“Have you spoken to Officer Liu?” Wang Chenglin asked, spotting her return.
Sun Min glanced around the vicinity and quietly recounted what she had overheard to Wang Chenglin: “Husband, what should we do about this?”
If they pretended not to know, their consciences would surely be troubled. But if they spoke up and it reached Liu Xiaoting or Director Zhou, then the couple wouldn't be able to work at the factory anymore.
Upon hearing her words, Wang Chenglin frowned and pondered for a moment before speaking, “No matter what, we’ve received quite a bit of help from young Chen during this time. We absolutely cannot let her suffer this injustice.”
Sun Min nodded, “Alright, I’ll find some time to go tell her.”
After work that day, Sun Min didn’t go back to her own home but headed directly to Chen Lishu’s place.
“Sister Sun, what brings you here today?” Chen Lishu greeted her with a smile, her gaze falling on Sun Min’s work clothes, which she hadn’t had time to change. She asked curiously, “Just got off work?”
Sun Min nodded. Her eyes fell on Chen Lishu, the only young woman at home, and she couldn’t help but frown with concern, saying, “Sister, it’s too dangerous for you to be alone at home. Isn’t your husband home?”
Chen Lishu smiled, “My husband is a soldier and usually stays at the barracks, rarely having time to come back.”
Sun Min then remembered that Chen Lishu had indeed mentioned this before.
Seeing Sun Min’s hesitant expression, Chen Lishu couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Sister Sun, is there something on your mind?”
Considering that lives were at stake, Sun Min gritted her teeth and decided to speak, even if it meant risking her and her husband’s jobs. She recounted the matter to Chen Lishu: “…That Zhou Dacheng is a scoundrel, relying on his uncle’s influence to bully people at the factory. He’s capable of anything, and now he’s threatening to deal with you. Sister, it’s too dangerous for you to be home alone; this is no trifling matter. Listen to me, either find more people to stay with you, or go back to the village to lie low.”
After hearing Sun Min’s words, Chen Lishu’s smile faded, and a hint of ferocity flashed in her eyes.
Everyone does business and earns money by their own abilities. For Liu Xiaoting to resort to such low-handed tactics was truly despicable.
“Sister Sun, I understand. Thank you for your kind reminder. I will definitely pay attention to my safety.” Chen Lishu looked at Sun Min and thanked her sincerely. Regardless of whether this matter was true or not, Sun Min had risked her job to remind her. She silently remembered this kindness.
“We are neighbors, and you’ve been so kind to our family. It’s only right to remind you.”
After sending Sun Min away, Chen Lishu’s expression turned grim, and her eyes narrowed dangerously.
If that Zhou Dacheng dared to come, she would ensure he never returned!
Although Zhou Dacheng was usually overbearing, he was quite cautious in his actions. After following Chen Lishu for two days and knowing she was alone at home, he relaxed his guard. That night, he went alone with a barrel of diesel, climbed over the wall, and entered Chen Lishu’s courtyard.
Lin Qi had been keeping an eye on the activity in Chen Lishu’s courtyard. Seeing a dark figure climb over the wall, he quickly nudged Ding Chen beside him, “Don’t sleep, someone’s here!”
“Here?” Ding Chen, who was still groggy, became instantly alert upon hearing his words. He immediately got out of bed. Not daring to disturb Sun Shuzhen and Ding Yongfeng, he quietly slipped out into the darkness with Lin Qi.
Gu Xingdong arrived at the train station past ten o’clock at night. It was too late to return to the village, so he decided to stay at the rented courtyard for the night.
Under the faint moonlight, he walked to the alley entrance. After a few steps forward, he keenly sensed a dark figure climbing his courtyard wall. His expression tensed, and he pursued with a few strides, but the person had already scaled the wall and jumped into the courtyard.
Gu Xingdong stood by the wall, looked up, took two steps back, and then sprinted forward. He kicked off the wall with both feet, his body light as he effortlessly reached the top of the wall.
After Lin Qi and Ding Chen went out, just as they were about to climb over the wall, they suddenly saw another dark figure appear at the courtyard gate.
Seeing the shadowy figure nimbly scale the wall and land with the agility of a swift leopard, Lin Qi and Ding Chen’s expressions changed.
The other party had a formidable helper!
However, they couldn’t afford to be afraid at this moment, especially Lin Qi. If anyone dared to threaten Chen Lishu’s safety, he would risk his own life.
Chen Lishu had been paying attention to the sounds outside. Hearing the sound of a window being pried open, she immediately got out of bed, standing alert within the ‘safety zone,’ her hands gripping the stick tightly.
She had already prepared ‘big gifts’ in two rooms, waiting for whoever came.
Zhou Dacheng easily pried open the window in front of him, feeling rather smug. He first lifted the diesel barrel onto the windowsill, then supported himself with both hands and jumped up. In the dim moonlight, he scanned the room, his eyes lighting up as he spotted the pile of fabrics in the corner.
He eagerly jumped to the ground. With a “click” that reached his ears, Zhou Dacheng felt a piercing pain in the sole of his foot.
“Ah—”
Before the scream could fully form, Zhou Dacheng saw a black shadow flash before his eyes, and a dull thud on his head. He collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.
As soon as Gu Xingdong landed, he keenly sensed two people lurking by the other courtyard wall. Hearing the commotion inside, his expression suddenly changed. Forgetting everything else, he dashed to the window. Without pause, he supported himself with one hand on the windowsill and flipped inside. Just as he was about to land, he sensed something was wrong. His peripheral vision caught something on the ground, but it was too late to adjust. Before his body landed, he shifted his feet, simultaneously supporting himself with one hand and performing a difficult backflip, landing precariously on the clear ground.
Before he could even catch his breath, a gust of wind suddenly attacked him from behind. Gu Xingdong quickly sidestepped to evade it and, with a backhand, moved to apprehend the attacker. His peripheral vision caught Chen Lishu, and the force of his grip lessened. He gently pulled her wrist towards his chest, embracing her tightly.
Chen Lishu was furious. She thought it would be over with just one person, but now there were two, and the latter one was clearly difficult to deal with. Not only did he evade her meticulously set traps, but he didn’t even get touched by her swung stick. And now, he shamelessly hugged her. She raised her foot and kicked towards his lower body. Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice reached her ears: “It’s me.”
Gu Xingdong?!
Before Chen Lishu could feel any joy, two figures suddenly jumped in from the window. To avoid the traps, their movements were somewhat disheveled.
As soon as Lin Qi steadied himself, he raised the stick in his hand and charged towards the man behind Chen Lishu, shouting, “Let go of Sister Chen quickly! I’ll beat you to death today, you scoundrel!”