Chapter 12 The little girl looks obedient and clever, and quite greedy.

Neither of them noticed Shen Chaoxi standing at the door.

She was leaning against the white corridor wall by the clinic's entrance, uncontrollably clenching her fists.

Her pale knuckles were prominent, marked by petechiae!

At that moment, the doctor's inquiring voice came from the clinic.

"...Zheng Juanjuan, your left arm is fractured and needs casting, rest for a month, without moving it around,... and you also have a mild concussion, rest in bed when you get back, and if symptoms like vomiting and dizziness persist, seek medical attention immediately...

Yao Dima, you've lost two molars on the left side of your mouth, and there's a laceration, you need to pay special attention to hygiene, and take oral anti-inflammatory medication..."

The doctor's icy words struck Shen Chaoxi's ears one by one, piercing her heart.

A numb pain spread throughout her body.

Shen Chaoxi's hair was wet from the rain, with droplets spattering on the floor, leaving watermarks that spread across the marble's glossy surface.

In a corner of the floor opposite the clinic, a dirt-stained shoulder bag and a badly torn parka jacket were lying in a pile.

Shen Chaoxi recognized they belonged to Yao Dima, and she had a hunch about where the injuries on her aunt and cousin had come from.

Shen Chaoxi walked over, brushed her hand over the black bag, and easily grabbed the keys to the old van.

The storm raged on without a hint of stopping, accompanied by lightning and thunder, instilling fear.

**

The rain poured down on Shangjing's most upscale club, Bai Ye.

Utter opulence.

Room number eight on the sixth floor.

Today was the day several card-playing friends gathered.

"Jianghan, I've got a strange piece of news to tell you."

Zhong Shuoxi was dressed formally today, having been set up on a blind date arranged by his family in the afternoon, and had not had a chance to change before coming here; he adjusted his shirt cuffs and drew a card, looking across the table.

Shang Jianghan knocked a cigarette out of the pack nonchalantly, toying with it between his fingers; his eyes and eyebrows always carried a cool detachment, and he didn't speak.

"Let's hear it, what's so strange? Is it more outrageous than your blind date?" Song Yang had already made fun of the blind date earlier, and now couldn't resist teasing him again.

Zhong Shuoxi played a pair of cards in succession and tossed the cigarette pack back.

"Back off! Always bringing up what shouldn't be mentioned!"

The three had been childhood friends since they were in split pants, now all twenty-five, yet unanimously indifferent to women.

Their families were at their wits' end, deciding to start with Zhong Shuoxi, who was the most obedient and seemed the easiest to sway.

Perhaps if one of them got a girlfriend, it might influence the other two.

"Spill it!"

Shang Jianghan brought the conversation back on track.

"Remember the girl from Yuncheng you saved?

The illegitimate daughter born to that mistress who took Shen Daguang's wife's place!"

Shang Jianghan raised an eyebrow and casually lit the cigarette with a lighter.

The smoky haze he exhaled quickly enveloped his handsome face.

"What happened to her?"

Song Yang interjected immediately, nodding at his chin.

"Oh! I remember, she was here that day, said she was covering a shift for someone in her family. The girl was really pretty!"

Song Yang naturally had a vivid recollection, knowing full well the girl with the face mask was the one who kicked open the car door at the sharp turn; he wouldn't dare to flirt verbally to save his life!

Zhong Shuoxi nodded in agreement, "Right, that's her. Looks all innocent and clever, but quite greedy too!"

Shang Jianghan held the cigarette at the corner of his mouth, reached out for the cards with a less than lucid expression.

"How was she greedy?"

He was thinking of the figure who, feeling unfairly treated, had stormed out slamming the door.

"First thing in the morning, Shen Daguang called me, said his daughter doesn't want to stay in team six anymore, asked if she could be switched to another team."

After saying this, Zhong Shuoxi clicked his tongue, his tone laced with disdain.

That day, when Shang Jianghan was rescued, several people were only concerned with checking his injuries; by the time they remembered the lifesaver, they realized the person had already left.

Through various inquiries, Zhong Shuoxi learned that the girl was the daughter of Shen Daguang, a local real estate merchant in Yuncheng.

Shang Jianghan's identity was special, and it wasn't convenient to inform the other party.

Zhong Shuoxi made a call to express his thanks and to ask if they had any requests. To his surprise, all they asked for was to let that girl study in Shangjing.

Transferring from a local school to study in Shangjing wasn't easy for someone like Shen Daguang, a small upstart, but to Zhong Shuoxi, it was as easy as turning his hand over.

Shang Jianghan's fingers, which had been shuffling cards, stopped abruptly, and he knitted his brows.

"Class 6? You arranged for her to be in Class 6? Are you sure there's no mistake?"

Shang Jianghan's rapid-fire questions confused Zhong Shuoxi.

Realizing belatedly, he said, "That's right! Isn't Class 6 the one our old classmate Xia Tian is teaching? When placing a connected household, I went looking for someone I knew!"

Xia Tian was their high school classmate, and they all came from the same school.

Shang Jianghan withdrew his fingers and said no more.

At this moment, Song Yang's phone began to ring.

He saw the name displayed on the screen and frowned, starting to complain.

"A demolition project, old neighborhood renovation, has been dragging on for a year and still hasn't settled those few families! The compensation we offered is thirty percent higher than the going rate, and these troublemakers are still not satisfied!"

Song Yang was so irritated by the matter that he let the phone ring without answering it.

Zhong Shuoxi glanced over while shuffling the cards.

When he saw the name "Old Han" on the screen, he interjected.

"Could it be that Old Han is unreliable? You can't fully trust him. If he messes up, just wait and see how you'll handle it!"

The plot of land in the Eastern Suburb was a project to be developed by the Song's real estate, later given to Song Yang to practice his hand.

As childhood friends, both Shang Jianghan and Zhong Shuoxi had invested a sum of money.

This plot of land, well-located, was intended by the few of them to be developed into a new entertainment city that would become another cultural and entertainment center in Shangjing for decades to come.

The phone ringing stopped automatically for less than five seconds before starting up again.

Just then, a lightning bolt unexpectedly shot through, followed by the booming sound of thunder ripping through the sky.

Zhong Shuoxi diverted his attention back and glanced at the lit-up phone screen.

"Answer it, with this weather, God forbid something's happened!"

"Damn it! There had better be something wrong, otherwise the little master here won't let him off easily!"

Song Yang cursed as he enabled speakerphone with a tap.

"Speak!"

Perhaps sensing ill temper from this young master Song on the other end, there was a moment of hesitation before they spoke.

"Young Master Song, there's been trouble; the demolition office has been smashed, and several of our brothers have been beaten up!"

Old Han spoke breathlessly with a noisy background.

Song Yang was stunned for a moment, then realized that the situation seemed rather serious.

Those at the demolition office were all robust men, long working in this trade, and could be described as fiercely intimidating on sight.

For over a dozen to be beaten, there must have been quite a number of the opposing side!

The demolition office dealt with residents, and it was during such weather!

All three quickly realized that the situation might be far from simple.

"Let's go have a look. Call a few more brothers, be wary of the media, and don't get into a direct confrontation with the residents!"

In crucial moments, Shang Jianghan was always the clearest thinker.

Song Yang had already stood up and hung up the phone, then looked out the window.

The sky at a little past eight, usually still dimly lit, now seemed as if dark clouds were pressing down!

Zhong Shuoxi was on the phone rallying people.

"Don't worry, the media don't dare to write nonsense!" Song Yang muttered to himself, then clenched his fist and slammed it down hard on the wooden card table.