Bending down to enter the chess game

Chapter 15 Unwilling

"What were the survey results?"

Yu Xingge lay on a yoga mat, hands-free, doing a plank. In the living room, her beautiful body was projected in front of the large dressing mirror with each breath.

"Sis, you're amazing! It was exactly as you predicted!"

"So, it really was the man who set it up?"

"That's right, you can't sue him for fraud. He lost millions, but Cao Tianchuan didn't get a single penny."

"Pretty clever," Yu Xingge exclaimed. "So that means the only ones who know are Cao Tianchuan and Lin Xiangsong?"

"That's impossible. In this kind of setup, aside from the one who lost money, the others aren't innocent. Do you want me to investigate the backgrounds and stakes of those two?"

Even though the other party couldn't see it, Yu Xingge still shook his head and said, "That's not necessary. It's nothing more than a matter of interests. There's no need to inquire about things unrelated to this case. However, what benefits did Lin Xiangsong promise Cao Tianchuan to do this? Even if it doesn't qualify as fraud, it's enough to classify him as extortion."

"I don't know," Hou Zijia said, slurping up mouthfuls of snail rice noodles. "We can't find out anything about such details. I asked my friend at the bank to check his account, and there haven't been any major changes."

"But sis, why don't you ask Brother Fu to investigate? With his current position, it would be a piece of cake for him to investigate this for you. Why do you need my little detective agency to do it for you?"

Yu Xingge didn't answer the question: "Monkey, thanks. Same as always, I'll transfer the money to you later."

"Goodbye, sis. You just graduated. You've probably spent most of the savings you accumulated over the years. Be careful. This matter is easy to investigate, and I didn't have to do much. You're a new lawyer, so you won't have any income yet. When you get a big case sometime, just don't forget to share some soup with me. That's all for now, I'm hanging up."

She chuckled, but still stood up, grabbed her phone, and transferred some money through Alipay.

Yu Xingge never fought an unprepared battle; however, the services she had requested when drafting the divorce agreement weren't yielding results quickly. Although she and Monkey had been friends for many years, having come from the orphanage together, even close brothers kept their accounts clear. She understood the principle that money was easier to repay than favors.

Recalling Zhou Yuxuan's last words during the day: "First, you helped her sign this agreement free of charge when she was most helpless. She has an innate sense of gratitude towards you. Second, this agreement has now become the most important bargaining chip in her lawsuit. The more lawyers she encounters, the more potential benefits your intervention can bring her. Finally, the more expensive it is, the more people like them will be willing to pay for it. They don't seek the best, only the most expensive." Zhou Yuxuan's eyes held a hint of a smile: "Money is their weapon."

Money, too, is her weapon...

The next morning, Liang Hui planned to go directly to the Hongjiang Law Firm to confirm the engagement with Attorney Yu, but instead received a call from her father. Her older cousin had discovered that Lin Xiangsong had sold the house to a buyer surnamed Qiao, and through the buyer, he learned that Lin Xiangsong had taken the child back to his hometown.

"My hometown," she murmured. She truly hadn't expected him to return; Lin Xiangsong's aversion to his hometown had always been no less than hers.

Suiyuan in Jiangbei is an old relic forgotten on the train of time.

After leaving the high-speed rail station, Liang Hui began searching for buses to Suiyuan, only to find that it required two transfers, and the only bus of the day had already departed. Frustrated, she used a ride-hailing app to book a private car. As she drew closer to her destination, her memories of Suiyuan gradually returned.

I still remember the last time I came was during the Spring Festival of my first year of marriage. If there's a moment when a person's love for another person reaches its peak, it must be right after marriage. And at that time, even though she was still immersed in the happiness and joy of marrying for love, she couldn't help but have many disagreements because of this trip to Suiyuan.

She first arrived at Lin Xiangsong's hometown based on her memory, but the driver refused to go any further than the village entrance. Liang Hui understood perfectly. On their honeymoon, she had offered to drive, but Lin Xiangsong stopped her. She hadn't understood until she entered the village, Baozhuang, notoriously dirty and chaotic. Generation after generation of teenagers dropped out of school before graduating high school, finding migrant work too tiring and farming too difficult. They were known for petty theft and extortion, earning a bad reputation, and attracting even more people who staged accidents for insurance fraud.

She put on a mask and glanced at her shoes. Even though she had the foresight to wear a pair of gray canvas shoes that should have been thrown away long ago, in just three seconds after getting off the bus, it was hard to tell what the original color of the shoes was. Bao Village is surrounded by mountains, making it impossible for machinery to go up, thus hindering large-scale farming. The village relies on rows of sweet potatoes, producing vermicelli for export. The air is perpetually filled with the smell of rotting sweet potatoes, and sewage is dumped outside by everyone. No one is willing to spend money on road repairs, so people walk through the muddy ground in front of each house by throwing a few bricks down.

This is a place I would never want to visit again.

But the memory is so distant that she has forgotten which nook and cranny Lin Xiangsong's mud house was in.

"Grandma," Liang Hui said, walking up to a group of elderly people sunbathing at the village entrance. "How do I get to Lin Xiangsong's house?"

The toothless, silver-haired old man was quite enthusiastic: "Go straight ahead, there's a mill there. Turn left at the end, and it's there. But young lady, what do you need that house for? They moved to the city a long time ago. No one lives in their old house anymore."

"Move to the city? Do you know where to move to?"

Before the old woman could speak, the old man next to her chimed in, "I know. My eldest grandson said they moved to the western suburbs of Wushi."

The old woman glanced sideways: "Your eldest grandson still has connections with that gold nugget."

"Look at what you're saying. We grew up playing together, even if we didn't go to college together, what about all that friendship after all these years?"

"Do you know which neighborhood in the western suburbs of Wushi, sir?"

"Oh, I didn't know that. Why are you looking for him?"

Liang Hui pulled down her mask: "I'm Xiang Song's wife. We had a fight a couple of days ago, and he was angry with me. He ran back home, and when I saw that things weren't going well, I rushed back to find him. He, in a fit of pique, even turned off his phone. Not to mention, his school is urging him to take leave and go home."

"That's true." A middle-aged woman in black pants stood up: "Lin Xiangsong brought this girl home during the first year of their marriage, but she didn't go out much. That's for sure."

"Then I'll ask for you."

The old man took out his phone and somewhat awkwardly scrolled through his contacts.

Liang Hui was slightly nervous on the side, but at the last moment, thank God.

"Hey, Dayou."

"I've eaten."

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

"I'm taking my medicine and sunbathing."

Liang Hui stood silently anxiously by, wanting to rush over and ask her herself several times.

"I know, I know, but, Da You, do you know where Xiang Song's new house is located?"

"Oh, you didn't know either?"

"well"

"Okay, then I'll hang up."

"Take good care of yourself over there."

"Okay." The old man reluctantly hung up the phone, looking at her with regret. The old woman also cast a sympathetic glance her way; what a pity she couldn't see any gossip.

Liang Hui's fluctuating emotions were on the verge of collapse. Was calling the police really the only option?

Yes! Call the police.

Just then, the phone rang: "Who is it?"

"Our 100 call log shows that you received a call at..."

"Yes! I called the police. You've found the child's whereabouts?" The person on the other end said something. Liang Hui burst into tears of joy. "Yes, yes! Her name is Lin Lin, and her husband's name is Lin Xiangsong. Wait a moment, let me write it down." She quickly pressed the speakerphone button and pulled up her phone's memo: "Linfu Shijia, Building 6, Unit 1, 1st Floor, West Unit, Xinqu Street, Putian District, Wushi. I understand. Thank you, officer, thank you so much!"

Ignoring the attention and pleasantries of the group of elderly people, Liang Hui quickly placed a ride-hailing order as soon as she hung up the phone.

Wu City is the provincial capital of Jiangbei, with much more convenient transportation. Sitting in the car, watching the surrounding scenery transform into familiar high-rise buildings, she couldn't quite describe her feelings as either trepidation or anxiety; she found it difficult to feel happy. When she finally arrived at the Lin family mansion, she was stopped by the gatekeeper.

"Madam, please swipe your card to enter."

"I'm here to find someone!"

"Who are you looking for?" The conscientious security guard stopped her. "Please register. I need to confirm with the homeowner before I can let you in."

Is the security in this residential community really this bad? Normally, she might even praise it.

"I'm looking for my husband, do I need to confirm that?" she said, and then tried to rush inside.

"Excuse me, ma'am," the security guard said from the turnstile. "Yes, we do need to. Would you like to call your husband? If it really is him, he can call us to confirm."

"You!" Liang Hui was on the verge of collapse. Fortunately, her efforts paid off. Just then, she saw Lin Xiangsong leading her son out from behind the flower bed. Watching her son skip and hop beside Lin Xiangsong, Liang Hui couldn't describe her feelings. When the two reached the entrance of the residential area, Liang Hui shouted, "Lin Xiangsong!"

The man in the plaid shirt opposite him was taken aback. He looked up and finally saw Liang Hui's face clearly.

"Why did you take your son away without saying a word!"

Lin Xiangsong frowned: "How did you find this place?"

Liang Hui walked over: "What's wrong with you? Just say you want that house. Don't you know how I've treated you? What haven't I given you all these years? Do you need to pull this stunt? And then you disappear with my son?"

A fleeting awkwardness crossed Lin Xiangsong's expression, but he quickly retorted sarcastically, "If you're willing to give it away so readily, then why did you come to me?"

Liang Hui ignored him and reached out her hand to her son: "Lin Lin, come home with Mom."

Lin Lin remained silent, instinctively shrinking behind her father.

Liang Hui froze, a sharp pain shooting through her heart: "You don't want to?"