What truly shattered Wang Side's hopes was that the apartment in Meihuayuan on Lingyuan Road that Fu Yuanshan mentioned was his secret hideout. Some of the evidence against him was there, because he hadn't expected the police to arrest him so quickly. There, he also kept the license plates he'd removed after his recent robberies, murders, and carjackings!
Seeing Wang Ende's bewildered expression, Fu Yuanshan, with his old experience, immediately understood that Wang Ende had been truly caught in a trap. The document written by Zhou Xuan that he held in his hand was Wang Ende's weakness, his lifeline. At that moment, Fu Yuanshan also firmly bound himself to Zhou Xuan's chariot, becoming an inseparable part of Zhou Xuan from then on!
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Volume 1, Chapter 265: Urgent Needle
Rokudouyama understood Guiss's thoughts and pressed his advantage, striking while the iron was hot.
"You think these things are flawless and impeccable? Do you think we can't find any evidence against you as long as you don't talk about it? Let me remind you again: the clothes you threw down the cliff face on the west side of Muxiang Mountain, and the last set of clothes, gloves, and shoes you didn't have time to throw away under your bed."
As Fu Yuanshan finished speaking, Wang Side, sitting opposite him, was panting heavily, his body trembling. He almost slipped off his chair!
Wang Side had clearly broken down, so there was no need for Fu Yuanshan to say anything more!
Fu Yuanshan went outside and whispered to Zhou Hong and several other criminal police officers, "You guys take notes on Wang Side. I reckon there are basically no problems. This guy isn't just involved in the dismemberment case in Xichunhe. In just half a month, there have been three murder and robbery cases. You need to be thorough and dig out all his secrets!"
Zhou Hong was somewhat surprised. Wang Side, in the two days since his arrest, had been as solid as a steel plate. Not a single crack appeared. Could it be that Director Fu had dealt with him so quickly after he went in? Unbelievable!
Fu Yuanshan went back into the room and called Zhou Xuan out. He gestured to Zhou Hong and then left the interrogation room with Zhou Xuan. Of course, Fu Yuanshan had already taken the document written by Zhou Xuan with him.
In the elevator, Fu Yuanshan glanced at Zhou Xuan, who was smiling faintly, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It seemed he was indeed fortunate. He wondered why Zhou Xuan had chosen him. Judging from Zhou Xuan's abilities, he had previously assumed Zhou Xuan's background was solely with the Li and Wei families, but now he guessed it wasn't that simple. While it was true that the Wei and Li families stood behind Zhou Xuan, it wasn't that Zhou Xuan relied on them. Rather, it was more likely that both the Wei and Li families had received help from Zhou Xuan!
Zhou Xuan possesses such astonishing abilities, so why help him? What is Zhou Xuan's purpose?
After sitting down in Director Fu Yuanshan's office, Fu Yuanshan fell into deep thought. He was pleasantly surprised by the significant progress in the case. However, based on his many years of experience as a veteran police officer, he believed that Zhou Xuan would not have approached him for free assistance without a clear purpose.
But Fu Yuanshan also understood that he was currently like a drug addict, unable to do without Zhou Xuan's help. This was the most direct political achievement he could gain, beyond description!
Zhou Xuan smiled; he could see through Fu Yuanshan's expression. This old policeman was more meticulous and cautious than the average person, and he was clearly suspicious of Zhou Xuan's help.
"Brother Fu, I know you're starting to doubt why I'm helping you, so let me be frank with you." Zhou Xuan waved his hand, smiling, and continued, "As you probably know, I have the Wei and Li families behind me, while my Zhou family is just an ordinary family from the countryside who came to the city. Let me put it this way: my relationship with the Wei and Li families is that I saved their grandfathers' lives, and my family's arrival in Beijing wouldn't have been possible without their help. But we're just an ordinary family, and we inevitably have our share of bumps and frictions with others. The Wei and Li families are powerful and influential, so they'll definitely help with my family's affairs, but I can't possibly go to them for every little thing, can I? I can ask them for help with important matters, but asking too many times will create problems." "It's not good to rely on others, I've thought about it. Even a county official isn't as powerful as a local one. Brother Fu, you're a prominent figure in the area. Anything is easier to handle with you. What I want to say is that our Zhou family has never done anything immoral, now, or in the future. With my abilities, earning enough to support my family isn't a problem. My current net worth is over a hundred million. Money doesn't mean much to me; enough is enough. I'm helping Brother Fu. That's all I mean. I don't bully people. But one must be wary. Some people are trying to cause trouble for me or my family. I just hope Brother Fu can treat them fairly!"
Fu Yuanshan saw Zhou Xuan clearly as he spoke; his eyes were clear and devoid of any malice. Fu Yuanshan could sense from the bottom of his heart that Zhou Xuan was speaking from the heart, and he could truly believe that, given the background of the Wei and Li families, if anything happened to his Zhou family, the Wei and Li families would definitely not stand idly by. Their intervention would be far more effective and powerful than Fu Yuanshan's. Yet, Zhou Xuan had approached him. Perhaps this meant exactly what Zhou Xuan meant.
Zhou Xuan's meaning was clear. While there's no such thing as a free lunch, Zhou's help wasn't driven by self-interest. His assistance was aimed at ensuring Fu Yuanshan's future support for the Zhou family, but this small act of help differed greatly from the self-serving motives of other businessmen. Others' help was a transaction, a way to gain greater benefits, but Zhou Xuan simply wanted him to look after the Zhou family. He made it clear that he would only intervene if the Zhou family was framed or bullied, and even then, only if they were in the right. According to laws and regulations, this was simply what they were supposed to do, a public servant's duty. Therefore, Zhou Xuan's request wasn't unreasonable.
But as most people know, modern society is a complex mix of factors, and local officials have more influence than distant ones. There are always ways to circumvent policies, and countless cases of people being wronged or unjustly accused are commonplace. Therefore, Zhou Xuan's words are not hard to understand!
Fu Yuanshan's mind raced. He was considering Zhou Xuan's words.
Zhou Xuan continued, "Brother Fu, I'm giving you a clear guarantee now. I will never ask you to do anything for me that involves abusing your power for personal gain or power, nor will I ask you to show favoritism towards me. I only hope that when something like my sister was beaten by Wu Jianguo happens, Brother Fu can handle it fairly and promptly. That's all I mean. Of course, I also hope that we, Zhou Xuan, will never encounter such a thing!"
Fu Yuanshan stopped thinking and hesitating, immediately shaking hands tightly with Zhou Xuan and saying sincerely, "Brother, if I had any doubts before, I'll tell you now. From now on, you are my brother. Your Zhou family is my family. I know that by helping me, I can gain many obvious political achievements and may be promoted quickly, which may seem opportunistic. But I'll be honest with you, brother, I hope to reach a new height before I retire. Before, it was just a thought, but now it's very likely that I can achieve it. It's opportunistic, but I'm also thinking about another point: the higher the position, the more things I can do. I will use the power you've given me to do more good deeds for ordinary people. I can also help you solve many unsolved cases and help many wronged victims seek justice. You will have done immeasurable good deeds."
When Fu Yuanshan heard the phrase "immeasurable merit," he was very excited, as if he could already see himself and Zhou Xuan working together to solve one major case after another. His excitement was indescribable!
At this moment, Zhou Xuan and Fu Yuanshan truly stood on the same side.
After returning home from the branch office, Zhou Xuan was surprised to find that Zhou Cangsong had also come home. Of the family, only his younger brother, Zhou Tao, was busy working at Zhou's Jewelry Company.
When Zhou Cangsong saw Zhou Xuan return, he said with a smile, "Son, your dad took a break. Our shop will officially open for business on the 20th of the twelfth lunar month. There are still a few days left. The shop is stable, and Zhang Jian insisted that I come back and rest for a few days!"
"Take a rest, Dad. You and Mom are both getting on in years. I brought you here so you could enjoy your retirement!" Zhou Xuan smiled. It was a rare treat to see his father come home. This hardworking man from the countryside still couldn't stay idle in the city.
Zhou Xuan looked at his parents, Fu Ying, and his younger sister Zhou Ying, who were chatting together, and remembered what Old Li and Li Lei had told him. He gave an awkward smile and said, "Dad, Mom, sister, you're all here. I have something to tell you!"
Zhou Cangsong smiled and said, "Yes, it's time to talk about it. You and Yingying should make proper preparations for your wedding. I'm also in a bit of a dilemma. This place is not like our countryside. The wedding here will probably be different from what we have in the countryside. Besides, Yingying has come all the way here, so we can't treat her unfairly!"
Fu Ying blushed and immediately lowered her head, not daring to look at anyone or speak. Zhou Xuan, however, said, "Dad, Mom, it's not about me and Yingying, it's about Zhou Ying!"
Both Fu Ying and Zhou Ying exclaimed in surprise, but Fu Ying raised her head while Zhou Ying lowered hers!
"What's wrong with Zhou Ying? Are we going to transfer her from the antique shop to the jewelry shop?" Zhou Cangsong asked in surprise. "Let's transfer her then. Anyway, it's all our Zhou family's business, so it's the same no matter where she is."
"It's not about that!" Zhou Xuan shook his head and said, "Yes, yes..." He didn't know how to start the conversation and scratched his head, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Zhou Ying lowered her head even further, and Jin Xiumei suddenly realized, "Oh, son. You mean...you mean Li Wei and Zhou Ying's affair?"
"It's about this," Zhou Xuan said, scratching his head. "Mom and Dad, Li Wei's father and grandfather specifically invited me to their house today to talk about this. I just want to ask you what you think!"
Jin Xiumei frowned and said, "What's the use of our opinions? What do Li Wei's family think? They're high-ranking officials. Li Wei is young and naive. Marriage is a major life event that requires parents' consent. How could his family agree? Our Zhou Ying is a country girl, your own sister. Don't you know her personality? If she married into an ordinary family, I would be perfectly at ease. But with a family like Li Wei's, I..."
Only then did Zhou Cangsong realize what had happened. He was an honest man, and when he suddenly encountered such a situation, he didn't know what to do.
Fu Ying was displeased and retorted angrily, "Mom, what's wrong with our sister? She's beautiful and gentle, more than a match for Li Wei. Mom just thinks Li Wei's family is good, but our family isn't bad either. Mom, do you know that our sister's shares in the antique shop are worth over 30 million? Speaking of money, that's the simplest thing. Mom doesn't know, does she? Zhou Xuan's net worth is now over a billion. He's a respectable entrepreneur, and he also owns 70% of our Fu family's shares in New York, which is worth 100 billion RMB. If that were in China, he'd be second to none!"
Zhou Cangsong and Jin Xiumei were both taken aback by Fu Ying's words. Although they knew that their son's businesses were valuable, they did not know that the money was this much. Then Fu Ying mentioned shares in New York, which they understood even less. What did a hundred billion mean?
Zhou Xuan completely forgot that he still owned 70% of Fu's shares. He had enough money for his family to live on for several lifetimes, so why did he need so much money? However, Fu Ying's words made sense, and he liked to hear them. So what if she was his sister? She was more than a match for Li Wei!
“Mom, Dad, don’t think about anything else. I came back to tell you that Li Wei’s parents and grandfather all agree to this. They specifically asked me first because it was his family who proposed to us. I told them I had to come back and talk to you both to see what you think.” Zhou Xuan explained the Li family’s intentions, and then added to Zhou Ying, “Of course, the most important thing is to see what my sister herself thinks.”
What opinions could Zhou Ying possibly have? Her most important opinion was that Li Wei must get his family's approval. Then, her brother Zhou Xuan and their parents' approval too. That was her opinion. Now, hearing that her brother had brought back the opinions of Li Wei's family, and that they all agreed, she was overjoyed, but too shy to look up.
Zhou Cangsong and Jin Xiumei finally understood what Zhou Xuan meant. He meant that the Li family had agreed, and now he was asking for their Zhou family's opinion!
Zhou Cangsong pondered for a moment, then looked at Zhou Ying and asked, "Zhou Ying, what's your opinion?"
How could Zhou Ying possibly say anything? She was so embarrassed that she didn't dare to lift her head and buried it in Fu Ying's arms.
Jin Xiumei hesitated for a moment, then asked Zhou Xuan worriedly, "Son, Li Wei's family isn't an ordinary family. Are they... are they truly sincere? This is your sister's lifelong happiness!"
“Mom, it’s not as serious as you think. You and Dad don’t need to worry.” Zhou Xuan said with a smile, “Li Wei’s parents and grandfather are absolutely sincere, and they’re all very honest. What they’re really worried about is Li Wei, that he might be fickle and unfaithful. But Li Wei has made a promise. I’ve known Li Wei for so long, and I think he’s a very good person. It’s just that growing up in this kind of family has inevitably given him a bit of a spoiled attitude, but he’s a good person at heart, I’m sure of that!”
Jin Xiumei sighed, then turned to Zhou Ying and said, "Xiao Ying, what about you? All you see is yourself. Sigh, what parent doesn't want the best for their children?"
Zhou Ying was embarrassed and nestled in Fu Ying's arms without looking up. But Fu Ying advised her, "Little sister, you have to agree to this yourself. Marriage is a matter of personal choice, and no one else can decide for you. You need to talk to Mom and Dad so that Zhou Xuan can give Li Wei's family a reply!"