Chapter 8: Happiness Came Too Suddenly

A somewhat younger expert said helplessly:

"Miss Ning, if you really don't want to tell us, we won't force you."

"If you hand over the Azure Wave Jade Disc, we are already deeply grateful."

"But... please don't toy with us..."

The older expert's eyes showed disappointment, but he still kept a gentle smile.

"Miss Ning, we won't disturb you any further; on behalf of everyone, we thank you again, thank you."

Several experts all bowed to her.

Ning Jinli wanted to cry but had no tears, didn't know what else to say, and could only return the bow.

The experts and a dozen or so escorts temporarily went outside the warehouse.

The middle-aged man leading the team took out his phone and glanced at it.

"Miss Ning, the police have already captured your uncle Ning Hai."

Ning Jinli's eyes lit up.

"Great! But the one who directly snatched the Azure Wave Jade Disc was He Kai—have you caught him?"

The middle-aged man shook his head: "Not yet, but it should be soon—he can't get away."

Ning Jinli clenched her fists, indignant: "Even stealing a national treasure—let that bastard rot in prison!"

"Hahaha!" the middle-aged man laughed, "Don't worry, don't worry, this is necessary!"

He thought for a moment, preparing to tell Ning Jinli about the reward the state wanted to give her.

Tap-tap-tap—

The sound of hurried high heels rang out.

Suddenly a middle-aged woman walked in.

She wore simple casual clothes, her posture upright, her stride brisk.

She had neat short hair, and on her slender face she wore a pair of large sunglasses.

Ning Jinli couldn't help but stare curiously.

What a beautiful, cool woman!

The middle-aged man exclaimed in surprise: "Aren't you in the northwest region? How did you get here so quickly?"

The sunglasses woman said: "I borrowed a fighter jet."

The middle-aged man not only wasn't surprised, he also smiled and said: "Are you in a hurry, or do you just want to try out the jet?"

"Both, I suppose," the sunglasses woman said, the corner of her mouth twitching up, "the latest model is fast just to start."

The middle-aged man nodded: "Since you're here, I'll take my people and leave."

The sunglasses woman faced Ning Jinli, extended her hand, and said: "Hello, my surname is Shangguan, given name Ying."

Ning Jinli politely shook her hand with both hands: "Hello, Aunt Shangguan."

Shangguan Ying raised her eyebrows: "Am I that old?"

Ning Jinli blushed deeply.

She had been thinking that even the middle-aged uncle in his fifties just now had addressed her as "nin," even though she looked only about forty, but she couldn't be impolite.

That's why she called her "Aunt Shangguan."

"Call me Ying Jie," Shangguan Ying said, pinching Ning Jinli's hand.

Ning Jinli nodded like a pecking chick: "Okay, Ying Jie."

Just then, Ning Jinli suddenly noticed that the vortex passage at the back door had appeared again.

Shangguan Ying happened to have her back to the rear door.

Ning Jinli's heart leapt into her throat in an instant.

Although besides her and Xiao Qidi, no one else could see that vortex or pass through it.

But she didn't know what background this Ying Jie had, just letting people see Xiao Qidi appear out of thin air—who knows what might happen.

The next second, Xiao Qidi stumbled out.

Shangguan Ying heard a movement behind her and was about to turn her head.

"Ying Jie!"

In her panic, Ning Jinli grabbed her shoulders with both hands: "I... this warehouse is too messy; let me take you somewhere else."

Even through her sunglasses, Shangguan Ying could see Ning Jinli's expression was off, and she was still signaling with her eyes toward what was behind her.

"This place is fine."

Shangguan Ying calmly brushed off Ning Jinli's hand.

She turned around, locking eyes with Xiao Qidi.

"You're really tall..." Shangguan Ying said, tilting her head up.

Xiao Qidi frowned slightly: "Who are you?"

Ning Jinli hurriedly pulled Xiao Qidi to the side, whispering: "Don't speak, don't move around, just stand here."

Then she went up to Shangguan Ying and said, "Ying Jie, this is my friend; he likes to play cosplay, didn't scare you, did he? Hehe."

Shangguan Ying's lips curled with a meaningful faint smile.

"Cosplay? You pulled it off pretty well. Then enjoy yourselves. I'm leaving first."

She casually pulled out a business card and handed it to Ning Jinli: "If you have any problems and need help, call this number."

Ning Jinli took the card and muttered: "I actually have a debt problem right now."

Shangguan Ying, while sizing up Xiao Qidi, asked: "What debt?"

"Ah, a bank loan of over seventy million." Ning Jinli said, dejected.

Shangguan Ying's lips curled in a faint smile, "Really? Is it true or false?"

"Of course it's true; if you don't believe me, I'll show you."

Ning Jinli pulled out her phone, opened the bank app, and logged into the factory's financial account.

After scrolling a couple of times, she froze, "Huh? Where's the loan? Why is it gone?"

Shangguan Ying casually said, "Why not check your own account balance?"

Ning Jinli was bewildered and quickly logged into her own bank account.

When she saw the balance showing as high as five million, she was dumbfounded.

The factory's loan debt of over seventy million—gone!

Her personal bank card—five million in deposits!

"This is all your reward," Shangguan Ying said lightly, "the higher-ups gave you a five-million bonus, and I just helped waive the factory's debt."

"Hiss..." Ning Jinli stood frozen like a wooden chicken.

"I'm off, bye." Shangguan Ying turned and left.

Happiness came too suddenly; Ning Jinli stood rooted, her mind blank, even forgetting to ask what Shangguan Ying's identity really was.

Bang—

Xiao Qidi, who had been leaning against the wall, suddenly collapsed heavily to the ground.

Ning Jinli heard the noise and snapped back to attention.

Oh crap, I almost forgot about him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Ning Jinli ran over to Xiao Qidi's side.

Xiao Qidi could no longer hold up, fainted, and a bloody smell emanated from his body.

Ning Jinli immediately called an ambulance.

Before the ambulance arrived, she stripped off his tattered armor.

Fortunately, there was an emergency hospital near the factory.

When they brought Xiao Qidi in, the doctors were baffled, asking how he got injured like this.

His back bore several knife wounds, and even his rear shoulder had two arrowheads broken off inside.

"He... he's a martial arts stunt double!"

Ning Jinli wiped cold sweat and made up an excuse, "Just now we were filming an outdoor scene when something went wrong..."

"You call that a little accident?" the doctor sighed, "Ah! This line of work really isn't easy!"

Soon, Xiao Qidi was sent into the operating room.

During the process, a doctor notified Ning Jinli, saying he had lost too much blood and needed a transfusion.

The blood stored here wasn't enough, and couldn't be replenished in a short time.

She wondered whether anyone in the film crew had a compatible blood type who could donate.

Ning Jinli asked, "What blood type does he have?"

The doctor said it was type A blood.

Ning Jinli rolled up her sleeves, "I'm type A, take mine!"

It was past ten o'clock at night.

Xiao Qidi finally out of danger, lay on the hospital bed in a deep sleep.

Ning Jinli sat in the chair beside him, yawning nonstop.

She had given him a lot of blood, her face turned pale.

"Heh heh, who would have thought... the blood of the Xuanzu Emperor from over two thousand years ago runs in my veins—I'm really awesome."

Ning Jinli fought off drowsiness, leaning against the bed and smiling foolishly.

"Run... fast... no need to mind me..." Xiao Qidi mumbled in his delirium.

Ning Jinli stared at his face, utterly puzzled.

How did he suddenly end up like this... wasn't it said that the rebels had already been wiped out?

What on earth happened?

Right!

Look up historical records!

Ning Jinli perked up, took out her phone, and began searching online...

But she found nothing.

Too much time has passed; the historical records have no account of what happened to Xiao Qidi around age eighteen.

Ning Jinli slapped her forehead.

"Right, this hospital is less than a kilometer from my factory; I'll go ask the people of Lin Xian Village—they'd know."

Estimating Xiao Qidi wouldn't wake up anytime soon, she immediately returned to the factory.

A luxury car was parked outside the factory gate.

As Ning Jinli arrived, the antique shop boss Wu Sanye stepped out of the luxury car, all smiles, "Miss Ning! I've been waiting for you a long time!"

"Third Uncle, hello, what do you need from me?" she asked politely.

Wu Sanye lowered his head solemnly, "From now on, just call me Wu Lao San."

Ning Jinli's face full of surprise, "That won't do; you spent extra money buying my jade pendant, I'm grateful, how could I be so rude?"

Wu Sanye's expression complex, he took a deep breath and bowed, "Miss Ning, I'm here specifically to apologize and give you money. Really sorry, I shouldn't have cheated you!"

"Ah?" Ning Jinli utterly bewildered, "What do you mean?"