then, she replied calmly, "I hope I'm sorry for the poor hospitality."
"Of course not," Hao Jianghua forced a smile, but it was uglier than tears.
"That's good. I won't keep you here. I wish you a safe journey."
Hao Jianghua was stunned. "You want to kick me out?"
"We never kick out guests at this villa," the woman raised her eyes, a hint of amusement in them. "But, County Chief Hao, do you dare to keep me here?"
Before she could finish her words, a video appeared on the screen at the scene. It showed the angry villagers surrounding the Hao family compound, waving flags and shouting, demanding money.
Hao Jianghua's face darkened. Things had deteriorated so quickly. Now he couldn't even go home.
"You came here covered in blood and shit. I didn't know you were kidnapped," the woman scoffed. "Now that I've inquired, I've learned...that your Hao County Chief is incredibly shameless and a swindler, scamming and deceiving the villagers, even taking their hard-earned money...Of course, you could also say that Hao Liuxiang took the money. I'm not interested in that..."
"It's a privilege to meet you, and I haven't reported you. I've done my best to show my friendship," Manna said slowly. "Now the public security and procuratorate are investigating. I advise you to run if you can."
Hearing this, Hao Jianghua panicked and fell to his knees: "Ms. Manna, save me."
"Save you?" Mena chuckled. "If the government wants to investigate you, how can I save you? Mayor Zheng is your backer, you can ask him for help."
"I know what kind of person Zheng is. If there are benefits or women, he will take them. If there is something to take the blame, he will push me out first."
Hao Jianghua knew in his heart that Zheng Qunyun was unreliable. Hao Liuxiang had taken over 100 million yuan from three people. Since he couldn't get it back, there was no guarantee that Zheng Qunyun would not destroy the evidence. Thinking of the fake investigation incident some time ago, Hao Jianghua had no doubt that he would do so. Even if he could deal with Zheng Qunyun, there were still the big shots behind him, who he couldn't afford to offend.
Running away was the only way. But where to run and how to run. If he ran away, could he ever come back?
As Hao Jianghua thought of her, he kowtowed repeatedly on the ground: "Miss Mena, please, I will be your slave..."
"I don't want you to be my slave." Mena sneered, "How about being a dog? After all, I already have a cat."
"Woof, woof..." Before he finished speaking, Hao Jianghua started barking like a dog.
The woman was so happy that he barked even harder. Even the serious bodyguard in black couldn't help but sneer.
So what? Hao Jianghua didn't care. He had climbed up from the bottom, and being a dog was no different from being a human. One day, he would even ride a woman like a bitch.
In the past, he had been a dog for Li Xuanshi, and now, he could be a dog for Mena. This woman was younger, more beautiful, more powerful, and more prestigious.
"That's enough," Mina called out. This old dog, so flexible and adaptable, wasn't completely useless after all.
"You have the talent to be a dog, but it's not enough. Many people want to be my dog."
Hao Jianghua calmed down a bit: "Besides being a dog, I'm also very useful... in that respect, Miss Mina, you know..."
Mina couldn't help laughing at this. This old dog really climbed up the ladder whenever he saw one.
Seeing that the woman was unmoved, Hao Jianghua made up his mind: "Miss Mina, I have some things on hand that are related to the Bai family..."
"The Bai family?" The woman showed interest.
"It's the Bai family. You know, Bai Ying is my daughter-in-law, and she's..." Hao Jianghua's face lit up. "I have something on her. Yes, something on the Bai family... Miss Mena, if you help me, I'll give you this thing, how about it?"
"Bai Xingjian is dead, the Bai family's era is over, this thing has no value." Mena's tone was quite disappointed.
"It has value, it has value..." Hao Jianghua said repeatedly. "Old man Bai is dead, but Tong Jiahui is still here. She's the Vice Minister of Finance, and Bai Ying is her daughter. She can't help but care about the Bai family's affairs... Miss Mena, you sell foreign medicine, right? This thing must be useful to you!"
Mena thought for a moment: "Even if it is useful, how can you prove you have it?"
"It's true. To be honest, it's not just Bai Ying, but also my wife and the other women in my family. I have some weaknesses and leverage over them, so I can protect myself. Of course, you won't be able to use their leverage, but those things related to the Bai family will definitely be very useful! Zheng Qunyun has repeatedly tried to trick me just to get them, which proves how useful they are." Hao Jianghua said bluntly, "Old Man Bai is dead, so I can't use them now. But these things will definitely be useful to Miss Mina... right?"
He said this with uncertainty in his heart. He looked up and saw the woman put the cat in her arms. "If what you say is true, I can send you abroad... It's a free and democratic place... You must have read the news. There is only one country in the world that can protect you from being deported."
"Give me your stuff, and I'll arrange for you to leave. We'll be abroad, well-fed, well-clothed, and I'll even arrange for you to have sex with a blonde, blue-eyed, voluptuous woman. How's that?"
"Really?" Hao Jianghua couldn't help but be tempted. He'd heard about that country since he was a kid, and even after all these decades, the yearning still lingered. Especially the blonde, blue-eyed, voluptuous woman Menna had mentioned—so sexy and hot. The women back home were just bitches, while the foreign chicks were mares. And they said foreigners liked the ugly kind, and he had no problem with that.
"Now you can tell me where the things are. Don't tell me you hid them at home," Manna said casually. "I don't believe you can get them out now."
"No matter how hard you try, thieves are hard to keep out," Hao Jianghua said with a smile. "It's not safe to hide things at home. I hid them somewhere no one would imagine."
Then, he revealed the location of the treasure. Even Manna had to admit, surprisingly, "Then I'll wait for your good news."
It was indeed good news, and Hao Xinmin jumped up excitedly.
The God of Wealth, long absent, had come again, bringing news.
Just handle this matter well, and the reward will be tens of thousands, not to mention the benefits from the government.
Hehe. After receiving the news, Hao Xinmin took advantage of the scorching sun to rush to the old valley, walked into the mountains and began to search.
With the development of Haojia Village over the years, this old valley has long been abandoned and rarely visited.
Hao Xinmin groped for a long time before he found a low grave in a desolate place. There was not even a rough stone tablet. If you don't look carefully, this deserted grave is no different from a small earthen slope.
If you are not an insider, even if you find it, others will not know about it, even the villagers may not know about it; and Hao Xinmin, as the village party secretary, also contributed to it back then.
This deserted grave is the burial place of Hao Jianghua's eldest son who died and his first wife who died of illness. A mother-son grave, a earthen slope, and two pits. This is also the only feature.
After all, over a decade ago, Hao Jianghua was impoverished, a son-in-law who married into a wealthy family, unable to afford even a plot of land for burial. Unexpectedly, he later became wealthy, had a darling wife and concubines, and completely forgot about his wife, not even repairing her grave.
Now that he's in trouble, Hao Jianghua wants to flee, but instead comes to mourn. What a beast!
Hao Xinmin cursed and immediately found a place to hide. He accepted this business just to wait for Hao Jianghua to show up.
First, he had to hold him back. The victim said that he would arrange for people to pass by in several valleys. As long as Hao Jianghua dared to come, he would be arrested. Hehe, the money would be in his hands.
As for when Hao Jianghua would come, Hao Xinmin didn't care. Even if he had to wait until dark, he would wait and never let the gold ingots fly away.
Valleys, peaks, mountain paths. A winding path, long since covered by dead grass and rotten leaves.
As the sun set, a hunchbacked good man walked slowly, wearing a straw hat on his head and pulling a cloth bag, like an old man picking up rubbish.
Instead of passing through Haojia Col, he went around the mountain and turned into this deserted path, slowly approaching the deserted tomb.
When he arrived in front of the tomb, he looked around and made sure that no one was there. Then he slowly took off his straw hat and bowed to the tomb.
"Damn it, I'm coming." He bent down and broke off a branch from the side and inserted it on the tomb as if it were incense.
"Today is not Qingming Festival, I'm sorry to bother you." Hao Jianghua sighed, "Your man is in trouble and is about to run away. I will tear down the tomb, take the things, and never bother you again."
Just as he was about to take action, he heard a sound of footsteps not far away. He looked carefully and vaguely saw a person lying there.
Confused, he stood up and started to leave, only to hear the man yell, "Where are you going!"
A figure scrambled to his feet, rushed forward, and blocked the road.
"Hao Xinmin," Hao Jianghua couldn't help but lose his voice.
He hadn't expected to run into his enemy here.
"Hao Jianghua, you never imagined I'd be waiting for you here all day, just waiting for you to fall into my trap!" Hao Xinmin gloated. "You've deceived the villagers and are trying to run away with the money. I'm telling you, no way! Tell me where you hid the money, or you'll be stuck!"
Hao Jianghua didn't dare delay and pushed him away, attempting to flee. Instead, the man grabbed him by the calf and threw him to the ground.
A struggle ensued.
Although Hao Jianghua looked old, his physical fitness far surpassed Hao Xinmin's, and he could easily defeat three men at once. However, he was tortured by Bai Ying, and his injuries had not yet healed, greatly reducing his fighting ability.
Hao Xinmin, on the other hand, was taking advantage of the situation. Enticed by the money and the old grudge of a broken leg, he suddenly went all out, punching Hao Jianghua with all his might.
"Help! I've caught Hao Jianghua! Help!" he shouted as he beat him.
Hao Jianghua's heart sank, and he knew he couldn't continue like this. He pulled out a razor blade and stabbed his opponent.
Hao Xinmin suddenly felt pain and fell back, and Hao Jianghua immediately stabbed him twice in the chest.
He had picked up this scalpel from his escape, and he hadn't expected it to come in handy.
Hao Jianghua made up his mind and stabbed the enemy again. He was going to escape anyway, so he didn't care if he had to carry one more.
"No, no..." Hao Xinmin collapsed to the ground, begging weakly.
Hao Jianghua suddenly came to his senses. Hao Xinmin had just called for help. Why was he calling for help in this mountain ravine? Could there be someone else? Hao Xinmin seemed to have guessed that he would come here. Was there... an ambush?
With this thought, Hao Jianghua could not stay any longer and fled immediately. He could go back to the east, but if he was caught, he would lose his life.
Deserted cemeteries, deserted mountains, desolate. Hao Xinmin only felt his body getting cold, and his throat was almost unable to shout.
He didn't understand. They had agreed to act separately. Where were the ambushers? !
High above, suspended above the trees, a drone hovered, its camera trained on the desolate cemetery.
"How's it going? Did you get any footage?" the two executives from the Three-Legged Cat Company exchanged glances, the latter nodding their heads.
Returning, evidence in hand. Another figure approached the desolate cemetery.
Hao Xinmin's vision was blurry; he could only make out a person. He tried to yell for help, but there was no sound.
The scalpel was thin and long; the wound was small, but the bleeding was rapid. In the wilderness, Hao Xinmin could only wait for death.
Wang Tian looked at Hao Xinmin quietly and said calmly, "I will burn the money for you."
"Do you remember why your leg was broken? Zuo Jing asked me to tell you that he felt it was not enough."
Hao Xinmin widened his eyes. He could no longer hear. The dead cannot hear anything.
In front of the deserted grave, Wang Tian bowed slightly to apologize, and then dug a hole. Under the weeds in the shallow soil layer, there was a large mound of earth, covered with yellow mud. When he pried it open, he found a jar, which was wrapped in thick oil-tin paper. After confirming it, he took it away together with the jar.
Hao Jianghua was very depressed. He lowered his head again in front of the woman, and lowered it even lower.
He prostrated himself on the ground, swearing that he would bring the things back tomorrow.
But Mena didn't care: "They're all dead. If you go there again, you'll be walking into a trap."
"If the things aren't found, it won't be too late to get them later." Her eyes fell on him, "You're still useful. I'll arrange for you to leave tonight."
"Thank you." Hao Jianghua kowtowed in gratitude.
"No need." Mena waved her hand to send him away. She knew in her heart that after tonight, this old dog would no longer thank her.
It was night again, dark and indifferent.
The screen of the mobile phone was beeping, and with the tapping of my knuckles, it took away some things and brought some things.
As the day of judgment approached, my heart calmed down.
Occasionally, Jiahui cast a look at me, and there was doubt, uneasiness, and... many emotions in her eyes that I could not understand.
I could see that she had questions, but
she didn't say anything. I pretended to be relaxed and kept silent as well. This was probably the way smart people get along with each other, or maybe it was a tacit understanding between men and women. I didn't say anything, and she didn't ask.
But late at night, she instinctively leaned towards me, and I could feel the coldness of her body.
On the contrary, my heart was burning. This is a flaming mountain that is difficult to extinguish.
At dawn, the Hengshan County Public Security Bureau received an alarm. A vicious case occurred in the old valley of Haojiagou.
Someone called the police, and during the editing process of the aerial video, the complete process of the murder was discovered.
The police responded and found the victim's body at the scene.
The news of Hao Xinmin's murder suddenly spread in Haojiagou.
It wasn't because Hao Xinmin was so popular, but because the perpetrator was Hao Jianghua.
This runaway suspected of a crime broke the law again, and this time, the evidence was solid.
The police immediately applied for a wanted notice and reported to the procuratorate for arrest.
Previously, due to insufficient evidence for Hao Jianghua's suspected crime and his status as a cadre of the deputy county chief, he could only go through the investigation process first; now, this incident has a direct entry point, and once the procedures were completed, they went straight to the Hao family.
The public outcry at the scene brought trouble to the police; if Hao Jianghua's criminal behavior was confirmed, it would be even more impossible for him to come back. Even if he was caught, it would take a long time. By then, would the villagers' money be recovered? As a result, those who were originally on the sidelines also flocked to Haojiagou, and the Hao family was completely blocked.
After the search, police also took statements from the women of the Hao family and explained the surrender policy. Li Xuanshi and others were still reeling, wondering if Hao Jianghua's death wasn't quick enough. But they were helpless. The Hao family couldn't contact Hao Jianghua, so urging him to surrender was impossible.
Before leaving, police emphasized that they would return to collect evidence and statements if necessary and would conduct surveillance on key roads. They had originally planned to take everyone back to the station for quarantine and investigation in hopes of uncovering other criminal links, such as fraud. However, considering the public outside, removing them would likely cause conflict.
Often, the public, unaware of the situation, accused officials of "official patronage," escalating public outcry and escalating into a frenzy. Even some villagers from the county began flocking to Haojiagou to demand their rights.
Compared to Hao Jianghua's murder, this case, involving hundreds of millions, if not more, of fraudulent proceeds, was the most devastating.
The women of the Hao family were livid. Outside the courtyard, and even throughout much of the village, deafening cries of outrage and heartbreaking wails filled the air.
The iron fence outside the courtyard was constantly being rammed, and some even attempted to climb inside, only to be stopped by the police on duty.
The women were terrified, and the young nannies, in particular, cried out in fear; they had never witnessed such a scene before. Indeed, the Hao family's long-standing comfort, their enclosed world, had, to a certain extent, given them a sense of security. But now, that sense of security was eroding, perhaps soon to crumble.
"What should we do?" someone cried.
The nannies and maids glanced at each other, their eyes red and puffy, then turned to Li Xuanshi.
Soon, questions, even doubts, were raised, their voices trembling, still directed at the mistress.
Li Xuanshi remained silent. She could not respond. The situation... was about to get out of control; not just with the villagers outside the courtyard, but even within the Hao family.
Once they lost hope, they didn't know what they would do. Li Xuanshi had originally expected that even if Hao Jianghua was arrested, he could be held off for a while, or even better, he would never come back, and the matter would be settled. However, Hao Jianghua actually sneaked back to Haojiagou and even killed Hao Xinmin.
The fire spread the oil, and the situation would deteriorate further; the villagers were out of control, and the Hao family was out of control... Li Xuanshi couldn't imagine the future.
Cutting off her tail to survive was no longer an option. Only one last step remained, and she hadn't wanted to do it.
"Don't worry, there are police outside, they won't rush in." Wu Tong spoke, comforting the women, "My wife will talk to Mayor Zheng, and everything will be fine soon."
Mayor Zheng, yes, the mayor. Thinking of that old pervert, the nannies had some impression of him and felt relieved. In their eyes, the mayor was already a big shot.
Inside the room, Li Xuanshi called Wu Tong and put a bank card in her hand.
"Chairman..." Wu Tong was stunned.
"There are 200,000 in the card, with the old password. It's a little gift from me." Li Xuanshi said with emotion, "Alan and the others don't have it, so I only give it to you."
"You know the situation at home. Comfort everyone and get over this hurdle, and I will compensate you."
Wu Tong was a little flattered.
"Okay, go and do your work. Remember to keep it a secret."
Li Xuanshi sent the personal secretary away.
Only Xu Lin, her best friend, was left in the room.
"Have you decided?" she asked.
"It's decided." Li Xuanshi took a deep breath. Leaving was the last resort.
Although abandoning the property would result in heavy losses, the large sum of money left behind by the pledge would be enough for her to live on for the rest of her life. If Zuo Jing, her own son, could...
if everything could start over again, then these losses would not be unbearable...
Of course, she couldn't take everyone away and wait for the situation to ease so that the government or public officials could intervene.
In this way, she would have an excuse to take the children away, leaving behind a group of girls and a certain old man from the Hao family as "hostages" held by the villagers; now that the "hostages" were in hand, it would be reasonable to release a few people to accept government investigations. By then, she could escape from her trap.
"I understand that you can't take the old man with you, but you won't take any of Alan and the others with you? What about Tongtong? Will you leave her behind too?"
"I won't take any of them with me. Only heaven and earth know, you know, and I know. Otherwise, no one can escape."
Li Xuanshi sighed. It was certainly difficult to make this decision, but now that things have come to this, she can only take care of herself first.
"These women only know how to cause trouble. They're impatient, and we can't hold out for long on their own. So, I'm keeping Tongtong here too. She can stabilize this gang... I know this is a bit unfair to her... so I left her 200,000 yuan..."
"After all, they're not surnamed Hao, so they're not considered Hao family members, and the government won't do anything to them. As for the villagers... after we leave, if they come rushing in... life and death are determined by fate, wealth and honor are determined by God... I haven't treated them unfairly. I've provided them with good food and drink, so they deserve it..."
"Hostages" are inevitably at risk of being "killed." The enraged villagers, on the verge of legal impunity, could not be predicted by anyone.
Li Xuanshi couldn't bear such an arrangement, but she couldn't care less.
The goldfish in the fish tank continued to swim leisurely. Things have been going on lately, so Wu Tong took the goldfish back to her room.
Her phone's soundtrack played a conversation between Li Xuanshi and Xu Lin. Now that they'd already searched the evidence, who would suspect she'd hidden a bug?
"Two hundred thousand... Li Xuanshi, you sold me out again..." Her once gentle face had become stoic.
Wu Tong forcefully broke the bank card in her hand and casually tossed it into the trash.
Angry? Disappointed? No, this was true human nature. As a secretary, she knew Li Xuanshi all too well. She
tore open the fish food packet and sprinkled it into the tank. The goldfish scrambled for the food, and Wu Tong let out a dumb laugh.
"Fish, oh fish, can you escape from this fish tank?"
Li Xuanshi, this time, pushed herself to the road of no return with her own hands.
Picking up the phone, she sent an audio message and attached a text.
So, the next day, a group of security personnel in special service uniforms surrounded the gate of the Hao family compound.
Guarding between the furious villagers and the Hao family compound.
"What's going on?" Li Xuanshi was puzzled.
"Oh, the eldest master called and he arranged for people to come and protect us." Wu Tong explained.
"That's great." The nanny and the maids were very excited. They were most afraid that these people outside would rush into the house.
Li Xuanshi's face was a little ugly. The so-called protection naturally would not let outsiders rush in.
But, at the same time, if they wanted to go out, could they do it quietly and without leaving any trace?
Li Xuanshi suddenly had a feeling that she couldn't leave.