Chapter 160

Chapter 160 - 160 153 Xie Shang Gets Injured Changlings Reaction Chapter 160: 153: Xie Shang Gets Injured, Changling’s Reaction (Second Update) Chapter 160: 153: Xie Shang Gets Injured, Changling’s Reaction (Second Update) Mr. Pang was removed from his position, and the general manager’s office had a new occupant.

Pang Zijin sat in the boss’s chair, apologetically looking at the predecessor’s secretary and the former general manager, who were packing up, “Please forgive me, big brother. For the company’s image, I had no choice but to inconvenience you.”

Though his words sounded pleasant, his eyes gleamed like a fox that had just scored a victory.

“Don’t get too smug,” Mr. Pang warned angrily, “This isn’t the end of it. You just wait.”

Of course, this wasn’t the end. This was just the beginning.

Pang Zijin stood up, considerately placing the former general manager’s nameplate into the packed box. He waved his hand with a smile, “Take care. I won’t see you out.”

Mr. Pang left the office with a belly full of fire. On his way to the parking lot, he received a phone call.

“Mr. Pang, I have some leads on what you asked me to check into,” the caller said.

The person on the phone went into detail.

After listening, Mr. Pang’s scalp went numb and his expression stiffened. He was not only surprised but also terrified: “How could it be him?”

That evening, Mr. Pang came home, drunk to the point of stupor. As soon as he entered, he leaned on the wall and threw up, stumbling around, he collapsed on the sofa mumbling about everything being over and threats of dying together.

Gan Xiaoping heard noises and came downstairs from the upper floor, only to be met by a pungent scent of alcohol as soon as she stepped into the living room.

She glanced at the mess on the ground, walked over to the sofa, and nudged her husband’s arm, “Go sleep in the bedroom.”

Mr. Pang angrily shook off her hand, “Get lost.”

Gan Xiaoping went to the kitchen and brought back a cup of water.

“You’ll be uncomfortable sleeping like this. Get up and have some honey water,” she said.

Mr. Pang sat up, snatched the cup, and threw it to the ground in frustration and fury, “Can’t you understand when I say get lost?

Even a hair washer like you dares to ignore me now.”

Before, Mr. Pang had two drivers. Xu Zhonghan only occasionally drove for him; more often, he did other tasks for Mr. Pang.

Gan’s father, Gan Lishu, was Mr. Pang’s other driver, specifically assigned to driving duties.

Before marrying Mr. Pang, Gan Xiaoping worked in a hair salon. After their marriage, Mr. Pang often beat and scolded her, sometimes even in front of their children.

She knew Mr. Pang had always looked down on her, feeling she didn’t deserve him.

“Get farther away. Stop annoying me,” Mr. Pang kicked the coffee table away and lay back down on the sofa.

Gan Xiaoping stood there for a while, then got a broom and cleaned up the shattered glass and filth from the floor. By the time she finished, Mr. Pang was fast asleep, snoring like thunder.

Gan Xiaoping took out her phone and dialed Pang Zijin’s number, “If I help you, what will you give me?”

The way the wind was blowing and the tide of events had changed; smart people would not align themselves with the losing side.

*****

The driver Mr. Xie hired for Wen Changling was a taciturn elder brother. Mr. Xie waited at the crossroads and Wen Changling got out at the same spot.

It was the time when work and school were letting out, the streets were crowded, children laughed and played, and the voices of street vendors were loud and lively.

Wen Changling walked ahead, then stopped.

“There’s a chestnut seller over there. Tongtong likes to eat them. I’ll buy some,” she said.

Mr. Xie seemed not to hear, continuing to walk forward.

Wen Changling tugged at his sleeve, “Mr. Xie.”

He looked at her.

“What’s wrong? You’ve been distracted.”

“I’ve been thinking about some things,” he replied.

“I’m going to buy the chestnuts,” Wen Changling said.

She crossed the street first, and Mr. Xie followed her.

After buying chestnuts, she remembered Granny Zhu had mentioned running out of sesame seeds the day before, so she went to the dried fruit shop. The third floor of the dried fruit shop was under construction to avoid disrupting business, so a temporary staircase had been erected on the back side for the construction workers to enter and exit.

Mr. Xie waited at the entrance.

When Wen Changling finished paying and came out, she said, “Let’s go.”

Mr. Xie took the bags from her hands, eyebrows raised faintly at a subtle sound. Out of defensive instinct, he looked up and saw a hand.

Mr. Xie reacted quickly, embracing Wen Changling and as they turned, shielded her head with his hand, and they both rolled to the ground. Almost simultaneously, two bricks fell from above, smashing into pieces on impact.

Mr. Xie didn’t bother with the person on the rooftop; his first priority was to check on Wen Changling, “Are you hurt anywhere?”

She sat up, still a bit dazed, shook her head, “What about you?”

“I’m fine,” he said.

Chestnuts and sesame seeds were scattered all over the ground.

Mr. Xie looked up to the floors above, but the person was no longer there.

“We should report this.”

“I’ll take you home first.”

Xie Shang took Wen Changling back to Granny Zhu’s house, then called over the driver he had hired for Wen Changling and went to the police station to report the case.

There were surveillance cameras on Lotus Pond Street, but not enough of them, which left numerous blind spots.

The detective in charge pulled up the surveillance footage, which had captured the perpetrator. After the dry fruit shop’s construction crew left, he had been hiding on the rooftop.

Not just today, but yesterday and the day before as well.

After committing the crime, he escaped from the rear door of the dry fruit shop on a motorcycle.

“This motorcycle is a stolen vehicle.”

The person committing the crime was wearing a mask and a hat, about 1.75 meters tall, with no significant distinguishing features in build.

Officer Zhang, the detective, asked Mr. Xie, “Has Mr. Xie offended anyone recently?”

“Pang Shifang.”

This name had recently been trending on the searches.

“The general manager of Pamdow?”

“Yes,” Xie Shang added, “I am the perfumer of Noon Ferry.”

Then there was a motive.

This case could be big or small; it might have been a simple lesson or intimidation, or it could have been attempted murder.

Officer Zhang then asked, “Why didn’t your girlfriend come along? It’s best if she also comes in to give a statement; it might be that she has an enemy, not necessarily you.”

“She doesn’t need to.” Mr. Xie said with an unchanged expression, “My girlfriend has a very good temperament and never offends anyone.”

Officer Zhang was aware of who Mr. Xie was; there wasn’t a detective in the capital who didn’t know KE.

This perpetrator was truly audacious; of all the people to provoke, he chose someone with a family full of lawyers.

“We’ll contact you if there are any updates.”

Xie Shang thanked him and stood up to leave.

It was already completely dark outside. Because of a recent dismemberment case, the police station was working overtime.

“Captain Lin, there’s a discovery.”

Mr. Xie passed by.

One detective was on his way to the office, reporting as he walked: “Two years ago, Dong Wanlong had a large amount of money coming in from an unknown source.”

*****

“It must have been targeted at me.”

“Pang Shifang might have found out about you,” Fu Ying advised Wen Changling, “It’s best not to go out alone recently.”

Wen Changling responded absentmindedly with a hum, standing at the doorway, leaning out to look around.

A figure appeared under the distant lantern; it was Xie Shang returning from the police station.

For the following two days, Mr. Xie left early and returned late.

The hospital wasn’t busy recently, so Wen Changling had taken leave to rest at home. That evening, she received a call from an unfamiliar number.

“Hello?”

“It’s me, Gu Yihuan.”

Wen Changling knew her; she had a good memory and recognized the sequence of numbers: “Hello, may I ask what’s the matter?”

“Come to the city hospital quickly, your fourth brother has been injured.”

Wen Changling was briefly stunned.

She had guessed wrong; it was Xie Shang whom the vicious dog had targeted after all.

After hanging up the phone, she walked toward the door.

Granny Zhu called out to her at the doorway: “The sun is about to set, where are you going?”

“I’m going to the hospital.”

Granny Zhu was puzzled: “Aren’t you on leave?”

Her expression was unusually calm, so calm it was almost stiff, as she said: “Xie Shang has been injured.”

Granny Zhu was startled by her words, feeling anxious: “I’ll go with you.”

“No need, I’ll go by myself.”

Granny Zhu insisted, concerned: “Then at least change your shoes first.”

Wen Changling looked down and saw she was still wearing slippers.