Chapter 78: Chapter 78: I Thought We Were Friends

Chi Wan slowly told her parents about the investigation she had asked Zhou Huai’an to conduct.

The more they listened, the more alarmed Chi Yuanshan and Song Yinghe became!

They’d long known their daughter was very independent, but they never expected she had been doing so much more than they imagined in secret!

Chi Yuanshan’s face was etched with lingering fear. "Wanwan, you... next time you do something dangerous, can you please tell Mom and Dad beforehand? Otherwise, you’re going to scare us to death one of these days."

Song Yinghe also lightly tapped Chi Wan on the forehead. "That’s right, Wanwan. A family like the Hes... How could you dare to investigate them in secret? What if..."

Chi Wan smiled and hugged Song Yinghe’s arm. "It’s okay, Mom, Dad. I know what I’m doing. It’s not like I went out and investigated them myself. I asked Brother Huai’an to do it, and he’s not afraid of the He Family. Besides, we have to find out who’s secretly got it in for our family, don’t we?"

Chi Yuanshan didn’t know what to say.

"Sigh... Every time I start to feel useless, I remember I have such a capable daughter, and then I feel like there’s still hope for the future..."

At Chi Yuanshan’s words, Song Yinghe and Chi Wan couldn’t help but laugh.

Song Yinghe said with a straight face, "Recognizing that much means you’re not completely useless. You’d better look at Wanwan and work a little harder, or you’ll really have to rely on your daughter from now on."

If Chi Yuanshan had learned one thing these past few days, it was how to have an even better attitude than before. "What’s wrong with relying on our daughter? If we can rely on her, that just means we’re blessed! Still, Wanwan, you have to tell Mom and Dad about these things from now on.

"Even if I can’t be of much help right now, at least I’ll know what you’re up to. Besides, I haven’t been idle this whole time. I went over to the next village. They have a few undeveloped mountains there, and I’ve already negotiated a deal to buy them."

Chi Wan was taken aback. "They were willing to sell?"

Chi Yuanshan chuckled. "Why wouldn’t they be? The mountains used to be a fir forest, and the wood was cut, processed, and supplied to a building materials factory. But during a recent crackdown, it was discovered they never had a logging permit. The villagers didn’t care about any of that; all they knew was that they had to cut the trees to make money.

"After a lot of wrangling, the trees were cut and a price was agreed upon. But then came a whole host of other problems. Without a permit, the felled lumber was going to be confiscated, and it drove their village chief to his wit’s end.

"After that, the village didn’t want to bother with planting trees anymore. The young people all left to find work elsewhere, and with no one to manage the mountains, they slowly fell into neglect. The village chief couldn’t be happier that I’m buying them, especially since I also promised to help him take care of the outstanding fines."

Chi Wan hadn’t expected such a fortunate turn of events.

’After all, with Li Xingye around, any number of mountains probably wouldn’t be enough for him to plant on. Maybe my parents really could make a new life for themselves growing fruit trees?’

’Besides, if what happened to Song Yangming is really what I think it is, then the He Family might be in for some serious trouble.’

*

While Chi Wan and her parents were happily laughing and planning for the future, a targeted rescue operation was already in full swing.

Following the clues Chi Wan had provided, the police traced the line of Song Yangming’s disappearance and slowly but surely uncovered a secret human trafficking chain leading across the border.

Some were seething with hatred in the shadows, while others suffered and toiled in a manor.

Still others had sensed the looming crisis early on and were already trying to get out unscathed.

Zhou Huai’an, having just seen the police out, glanced at the person who had been sitting silently in his chair. He unhurriedly brewed a pot of tea and gently blew away the steam curling from the lip of the cup.

His face seemed indistinct behind the steam. "So, you came rushing over here just to tell me this?"

"Brother, why didn’t you tell me you found out it was the He Family that bankrupted Wanwan’s family?"

Zhou Huaijin had been busy with field research with Professor Zhang for the past several days. It wasn’t until he returned that he found out Chi Wan had quietly accomplished so many "big things."

But what probably stung the most was the fact that—despite his closer relationship with Chi Wan, she hadn’t told him any of this. Instead, she had entrusted everything to his cousin.

Zhou Huai’an took a sip of tea, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Tell you what? You’re a researcher. There’s no need for you to get mixed up in all this. Besides, would you even know what to do?"

Seeing Zhou Huaijin look down without a word, Zhou Huai’an couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.

In their generation of the Zhou family, there were only the two of them: Zhou Huai’an and Zhou Huaijin.

The Zhous’ ancestors had been wealthy merchants. Later, they seized an opportunity and made their fortune in real estate, reigning supreme for a time.

But ultimately, their foundation wasn’t strong enough. Zhou Huai’an’s parents were framed by a competitor and died in a plane crash. The young Zhou Huai’an was consumed by thoughts of revenge. After he finally got it, he completely lost interest in the cutthroat world of business.

Furthermore, Zhou Huaijin’s father had learned from the tragedy and chosen to go into politics to better protect the family. To avoid any appearance of impropriety, Zhou Huai’an broke up the family business, retaining only the core assets.

He then opened a small shop of his own and focused on making investments, living a much more carefree life than before.

Zhou Huaijin was eight years his junior. Having learned its lesson, the Zhou family protected him well, even allowing him to choose his academic major based on his own interests. As a result, Zhou Huaijin carried a certain scholarly naivete about him.

Zhou Huai’an poured Zhou Huaijin a cup of tea. "What’s the matter? Are you upset that Wanwan came to me for help?"

Zhou Huaijin accepted the cup and silently shook his head. "It’s not that. I just thought... I thought we were friends."

’They hadn’t known each other for long, but they had gone through that insurance scam together and worked together to trick the village chief. He’d seen Chi Wan’s resilience and wit when she faced her so-called "family," and they’d even sat under a tree, drinking by a charcoal fire until they were both tipsy.’

’Zhou Huaijin knew perfectly well that when it came to investigating the He Family, Zhou Huai’an was indeed more useful than he was.’

’But... something about it still felt off.’

Zhou Huai’an stood up and patted his shoulder. "You’re just too reserved. What’s the use of telling me all this? Anyway, this business with the He Family probably won’t end well... To put it nicely, He Lingfeng is willful. To put it bluntly, he’s completely lawless.

"He Yunzhen and the main branch of the family used to keep him in check, but who knows what will happen now. I was just about to give Wanwan a heads-up. Since you’re back, it’s perfect timing. You should go see her yourself. Oh, and here, take this."

Zhou Huai’an took out a file and handed it to Zhou Huaijin. "When I first learned the He Family was targeting the Chi Family, I thought it was strange. It didn’t make sense for them to go to such ruthless lengths just for Song Yangming.

"So I did some digging and found out that He Lingfeng and Wanwan had actually crossed paths before... What happened wasn’t just about targeting Song Yangming."

As Zhou Huaijin took the file and began to flip through it, his brow furrowed tighter and tighter. "Is He Lingfeng a lunatic?! He destroyed Wanwan’s family’s business over something like this?!"