Tercer matrimonio - Capítulo 100
Qiu Shanglin quickly deduced the truth of the matter. The other party had committed a knife attack, which was extremely heinous. If they had hired a skilled lawyer, they might have been convicted of attempted murder. They had discarded the murder weapon during their escape and were now denying everything. Because they knew Lü Shun, the police officers, adhering to the principle of siding with family regardless of right or wrong, planned to find a few weapons even if they didn't find any. However, after the captain received a phone call, the officers' attitude immediately changed.
She's a fool, she should realize that by now.
That wasn't even the most infuriating part. What angered them even more was that some police officers accused them of disturbing public order...
Xia Lin's eyes widened in anger, and she was so angry that she wanted to bite him.
Disturbing the peace? We were almost wiped out, and we're disturbing public order?
Monkey and his gang were smug. The police officers clearly didn't like them, treating them like trash and ignoring them. They didn't interrogate them much, just dealt with them perfunctorily. They thought they could just fool them if they could, lock them up overnight and wait until dawn, and then settle things peacefully.
Ji Yunwen bit his lower lip with his upper teeth, leaving a row of teeth marks. His beautiful eyes blazed with anger.
Shang Lin asked Lü Shun a few questions, and seeing his low spirits, he didn't press him further. He then borrowed the phone from the old policeman. The old policeman sighed and handed it to him.
"Yes, if students call their parents, they should study hard at school; society is in chaos."
The call wasn't to Zifang Town's home. It was so late; she didn't want her parents to worry, and even if she called them, it wouldn't help. Her life wasn't in danger, but her dignity had been challenged, and Qiu Shanglin felt she couldn't let it go. Someone had a knife pointed at her neck, the police officers who were supposed to protect her were turning around and accusing her, while the bad guys who deserved punishment were gloating.
That's not fair.
There are many unfair things in this world. Ordinary people choose to endure the privileges of powerful institutions, but alas, Qiu Shanglin is no longer an ordinary person.
Mocha Group is a pillar enterprise in Province C, enjoying regional protection. To put it bluntly, even the provincial government would have to think twice before the Mocha Group's CEO makes a move. While Qiu Shanglin is nominally not in charge, no one can deny that she holds a decisive stake in the Mocha Group.
She knew many people in the city, but not many in the public security system. Since Gu Zhiyuan was going to university in another city, she felt embarrassed to directly trouble Secretary Gu. Fortunately, she remembered the phone number of Gu Cheng's first secretary and dialed it.
Gao Jun is Gu Cheng's confidential secretary, mainly responsible for handling secret social interactions that others find difficult to manage. Being regarded as a confidant by Secretary Gu is certainly no small feat. He is tactful and eloquent, and at this moment he is drinking with a group of business friends. Those present are either second-in-commands of state-owned enterprises or heads of large private companies, mediating for the further development of the new commercial district.
He was drunk when he received the call, and he mumbled, "Who is it?"
The voice on the other end was calm, slightly hoarse from exhaustion in the middle of the night: "I am Qiu Shanglin."
Gao Jun's mind was foggy: "Who, Qiu Shanglin? I don't know him." During his time as a top student in school, he had the lives of thousands of people in his head, from leaders of various departments in the province to business figures, and he knew their family backgrounds, interests and habits like the back of his hand.
Qiu Shanglin? There's no such name on the memory card.
Shang Lin was taken aback for a moment, and was about to explain when the other party hung up. The dial tone was so clear that it could be heard throughout the entire office.
The people on the other side of the monkey gate mocked, "Oh, little sister, are you a girl?" Their words and eyes were full of blatant teasing, and they even looked Qiu Shanglin up and down in a very indecent way, focusing on her chest.
Before Lü Shun could speak, a thick notebook flew through the air with perfect accuracy, striking the speaker so hard his head tilted to the side. Startled, he glared at him angrily, uttering, "You motherfucker..." The threat trailed off automatically. The reason was simple: the other man's gaze was sharp and menacing.
The older policeman sighed and quietly advised, "Good boy, call your parents and have them come pick you up—this society isn't as pure as you think..."
Shang Lin smiled, tilting his head to think about who else he could call.
Unfortunately, although it was late, everyone she knew was a night owl and didn't go home. Hua Qianshan had gone to Beijing to pull some strings, and Yang Hai wasn't home. Did she really have to call Secretary Gu?
Gao Jun hung up the phone, raised his glass in a toast, and after a few drinks, his mind became increasingly muddled, yet he still felt that something had been overlooked. Just as he was pondering this, a state-owned enterprise manager, whom he was usually quite close to, asked with a smile if his wife was checking up on him. He smiled and shook his head: "I don't know her. She came up and introduced herself, saying her name is Qiu Shanglin."
The boss asked casually and didn't pay attention to his answer.
Yang Hai was seated one seat away from him. Amidst the noise, he accurately caught three familiar words and turned to ask, "Who?"
Gao Jun was still pondering when he casually replied, "Qiu Shanglin."
Yang Hai suddenly stood up, startling all the guests at the table.
As Gao Jun answered, a figure flashed through his mind, and he almost immediately remembered who it was—Secretary Gu's close friend and the granddaughter-in-law he had long admired!
More importantly, she is the true leader of the Mocha Group and the driving force behind the booming development of the Bougainvillea Vegetable Company, which has occupied half of the vegetable industry in Province C in recent years!
Qiu Shanglin tapped the milky-white telephone case absentmindedly with his fingers, hesitating whether to dial the number.
Close friends don't necessarily mean owing favors. If Gu Zhiyuan were in Huaiqiao City, she would immediately seek him out to resolve the issue without hesitation, not afraid of incurring a favor. However, Secretary Gu is different. Owing him a favor could come at a great cost in the future—for example, concessions on provincial development project funding, or a reduction in the vegetable company's acquisition plan. Gu Cheng is a cunning old fox; he wouldn't hesitate to exploit the 'evil capitalists' in order to increase farmers' and government revenue.
Looking back, our morale is low, while the enemy's attitude is arrogant.
She gritted her teeth and made up her mind. Her fingers were about to pick up the receiver when the phone rang sharply, startling her fingertips.
The older policeman answered the phone, giving a curt "Hello." After a few more words from the other person, he suddenly became cautious, glancing at Qiu Shanglin with surprise. He responded with a few "Yes, yes, yes," and handed the phone to her: "It's for you."
His eyes had a rather strange look on them.
He took it with surprise. The other person's speech was slurred, but he could tell that he was trying his best to cheer up: "Is it Shanglin? I'm Gao Jun."
She laughed, and the other person paused, then hurriedly explained, "I'm so sorry, I drank a bit too much, and my mind was just wandering. Where are you?"
The two had met quite often at the Gu family home and were fairly familiar with each other.
Shang Lin gave him the address, and Gao Jun assured her he would be there immediately. After hanging up the phone, Qiu Shang Lin returned to her seat and noticed that everyone in the police station was looking at her with strange, indescribable expressions.
Changsheng asked in a low voice, "What?"
She couldn't help but feel smug: "I've discovered that it feels pretty good to bully others with your power... Gao Jun, you know him, he's accompanied Gu Zhiyuan to our house a few times."
Qiu Xialin's worry turned to joy, and he glared fiercely at Hou Guan and the others.
Only Ji Yunwen remained silent. Hearing Shang Lin speak of "our family" so casually, he couldn't help but glance at her, unable to describe the feeling in his heart.
It was a language he couldn't understand, and people he didn't know.
Several people suddenly rushed into the small space of the police station.
Not only did Gao Jun arrive, but Yang Hai also came in the same car, along with several senior managers from Mocha Company, all of whom knew Qiu Shanglin's true identity.
The subsequent handling of the situation proceeded smoothly. When dealing with ordinary people, the emperor's poor relatives were considered imperial relatives. However, when faced with wealthy merchants, they had no choice but to yield. After all, the emperor didn't want to jeopardize the foundation of the state for the sake of a few poor relatives.
Lü Shun led several police officers and quickly found the murder weapon they had abandoned by the roadside. They took a new statement, and the head of the local police station personally arrived, promising to investigate the case truthfully and resolutely crack down on crime.
They also found out about Lü Shun's situation. He and his master were investigating a case that involved high-ranking officials in the province—not particularly powerful figures, but enough to easily crush two powerless police officers.
Lu Shun's master was forced to retire early, and Lu Shun was taken to the police station.
Gao Jun, standing nearby, stated that Province C would never tolerate favoritism, abuse of power, or collusion between judges and officials. He would definitely report this matter to the Party Secretary, strictly investigate and punish those who violate the law and commit crimes, starting from within the province, and absolutely not allow bad people to harm the interests of innocent people.
Qiu Shanglin expressed her gratitude tactfully, saying that she was deeply grateful.
Gao Jun certainly wouldn't go to such lengths to curry favor with her just because she was the daughter-in-law favored by the Gu family. He was merely taking advantage of the situation. He had long heard of Master Lü Shun's reputation, and many people were well aware that he had been unjustly forced into retirement.
As luck would have it, the person protecting the other party was Gu Cheng's political enemy. The two had long been engaged in a power struggle, and Secretary Gu had recently seized a fatal weakness in the other party, only lacking an opportunity to erupt.
Lu Shun and his wrongly accused master were undoubtedly the best trigger point.
In any case, the matter was resolved satisfactorily. They walked out of the police station in the early morning. Yang Hai wanted to treat them to breakfast to ward off bad luck. Ji Yunwen bit his lip, stubbornly refusing to go with them.
His departing figure was stubborn yet filled with loneliness.
Shanglin suddenly felt that they were not a good match—even a pure romance seemed so incompatible.
It's not enough for two people to be in love to stay together. There was more than just a difference in time between them; there was also a huge gap in their values and beliefs.
In the future, who will stand shoulder to shoulder with her? Qiu Shanglin stood in the cold November wind, slowly lowering her head.
Li Changsheng, who was secretly plotting something
Winter passed and spring came, and the wild geese returned to their nests. Spring came exceptionally early in 1998. Qiuhe from Qiujia Village heard his father reciting a proverb: "The Lesser Cold follows the Greater Cold in January, the Beginning of Spring and Rain Water follow in February, and the Awakening of Insects and the Spring Equinox are in March—if spring comes again, the bones will freeze. Hehe, we can't be like those good-for-nothing rascals in the village. Although spring has arrived a few days ago, it's still cold. Don't be fooled by the willows sprouting; a cold snap might come any day. Go and tell your mother to find some thick cotton-padded coats to air out and prepare."
Qiuhe obediently relayed the instructions, then returned to sit with her father in a small vegetable patch they had cleared in the yard. She casually picked up an earthworm that had been turned over and tossed it to the spotted hen who was wandering around with her chicks.
Nothing unusual was growing in the field, just a few bok choy covered under a plastic sheet. This was leftover plastic sheeting from last year's greenhouse; my mother couldn't bear to throw it away, so she cleared a vegetable patch against the wall in our small yard, planting some scallions, green beans, and bok choy, saving her the trouble of going to the contracted fields.