Chapter 284: I

"What did you say?"

"Do you know where my dad is?"

"What is he doing at the Hengyuan International complex on Hongqi Road?"

"He's going to jump off a building and kill himself??? Lu Yang, don't scare me!"

As the lights first flicker on, the evening streets are a sea of traffic, especially the intersection where cars are jammed for ages.

Lu Yang rides an electric scooter, with Ding Tengfei, weaving through the traffic like lightning.

The reason they take the motorized lane instead of the non‑motorized lane is that there are too many electric vehicles.

In Guangling, you might not own a car, but you absolutely must have an electric scooter.

It's the essential choice for workers' short‑distance commutes!

Lu Yang switches his hands between brake and throttle, riding the electric scooter like a motorcycle, fully showing the spirit of Motorized Infantry.

"I didn't scare you; my dad was chopping cooked food on his way home from work, and I saw him on Hongqi Road with my own eyes."

"Well, that could be something else; it doesn't have to mean he's going to jump off a building, right?"

"Do you dare to bet?"

Lu Yang's single sentence left him speechless.

Ding Tengfei doesn't dare to bet, nor can he afford to.

He even dreamed that his father had an accident, then woke up terrified.

Moreover, by normal logic, if his father hadn't received payment, he should have contacted them as soon as he got back.

But now he silently shows up near the unfinished residential complex on Hongqi Road, making it hard not to draw that conclusion.

Just then, Ding Tengfei's phone vibrated in his pocket; he pulled it out, glanced at it, and turned pale with fright.

The message turned out to be a suicide note, sent by his father.

It said his father had no face to return home, couldn't face his family, and only death could free him.

He mentioned the accidental insurance, hoping he and his mother could take the money and flee elsewhere to start anew.

Finally, he asked Ding Tengfei to delete the text after reading it.

Ding Tengfei hurried to call back, but the line showed no answer.

"My dad sent a suicide note, he's gone mad, completely mad!"

"Hurry up, ride faster!"

Lu Yang is cranking the throttle to the max, but the electric scooter has a speed limit: "I've already hit the limit!"

Just then, a traffic officer directing vehicles appeared at the intersection ahead.

The officer instantly spotted Lu Yang and his companion darting through traffic like electric mice.

From a distance, he blew his whistle and raised his hand, signaling them to stop!

"Can't sit down, can't sit down!"

Lu Yang slipped away with a serpentine move, his mind slick, slipping under his arm.

Ding Tengfei's emotions swung between sorrow and breaking down; he was really losing his composure.

What the heck does "can't sit down" even mean? Is that what they meant?

"Damn, the traffic officer is catching up!"

Ding Tengfei let out a curse as he saw the officer raging on a motorcycle, flashing lights blazing toward them.

Lu Yang glanced back and cursed, "Damn it, is he mad at me for not getting up to high‑five him?"

Ding Tengfei's head was about to explode: "Is this about high‑fiving or not? We ran a red light and took the non‑motorized lane!"

"What can I do? I'm trying to save someone, aren't I?"

"Then hurry up!"

"I'm riding an electric donkey, not a plane!"

Soon, the traffic officer caught up to Lu Yang's electric scooter.

But before the officer could act, Lu Yang blurted out his identity, rattling off the situation like a machine gun.

It was the evening rush hour, traffic everywhere, horns blaring nonstop, making everyone's ears buzz.

The officer only caught a few keywords: me, officer, someone jumped, hurry, save!

When lives hang in the balance, who dares to hesitate?

The officer, being sensible, said nothing and put Lu Yang and his companion on a police motorcycle.

The police motorcycle, flashing lights blazing, forced all vehicles aside; its speed and efficiency were several times faster than the little electric scooter.

On the rooftop, darkness enveloped everything; Ding Yongxin poured the last mouthful of liquor down his throat.

The fiery white spirit burned his throat, tightening his features, and tears choked him.

He tossed the bottle, slowly rose from the ground, dragging his heavy steps, mustering courage to the rooftop edge.

But as soon as he stepped up and glanced down, the sixteen‑story height startled him, making him stagger back, his head spinning, his heart pounding as if it would burst from his throat.

He was acrophobic, he was terrified.

He didn't want to die, yet he was forced into a dead end.

He was a deadbeat father, an incompetent husband, and not a good son.

His old father, angered by him, suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and died; even the funeral became a neighborhood joke.

Ding Yongxin had no face to return home, so he resorted to this way to seek release; only by shedding himself as a burden could his wife and children continue living better.

He forced himself to endure the dizziness and inner fear, inching toward the rooftop.

Standing there, eyes closed, past scenes kept swirling in his mind.

When his son enlisted, he couldn't go to see him off in time, becoming his greatest regret.

Son, do well in the army, Dad, I'm sorry to you two, Dad will go first......

Dad!!

Just as Ding Yongxin lifted his foot, heart like dead ashes, preparing to step out, a loud shout from behind made his movement freeze.

Ding Yongxin turned his head in disbelief, only to find his son had also come onto the rooftop.

Behind him were several panting police officers and a traffic policeman, plus a young man about the same age as Tengfei.

Tengfei, how...... how are you here?

Dad, don't do something stupid, come down first, come down first!

Yeah, Mr. Ding, don't be impulsive, impulsiveness is the devil. If you have anything to say, let's come down and talk slowly, there's no obstacle we can't get over, everything will pass!

Ding Tengfei and several police officers kept urging, trying to approach slowly.

But Ding Yongxin had made up his mind, no matter how much urging, he refused to come down.

Ding Tengfei, thinking quickly, told him the good news that the thugs caught earlier that day meant the loan sharks no longer needed to be repaid.

Dad, the army has gotten involved, the loan sharks have been deemed illegal activity, the money owed doesn't need to be repaid. Forget about trying to get back Yuanbao's money, the factory's still there, we can start over!

It's useless, you don't understand, we can't fight them......

Ding Yongxin shook his head, all hope lost, he clearly understood the illegal nature of the loan sharks.

But some things aren't that simple as they think, and it's not just a matter of deciding not to repay.

During this time of debt collection, he gradually learned some terrifying things; that gang's backing is astonishingly powerful, once you're involved you'll never be able to climb out for a lifetime.

At this moment, the fire personnel also arrived, and were busy installing the air cushion below.

But both sides seemed to have reached a stalemate; Ding Tengfei's mother also got the news, was brought to the scene by police, and cried uncontrollably.

Just as the firefighters were covertly preparing to climb over the side eaves to carry out a forced rescue, Lu Yang finally stepped forward.

Jump! Jump now!

The scene fell silent as the grave, everyone stared in terror at Lu Yang.

The firefighters who were fastening safety ropes on the top‑level scaffolding, preparing to carry out the rescue, also felt their heads buzzing.

Is this guy sick or what?

If he really jumps, whose responsibility is it?

Is this how you use the goading tactic? You're just messing around!

Seeing Ding Yongxin stunned, Lu Yang hurriedly continued shouting: "Is jumping down useful? Does it really solve the problem?"

If you die from the fall, your son and wife will still be harassed by them; if you don't die, they'll not only be harassed but also have to take care of you, this half‑dead burden.

Look below, the air cushion is already set up; if you happen to suffer a high‑level spinal injury causing half‑body paralysis, you won't even be able to pull out the oxygen tube.

Ding Yongxin glanced downward, his throat gulped, and he seemed to waver a little.

Lu Yang: "I heard from Ding Tengfei that you bought a high‑accident insurance policy. But you should know, if we hadn't shown up, you might have been considered a drunken accidental slip."

Now with so many people watching, if you jump and call it suicide, the insurance company won't pay a cent.

Ding Yongxin's head buzzed and exploded; intent on dying, he had forgotten this point.

Ding Tengfei also chimed in at this moment: "Yeah, Dad, if you die, Mom and I get nothing, you'd have died for nothing."

Or how about this: you come down first, then later find a chance to plan again, see how to die so it looks more like an accident?

Ding Yongxin's eyelids twitched badly twice, and inexplicably he felt an urge to rush up and give them both a slap.

But he was also keenly aware that he was now in a situation where he's riding a tiger and can't get off.

Although he could leap and free himself of all worries, the ensuing problems would all fall on his wife and child—doing so would be too selfish.

Yet he couldn't find the motivation to go on, and saw no hope for the future.

Lu Yang naturally understood this as well; he had to find a way to give Ding Yongxin an out.

He took a piece of clothing from his backpack and draped it over Ding Tengfei.

Seeing the military uniform suddenly draped over him, plus the lieutenant insignia on his shoulder, Ding Tengfei was stunned.