Chapter 24: The Empty Basement

Liu Wanxin looked at Shi Yi with a sinister expression, the disgust in her eyes almost overflowing.

Shi Yi's pupils contracted violently.

"What does that mean?!"

Liu Wanxin sneered inexplicably. The next second, her expression returned to normal, and that hypocritical smile hung on her lips again.

"Yi'er, you blinded one of Xi'er's eyes back then, shouldn't you accept punishment? In this world, no mother would hate her own child; I just wanted you to learn a lesson. However, after so many years, the punishment you've received is about enough. As long as you are obedient in the future, whether at home or outside, just do what you should do, and Mom won't treat you badly."

Saying this, she forcefully shoved the phone into Shi Yi's arms, then whispered in her ear:

"Remember, some secrets are only safe when they rot in your stomach."

Shi Yi nodded silently.

She knew that in this life, the mother-daughter bond between her and Liu Wanxin could only go this far.

Some things were things she couldn't ask for no matter how hard she tried.

The next morning, the sky was bright.

Shi Heng walked down the stairs slowly. Today, he was wearing a high-end dark gray suit, a snow-white shirt inside, and a stiff collar. He even specially wore an AI smart watch on his wrist, paired with the latest smart chip developed by the Shi Group, and his leather shoes were as shiny as a mirror.

In the dining room, Shi Zhenyuan, Shi Xi, and Liu Wanxin were eating breakfast, but Shi Yi was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is Shi Yi?" Shi Heng's sword-like brows furrowed slightly.

Shi Xi raised her orchid finger, took a sip of the mocha coffee at her side, and said coldly, "Who knows, she probably didn't get up, but when has she ever gotten up early?"

"Zhang Ma, where did Shi Yi go?"

Shi Heng turned his head and shouted.

Zhang Ma ran out from the kitchen, lowered her head and said:

"Replying to the Eldest Young Master, this morning... I haven't seen the Second Miss come out of her room."

Shi Heng's face sank, and he looked at his watch; it was already 8:00. Shi Yi rarely got up this late.

However, he didn't say anything, but sat at the dining table and picked up a newspaper.

"Help me prepare breakfast."

President Shi managed a huge company group and was busy with ten thousand things every day, usually eating breakfast in the car while listening to subordinates report on work.

But today, he decided to eat breakfast at home and wait for Shi Yi to come out so they could go to the company together.

Time passed second by second, and the hour hand on the clock gradually pointed from 8 to 9.

"This is too outrageous!"

Shi Zhenyuan was the first to lose his patience. He slapped the table, "Heng'er, why don't you go see what that little rabbit Shi Yi is doing? Today is her first day of work, does she want to be late?! What kind of airs is she putting on?!"

"Exactly, what if she really forgot she had to report for duty today?" Liu Wanxin added fuel to the fire.

"That's possible, I think she doesn't know what she's thinking about all day long!" Shi Xi followed up with sarcasm.

Shi Heng put down the newspaper in his hand, stood up, and straightened his shirt collar, "Understood, I'll go check on her."

Shi Heng walked down the stairs and came to the basement door. Shi Zhenyuan couldn't stand it and wanted to see what Shi Yi was dawdling about in the room, so he followed. Behind him followed Shi Xi and Liu Wanxin, who wanted to watch the excitement.

*Bang, bang, bang*—

Shi Heng raised his hand and knocked on the door, but there was no response from inside.

He gritted his teeth and reached for the doorknob. To his surprise, the room door was not locked. Shi Heng turned the doorknob lightly, and the door opened.

"Shi Yi, what on earth are you doing?!"

The four members of the Shi family walked into the basement room aggressively.

However, the basement was empty, and there wasn't a single shadow of a person!

"Shi Yi is gone?!"

Everyone panicked, their faces changing. A bad premonition rose in their hearts, and they hurried to Shi Yi's table, wanting to see if she had left any note.

However, the tabletop was cleaned up neatly, and no note was left. Only in the center of the table was an exquisite gift box placed.

Shi Heng reached out, opened the lid, and took a look.

Inside was a brand-new, golden P-fruit mobile phone.

Sozali Republic.

The military jeep bumped on the red dirt road for eighteen hours. The moment Shi Yi pushed open the car door, the noon sun of Africa poured down like molten lead.

She took a deep breath, and the hot wind mixed with the smell of gunpowder poured into her throat.

Although this taste was not pleasant, compared to the cold and damp smell in the basement, she preferred the wildness and freedom here.

The China Rescue Team camp was composed of a row of low, small bungalows. In the center of the square courtyard stood a flagpole, with a Chinese national flag hanging high on it.

The driver was helping to move the rescue supplies Shi Yi had brought. Just then, the door of the opposite room opened with a "bang."

A small nurse hurried over from inside, holding several large blood bags in both hands, the hem of her white coat stained with dark red blood.

"Newcomer?"

Shi Yi nodded, "Mm, I came today, my name is—"

Before she could finish, Shi Yi was interrupted by the nurse.

"Follow me, the operating room needs hands!"

"But, I, I am a logistics staff member... not a nurse... I might not be able to help..." Shi Yi replied nervously.

"Logistics or not, when you come here, everyone has to work the same. Saving lives is urgent, hurry up and follow me!" The nurse didn't care about Shi Yi's explanation, grabbed her arm directly, and dragged her into the operating room.

This was a crudely equipped operating room. The generator in the corner made a "buzzing" sound. Under the emergency light, a pale-faced boy lay on a yellowed sheet.

Shi Yi walked over cautiously and saw the boy's abdomen, which looked like a torn sack, with his intestines exposed, glowing with an eerie blue-purple color under the light. Standing beside the boy was a middle-aged doctor, his white coat soaked through with dark red, and the hemostatic forceps in his hand still holding half a piece of shrapnel.

"Blood pressure 60/40!" The monitor emitted a shrill alarm.

The doctor frowned with a solemn expression and sighed, "The adrenaline is used up. Whether he can pass this hurdle depends on the child's fate."

Adrenaline?

Hearing the doctor's words, Shi Yi immediately remembered that she had brought many rescue supplies from China this time, including first-aid kits.

"Doctor, I brought some first-aid kits from China this time, I don't know... if there is adrenaline inside."

The doctor turned his head, his eyes lighting up. Only then did he see a young girl who had arrived in the operating room at some point.

"Are you a new team member? What's your name?"

Shi Yi nodded.

"Yes, I am a logistics staff member who just came from China, my name is Shi Yi." ===== CHAPTER 25 =====