Zhao Ling was a little anxious, so she said to Zhao Qiang, "Wait for me here. I'll call you if anything happens."
Zhao Qiang nodded: "Don't have any worries, just let me know if anything happens."
Zhao Ling hummed in agreement and hurriedly followed Director Liu downstairs. At this moment, Tang Ziliang and Li Xiangxiang returned. Seeing Zhao Ling following Director Liu, Tang Ziliang asked, "What's going on?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Director Liu said he would take Zhao Ling to the municipal government to talk to Director Yang."
Tang Ziliang said, "That's good. If they're willing to sit down and talk, there's a chance. Otherwise, if things stay deadlocked, something bad will happen sooner or later."
Zhao Qiang, remembering Director Liu's lecherous gaze, also went downstairs, still feeling uneasy. Tang Ziliang asked, "Where are you going?"
Zhao Qiang said, "It's a bit stuffy in here, I'm going downstairs for a walk."
Tang Ziliang said, "Just stay here and wait for Zhao Ling. Don't wander off."
Zhao Qiang ignored them and went straight downstairs. Tang Ziliang and Li Xiangxiang hurriedly followed. Once outside the gate, Zhao Qiang was about to hail a taxi. By then, Zhao Ling and Director Liu were nowhere to be seen. However, since he was going to the municipal government, Zhao Qiang wasn't worried about getting lost.
Tang Ziliang, panting heavily, said, "Hey, why are you so stubborn? Do you think Zhao Ling will stop you from running away? You're from the countryside, aren't you? How can you be so petty when things get tough?" Tang Ziliang was very angry at this point, and his words were quite harsh.
Zhao Qiang turned around and said, "Yes, I remember I really am from the countryside."
Li Xiangxiang and Tang Ziliang were dumbfounded. He actually admitted to being a fool, saying things like "I remember being from the countryside." Could it be that he had amnesia? He looked handsome and smart, but it turned out he had a problem with his brain. It's such a pity that he got to monopolize such a good girl like Zhao Ling.
Tang Ziliang pressed down on Zhao Qiang's hand, which was gesturing for a taxi, and said, "Don't call a taxi, I'll take you. You can't afford to lose face by taking a taxi."
Li Xiangxiang said, "Ziliang's car is reimbursed for gas, so save yourself some money on taxi fares. We don't know how much money Zhao Ling's brother's matter will cost, so save her some too. Earning money isn't easy."
Zhao Qiang didn't insist and said, "Okay, take me to where I'll have lunch."
Tang Ziliang asked, "What are you going there for?"
"Leave the car there," Zhao Qiang replied, thinking it inconvenient to have someone else deliver it, so he might as well drive his own car back.
Tang Ziliang said, "It's so cold, riding a motorcycle would be too cold. I'll take you there to see." Actually, Tang Ziliang wanted to say bicycle, but given the amount of money in Zhao Qiang's bag, the possibility of a bicycle was out of the question.
Zhao Qiang said, "No need, just take me back to the internet cafe where we met."
Li Xiangxiang said to Tang Ziliang, "Hurry up and send it over. Don't let him lose the motorcycle; he'll definitely be worried."
Volume 2 [474] Pleading for Help
Director Liu drove himself. Although it was obvious he had been drinking, given his status in Baiyuan City, the traffic police probably wouldn't have checked him. Even though he was driving a private car, the traffic police should know the license plate number. Whether he had all the necessary paperwork was another matter. This is the reality in China, nothing to be surprised about.
"Xiao Zhao, besides your younger brother, who else is in your family?" Director Liu asked Zhao Ling with concern on the way.
Zhao Ling replied, "There are also my parents, grandma, and grandpa, but they don't live with us."
Director Liu said, "Young people these days are a real worry for their parents. The crime rate is very high. Sometimes a small mistake can ruin their lives. A few days ago, I helped a friend with a case. The original sentence was ten years, but in the end, he was only sentenced to six years. The laws in our country are very vague. It all depends on whether you have connections inside."
Zhao Ling said, "We're relying on Director Liu for everything. I don't know anything about these things. If you need any gifts or anything like that, just let me know."
Director Liu chuckled: "Let me handle these relationships. I have high hopes for you. You're a beautiful and charming girl, and I like you a lot." Emboldened by the alcohol and with only the two of them in the car, Director Liu spoke frankly.
Zhao Ling's expression changed. She felt like she'd walked into a tiger's den, but she was now in a bind and had no choice but to go to the municipal government with Director Liu. Otherwise, what would happen to her brother? Fortunately, she was already skilled at dealing with men, so Zhao Ling quickly regained her composure, smiled charmingly, and said, "Director Liu, you really know how to talk. I'm not as good as you make me out to be. People of your status, how could you lack beautiful women around you? Just a few words and a bunch of beauties would throw themselves at you."
Director Liu chuckled: "It's not as exaggerated as you say. Take me for example, I've never been attracted to other women before, but today, my heart is pounding. Xiao Zhao, what do you think is the reason?"
Zhao Ling lowered her head shyly: "How would I know? I'm worried about my brother's safety right now, I can't think about anything else."
Director Liu was aroused by Zhao Ling's affectionate and cuddly posture. He patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, I'm here. I'll help you handle this matter and do my best to plead for your brother. You'll appreciate that, right?"
Zhao Ling nodded vigorously: "As long as my brother is safe, I will definitely appreciate your kindness."
Director Liu gripped the steering wheel with one hand and reached for Zhao Ling's thigh with the other: "For your sake, I'll ensure his safety." In truth, Director Liu had no confidence whatsoever. This case was handled by the Municipal Bureau; he had no authority to interfere, not to mention Director Yang of the Municipal Enterprise Management Office was closely monitoring it. But he made the boast first, taking advantage of the beautiful woman now. Who would dare to complain later? With his status, he could easily intimidate her and make her behave. She was just an ordinary citizen; who else would he bully if not her?
Zhao Ling shifted her leg to the side, then grabbed Director Liu's wrist and said, "Director Liu, my boyfriend is waiting for me. Please don't embarrass me. You should also understand my predicament."
Director Liu had to withdraw his hand. He snorted and said, "Your boyfriend? I can tell at a glance that he's an honest but incompetent person. Don't expect to be happy with him. Let's put it this way, Xiao Zhao, we've met today, and I really appreciate that. If you don't dislike me, how about we become good friends in the future?"
Zhao Ling chuckled: "Director Liu, aren't we friends now? Or do you not consider me a friend?"
Seeing that things were looking promising, Director Liu smiled even more broadly. "Be friends? Of course, be friends. Otherwise, why would I be in such a hurry to interfere and meddle in this matter? Wouldn't that be just asking for trouble?"
Zhao Ling said, "That's good. Hurry up and drive to the municipal government. You know how worried I am about my brother."
Director Liu slammed on the gas pedal, and the car sped off, arriving at the Baiyuan Municipal Government in no time. The security guard recognized Director Liu's license plate, so he was allowed to pass without registration. After parking in the parking lot below the office building, Director Liu led Zhao Ling into the building. He was very familiar with the place and led Zhao Ling straight to the Enterprise Management Office. Normally, it wasn't open yet, but Director Yang had been taking care of his injured son and had a lot of documents on hand, so he had to work overtime at noon.
Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door. Director Yang didn't even look up, and said while looking at the documents, "Come in."
Director Liu pushed open the door and entered. Seeing Director Yang busy at work, he laughed and said, "Old Yang, you're not even taking a break at noon. You're working too hard. Don't work so hard for the country and the people. Are you planning to leave us behind? You've taken away all the titles of model worker and advanced worker."
Director Yang glanced up and said, "Stop making sarcastic remarks. Why are you pleading for Zhao Mingming, that damned Zhao Mingming..." At this moment, Director Yang saw Zhao Ling following behind Director Liu. His expression changed. The two knew each other because they had a conflict at the hospital yesterday. However, Director Yang now appeared very authoritative, probably due to the office environment.
Before Director Yang could react, Zhao Ling spoke up first: "Director Yang, I am a woman. Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against me or my brother."
At this moment, Director Liu also gave Director Yang a wink. People like them who are in officialdom know how to read people's expressions. Director Yang naturally knew that Director Liu wanted him to give him face, so he didn't make a scene on the spot. Otherwise, given the loss he suffered yesterday, he would have grabbed a mop from behind the door and started fighting with Zhao Ling on the spot. Anyway, Zhao Qiang wasn't there, so he didn't have to be afraid.
Director Yang snorted and remained silent. Director Liu said, "Old Yang, I think the two sides should sit down and talk. This isn't good. What do you think? It won't solve the problem."
Director Yang snorted again and said, "Old Liu, I'm only holding back for now because of you. I think you should have seen the reports about how badly my son was beaten. I have the medical examiner's report here. Based on my son's injuries, Zhao Mingming being sentenced is a sure thing."
Zhao Ling panicked even more upon hearing this and hurriedly said, "Director Yang, my brother and my boyfriend were both impulsive. I apologize to you on their behalf. Do you think there are any other solutions? Please don't ruin my brother's future like this. He's still too young."
Director Yang snorted coldly, "Your boyfriend? Don't mention him. You'd better tell him to turn himself in. He stabbed someone with a knife at the hospital yesterday and is now wanted for intentional assault. If he shows his face in public, the police will arrest him immediately. He's arrogant, isn't he? Let him be arrogant. This is a communist-ruled society governed by the rule of law. He can't just run wild whenever he wants."
Unexpectedly, this matter involved Zhao Qiang, and Zhao Ling panicked even more. At this moment, she had no clue what to do and could only place her hopes on Director Liu. Director Liu liked to see Zhao Ling's helpless eyes, which made him feel valuable. With power in his hands, wouldn't women take the initiative to throw themselves into his arms? He felt that his life had not been in vain.
Director Liu coughed and said to Director Yang, "Old Yang, we've been friends for many years. I'm not taking sides. I only recently met Xiao Zhao. I only came to you on her behalf because I saw she was all alone. No matter how things develop, they have to be resolved in the end. Xiao Zhao's family is just average. Don't push them too hard. Give them some time to catch their breath. No matter how loudly everyone argues, it won't help."
Director Yang knew perfectly well that Zhao Mingming's parents were indeed extremely honest and hard to get a large sum of compensation from them, and beating them up wouldn't be in line with his position. The only way to punish them was to arrest Zhao Mingming and bring him to justice. However, the brat was hiding very well, and even plainclothes officers from various police stations had been mobilized but hadn't been able to find him. If he could lull Zhao Mingming into a false sense of security by talking to his family, he might be able to catch him.
Thinking of this, Director Yang finally smiled and said, "Alright, I won't argue with anyone today. Director Liu is right, this matter needs to be resolved eventually. I don't believe your brother will hide forever, so you'd better tell him that turning himself in is the only way out. As long as he has a good attitude in admitting his guilt, I can consider a peaceful resolution."
Hearing that Director Yang had finally relented, Zhao Ling felt a huge weight lifted from her heart: "Thank you, Director Yang. We are doing our best to find my brother. If we find him, we will definitely make him turn himself in and try to get him lenient treatment."
Director Yang said, "That's for the best. I'll give you my phone number. If Zhao Mingming shows up, you must notify me immediately. But don't even think about haggling over the medical expenses. Pay 100,000 yuan upfront. As for my son's later scar removal surgery, nutrition fees, and lost wages, we'll recalculate those later. I'm not afraid to tell you the bottom line, it can't be less than one million yuan, so be prepared as soon as possible."
Zhao Ling had just breathed a sigh of relief when she was immediately plunged into despair again. One million? This was an astronomical figure for her parents, and even for Zhao Qiang, it wasn't a small sum.
Seeing that Zhao Ling's expression was not right, Director Liu advised, "Zhao Ling, don't panic. Let's find your brother first. Otherwise, the city bureau's warrant for his arrest cannot be lifted, and your brother will be unable to live in the light of day for the rest of his life. He is still so young. As his older sister, you can't not think about his future. As for the medical expenses, we can find a way to pay for them."
Director Liu was hoping that Director Yang would ask for the highest possible price, so that Zhao Ling would become more dependent on him, and he would have an opportunity to take advantage of her. If he resolved everything right away, what use would he be, and what right would he have to coerce Zhao Ling into submission?
Director Yang also said, "Things should be done one step at a time. Let's find your brother first, otherwise we can forget about the rest."
Zhao Ling nodded. She didn't need them to tell her to find Zhao Mingming. "Director Yang, if that's the case, do we still need to have the police arrest my brother? You know, the more we do that, the less likely he is to go home."
Director Yang already knew that the police couldn't do anything to Zhao Mingming for the time being. Since Baiyuan City was so large, it was uncertain whether Zhao Mingming was even still there. Therefore, finding him through his family was the best option, far more hopeful than aimlessly searching. So he said, "I can talk to my friends at the city bureau and ask them to postpone the arrest of Zhao Mingming. However, you'd better find him as soon as possible. I don't want this matter to drag on too long. If it does, I'll proceed with the normal legal process, and then it will be too late to salvage the situation."
Zhao Ling had no other choice but to leave the Enterprise Management Office with gratitude. It was worth the trip as long as the police didn't scare Zhao Mingming. Otherwise, her brother would have been hiding so well that even his family wouldn't have been able to find him.
As she was leaving the government office building, Zhao Ling pretended to go to the restroom and sent Zhao Qiang a text message, asking him to call her later. Otherwise, with Zhao Ling's shrewdness, she could have foreseen Director Liu's intentions. At this moment, she couldn't offend him, so she could only use a clever escape plan.
Volume 2 [475] Not Pretending to be Poor
Li Xiangxiang chattered on and on, talking about her colorful nightlife. Going to bars and nightclubs was commonplace for her, and she drank and ate late-night snacks every day. Her words revealed the decadence of middle-class life.
Zhao Qiang remained silent, which only highlighted his ignorance. Tang Ziliang drove his Langyi with great skill, occasionally interjecting with a few words, mostly about the strange and secret stories within their system, how many days off they had each month, and how leisurely their workdays were.
"We're here." Zhao Qiang finally spoke. The internet cafe he and Zhao Ling had come from earlier was in front of them.
Tang Ziliang parked the car in front of the internet cafe and said, "That's all we can do for today. Our Director Liu is a very warm-hearted person, so don't worry. We've already sent him the shopping card. He'll definitely do his best to help in any way he can. There's no question about our relationship."
"Thank you," Zhao Qiang said. He had no relatives or friends in Baiyuan, so he couldn't really use his talents for this matter for the time being.
Tang Ziliang said, "After things are settled, let's go out and have some fun. I'll show you the nightlife of Baiyuan."
Zhao Qiang said, "We'll talk about it later. I'll treat you to dinner another day."
Li Xiangxiang waved her hand: "Save your money, let us treat you. Go ride your motorcycle now."
Zhao Qiang walked towards the parking lot in front of the internet cafe. There were motorcycles and cars, but motorcycles were more common. Most of the people who came to the internet cafe were young people and workers. Those who could afford it usually went online at home.
Li Xiangxiang said to Tang Ziliang, "Let's go too, let's find a place to play for a while. This lap we ran for Zhao Ling is really tiring."
Tang Ziliang said, "I'll have her treat me to dinner alone another day."
Li Xiangxiang immediately denied it: "That won't do. She's so flirtatious and does that kind of business in Yihai. How could I dare to let the two of you be alone together?"
Tang Ziliang said, "She has a boyfriend, so she definitely won't marry me. Even if she did, I wouldn't want her. Can't you just let me have my way with her? It's such a waste to have such a beautiful woman like her. If I don't get a taste, I'm afraid I'll have insomnia later."
"Why don't you just die?" Li Xiangxiang tapped Tang Ziliang on the head. Is there any woman who doesn't get jealous?
Tang Ziliang dodged past and pointed outside the car, saying, "Look, why isn't he riding his motorcycle?"
Li Xiangxiang pressed her face against the car window and saw that Zhao Qiang had already passed the motorcycle area. There were several cars ahead. Li Xiangxiang exclaimed in surprise, "No way, he didn't say what kind of car it was. Could it be that Jetta?"
Tang Ziliang spat and said, "What's so great about a Jetta? It's just a taxi. In the last two years, taxis have all been using Elantras. The Jetta is not up to par. Zhao Ling is wasting her talents by following him. She would be better off following our Director Liu."
Li Xiangxiang cursed, "Don't think I don't know what your Director Liu has done. If Zhao Ling hadn't been involved in this kind of thing, I wouldn't have dared to let her be alone with your director."
Tang Ziliang chuckled: "If I don't tell you, how would you know that our Director Liu likes to have sex? Besides, what man doesn't do that? It's not something to be surprised about."
Li Xiangxiang kept staring at Zhao Qiang: "Wait, something's not right. It's not that Jetta. Could it be the Xiali in front? I think the Xiali suits their status better. It's fuel-efficient."
Tang Ziliang said, "It must be a Xiali. If it's not a Xiali, then what else could it be but the BMW X5 next to it? Even our Director Liu can't afford a car like that. Damn, there aren't many people in Baiyuan City who can afford a car worth over a million. The high-end class is still a very small minority."
Li Xiangxiang wrapped her arms around Tang Ziliang's neck and said sweetly, "Ziliang, you have to work hard and make sure I can drive a BMW by the time I'm thirty."
Tang Ziliang clenched his fist and said, "Okay, I'll buy you a BMW to drive around in, so everyone will be green with envy."
With a beep, Zhao Qiang pressed a button, the BMW X5's warning light flashed, the car lock opened, and then Zhao Qiang reached out and pulled open the driver's side door, plopped down inside, and the BMW started with a whoosh. Tang Ziliang and Li Xiangxiang, who had been talking inside the car, were dumbfounded. They didn't react until the BMW backed out of the parking space.
"Damn it, we've been tricked!" Tang Ziliang roared. "The BMW really is his!"
Li Xiangxiang muttered, "How is this possible? How is this possible? Even if she entertained fifty customers a day, she wouldn't be able to buy a BMW in such a short time. And if she really entertained fifty customers, wouldn't she be exhausted? It must be rented or borrowed."
Tang Ziliang cursed, "Maybe your friend has hooked up with a rich guy. Why do you have to think about selling your friend for money?"
Li Xiangxiang pointed to the BMW driveway outside: "Ask that Zhao Qiang, does he look like a rich man? To me, he seems like an honest, simple countryman."
Tang Ziliang said, "He's leaving. Let's follow him and find out exactly where he comes from."
Zhao Qiang received a text message at this moment. The fact that Zhao Ling could send him a text message meant that everything was fine. She probably thought of using this as a cover to get away because she was afraid that Director Liu would pester her. Zhao Qiang smiled. With Zhao Ling's deception skills, Director Liu should not be able to gain any advantage unless he forces her. Otherwise, Zhao Ling would have been cheated on long ago. If you don't have this much skill, you would have gotten wet long ago.
Seeing the Langyi chasing after him in the rearview mirror, Zhao Qiang turned his car to the side of the road and slowed down. Tang Ziliang stepped on the gas and drove alongside the BMW. He rolled down his window and shouted at Zhao Qiang in the BMW, "You're something else! You're a real hidden talent, driving a BMW? You didn't even say anything beforehand, and we thought you were riding a motorcycle."
Zhao Qiang chuckled twice: "What's there to say? It's just a car."
Tang Ziliang asked, "What exactly do you do? You carry so much cash with you and drive a BMW. Don't be so unreliable. We're not asking you for money."