Zhao Qiang said, "Opening a repair shop, huh? Didn't we talk about that before? Oh, I'll make a call, wait a moment." Zhao Qiang dialed the number for Zhao Ling. Zhao Ling's voice sounded a little off, probably because things hadn't gone well with Yang Peng's father.
"Zhao Qiang, you must have been waiting impatiently. We're out now, but we'll tell you the results when we get back."
Zhao Qiang said, "Alright then, tell me your location and I'll come pick you up."
Zhao Ling said, "I'll have Director Liu take me to the internet cafe. You can wait for me there."
Zhao Qiang said, "I just left the internet cafe. You guys go to the noodle shop up ahead. I'll wait for you here."
Zhao Qiang parked the car on the side of the road and then turned off the engine.
Zhao Ling put down her phone and said to Director Liu, "I'm so sorry, Director Liu, my boyfriend called me and I can't accept your invitation to go singing." Director Liu had just come from a karaoke bar, where he had invited Zhao Ling to continue singing with him.
The call came from the other party, and Director Liu had no choice but to say dejectedly, "Maybe next time. Anyway, your brother's matter can't be resolved immediately, and we'll have to meet again in the future."
Zhao Ling said, "I'm leaving everything to Director Liu. I'll treat you to dinner another day."
Director Liu laughed: "I'm asking you to just deal with your boyfriend first. Don't let him call and harass us. You should leave him as soon as possible. He'll never amount to anything. He's just a pretty boy with no manly qualities."
Zhao Ling smiled without saying a word. By this time, they could already see the noodle shop in front of the internet cafe. Zhao Qiang was standing by the BMW smoking, while Tang Ziliang and Li Xiangxiang surrounded him, asking him all sorts of questions. Zhao Ling pointed to the side of the road and said, "Director Liu, could you please pull over? My boyfriend is up ahead."
Director Liu also saw Tang Ziliang. The car was parked on the side of the road, and Tang Ziliang warmly stepped forward to help open the car door: "Director Liu, how is the situation?"
Director Liu smiled and said, "Director Yang has agreed to temporarily suspend the arrest of Zhao Mingming, but on the condition that Zhao Mingming's family finds him and persuades him to turn himself in. Only then will Director Yang consider leniently pursuing his case."
Tang Ziliang said to Zhao Ling, "Look, isn't our bureau chief very enthusiastic? We must invite him to dinner another day."
Zhao Ling smiled and said, "That's for sure, but our most important task right now is to find my brother, so we don't have time today."
Director Liu said, "Yes, yes, we must prioritize important matters. I also need to go back to the bureau for a meeting. That's all for now, I'll be going now." After saying that, Director Liu did not linger and drove away.
Li Xiangxiang said to Zhao Ling with dissatisfaction, "So, Zhao Ling, now you're hiding things from me? Do you still consider me a friend? Your boyfriend drives a BMW, and you two are pretending to be poor in front of us."
Zhao Ling chuckled: "I wasn't pretending to be poor. If I were, would I be carrying a bag of money around everywhere?"
Li Xiangxiang said, "Tell me honestly, where did this car come from?" Li Xiangxiang patted the BMW and asked.
Zhao Ling said, "It was a gift from someone else."
Li Xiangxiang asked, somewhat puzzled, "Not your boyfriend's?"
Zhao Ling said, "Yes, but the vehicle registration is in my name."
Li Xiangxiang was extremely envious: "Really? That's over a million yuan. Once your name is on it, the car is yours."
Zhao Ling said, "The other party gave us two cars in total. Chen Xinxin, the friend I introduced to you last time, is still driving one."
Li Xiangxiang's mouth was practically watering: "Is there one for me? Can you give me one too?"
Zhao Ling put her arm around Zhao Qiang's waist: "You'll have to ask your boyfriend about that, if he's willing to give you up."
Li Xiangxiang thought to herself, "Even if I had to spend a year with your boyfriend and he gave me a car, it would be worth it."
Tang Ziliang looked very depressed. He had just been bragging about having a car and a house, but it turned out that he was a complete novice compared to others. He was acting all high and mighty with a car that cost just over 100,000 yuan, while others drove BMWs and didn't say a word. It was really embarrassing.
Just then, Zhao Ling's phone rang. Zhao Ling was a little annoyed, thinking it was Director Liu who had just left calling her. However, when she checked the number, it wasn't Director Liu, because the two had exchanged phone numbers before getting out of the car. After answering the phone, Zhao Ling realized it was her mother.
"Lingling, your dad has fainted. We're at the Central Hospital. We need to pay a deposit, otherwise we won't treat him..." Before her mother could finish speaking, Zhao Ling jumped into the car: "Zhao Qiang, we need to go to the hospital right away! My dad has fainted!"
Zhao Qiang rushed into the driver's seat, started the engine before he was even properly seated, and then pulled on his seatbelt while closing the door. At that moment, Zhao Ling also got into the passenger seat. Zhao Qiang stepped on the gas and sped off, and Zhao Ling barely managed to close the door.
Tang Ziliang and Li Xiangxiang were left out, but they had overheard the conversation. Zhao Ling's father had fainted, so how could Zhao Ling not be anxious? Therefore, the topic of the BMW had to end there.
Zhao Qiang had looked at the local map before coming to Baiyuan, and he had also visited the location of the city's central hospital the day before, so the drive went smoothly. He arrived at the hospital's emergency room in less than ten minutes, and he could hear people crying inside from afar.
Zhao Ling said anxiously and nervously, "It's my mother."
Zhao Qiang grabbed Zhao Ling's hand, and the two of them rushed into the emergency room. On the makeshift treatment bed lay a man in work clothes, motionless, with white foam dripping from the corner of his mouth. A woman was clinging to him, crying loudly, "Old Zhao, you can't abandon me! The children are still so young. Don't go! This family needs you!"
Zhao Ling rushed over and hugged her mother: "Mom, what happened? Why is Dad like this?"
Guo Huiqin said, "I don't know. This afternoon when we went to work, our boss said we were fired and they were going to take back our house. Your dad fainted because of that. I don't have any money on me. You need to get the paperwork done for your dad right away, or he'll really die."
Zhao Ling grabbed the doctor sitting next to her, pointed at her father, and cried, "Quick, save my dad!"
The doctor broke free from Zhao Ling's grasp and said, "We need to admit him to the emergency ward. If we want him to be admitted, we need to pay an 800 yuan deposit first. Only after that can we admit him. Otherwise, the hospital will punish us. We just emphasized in a meeting that anyone who admits a patient without charging money will be responsible for any outstanding medical bills in the future. We can't afford to take that responsibility."
Enraged, Zhao Qiang pulled a wad of RMB from his bag and threw it at the doctor: "Save him!"
The doctor was startled by the money offered, but Zhao Qiang's face was even more ferocious. Although he was angry, he dared not disobey. Moreover, seeing that the other party had a lot of money, he didn't need to hesitate. If he let someone die and they died, he would also bear some responsibility. So he took Zhao Shan into the treatment room without saying anything.
Guo Huiqin and Zhao Ling followed behind, and the examinations began one by one. An IV drip was also put in. Seeing that the procedures were being carried out in an orderly manner, the mother and daughter were finally relieved. Moreover, Zhao Shan's illness was not serious; he had just fainted from anger.
Seeing that Zhao Shan's condition had stabilized, Zhao Ling finally felt relieved and had time to ask her mother about the whole story. Guo Huiqin recounted what had happened, and Zhao Ling was furious. "How could the leaders of the machinery factory do such a thing?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I think there are only two reasons: either they were instructed by Director Yang of the Enterprise Management Office, or they made this decision on their own initiative to curry favor with Director Yang."
Zhao Ling said, "But I just met with Director Yang from the Enterprise Management Office. He promised not to pursue the matter for now, until we find my brother."
Zhao Qiang sneered: "Don't believe his words, especially government officials. You only know the truth when you listen to them in reverse."
Zhao Ling said, "Could it be that Director Yang is just giving me the runaround?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Pretty much. His son was beaten like that, and he suffered a loss at my hands. Do you think he would let it go?"
Zhao Ling said, "Oh, right, he also said that he called the police about the fight yesterday, and the police station is looking for you."
Zhao Qiang said, "You don't need to worry about me. The most important thing right now is to find your brother. Otherwise, we'll be at a loss and won't know what to do next."
Zhao Ling wanted to speak, but her phone rang, so she had to answer it first. "...What? You've found Zhao Mingming's trail? Okay, we're on our way."
(Thanks to Eternal Forbidden Zone 10000 for the reward, thanks to 979 for the 10000 coin reward, thanks to readers 100429171433425, danydl, Eternal Forbidden Zone, and 979 for the monthly ticket support, and thanks to 戀~戀bu for the update request.)
Volume 2 [476] Zhao Mingming
[476] Zhao Mingming
Guo Huiqin also heard the phone call. She nervously grabbed Zhao Ling's arm: "What? Did you find your brother?"
Zhao Ling said, "It was the first internet cafe we went to this morning. They said they saw someone who looks extremely similar to Zhao Mingming. Let's go check it out right away."
Zhao Qiang immediately led the way out of the emergency room, and the two drove away quickly. It was already enough that Guo Huiqin was taking care of the hospital.
Zhao Mingming is only 19 years old this year, still a child. He is studying at Baiyuan Vocational School, a school that is about to be phased out and no longer meets the needs of today's society for talent. The school management is very lax, so Zhao Mingming naturally cannot be strict with himself. Skipping school and being absent from class is commonplace. However, it is the annual holiday, so he is playing outside with a clear conscience.
Opening the door of the rented room, which had several holes in it, one could see a girl hiding on the only bed in the room. Apart from a low table and two stools, there was nothing else in the room, making it seem extremely desolate.
"He, get up and make some instant noodles." Zhao Mingming called out, and the girl on the bed poked her head out. Her name was He Shan. She was pretty, of average height, and the petite type, but she had a good figure.
"Mingming, when will this hiding end?" He Shan, fast asleep in bed, had no choice but to ask Zhao Mingming.
Zhao Mingming said, "We have to wait out this storm. You know I beat Yang Peng pretty badly, and his father is a government official. How could he let me off the hook? If I go out now, I'll definitely get arrested."
He Shan cursed, "He deserved it. It's a relief that I didn't beat him to death. Who told him to try to rape me? I haven't even accused him of rape yet."
Zhao Mingming said, "As long as you're alright, what's there to be afraid of if we hide for a few days? It's just that we don't have much money left. I'll try to ask my parents for some, otherwise we'll go hungry."
He Shan's upper body was exposed, and her full breasts were indeed tempting. Zhao Mingming couldn't resist, so she put down the bucket of noodles in her hand, crawled into the quilt, and said, "I want it again. It will take a while for both sides to soak. Let me play for a while longer."
He Shan held Zhao Mingming like a nursing baby, coaxing him, "Okay, okay, nurse. I don't know what's so fun about this. You keep arguing and fighting. Don't you know how tiring it is for a woman to carry these two pieces of flesh?"
Bang, bang, bang! Someone was knocking urgently on the door. Zhao Mingming was so startled that she shrank back under the covers. But then she remembered that He Shan was still exposed, so she pulled the covers over He Shan again. He Shan wasn't wearing any clothes, and such a beautiful body should not be seen by anyone else.
"Do you think it might be the police?" He Shan asked Zhao Mingming, hiding under the covers.
Zhao Mingming said, "How would I know? I was very careful when I went out to buy instant noodles. I shouldn't have been targeted."
He Shan said, "Then what should we do? Should we open the door or not?"
Zhao Mingming said, "Don't make a sound. Maybe they'll leave after knocking a few times."
Zhao Mingming lay on He Shan's chest, and besides smelling the sweet scent of her breasts, he could also hear He Shan's heartbeat, thump, thump, one beat after another. He Shan was a womanly girl; otherwise, Zhao Mingming wouldn't have needed to fight with Yang Peng. He had never heard of anyone fighting over a girl with an unattractive appearance.
He Shan trembled as she said to Zhao Mingming, "Mingming, I've suffered so much for you, you can't let me down." He Shan actually loved Zhao Mingming; otherwise, with her looks, she wouldn't have needed to follow him around, hiding and going hungry and cold every day.
Zhao Mingming turned around and hugged He Shan: "He, don't be afraid, I will protect you even if it costs me my life." After all, he was just a kid, and he had no idea how he could protect her. If the other party was a policeman, he would have no choice but to surrender. Zhao Mingming didn't think he could beat the policeman, not to mention he didn't know if the other party was carrying a gun. However, he was in his prime and was willing to risk his life to protect He Shan.
"Mingming? Is that you inside? Open the door, it's my sister Zhao Ling." The person outside finally spoke after knocking a few times.
Zhao Mingming suddenly jumped out of bed, exposing He Shan's body completely to the air. He Shan blushed with embarrassment and quickly pulled the blanket back up, saying, "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Letting others see my body!"
Zhao Mingming hurriedly said, "Hurry up and get dressed, she's my sister."
Zhao Ling was getting impatient knocking outside, so Zhao Qiang stepped forward and kicked the door open. This kind of broken door couldn't stop anything, and the door frame was shaking terribly. No wonder the police couldn't find Zhao Mingming; how did they know that someone would live in a place like this?
"Ah!" A girl screamed from inside the house. Zhao Ling pulled Zhao Qiang back. Zhao Mingming shouted from inside, "Sister, wait outside for a while. You won't let us put on clothes? We're naked."
Zhao Qiang stepped out and said to Zhao Ling, "Your brother is naturally too happy to leave with such a beautiful woman by his side."
Zhao Ling lightly stepped on Zhao Qiang's foot and whispered, "Don't you also have a beautiful woman by your side?"
Zhao Qiang turned around and went to hit the internet cafe manager he had met at the first internet cafe. Actually, Zhao Mingming was not there to surf the internet. He was at a store to buy instant noodles when he was bumped into by the internet cafe manager who was there to buy cigarettes. It wasn't that the internet cafe didn't have cigarettes, but that the price was a bit high.
"Thank you, sir." Zhao Qiang took out a thousand yuan and stuffed it into the internet cafe manager's hand. The manager was overjoyed. "It's nothing, it's nothing. I'm happy to see your family reunited. I still have work to do, so I can't stay any longer. You guys keep busy." After saying that, the manager took the money and left. He hadn't done anything all day and had already earned more than a thousand yuan for free. If only every day could be like this, he wouldn't have to be an internet cafe manager.
At this moment, Zhao Mingming came out of the rented room first. He was very happy to see Zhao Ling and rushed over to hug his sister: "Sister, I missed you so much! When did you come back? You didn't even call me."
Zhao Ling glared at her younger brother, then pushed him away. "Get out of here! Do you think I can find you? You're such a grown man, why can't you give me peace of mind? Do you know how chaotic the family has become because of looking for you? Do you know how much trouble you've caused this time?"
Zhao Mingming said, "Sister, don't come up here and scold me first, okay? Don't you even ask what happened? Is this how a sister should act?"
Thinking of her parents still in the hospital, Zhao Ling was furious and yelled, "Fine, you think you're right? I... I'll beat you to death!"
Zhao Qiang grabbed Zhao Ling and said, "What are you doing? The two siblings just met. Do you want your brother to run away from home again?"
Zhao Mingming then realized that there were still people present, and he asked Zhao Ling, "Sister, who is he?"
Zhao Ling said, "Call him brother-in-law, he's my boyfriend."
Zhao Mingming sized up Zhao Qiang: "Brother-in-law? Is he qualified?"
Zhao Qiang was speechless. Did he really have to get his brother-in-law's certification? With his talent, he could pass even an American-issued one.
At this moment, He Shan came out dressed, but her disheveled appearance suggested something had happened in bed. Zhao Mingming said to He Shan, "This is my sister Zhao Ling. Sister, this is my girlfriend He Shan. Let me tell you, it was because that bastard Yang Peng tried to rape He Shan that I beat him up. Can you blame me for this? Do you want to see He Shan being bullied?"
He Shan lowered her head and called out to Zhao Ling, "Sister." Her clothes were disheveled and her hair was messy, but she seemed like a nice person, and her age should be similar to Zhao Mingming's.
Zhao Ling felt a little embarrassed. Actually, she wasn't that old, and she still couldn't get used to the wife her younger brother had chosen for her. Entering the rented room, looking up at the sunlit ceiling, Zhao Ling asked, "You've been hiding here for several days?"
Zhao Mingming said, "Yes, if you hadn't come today, we wouldn't even have money for instant noodles tomorrow."
Zhao Ling cursed, "Serves you right! Can't you just shut up? Dad's sick and just got admitted to the hospital. He was still in the emergency room when I arrived. You can deal with it yourself. Anyway, Mom and Dad aren't just mine."
Zhao Mingming exclaimed in alarm, "Dad's in the hospital? What happened? He's always been in pretty good health."