FI CH45: Inside and Outside Cooperation

In the detached villa.

Zhu Jianfei was groaning on the sofa when he suddenly heard a siren approaching from a distance.

He twisted his body to look, but the living room window faced the glass conservatory, completely blocking his view. He called out to Fang Shuyu:

“Go see what that noise is outside.”

Fang Shuyu turned her head as if she sensed something, paused, said “okay,” and pushed the door open to go out.

She didn’t close the door on her way out.

The sound of the siren and the commotion from outside became clearer.

Zhu Jianfei didn’t have to wait more than ten seconds.

He heard the commotion seem to be heading for the house. The next moment, a group of medical personnel rushed in through the door with a stretcher, all looking straight at him—

“?”

The one in the lead pointed a finger: “The patient is over there.”

Zhu Jianfei’s pupils instantly shrank!

He clutched the blanket with one hand and shouted in panic, “What are you doing! Who let you break into my house!?”

Two young and strong medical staff had already stepped forward. One of them grabbed his arm and said in a broad voice, “Why are you so nervous? You’re a patient, not a criminal.”

Zhu Jianfei was still resisting and shouting.

In his struggle, the blanket on him slipped off, revealing his high, swollen belly.

…

The living room suddenly fell silent for a moment.

Zhu Jianfei shivered violently, his face turning red and white.

But soon, the medical staff reacted, taking the opportunity to lift him onto the stretcher, comforting him, “Aigh, for this kind of difficult and complicated illness, don’t be shy, let’s get you to the hospital to have a look!”

By the time Zhu Jianfei came to his senses, he was already on the stretcher, his limbs even temporarily restrained.

The stretcher was pushed out of the villa.

He yelled and shouted, “Ah!! Let me down! Let go…! Who allowed you to do this!?”

The villa area was usually very quiet.

The ambulance had arrived with its siren blaring, and by now a crowd of nosy neighbors had gathered to watch the spectacle.

The crowd watched in shock as Zhu Jianfei was pushed onto the ambulance with a big belly:

“…Who is that?”

“It looks like Boss Zhu of the Jianda Group.”

“Holy cow!”

People all around took out their phones.

At school, the lunch break wasn’t over yet.

Lin Su returned to the classroom and was immediately grabbed by Chen You, who was sitting in the front row. Chen You pulled him down, secretly excited:

“Have you digested it? Did you see the follow-up clarification?”

He paused, then nodded, “I skimmed it.”

Chen You exclaimed, “And it was the Huicheng branch that clarified it. The Xuncheng branch, with its big shot in charge, is truly impervious to all poisons!”

Lin Su: …No, it’s just officials protecting officials.

Seeing him silent, Chen You asked again, “By the way, where did you sneak off to during lunch instead of napping?”

Lin Su said, “Enjoying the scenery.”

Chen You: “?”

Xuenima speculated: [Referring to Xiao He?]

Lin Su carried it back to his seat: “As my spiritual consciousness, your thoughts shouldn’t always be so muddled.”

Xuenima: [.]

The lunch break ended, and the first period in the afternoon happened to be a self-study session.

Lin Su was checking the butler’s homework while quizzing Xuenima on its memorization when his phone suddenly vibrated.

He opened it and saw a video sent by He Zhenling.

Probably because of a bad connection, the video hadn’t loaded yet.

Su-So-Sleepy-Can’t-Wake-Up: A short video? [heart]

The other side was silent for about ten seconds, then another vibration.

Ling: Yes, the kind you love to watch.

Lin Su: “…”

Xuenima, lying by his hand, made a sharp comment: [Fighting fire with fire.]

A hand swatted it away.

Lin Su took out his earphones and put them on. The video had just finished loading, and it showed a familiar-looking villa area.

He raised an eyebrow slightly and pressed play.

The video happened to capture a stretcher carrying Zhu Jianfei out of the villa, the ambulance siren blaring loudly, his swollen belly clearly visible.

Along with his continuous shouts, the voices of the medical staff were also recorded in the video:

“Don’t get excited, don’t get excited. If your blood pressure gets too high, it’s not good for the fetus… ah, no, I mean, it’s not good for your body.”

His words were met with another angry roar.

The conversation of the onlookers could also be heard in the background:

“Is he pregnant?”

“Isn’t that a man? A beer belly, maybe. Hey… the beer belly just moved like a fetus!”

“…”

Even the off-screen commentary was so brilliant.

Lin Su finished watching with admiration, then exited and asked He Zhenling: Where did you get the video, is your inspection work this timely? [Even kittens will worship you]

Ling: In the company group chat, an employee sent it.

Lin Su: …So you got it by lurking!

He typed enthusiastically: Next time there’s gossip, pull me into the group chat directly.

Ling: Heh, I pull you into the group chat. And then we receive a wave of wedding congratulations together?

Su-So-Sleepy-Can’t-Wake-Up: You are not allowed to say such wanton things again. [heart]

Lin Su turned off his phone after sending the message.

He opened a book with a serious expression, then paused: But, to think it has already spread to this extent.

The next day was Saturday.

Having said he would treat Lu Yanzhou and Chen Qiu to a meal, Lin Su booked the restaurant for noon and took a taxi over.

When he arrived, the two were already sitting in a small private room.

Lu Yanzhou still had his cold and gloomy appearance, but his expression was much softer. It was the first time he had seen Chen Qiu after he returned to his body; his smile was clean, and his eyes were free of worry.

Seeing him enter, Chen Qiu immediately said with pleasant surprise, “Benefactor!”

Lin Su’s steps faltered at the address: “…”

Xuenima praised: [That one word, so weighty.]

He walked over and sat down, skipping over the topic. “Are you used to the body?”

“I’m used to it.” Chen Qiu said shyly, “At the beginning, it was all thanks to benefactor’s two-person electric wheelchair. It’s very convenient for speeding around. Ah… except when I occasionally bump into Ah Yan when turning.”

Lin Su: “…”

Lu Yanzhou: “…”

Lu Yanzhou also skipped over the topic and asked, “What about President He? Didn’t you two come together?”

Lin Su sipped his tea. “We are currently restraining the distance between us.”

The two opposite him: ?

Chen Qiu leaned in and whispered: “It must be that Mr. He is too clingy…”

As they were chatting while waiting for the food, there was a sound behind the private room door. They turned to see He Zhenling walk in. He Zhenling took off his jacket and draped it over the back of the chair.

“Sorry, work held me up.”

After sitting down, he glanced at Lin Su: Didn’t you say it would be awkward to be with a couple…

He said meaningfully, “I see you two were also having a pleasant chat.”

Lin Su said warmly, “But with you here, I am even more like a tiger with wings.”

“…Heh.”

Chen Qiu whispered again: “See, I told you so.”

…

Everyone was present, and the food was served.

Lin Su raised his tea and clinked it with theirs. “For the matter of… looking out for me, thank you both.”

Lu Yanzhou shook his head. “It was nothing. Besides, we were just being truthful.”

Lin Su indeed hadn’t changed it for the worse, he had just changed it until it was gone.

Lin Su asked, “So what did you do when you went there?”

At the mention of this, Lu Yanzhou couldn’t help but frown in disgust, his face cold. “Zhu Jianfei’s method of gathering luck is truly insidious and disgusting. Didn’t he want to resolve the malevolent energy in the house? I placed a handful of grave soil to guide the unsealed malevolent energy into his body…”

He sneered, “Isn’t this also a form of resolution?”

Lin Su couldn’t help but cast an admiring glance: Damn, Xiao Lu is truly worthy of being the head of the Lu family who took power in his early twenties.

Xuenima secretly nibbled on a custard bun: [Mhm.]

After Lu Yanzhou finished speaking gloomily, he suddenly remembered something and turned to look at the Inspection Association President, He Zhenling, at his side.

He Zhenling was eating, and said lightly, “What goes around comes around. He’s reaping what he sowed.”

Lu Yanzhou’s expression relaxed slightly, and he nodded.

Lin Su recalled, “No wonder his stomach is so swollen. Besides the three- or four-month-old child, it turns out he’s also carrying a ball of malevolent energy.”

Chen Qiu popped his head up curiously. “What stomach?”

“I’ll send it to you… guys.”

Lin Su sent the video to Lu Yanzhou, and Chen Qiu watched it in amazement over Lu Yanzhou’s phone. While he watched over there, the conversation at the table continued.

Not long after, there was a sudden “Ah.”

They turned to see Chen Qiu holding up the phone, saying, “I was going to check on the progress of the matter, but then I saw this—”

At the same time, Lin Su’s phone vibrated.

Chen Qiu had already sent the link.

Lin Su clicked on it and saw that after the Huicheng Association’s clarification last time, netizens had started to dig deeper into the matter. Following the two clues of “Xuncheng” and “entrepreneur with the surname Zhu,” they were about to pinpoint the person.

But suddenly, some new exposés appeared, explicitly naming “Zhu Jiancheng.”

Now, a discussion had erupted online:

—Chengming Group, ah, it used to be a quite famous industrial group in Xuncheng, but it declined later.

—I heard it’s because they did something bad in the past that they went downhill.

—Now that they want to make a comeback, they can only resort to unorthodox methods.

There were also some who “claimed” to be former employees of Chengming Group, who also popped up to say that the company’s feng shui was bad and strange things kept happening. He got sick after only working there for a month, which scared him into quitting immediately.

—The one messing with feng shui is Chengming Group.

—Let’s all report this company together!

…

A voice came from his side: “Zhu Jiancheng?”

Lin Su turned his head and saw He Zhenling leaning over very naturally, looking at his phone with him. He paused for a moment, then said meaningfully, “I really am like a tiger with wings.”

He had a huge wing on his shoulder.

Xuenima had an epiphany: [No wonder his name is He Zhenling (Wing-Shaking He).]

He Zhenling let out a scoff, then became serious. “I remember the files saying that this is Zhu Jianfei’s biological older brother.”

Lin Su said, “When Zhu Jianren started his business, he stole the team from his brother.”

Chen Qiu’s eyes immediately widened in anger: Ah! ●`皿’●

“But, it’s not a big problem.”

Lin Su smiled faintly. “Public opinion is only temporary. Don’t underestimate the microscopic abilities of netizens.”

Chen Qiu’s mood immediately went from cloudy to sunny: “Oh!”

He looked over cheerfully again. “Benefactor~ you look like you have deep experience with this.”

“…”

Lin Su and He Zhenling fell silent at the same time.

Too many things flashed through their minds in an instant…

After a moment, Lin Su gently changed the subject. “Eat some radish, it’s good for your bright, watery eyes.”

In a single room at the Second Hospital.

Zhu Jianfei looked at the public opinion online and finally let out a breath of foul air.

His stomach was now bloated, and he suffered from unbearable pain for a period every day. The hospital couldn’t find the cause, so they could only have him stay in the hospital room for the time being.

“Damn it, making me suffer like this. When I get better, I won’t let a single one of them go!”

Fang Shuyu sat beside him, her head slightly lowered. Hearing this, she said softly, “Is it painful?”

Zhu Jianfei slammed the bed hard. “Of course it’s painful! You haven’t suffered…”

Fang Shuyu’s nails dug into her palm.

Before he could finish, there were two “knocks” on the door.

Zhu Jianfei cut off his words and suddenly showed a look of joy. “They’re here, go open the door!”

Fang Shuyu got up and opened the door.

But she saw a bald master in a long red and yellow robe standing outside. She was stunned for a moment, but the other party walked in on his own and called out to Zhu Jianfei familiarly:

“Mr. Zhu.”

“Master, you’re finally here!”

Zhu Jianfei was overjoyed. “Quick, quick, see what’s wrong with me?”

The bald master held a bell in his hand and shook it with a clang. He recited a mantra, then opened his eyes wide and pointed. “Heh…! You have a fetal spirit in your body, and a belly full of malevolent energy.”

Zhu Jianfei cursed fiercely, “Then hurry up and get rid of it for me!”

Fang Shuyu, who had followed him in, had a dark glint flash in her eyes.

The bald master caught a glimpse of it, and suddenly shook his ritual instrument, saying mysteriously, “Don’t panic. This misfortune of yours is because you were plotted against. And—there is a traitor by your side.”

Zhu Jianfei was taken aback. “A traitor?”

During this time, only his secretary and his wife were by his side. The master was found by the secretary.

That left only Fang Shuyu.

Come to think of it, he had suspected Fang Shuyu when the ambulance suddenly arrived at his house before. But later he had the secretary check and confirmed that it wasn’t Fang Shuyu’s phone number, so he had let it go.

Now that the master said it, his suspicions immediately arose.

Zhu Jianfei looked over sharply. “Was it you!?”

Fang Shuyu met his gaze.

Both culprits were right in front of her, and she wished she could take revenge immediately. But she had endured for many years and absolutely could not fail at the last moment.

She quickly adjusted her expression and said in surprise, “What did I do?”

“Did you call the ambulance! Are you in contact with the Tianshis outside—”

“How could that be.”

Zhu Jianfei stared at her and reached out his hand. “Phone, let me see.”

Fang Shuyu’s fingers tightened slightly, then she handed it over with a submissive look. “If you don’t believe me, look.”

He opened the phone; there were no records.

The contact list was also clean.

Zhu Jianfei scanned her up and down a few times, his suspicion still not dispelled. Finally, he pressed the phone under his pillow. Forget it, he would settle the score later.

“The master is going to perform a ritual in a bit. You can leave your phone with me for now.”

Fang Shuyu pursed her lips. “Okay, then I won’t disturb you.”

She turned and left.

In the bathroom outside the single room, the door closed with a “thud.”

Fang Shuyu stood in front of the sink, calming herself down a few times, her eyes burning with hatred. In the quiet, enclosed space, she closed her eyes, then took out a talisman from the inner pocket of her clothes.

—It was the one Lin Su had given her when he left the villa.

He said that just in case, she could use the talisman to contact him.

And now was the best time.

Fang Shuyu threw the talisman into the sink and turned on the water. The talisman paper was soaked.

The next moment, a bright flame suddenly ignited!

…

In the restaurant’s private room.

The group had almost finished eating.

Lin Su turned his head and called the waiter waiting outside the door, “Hello, the bill.”

He said as he fumbled for a piece of jade in his pocket, “I’ve run out of cash at home, you can see how much change to give…”

He Zhenling’s eyelid twitched beside him!

He pressed the man back down with one hand before the waiter could arrive, then pinched the bridge of his nose and took out a card, handing it over. “I’ll get it.”

The waiter looked, then took the card. “Okay.”

Lin Su: ?

He leaned over and whispered, “Why are you fighting to pay the bill? Wasn’t it my treat?”

He Zhenling gave up on delving into this issue. “It doesn’t matter, I have more money than I can spend anyway.”

“…”

Lin Su said in his consciousness: Damn, he’s so pampering me, but in a way that makes my teeth itch.

Xuenima: [In terms of rumors, half the kingdom is yours.]

The waiter had already finished processing the payment and returned.

He Zhenling put the card back in his pocket.

Just as Lin Su was about to get up, he suddenly sensed something. “Fang Shuyu is looking for me.”

He Zhenling looked up. “What?”

“I left her a talisman before, just in case. She’s not using her phone to contact me now, so it seems there’s a problem on Zhu Jianren’s end.”

“Let’s go, let’s go over now.”

“You want to go together?”

He Zhenling looked at him calmly and nodded.

Just as Lin Su was about to leave, he suddenly looked at Lu Yanzhou and Chen Qiu. “Do you two want to go together as well?”

Lu Yanzhou asked, “Can we also help?”

“No.”

Lin Su said with anticipation, “I’m just looking forward to how interesting Zhu Jianren’s reaction will be when the four of us show up together.”

__

Author’s Note:

Lin Su (slamming the door open): We’ve all come to visit the sick

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