r18novel Chapter 1118 Ah Hu Thinks of a Solution
Chapter 1118 Ah Hu Thinks of a Solution
Xiao Wang sighed, raised his hand and patted his shoulder lightly, a gesture tinged with helpless reassurance: "Don't think about it anymore, just go. This isn't the place to talk. If the boss sees me whispering to you, I'll lose my job—I have elderly parents and young children to support, I can't afford any trouble." With that, he picked up the empty trash can at his feet, quickly turned around and went back into the station. His blue uniformed figure quickly disappeared behind the glass door, without even daring to look back.
Ah Hu was left standing alone in the shade of a tree by the roadside. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on his face. Despite the warm sunshine, his complexion was as white as paper, his eyes were frighteningly empty, and he seemed to have lost his soul. Even the rustling of the leaves in the wind did not elicit any response from him.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, causing excruciating pain, yet he felt no pain at all. Only one thought surged in his mind: he couldn't give up like this. Lili was with him; he couldn't just stand by and watch her get hurt. He had to find a way to save her.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Ah Hu's mind, like striking a match in the darkness—he remembered Li Jianjun. These past two days, he'd been busy trying to find out about Lili, asking around among several familiar faces on the street and also gathering information on everyone involved. He hadn't expected that this seemingly unremarkable guy, Li Jianjun, actually had some "connections"—his father-in-law was a district official, and it was said that his words carried considerable weight. Last time Li Jianjun made a mistake at the factory, it was only because of his father-in-law's intervention that he wasn't thoroughly investigated.
Although Ah Hu didn't know how Li Jianjun had been fired from the factory, given the current situation, he had no choice but to try anything. Li Jianjun and Lili had been arrested together, and if his father-in-law wanted to bail Li Jianjun out, he might be able to get Lili out as well. Even if the other party was unwilling, he had to try to save Lili, even if it meant begging them or kneeling down and kowtowing.
Thinking of this, a glimmer of light finally rekindled in Ah Hu's eyes, like a candle flame about to go out being carefully fueled, weak yet stubborn. He vigorously wiped his face, erasing the dejection and despair he had just felt, straightened his slightly hunched back, and turned to walk towards the direction of Li Jianjun's father-in-law's house, which he had inquired about. Although his steps were still a little unsteady, as if he were walking on damp cotton, they carried an unyielding stubbornness, each step making a dull thud on the bluestone pavement.
He had already made up his mind: if Zhang Li refused to save Lili, he would expose all of Li Jianjun and Lili's dirty secrets. He knew Zhang Li's family too well; they valued their reputation above all else. If such a scandal happened in their family, they would probably tear the roof off. To protect their reputation, they would definitely obediently save Lili.
The interrogation room at the police station was blindingly bright. Li Jianjun slumped in the cold interrogation chair, too lazy to even lift his eyelids. Having learned from his previous arrest, he was confident that as long as he gritted his teeth and kept quiet, he could hold out until his family found out, and someone would come to his rescue—his father-in-law, Zhang Li, had been in the local officialdom for many years and had connections; he would never stand by and watch his son-in-law fall into ruin and be disgraced.
But the thought of his father-in-law finding out about his sordid affair with Lili, and how he had set up a scheme to get revenge on Gu Nan by hooking up with such a woman, made Li Jianjun shudder. He feared his father-in-law would be furious enough to overturn the table on the spot, and might even sever ties with him, leaving him to fend for himself. A cold sweat broke out on Li Jianjun's back, sticking uncomfortably to his shirt.
Lili, on the other hand, wasn't stupid either. When the police took her to a separate room for interrogation, she knew perfectly well what she should say and what she absolutely mustn't say. She only picked out some trivial things to say, insisting that she had been bewitched by Li Jianjun, who said he gave her a sum of money to "teach Gu Nan a lesson." As for her previous ambiguous relationship with Li Jianjun and those shady deals, she didn't reveal a single word.
She thought to herself: making baseless accusations would only drag her deeper into trouble, and she might not only fail to save herself but also face even greater consequences. Besides, Tiger would definitely find a way to get her out—they had already agreed to find a place to settle down once things calmed down. There was no need to rush; the most important thing now was to stay calm and not lose her composure.
Everything seemed to be going in the direction Ah Hu had envisioned, but he knew in his heart that this was only temporary. Xiao Wang had already said he couldn't help at all, and if things dragged on any longer, Lili might be framed for some crime. He really had no other choice but to place his last bet on Zhang Li—after all, he was Li Jianjun's father-in-law, and he couldn't just abandon him.
Ah Hu arrived at the red brick building where Zhang Li lived. He looked up at the light on the third floor, which shone through the gaps in the curtains, casting a warm, dim glow. He turned to his henchman and instructed, "Stay here and keep a close watch on the stairwell. Whether it's a stranger coming up or someone from Li Jianjun's family, if there's any movement, come up and report it immediately. Understand?"
The younger brother nodded emphatically, gripping the gleaming stick in his hand tightly—everyone knew that this was a time not to anger the boss. Lili wasn't just the unofficial "eldest sister" among them, but also Tiger's chosen wife; they were just waiting for this storm to pass before getting married. Now that she was in trouble, getting her out of there was more important than anything else.
Ah Hu straightened his wrinkled collar, spat into his palm, rubbed it, and then started walking upstairs. The wooden stairs creaked under his feet, each step feeling like a blow to his heart. He thought of being polite first, though he hadn't read many books, he still understood the basic etiquette of human relationships—after all, he was asking for a favor, so he had to be humble.
Reaching the door of Zhang Li's house on the third floor, Ah Hu took a deep breath, raised his hand, and gently knocked on the door, using just the right amount of force—enough to be heard but not too forceful.
Zhang Li was seething with anger inside the room. He gripped the enamel mug so tightly it creaked, the rim almost warped. His plan was for Li Jianjun to stay at the factory for another two years; even if he didn't become the factory director, he'd at least secure the position of deputy director. With real power, the Zhang family could benefit. But now, not only had he failed to even get close to becoming director, he couldn't even hold onto the deputy director's chair, and now he'd gotten himself arrested by the police! What a useless piece of trash! He couldn't even handle such a small matter!
Hearing the knock on the door, Zhang Li snorted coldly, convinced that it was Li Jianjun who had somehow gotten the information and shamelessly asked someone to plead for him—who else but himself could get him out?