Wang Yifan finally couldn't hold back any longer: "Zhao Qiang, don't think you can get away with anything just because you have someone backing you up."
Zhao Qiang threw a bone, which hit Wang Yifan squarely in the face. He said, "Do whatever you want."
Wang Yifan jumped up, but his anger subsided when he landed. He said, "I don't want anything. Mr. Chen invited you two, which is a favor to you. If you don't go, Mr. Chen will definitely be angry. We did have a misunderstanding before. I believed Yang Yuhai's slander and did something wrong. I apologize to you here."
Zhao Qiang remained silent. Zhao Mingming was somewhat stunned. Zhao Qiang had hit the police chief with a bone, and he had actually just endured it.
In truth, Wang Yifan didn't want to endure it, but he had no choice but to, because before entering the solitary confinement room, Zhang Feng received a call from Secretary Qiao, who was attending a meeting in the provincial capital. Secretary Qiao immediately cursed, saying that he had caused a huge disaster and that the eldest son of the Chen family was demanding his release.
Wang Yifan didn't want to come in because Zhang Feng was in charge of the scene. However, Zhang Feng said that Wang Yifan had captured the person and that it had nothing to do with him, thus distancing himself from the matter. Wang Yifan had no choice but to bite the bullet and come in, only to be humiliated again.
Zhao Qiang initially thought that Chen Shuxian had taken the initiative to contact Chen Guangwei in order to save him. However, he later realized that Chen Shuxian would not have contacted Chen Guangwei on her own initiative, and besides, she did not have Chen Guangwei's contact information. Therefore, there was only one possibility: Chen Guangwei had come to Baiyuan for other reasons and had now met Chen Shuxian.
Zhao Mingming asked Zhao Qiang in a low voice, "Brother-in-law, what's going on? They changed their attitude in just a short while. That Mr. Chen must be very powerful."
Zhao Qiang said, "Let's not worry about anything, let's continue eating and drinking."
Zhao Mingming said, "Alright, come on, let's have a drink, brother-in-law and brother-in-law. I'm counting on you for my sister from now on. If you have any spare money, please sponsor both of us. I'm so poor that I can't even afford instant noodles."
The two continued eating and drinking as if no one else was around, leaving Wang Yifan extremely embarrassed. He could only plead again, "Please, gentlemen, come to the hospital with me. What will it take for you to forgive me? Please, I beg you..."
Yang Yuhai found his son at the hospital. Seeing that his son was unharmed, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Pengpeng, let's go, let's go home." Seeing that his son's face was pale, Yang Yuhai comforted him with heartache and prepared to push the wheelchair away.
With one hand resting on the wheelchair, he said to Yang Yuhai in a deep and authoritative voice, "He stays, you go."
Yang Yuhai's heart skipped a beat. This man was clearly Chen Guangwei's bodyguard. Although Yang Yuhai was a well-known figure in Baiyuan City, in the eyes of the Chen family, he was nothing more than an ant. To put it another way, based on his understanding of the Chen family's power, killing him wouldn't incur any legal responsibility, and no agency would pursue the matter. That was the power of the Chen family.
"Why...why?" Yang Yuhai trembled, his voice stammering. He had absolutely no courage to act rashly for his son.
"Mr. Chen can only leave after he falls behind. If those who offend Mr. Chen can get away with it, then are you all planning to rebel?" The bodyguard in the black suit spoke sternly.
Yang Yuhai argued, "He's just a child, and besides, he could never have offended Mr. Chen."
The bodyguard slapped Yang Yuhai across the face and yelled, "Get out!" In the eyes of these bodyguards, any explanation was just sophistry; they didn't want to hear it, and they absolutely didn't need to.
Yang Yuhai felt a burning pain on his face after being slapped. This was the only time he had been slapped since he was slapped by his father when he was being naughty. Given Yang Yuhai's status, he should be guilty of a terrible crime if someone slapped him like this. However, Yang Yuhai dared not show any anger and had to pretend to be terrified. Otherwise, he would be absolutely certain that the next slap would come soon.
Yang Peng stretched out his hand, trying to hold onto his father, but his father drifted further and further away. Yang Yuhai now truly understood the pain of this situation. "The vulnerable group," the term flashed through Yang Yuhai's mind. He used to laugh at Dou Shengmin when he saw this term, but now he realized how difficult it was for him. In the eyes of the Chen family, he wasn't even considered a Dou Shengmin. The director of the Baiyuan City Enterprise Management Office? With just a snort from the Chen family, he would immediately lose his official position and be demoted to a commoner.
Yang Yuhai rushed back to the Public Security Bureau without stopping. He needed to find Zhang Feng and Wang Yifan. If he wanted to save his son, he could only do so by using the influence of these leaders. He didn't even have the right to speak in front of Chen Guangwei.
Wang Yifan had already left the confinement room and was squatting in the corridor with a worried look on his face. Zhang Feng stood silently beside him. Wang Yifan said, "Mayor Zhang, you can't put all the blame on me for this."
Zhang Feng said, "Oh, Director Wang, are you trying to drag me down with you? You should know that you ordered the arrest. Even if I were to explain it to Mr. Chen, would it make sense? Did you notify the municipal party committee and government when you made the arrest? This was entirely your personal action."
Wang Yifan was speechless. He really didn't expect that this matter would need to alarm the municipal party committee and government. If he had known that this matter needed to be discussed at the Standing Committee meeting, he would definitely have requested an expanded meeting for deliberation. Now it seemed that the responsibility was entirely on his shoulders. If Zhao Qiang and Zhao Mingming insisted on not seeing Chen Guangwei, then Chen Guangwei would definitely be angry.
At this moment, Yang Yuhai appeared. Before he could even speak, Wang Yifan had a sudden inspiration. Yang Yuhai was just in time. He was the perfect scapegoat. Actually, he wasn't really a scapegoat, because he was the one who instigated the arrest. It was perfect to make him take the blame for this.
Wang Yifan spoke first: "Director Yang, you've come at the right time. The matter has come to you now. You provided all the materials. The two suspects are inside and won't come out, while Mr. Chen wants them released. You are responsible for getting them out and taking them to the hospital to see Mr. Chen. Remember, you don't have much time. If you can't complete this task quickly, not only will your official position be gone, but you can forget about working in Baiyuan City in the future."
Wang Yifan was threatening him, blatantly threatening him. Yang Yuhai originally wanted to ask Wang Yifan and Zhang Feng to help save his son, but before he could even say a word, he found himself burdened with an extra responsibility.
(Thanks to Lone Goose, Eternal Forbidden Zone, Couzailao, and Evil Light for their donations, and thanks to Ya8 [3 tickets] and gizi for their monthly tickets.)
Volume 2 [486] Oh no!
[486] Oh no!
Desperate to save his son, Yang Yuhai was initially willing to risk losing his position to defy Wang Yifan's orders. However, he then realized something else: why was Chen Guangwei detaining his son? Wasn't it because of those people in the hospital room? And why did Chen Guangwei want Zhao Qiang and Zhao Mingming to see him? Of course, it was also because of those people in the hospital room. Suddenly, Yang Yuhai recalled the appearances of Chen Guangwei and Chen Xinxin; the two were remarkably similar.
Yang Yuhai slapped his thigh: "That's it! That must be the reason. My God, the Chen family has such a secret?"
Wang Yifan thought Yang Yuhai was terrified, so he touched his forehead and said, "You don't have a fever, do you, Yang Yuhai? If you don't hurry up and bring the person out to see Mr. Chen, you know the consequences."
Yang Yuhai said, "Director Wang, I'm wondering why Chen Guangwei came to Baiyuan City, and why he's protecting Zhao Qiang and Zhao Mingming."
Zhang Feng asked curiously, "Oh, you know why?"
Wang Yifan said impatiently, "What good will it do if you know the reason? What good will it do if you don't know the reason? Just get on with your work."
Yang Yuhai said, "If we know the reason, we can address the problem directly, and perhaps there is still room to salvage the situation."
Zhang Feng said, "Yes, hurry up and tell me what happened."
Yang Yuhai said, "You didn't see the girl in the hospital, so you couldn't possibly know about this. I guess she's a friend that Zhao Mingming's sister brought back from Yihai, and she's also very close to Zhao Qiang."
Zhang Feng asked anxiously, "What does this have to do with Chen Guangwei?"
Yang Yuhai said, "Yes, because this girl looks exactly like Chen Guangwei."
Wang Yifan said, "Could it be that you suspect..." He dared not say the rest, fearing it would cause trouble. The Chen family's affairs were not something they could discuss casually.
Yang Yuhai said, "That's right. We'll go and beg her. As long as she pleads for us, we'll all be fine."
Wang Yifan snorted coldly: "What good ideas can you come up with? I think you'd better hurry up and persuade her to come out. We can't beat them by force. If you can't get her out, you won't even have a chance to see Chen Guangwei, let alone ask her to say nice things to you."
Yang Yuhai gritted his teeth. He really needed to take Zhao Qiang and Zhao Mingming back first, otherwise nothing he said would make a difference. He braced himself and went into the solitary confinement room. The two of them had almost finished eating and drinking and were sitting in chairs rubbing their bellies.
When Zhao Mingming saw Yang Yuhai come in, he was too lazy to jump up and curse again. Instead, he said directly, "Yuhai, get me a toothpick. I have meat stuck in my teeth."
Yang Yuhai's anger surged, and he forced himself to press down, causing a sharp pain in his liver. Fearing he might develop liver disease, he angrily said, "You want toothpicks, right? Wait a moment, I'll go out and find some for you right away." With a forced smile, Yang Yuhai ran out and returned shortly with toothpicks in his hand, respectfully handing them to Zhao Qiang and Zhao Mingming.
Zhao Mingming had only intended to experiment, but it worked unexpectedly well. Yang Yuhai, that once arrogant guy, was now like a coward. Zhao Mingming, with his legs crossed, picked his teeth and said, "Yuhai, if you knew this would happen, why did you do it in the first place? Your son drugged my girlfriend, and I won't let this go. I need to find a place to reason with them. Just now, you had us arrested, and those police officers didn't even give us a chance to explain. They immediately made us sign confessions. I'm going to report these things to my superiors."
Yang Yuhai was covered in sweat. What Zhao Mingming said was true. Although these things were unspoken rules within the government, they couldn't be brought to the forefront. Once exposed, they would be a blow to everyone, and some people might even be removed from their posts because of it.
Yang Yuhai knelt on the ground with a thud. He didn't beg for mercy. A thousand words are not as good as deeds. Thump, thump, thump, Yang Yuhai began to kowtow, muttering, "Gentlemen, please have mercy on me."
Before long, Yang Yuhai's head was bleeding profusely. He had really made up his mind. If it were an ordinary person, they would have given up long ago, but he kept banging his head against the wall. This terrified Zhao Mingming. Zhao Qiang also felt it was unnecessary. If they continued, someone would die and the responsibility would fall on his side. Besides, he also wanted to check on the situation at the hospital. So Zhao Qiang stood up and said, "Mingming, let's go to the hospital and see how your sister and your father are doing."
Upon hearing this, Yang Yuhai felt a great sense of relief and fainted. Zhao Qiang ignored him and led Zhao Mingming straight out of the confinement cell. Wang Yifan and Zhang Feng were standing outside. They had witnessed Yang Yuhai begging for mercy and were deeply impressed by his decisiveness and ruthlessness. They couldn't have done that. If Yang Yuhai hadn't appeared, Zhao Qiang might not have forgiven them yet, and they wouldn't have been able to stop him from staying in the confinement cell.
Zhao Qiang and his companion walked over, and Wang Yifan and Zhang Feng immediately followed. Of course, someone else went to deal with Yang Yuhai. After leaving the office building, Wang Yifan eagerly opened the car door for Zhao Qiang. At this time, the armed police also put away their guns. Since the Chen family was involved in this matter, they didn't need to get involved. If they caused a big incident, they would definitely be scolded by the higher-ups.
The car finally arrived at Baiyuan Central Hospital. As soon as they got out of the car, they could feel the difference in the atmosphere around them. There were quite a few experts, both overt and covert. It seemed that Chen Guangwei's safety was very important.
Wang Yifan ran ahead to clear the way. He was both worried and happy to see Chen Guangwei. He was worried that if he handled this matter wrong, he might anger the eldest son of the Chen family. He was happy because if he had the opportunity to gain the appreciation of the eldest son of the Chen family, he would be able to rise to prominence in the future.
After the bodyguards learned the situation, they did not stop him. Zhao Qiang pushed open the ward door. Inside were Zhao Shan, Guo Huiqin, He Shan, Zhao Ling, Chen Xinxin, Chen Shuxian, and another man who looked very similar to Chen Xinxin. This must be Chen Guangwei.
"Zhao Qiang, are you alright?" Zhao Ling and Chen Xinxin rushed over from either side, hugging Zhao Qiang simultaneously. Behind them, Zhao Mingming said, "Oh dear, why didn't anyone see me?" At this moment, He Shan walked over and took Zhao Mingming's hand. Zhao Shan scrambled out of bed: "You little rascal, you've caused such a mess, I..."
Wang Yifan quickly grabbed Zhao Mingming and went to Zhao Shan. He pressed Zhao Shan down and said, "Old man, don't be angry. Let me explain slowly. Actually, this is a misunderstanding. Zhao Mingming is not at fault. The fault lies with Yang Peng. We will definitely investigate this matter as soon as possible and clear Zhao Mingming's name." After saying this, Wang Yifan secretly glanced at Chen Guangwei. He was obviously putting on a show for Chen Guangwei, but who knew that Chen Guangwei was only staring at Chen Shuxian. Wang Yifan was like a blind man pointing out a lamp.
Zhang Feng followed him in. He was very straightforward and went straight to Chen Guangwei. "Mr. Chen, hello, I am Zhang Feng, the mayor of Baiyuan City."
Chen Guangwei gently shook hands with Zhang Feng and said, "Hello, what exactly happened? Why is it in such a mess?"
Zhang Feng said, "Mr. Chen, this is what happened. Yang Peng, the son of Yang Yuhai from the Municipal Government's Enterprise Management Office, tried to steal Zhao Mingming's girlfriend, and a dispute may have arisen..."
Zhao Mingming reminded Zhang Feng, "It's not a dispute, it's that Yang Peng tried to assault my girlfriend."
He Shan said, "Yes, if Mingming hadn't appeared so early, I might have been killed by him long ago."
Zhang Feng coughed and said, "Yes, that's how it went. Yang Peng was defended by Zhao Mingming in self-defense. Yang Yuhai was unwilling to accept this, so he caused trouble everywhere and fabricated false evidence, which is why things have escalated to this point. Later, with the intervention of our municipal party committee and government, the truth finally came to light. We have to thank our Secretary Qiao for his wise leadership..."
Chen Guangwei waved his hand: "That's enough. This matter should be handled in the way it should be handled. We can't wrong an innocent person, nor can we let a bad person go free."
Zhang Feng nodded and bowed: "Mr. Chen, please rest assured, I will definitely send you a copy of the processing record."
Chen Guangwei had no interest in these trivial matters; he only wanted to take Chen Shuxian and his daughter away. However, his daughter's mind was clearly not on him, because ever since that young man named Zhao Qiang came in, she hadn't looked at anything else and all her attention was on him.
At this moment, Yang Yuhai rushed in, stumbling and crawling. The blood on his forehead hadn't dried yet. When he woke up and learned that Zhao Qiang had already rushed to the hospital, he immediately followed. The bodyguards outside tried to stop him, but he quickly came up with a plan and said that he was with the group in front of him. Only then were they allowed to pass.
"Mr. Chen, I am guilty, I am guilty!" Yang Yuhai never imagined that he would be used as a scapegoat for Wang Yifan and Zhang Feng. There are countless examples of officials advancing by stepping on the corpses of their comrades. He could easily guess that Wang Yifan and Zhang Feng would sacrifice him as a pawn to protect their king.
Chen Guangwei felt extreme disgust for this filthy, repulsive-looking fellow. He frowned and asked, "Who are you?"
Yang Yuhai said, "I am Yang Yuhai from the Enterprise Management Office of Baiyuan Municipal Government."
Chen Guangwei said to Zhang Feng, "Give me a copy of the results as soon as possible, especially the one about him."
Yang Yuhai was shocked. What did this mean? Chen Guangwei was extremely dissatisfied with him. Yang Yuhai wanted to repeat his old trick, so he knelt down and prepared to kowtow. He had already kowtowed so much, a few more wouldn't matter. But several bodyguards pushed open the door, grabbed Yang Yuhai, and took him away. Yang Peng, who was outside the door, was also pushed away. The father and son originally thought that with the strong foundation they had built in Baiyuan City, dealing with the unknown Zhao Mingming would be a piece of cake. But who could have imagined so many unknowns? Now they were in trouble. It was likely that all their past grievances would be dug up, and it would be difficult for them to recover in this lifetime.
After all the commotion, Zhao Shan refused to stay in the hospital no matter what. Even if it didn't cost him anything, even if they paid him, he wouldn't stay. No one could persuade him otherwise. So they had to go through the discharge procedures. Zhang Feng eagerly rushed to help with the procedures, and everyone went downstairs and left.
Chen Guangwei silently followed behind Chen Shuxian. Zhao Qiang felt sorry for this man. He had to bear the pressure from his father on one hand, and love Chen Shuxian on the other. It wasn't easy for him. The mistakes of that year were not entirely his fault. Even if he was punished with years of lovesickness, it would be enough. Zhao Qiang couldn't be angry with this man. Why should men make things difficult for each other?
Zhao Qiang quietly hooked Zhao Ling's hand, then pointed at Chen Guangwei, then at Chen Shuxian, and then at his head. Zhao Ling thought for a while before she understood that Zhao Qiang wanted her to find a way to bring the two of them together.
After leaving the hospital, Zhao Ling said, "Aunt Chen, how about this, you and Xin Xin go to the hotel and book a few rooms for us. There's no other way, the factory took back our house, so we'll have to stay in a hotel tonight."
Chen Shuxian nodded: "Okay, I'll take care of it."
Seeing Chen Guangwei who was always by her mother's side, Chen Xinxin said unhappily, "I'm not going. I'm going with Zhao Qiang."
Chen Shuxian sighed and said nothing. She took out her car keys and handed them to Zhao Ling, saying, "I'll take a taxi. Since there are many of you, you can both drive."
Volume Two [487] How Can a Single Word Describe Love?
【487】How can the word "love" possibly describe it?
Chen Shuxian ignored Chen Guangwei following behind her and walked out of the hospital. Because there were many hidden sentries in the hospital, taxis and the like had been cleared out, and she couldn't wait for a car, so she walked forward at her own pace.
Chen Guangwei quietly followed, and Chen Xinxin was quite disdainful of his actions. She got into the car and left with Zhao Qiang. Chen Guangwei quickly caught up with Chen Shuxian and said, "Shuxian, get in the car." Bodyguards drove up behind them in a Rolls-Royce, definitely high-end.
Chen Shuxian shook her head and continued walking silently. Chen Guangwei said, "Let's talk after we get in the car, okay? Even if I'm begging you, how long will it take to get to our destination on foot? We're definitely not going to let them sleep on the streets."
The bodyguard drove the car to the front and stopped. Chen Guangwei opened the car door, his eyes full of pleading. Chen Shuxian did not insist any further and got into the back of the car. Chen Guangwei's face lit up with joy, and he followed suit.
Chen Shuxian looked out the car window at the scenery. The driver drove very steadily and slowly. Chen Guangwei secretly pulled Chen Shuxian's hand. Chen Shuxian struggled and tried to get away, but Chen Guangwei was not giving up and continued to follow. After all, the space in the car was limited, and Chen Shuxian had nowhere to hide, so Chen Guangwei could only hold her hand.
"Shuxian, I'm sorry..." Chen Guangwei choked up. This apology came from the bottom of his heart. Only in this enclosed and cramped carriage could Chen Guangwei not hide his feelings. He could never let his emotions run wild in front of others.
Chen Shuxian burst into tears at some point: "You didn't do anything wrong to me, you did do something wrong to the children."
“Xin Xin, she…” Chen Guangwei didn’t know what to say. This daughter seemed to be quite a worry.
Chen Shuxian naturally saw Chen Guangwei's concerns and said, "You think Xinxin is not worthy of being a daughter of your Chen family, right?"
Chen Guangwei was a little embarrassed: "Her personality is a bit wild, but I think she's still young and will grow out of it."
Chen Shuxian said angrily, "Chen Guangwei, what do you know? Do you think Xinxin is a flower in a greenhouse? Do you think she's a pampered princess? Do you think she's from a wealthy family? You don't understand the hardships of ordinary life. Do you know the cruelty of the real world? You sit in the office every day, and even your tasks of serving tea and water are done by others. Have you ever thought about what it's like for others to go hungry, cold, and struggling on the brink of death?"
“This…” Chen Guangwei really hadn’t thought of that.
"If Xin Xin were as docile as you imagine, she would have been bullied to death long ago. This is the reality of society: the kind are bullied, and the good are ridden. You are high and mighty, so you naturally don't understand these things. I don't think Xin Xin needs to change anything for your Chen family. Her surname is mine; don't be presumptuous and think she has your surname."
Chen Guangwei lowered his head in shame. Yes, he only compared Chen Xinxin to the noble princesses around him, who were dignified and elegant. He never thought about the environment Chen Xinxin lived in. This mother and daughter suffered hardships outside. If they were really as docile as sheep, who knows if they would be dead somewhere by now? In order to survive, people must adapt to society, not make society adapt to them.