Chapter 23: Younger Brother Runs Away from Home

Bai Shuruo shook her head hurriedly: "Nothing else."

She did not intend to mention that Zhang Yuanyuan wanted to fire her; for one, this was only Wang Xuekai's claim, and for another, even if Zhang Yuanyuan really wanted to target her, she had her own countermeasures.

She felt that she was not so easy to bully either; even a rabbit will bite when pushed to the limit.

Just as they were chatting, Bai Shuruo's phone rang; it was actually Lin Wanfen calling.

Regarding this stepmother, Bai Shuruo neither liked nor disliked her; although Lin Wanfen had been single-mindedly hoping for the two sisters to leave home early, her care for their father back then had been sincere, and if not for her care for their father, neither she nor her sister could have successfully completed their studies.

Moreover, after their father died, it had truly not been easy for her to raise their younger brother Bai Shuhua all by herself.

"Aunt Fen, is something the matter?"

"Ruoruo, why haven't you returned to your maiden home after getting married? Other brides have the custom of returning home after three days, you know." Lin Wanfen's tone was very aggrieved.

Bai Shuruo, however, caught the subtext: "Aunt Fen, has something happened at home?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Wanfen seemed unable to hold it together anymore, her voice instantly turning into a sob: "It's that troublesome younger brother of yours, he, he... I really can't manage him anymore."

After asking carefully, it turned out that Bai Shuhua had recently become addicted to games; Lin Wanfen wouldn't let him play, so he had an argument with her and ran away from home, and now he could not be found anywhere. Lin Wanfen couldn't get through to Bai Shunan's phone, so she had called Bai Shuruo instead.

"Aunt Fen, don't worry for now, I'll help you look for him."

……

After hanging up the phone, Bai Shuruo was also worried.

Although 14-year-old Bai Shuhua was not born to the same mother as her, she had watched him grow up since he was a child, and besides, he was also their father's own flesh and blood.

Of the two sisters at home, Bai Shunan was stern and there was a large age gap, so Bai Shuhua was afraid of his eldest sister and always clung to Bai Shuruo; buying candy, buying fruit, doing homework—he was no different from a biological brother.

"What happened?" Han Yangting asked.

Bai Shuruo briefly explained the situation about Bai Shuhua leaving home, and added: "Aunt Fen is probably worried sick right now, I have to go out and help look for him."

She shouldered her bag and was about to head out, but was stopped by Han Yangting.

"Where are you going to look?"

"I..." Bai Shuruo said: "I'll go back to the old house first to keep Aunt Fen company, and if we really can't find him, then we'll call the police."

"Does your younger brother have a mobile phone?"

"He does."

"Send the phone number to me."

"But I just called it, he didn't answer," Bai Shuruo said.

"Don't worry about that for now, just send it to me, I have a way to find his location," Han Yangting said.

Bai Shuruo was half-doubting, but still sent her younger brother's phone number over.

Han Yangting casually forwarded it to Ali, telling Ali to check the location.

It was 10:30 at night, and Ali was outside eating Xinjiang roasted lamb; seeing his boss's instructions, he couldn't help but complain in his heart again.

Why is it always these boring tasks? Sigh, it doesn't show his work ability at all.

Wait, no, being able to find someone just by a phone number—isn't that quite capable?

Never mind, find the person first, then talk.

……

Although Bai Shuruo could not see Han Yangting's specific operations, seeing his calm and confident demeanor made her feel that he might really be able to find the person.

So she waited patiently.

Soon, Han Yangting looked at her and said: "Found him, in an underground internet cafe on Huandong Road."

"Ah?" Bai Shuruo was surprised that he actually had such skills.

Han Yangting explained: "I have a friend in the public security system who specializes in finding people. The reason I didn't officially call the police is because I feel your younger brother is in his rebellious teenage phase; if the police were called and the matter blew up, it would make him lose face."

Bai Shuruo couldn't help but nod, "Brother Han, you're right, then I'll go find him now."

"I'll go with you, don't notify your stepmother yet."

"Why?"

"Have you forgotten why he ran away from home?"

Bai Shuruo reacted immediately.

Bai Shuhua ran away because he had argued with Lin Wanfen; Lin Wanfen also had an impulsive and anxious personality and wouldn't control her emotions. If the two met, especially in a place like an internet cafe, she definitely wouldn't be able to stand it and would start complaining about why Bai Shuhua ran away. Teenagers hate hearing complaints the most, and then the two would just argue again.

……

The smoke-filled internet cafe was mixed with various smells—instant noodles, eight-treasure porridge... A teenager was listlessly playing a small web game.

After all, large-scale games required an ID card, and one had to be 18 to play.

It was already 11 o'clock at night; he was yawning while playing, and two middle-aged men nearby had been staring at him for a long time.

Teenagers of this age have immature minds and always feel that they are the greatest in the world; as long as they use a little trickery, they can make him follow them obediently.

Afterward, using some sweet talk, they would certainly be able to make him work for them. It wouldn't be anything like murder or arson, just fighting or doing things on the edge of the law.

It is hard to learn to be good, but easy to learn to be bad. Once these teenagers know what makes money fast, their whole life is ruined.

The middle-aged man stepped forward and patted Bai Shuhua on the shoulder: "Little brother, why aren't you home so late? Did you have an argument with your family?"

"None of your business!" Bai Shuhua was in a very bad mood tonight; his stomach wasn't full, and the game wasn't fun either.

"Little brother, do you not have an ID card? Whatever game you want to play, you can use mine."

"No need." Intuition told him that these two were not good people.

"Little brother, are you hungry? Why don't I treat you to a good meal? You can come back and play after you've eaten your fill."

Bai Shuhua glanced at the time and knew he should go home. He was impulsive, irritable, and rebellious, but he wasn't unable to distinguish right from wrong. If he didn't go home, Lin Wanfen would be worried sick.

He was just doing it on purpose to annoy Lin Wanfen.

"I don't need your kindness." Bai Shuhua turned off the computer and left the internet cafe.

Who knew that those two men would follow him.

This internet cafe was inside an alley, and the surroundings were pitch black; Bai Shuhua walked outside and saw two men following him, and he couldn't help but feel nervous.

As a middle school student, he certainly wouldn't be able to fight them, so he might as well run.

As it turned out, the two men were in hot pursuit, directly blocking him in the middle of the alley.

"Little brother, what are you running for?" a middle-aged man asked with a grin.

The other one, however, said fiercely, "Stop wasting time with him, let's beat him up first and see if he behaves."

Bai Shuhua was terrified; although he was 14 years old and already 175 centimeters tall, he was still just a growing boy and thin, so how could he have ever encountered such real-deal bad guys?

Just as he prepared himself to fight and take a beating, a voice came from not far away: "Stop!"

The two men looked toward the head of the alley and were the first to see Bai Shuruo.

"How come a woman showed up?"

"A woman showing up is even better; we've hit the jackpot tonight."