Chapter 292: Whoever gets to the bottom of it solves it

Around six in the evening, under Lin Dongfan's arrangement, Gao Lu finally got to see her son Gao Shuo.

While the mother and son talked, Lin Dongfan and Yang Qing, following procedure, kept watch the whole time. They could meet, but not alone; they had to prevent Gao Lu from letting Gao Shuo pass a word to Gao Peng.

"Mom, how did you almost die out of the blue? And you're still in handcuffs." Gao Shuo was still bewildered, completely unable to grasp the situation.

Gao Lu also wore a gloomy face, not knowing where to begin.

She brushed aside the hard-to-mention criminal details and earnestly instructed Gao Shuo: "The inheritance I left you is enough for you to muddle through life in a daze. After I'm gone, you must stay home honestly and enjoy your games. During the probation period, you must absolutely not go out and cause trouble—remember that?"

"Mom, where are you going?"

"Your grandma loves playing mahjong, you know that. But after she loses, she refuses to pay up, so nobody wants to play with her anymore. We're missing one player, so I have to go fill the spot."

"Isn't grandma dead?"

Gao Shuo's eyes were glazed over; he still hadn't figured out what was going on.

Gao Lu looked at her foolish son with pity, wanting to pinch his chubby little cheeks, but her hands were cuffed with those ugly handcuffs, and lifting them looked awful.

Better not, lest she pass her bad luck onto this foolish son.

Gao Lu sighed inwardly and then earnestly said: "I've told you to study more, but you don't. Human knowledge is limited; you think your grandma is dead, but that's just your assumption. Has she actually died? When you die someday, you'll find out whether she really died."

"???"

The landlord's foolish son, successfully confused, looked dazedly at Lin Dongfan and said: "Big brother, can you understand what my mom is saying?"

"It's not convenient for me to interrupt; have your mom explain it to you." Lin Dongfan turned and walked to the windowsill, trying not to interfere with Gao Lu's last words.

Gao Lu was truly letting go.

Although she had many regrets, she wasn't overly afraid of the word 'death'.

She patiently gave herself a mental pep talk: "From a not-so-scientific scientific perspective, our world is three-dimensional, while the underworld is actually a lower two-dimensional world. Since the universe has two-dimensional and three-dimensional worlds, there should also be a four-dimensional one. Thus we can infer that in the four-dimensional world there once was a person named Gao Lu; after she died, she fell into the three-dimensional world, and that's how I was born. Likewise, when I die, I will fall into the two-dimensional world. Do you understand now? This isn't death—it's just switching worlds."

Gao Shuo shook his head: "I didn't get it."

Watching her son space out to the heavens.

Gao Lu suddenly grew impatient: "How can you not understand? What I mean is, your grandma didn't really die—she just left the three-dimensional world for the two-dimensional one! Likewise, when I die, I won't truly die; I just want to go to the two-dimensional world to play mahjong with your grandma. Is that hard to grasp?"

"Are you trying to say you're about to die?" Gao Shuo frowned slightly.

Gao Lu, too gloomy to explain further, said: "If you insist that my going to the underworld to play mahjong counts as death, then so be it. Anyway, after I'm gone, don't be sad."

"Oh."

Gao Shuo gazed hopefully at Gao Lu.

After thinking, he added: "Before you go, don't forget to tell me the safe's combination. Your safe is too sturdy; I've tried prying it open several times and failed."

"!!!"

Out of nowhere, a surge of anger rushed to his head.

Gao Lu glared: "I told you not to be sad, and you really aren't the slightest bit upset? All you think about is inheriting my property—you're quite the filial son!"

"???" Gao Shuo looked utterly bewildered: "I messed up again? So do you want me to be sad or not?"

"The password is your birthday. Now get lost happily."

Gao Lu leaned against the headboard, closed her eyes, and silently suppressed the rising anger, feeling that her life had been a great success! She had successfully raised her son into an obedient good-for-nothing.

After her son left,

Gao Lu took a while before she could suppress her anger.

She opened her eyes, and her gloomy gaze locked onto the amused Lin Dongfan: "What are you laughing at? Is this funny?"

"Don't misunderstand, I admire your optimism and I'm happy for you." Lin Dongfan restrained his smile: "Now that I've finished talking about your son, is there anything else you want to tell me?"

"Sure, but you need to promise me one thing." Gao Lu's face clouded with worry.

Lin Dongfan readily replied: "Go ahead and tell me; if it's something I can do, I'll do my best."

"That's a small matter for you." Gao Lu said: "My son is about as clueless as a blank sheet of paper; he has no idea how treacherous this society is. After I'm gone, he'll have no support in this world, likely unable to hold onto the assets I left him, and could be swindled out of everything at any moment. I hope you can look out for him."

"No problem. Later I'll give him my contact number; he can reach me anytime if he needs help." Lin Dongfan said.

Gao Lu smiled with relief: "I didn't expect you to be this decent—more reliable than that Li Hengbo."

"I serve the people; he serves the people's money—we're not the same kind of being." Lin Dongfan turned to signal Yang Qing to open the law-enforcement recorder, preparing to take a statement.

Seeing this, Gao Lu's mood grew much heavier.

She smiled bitterly with mixed feelings: "It's unimaginable—those who once wanted me to live were my elder brother, and now those who want me dead are also my elder brother..."

"Why did you take barbital that day?" Lin Dongfan got straight to the point.

Gao Lu bluntly admitted: "Just to stay alive—I wanted to fake my death and pull a fast one."

"Who gave you the medicine?" Lin Dongfan asked.

Gao Lu hesitated for a few seconds, then blurted out what she didn't want to say: "My brother, Gao Peng. I had already contacted G Mister and planned to go up against you guys. That night, as long as I could leave Nanzhou City, G Mister could get me out of the country. Later my brother disagreed with me opening fire and gave me a bottle of medicine."

"You mean the fake death plot was orchestrated entirely by Gao Peng?"

"Exactly."

"Then who is G Mister?"

"He's a political fixer; I don't know his real name. I only know him as G Mister, and he rarely shows up."

"!!!"

That answer was somewhat disappointing.

Back then, Yin Qiuhong also escaped successfully with G Mister's help, but like Gao Lu, she only knew him as G Mister and didn't know his real name.

This G Mister really has far-reaching methods—even Gao Lu doesn't know his background.

Lin Dongfan temporarily suppressed his doubts and continued questioning Gao Lu: "Talk about the oil industry—why did Sea Mining Group sell the assets of the Jiang Lan Oil Field subsidiary at such a low price to your Heavenly Journey Group?"

"Young Master Zou gave the order; Jia Yuzhang of Sea Mining Group dared not refuse."

"Who is this Young Master Zou you're talking about?"

"Zou Feiyun."

Why is Zou Feiyun helping you?

He's not helping me; he's helping himself. After our Heavenly Journey Group acquired the Jianglan Oil Field Branch, Young Master Zou, under the pretense of contributing technology for equity, holds a certain share. Put bluntly, he's getting something for nothing—he just needs to move his lips, does nothing, and yet walks away with 80% of the profits each year.

Please detail all the profit dealings between you and Young Master Zou.

Strictly speaking, he has never regarded me as a partner; in his world, I am merely a stepping stone beneath his feet, a tool for transporting wealth...

This extremely lucrative oil chain, Gao Lu talked about for over an hour.

When she mentioned that Zou Feiyun had taken twenty billion in wealth from the Heavenly Journey Group in just three short years, Lin Dongfan and Yang Qing were stunned, their mouths agape.

Because beneath Zou Feiyun's feet, there is not only Gao Lu as a stepping stone.

Gao Lu is merely a stepping stone in Jianglan Province; elsewhere in the country, there are many others like her, collectively conveying benefits to the Zou family group.

Zou Feiyun, far away in Jingcheng, never imagined that Gao Lu would confess.

Nevertheless, he cautiously called Gao Peng: "Secretary Gao, it's not me, your junior, saying this—you left a bomb in the hospital; who exactly are you trying to blow up? Me, or yourself?"

!!!

This isn't the first time Gao Peng has been warned; the last time he spoke on the phone with the old leader, Zou Yugang, the latter had already hinted that he should deal with Gao Lu.

I didn't expect that Old Zou would stay silent, while Young Zou is now pressing for action.

Gao Peng smiled wryly: "Young Master Zou, you overpraise me; even if I were to bomb someone, it would be Lin Dongfan."

I don't care who you bomb; in short, hurry up and clean up your mess. Liang Jingzhong has already been transferred out of Jianglan; if you still can't stabilize the situation there, this won't do. Young Master Zou, with both threats and beatings, implied a warning to Gao Peng: If Jianglan runs into trouble, I'll make you regret it.

Gao Peng replied with a stiff neck: "Tell the old leader that I will submit my assignment within 24 hours."

After hanging up, Gao Peng called Wang Minjuan again, urging her to act quickly. He had never thought of dealing with his own younger sister, Gao Lu; instead, he planned to deal with Lin Dongfan.

Whoever digs up the roots and exposes the scar will be dealt with!