Ch. 1201..1210
Chapter 1201: 1200 extortion
The male police officer nodded and then asked, “What about Liang Guo and Guo Xia?” He turned to Tan Rou, “Are you Guo Xia?”
Tan Rou responded, “No, Liang Guo and Guo Xia are these two.”
The male police officer was very astonished. “But Mr. Zhuang, the person who called the police, said that it was Guo Xia and Liang Guo who were extorting someone named Liang Lu? These two elderly people look to be over sixty, don’t they? They don’t look like fraudsters at all?”
Upon hearing the officer say that they were suspected fraudsters, Liang Guo and Guo Xia’s legs went soft. “Officer, we’re not fraudsters. This girl named Liang Lu said we’re her grandparents; we’re her grandfather and grandmother.”
Liang Lu stated, “They’re not my grandparents; when I was very young, I was adopted by someone else, so I have no relation to them anymore.”
Liang Guo said, “Officer, don’t listen to her nonsense. We truly are her grandparents. Her father was our son; he is dead now, but she is indeed our granddaughter.”
The male officer was completely bewildered by their words. He made a “pause” gesture, then loudy commanded, “Stop arguing, everyone speak one at a time. If there’s any more commotion, I’ll take you all to the police station right now.”
Liang Guo and Guo Xia, now frightened, kept their mouths shut, while Liang Lu, more courageous and since she was the one being threatened, was not afraid at all.
“Officer, here’s what happened.” Liang Lu briefly explained her situation to the two officers, then provided critical recordings to prove her case, and ended by crying a bit, to garner the officer’s sympathy.
The female officer, who was taking notes, had tears in her eyes after hearing Liang Lu’s story and spoke angrily, “What is this about? You were the ones who abandoned your granddaughter that year. Now that she no longer belongs to you, how dare you come back and ask her for money?”
The two elderly people, unfamiliar with the world, were still very afraid of the police. So they defended themselves in a low voice, “Officer, we didn’t threaten her, nor did we try to trick her out of her money. We are her grandparents; she should be supporting us.”
“Sorry, but since her household registration is no longer with your family, and she already has new parents, you can’t prove she is your granddaughter. Therefore, asking her for money is extortion,” the female officer sternly said, “Don’t make any more excuses, come with us to the police station!”
Liang Guo and Guo Xia refused to go. Upon hearing that the police were going to take them to the station, they immediately lay on the ground, kicking and screaming, all the while crying that their granddaughter was inhuman, colluding with outsiders to deceive them. Amidst their crying, they also lamented their deceased son, attracting the attention of other patients in the hallway.
“What’s going on? Why are the police here?” asked a patient curiously. “Hey, why are those two old people lying on the ground? Could it be that they have a terminal illness, and their family won’t let them be treated?”
Another patient commented, “But if that were the case, why would they call the police? The police don’t deal with treatment issues; even if their children refuse to let them be treated, the police can’t intervene.”
A more knowledgable patient explained, “You’ve all guessed wrong. These old people have no issues at all. I heard from the doctor yesterday that they’re staying in the hospital just to swindle money. It seems their granddaughter has quite a bit of money, and whatever they do, they just want to ask her for money.”
The first patient asked again, “Are those two young girls their granddaughters? They’re quite good-looking, though they don’t really resemble them.”
The informant said, “Not sure, let’s not get involved. The doctor will come to make rounds soon; we should go back to sleep.”
The doctor in charge of Liang Guo’s ward saw what was happening inside through the surveillance and rushed over. “Officer, what happened?”
The male officer replied, “We received a report of someone extorting money. What we didn’t expect was that the suspects would be two elderly people, and the victim, a young girl.”
Not at all surprised, the doctor spoke calmly, “Indeed, these two elderly people are not ill. If they’ve really committed a crime, then you should take them away. The hospital is currently short on beds, and they can’t keep staying here, wasting medical resources.”
Chapter 1202: How does 1201 feel?
Doctors generally do not expel patients, especially in private hospitals. However, if a patient is not sick and is using up considerable medical resources, doctors will suggest that they leave.
Last night, the doctor in charge of this ward had already spoken to Liang Guo and his group, advising him to be discharged early. However, Liang Guo and Guo Xia were unwilling—they said they had already paid for the hospital stay and would leave when the money ran out. The doctor had no choice but to continue his rounds as usual.
Just now, the doctor saw the police arrive through the surveillance, and regardless of whether something had happened, he needed to come over to understand the situation. Hearing that the police were about to take them away, the doctor was quite pleased; as long as they left, the room would be freed up for other patients.
“Officer, this is a hospital; we don’t engage in unconscionable acts. If they have indeed committed a crime, please take them away quickly,” the doctor said, not wanting to get involved in trouble. “However, we have no relationship with them, and we are unaware of anything they have done. I hope the officer understands this.”
The female police officer said, “Mm, we will investigate thoroughly. We won’t wrong a good person, nor will we let a bad person off.”
The doctor said, “Thank you, officer.”
Though he said this, Guo Xia and Liang Guo continued to create a scene by lying on the floor, and even the police couldn’t handle them. If they were younger, the police would have already handcuffed them and taken them away; however, since both were elderly with graying hair, there was a real possibility they might get hurt if handled too roughly.
“You two, stop rolling on the floor and come with us to the police station,” the male police officer said loudly.
However, Liang Guo and Guo Xia ignored him and continued to roll on the ground.
The male police officer wanted to physically lift them off the floor but feared breaking their arms, so he could only stand aside and wait. Perhaps if they tired from crying, they might be easier to take away.
“Tan Rou, perhaps we should help lift them up,” said Liang Lu. “Their commotion here is also troubling others.”
Tan Rou thought for a moment and said, “Wait for me.”
She first walked over to Guo Xia, holding down the arms Guo Xia kept flailing. She pressed gently on her a few times, and Guo Xia calmed down. Not only did she stop flailing, but she also sat very quietly on the ground, as if the pause button had been hit.
Next was Liang Guo, who was just sitting on the floor slapping his knees, not making much movement. Tan Rou pretended she was going to lift Liang Guo up, but she really just wanted him to quiet down.
After both were subdued, Tan Rou stood up and said, “Officer, you can take them away now.”
Both officers were stunned. Could this girl perform magic? How did they calm down as soon as she touched them?
“How did you do that?” the male officer asked.
Tan Rou smiled slightly and said, “It’s a secret.”
Regardless, Tan Rou’s method was very effective; the police handcuffed Liang Guo and Guo Xia and took them away, and the hospital became much quieter.
Liang Lu watched the two being taken away and felt somewhat uncomfortable, “When I was born, my grandparents disliked that I was a girl, and they always hoped my mother would have another boy. My mother didn’t agree. After something happened at home, they liked my mom and me even less, always wanting my parents to divorce and to drive my mom and me out.”
Tan Rou tried to comfort her, “Now they’ve received their comeuppance. Even if they’re too old to be sentenced, their actions constitute extortion, and the officers will surely educate them.”
Liang Lu’s mood was very low; if possible, she didn’t want to confront Liang Guo and others, nor did she want things to have escalated to this point.
“Are you upset?” Tan Rou asked. “Because they are your grandparents, does their behavior sadden you?”
Liang Lu nodded lightly and said, “Rather than being upset, I feel heartbroken.”
Tan Rou sighed, “Let’s stop thinking about them and figure out who Boss Zhou is.”
“Right!” Liang Lu slapped her face, perking up. “We still haven’t found Boss Zhou. When we do find him, I’ll definitely give him a beating so that his unused hospital fees won’t go to waste.”
Chapter 1203: 1202 had a car accident.
Tan Rou and Liang Lu arrived at the hospital parking lot, but they did not go to start Tan Rou’s car; instead, they approached a black car. As they got close, the door of the black car opened.
Xiao Mo got out from the driver’s seat and respectfully said to Tan Rou, “Miss Rou, the head of the Zhuang family asked me to come pick you up.”
Tan Rou asked, “Has the person been found?”
“Our people followed that reporter to the front of Hua Yuan Building. The reporter went inside, and we couldn’t follow because we didn’t have an access card,” Xiao Mo replied.
“Hua Yuan Building?” Tan Rou frowned. “There are so many companies inside, it’s going to be very difficult to find someone there.”
Liang Lu said, “That reporter doesn’t look like the mastermind; he might just be following orders. We need to find the person who asked him to take the video.”
Tan Rou said, “Xiao Mo, check if there’s a boss surnamed Zhou in Hua Yuan Building. He might be the one bribing the reporter to spread rumors.”
“Okay, I’ll have someone check right now,” Xiao Mo said. “Miss Rou, do you have other plans now? The head of the Zhuang family has reserved a private room and would like to have a meal with you.”
Tan Rou indeed had nothing else scheduled, and it wouldn’t be possible to find Mr. Zhou anytime soon, so there was no problem in going for a meal. However, Liang Lu was with her; what about her if they went to eat?
Upon hearing Xiao Mo’s words, Liang Lu immediately said, “Tan Rou, you go ahead and eat. I can take a taxi back by myself.”
“It’s too far from where you live here, and it’s also hard to catch a taxi. By the time you manage to get a taxi home, it would probably be completely dark,” Tan Rou took out her car keys. “You take my car back. I will go with Xiao Mo.”
Liang Lu did not want to trouble Tan Rou any further. For the past few days, Tan Rou had been busy dealing with her matters and hadn’t had the time to attend to her own issues.
“I’ll find a way back myself,” said Liang Lu.
Tan Rou stuffed the car keys into her hand. “Since Xiao Mo came to pick me up, I’m obviously going to leave with him. If I go and nobody drives my car, it will just be left here.”
Liang Lu took the keys and promised, “Tan Rou, don’t worry, I will definitely drive your car back safely.”
Xiao Mo drove with Tan Rou, and Liang Lu followed in Tan Rou’s car. The two cars left the hospital one after the other.
On the road, Tan Rou received a call from Zhuang Liu. He asked if the police had arrived.
Tan Rou answered, “The police have already taken those two extortionists away. Thank you for calling the police for us; otherwise, I really couldn’t have spared the time to do it myself.”
Zhuang Liu said, “It’s just a small matter, don’t worry about it. Where are you now?”
Tan Rou smiled cheerfully, “We’re on our way to see you.”
On the other end of the line, Zhuang Liu’s heartbeat slowed for a moment. He unconsciously tightened his grip on the phone. “Good, hurry over. I want to see you sooner too.”
“Mm-hmm.” Tan Rou glanced at the roadside outside, “We’re just about to turn into the city road…”
“Bang—”
A huge collision sound interrupted Tan Rou’s speech. The emergency braking threw Tan Rou’s head against the passenger seat, causing her hand to loosen and the phone to fly towards the window, then slide under the seat.
Tan Rou felt a bit dizzy. She rubbed her head, then asked, “Did we have an accident?”
“Miss Rou, how are you?” Xiao Mo’s voice came from the front seat. “There was a collision ahead, and I couldn’t avoid it. I had to hit the brakes.”
Tan Rou shook her head. “There was an accident ahead?” Her mind suddenly became clear. “Liang Lu’s car was right in front of us. How is she?”
She sat in the back seat, unable to observe the front cars instantly, but Xiao Mo, sitting in the driver’s seat, could clearly see the scene of the accident ahead.
Xiao Mo’s voice trembled as he said, “Miss Liang’s car… it got hit…”
Tan Rou’s face turned pale instantly. She yanked open the car door and rushed towards Liang Lu’s car.
Xiao Mo followed, shouting, “Miss Rou, be careful of an explosion!”
Tan Rou did not listen to Xiao Mo’s words at all. The only thought in her mind was that Liang Lu must not get hurt!
At the intersection, a luxury car collided with a van. Liang Lu’s car was proceeding normally when the car ahead suddenly braked, and she couldn’t swerve in time, crashing directly into the rear of the car in front.
Chapter 1204: 1203 is not a simple accident
“Liang Lu…” Tan Rou tapped on the car window, trying to wake the unconscious Liang Lu inside, “Liang Lu, don’t fall asleep!”
Liang Lu still had consciousness, she shook a bit, but still didn’t wake up. When the collision happened, the driver’s seat immediately moved back slightly, and the safety mode activated, so the impact on Liang Lu was reduced somewhat. Otherwise, she would have been more than just unconscious by now.
The windshield in front had shattered, but hadn’t fallen out. However, Tan Rou didn’t dare to easily smash the glass because Liang Lu was very close to it, and the broken glass could easily hurt her.
Xiao Mo picked up a stone from the side and smashed it against the glass of the right car window. Once the glass shattered, the lock on the door could be opened. But the car door was deformed, and he was unable to pull the door open by himself, “Miss Rou, let’s try to pull the door open together and see if we can get Liang Lu out from inside.”
Tan Rou calmed down a little, she went around to the right side of the window and, together with Xiao Mo, they tried to pull; the deformed door was indeed hard to open, but luckily, the two of them were strong and directly pulled the door off the car.
Tan Rou tossed the broken door aside and climbed in to check on Liang Lu, “Liang Lu, can you hear me talking?”
Liang Lu’s eyelids trembled slightly, her forehead was red and swollen from hitting the car door, and it was this injury that had caused her to fall unconscious.
Xiao Mo reminded, “Miss Rou, see if you can get Liang Lu out, the fuel tank at the front is smoking, and we can’t rule out the possibility of an explosion.”
Tan Rou tried to carry Liang Lu out, thankful that the space at the front of the car was quite large, and the seat had moved back a bit, Liang Lu’s legs were not trapped.
She opened the left car door, then went around to the left, and slowly moved Liang Lu out.
Tan Rou gave Liang Lu a quick check, and found that she had only sustained some minor injuries and there was nothing too serious.
“Stay here and look after Liang Lu, I’ll go check out what’s happening with that other car.” After settling Liang Lu, Tan Rou ordered, “I was in such a hurry earlier, I forgot to call a doctor and the traffic police, please call them.”
While Xiao Mo went to make the call, Tan Rou approached the other car. It was a rather run-down van, and there was no one in the back seat, so even if it was hit, it wouldn’t have caused any casualties.
The van driver was still sitting in the car. Seeing Tan Rou approaching, he suddenly became very scared and said, “The car accident had nothing to do with me, I didn’t mean to hit the brakes!”
Tan Rou frowned, she felt something was off, but couldn’t quite pinpoint what was strange.
“Why did you hit the brakes?” Tan Rou glanced at the road here; there were no traffic lights, no emergency exits, just a completely straight road, so the driver had no reason to brake.
The driver stammered, “I don’t know why I hit the brakes, by the time I realized it, the accident had already happened.”
Tan Rou studied the driver carefully. Although he appeared nervous and scared, there wasn’t a drop of sweat on his face, even his complexion was normal, as if his fear was all an act.
“The road here is so flat, how could you hit the brakes for no reason?” Tan Rou was very angry, she stretched her arm inside the window and grabbed the driver by the collar, “Speak! Why did you hit the brakes?”
The driver was so choked by her grip that his face turned red; he suspected this woman wanted to strangle him to death right here, so he said, “I saw a cat up ahead… yes, a cat ran across the road, and I was worried I would hit it, so I braked!”
“Nonsense!” If the window weren’t too small, Tan Rou would have really wanted to drag him out, “Your van has such a high chassis that even if there was a cat, you wouldn’t hit it.”
The driver insisted, “I braked because I saw a cat!” Anyway, there were no surveillance cameras on this section of the road; he could say whatever he wanted, and no one would find out he was lying.
“Really?” Tan Rou saw the dashcam and said, “It seems your van is equipped with a dashcam. Since you said you saw a cat, let’s turn on the dashcam and have a look.”
Chapter 1205: 1204 Stubborn Driver
As soon as he heard Tan Rou wanted to check his dashcam, the driver suddenly changed his story, “No, it wasn’t a cat I saw… I felt a sudden dizziness and that’s why I hit the brakes.”
Tan Rou didn’t believe a word he said, “You say one moment you saw a cat, the next you’re dizzy. I think both excuses are wrong. You hit the brakes on purpose, didn’t you!”
The driver shook his head vigorously, “I really did feel dizzy, my eyes blurred and I hit the brakes out of reflex. Then I got a bit woozy and just now came to my senses, only to find that the accident had already happened. I didn’t do it on purpose. If you want compensation, I can pay you.”
Tan Rou didn’t think this guy looked like he could afford to pay, given that his van was a bit old and had dents in the front, clearly a vehicle that had been driven for a long time.
“Is someone instructing you to do this?” Tan Rou asked directly, “The person who arranged for the car accident, do they know me, or do they know Liang Lu?”
It wasn’t rush hour now, and the area was quite remote with hardly any cars on the road. They had been there for quite some time and had seen only a few cars pass by, so it was unlikely that the accident was just a random incident.
But an intentional car accident was a serious matter. There was no surveillance in the area, and if something happened, the traffic police couldn’t get there immediately. A normal person, in a situation with no cameras and being hit from behind, would either think of fleeing or seeking compensation from the party behind. It was rare for a driver to offer compensation to a rear vehicle right off the bat.
A flicker of surprise crossed the driver’s eyes, but he still didn’t admit to being hired by someone, “I don’t know anything, I really don’t know anything. You want me to pay, I’ll pay; you want me to go to jail, I’ll go. There’s nothing else to talk about.”
Tan Rou was infuriated by his behavior, “You won’t talk, huh? No matter, I’ll find out who that person is.”
Originally, she only suspected that the driver was following orders, but she was now sure someone was instructing the driver; otherwise, he wouldn’t appear so fearless.
The car accident might not land the driver in jail, but since he mentioned paying up and going to jail, it was very likely that it was all prearranged, with someone promising him something in exchange for causing the accident. It was just unclear whether his target was Tan Rou or Liang Lu.
Tan Rou opened the car door, pulled the driver out, and dragged him to the back.
The driver didn’t struggle, instead he said calmly, “Assault is against the law. If you want to beat me to death and then find a place to bury me, that’s definitely not okay.”
Tan Rou scoffed, “I won’t let you die. I’m going to make you live in agony.”
She dumped the driver at the roadside, then instructed Xiao Mo to search his person. Xiao Mo searched thoroughly but shockingly found no identification on him, not even a cell phone.
“Where’s your phone?” Xiao Mo asked, “Even if you have no other IDs, you should at least have a driver’s license, right?”
The driver spread his hands, losing his previous frightened demeanor, “My family is poor, I don’t have a phone, and I also don’t have a driver’s license.”
Xiao Mo said angrily, “How do you drive without a driver’s license?”
The driver chuckled, “I drive without a license!”
Xiao Mo had never seen such a shameless person and wished he could kick him a few times, “Then you just wait to go to the traffic police brigade!”
“Heh, it’s alright, I’m a regular at the police station,” the driver shamelessly said, “Otherwise, why do you think I don’t have a driver’s license? Because I frequently break the traffic rules, my license has already been revoked.”
A thought struck Tan Rou hard, a revoked license and such an old car, could it be that the vehicle was also a scrapped one?
She returned to the car and picked up the cell phone that had fallen under the seat; Zhuang Liu had called her dozens of times, and the phone’s battery was nearly dead. Just as she picked up the phone, Zhuang Liu’s call came through again.
“Tan Rou, are you okay? What was that sound just now? Why weren’t you answering your phone?” Zhuang Liu sounded very anxious, “Wait for me, I’m almost at your location.”
The car Xiao Mo was driving belonged to Zhuang Liu, and it had a tracker on it. As soon as the accident occurred, Zhuang Liu had locked onto the car’s location through the tracker and was now on his way there.
Chapter 1206: Boss Zhou’s Identity in 1205
“Don’t worry, I really am fine,” Tan Rou said with a smile, “You can ask Xiao Mo, he’s right beside me.”
Xiao Mo said very nervously, “Yes, parent, I… we’re all fine, the one who is hurt is Miss Liang Lu.”
Zhuang Liu still didn’t feel reassured, “You wait for me, I’ll be there immediately.”
Tan Rou knew Zhuang Liu was very concerned, so she said, “Okay, but drive slowly, don’t hurry, I really am fine.”
Although Tan Rou told Zhuang Liu to drive slowly, he still rushed over as fast as he could. Only after seeing Tan Rou was unharmed did he feel relieved.
Then he turned his attention to the person on the ground, “Is he the one who caused the car accident?”
Tan Rou said, “Yes, he claimed that he stepped on the brakes because he got dizzy suddenly, but judging by his attitude when he spoke, someone must be instructing him from behind to cause the car accident. We just don’t know if his target was me or Liang Lu.”
If it was targeted at Liang Lu, Zhuang Liu might look into it out of friendship for Liang Lu, but if the mastermind behind this was targeting Tan Rou, then Zhuang Liu would definitely not let them get away with it.
Tan Rou said, “When you have time, look into the origins of this car first, I suspect it’s a scrapped vehicle.”
Zhuang Liu immediately took photos and made phone calls, and soon got a lead on the car. He showed the photos he obtained to Tan Rou, “The car is indeed a scrap, and it has been in multiple accidents before. More importantly, this man is the owner of the car, but his driver’s license has already been revoked.”
“If it’s a scrapped car, why would it appear on the street?” asked Tan Rou, “How is his family situation?”
Zhuang Liu said, “His family’s situation is average. He used to make a living by driving and transporting goods for people when the car was still running. After it was in an accident, he couldn’t drive anymore and now stays at home as an unemployed person, earning money with odd jobs.”
Zhuang Liu, based on the car, found a lot of clues. “This car was originally in a scrapyard, but three days ago, someone bought it.”
Tan Rou asked, “Who bought it?”
“The purchase was made with cash,” Zhuang Liu said. “It seems this person is targeting Liang Lu.” He sighed in relief.
But Tan Rou said, “Even though this person was targeting Liang Lu, we still can’t relax our guard. We have to find this person.”
As they were talking, Zhuang Liu’s phone received another message. He checked it and then said, “The people I arranged have found that boss surnamed Zhou in Huayuan Building. You should have heard his name too. Zhou Xing, he is also a director, made quite a few movies a few years ago and achieved some success, but his recent works have failed to take off. None of his newer movies have been popular.”
Tan Rou countered, “Just because his movies aren’t famous, does he need to harm others?”
“Tan Rou, you never know what the motives of those who harm others are,” Zhuang Liu said. “Sometimes they harm others for money, sometimes for fame and fortune, and sometimes they harm just because the other party gave them a nasty look on the street.”
Tan Rou, unable to understand, said, “We should first take Liang Lu to the hospital. Tell your men to keep an eye on this boss Zhou, so he doesn’t get wind of it and run. Actually, there’s something I don’t understand. Isn’t he afraid of his actions being exposed?”
“They say that impulse is the devil; I think he must have been too impulsive,” Zhuang Liu said. “This year he also made a new movie, and its release date was the same as Liang Lu’s movie. Liang Lu’s movie was widely praised, but his multimillion-dollar investment attracted no audience. Isn’t that ironic?”
“There are many people with psychological issues in the entertainment industry. They are not as glamorous as they appear on the big screen. In the shadows, they harbor many dark thoughts,” Zhuang Liu warned. “You should stay away from them in the future, to avoid trouble for yourself.”
Tan Rou looked at Liang Lu, who was lying unconscious on the ground, “I believe Liang Lu isn’t that kind of person.”
Zhuang Liu didn’t agree with her directly but instead said, “I respect your opinion, but if anyone hurts you, I won’t let them off easily either.”
Similarly, Tan Rou also respected Zhuang Liu’s thoughts, “Mm, I feel safe with you protecting me.”
Although Tan Rou didn’t need protection, in a loving relationship, one can choose to rely on the other a bit more.
Chapter 1207: In 1206, Liang Lu had connections.
Liang Lu was picked up by an ambulance and taken to the hospital, with Tan Rou accompanying her. They had originally planned to go out for dinner, but that was no longer possible.
After sending Tan Rou and Liang Lu to the hospital, Zhuang Liu left. He had promised Tan Rou to find Zhou Xing for Liang Lu, so he had to hurry to Huayuan Building to prevent Zhou Xing from escaping after hearing any rumors.
The doctor examined Liang Lu and initially diagnosed her with a slight concussion, so she needed to be hospitalized for observation for a few days. Tan Rou could not stay with Liang Lu as she had a lot of business to take care of and didn’t have the time to accompany her.
However, she couldn’t leave Liang Lu alone in the hospital and Lu Qing couldn’t get back in time, so Tan Rou had no choice but to find someone else to take care of Liang Lu. There were plenty of attendants in the hospital, so she hired one for Liang Lu.
Meanwhile, Zhuang Liu had already entered the Huayuan Building. As this was a task given to him by Tan Rou, he had to handle it personally.
Xiao Mo said, “Head of the Zhuang family, let us handle this matter. Our people have been around the building all the time, keeping an eye on things; they won’t let Zhou Xing get away. You should go back to Miss Rou.”
Zhuang Liu replied, “Since I promised Tan Rou to resolve this matter, I must see Zhou Xing in person. He’s a very cautious and intelligent man; we can’t give him time to react.”
“Then I’ll go with you,” Xiao Mo offered.
Zhuang Liu looked at him, “Of course you’re going in. If you don’t go in, who will communicate with the reception? It certainly can’t be me asking the reception, can it?”
With a smile, Xiao Mo said, “Good, I’ll go make the appointment right now.
He led the way, with Zhuang Liu following behind. They hadn’t even entered the building when the security guard stopped them.
“Who are you? Whom are you looking for? Do you have an appointment?” the security guard asked aggressively.
Xiao Mo straightened his attire and offered a gentle smile, “Hello, our boss would like to meet with Mr. Zhou Xing from the eighteenth floor, please let us through.”
The security guard looked them over, seeing that although they were cleanly dressed, they seemed like mere employees, so he responded arrogantly, “Mr. Zhou Xing is indeed on the eighteenth floor, but he’s very busy and doesn’t have the time to see you. It’s better if you make an appointment and then come back.”
Xiao Mo glanced at Zhuang Liu, who then said, “Tell him Zhuang Liu of the Zhuang family is looking for Zhou Xing.” The most foolish thing that Zhuang Liu had ever done was to actively seek someone without an appointment. If it wasn’t for Tan Rou, he would never have done such a thing.
“Zhuang Liu? Who is that? Never heard of him.” The security guard only cared about the affairs inside the building, not who was outside it.
Xiao Mo almost laughed – it was truly rare to find someone in the Capital who didn’t know their boss.
Zhuang Liu’s expression turned sour as he said to Xiao Mo, “Get Zhou Xing’s phone number and call him directly, let’s not waste any more time here.”
Suppressing his laughter, Xiao Mo started searching for Zhou Xing’s phone number. As Zhuang Liu’s most capable assistant, Xiao Mo had impressive business skills, especially in tracking people down. It didn’t take long before he found Zhou Xing’s number and contacted him using his work phone.
Zhou Xing came down quickly, looking somewhat haggard, but still managed to smile upon seeing Zhuang Liu, “What brings Mr. Zhuang to my place today?”
Though smiling, he was quite puzzled inside. Had he offended Zhuang Liu in some way? Why had he come here?
“Mr. Zhou, I have a business matter I’d like to discuss with you,” Zhuang Liu said with a smile. “I wonder if you still remember Liang Guo and Guo Xia?”
Zhou Xing’s face immediately changed color, but he maintained his composure, “Who Mr. Zhuang is referring to? I don’t seem to know them?”
Zhuang Liu continued, “You might not know now, but you will in a moment. Let me remind you, if you back off now, this matter might be resolved easily. But if you insist on continuing, don’t blame us for not being polite.”
Zhou Xing became nervous. He wasn’t afraid of Liang Lu alone, but if Zhuang Liu was backing her, then he needed to think carefully.
“It’s not convenient to talk here. Would Mr. Zhuang please come upstairs with me to discuss in detail?” Zhou Xing said with a smile.
Zhuang Liu made a signal to Xiao Mo, who immediately pressed his phone, then followed Zhuang Liu up to the eighteenth floor.
Chapter 1208: Invite someone to watch a movie at 1207
After entering the office, Zhou Xing locked the door. Xiao Mo immediately asked me, “President Zhou, what does this mean?”
Zhou Xing smiled, “Assistant Xiao, don’t misunderstand. I closed the door for peace and quiet. If employees come and go, it will affect our conversation.”
Zhuang Liu nodded, “Indeed, I also don’t like having extra people around when I’m talking.”
Zhou Xing personally poured Zhuang Liu a cup of tea before saying, “The conditions here are a bit simple; I hope Mr. Zhuang won’t mind.”
After Zhuang Liu took the tea, I placed it to the side without drinking it. “I’m not here to drink tea. I have some questions for you, and I hope President Zhou will answer me truthfully. Otherwise, I’m not sure what might happen next.”
Zhou Xing sat down at his own desk and asked very calmly, “Mr. Zhuang, what would you like me to answer?”
Xiao Mo thought Zhuang Liu would ask about Liang Lu, but instead of bringing her up, he asked Zhou Xing about his new movie.
“President Zhou, you’ve made a new movie, haven’t you?” Zhuang Liu asked. “I heard your investment in that movie was quite substantial. How are the returns going?”
The smile froze on Zhou Xing’s face, and with a fierce look at Zhuang Liu, he asked, “Is Mr. Zhuang here to mock me on purpose?”
Zhuang Liu revealed a puzzled expression, “How could I possibly come here to mock President Zhou? I just heard that the promotion for President Zhou’s new movie was extensive and that a great deal of money was spent. The revenues must be quite good, right?”
Zhou Xing’s hands gripped the edge of the desk, then he said through gritted teeth, “The revenues are decent, of course. My movie doesn’t need Mr. Zhuang’s concern.”
Zhuang Liu just had to talk about the movie, “I have a friend, whom I’m sure President Zhou also knows, the new director Liang Lu who has gained fame in recent years. She also has a movie released recently, and it seems like the release date was the same as President Zhou’s.”
“Now that’s quite a coincidence.” Zhou Xing was about to explode; the last name he wanted to hear was Liang Lu’s. How could some girl’s lousy flick surpass his meticulously crafted movie?
After seeing Zhou Xing’s pained expression, Zhuang Liu’s lips curled up slightly, “I plan to invite the entire company to watch Liang Lu’s movie.”
Zhou Xing was startled and asked, “Mr. Zhuang wants to take the company to see a movie? Just the people from headquarters?” At this moment, his mind was a bit messy and he didn’t realize anything wrong with what Zhuang Liu said.
Zhuang Liu smiled and replied, “Of course not. When I say the whole company, I mean all employees under the Zhuang family’s name, from the branch managers to the security guards at the door, even their family members. They can all go see the movie. This movie is very inspirational, perfect for the whole family to watch together.”
Xiao Mo said from the side, “There are a lot of employees in the companies under the Zhuang family. Including all the branch employees, that’s at least seventy to eighty thousand people. If each person buys a ticket, that’s over two million. With their families, it could be upwards of ten million.”
Zhuang Liu said lightly, “Just a few tens of millions, it’s not a lot of money. I will arrange this when I return.”
Xiao Mo then said, “I think we should discuss this with Miss Tan Rou. The Tao family’s company also has many employees. We could buy tickets together and perhaps get a discount.”
Zhou Xing’s mind was racing. He recalculated based on the figures Xiao Mo had just mentioned. If you added the Zhuang family’s employees to the Tao family’s employees, just buying tickets would cost tens of millions.
Damn it, why should Liang Lu’s lousy movie get such high box office revenues? He couldn’t accept it. He had poured so much effort into his own movie, but why didn’t anyone want to watch it?
“President Zhou, what do you think of my idea?” Zhuang Liu said after he finished, asking Zhou Xing for his opinion, “Have you watched that movie? If you haven’t, I can get you a VIP family ticket from Liang Lu. You could also bring your family to see it. Every movie has its merits; you should go to the cinema more often to watch other people’s movies and learn from their strengths.”
Zhou Xing couldn’t hold back anymore. He angrily stood up from his seat and yelled, “Enough, don’t say another word!”
Zhuang Liu ignored him, continuing with the words that angered him, “President Zhou, do you want to go see someone else’s movie?”
Chapter 1209: Learn to record in 1208
“I won’t watch it, even if I starve to death, even if I can never make a movie again, I will not watch Liang Lu’s movie!” Zhou Xing rushed over suddenly, yelling, “She’s just a little girl, what good movie can she make? Her movies are too ugly to watch, no grand scenes, no perfect structure, nothing at all in her movies. Why do they get so many good reviews?”
Zhuang Liu saw that Zhou Xing had completely lost control of his emotions and continued to provoke him, “Your movies cost so much money, have such grand scenes, I guess you’ve got lots of good reviews, and the box office must be very high, right?”
“It’s all her fault, that little girl messed everything up. If not for her and her movies, mine wouldn’t have received so many bad reviews!” Zhou Xing said resentfully, “I spent so much money to hire the most famous actors, the most brilliant scriptwriters, the most skilled cinematographers, but why is my movie still not a box office hit?”
“Tell me, why is there no box office?” Zhou Xing first questioned Zhuang Liu, then, like a madman, charged towards Xiao Mo, “You tell me!”
Xiao Mo stepped back, “Don’t come any closer, don’t go crazy at me, I didn’t provoke you.”
Zhuang Liu stood up, mocking, “What does it matter if your movie is well made? It’s not popular. Liang Lu comes from a humble background; her parents died when she was very young, and not a single relative or friend wanted her. She had a miserable past. But who would have thought that she would grow up to become a great director, while those who became famous very early seem not that popular anymore?”
These words hit Zhou Xing where it hurt most. He cursed, “A daughter of a whore and a gambler, why is she above me, why is she better than me? Her parents are dead, why doesn’t she just die too?”
“She’s dead now,” Zhuang Liu suddenly said, “The car you arranged has already hit and killed her.”
Zhou Xing’s eyes widened, then he laughed loudly, “She’s dead? She was really hit and killed? Then her movie can’t be released anymore, I’m going to notify the cinemas, and have her movie taken down right now.”
Zhuang Liu chuckled lightly, “That driver has already confessed it was you, otherwise, how do you think I would know you arranged the accident?”
Zhou Xing couldn’t believe it, “Impossible, his wife and children are with me, I gave him a lot of money to keep his mouth shut, how could he possibly tell you?”
“So you admit it was you who ordered the car accident?” Zhuang Liu asked.
Extended mental torture had long caused Zhou Xing to lose control of his emotions, and any provocation would lead him to blurt out his most genuine thoughts, saying whatever came to his mind.
“Yes, the car accident was my doing, and not only that, but I also did other things,” Zhou Xing laughed proudly, “I found her grandparents online, then brought them over, spent money to fabricate negative news about her online, ensuring her movie could never be released! As long as her movie can’t be screened, only my movie will be available during this period, and the audience will have to watch my movie.”
Xiao Mo thought he had lost his mind, “Are you insane? Do you realize that such actions not only cause mental harm to others but can also lead to physical harm! Miss Liang Lu is still lying unconscious in the hospital, and if she never wakes up, you are done for.”
Zhou Xing paused, “She’s not dead yet?”
Xiao Mo snorted coldly, “Miss Liang Lu almost died.”
Zhuang Liu remembered another matter, he asked, “Do you know who Liang Lu went to the hospital with today?”
“What do I care who she went with? Whoever was with her should die too!” Zhou Xing said viciously.
Zhuang Liu’s expression shifted and he said, “You should save those vicious words for the police and the judge.”
Zhou Xing replied, “Do you think I’m a fool? I wouldn’t tell a fourth person these things.”
Xiao Mo took out his phone, “Unfortunately, everything you’ve been saying was just livestreamed, and I’ve also thoughtfully saved a recording for you. I hope you can be this bold in court.”
Zhou Xing was completely dumbfounded, “When did you start recording?”
Xiao Mo said, “I won’t tell you.”
Recordings are a wonderful thing, so everyone should learn how to use them; they can save a lot of trouble.
Chapter 1210: 1209 The villain gets punished
That evening, Liang Lu woke up from her coma, just as Tan Rou came to see her.
The nurse said, “You arrived just in time; Miss Liang Lu just woke up. The doctor is examining her now, and she seems quite lucid. There don’t appear to be any major issues.”
Tan Rou nodded and said, “Thank you for taking care of her. We’ll be dependent on you for the next few days.”
The nurse smiled and said, “We’re paid to do this job; taking care of patients is what we should do.”
Tan Rou entered the ward where the doctor was testing Liang Lu’s eyes. Seeing her enter, the doctor said, “The patient doesn’t have major issues, but she has some minor concussions. She needs to stay in the hospital for three days of observation.”
Tan Rou said, “Thank you, Doctor. May I speak with her now?”
After checking Liang Lu’s eyes, the doctor said, “You may.”
Liang Lu opened her eyes to see Tan Rou and smiled, “Tan Rou, I didn’t expect you to be the first person I saw.”
Tan Rou smiled slightly and said, “Who did you think it would be? Boss Lu perhaps?”
Liang Lu shook her head slightly, “He had very important matters to attend to; I told him not to come.” She suddenly remembered something, “You didn’t tell him about my car accident, did you?”
Tan Rou deliberately said, “I told him right after your accident. It’s just a matter of whether he will come or not.”
Liang Lu frowned and then sighed, “There are important matters to handle over there; I really don’t want him to have to go back and forth. Moreover, Grandpa Lu is starting to think better of me. If I call Lu Qing over for such a trivial matter, Grandpa Lu would definitely be unhappy.”
However, Tan Rou said, “I don’t think Old Master Lu is a heartless man; he probably doesn’t want his grandson to become someone who only knows his business and not his family, right? If Old Master Lu learns about your injury, he should let Lu Qing come.”
Liang Lu felt a bit sad; the doctor had just told her that she had been unconscious for eight hours. If Lu Qing had known about it right away, he would definitely have rushed to the hospital by now, but he hadn’t come.
“The news to clarify your situation has already been released,” Tan Rou said, opening her phone. “Zhou Xing admitted that he had asked Liang Guo and Guo Xia to lie, and he orchestrated the car accident. The journalist who helped him fabricate the story has been caught, and they have incriminated Zhou Xing, who is certainly facing a prison sentence.”
“What about them?” Liang Lu asked.
Although she didn’t mention any names, Tan Rou knew exactly who she was referring to.
“Guo Xia and Liang Guo didn’t cause you any physical harm, and they are also quite old, so it’s difficult to convict them. However, their actions were quite malicious. The police feel that such behavior should not be condoned, hence they collaborated with the police from their hometown to issue a stern official notice criticizing this incident,” Tan Rou explained.
Liang Lu still felt somewhat unsatisfied, “They got off easy, with just an official notice to punish them.”
Tan Rou smiled, “There’s one more thing.”
“What?” Liang Lu asked.
Tan Rou said, “The police consider the child abandonment by Liang Guo and Guo Xia to be very serious, so they are undergoing re-educational criticism. They are currently detained at the police station and will probably be there for a month.”
Liang Lu was taken aback, “Really?”
Tan Rou cautioned her not to get too excited, “Although a month isn’t long, it’s enough for them to learn their lesson.”
Liang Lu laughed, “That’s good then.”
After a while, Tan Rou asked the nurse to go out and buy some food since Liang Lu had just woken up and the doctor had come for an examination before she could have dinner.
Tan Rou, concerned about Liang Lu’s situation, hadn’t had dinner either, so the two of them ate in the ward.
Just as they started eating, the door to the ward was opened. A young man rushed in, dusty and disheveled, and as soon as he entered, he said, “I’m sorry… I’m late!”
Liang Lu was slightly irritated, “Why have you just arrived?”
Tan Rou, however, was slightly surprised, “How did you know we were here? Did Zhuang Liu tell you?”
Lu Qing replied, “Yes, I saw the news and then I called Zhuang Liu.”
Tan Rou smiled and said, “Then you were quite fast; the news was only released two hours ago.”
Lu Qing was focused entirely on Liang Lu, not noticing what Tan Rou had said.