Chapter 461

After dinner, we returned to He Jiaxiao's home to discuss what our next move should be.

The frustration my aunt had been bottling up inside remained unvented, and no matter how we tried to persuade her, she was determined not to let it go. I was caught in a dilemma, unable to move forward or backward.

I knew very well that with the meager evidence we had in our hands, trying to topple Vice Provincial Governor Lin Shengmao was not only impossible, but harder than ascending to heaven. The strength of our opponent was beyond our imagination. Compared to him, we were like a giant facing a tiny nation of ants.

What was even more distressing was that there was no evidence proving a direct link between Governor Lin and Qilin Villa. Even if we wanted to act now, I didn't know who else we could target besides Liang Tianxing.

Furthermore, I learned that Liang Tianxing was currently wearing the hat of a Provincial People's Congress representative.

What I couldn't fathom was why a boss as big as Liang Tianxing would get involved in the sauna industry in Chunshan County. This industry was the most prone to trouble and didn't have a very good reputation. Liang Tianxing couldn't possibly be unaware of the implications.

As far as I knew, Liang Tianxing had entered Chunshan County around the same time as our social education work group. He started with saunas and gradually branched into real estate. He was the first outside real estate enterprise in Chunshan County. Moreover, he had done so well in Chunshan County that he had turned a small mountain town into something resembling an international metropolis.

This could be seen from his handiwork in renovating the old city. Several of Chunshan County's main streets were even more spacious than those in Hengyue City. Chunshan County's entertainment industry had once led the way in the Hengyue region.

Liang Tianxing was in the legitimate business of real estate, so why would he get involved with counterfeit money? Could it be that the exorbitant profits from real estate weren't enough to satisfy his greed?

And what kind of relationship did he have with Governor Lin?

After I voiced my concerns, my aunt and Huang Weiwei remained silent.

The air in the room felt oppressive and stifling, so I got up and opened the window. A breeze blew in, and everyone let out a long sigh.

It was my aunt who finally broke the silence. Wringing her hands, she said softly, "No matter what, I must vent this frustration."

Huang Weiwei sat next to my aunt, turning her head to watch her speak, but she didn't say a word.

He Jiaxiao seemed completely uninterested in the matter; he kept yawning, and tears even welled up in his eyes from the yawns.

I said, "Jiaxiao, if you're tired, go get some rest first."

He Jiaxiao smiled apologetically and said, "Brother, I'm not tired. You guys talk, I'll keep you company."

Huang Weiwei smiled faintly and said, "Jiaxiao, you have to go to work tomorrow, it would be better to go rest early."

He Jiaxiao stood up, looked at us apologetically, walked a few steps, then turned back and stood beside me, saying, "You're all here, I can't just go to sleep by myself."

"This has nothing to do with you." My aunt waved her hand and said, "Jiaxiao, you go. We've already disturbed you by coming here; there's no need for you to keep us company."

He Jiaxiao said seriously, "Aunt, I don't like hearing you say that. You are my family; when family comes, it can never be considered a disturbance. It's what I should do."

Seeing that He Jiaxiao refused to go rest alone, and we couldn't come up with a good solution, I felt so worried that I seemed to have aged a few years in an instant.

In truth, I didn't want to continue. Ever since I tore up the list on the balcony, I hadn't wanted to go any deeper.

But my aunt was relentless. I understood her too well; if there wasn't a reason that could convince her heart, she would rather die than live without clearing her name.

I didn't know exactly what kind of grievances my aunt had suffered at the Public Security Bureau. However, I understood that this grievance must have touched her bottom line. My aunt was not a person who stirred up trouble for no reason; although her style of doing things was sharp, she wasn't unreasonable.

The Hengyue City Public Security Bureau must have caused my aunt an immense grievance. That was why she had abandoned everything and run to the provincial capital all by herself, prepared to use the spirit of an ant to gnaw down an unknown elephant.

The wall clock chimed twice, and I looked up to see it was already two in the morning. We had returned from the restaurant and had been sitting there for six or seven hours without realizing it.

"You all go get some rest," my aunt said. "This is my personal matter, it has nothing to do with any of you. If there's trouble, I'll bear it alone, and I'll find a way myself."

I immediately denied this, saying, "Aunt, this isn't just your matter. Strictly speaking, this is still my matter. This mess was caused by me."

"What mess did you cause?" My aunt glared at me and said, "Without you, Chen Feng, this matter would have been exposed sooner or later. There's no hiding from it."

"It's not about hiding. If I hadn't let Hao Qiang and the others go do it, maybe everything would be fine today," I said earnestly.

"You are not wrong," my aunt concluded for me.

I wanted to argue, but Huang Weiwei, who was to the side, spoke up: "Now is not the time to discuss who is right and who is wrong, but rather for us to think of a way to resolve this matter."

My aunt looked at Huang Weiwei with a smile and said, "Weiwei understands me best."

Huang Weiwei smiled shyly, leaned her head on my aunt's shoulder, and said softly, "I have an idea, I just don't know if it will work."

"Tell us," we said almost in unison.

Huang Weiwei looked at He Jiaxiao, hesitating to speak.

He Jiaxiao was stunned for a moment and asked in confusion, "Does it have something to do with me?"

Huang Weiwei nodded vigorously and said, "This matter really does have something to do with you."

"What do I need to do?" He Jiaxiao asked with great spirit.

"You don't need to do anything; as long as you are willing, this matter will be known to the whole world overnight."

"Really?" The three of us looked at her in surprise.

Huang Weiwei hesitated for a moment and asked He Jiaxiao, "Tell me the truth, how are things with Mengmeng now?"

He Jiaxiao was stunned again, scratched the back of his head, and said, "Compared to before, it's much better."

"Tell me, how is it better?"

We didn't understand what Huang Weiwei's goal was, so we all stared at her, watching her continue to ask.

"Actually, it's nothing much. Now she doesn't really reject me anymore. At the very least, when I go to see our son, she doesn't refuse, and occasionally she even says a few words to me," He Jiaxiao said embarrassedly.

"Just like that?"

"Yeah," he replied softly, saying helplessly, "I'm already very satisfied with just that."

Huang Weiwei smiled and said, "It's best not to hurt a woman's heart. A woman's heart is the hardest thing in the world to heal. However, I don't think Mengmeng has fully accepted you yet. But there is one thing that cannot be changed, and that is that you are, after all, the child's father. This relationship is something that even the King of Heaven cannot change."

"That is true," He Jiaxiao pondered for a moment and said, "I've made up my mind. In this life, besides Mengmeng, I will not marry anyone else. If she doesn't want me, I'll stay single. I'll be a bachelor for life. Anyway, I have a son, so the He family line won't end."

"Do you have the heart to let Mengmeng be a single mother for the rest of her life?" Huang Weiwei asked with a half-smile.

My heart stirred, and I remembered that Huang Weiwei and Chen Meng were the best of friends. There must be secrets between them that we didn't know.

"Sigh!" He Jiaxiao let out a long sigh and said, "But if she doesn't give me the word, what can I do?"

"What word do you want her to give?"

"To tell you the truth!" He Jiaxiao swallowed, as if he had made a great decision, and said, "My parents went to her parents' house to propose marriage. Her parents didn't have any objections, but Mengmeng, she didn't say a word."

"Not saying a word is tacit consent," my aunt said, not missing the opportunity.

He Jiaxiao shook his head and said, "I know her; if she hasn't spoken, it means she hasn't let go. I know she has an opinion about my mother, but now my mother, in front of Mengmeng, doesn't act like a mother-in-law at all, but rather like a timid daughter-in-law, still having to watch her expression."

"Take it slow," Huang Weiwei comforted him, "Mengmeng is a smart woman. Since she was determined to give birth to your child, tell me, if she didn't love you, would she have given birth to the child?"

He Jiaxiao laughed as if he had suddenly realized something and said sincerely, "Sister Weiwei, I understand now."

My aunt and I watched the two of them questioning and answering, not knowing what medicine Huang Weiwei had in her gourd.

Huang Weiwei clearly sensed it; she smiled sweetly, pointed at He Jiaxiao, and said, "This matter can be settled with just one phone call from Jiaxiao."

We looked at her, not understanding.

Huang Weiwei stopped smiling and asked us, "Do you still remember what Mengmeng does for a living?"

"A reporter!" He Jiaxiao was the first to react, "Mengmeng is the chief reporter for the Hengyue Daily."

"What can a reporter do?" Huang Weiwei asked with a smile.

"News reports," the three of us answered in unison.

"I understand," He Jiaxiao patted his head and said, "Sister Weiwei, you want Mengmeng to publish a news report and create a public opinion offensive?"

Huang Weiwei nodded with a smile.

"But..." He Jiaxiao hesitated and said, "Wouldn't that burn Mengmeng with the fire?"

"She is a news reporter. This is her profession; it's justifiable, there's no such thing as fire or no fire," Huang Weiwei smiled and said, "A news reporter with a conscience absolutely cannot tolerate even half a grain of sand in their eyes. Also, you all know who Mengmeng's father is; even if someone wanted to touch her, it wouldn't be such an easy thing."

"I don't agree," He Jiaxiao refused flatly.

"It doesn't matter if you don't agree. You know Mengmeng's personality. I'll tell you the truth, this is an opportunity. As long as you tell her this news, I think Mengmeng will have a new idea. If you don't tell her, and I go tell her, Mengmeng will still report it, and then you will have lost the best opportunity."

"Really?"

"Don't you believe it," Huang Weiwei said earnestly, "I grew up with Mengmeng, I know what's in her heart."

He Jiaxiao hesitated and couldn't speak for a long time.

My aunt and I looked at each other and smiled silently.