Ch. 1191..1200
Chapter 1191: In 1190, [they] went to the Capital.
Liang Lu was truly out of luck; she had no idea that her grandfather had fallen ill, and furthermore, she hadn’t been in contact with her grandparents for almost fifteen years. She didn’t even know what they looked like, let alone the matter of borrowing money.
“Tan Rou, you know my situation very well.” Liang Lu said, “My biological parents died a long time ago, and there’s hardly any contact with my adoptive parents. And as for my grandparents, it’s been over a decade since we last met; they’ve never asked to borrow money from me.”
Tan Rou did believe Liang Lu; Liang Lu didn’t have many friends in the Capital, and if Liang Lu’s grandfather really had come to borrow money, Liang Lu would definitely have told them. Moreover, Tan Rou was a doctor; if Liang Lu wanted to treat her grandfather, she would certainly consult with Tan Rou.
“Don’t panic. This morning, when I saw the news, I thought of calling you, but nobody answered your phone. Then I called Lu Qing, he’s currently in your hometown and can arrange for someone to look into it,” Tan Rou tried to calm Liang Lu down, insisting she shouldn’t lose her composure.
Liang Lu calmed down and then said, “Tan Rou, I want to get in touch with my grandparents, to ask them why they would tell lies.”
Tan Rou suggested, “Liang Lu, I think it’s best not to meet with your grandparents. Judging from the video they posted, what they’re after is money. You could give them money this time, but what about in the future? Are you supposed to pay them off every time to keep them quiet?”
Liang Lu remembered the events of her childhood. At that time, her parents had just passed away, and all her relatives were unwilling to take her in, including her grandparents, who were very disdainful of her. Later, using the excuse that they were too old and that their household was in poor condition, her grandparents sent Liang Lu to an orphanage.
Liang Lu was angry, so she never went back and didn’t want to have anything to do with them.
Tan Rou was right; Liang Lu could give them money this time, but what about the next? What if they came up with an excuse that Liang Lu’s grandmother was sick and asked Liang Lu for money again?
Liang Lu was not short of money, but her money didn’t just come from thin air. Why should she have to give it to them?
“Fine, I won’t give them a penny. If they come to trouble me, I’ll take them to court and tell the whole story of how they sent me to the orphanage,” Liang Lu said firmly.
“I know many lawyers; I’ll get in touch with one for you right away,” Tan Rou said while making a call and typing quickly, “Just hold on a moment, I’ll send you the lawyer’s contact information.”
Meanwhile, Lu Qing had arrived in Liang Lu’s old village, which was indeed very dilapidated, with cracks all over the walls and exposed electrical wires, presenting a real danger.
It was hard to imagine that people still lived here. Yet even in such a run-down place, many people resided, seemingly oblivious to the many dangers.
The village children curiously looked at Lu Qing, asking where he was from.
Lu Qing inquired, “Kids, do you know where Liang Teng and Guo Xia live?”
The children were very innocent, and when they heard Lu Qing asking for directions, they enthusiastically led the way, “Just at the eastern end of the village, I’ll take you there.”
Following the children, Lu Qing arrived at the home of Liang Lu’s grandparents, but the door was locked. It was unclear whether they were out or had simply locked themselves inside.
He knocked several times, and nobody opened the door. He called out a few times, but there was still no response from inside.
“Who are you looking for?” A middle-aged woman with a basin in hand came out, “Looking for Old Liang’s family?”
Lu Qing offered a friendly smile, “Big sister, may I ask if you know where their family has gone?”
The middle-aged woman sized Lu Qing up and perhaps finding him handsome, told him, “Oh, their family went to the Capital. I heard from my daughter that their little granddaughter has become successful. She’s now a big director and opened a big company, then made a lot of money and took her grandparents to live with her in the city.”
After finishing, envy beamed from the woman’s face, “If my daughter were even half as successful as that little girl.”
Lu Qing asked again, “When did they leave?”
After thinking for a moment, the woman answered, “Four mornings ago, a black sedan took them away. The whole village saw it.”
Chapter 1192: 1191 is working hard at life
The video was released just yesterday, even only last night, but Liang Lu’s grandparents left four days ago. No matter how one thinks about it, it feels like someone is causing trouble.
Lu Qing isn’t in the Capital right now, nor can he rush back in time, and since his main base isn’t in the Capital, he can only entrust the matter to others to handle.
Upon receiving the news, Tan Rou started to investigate who was causing trouble behind the scenes.
Liang Lu was also anxious. She paced around Tan Rou’s office, sitting down one moment, standing up the next, restless as if on hot coals, endlessly circling inside the office.
Tan Rou was searching online for news, trying to find out who had first posted the video. Seeing Liang Lu pacing in the office, she said, “Liang Lu, aren’t you tired? Sit down and rest for a while.”
Liang Lu walked to her, face full of urgency, and said, “Tan Rou, it’s not that I want to pace, but my legs just won’t stop! You know how much effort I’ve really put into this movie, and you all invested so much money in it. If this matter affects it, then what about the money you invested?”
Her movie had been released for less than a week and was currently at the peak time for increasing box office sales. If her grandparents’ issue had an impact, the subsequent box office was uncertain.
It was Liang Lu’s first movie on the big screen, and she couldn’t let the money Tan Rou and the others invested go to waste.
“Liang Lu, to us, this amount of money really isn’t much,” Tan Rou comforted her, saying, “My company can earn back the money invested in your movie in a month, so you don’t need to worry about these things.”
Liang Lu was still very anxious, “No, this time I must earn more money. My career has just started, I can’t falter here.”
Tan Rou wanted to tell her everyone faces setbacks in the beginning of starting a business and urged her not to get too worked up, but seeing how anxious Liang Lu was, she held back.
“Hmm, you’re thinking correctly,” Tan Rou said while clicking the mouse, “So who do you think is creating trouble for you this time?”
Liang Lu shook her head, “I don’t know. At first, I thought my grandparents were trying to get money from me, but since they haven’t contacted me up to now, I’m uncertain.”
Tan Rou analyzed, “Lu Qing said that your grandparents arrived four days ago and were brought here by someone else, so there must be someone behind this helping them.”
Liang Lu, frustrated, pulled at her hair, “Who on earth is causing me trouble? If I find out who did it, I’ll go to their house tonight and beat them up!”
Tan Rou was reminded of the bullying days back in high school. Despite Liang Lu’s current gentle demeanor, back then she used to be the campus bully! There were few who weren’t afraid of her.
“Don’t get worked up, you’re a public figure now, and you need to be mindful of your image otherwise you’ll encounter a lot of trouble,” Tan Rou reminded her.
Liang Lu suddenly felt powerless, “Does being a public figure mean I have to suffer such unfair treatment? I’ve tried so hard to live my life, to create a wonderful future, why are there still people trying to ruin it for me?”
Tan Rou felt sorry for Liang Lu. Since she was very young, after Liang Lu’s parents passed away, they didn’t leave her any good things, only ridicule from others.
She struggled to live, using her fists to conquer those who mocked her, but it was useless; the people who were supposed to laugh would still laugh, and Liang Lu couldn’t fight everyone.
Later on, Liang Lu decided to change. Through her tremendous efforts, she finally got into university and, with the help of friends, completed her studies and obtained a nice degree.
Her future seemed bright; everything was moving in the right direction.
Regretfully, someone ruined that life.
“Liang Lu…” Tan Rou grabbed a tissue for her, “Wipe your tears, don’t ruin your image. In my heart, you’ve always been a very strong girl.”
Liang Lu wiped her tears, but she felt aggrieved inside, “Tan Rou, I really tried hard to live my life. To reach where I am today, I’ve given a lot, but why do they still want to harm me? For fifteen years, they never looked for me, and now that I have money, they want to come to me, what kind of grandparents are these?”
Chapter 1193: 1192 The Unfilial Granddaughter
Tan Rou had no such grandparents; she couldn’t relate to Liang Lu’s emotions, but from an observer’s perspective, Tan Rou was extremely repelled by the actions of Liang Lu’s grandparents.
First, after Liang Lu’s parents died, her grandparents clearly could have taken care of her, but they refused, instead sending Liang Lu to an orphanage. Furthermore, fifteen years had passed, they had never looked after Liang Lu, nor had they sent her a penny; yet now that Liang Lu had grown up and made money, they came looking for her, which was simply excessive.
Tan Rou put down her cell phone and walked over to the table to comfort Liang Lu, “If you want to cry, cry. This is my office, no one will come here.”
At first, Liang Lu shed just a few tears, but upon hearing Tan Rou say it was okay to cry, all the grievances in her heart surged up, and tears streamed down, unstoppable.
“Tan Rou, I really don’t want to deal with them, nor do I want to give them any money. I’ve invested all my money in the company,” Liang Lu sobbed, “and even borrowed so much from you and Lu Qing. Where would I find the money to give them?” she lamented. “If they come asking me for money, I surely won’t be able to come up with so much.”
The newly established film company was Liang Lu’s, and it was a time when funds were desperately needed. If Liang Lu’s grandparents came asking her for money now, it would push her to a dead end.
The Lu family indeed could offer help to Liang Lu, but old master Lu was still alive. If he knew Liang Lu had such relatives, he might object to Lu Qing being with her.
Lu Qing loved Liang Lu very much, but the person he held dearest in this world was only old master Lu. If a conflict arose between old master Lu and Liang Lu, it would put him in a very difficult position.
“Don’t worry, we will all help you,” Tan Rou said. “I asked Hang Wei and his team to track down the source of the information. Just a moment ago, Hang Wei messaged me saying they’ve found who uploaded the video. The IP address is in the Capital; Zhuang Liu sent Xiao Mo and his team there, so we should have results soon.”
Liang Lu cried even harder and hugged Tan Rou tightly. “Tan Rou, if it weren’t for you all, my life would be ruined.”
“Don’t be sad, we’re all helping you,” Tan Rou said, patting her back gently.
Xiao Mo found the person who uploaded the video, but he knew nothing. He only mentioned that someone gave him money to post the video. That person was very clever; they handed the uploader a USB drive and then some cash to post the video on the spot, and after that, the person left.
This led to a dead end.
However, just a few hours later, another video was released. Thanks to the groundwork laid by the previous one, this video quickly gained significant attention as soon as it was released, drawing many netizens’ interest.
In the video, the elderly couple had white hair and a sallow complexion, looking as if they had not eaten for a long time. One was sitting in a chair, the other lying on a hospital bed, apparently in a hospital.
The old man’s eyes were squinting; his mouth opening and closing, struggling to say something, but unable to speak.
The old woman wiped her tears with a handkerchief and then cried, “My granddaughter Liang Lu is too heartless. After her parents passed away, she refused to contact us because she went to a wealthy family to be their daughter, worrying that we would be a drag on her.”
As she spoke, she cried louder. When she managed to stop the tears, she continued, “This unfilial granddaughter—her grandfather is so severely ill, I asked her for money, and she not only refused to lend us any but also said we were poor relatives, that she didn’t have poor relatives like us!”
The person filming asked them, “So, what do you two plan to do now?”
The old woman looked into the camera, her eyes red as though she had cried for a long time, “Our son died early, and the granddaughter is unfilial; we, the old couple, are out of options, we can only wait for death.”
Liang Lu saw the second video as soon as it was uploaded. When she heard the old woman accusing her of being unfilial, she felt a suffocating tightness in her chest, as if she were about to choke.
Seeing Liang Lu’s face turn red, Tan Rou immediately tried to ease her breathing and said with some regret, “I shouldn’t have let you watch this video.”
Liang Lu took a breath and said, “It’s okay, I’m much better now.”
Looking into her eyes, Tan Rou knew Liang Lu’s heart was anything but calm.
No wonder Liang Lu was unsettled; after all, the elderly couple were shameless.
Chapter 1194: 1193 in the hospital
Indeed, the second video caused a greater impact online than the first, almost as if people knew it was going to be released, as several lengthy comments popped up within three minutes of its posting.
Tan Rou calculated quickly; three minutes weren’t even enough to watch the whole video, yet not only was the video posted, but comments were also prepared. It seemed impossible.
She followed those individuals with an alternate account and then approached each of them to seek some clues.
However, these were also newly registered alternate accounts, seemingly created solely for commenting, making it hard to find any useful information.
Tan Rou didn’t waste more time on these accounts; she opened the video again, hoping to gather some information from it.
While watching, she noticed some writing on a bedsheet in the video; she paused it, then increased the video’s resolution and eventually discerned a private hospital’s logo and even the name of the hospital.
Now that she had found the hospital’s name, it would be easy to locate them, although it was uncertain if they were still there. Nevertheless, Tan Rou and Liang Lu felt it worth checking for themselves, to ask them what they intended to do, whether they indeed sought money from Liang Lu.
Tan Rou drove Liang Lu to a private hospital, known for its confidentiality; many wealthy individuals and celebrities preferred to be treated here, especially for conditions they wished to keep private.
Zhuang Liu was familiar with private hospitals in Capital; he had been treated in this very hospital for a leg injury in his early years. The hospital’s director had a good relationship with his father. After his father fell into a coma, the director had invited them for treatment, and Zhuang Liu had brought his father here, although it was unfortunate that Zhuang Liu hadn’t been able to awaken.
The director always felt regret for not being able to help the Zhuang family father and son adequately; as soon as Zhuang Liu mentioned it, he agreed to let them come search for someone, and he even personally received them.
“Are you Miss Tan Rou and Miss Liang Lu?” asked the middle-aged man wearing glasses warmly, “I already know about your purpose here. I have already had someone check, and the results should be out soon, so please wait here for a moment.”
Tan Rou and Liang Lu had no objections; now that they were here, if Liang Guo and Guo Xia were still here, they would definitely be found. If not, they could still get some leads from their admission records to find out where they were now or who had admitted them.
Soon after, a young doctor came in, nodded to the director, and said, “I found three people named Liang Guo, one of whom is the right age you are looking for. However, his condition isn’t severe, just a bit of high blood pressure.”
Liang Lu asked, “Do you have a photo? If there’s a photo, I can recognize them.”
The young doctor walked over to the director’s computer, fiddled with it a bit, and pulled up Liang Guo’s admission photo, “Is this the person?”
Liang Lu immediately recognized Liang Guo; although he had aged, the scar on his right eyebrow made him easily identifiable, “It’s him!”
The young doctor looked at the information below and then said, “He’s currently in the inpatient section. If you want to find him, I can take you there.”
Liang Lu was eager to see Liang Guo, “Please take us to him, it’s really important that I talk to him.”
The young doctor’s face was expressionless as she simply said, “Yes, follow me.”
Tan Rou and Liang Lu followed her, but as they reached the door, the doctor suddenly stopped.
Liang Lu asked, “Is there something else?”
The doctor turned to the director and said, “Dad, mom asked you to come home for dinner tonight.”
The director nodded, “Okay, I know.” He then emphasized, “Do not call me dad at the hospital; here, I am the director, not dad.”
The doctor nonchalantly replied, “Oh, dad.”
The director glared at her but ultimately said nothing.
Seeing this interaction between the father and daughter, Liang Lu’s heart grew heavier; she had also been very close to her father as a child, but those times could never return.
Chapter 1195: 1194 really wants money
The female doctor moved very quickly, and despite her seemingly indifferent and lethargic demeanor, she was anything but sloppy in her actions. Once they left the director’s office, her legs moved as if they had rocket propellers, walking very fast. Tan Rou and Liang Lu had to quicken their pace considerably to keep up with her.
Upon reaching the inpatient department, the female doctor didn’t waste words with the duty nurse and directly started working on the computer. The nurse beside her watched with a nonchalant expression, apparently used to such behavior.
After figuring out which ward Liang Guo was in, the female doctor hurriedly led Tan Rou and the others to the ward without saying a word. This indeed saved them a lot of time, and they quickly arrived at Liang Guo’s ward.
“This is a single room, costing around a thousand per day, and they’ve already been here for two days,” the female doctor said. “The person who handled their hospitalization has already prepaid for a week’s stay.”
Tan Rou asked, “Can we find out who paid the hospital bills for them?”
The female doctor answered, “No, the person is quite cautious. He didn’t use a bank transfer to pay the hospital bills but paid in cash instead.”
Again with the cash payments, this was the third time someone had paid in cash — the first two instances involved the person sending the videos receiving cash, and now cash was used for the hospital fees. It seemed the person behind the scenes was really cunning, not wanting to leave any trace.
Having arrived outside the ward, Liang Lu didn’t want to wait any longer and said, “Let’s go in now.”
The female doctor stopped her, “You need to wait a moment before going in.”
Liang Lu asked, puzzled, “Why?”
The female doctor, pointing at a sign on the door, said, “To prevent single-room patients from being disturbed by visitors, we have installed this device on each single-room ward door. If they’re willing to see visitors at this time, the light here would be green; if not, it would be red.”
But at this moment, the light was yellow.
Tan Rou then asked, “Does the yellow light mean there are people inside?”
The female doctor nodded. “Yes, so you need to wait a moment. When the visitor leaves, then you can go inside. It’s hospital policy, and even if you are friends of my father, we can’t break the rule.”
Liang Lu said, “I really have very important things to ask them, I can’t wait any longer.”
However, the female doctor still disagreed, and she stood in front of the door, “You can’t go in now.”
Liang Lu wanted to force her way in, but was stopped by Tan Rou, “Just wait a bit, someone is inside, which means they haven’t left yet. As long as they are still there, it’s fine.”
Liang Lu calmed down a bit, “You’re right, I need to calm down and control my temper.”
After a while, the person inside finally came out, holding a camera — apparently a reporter.
“You two rest well, I will be leaving now,” said the reporter, who didn’t notice Tan Rou and the others. He turned back inside and added, “Don’t worry, I will surely send this out, and soon your two unfilial granddaughters will give you the money.”
Listening to this, Liang Lu almost felt like beating up the reporter. What did he mean by unfilial granddaughters — what terrible thing had she ever done?
Tan Rou, standing behind her, said, “Let’s not get agitated; let’s leave this matter with Zhuang Liu. His people are already at the door.”
Clenching her fist, Liang Lu managed to restrain herself, “Okay, let’s first go inside and settle this with those two people!”
Tan Rou had just learned about the two elderly persons’ intention from the reporter’s words; they wanted to ask Liang Lu for money. Tan Rou felt that those elderly people were unlikely to have contacted the reporter themselves, meaning someone must be helping them from behind the scenes. Tan Rou and Liang Lu needed to find that person soon, as the more they delayed, the more detrimental it would be for Liang Lu.
While Tan Rou was sending photos of the reporter to Zhuang Liu, Liang Lu had already run inside the ward, shouting as she entered, “Why are you doing this to me? In what way have I wronged you?”
Tan Rou instinctively looked around at the people nearby and at the reporter who had walked away. It seemed that the people around weren’t paying attention to the situation, and the reporter had already left.
She breathed a sigh of relief and then also walked inside the ward.
Chapter 1196: Leaving Liang Lu at 1195
The elder lying on the hospital bed didn’t look as weak as she appeared in the video; in fact, she looked quite lively. She held a freshly peeled apple in her hand and there were several peeled walnuts on the blanket, which she was about to eat.
When Liang Lu entered, there was a moment of surprise, but then he quickly returned to normal and even politely offered Liang Lu some walnuts. “Liang Lu is here, have a seat. Your grandma just peeled some walnuts, would you like to try some?”
All Liang Lu wanted to do was pick up the walnuts and smash them on their heads; she really was not in the mood to eat walnuts. “Why would you spread such rumors online? When have you ever asked me for money? I have no idea about that! Moreover, the doctor already mentioned that the old man just has some hypertension, it is not a serious illness at all, and he doesn’t need to be hospitalized!”
Guo Xia was very displeased and said, “Liang Lu, how can you speak like that? We are your grandparents, your elders. Now that your grandfather is ill, not only do you not contribute money for his treatment, but you also say his illness is not serious. You really are heartless.”
Liang Lu scoffed, “Who is heartless, you or me? When my parents died, how did you treat me? Have you forgotten?”
Guo Xia, not the least bit ashamed, said naturally, “Liang Lu, it was already tough raising your father. When your dad died, he didn’t leave us a cent. How could we have had the money to take care of you?”
“My dad really didn’t leave you any money?” Liang Lu retorted, “Then where did the money come from for you to build my uncle’s house?”
Guo Xia’s face darkened, but she still insisted that Liang Lu’s father had left them no money.
“The money wasn’t earned by your beloved son, it was dirty money obtained by selling my mom’s body. Don’t you feel guilty using it?” Liang Lu said bitterly.
Her father’s actions had completely extinguished any respect she had for him, and if Liang Lu’s father were still alive, she wouldn’t acknowledge him either.
When her mother was mentioned, Guo Xia began to get angry. “Your mom was a disaster. If it wasn’t for her, your father wouldn’t have ended up like that. It’s her fault for not keeping her man in check,” she said. “She deserved her fate!”
“Your son is worthless, can’t resist the lure of gambling, and resorts to selling his wife to pay off debts. You’re not ashamed of that, yet you have the audacity to blame his wife? Have you no shame?” Tan Rou couldn’t listen anymore. Liang Lu’s mother had suffered enough, and she couldn’t bear hearing more insults toward this tragic but resilient woman.
“Who asked for your opinion?” Guo Xia glanced at Tan Rou and said, “I am talking to my granddaughter. Don’t interrupt.”
“I may be just a bystander, but that doesn’t change my thinking that what you’re saying is nonsense,” Tan Rou laughed. “With parents like you, it’s no wonder your son turned out so poorly. Thankfully, our Liang Lu is nothing like your son, or she might bang her head against a wall in frustration.”
Guo Xia, fiercely protective of her family, would not allow anyone to speak ill of her child. “Who are you calling a failure? I think your son will be the downfall of your family, blowing through all your money eventually!”
“No worries,” Tan Rou said calmly, “my husband is the richest man in the Capital, and I myself have assets worth hundreds of billions. If my children want to squander it, well, let them have their fun.”
Guo Xia’s eyes widened, and after a long pause, she retorted skeptically, “Just boasting, how old are you? How could you possibly have that much money?”
Liang Lu chimed in, “Her family really does have that much money, and by the way, her parents are also very wealthy.”
Jumping up from the bed, Liang Guo warmly greeted Tan Rou, “Young lady, you’re Liang Lu’s friend, right? Our Liang Lu is lucky to have your care. Make sure you get along well, and definitely do not fight.”
Tan Rou gave a smile and deliberately said, “Sure, I am indeed good friends with Liang Lu. But I was offended by what you just said. I don’t want to see you, so from now on, you should keep your distance from Liang Lu, or I won’t help her establish herself in the Capital. Do you think my request is reasonable?”
“This…” The elderly couple hesitated.
Chapter 1197: 1196 just want money
Tan Rou knew very well the intentions of these two people. They simply saw that Liang Lu was doing well and wanted her to support them. But they hadn’t bothered with Liang Lu for fifteen years, so why come to find her now?
When Liang Lu heard what Tan Rou said, she almost wanted to laugh. True to form, Tan Rou really knew how to speak.
Liang Guo and Guo Xia were hesitant. They hadn’t been doing well over these years. All the old people in the village had been taken to the city by their children, yet their own children had stopped caring for them. When they asked their children for money, the kids would make excuses not to give any, so they relied on the few hundred yuan the government gave them each month to live.
It was the village chief’s wife who had told them about Liang Lu’s affairs. She enjoyed watching TV dramas and had noticed Liang Lu early on because Liang Lu looked a lot like her mother, and since the village chief’s wife had been childhood friends with Liang Lu’s mother, she could recognize the grown-up Liang Lu.
Although the village chief’s wife hadn’t been able to attend the movie premiere, she had watched the interviews, heard the stories Liang Lu told, and immediately recognized that Liang Lu was indeed the granddaughter of the old Liang family in the village.
She had been very angry at the death of Liang Lu’s mother, so over the years, she had taken every opportunity to cause trouble for the Liang family. Seeing that Liang Lu had become successful felt ironic to her, a child the Liang family had discarded not only looked gorgeous but had also become a top director. So, she decided she must taunt Liang Guo and Guo Xia and ask them if they regretted kicking Liang Lu out.
However, the provocation by the village chief’s wife caused big trouble. Once Liang Guo and Guo Xia learned that Liang Lu had become a top director, they called their younger son to confirm if it was true. After watching the interview video and recognizing Liang Lu, the younger son informed his other siblings.
He also told his family that Liang Lu had already built her own life, so they should not disturb her. He said that if his older brother hadn’t died back then, and if their family hadn’t been completely unable to support a child, he would definitely have taken Liang Lu in.
He was considering what was best for Liang Lu, but not everyone felt the same way. When Liang Lu’s other uncles and aunts saw she had money, they immediately wanted to find her. However, they couldn’t locate her, so they resorted to posting a missing persons ad online like others did. Eventually, someone contacted them, offering to help in their search. Before the uncles could act, the two elderly had stealthily come themselves.
They wanted to ask Liang Lu for money and to have her bring them to live in the big city, because if they left without achieving this, wouldn’t their trip have been for nothing?
“So, have you thought it through?” Tan Rou sat on a chair beside her, one leg crossed over the other, exuding a haughty demeanor, “All the money in Liang Lu’s company is my investment, and I can do whatever I want with it. If I withdraw my money now, her company would crumble. Think it through, I need to hear your exact response.”
Liang Guo and Guo Xia’s faces were wrinkled with indecision. They huddled together to discuss quietly, glancing cautiously at Tan Rou who glared at them, scaring them into turning their heads away again.
Liang Lu calmed down, stood beside Tan Rou, and leaned over, “Tan Rou, thank you.”
Tan Rou smiled lightly, “There’s no need for formalities between us.”
Meanwhile, Liang Guo and Guo Xia had reached a decision, and Guo Xia said earnestly, “Now that Liang Lu’s grandfather is sick, and our home situation is not good, so we want to first take some money back for his treatment, then fix up our house. Liang Lu can just work hard in the big city, and we’ll come to see her often in the future.”
If it had been the Liang Lu of the past, she would have kicked these shameless people out, but she was much more tempered now and, being a public figure, couldn’t afford such actions.
“Oh, so you want money?” Tan Rou stroked the ring on her finger, smiling as she asked, “How much are you thinking of?”
Seeing her smile, Guo Xia thought Tan Rou agreed to their demands and boldly asked for money, “Treatment will cost at least 200,000, fixing the house will cost another 200,000, and we still need money to live, so let’s say 100,000, totaling 500,000.”
Chapter 1198: 1197 daydreaming in broad daylight
“Hehehe.” Tan Rou laughed, unable to close her mouth, “Oh, granny, you’re not bad at math, you even know addition and subtraction.”
Guo Xia didn’t pick up on the mockery in Tan Rou’s tone, thinking Tan Rou was praising her for having gone to school, “Ah, I only went to school for a few years and forgot a lot of it. You praising me like this, I’m a little embarrassed.”
Liang Lu rolled her eyes and said nothing.
Tan Rou continued, “500,000 isn’t a big sum for Liang Lu. The investment for one movie she acts in starts at tens of millions, so she can easily come up with 500,000.”
After hearing this, Guo Xia started to feel a tad regretful; she wished she hadn’t only asked for 500,000, “It turns out our Liang Lu is so impressive! Well, Liang Lu, I think our house in the village doesn’t necessarily need renovating. Your grandpa and I are getting on in years, and it’s not very convenient living there. Every time we need to buy something, we have to ask someone else to do it, so I was thinking of getting a place in the city. It would be more convenient for us to live there.”
Liang Lu continued to stay silent, with Tan Rou speaking on her behalf.
Tan Rou feigned deep thought, “Granny, even though you’d move to the city, it would still be inconvenient with just the two of you there. If there were someone to take care of you, that would be great, wouldn’t it?”
Guo Xia hadn’t considered this, she had just wanted a house. Hearing Tan Rou put it this way, she hurriedly agreed, “Right, right, right, what Liang Lu’s friend is saying makes sense. The two of us living there alone isn’t so good, we need to hire someone to take care of us. Hiring a maid there is definitely cheaper than here, it would only cost a few thousand yuan a month to get a good one.”
Tan Rou said with a smile, “Plus, you’re getting older and surely you’d want your children nearby. It would be nice if Liang Lu’s uncles and aunt could live close to you.”
Guo Xia thought the young girl in front of her was an angel; she had helped her consider things she hadn’t thought of and also given her solutions to her problems, “Yes, Liang Lu, why don’t you buy a couple of houses for your uncles? Not many, just two would do, one for your second uncle and another for your youngest uncle.”
Liang Lu sneered, “You’ve really thought all this through, haven’t you?”
Tan Rou said, “With a mother like you who looks out for her children in every way, being your child must be such a blessing!”
Guo Xia was extremely proud, “Yes, my children are all very good. Every one of them has been to school. Liang Lu’s father even went to college, which is very impressive in our village.”
“Alright, we’ve pretty much got the picture,” Tan Rou said, “Your ideas are nice, and I hope your dreams come true soon.”
Guo Xia asked, “Are you leaving now? When will you transfer the money to us? Staying here costs over a thousand a day, which is pretty expensive.”
“When did we say we would give you the money?” Tan Rou retorted. “I just thought your plan was quite nice and hope you can fulfill your plans soon, but I never said we would give you the money.”
Guo Xia was beside herself with rage, “What was the point of all that you just said? Was it just to make fun of us?”
Tan Rou responded, “I just felt with your age, you don’t have many chances left to daydream, so I wanted to give you the opportunity to share your dreams, that’s all. I didn’t agree to give you any money.”
Guo Xia blocked their way, threatening, “If you don’t give us the money, we won’t let you leave.” She turned to Liang Lu, “Liang Lu, you wouldn’t want others to find out about your mother’s past, would you? If people knew about the impure things your mother did, they would surely look down on you as well.”
Liang Lu was filled with anger, “Why did my mother have to do that, if others don’t know, don’t you? You murderers, if it hadn’t been for your coercion, my mother wouldn’t have done those things and wouldn’t have ended up taking her own life!”
Guo Xia didn’t feel a shred of guilt, “I don’t care, you’re giving us the money regardless. If you don’t, I’m going to reveal your mother’s story right now and make sure you’ll never be able to act in TV shows again.”
Liang Lu’s temper flared, and she rose her hand to strike, but Tan Rou stopped her.
Chapter 1199: 1198 has nothing to do with you.
Liang Lu said indignantly, “Tan Rou, don’t stop me. Today, I’m going to seek justice for my mother!”
But Tan Rou said, “Hitting them will only have negative consequences for you. This is a hospital; there are surveillance cameras everywhere. The person causing trouble behind the scenes hasn’t shown up yet. If you get into trouble first, the one who’ll be unlucky is you.”
Liang Lu struggled internally for a moment and eventually lowered her hand. She said weakly, “So what should I do then? Am I really supposed to give them the money?”
“Hmph!” Tan Rou snorted and said, “Although you also carry the Liang surname now, you have no relation to the Liang Family anymore. Your household registration is under the names of your adoptive parents, which means these two can’t be considered your grandparents.”
Liang Lu was stunned, “Is that true?”
Tan Rou nodded and said, “Our country’s laws stipulate that once a child is adopted by adoptive parents, they have no relationship with their biological parents on the household register. As long as the biological parents haven’t fulfilled their parental duties, when the child grows up, the biological parents can’t demand that the child provide for them.”
Guo Xia still harbored wishful thinking, “But we are not her parents; we are her grandparents. She should provide for us.”
Tan Rou added, sarcastically, “It’s laughable. You don’t even acknowledge the status of her biological parents; what do you, as the grandparents, count for? The law also stipulates that if your other children are still alive and capable of providing for you, then you can’t ask your granddaughter to do so.”
“Why not?” Liang Guo could no longer sit still. He climbed out of the bed and quickly walked up to Tan Rou and the others, “We are related by blood. Even if the bone is broken, the sinews still connect. She must provide for us, otherwise, I’ll sue her and ensure her company can’t continue operating!”
“Of course, that’s possible,” Tan Rou generously said, “I know many excellent lawyers. If you need to sue and can’t find a good lawyer, I can introduce you to some. However, you’ll have to pay the lawyer fees yourself, which is about twenty percent of the amount you’re suing for. If you’re asking for 500,000, then you’ll have to pay the lawyer 100,000.”
Liang Guo immediately fell silent. He hadn’t even gotten the 500,000 yet, and they were asking him to pay 100,000 to a lawyer? How could he be willing to do that?
Guo Xia said, “Old man, don’t be scared. This girl must be deceiving us. We won’t use the lawyer she recommends. We’ll find a better lawyer. Let’s go to Boss Zhou and ask him for help.”
Tan Rou heard the name of a crucial figure—Boss Zhou. Could he be the one who brought Liang Guo and the others to the Capital?
“What’s your relationship with him, and why would Boss Zhou help you?” Tan Rou asked, maintaining her composure, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch. You might think Boss Zhou is a good person now, but what if his goal is also money? Will you give it to him?”
When it came to money, Guo Xia and Liang Guo would hesitate. They had considered whether Boss Zhou was after their money, but Boss Zhou had already said that he was only sympathetic to the plight of the two elderly people and wanted to help them without expecting money in return.
Guo Xia and Liang Guo were initially worried, but after they arrived in the Capital, Boss Zhou treated them very well. He not only arranged for them to stay in a luxury hotel but also secured the best private hospital and a single-person ward for Liang Guo, which made them believe that Boss Zhou must be a good person, and they lowered their guard.
“Impossible, Boss Zhou is a good person. He arranged our accommodation and took care of us, so he can’t be a bad person,” Guo Xia insisted.
Tan Rou was at a loss for words. It was no wonder that there were frequent news reports of elderly people being scammed; many elderly were too easily deceived. A little bit of kindness, and they were taken advantage of by swindlers.
“Since you think Boss Zhou is a good person, why hasn’t he taken you home to be his parents?” Tan Rou said mockingly, “If you’re going to be kind, you should follow through. Call him now, and I’ll bear witness for you. From now on, he can be your son.”
Guo Xia’s face turned extremely ugly. “He’s not related to us by blood…”
Tan Rou didn’t let her finish, “If there’s no relationship, then why involve himself in your affairs? Does he have that much free time?”
Chapter 1200: Boss Zhou will not come at 1199.
“He… He’s just a good person!” Guo Xia’s face turned red, and she finally blurted out, “Boss Zhou is a good person.”
There indeed are good people in this world, but people like Boss Zhou, who arbitrarily smear others on the internet, are definitely not among them.
“Since he’s a good person, let him come out and face us. Otherwise, I won’t acknowledge him as a good person,” Tan Rou said resolutely, “If you can prove he really has no other motives, I might consider giving you some money.”
Guo Xia’s eyes immediately lit up, “Really?”
Tan Rou smiled and said, “Of course.” She took out several red bills from her wallet, “You can have a look. I’m not a swindler, if you call him over, this money is yours.”
Guo Xia stared closely at the money, about 1,000 dollars, “Okay, I’ll call him right now.”
Liang Lu tugged on Tan Rou’s sleeve, signaling not to give them money, but Tan Rou shook her head gently and whispered, “Don’t worry, I won’t give them a penny. Right now, I need her help to find Boss Zhou, and when he gets here, we’ll just call the police and have them arrested.”
Liang Lu asked worriedly, “Will the police take care of this matter?”
Tan Rou swayed her cell phone, “I’ve already recorded our conversation. Anyway, Guo Xia and Liang Guo’s blackmailing is real; the police can arrest them. Even if Boss Zhou doesn’t show up, the police won’t be making a trip for nothing.”
Liang Lu gave Tan Rou a thumbs-up, “You are more careful than me. If it were me, I definitely wouldn’t have… ”
“Boss Zhou, how could you do this to us?” Guo Xia’s voice interrupted Liang Lu; she and Tan Rou looked towards Guo Xia, who was angrily standing with her hands on her hips, “You said you would help us, and now when I need you, how can you not come?”
It was unclear what the person on the other end had said, but Guo Xia began cursing in her local dialect. Although Tan Rou couldn’t understand, she knew from Guo Xia’s gestures that the negotiation with Boss Zhou was not going well.
Liang Lu briefly translated Guo Xia’s words for Tan Rou, “She’s calling Boss Zhou a bastard, saying he lured them here and then abandoned them. When she finds Boss Zhou, she’ll twist his head off and kick it like a ball. There are also some other words that are too foul to translate.”
Tan Rou raised her eyebrows, admiringly commented, “That old lady, despite her small stature, has quite the lung capacity. She’s been cursing for so long without needing to rest, which shows she is in excellent health, without a single ailment.”
Liang Lu said, “The old man next to her also looks pretty well, clearly not sick at all.”
While they were arguing on the other side, Tan Rou didn’t want to listen to them bicker, so she looked down to send a message.
Liang Lu asked her whom she was messaging, and Tan Rou said she was sending a message to Zhuang Liu. Zhuang Liu’s people were already waiting at the hospital entrance, and if Boss Zhou dared to come, he wouldn’t be able to leave here easily today.
Boss Zhou probably already knew about the situation here and likely wouldn’t be coming back today, and maybe, wouldn’t show up again in the future.
Tan Rou couldn’t just wait here for Boss Zhou to arrive. Now that she knew his surname, she just needed to think about people who recently had issues with Liang Lu, and by elimination, they could find the person. Although it might be a bit troublesome, as long as they had enough people arranged, they could definitely find Boss Zhou.
“Hello, hello?” Guo Xia shouted into the phone, “Boss Zhou, can you hear me?”
Liang Guo asked from the side, “What’s going on? What did Boss Zhou say?”
Guo Xia replied irritably, “He’s not coming, he told us to sort it out ourselves!”
Liang Guo scratched his head, “How are we going to sort it out?”
Tan Rou interjected, “I’ll help you sort it out.”
Guo Xia and Liang Guo both looked at Tan Rou, “How will you sort it out?”
Tan Rou smiled and said, “Just one ‘110’ will do the trick.”
Guo Xia and Liang Guo still hadn’t caught on, “What ‘110’?”
Tan Rou didn’t say anything, just waited. Before long, two police officers pushed the door open and entered.
“We received a report that there are people here suspected of extortion.” The male police officer asked, “Who are Liang Lu, Liang Guo, and Guo Xia?”
Liang Lu, having been informed by Tan Rou about calling the police, naturally stepped forward, “I’m Liang Lu.”