I could hardly believe my ears; the situation was absurd. Going on a honeymoon with me? It sounded utterly ridiculous.
"Lingjie, please focus on driving."
Zhang Ling's phone rang; it was a call from Duan Huairen.
"Lingzi, are you falling asleep? Stay alert."
After about two hours, the car slowly entered a hilly area. After several twists and turns, it stopped at an extremely remote location.
"We've arrived. Get out and fetch my sneakers from the trunk. I'll find a place to park."
I stood by the roadside with white sneakers in hand. Soon, Zhang Ling returned, supporting my shoulder as she helped me change my shoes.
At that moment, I couldn't help but react; she was wearing silk inside her pants, with black stockings barely revealing the red nail polish on her toenails. It was incredibly tempting.
"In the future, avoid wearing high heels while driving. It's unsafe."
We walked up a narrow dirt path about a meter wide, leading to a dilapidated cave. A Southern accent could be heard inside.
"Who goes there? Don't move, or I'll shoot you."
"Boss Wang, it's me, Han Meimei."
I glanced at Zhang Ling, wondering why she had changed her name.
Zhang Ling squeezed out a sentence through her teeth, "Don't speak."
A middle-aged man with a gun emerged from the cave, aiming the pitch-black muzzle at me.
"Who is this kid?"
"He's one of us. Don't be nervous. Put the gun away, and let's proceed carefully."
"No one's following you, right?"
"Don't worry, it's absolutely safe."
After holstering the gun, Boss Wang looked lasciviously at Zhang Ling and reached out to touch her chin.
"Meimei, I've missed you so much since we last met."
Zhang Ling stepped back, smiling but not smiling, and said, "Boss Wang, we have plenty of time ahead of us. Let's focus on business first."
Boss Wang chuckled and pulled out his phone to make a call.
About half an hour later, Zhang Ling and Boss Wang received calls, informing them that the food was ready, and it was time to settle the bill.
Boss Wang entered the cave and returned with a suitcase, handing it over to Zhang Ling.
Upon opening it, I was dumbfounded; I had never seen so much money in my life.
"A million, all here."
Boss Wang's accent made it difficult for me to understand.
"How much?"
Boss Wang waved a finger in front of my eyes.
"A million, from Hong Kong."
My blood pressure skyrocketed, and I almost fainted.
After verification, Zhang Ling nodded, called Duan Huairen, and told him it was safe for their party to leave.
"Miss Han, accompany me to Hong Kong for a month, and I'll give you all this."
Zhang Ling remained noncommittal, kissed Boss Wang on the cheek, seductively suggesting he should take care of himself first and then waved her hand, signaling me to leave with her.
On the way back, Zhang Ling mentioned that aside from several pieces of gold and silverware and bronze artifacts, the ceramic items weren't worth much; they were basically given away.
In the following days, I visited the major hospitals in the Western Capital, inquiring about the possibility of curing Shi Jingxia's face. Someone recommended an intermediary agency specialized in arranging plastic surgeries in South Korea.
I met with the intermediary and explained the detailed situation. After hearing it, he shook his head and explained that typical cosmetic procedures like eye opening, nose augmentation, breast augmentation, and facelifts were common, but what I described required major surgery and multiple operations.
Feeling somewhat disheartened, the intermediary mentioned knowing an expert in the South Korean medical aesthetics industry who could possibly assist me. He estimated that the total cost for several surgeries would be at least several hundred thousand yuan, but exact figures were uncertain. He advised me to prepare twenty thousand yuan initially.
I was nearly scared stiff; where could I find so much money?
At a loss, I caught a glimmer of hope.
Lin Canghai pushed a cowhide bag toward me and then sat across from me, leaning against the sofa back, observing.
Opening the bag, I found it filled with brand-new hundred-yuan bills.
"Guangting, this is eighty thousand. Take it."
As I gazed at the banknotes exuding the scent of ink, my thoughts were consumed by Shi Jingxia.
Seeing my composed demeanor, Lin Canghai continued, "With such a sudden influx of money, I know you must be surprised. Yet, it's thanks to you this time. Indeed, you display the same demeanor as our ancestor did. Work diligently; I have high hopes for you."
"Mr. Lin, I need two hundred thousand."
Lin Canghai had just taken a sip of tea. Hearing my request, he almost choked.
"Why do you need so much money? Have you encountered some sort of trouble?"
Uncertain of how to respond, I fabricated a reason.
"I've been impoverished for too long. I now desire to live the life of the affluent, planning to buy a car to impress women. Mr. Lin, you know, nowadays, women are quite materialistic."
*Cough, cough, cough.*
Lin Canghai couldn't contain himself, choking on his tea.
Ultimately, he agreed to my terms, opening the safe and handing me an additional hundred and twenty thousand.
However, he made it clear: after accounting for expenses and miscellaneous costs, the remaining one million yuan would be reduced to eight hundred and eighty thousand. I received eighty thousand, and the remaining one hundred and twenty thousand was a loan from him.
That same day, I eagerly headed to Rujia Restaurant, intending to share this good news with Shi Jingxia. However, the restaurant was closed, its shutter down.
I sat on the steps outside, waiting for nearly two hours until mealtime, but there was still no sign of Shi Jingxia.
This was truly odd; such a situation had never occurred before. Recalling the previous incident, a sense of foreboding engulfed me.
A sanitation worker nearby was sweeping the street, so I approached and inquired.
"Sir, why isn't Rujia Restaurant open?"
"They're done for, young man. If you want noodles, try another place."
"Done for? How can they just decide to close like that?"
"They offended someone. The night before last, two vans arrived, and over a dozen youngsters stormed in, smashing everything to pieces."
It must have been the work of the Zang'ai Family. I grew tense and pressed for more information.
"And the owners, are they okay?"
The old man shook his head, sighed, and continued sweeping the street.
"They made the mother and daughter kneel, poured soy sauce and vinegar over their heads, forced them to eat garlic and ginger, and even made them drink white liquor. It was terrible."
The old man shook his head again before saying, "Early the next morning, I saw them packing their bags and leaving."
"Do you know where they went?"
"I didn't ask. I'm just a street sweeper; why would I get involved in such matters?"
As I envisioned the scene in my mind, my anger burned fiercely. This grudge would not go unanswered; I swore upon it.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Chen Laoda's number.