Zhou Yushen’s face was pale.
Li Che poured him a glass of water.
After taking a few small sips, Zhou Yushen finally answered.
“He’s the man behind Han Ping.”
Li Che’s eyes widened.
Zhou Yushen’s gaze darkened considerably.
“He’s Chen Tianming’s younger brother. He was once engaged to Han Ping, but due to family circumstances, the engagement between their families was canceled. Han Ping later married Zhou Siyan.”
Marriage alliances among wealthy families were common.
The marriage between the Han and Zhou families had been quite a sensation back then.
Han Ping had never wanted to marry, and Zhou Siyan had never wanted to marry her either.
The two reached an agreement: if they did not truly fall in love, they would never become a real couple.
Perhaps Han Ping gradually developed feelings for Zhou Siyan during their time together.
But Zhou Siyan fell in love with Zhou Yushen’s mother, Tan Miaoyi, at first sight.
He forcibly kept Tan Miaoyi by his side.
He even threatened the lives of everyone in the Tan family, determined to imprison her in a villa on the outskirts of the city as a mistress hidden from the public eye.
He also had a child with her.
In Beijing’s elite circles, it was no secret that Zhou Siyan had abandoned his wife and fathered a child with another woman.
Han Ping received sympathy from the upper class.
Tan Miaoyi, meanwhile, became the target of endless insults.
As a result, the Han family could only tread carefully and survive cautiously within Beijing’s social circles.
When Tan Miaoyi died, countless people mocked her behind her back.
Han Ping, on the other hand, deliberately took medication that left her with a lifelong condition, making her unable to have children ever again.
Not long after Tan Miaoyi’s death, Zhou Siyan followed her in death out of devotion.
Han Ping became a complete laughingstock.
Out of pity for their daughter-in-law, the Zhou family elevated her status within the family.
When Zhou Yushen was young, he accidentally overheard Han Ping speaking on the phone.
The person on the other end was a man.
The contents of their conversation involved his mother’s death.
That was why he chose to study abroad.
He wanted to grow up as quickly as possible, uncover the truth, and avenge his mother.
And now, he had finally found that man.
Looking at Li Che, he asked, “Any news from Beijing?”
“I’ve been keeping an eye on everything over there. The Chen family was taken away by the police last night. I don’t know whether Han Ping has received the news yet, but there hasn’t been much movement so far.”
Zhou Yushen held the disposable paper cup in his hand, his thumb slowly tracing its rough surface.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
“Have Chen Mu pass the information to her.”
Chen Mu was still in their custody.
He could still serve as a useful chess piece.
Li Che nodded and lowered his head to send instructions to his men.
Suddenly remembering something, he added, “Oh, right. For some reason, Gu Linlang was at the Chen family residence last night as well. She wasn’t injured, but her condition worsened again. She’s also staying in this hospital.”
After hearing this, Zhou Yushen’s expression remained completely unchanged.
“The Chen family wouldn’t target her for no reason. Look into it.”
Li Che agreed.
After hesitating briefly, he added, “Xu Ping came by earlier. He’s visiting Gu Linlang now.”
Li Che felt that both Zhou Yushen and Xu Ping were stubborn people.
Once they believed something was right, neither was willing to compromise.
Just as he expected, Zhou Yushen showed absolutely no interest in where Xu Ping was.
Seeing the cold, unreadable look on Zhou Yushen’s face, Li Che shrugged helplessly.
“Fine, I won’t say anything else. You’re the patient here—you need proper rest. I’ll go buy breakfast.”
After Li Che left, Zhou Yushen leaned back against the headboard and closed his eyes, concealing the turbulent emotions surging within him.
Last night, he had dreamed of three years ago once again.
The girl’s face was still blurred.
He still couldn’t see her clearly.
…..
Over the next several days, the police used the transaction ledgers recovered from the Chen family to uncover a network of illicit dealings within the upper circles of society.
The Meng family was at the center of it.
Meng Yan had secured enormous contracts through human trafficking transactions.
Following those contracts, the police traced and arrested several influential figures who wielded considerable power in the business world.
The case had enormous influence and a far-reaching scope.
To avoid causing public panic, the authorities chose not to publicize the case extensively.
However, they couldn’t stop the curiosity of online users, especially residents living near the Chen family’s old residence, who discussed the matter endlessly on the internet.
[I live near the Chen family’s old mansion. Nobody usually lives on the back street, but my bedroom window faces it directly. That night, I saw the police escorting a lot of women out of the Chen residence, and I even heard gunshots.]
[Damn! That’s terrifying!]
[Women? Was the Chen family running a trafficking operation?]
[I’ve heard those women weren’t there willingly. Maybe some of the missing-person cases from previous years are connected to this.]
[How is this any different from Korea’s Nth Room scandal? Anyone capable of such evil deserves the death penalty!]
[The authorities seem to be suppressing the topic. There must be even more horrifying details that would shatter our worldview.]
[It’s the modern age, yet women’s bodies are still being treated as commodities for sale. The Chen family deserves the harshest punishment!]
[…]
Although the authorities deliberately kept the case low-profile, they couldn’t stop the intense online discussions.
As the story spread, anxiety and unease gradually swept across the internet.
Far away in Beijing, Han Ping turned pale the moment she received the news.
Her first reaction was to delete every record of contact between herself and Chen An.
Afterward, she stayed inside the Zhou residence and stopped going out altogether.
Seeing her behavior, Old Master Zhou formed a few suspicions of his own but chose not to interfere.
Several days later, Han Ping received a phone call and hurried out of the house.
Chen Mu, dressed in a black hoodie and black sweatpants, had his entire head concealed beneath a dark cap.
He arranged to meet Han Ping at a small restaurant hidden inside a narrow alleyway.
At this moment, Han Ping had no energy left to care about the restaurant’s shabby appearance.
The moment she sat down across from Chen Mu, she impatiently asked, “What exactly happened?”
Several shallow scars remained visible on Chen Mu’s face.
His complexion was pale, his eye sockets sunken, making it obvious that he hadn’t eaten or rested properly in quite some time.
He looked exhausted from head to toe.
Yet his eyes remained as clear as ever.
“The Chen family is finished.”
He uttered the words calmly, without a trace of emotion.
Han Ping froze.
The color instantly drained from her face.
Chen Mu continued, “Aunt Han, did you bring what I asked for?”
Han Ping tightened her grip on her handbag and looked at him cautiously.
“What are you planning to do next?”
“Run.”
“Or get caught by the police.”
“Those are the only two paths left to me.”
Chen Mu spoke as though he were describing someone else’s fate.
Looking at Han Ping, a rare trace of genuine feeling appeared in his eyes.
“Aunt Han, delete every connection you have with the Chen family.”
“Give me the records.”
“Even if the police eventually investigate you, there won’t be enough evidence to convict you.”
“Forget everything.”
“Live your life well from now on.”
Meeting Chen Mu’s sincere gaze, the wariness in Han Ping’s heart gradually disappeared.
With a sigh, she took a notebook out of her handbag and handed it to him.
“These are the records of all the transactions in Beijing that I handled for the Chen family over the years.”
“Take care of yourself.”
Chen Mu accepted it.
As he flipped through the thick notebook, he saw page after page covered in dense handwriting.
Every line represented the flesh and blood of a young woman.
Together, they formed a mountain of sins—a heavy harvest of crimes that had finally crushed the Chen family beneath its weight.
Lowering his eyes, he remained silent.
Han Ping sighed and rose from her seat, preparing to leave.
At that very moment, police officers flooded into the restaurant.
— The end of the Chapter–
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