Chapter 247: Making a Wish

Ru Meng listened to me, and at that moment she clenched her fist tightly.

"Don't worry, Dad; as long as the bad guys dare to bully me, I'll knock them down. Dad, I already know how to wash clothes."

"Dad, you and Brother Little Dragon are hunting bad guys, right? I play games online, that's how we play. Dad, if you take me, I also want to hunt bad guys. Dad, I learned martial arts from Brother Little Dragon."

Hearing Ru Meng's words, I felt both angry and amused.

This Ru Meng still hasn't grown up, still loves playing online games. I can no longer scold Ru Meng as I did before; a child also needs to mature slowly.

I gently patted Ru Meng's head.

"Ru Meng, the internet and reality are different; the former is a virtual world. Everything there is fake, but in reality, bleeding is real."

I can't now tell you that playing games is wrong, but playing too much leads to addiction and affects one's outlook on life.

Ru Meng, if you were mature, you would voluntarily stop playing. This shows you aren't mature yet.

But Dad has already seen your progress,

for example, you no longer complain about Dad,

you don't pout or have princess syndrome. That's good.

Dad was never cared for as a child, always endured hardship, so he knows life is not easy.

Ru Meng, our current life is also a good thing for you,

it lets you understand what reality is.

Reality means your life has pressure, you have tasks, you must study, forced to study every day, otherwise you'll be eliminated.

Dad's time is tight,

I hope the two of us can have a good chat later.

Ru Meng, did you see a shooting star?

I finished speaking, pointing at the sky above,

Ru Meng nodded,

I said, "When you see a shooting star, you must make a wish; hurry and wish."

Ru Meng clasped both hands and began to wish.

I also clasped my hands and made my wish to the night sky,

After wishing, Ru Meng asked, "Dad, what did you wish for."

I looked at Ru Meng and smiled,

"Ru Meng, you speak first, then Dad."

Ru Meng said, "Dad, my wish is for my mother to get better quickly. What about you."

"I, like you, also want your mother to recover, so the three of us can live happily together."

"Dad, you say this wish can come true."

I patted Ru Meng's little head,

"It can, I believe the spirits will receive our two people's message and make your mother well."

After hearing me, Ru Meng laughed happily.

I then said to Ru Meng, "Ru Meng, Dad leaves early tomorrow morning; you must protect yourself."

Ru Meng nodded at me again.

"Let's go, it's too cold outside the room."

I hugged Ru Meng and returned to the guesthouse room.

Ru Meng lives together with Ya Ling.

I live together with Xiao Long.

After I returned to the room, Xiao Long was already asleep. Seeing me enter,

Xiao Long tried to get up from the bed quickly,

I waved my hand,

"Xiao Long, sleep, we've been tired all day; tomorrow morning we still have to travel."

Xiao Long then went back into the blanket and slept.

I slept on another bed, turned off the light,

and stared at the countless stars outside the window.

I thought to myself, will the wish I made tonight come true? Have the spirits heard?

I believe it will certainly happen; Zhou Wei will get better.

The night passed like that,

I woke up to the early‑shift broadcast. Ye Jianming runs a radio station that plays motivational songs and mining news every morning to boost the workers' morale.

Ye Jianming also has a system of management.

Xiao Long and I quickly got up; we still have important matters to handle today.

After a quick wash,

we left the guesthouse. As I boarded, I suddenly saw a slightly hunched man,

I know this man: Yao Haibo.

He was speaking to the workers descending the shaft.

It seemed he was working with great vigor.

Perhaps this kind of work is where he can find his place.

I glanced at him twice but did not greet him.

Then I said to Xiao Long, "Let's go."

Xiao Long started the car, and we left Qi He Kuang.

We went to Shanghu.

After arriving at Shanghu,

Shi Yong and Shangguan Zhuren were waiting for us.

Shangguan Zhuren asked, "How did the talks with Niu Ju go?"

I said, "Very well; Niu Ju has already agreed to cooperate with us."

"That's good; we need Niu Ju's support. In Zaocheng, without his backing many of our plans would be hard to carry out. Jianqiang, what are your next plans?" Shangguan Zhuren asked.

"I've already decided: today Niu Ju will release Zhou Fuhai, and Shi Yong and I will get Zhou Fuhai into the city's Third Hospital, keep him there for now; then I'll have Xiao Fang contact a plastic surgeon, and the next step is to give Zhou Fuhai a makeover so he looks like Zhao Jianqiang." I said.

"Do it that way; that Zhou Fuhai isn't a good person, he's done many bad deeds for the Zhou Family, so sending him to a mental hospital is just right." Shangguan Zhuren said.

Shi Yong asked from beside, "Do we know the director of the city's Third Hospital?"

I said, "Director Qiu, I know him; with him, we just use money to open the way. After all, we have plenty of money in hand."

Shi Yong laughed,

"Looks like money is more useful than fists."

I patted Shi Yong's shoulder,

"Right, the world we see now is a money society, not a fist society. How's Kong Xiangju doing?"

Shi Yong said, "Xiao Wu has completely subdued him; he's staying obediently on the boat."

Shangguan Zhuren said, "We still need to talk to Kong Shi. Have him release Li Ming.

Otherwise, catching Kong Xiangju would be meaningless."

I said, "Indeed, we'll tally it then and decide how to negotiate with Kong Shi."

At that moment my phone rang,

I saw it was Niu Ju's.

I hurriedly answered,

Niu Ju said over the phone, "We'll release the person at nine o'clock sharp today."

I replied, "Alright, got it. We'll pick them up at nine sharp."

After speaking, Niu Ju hung up,

I instructed Shi Yong to have him contact Director Qiu,

then I looked at my phone,

"It's exactly eight now, Xiao Long, let's set off quickly to the detention center to fetch the person."

Xiao Long nodded,

"Alright, Sir, let's go."

Shi Yong said, "Brother, I want to go too."

I said, "Alright, then we'll go together."

So I took Shi Yong and Xiao Long and hurried to the detention center in Zaocheng. A detention center differs from a prison; it holds petty thieves, pickpockets, and those involved in minor fights—light‑crime detainees—and its management is relatively relaxed. The detention center is at the southernmost part of Zaocheng, near Chengnan Town.

We drove the car swiftly through Chengnan Town.

I found myself back in Chengnan Town again.

I looked out the window,

still the familiar streets, only without familiar faces.

My uncle's house gate was tightly locked; my aunt had died two years ago, and I paid for her funeral.

It could be considered my adopted tribute to her, a repayment for the care she gave me.

My aunt's last few years were miserable; Zhao Di and Yin Di both thought her a burden and refused to support her,

after a stroke she was partially paralyzed at home, and hardly anyone even brought her a sip of water.

After hearing my sister's account, I took the initiative to bring my aunt over and placed her in a nursing home.

She passed away peacefully in the nursing home.

Deep down I felt no sense of indebtedness toward her.

I cared for her in old age and gave her a proper send‑off, which I consider repaying her.