Chapter 129 A Fish That Escaped the Net

Director Zhao's face turned a deep purplish-red.

"When did I say I was going to marry her?!" His voice cracked. "I would never marry someone like her—"

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.

But it was too late.

Xu Damao chimed in sarcastically, "Oh, Director Zhao, you don't even want a woman like this, so how dare you ask Director Li to? You yourself won't suffer the loss, why should Director Li?"

Director Zhao opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Yu Li's expression also changed.

She was just crying her eyes out, but now, with tears still streaming down her face, her expression was frozen. Director Zhao's words were more hurtful than anything else.

She suddenly regained consciousness.

This can't go on. Her family lives in this alley, and she'll have to get married someday. If her reputation is ruined, her life will be over.

She wiped her face, took a deep breath, and walked up to Li Jianguo.

"Director Li, I'm so sorry. I made a mistake. Please forgive me. I'll go home now and never appear in front of you again."

After saying that, she turned and left.

"etc."

Factory Director Yang spoke up.

Yu Li stopped in her tracks.

Factory Director Yang looked at her calmly, but his words were sharp: "Your outburst has alarmed so many people. Is a simple 'you made a mistake' all you're going to say?"

Deputy Director Zhang nodded in agreement: "Director Yang is right. We still need to investigate what needs to be investigated."

He waved to the people behind him: "Let's go, let's go see the Yu family."

Yu Li's face turned pale instantly.

"I'm really not a spy..." Her voice trembled. "I just like Director Li and want to marry him, so I used a stupid method... Please don't come to my house..."

She ran to the gate of the courtyard, spread her arms to block the door, and tears started flowing again.

Director Zhao finally came to his senses. He stared at Yu Li, his eyes changing.

"Are you so afraid of us going to your house?" He took a step forward. "Is there really something hidden there?"

He turned to Deputy Director Zhang: "Deputy Director, I'll take some men to search. I served as a reconnaissance soldier in the army, so I'm familiar with this kind of search."

Yu Li looked at him, and her heart turned completely cold.

She suddenly remembered something, turned her head sharply, and pointed at Jia Zhangshi in the crowd.

"It was her! That old woman taught me! She said this method can make something out of nothing!"

All eyes immediately turned to Jia Zhangshi.

Madam Jia waved her hands repeatedly: "You're talking nonsense! What does this have to do with me! You're the one trying to seduce men, and you're blaming me?"

To distance herself from the situation, she blurted out whatever came to mind: "Don't I know Director Li better than you do? My daughter-in-law tried it before, and she was still kicked out, wasn't she? Look at your physique, can you compare to my daughter-in-law? She's so pretty and she didn't succeed, how could you?"

Qin Huairu stood at the edge of the crowd, her face expressionless.

But the fingernails dug into the palm of the hand.

Director Zhao couldn't be bothered to listen to their bickering. He waved his hand and said, "Investigate if there's suspicion. If there's no problem, I'll apologize in front of everyone; if there is, handle it officially."

After saying that, he left with his men.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment.

Deputy Director Zhang walked over to Director Yang, handed him a cigarette, and lit one for himself.

"New guy, don't take it personally." He gestured in the direction Director Zhao had left, "He's from the military, so he's straightforward and not very familiar with the local customs yet. I'll teach him properly when we get back."

Factory Director Yang took the cigarette and nodded: "I can tell he's a decent guy, but he's easily fooled. Young people like him, they'll learn quickly."

As they talked, the topic gradually turned to work.

"I heard your factory is going to open a new plant area?" Deputy Director Zhang exhaled a puff of smoke. "The higher-ups mentioned it to me in a meeting today, saying they want to set up a police station there, and asked me to find people to help out in advance."

Factory Director Yang nodded: "Yes, that's right. It's a project related to locomotives, a major event in national transportation. If it succeeds, it will solve a huge problem."

He glanced at Li Jianguo: "We mainly rely on Director Li."

Li Jianguo waved his hand: "It's a systems engineering project, I can't do it alone. I'll have to be at the factory every day."

Deputy Director Zhang seemed to be thinking for a moment, then said, "Director Li is a national treasure, his security must be on track. I submitted a report to apply for setting up a guard post before, but it wasn't approved. Now that I'm the deputy director, I'll resubmit the report—we'll set up a guard post at the entrance of this alley, so we can get there immediately if anything happens."

Li Jianguo's heart skipped a beat. This was a good thing. From now on, those monsters and demons would at least have to think twice.

Just then, a commotion of footsteps sounded at the courtyard gate.

Director Zhao has returned with his men.

Several policemen carried large and small bags and put the items on the ground.

"We found it." Chief Zhao said, panting. "US dollars, small yellow croakers, and some other things of unknown origin."

Those watching the spectacle gasped in astonishment.

"My God, is the Yu family that rich?"

"That's the first time I've ever seen US dollars..."

"Wow, if you're rich, why are you living here?"

Jia Zhangshi huddled in the crowd, her face looking rather pale.

Yu Li stared blankly at the things on the ground. She knew there were small yellow croakers at home; her mother said they were left by her grandmother. But US dollars? She had never seen them before.

Director Zhao waved his hand behind him again: "The Yu family members have all been brought."

Yu Li's parents were pushed and shoved into the room, followed by her younger brother.

When Yu's mother saw Yu Li, her eyes turned red.

"You brat! What have you done! Are you trying to get your whole family killed?!"

Yu's father also joined in the cursing: "I should have strangled you when you were born! You good-for-nothing!"

The couple's insults were nasty, and Yu Li lowered her head, feeling ashamed.

"Behave yourself!" Director Zhao shouted.

The courtyard fell silent.

The irrelevant people were cleared out, leaving only a few key figures. Deputy Director Zhang stepped forward and looked at the Yu family of three.

"Tell me, where did these things come from?"

Mr. Yu's eyes darted around, and he took a half-step to the side, pointing at his wife: "It's all hers! It has nothing to do with me! I don't know anything about it! I've never even seen gold and US dollars before!"

Yu's mother was stunned for a moment, then exploded.

"You heartless bastard!" She lunged at him and started hitting him. "I bore you children, served you for so many years, and you turn around and sell me out?!"

She scratched her father's face all over with her fingernails.

Yu's father hid behind Chief Zhao, crying out, "Help! Officers, stop her! This crazy woman—"

Director Zhao stood still.

Everyone in the courtyard was watching, but no one stepped forward to break up the fight.

The beating lasted for several minutes, leaving Yu's father with bloody welts all over his face and neck, and his clothes torn. Only then did Director Zhao separate the two men.

"Enough! Do you think this is your own kang (heated brick bed)?"

Startled by the shout, Yu's mother shrank back and stood to the side, glaring fiercely at her husband.

Yu Li watched from the side, her face burning with embarrassment.

She couldn't help but ask, "Mom, what's the deal with the US dollars? I know the small yellow croaker was left by Grandma, but where are the US dollars?"

It would have been better if she hadn't said anything; the more she spoke, the angrier her mother became.

"Shut up! I should have given birth to a piece of barbecued pork instead of you!"

Yu Li retorted, feeling wronged: "What does this have to do with me? I didn't take the US dollars... I just want to find a good partner, is that wrong?"

The old man next to him shook his head and muttered under his breath, "This girl, her parents raised you all these years, and this is what you're saying..."

The third uncle sighed, "Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness are the most basic virtues of being a person. They don't even remember the kindness of their parents..."

Li Jianguo listened, a cold smile playing on his lips. These two moral exemplars weren't exactly clean themselves.

Deputy Director Zhang had no patience for this. He frowned: "Stop with the nonsense. Where did the US dollars actually come from?"

Director Zhao added, "The whole family is dishonest. Interrogate them separately."

Just then, Yu's son, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.

"I know."

Everyone looked at him.

"That money was given to me by someone else," he said, head down. "It was for my mom and my sister. To let my sister marry that guy."

Li Jianguo was stunned for a moment.

He turned to look at Deputy Director Zhang, who was also looking at him.

Their eyes met—were there still some who had slipped through the net?