Chapter 2775: Not Necessarily a Bad Thing

"When I said I supported the reform of the woolen mill, I didn't just mean raising my hand in agreement at the meeting." Zhang Qingshe's voice was a little light: "He wants to use your qualification to sit at the table for a meal in exchange for the power in my hands."

Zhang Zhuo's face changed immediately: "Dad, you can't agree to this condition."

Zhang Qingshe sighed: "I'm old now, even if I can still move up a bit, I can't go too high. But Lìwěi is different; as long as he can get on this fast train of the woolen mill reform, he will go further and higher than I did."

Saying this, Zhang Qingshe looked at his daughter and laughed: "I only have you as my daughter; I regard Lìwěi as half a son. As long as you two get along, it's worth me making some sacrifices."

Jiāo Lìwěi stared blankly at his father-in-law Zhang Qingshe. Over these many years, the kindness his father-in-law had shown him, he had kept in his heart. But this time, he was truly moved.

"Dad, I..."

Zhang Qingshe waved his hand: "Lìwěi, you are my son-in-law, my half-son. While I still have some use, doing something for you is better than nothing."

Zhang Zhuo's brows remained furrowed: "Dad, if you agree, does that mean you have to intervene in everything related to the woolen mill?"

"My dear, if you pursue an official career, your achievements will absolutely surpass mine." Zhang Qingshe looked at his daughter, with both admiration and regret: "Not bad. As long as it involves the woolen mill, I must intervene; otherwise, even if Lìwěi sits at the table, he won't get any soup."

Zhang Zhuo frowned even tighter: "The reform of the woolen mill involves the Yin family; if Zhōu Andōng..."

Zhang Qingshe looked at his daughter with even more appreciation: "So, without me supporting him, Lìwěi wanting to sit at Zhōu Andōng's table for a meal is impossible.

This is also why Zhōu Andōng said Lìwěi has no value. In this contest between Zhōu Andōng and the Yin family, Lìwěi doesn't even have the qualification to wave flags and shout."

"Dad!" Zhang Zhuo's eyes were full of worry: "Given Zhōu Andōng's character, if he uses you as a gun, letting you charge forward in battle..."

Zhang Qingshe laughed: "Since I'm propping Lìwěi up to sit at the table, what's wrong with me charging forward in battle?"

Zhang Zhuo's eye sockets turned red, and her voice choked as she called out: "Dad..."

Zhang Qingshe hurriedly stood up and embraced his daughter: "Silly girl, you still haven't figured it out. Zhōu Andōng is capable and resourceful, and moreover, decisive in killing. If I board his ship, it's not necessarily a bad thing."

Zhang Zhuo pondered for a moment and said: "If you agree to the second condition, merely dealing with Sūn Bǎocún?"

Zhang Qingshe sighed: "Sūn Bǎocún is a person of the Yin family; choosing the second condition also offends the Yin family. So, I might as well directly board the ship, with me standing in front to bear the brunt, Lìwěi will also be much more relaxed."

"Dad!" Jiāo Lìwěi finally spoke: "If you agree to Zhōu Andōng, the Tóng family..."

"The Tóng family?" Zhang Qingshe gave a cold laugh: "In this struggle for the position of full-time deputy secretary, the Tóng family hasn't contributed a bit; why should I care about his feelings?"

Zhang Qingshe waved his hand: "It's getting late; you'd better hurry back. These few days I'll find some time to call Zhōu Andōng."

Jiāo Lìwěi said somewhat dissatisfied: "Zhōu Andōng should personally come to see you; I will notify him."

"Do you think Zhōu Andōng is just an ordinary cadre?" Zhang Qingshe said helplessly: "Do you believe me or not? Once you go to his office and ask him to come see me, you will never have the chance to sit at the table for a meal. By then, even if you don't want to leave, I'll have to find a way to transfer you away from the woolen mill."

"Alright," Zhang Qingshe said: "You'd better hurry off; I'm tired too."

……………………

Darkness enveloped the entire Jingcheng, and in a civilian residence not far from the Gulou Vegetable Market came a burst of violent coughing.

"Cough cough... cough cough cough... cough cough... cough..."

The dim yellow light came on, and a woman's voice sounded from inside the room: "Mom, how are you? I'll go get you medicine."

"No... no need!" followed by an old voice: "Mom just caught a slight chill, it's nothing."

"Wuu wuu wuu..." came the sound of suppressed crying from inside the room.

The old voice sounded somewhat weak: "Yuān, it's Mom who has dragged you down. If it weren't for Mom being useless, Hónghóng wouldn't have been lost, your family wouldn't have scattered, and you wouldn't have been hit by a car while looking for the child."

"Mom!" Liú Yuānjuān listened, feeling very suppressed: "How can this be blamed on you? It's only my bad luck. You also shouldn't say you've dragged me down; if you weren't here, what reason would I have to keep living?"

"Cough cough cough... cough cough..."

The violent coughing sounded again, immediately followed by heavy and coarse breathing: "Yuān, Mom won't live many more days; you must live well. Only if you live can you find Hónghóng."

"Hónghóng!" Liú Yuānjuān's crying stopped, followed by laughter, though this laughter sounded even more suppressed than the crying just now: "I can't find her; I will never find my Hónghóng again."

"It won't be!" the old voice said: "As long as you live, there is some hope; if you're gone, then there really is no hope at all."

The people in the room didn't know that in the darkness, three figures stood silently by the window, listening to the mother and daughter's conversation, one of them a slender figure whose shoulders twitched slightly.

Until the mother and daughter in the room stopped talking and the light went out, that slender figure raised a hand and wiped her eyes, then raised her hand and knocked on the door.

"Who?" came Liu Yuānjuān's wary voice from inside.

The slender figure lowered her voice and said: "Comrade Liú Yuānjuān, we are from the Public Security Bureau; open the door, we have something to talk to you about."

Liú Yuānjuān fell silent for a moment, and the dim yellow light came on again: "My legs and feet are inconvenient; wait a moment."

After a while, the rusted loose-leaf binder creaked open, the old wooden door opened, and when Liú Yuānjuān saw the three people standing outside all wearing police uniforms, truly police, her expression not only did not relax, but vigilance increased.

"Comrades, it's so late; what business do you have with me?"

The slender figure was exactly Pèi Jìngshū; she crouched down, her tone gentle: "Comrade Liú Yuānjuān, I am Pèi Jìngshū, criminal police of the Jiangzhou Public Security Bureau; the person who harmed you has already been captured by our Jiangzhou police. We came this time to find you to take you to Jiangzhou to prosecute the criminals."

Liú Yuānjuān's body trembled, but she still shook her head: "Are you looking for the wrong person? My legs were broken by a car, not by anyone harming me."

Pèi Jìngshū had long been prepared, knowing Liú Yuānjuān would refuse, and continued: "Your daughter was abducted and sold, and the thug who broke your legs is directly related. As long as you go with us to Jiangzhou to prosecute the criminals, our Jiangzhou police will also spare no effort to investigate the case of your daughter's abduction."

Liú Yuānjuān's eyes lit up at once; if she could find her daughter, she would be willing to go to death: "You say all this is true; can you find my daughter?"

"I cannot guarantee that I will definitely find your daughter, but..." Pèi Jìngshū said in a low, slow tone: "I can give you a hint; this case is very big, and our police will definitely investigate to the end. As for whether we can find your daughter, that depends on luck."

"I agree to you." Liú Yuānjuān no longer hesitated; she had already been desperate, and now a turning point appeared—how could she not agree: "But, my mother's health is poor; she cannot leave without someone to care for her."

"We already know about your family situation." Pèi Jìngshū said: "You and your mother go to Jiangzhou together; once you arrive in Jiangzhou, directly send your mother to the hospital for treatment."

Liú Yuānjuān asked again: "When will we leave?"

"Now!" Pèi Jìngshū explained: "The reason we are taking you mother and daughter to Jiangzhou is mainly for your safety. Some things I won't say; you should also understand. Otherwise, back then you wouldn't have concealed the facts, saying your legs were broken by a car, right?"

Ten minutes later, Xiàng Xiàngjūn and Xíng Wénbīn each carried someone and rushed out the door; Pèi Jìngshū finally checked once, locked the door, and then quickly followed. Soon, five vehicles with Jiangzhou license plates disappeared into the dark night of Jingcheng.