Ch. 1051..1060
Chapter 1051:1051 Sorrow
Tan Rou didn’t respond to Xue Lin. She wasn’t surprised by what Xue Lin said. How could a selfish person like Xue Lin admit to her crime?
Xue Lin said when Tan Rou ignored her. “Tan Rou, it’s not convenient to talk here. Let’s talk outside.”
Tan Rou thought for a while and decided to follow Xue Lin outside. She told Zhuang Liu, “Alt Liu, wait here for me. Help me ask some questions.”
Zhuang Liu understood what Tan Rou meant and nodded.
Tan Rou smiled. “She’s already like this. What else can she do to me?”
Zhuang Liu did not say anything else. Tan Rou followed Xue Lin to the end of the corridor. This place was near the stairs and usually no one would come here.
Xue Lin smiled. “I still have to thank Tan Rou. Thank you for letting me see this person’s true colors.”
Tan Rou kept silent. She didn’t want to talk to Xue Lin.
Xue Lin looked up and said to Tan Rou, “Junior Tan Rou, aren’t you very powerful? Why couldn’t you even deal with an old woman? Look, even if you know that I asked her to burn you, so what? I haven’t been arrested by the police yet!”
“Why is she willing to take the blame for you?” Tan Rou asked curiously.
Xue Lin smiled. “She’s our nanny. She’s not young anymore. If she leaves our house, where can she find a high-paying and easy job? Plus, my parents have given her a lot of money these past few years. If she doesn’t listen to me, our Lin family will make it impossible for her to survive in the Capital.”
Tan Rou thought Xue Lin was too much, but she didn’t sympathize with Aunt June. After all, Xue Lin was just talking, and Aunt June really wanted to burn her.
“Aren’t you afraid that she’ll rat you out?” Tan Rou asked again.
“I’m not afraid! I know what she’s thinking,” Xue Lin replied with a smile. “She doesn’t have any children, so she has always treated me as her daughter. How could a mother who loves her child let her daughter go to jail?”
“You’re a cold-blooded person.” Tan Rou shook her head.
Xue Lin didn’t mind. “She’s the one who assumed things. Don’t think that just because she treats me better, I’ll treat her like my mother. In my eyes, she’s just a lowly servant. She doesn’t deserve to be related to me.”
Tan Rou thought of the maids of rich families in ancient times. They were almost like Aunt June. However, those young masters and young ladies in ancient times were very respectful to wet nurses. From the looks of it, Aunt June was a little pitiful.
“Xue Lin, no wonder your face couldn’t be cured. Your heart is too evil. The heavens can’t stand it anymore. That’s why they won’t let you return to normal,” Tan Rou said sarcastically.
Xue Lin’s fingers gripped the railing of the wheelchair tightly. “You still dare to say that? If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have ended up like this!” she shouted. After saying that, she started coughing violently because of her damaged throat.
Tan Rou didn’t want to see Xue Lin anymore. When she saw Xue Lin the second time, she sympathized with her. However, Xue Lin kept finding trouble with her, which made her hate Xue Lin to the extreme. Although Xue Lin escaped this time, it didn’t matter. There was still a long time. She had ways to make Xue Lin confess.
Xue Lin’s new nanny came over without saying a word after they finished talking. She pushed Xue Lin away, not caring that Xue Lin was still coughing.
Tan Rou returned to the ward. The police had left and the doctor had gone to another ward, so there were only the three of them left in the ward.
Zhuang Liu sat by the window and looked at his phone. He was probably dealing with work. “Is it worth it for you to protect her like this?” Tan Rou walked in and asked Aunt June directly.
Aunt June slowly opened her eyes. “That child is already pitiful enough. I can’t let anyone hurt her anymore.”
“But she doesn’t care about you at all.” Tan Rou took out her phone and played the conversation she had with Xue Lin to Aunt June/
After Aunt June heard this, she was stunned for a long time and did not react. Just when Tan Rou thought that she would not speak again, Aunt June suddenly spoke up. “So I’m just a lowly servant? How sad!”
“Wake up! That person isn’t worth protecting at all. Ah Liu, let’s go,” Tan Rou said before turning to Zhuang Liu.
Chapter 1052:1052 Dealing With The Lin Family
Walking out of the hospital, Tan Ron was still a little angry. “I thought we would be able to catch Xue Lin this time. I didn’t expect that woman to be so stubborn and determined to protect Xue Lin.”
“How do you plan to deal with Xue Lin?” Zhuang Liu asked her.
Tan Rou really didn’t want to care about Xue Lin. In her eyes, Xue Lin was just a clown. She didn’t have time to waste on Xue Lin. However, if she didn’t vent her anger, she would be very unhappy.
“Hasn’t the Lin family been looking for cooperation recently?” Tan Rou suddenly thought of business matters. “In recent years, high-tech has developed very quickly. Any company in the Capital would like to gain some benefits from this field, but not all companies have such strength.”
Zhuang Liu understood what Tan Rou meant. “You want to start with the Lin family’s company?”
“Everything Xue Lin has is given to her by the Lin family. If something happens to the Lin family, how can Xue Lin live?” Tan Rou was not a kind person. If someone offended her, she would definitely return the favor tenfold.
“The Lin family and the Zhuang family also have business dealings.” Zhuang Liu said, “However, many of them were signed when Zhuang Su was still around. After Zhuang Su was thrown into prison, I didn’t want to cause any more trouble, so I didn’t cut off my business with the Lin family. It seems like it’s time to end the cooperation.”
“Will cutting off your business with the Lin family affect your business?” Tan Rou asked worriedly.
Zhuang Liu smiled. “There won’t be any impact. The Lin family doesn’t follow the rules when doing business. If it wasn’t for the old friendship, I would have cut off the cooperation long ago.”
“That’s good.” Tan Rou said.
Tan Rou first got Hang Wei to contact the Lin family, saying that they wanted to cooperate with the Lin family. Father Lin was overjoyed when he heard that. He personally came to the headquarters of TR Company to discuss the cooperation.
Hang Wei received him warmly and expressed his intention to cooperate between the lines. However, he also told Father Lin that if Lin wanted to cooperate with TR, he had to cut off cooperation with other companies.
The Lin family did not invest much in high-tech, and the only one they had worked with was the Zhuang family. From what Hang Wei said, could it be that he wanted him to terminate his contract with the Zhuang family?
“CEO Hang, didn’t you say that the CEO of the Zhuang Corporation and the CEO of TR are engaged? Why do I feel that you guys are not on good terms with the Zhuang Corporation?” Father Lin was puzzled.
Outside, Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu were only engaged.
Hang Wei smiled. “Since you know about our relationship, you should understand what I mean.”
Father Lin began to imagine. The Zhuang Corporation and Boss were engaged to the Boss of TR, so they were a family. How could one family do business with two parties?
“Oh, I understand!” Father Lin smiled. “Alright, alright, alright. I’ll handle it now.”
After returning home, Mr. Lin ignored the objections of the other shareholders and resolutely terminated the contract with the Zhuang Corporation. He had signed this contract with Zhuang Su in the past. After Zhuang Su went to jail, the Zhuang Corporation still fulfilled the contract but the Lin family did not earn much money from this project. Now that there was a chance to terminate the contract and change partners, Father Lin would definitely seize the opportunity.
However, on the second day after the Lin Group and the Zhuang Corporation terminated their contract, the Zhuang Corporation signed a new partnership with TR, which happened to be the partnership that Father Lin had taken a fancy to.
Mr. Lin rushed to the headquarter of TR Company to argue with Hang Wei. Hang Wei smiled and said, ?Mr. Lin, I should have made myself clear. Our boss and the Zhuang Corporation’s boss are a family. If a family doesn’t do two businesses, why would they let outsiders split the money?”
Father Lin was dumbfounded. Hang Wei had tricked him into terminating the contract to pave the way for the Zhuang Corporation. Once he terminated the contract with the Zhuang Corporation, a portion of the Zhuang Corporation’s projects would be vacant. Coincidentally, the new project of TR would make up for the empty portion of the Zhuang Corporation, and the money would go into the pockets of this couple.
Father Lin pointed at Hang Wei. “You-you-” He couldn’t catch his breath and fainted from anger.
Fortunately, Tan Rou was also in the company. When she heard the news, she immediately rushed over to save Father Lin. Then, she called him to send him to the hospital where Aunt June was. She had specially arranged for Father Lin to stay next door to Aunt June.
Chapter 1053:1053 Poor Woman
When Mother Lin heard the news, she rushed over from home. When she saw her husband lying on the hospital bed, she was so anxious that tears were flowing down her face. “Hubby, how are you feeling?”
Father Lin waved his hand, indicating that he was fine.
Mother Lin sat down on the chair. “Why didn’t you tell me about your contract termination with the Zhuang family?”
Speaking of which, the Lin family’s business actually belonged to Mother Lin. Father Lin was just a son-in-law who married into the Lin family. Xue Lin also took her mother’s surname. However, Mother Lin was really not good at managing the company, so after they got married, Father Lin had been managing the company. Sometimes, Mother Lin would ask about the company. Father Lin had a very strong sense of self-esteem. He did not want outsiders to say that he relied on women to get to where he was today, so he did not discuss work matters with Mother Lin at all. Every time Mother Lin asked him, he would casually lie to hide it.
Father Lin said, “There’s no use telling you about this. The Zhuang Corporation has long disliked us. Although the contract is still there, we haven’t made any money in the past few years. This time, TR took the initiative to cooperate with us. I thought we would make a lot of money. I didn’t expect this to be their trap.”
Mother Lin did not know the twists and turns. She only felt that the TR company and the Zhuang Corporation had teamed up to play them. “Wiry would the TR and Zhuang Corporation want to go against us? When did we offend them?”
When she said that, Father Lin suddenly remembered something. “Aunt June!”
Mother Lin was also shocked. If Father Lin hadn’t mentioned it, she would have forgotten about it. Last week, Xue Lin suddenly told them that she wanted a new nanny and that Aunt June was arrested for attempted murder.
They also investigated and found that Aunt June had indeed gone to Capital University to set fire to it. Although they didn’t know what his motive was, she had indeed offended Tan Rou.
“Tan Rou must have found out that Aunt June is a member of our family, that’s why she took her anger out on us. I’ve long disliked her,” Mother Lin said angrily. “If it wasn’t because she could take better care of Xiaoxue, I would have fired her long ago.”
Mother Lin didn’t like Aunt June because Aunt June always lectured her about how she treated Xue Lin badly and didn’t act like a mother at all.
Father Lin was very regretful. “I didn’t expect that we would be tricked by a little nanny.”
Mother Lin couldn’t accept this. She stood up immediately and said, “That b*tch is in this hospital. I’m going to settle the score with her now.”
Father Lin did not stop her because he was also angry.
When Mother Lin found out that Aunt June was staying next door to Father Lin, she was so angry that her lungs were about to explode. She immediately rushed into Aunt June’s room and pulled the sleeping woman up. Then, he slapped her in the face.
“B*tch! It’s all because you offended Tan Rou that our family lost a lot of money!” Mother Lin said angrily.
Aunt June was stunned. She covered her injured face and asked in disbelief, “Madam, what do you mean?”
Mother Lin cursed. “Lowly slaves, you b*tch with a dead husband and dead child. Isn’t it enough that you’ve harmed your own family? Do you want to harm our family?”
Aunt June’s heart ached when the other party mentioned her husband and child. She used to have a happy family, but her husband and child died in a car accident. In the end, she couldn’t even find the murderer.
“I didn’t… I didn’t want to do this,” Aunt June explained weakly.
“Don’t quibble!” Mother Lin slapped her again. “Old thing, you should have burned to death.”
Mother Lin and Aunt June were about the same age, but Mother Lin took better care of herself than Aunt June, the latter, who was only fifty years old, looked much older than Mother Lin.
After scolding and beating her, Mother Lin stormed back angrily.
Aunt June huddled under the blanket. She felt extremely sad when she thought of her child and husband. If her daughter was still alive, she would be as old as Xue Lin.
“Oh my, how tragic!” Tan Rou came in from outside. She had actually heard the sound of Aunt June being beaten up, but what did it have to do with her? Aunt June was the one who was willing to get beaten.
Aunt Juan came out of the blanket. Although her face was red and swollen, she still wanted to defend Xue Lin. “Do you still want to persuade me?”
“I just came to tell you something.” Tan Rou sat down. “It’s about your daughter and your husband.”
Aunt June’s expression changed slightly. “What exactly about it?”
Chapter 1054:1054 Reversing the Case
“One evening eighteen years ago, your husband took your daughter out to buy something, but they never came back, right?” Tan Rou said calmly.
Aunt June, however, was very agitated. She ignored the pain in her body and immediately sat up and grabbed Tan Ron’s shoulder. “Do you know who killed my husband and daughter back then? Hurry up and tell me!”
The more anxious Aunt June was, the more Tan Rou didn’t want to talk about it. She gently removed Aunt June’s hand and dusted it off. “Don’t be agitated. Let’s talk slowly.”
How could Aunt June not be agitated? This matter had been hidden in her heart for eighteen years. In the first few years, she had been running around trying to find the real murderer. However, she was alone. She had no background or money. No one would help her.
Later, she gave up and left that sad city to come to the Capital to be a nanny. Her first job was to take care of Xue Lin, a very cute and willful little girl. Xue Lin reminded her of her own daughter, so she took care of Xue Lin like her own.
However, she did not expect the Lin family to be so cold-blooded, nor did she expect the child she had taken care of so carefully to treat her like that. The reason why she was willing to take the blame for Xue Lin was that she didn’t want Xue Lin to go to jail. On the other hand, she couldn’t find a reason to live anymore.
Her husband was dead, her daughter was dead, and the child she loved did not care about her at all. She felt that her life was a failure.
Tan Rou showed a few photos to Aunt June. The photos were not clear enough, and she could vaguely tell that they were her dead husband and daughter. “Although there were no surveillance cameras in that place for eighteen years, it’s not completely without traces. At that time, an old man was taking photos of the intersection there and happened to take this scene. However, the owner of the car also discovered him and gave him a large sum of money to not tell him about it. He was afraid and greedy, so he went straight home.”
The more Aunt June looked at the photos, the colder her heart became. These photos were not only photos of the car accident eighteen years ago, but also other photos. The car that killed her husband and daughter appeared in the Lin family’s garage.
Although surveillance wasn’t widespread 18 years ago, the Lin family was still one of the wealthiest families in the Capital. The Lin family must have arranged for such advanced things as surveillance long ago.
“You must be lying to me!” Aunt Juan didn’t believe it. She shook her hands and said, “You photoshopped these photos, right?”
Tan Rou took the photos back. “Since you think these photos are fake, you don’t have to believe them.”
Aunt Juan was in great pain. She had seen that car in the Lin family’s garage. The front of the car was already dented, and it had never been driven out before. The license plate matched.
“So itwas the Lin family who killed my husband and child!” Aunt Juan covered her face and cried. “I raised the child for my enemy for so many years, and now I have to take the blame for her. I’m too stupid!”
Tan Rou stood up. “I’ve already given you the photo. If you want it, I’ve already told you. If you want a witness, I can help you find one too. Don’t think that I’m after you. I just feel that you’re too pitiful and want to help you.”
Tan Rou only found out about the car accident when she was investigating what evidence Xue Lin had on Aunt June. She was a little curious about who killed Aunt June’s husband and child. If she could find out, maybe Aunt June would change her mind.
However, they found out that the person who killed Aunt June’s husband and child was none other than Xue Lin’s father. It had to be said that Father Lin was quite magnanimous. He wasn’t afraid at all after killing two people. He even hid the car at home. Tan Rou was impressed.
Aunt June cried for a while. Then, she said, “Thankyou. I’ll help you achieve the ending you want for me.”
“That’s not why I’m helping you. I just feel that you were wronged.” Tan Rou said.
“No matter what, I have to thank you.” Aunt June apologized. “I poured gasoline on you and tried to burn you. This is my fault. I don’t hope you can forgive me, but I still have to apologize to you. I’m sorry!”
Tan Rou said, “There’s no need. If you’re sorry, you should go and tell the police and the judge.”
Aunt June took Father Lin to court. Fortunately, this case was still in the retroactive period. Otherwise, Father Lin would have escaped punishment.
Chapter 1055:1055 Xue Lin Suicide
Father Lin was already sick from anger. Now that he was suddenly sued in court, he did not have the strength to hide it. In addition, what happened back then had always been a sore spot for him. Father Lin, who was in a bad state of mind, confessed on the spot and said that he had hit and run eighteen years ago.
Father Lin was temporarily put in prison, and no one cared about the Lin family’s business. Mother Lin didn’t know how to manage the company, and Xue Lin was taken away by the police for questioning. Under the double blow, Mother Lin was also hospitalized.
Xue Lin knew that her father committed a crime and then her mother was hospitalized. She could have used the excuse that her mother was sick and she had to stay in the hospital. The police couldn’t detain a patient, so they could only put her in the hospital for now and send a policewoman to follow her at all times. They couldn’t let her take the opportunity to escape.
Xue Lin was lying on the hospital bed, pretending to be weak. If she didn’t, she would definitely be taken to court. She couldn’t go to jail.
Aunt June was already able to get out of bed and walk around. She looked at Xue Lin with her walking stick, her eyes full of killing intent.
“Aunt June, why did you expose me?” Xue Lin asked excitedly.
“Then you should ask your father why he killed my husband and child,” Aunt June asked coldly.
Xue Lin was dumbfounded. She knew that Aunt June’s child and husband died in a car accident and that her father was taken away by the police because of an old case but she didn’t know that her father was the one who killed Aunt June’s child and husband.
“How is that possible?” Xue Lin didn’t believe it. “Aunt June, someone must be lying to you, right? Did Tan Ron lie to you?”
Aunt June said, “No one lied to me. That is the truth. Your father has already admitted his crime.”
Xue Lin gritted her teeth. “But that was my father’s doing. It has nothing to do with me. Don’t you love me the most? Do you have the heart to see me go to jail?”
A smile appeared on Aunt June’s face. “Of course I can. You only think of me as a lowly nanny, so why should I protect you? I can’t escape this time either. After I send your father to jail, I’ll go to jail myself but I don’t want to go alone. Let your whole family accompany me!”
Xue Lin suddenly became furious, “I won’t let you succeed!”
“It doesn’t matter. I have nothing left. I’m not afraid of your threats at all,” Aunt June said calmly.
“Besides, the murderer who killed my husband and daughter has been found. I should be happy.”
Aunt June left with her walking stick. She was very happy now. When she went out, her face was full of smiles, as if she had returned to the time when her daughter and husband were still alive.
Mother Lin came to visit Xue Lin. In just a few days, she seemed to have aged by more than ten years in an instant. There were a few strands of white hair in her black hair, and the wrinkles in her eyes also appeared.
Xue Lin sat on the balcony of the ward. She didn’t wear a mask, so her scary face was exposed.
When Mother Lin saw this, she said in disdain, “Hurry up and cover your face. What if you scare people?”
Xue Lin turned around and said with a faint smile, “You dislike my face too? You’re my mother!”
“Don’t you think I’m annoyed enough? I already can’t sleep well. Now that I see your face, I can’t sleep at night.”
Xue Lin suddenly thought of Aunt June. When she was injured, Aunt June was always by her side. Aunt June told her that she must live well. One would only have hope if they were alive!
“You’re an incompetent mother.” Xue Lin suddenly said.
Mrs. Lin was very unhappy. “Now is not the time to talk about this. Your father has already gone to jail. No one is managing our company anymore. I plan to sell the company. What do you think?”
As Xue Lin also had shares, Mother Lin came to ask for her opinion. If she wanted to sell the company, she would sell Xue Lin’s shares. She estimated that she could sell it for a lot of money.
“Is our family going to be finished?” Xue Lin smiled, “You brought this upon yourself.”
Mother Lin was very unhappy. “It’s all you and your father’s fault. If it weren’t for you two, we would have lived a better life.”
Xue Lin didn’t retort. She leaned against the balcony and said, “Okay. I hope I don’t have you as my parents in my next life.”
Then, Xue Lin flipped backward and fell straight down from the eighth floor. If her head fell, she would not survive.
Chapter 1056:1056 Xue Lin is Dead
Xue Lin committed suicide in the hospital. There were so many people coming and going to the hospital. Soon, someone found Xue Lin falling from upstairs. Her head was flat on the ground. Blood and brain matter mixed. The entire scene was disgusting.
Mother Lin was stunned. She stood in the room for a long time before she dared to go near the balcony. She mustered her courage and looked outside. Then, she saw the tiny Xue Lin lying on the ground with blood all over her body.
The nanny who was taking care of Xue Lin returned to the ward. She had just gone to wash Xue Lin’s clothes, but she didn’t see Xue Lin when she entered. She only saw Madam Lin leaning on the windowsill, trembling.
“Madam, what are you doing standing on the balcony? Young miss, where did you go?” the nanny asked.
Mother Lin turned around in horror. Her face was pale as if she had been greatly frightened.
The nanny suddenly had a bad premonition. She asked anxiously, “Madam, where’s young miss?”
Mama Lin finally reacted. She turned her back to the balcony and pointed downstairs. She stammered, “Xiaoxue… Xiaoxue fell down…”
The nanny’s eyes widened. She ran to the balcony in a panic and looked down. She saw that Xue Lin’s white hospital gown had been stained red with blood. Blood flowed all over the ground. It looked like she was going to die.
She covered her mouth, unable to believe that Xue Lin had jumped off the building. “How did this happen?!”
There were people jumping off buildings every day in the hospital, especially in the inpatient department. There were people committing suicide every day for various reasons, and the people in the inpatient department were already used to it. However, someone had committed suicide by jumping off a building and fell so badly. They definitely had to call the doctors and nurses over to clean up.
The doctors and nurses were already numb. They skillfully pulled up the cordon and called the police. After the police finished exploring the scene, they could collect the dead bodies.
Although it was very likely that she had committed suicide by jumping off a building, the doctors and nurses did not dare to move the body casually before they found out the truth. They did not want to destroy the scene. If it wasn’t a suicide, but they destroyed the scene, then they would be the unlucky ones.
The doctor could tell that the person who jumped off the building was already dead. There was no need to save her at all.
“Xiao Xue, Xiao Xue…” A woman with messy hair stumbled out and kept calling Xue Lin’s nickname, “Little Xue, I’m your mother. What’s wrong?”
The doctor stopped Mother Lin. “Ma’am, you can’t go near it!”
Mother Lin was frightened and sad. She shouted, “That’s my daughter. Why can’t I get close to her?”
The doctor said, “Madam, my condolences but your daughter has passed away. I hope you can calm down. ”
Mother Lin stopped struggling after hearing that. “Is she really dead?”
The doctor felt a little strange, but he did not say anything. “Yes, I’m sorry to let you see such a scene.”
Mother Lin squatted on the ground. She seemed to be crying.
The doctor did not comfort her because they had seen this kind of situation too many times.
The police arrived at the scene very quickly. They asked the doctor, Xue Lin’s mother, and the nanny about the situation. They also checked the surveillance cameras in the hospital and finally concluded that Xue Lin had committed suicide by jumping off a building.
Xue Lin’s funeral was very sloppy.
She was sent to the crematorium on the afternoon of the day she jumped off the building. Mother Lin thought that she committed suicide and died in such a terrible condition that she was not fit to keep her body for three days so she asked the crematorium to cremate Xue Lin immediately.
After that was Xue Lin’s funeral. Xue Lin was the young lady of the Lin family. She shouldn’t be buried so hastily. She should have her friends send her off. However, Mother Lin did it very quickly. She cremated the body on the first day and stuffed the urn into the cemetery on the second day. Xue Lin’s friends couldn’t even send her on her last journey.
A few days after Xue Lin’s death, Father Lin was also sentenced to life imprisonment for the crime of hit-and-run and murder.
Tan Rou was a little surprised when she heard the news of Xue Lin’s death. She was prepared to confront Xue Lin in court. She didn’t expect Xue Lin to commit suicide. What a pity.
Although Xue Lin was dead, Aunt June was still alive. Tan Rou still wouldn’t let her go. In the end, Aunt June was also sentenced to seven years in prison.
Chapter 1057:1057 Bad News Arrives
“All, so many things happened while I was away? But did Xue Lin commit suicide by jumping off a building?” Liang Lu, who was much tanner now, said to the camera.
Tan Ron replied, “It should be true that she committed suicide by jumping off a building. However, I think that based on her personality, she wouldn’t commit suicide by jumping off a building so easily.”
“Maybe someone said something to her.” Liang Lu nodded.
Tan Ron smiled and said, “After Xue Lin died, her mother buried her quickly. Since Xue Lin had no children or husband, her property was inherited by her parents. Before Father Lin was sentenced, he transferred all the positions in the company to Mother Lin. However, Mother Lin didn’t manage the company well. She sold all the shares, including Xue Lin’s share. After that, she flew abroad.”
Liang Lu was dumbfounded, “D*mn, her mother is too ruthless.”
“Where there is old, there is young. Xue Lin is like her parents.” Tan Rou said.
Liang Lu agreed. Then, they changed the topic. “Rourou, I’m going to finish filming this drama soon. When we return to the Capital, we have to celebrate.”
Tan Rou had no objections. “You have to tell me in advance when you’re coming back. I’ll prepare dinner to welcome you.”
“I’ll bring you some specialties from the desert,” Liang Lu said with a smile.
“Is sand the specialty of the desert?” Tan Rou asked deliberately.
Liang Lu laughed out loud. “How is that possible? There are a lot of fun little things here. I’ll bring more back when the time comes. Everyone will have a share.”
“Okay, then come back quickly. Be careful,” Tan Rou reminded. “Don’t disregard your own safety for the sake of filming.”
“Yes, yes, I understand.” Liang Lu replied.
However, on the third day after Liang Lu’s phone call, bad news came. When Liang Lu and Tao Zheng brought a few main actors to look for a filming location, they suddenly encountered a sandstorm and disappeared into the desert.
When the news reached the Tao family, Tan Rou was having a gathering with her family. Every week, she would return to the old mansion for dinner to accompany her grandfather and grandmother.
Mr. Tao was the first to receive the news. He had wanted to hide it from his family, but Mrs. Tao had long discovered that something was wrong with him. Under Mrs. Tao’s repeated questioning, Mr. Tao finally told the truth.
“Air Zheng and the others encountered a sandstorm when they were filming in the desert. They all disappeared in the desert. The local police have already gone to look for them, but they haven’t found any traces of them yet.” Father Tao said sadly.
After hearing this, Mrs. Tao felt her vision darken. “No…. Nothing will happen to All Zheng.”
Among her four children, Tao Zheng had been by her side the longest. Since she was young, Tao Zheng had basically never left her. Even if he went on business trips or went on a trip, he would come back very quickly. This time, he had been gone for four to five months. It was also the longest time she had been away from her. She would video call Tao Zhengtong every week. They had just videocalled yesterday. Why was he gone today?
“I want to find Ah Zheng!” Mrs. Tao was very agitated. “He must be there. I’ll go look for him.”
As she spoke, Mrs. Tao felt her head spin and her vision went black. Then, she fainted.
“Mom!” Tan Rou supported her and immediately pinched the acupuncture point under her nose. “Don’t be agitated. Second Brother will be fine.”
“Quickly carry your mother to bed to rest!” Mr. Tao said.
Tan Rou used a little strength and lifted Mrs. Tao up. After confirming that Mrs. Tao was fine, they quietly walked out of the room and went to the study downstairs to discuss something.
Initially, Father Tao wanted Tan Rou to stay behind to take care of Mother Tao, but Tan Rou insisted on going with them, so Tian Tian stayed behind to take care of Mother Tao.
“Don’t tell your grandparents about this yet. They can’t stand such a big shock, especially your grandfather,” Mr. Tao said.
The children knew the seriousness of the matter and promised not to tell anyone. They only said that Tao Zheng was still filming outside and would come back after filming.
“I can’t leave without my family. I have to go there myself.” Father Tao said.
Tao Zhi disagreed. “Dad, I’ll go. You stay and handle the company’s affairs.”
In the past few years, Mr. Tao had gradually handed over the company’s affairs to Tao Zhi, and he had become an idle person.
Chapter 1058: A Journey to the Desert
Tan Rou also said, “Dad, you stay behind to manage the company and take care of Mom, Grandpa, and Grandma. I’ll go with Eldest Brother. We’ll definitely bring Second Brother and the others back safely.”
Mr. Tao wanted to say something but was stopped by Tao Zhi. “Dad, with your physical condition, even if you go to the desert, you might not be able to adapt to the environment. If something happens to you, will the rescue team save you first or look for Second Brother first?”
Mr. Tao hesitated for a moment before relenting. “Alright, you and your sister will go together, but remember, you must ensure your own safety no matter what. Your mother and I can’t lose any of you.”
Tan Rou and her brother nodded and promised him that they would return safely. Tao Zhi handed the company’s affairs to Mr. Tao to handle. The reason he gave was that he was going overseas on a business trip. Tan Rou took a leave of absence from school, saying that something had happened at home.
In view of Tan Rou’s excellent results of passing all her final exams with full marks, publishing more than a dozen theses, and applying for four to five patents, the university was very tolerant of Tan Rou’s frequent leave of absence. As long as Tan Rou came back last to take the final exams, there were no other requirements.
After Zhuang Liu learned that Tao Zheng had gone missing in the desert, he wanted to go with Tan Rou. Tan Rou did not agree and asked him to stay in the capital to deal with work.
“Xiao Rou, you know that if I don’t go this time, I won’t be able to work in peace. Let me go with you, “Zhuang Liu said earnestly.
Zhuang Liu had already prepared for the worst. If something really happened to Tao Zheng, he would be the first to comfort Tan Rou.
Tan Rou couldn’t persuade him, so she agreed to let him go with her. Fortunately, there were no more troublemakers in the Zhuang family now. There was only Zhuang Xi, but Zhuang Xi worked very hard in the branch company and did not come into contact with the headquarters at all.
Due to the urgency of the situation, Tan Rou and the others took a private plane to the airport. The two private planes took off at the same time. Not only were Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu on the plane, but the rescue team from the Capital City was also on the plane.
Tan Rou was afraid that there weren’t enough people, so she used her connections to get the old men in the Capital to gather more experts who often explored the desert to join them.
Lu Qing also came to meet them. His girlfriend had gone missing, so he couldn’t just wait in the capital.
Time was of the essence, but when they arrived, it was already 10 o’clock in the evening. However, they only took a short rest. At dawn, everyone packed their bags and set off for the desert.
Tan Rou and the others first arrived at the main filming base. There was no one living there now. After the accident, the police had sealed off the place and transferred the remaining actors and crew to the nearest hotel.
“The sandstorm here is too strong,” the police said to Tan Rou and the rest in a thick dialect. “If you want to enter the desert, you have to be prepared.”
Then, he pointed at the two middle-aged men and said, “These are the guides in the desert. You must follow them when you enter. Don’t let anything happen.”
Actually, the police shouldn’t have let Tan Rou and the others enter the desert now. However, Tan Rou and the others insisted on entering the desert. No matter how they tried to persuade them, it was useless.
The police here were not very strict. Seeing that Tan Rou and the others were determined to die, they did not persuade them anymore and let them in. Tan Rou and the others had given the two guides a lot of money. Otherwise, they might not have gone to their desert. After all, the desert was too dangerous now.
Zhuang Liu tied the rope on his body to Tan Rou. If they encountered a sandstorm, this rope could also prevent them from separating.
They were connected together in pairs and finally strung all the ropes together with a long rope. This way, even if they encountered a sandstorm, they would not be blown away separately.
Everyone was carrying compressed biscuits and water. These things were enough for them to search the desert for five days. Hopefully, they could find them within five days.
If they couldn’t find him in five days, then the hope of Tao Zheng and the others surviving were very slim.
Looking at the vast desert, Tan Rou could only pray silently that nothing would happen to her. Since the heavens gave her a chance to live again, they would bless her family and friends to be safe.
Chapter 1059:1059 Tracking
It was already November. The desert was not hot, but the temperature difference between day and night was very large. The temperature was acceptable during the day, but it was very cold at night, the kind that could freeze humans to death.
Tan Ron and the others tried their best to search for them during the day. At night, their field of vision was limited, and they were likely to encounter wild mammals in the desert, poisonous snakes, and insects. If they encountered them, Tan Rou and the others would be in trouble.
Tan Rou held a tablet in her hand. There should be no signal in the desert, but Tan Ron’s tablet could still be used in the desert.
It wasn’t the tablet that was special, but the device in Tan Rou’s backpack that was special. It was a mobile satellite signal receiver. When they were trapped on the island previously, she had wanted to make a mobile satellite signal receiver like this. This way, she wouldn’t have to worry about accidents when her phone suddenly lost signal if she got lost in the wilderness.
After the mobile satellite signal receiver was completed, Tan Rou only tested it briefly and did not put it into full use. If it wasn’t for Liang Lu and Tao Zheng’s accident, Tan Rou would have forgotten that she had come up with such a device.
“Is this the signal receiver you’re researching?” It was Zhuang Liu’s first time seeing this thing. Tan Rou had taken photos and videos of it for him when it was done, but they didn’t use it at that time, so neither of them cared.
“Yes.” Tan Rou stuffed the tablet into Zhuang Liu’s arms. “Help me monitor the movement of the sandstorm. I’ll operate the drone to take aerial photos.”
Now is the era of the internet. They didn’t have to walk every inch of the desert just to look for the others. They could find someone through the internet and satellites. Moreover, Liang Lu and the others were not alone. They were a group of people with a bunch of props. As long as they appeared in the desert, they would definitely leave traces.
Tan Rou only needed to judge the direction of the sandstorm based on the satellite images and use the drone to take aerial photos. She would definitely be able to find them.
Not only did Tan Rou bring a drone, but Lu Qing also brought one. However, Lu Qing’s drone was a ready made one while Tan Rou built hers on her own.
As a big shot in the field of science and technology, Tan Rou rarely bought ready-made products. She preferred to design them herself, then took them to his factory to produce, and finally assembled them.
Her drone’s endurance was very strong, and the shooting angle was very flexible. The important thing was that it could cope with more natural disasters, even if it encountered sandstorms.
In contrast, Lu Qing’s drone was not very effective. The drone flew out for less than half an hour, but because it encountered a strong wind, it was blown to the side and finally fell somewhere.
Lu Qing was not in the mood to look for it. He could only rely on Tan Rou’s drone now.
Tan Rou operated the drone to search the desert, not letting go of any place where there might be people. Looking at the screen for too long outdoors would hurt her eyes, so they took turns in order to rest their eyes.
They walked from day to night, but they did not find any traces of people in the desert. After the sandstorm, all traces would be covered by the sand. It would be a little difficult to find Liang Lu and the others.
It was dark, and the rescue team did not dare to move. They could still deal with the sandstorm during the day, but if they encountered a sandstorm at night, they would not even be able to identify the direction, let alone deal with it in advance.
Tan Rou also knew how dangerous the desert was, so she found a safer place to rest. Everyone gathered together to rest and waited until the next morning to set off.
The drone didn’t need to be charged, but the tablet needed to be charged. There was no electricity in the desert. If one wanted to get electricity, they could only use solar batteries to convert solar energy into electricity. When they went out this time, Tan Rou also brought her high-efficiency solar energy conversion panel to convert solar energy into electricity.
This device was carried by Tao Zhi. As it was relatively heavy, Tao Zhi only carried this one thing. The next day, another person would have to carry it. If only one person carried it, his body would not be able to take it.
No one asked if they could find Liang Lu and the others. Since Tan Rou and the others were already here, they had to do their best to find them. They had to bring them back safely if they were alive, and they had to find their bodies if they were dead.
Chapter 1060:1060 Sandstorm
After walking for a whole day, everyone was very tired. They didn’t arrange for anyone to keep watch at night. They directly lay in their sleeping bags to rest and then lit a large bonfire to protect them from the cold and to prevent wild wolves from approaching.
Before going to bed, Tan Ron turned on her satellite surveillance system. Once an extreme weather disaster was detected, the surveillance system would alert the police. This monitoring was mainly for sandstorms. Sandstorms were too dangerous. If they did not deal with them in advance, they could easily lose their lives in the sandstorm.
Tan Rou was very sleepy. She and Zhuang Liu squeezed into the same sleeping bag. Sleeping together could keep them warm and safe. After all, the bonfire was only so big. If everyone wanted to be close to the bonfire, there was not enough space.
In the middle of the night, Tan Rou suddenly heard a series of rapid beeping sounds. She suddenly woke up from her sleep. She ignored the dew on her face and sat up to check her surveillance system.
“Everyone, get up! The sandstorm is coming!” Tan Rou shouted.
The rest of them heard the alarm system. They quickly packed up their sleeping bags, carried water and compressed biscuits on their backs, tied the ropes on their bodies, and listened to the guide’s instructions.
The guide quickly determined the direction of their escape based on the satellite cloud image on Tan Ron’s tablet. The sandstorm moved very fast. They had to find another safe place before the sandstorm arrived. It would be best if it was a cave or something.
Tan Rou was a little regretful. She should have developed a device that could scan the ground. That way, as long as she put the device on the drone, she could scan the underground situation.
“There should be a stone city two kilometers west. Let’s go there and hide.” said the guide.
It was not easy to tell the direction at night, so they set the drone to fly west. Then, they made the drone fly very low and turned on the red light on the drone. The group followed the red light and headed west.
When the guide saw the drone, he couldn’t help but sigh at the power of technology. If they were to judge, they would have to judge by the stars.
Tan Rou and the others arrived at stone city. This was not a city. Instead, many tall stones formed a stone beach. It looked like a city.
The range of the sandstorm was large. If they walked in the other three directions, they would soon be caught up by the sandstorm. Therefore, they could only walk west. The sandstorm blew from east to west. As long as they could find a tall stone in the stone city to protect themselves, they would be able to escape this sandstorm.
“Hurry up, we’re almost there!” the guide shouted.
Tan Rou and the others sped up and found a suitable hiding spot before the sandstorm. Then, they quietly waited for the sandstorm to arrive. Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu hid in a relatively low-lying place. They wrapped the rope around a protruding rock and hugged each other tightly.
“Are you scared?” Zhuang Liu asked as he hugged Tan Rou in his arms.
Tan Rou replied, “I’m not afraid. In fact, I feel very excited. Let’s just treat it as a trip.”
“We haven’t traveled together for a long time,” Zhuang Liu said.
Tan Rou planned to say, “Let’s go to Antarctica to see penguins this year. From now on, we’ll go overseas every six months and travel in the country every month. No matter how busy we are, we have to find time to travel, okay?”
Zhuang Liu kissed Tan Rou’s forehead and replied, “I’ll listen to you.”
The sandstorm finally arrived, but it did not completely enter stone city. When it approached stone city, due to the influence of the gravitational force, it deviated to the outer edge of stone city, so it did not cause too much of an impact on the interior.
Tan Rou and the others heaved a sigh of relief. This sandstorm was currently the largest sandstorm on the satellite cloud map. As long as they avoided this one, they would be fine.
The sky was about to brighten, and no one was in the mood to find another place to rest, so they slowly fell asleep in their hiding places.
“Rest in my arms for a while.” Zhuang Liu stretched out his arm and pulled Tan Rou over.
Tan Rou closed her eyes. When she was in the laboratory, she had always wanted such a warm embrace, but she had never met one. And now, she had finally found the embrace that belonged to her.