"I naturally believe you. After they investigate and clear things up in a few days, you can come out. They won't wrongly accuse any innocent person, and neither will they you."
Tang Shi Tong responded cooperatively, but in his heart, he was constantly deciphering the words written on the other person's palm.
"But I'm scared. I'm afraid I'll never get out. If I can't get out, please notify my family and tell them..." Old Man Zhu spoke slowly, his hands not stopping their movements.
Tang Shi Tong played along, providing cover. Finally, he pieced together the other person's meaning: he had several places where he had hidden money, and if Tang Shi Tong could help him get revenge, he would reveal one of the hiding spots.
To show his sincerity, he proactively provided one location – the dry well in the abandoned courtyard.
Tang Shi Tong did not expect this unexpected windfall. He wasn't sure how much the Zhu family had, but they were undoubtedly the wealthiest family in the provincial capital, bar none.
Now, Old Man Zhu was using a hidden money location as leverage for him to deal with Zhang Liu Nian. Of course, Tang Shi Tong was pleased.
Zhang Liu Nian was already his enemy, and dealing with him was something he had always wanted to do. Now that Old Man Zhu had come to him, it was simply a matter of convenience.
With this thought, Tang Shi Tong nodded at Old Man Zhu, signifying his agreement.
Seeing this, Old Man Zhu was satisfied. Although he was incarcerated, he wouldn't let Zhang Liu Nian have an easy day.
Zhang Liu Nian knew nothing of these developments. At this moment, he was holding his daughter's photograph and looking for Uncle Yi, asking him to see who the daughter resembled more.
Uncle Yi took the photo and pretended to look very seriously, remaining silent for a long time.
"Uncle Yi, say something. Does my Hua Bao look like that Tang Shi Tong or not?" Zhang Liu Nian sat in his office, watching Uncle Yi stare at the photograph for a long time, feeling anxious.
Uncle Yi came back to his senses and slowly took out an old photograph from his pocket, handing it over. "Take a look yourself. This is a photo of the six Tang brothers."
Zhang Liu Nian glanced at him in surprise, then took it and examined it carefully without asking any questions. After a long while, he uncomfortably asked Uncle Yi, "Which one in here is Tang Shi Tong? And which one is Tang Shi Lin?"
He did notice two men who looked quite like Hua Bao, but he couldn't tell who was who.
Uncle Yi pointed his finger. "This one who resembles your daughter the most is Tang Shi Lin. However, rumor has it he had a son. Whether it was a son or a daughter, we have no way of knowing."
"..."
Zhang Liu Nian's expression, which had just started to improve, turned ugly again. So, in the end, his daughter was most likely Tang Shi Tong's biological daughter?
This was truly the worst possible outcome.
"Brother Liu Nian, Tang Shi Tong is here. He said he wants to see you," Just then, Zhang Qian suddenly appeared, saying Tang Shi Tong had arrived.
Zhang Liu Nian's body tensed, and his fists clenched as if he was about to fight. "Why is he looking for me? We don't even know each other!"
"He said he's here to discuss his daughter," Zhang Qian, seeing Brother Liu Nian's displeased expression, still relayed Tang Shi Tong's words under pressure.
"Bang!" As soon as Zhang Qian finished speaking, Zhang Liu Nian punched the solid wood desk, making a loud noise.
"He knows?" Zhang Liu Nian's statement was a certainty.
Zhang Qian nodded with difficulty. "He probably knows, otherwise, he wouldn't say he's here to talk about his daughter."
"I won't see him. I won't see him. Why should I? Does he think he can see me whenever he wants? Who does he think I am?" Zhang Liu Nian expressed complete resistance, not wanting to see Tang Shi Tong, and also afraid of meeting his daughter's biological father. His rejection was instinctive.
Seeing this, Zhang Qian and Uncle Yi exchanged glances, then tacitly turned their heads.
"Then I'll go tell him you won't see him." Zhang Qian, sensing Brother Liu Nian's unwillingness to meet, immediately went to dismiss him.
After Zhang Qian left, Zhang Liu Nian seemed to have lost all his energy. He slumped into his chair, burying his head in his hands, unsure of what to do.
Uncle Yi, seeing him like this, didn't know what to say. Then, remembering something, he suddenly said, "Now that Old Man Zhu is in jail, and our department store in the provincial capital has stabilized, should the boss consider opening another department store in Pengcheng, or perhaps in Hong Kong? I heard that place is a money-making paradise, where you can get rich doing anything."
His business empire needed to grow! If he could complete his nationwide business map sooner, his mission would be accomplished, and he would be free.
Zhang Liu Nian, who was still fearing that his daughter might be snatched away, heard this. He snapped back to attention and stared suspiciously at Uncle Yi, asking, "Uncle Yi, you seem very eager for me to make money quickly? Why?"
This Uncle Yi was acting a bit strange. Why was he so keen for him to expand his business so quickly? This wasn't right.
Wasn't he like an investigator? Why would he care so much about whether he made money or not?
Uncle Yi's expression froze for a moment before quickly recovering. "I just want you to distract yourself and not fall into fear and anxiety."
Zhang Liu Nian didn't believe his explanation, but he couldn't find a reason for Uncle Yi to act this way. Moreover, Uncle Yi had been helping him all this time and hadn't shown any intention of harming him, so it wasn't appropriate to investigate further. He could only put the matter aside for now.
However, what Uncle Yi said did resonate with him. He did have plans to develop a department store in Pengcheng, as well as build a factory to produce pickles. So, he would definitely go to Pengcheng, and he also wanted to visit Hong Kong.
Right, in a little over a month, it would be time for Mr. Xue's banquet, and he had to be there.
With these thoughts, he regained his spirits and threw himself back into his work.
Meanwhile, Tang Shi Tong, upon learning that Zhang Liu Nian did not wish to see him, did not linger there. Instead, he first went to the hiding place mentioned by Old Man Zhu.
He didn't have much money on him. If he could get some of Old Man Zhu's money, it would enable him to do many things.
However, to his disappointment, when he led his men into the dry well, they found nothing.
"Could it be that Old Man Zhu lied to me? Is this really not where he hid his money?" Tang Shi Tong paced back and forth furiously after coming out. But after a moment, he felt it was impossible.
Old Man Zhu was in a precarious situation himself; why would he lie to him? There was no need. So, where had the problem occurred?
With a belly full of questions, Tang Shi Tong went to the jail to see Old Man Zhu.
When Old Man Zhu learned that the money was gone from his hiding place, he immediately became agitated. "What did you say? Gone? How could it be gone?"
Only he knew about that place; no second person was aware of it. How could the money be gone?
What did Tang Shi Tong mean by that? Was he trying to deceive him?
That place held all the money he had earned from selling narcotics for a whole year, amounting to thirty to forty million.
Tang Shi Tong expected to see a cave full of gold upon arrival, so how could there be no money? That was absolutely impossible.
"Impossible. No one besides me knows about that place, so it couldn't be gone." Old Man Zhu absolutely refused to believe there was no money in the dry well. The most likely scenario was that Tang Shi Tong had taken the money and didn't intend to do anything, lying to deceive him.
"Are you trying to take advantage without doing the work, and that's why you're saying this? There's a fortune of thirty to forty million there. Don't be too greedy, or you might find my elder brother and second brother coming for you." Old Man Zhu's words were pure threats, making Tang Shi Tong want to storm off.