Tianyi nodded and looked at Susu with deep affection. "I'm returning to Lancheng tomorrow. Whether you find any evidence there or not, don't risk your life."
"I know, trust me. You're not Superman, and I can't always be under your protection. If I wear you out, what will I do with the rest of my life?" Susu said, laughing.
They smiled at each other, falling silent. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating their faces, a scene of perfect beauty.
...
Xie Qining and Shasha panicked upon hearing that Wen Wei had been shot dead.
Xie Qining, in particular, didn't understand how things had escalated. He had only wanted someone to teach Gu Susu a lesson to vent Shasha's anger, but it had led to the deployment of SWAT and an exchange of gunfire.
Wen Wei hadn't seemed like a desperate man before; he shouldn't have caused such a commotion.
Shasha fidgeted uneasily. "When will your negotiations end? Let's go back to Lancheng quickly, so the local police don't come after us."
"The negotiations are in the final stage, it should be a few more days," Xie Qining said after thinking. "Don't be afraid. Wen Wei's death might be a good thing. Dead men can't talk, so how can they reveal us?"
"But will his subordinates know anything?" Shasha still felt a vague sense of unease.
Xie Qining, however, thought it should be fine. "If the police wanted to find us, they would have done so already. Don't worry unnecessarily..."
Before he could finish speaking, the doorbell rang outside their hotel room.
"Who could it be?" Shasha asked nervously.
Xie Qining smiled and went to open the door. "It's probably Old Zhou coming to talk about the negotiations. He thinks I should practice my negotiation skills more..."
Saying this, he opened the door without even looking through the peephole.
Outside stood three formally dressed foreign men. One of them flashed an identification card and asked, "Are you Mr. Xie Qining?"
Xie Qining saw the police badge in the man's hand and knew something was wrong. He replied, "Yes."
"We suspect you are involved in a kidnapping and extortion case. Please come with us. Of course, you have the right to an attorney."
Xie Qining was stunned. He hadn't expected the police to actually come looking for him.
"Are you mistaken? How could my husband be involved in kidnapping and extortion?" Shasha came to Xie Qining's side, reacting faster than he did.
"No mistake," the police officer said sternly, looking at Xie Qining. "Do you know a person named Wen Wei?"
"No," Xie Qining denied immediately.
The officer didn't believe him. "But we found chat records between you on his phone, and you transferred him five hundred thousand. Please come with us."
Xie Qining couldn't think of a rebuttal, and he noticed the two officers standing behind the one he was talking to had their hands on their waists.
If he refused to go with them, they would likely resort to force.
Shasha grabbed his arm. "If there's a misunderstanding, go to the police station and explain. Don't say anything without a lawyer present."
Xie Qining understood Shasha's meaning and nodded to the officer. "Alright, let's go."
Shasha watched as the police led Xie Qining away, feeling a sense of relief. It seemed Wen Wei hadn't made their transaction public.
When she had contacted Wen Wei privately, she had repeatedly emphasized that the extra million yuan should not be revealed to anyone, and she hadn't used her own account for the transfer.
She had bypassed everything and deposited the money directly into a secret account Wen Wei had elsewhere. Once Wen Wei was dead, that account would remain unknown forever.
Now, Xie Qining had to bear the entire burden. She closed the door and immediately called Old Zhou.
"Old Zhou, something's wrong! Qining... Qining has been taken away by the police." Her voice sounded panicked and helpless.
Old Zhou quickly inquired about the situation and reported it to Xie Zhendong.
Xie Zhendong was surprised that Xie Qining had caused such a major incident abroad, even worse than his troublemaking in Lancheng.
However, the negotiations were in their final critical phase, and this prodigal son couldn't be allowed to ruin the overseas project as well.
He instructed Old Zhou to ignore Xie Qining's matter and continue focusing on the project negotiations.
He privately contacted Zhan Jiayi and entrusted her with handling Xie Qining's transgression abroad.
Zhan Jiayi couldn't believe it. "No way, besides taking two days of sick leave, he's been with us at the negotiations. How could he have had time to do something like this?"
"He definitely didn't do it himself; he must have instigated others," Xie Zhendong said, both angry and anxious.
"Heavens, that's too audacious," Zhan Jiayi dared not comment further. "What do you want me to do to help him? Find the best lawyer?"
"Yes, definitely find the best lawyer, but there's a bottom line: absolutely do not let his affairs affect our project. Proceed as discreetly as possible," Xie Zhendong said.
Zhan Jiayi felt this was a more troublesome matter than business negotiations. "Okay, I understand. I'll go to the police station now to find out what's happening and report back to you."
Xie Zhendong couldn't abandon Xie Qining. He thought of something and said, "I have two friends over there. I'll give you their contact information. Go find them and see if they have any connections that can help. No amount of money is too much."
"Understood," Zhan Jiayi said, agreeing to follow his instructions. "I'll go to the police station first, then I'll meet your friends. Don't worry, Qining should be fine."
"Also, book Shasha a flight ticket and have her return," Xie Zhendong instructed. "With Qining in trouble, her staying there is useless. She might as well come back to look after the child and comfort his mother."
"Okay," Zhan Jiayi said, thinking of Xie Qining's wife with disdain.
She was just a washed-up celebrity, incapable of anything but spending money.
As soon as Xie Qining got into trouble, Shasha would be beside herself, only crying to her and Old Zhou.
After her phone call with Xie Zhendong, she immediately notified the accompanying administrative staff to book Shasha's flight ticket.
She put aside her negotiation work and rushed to the police station without delay.
The crime of masterminding a kidnapping and extortion was too serious. If he were convicted here, Xie Qining would spend the rest of his life in prison.
Although she found Xie Qining to be a nuisance, she hadn't expected him to get himself into such a predicament.
Even if he were to remain in the group, he posed no threat.
Unless Xie Zhendong had lost his mind, why would he let Xie Qining inherit the Xie Group? That would be tantamount to destroying the entire company.
Upon arriving at the police station, she tried her best to inquire as Xie Qining's assistant, but the police only gave her fragmented information, urging her to find a lawyer for Xie Qining as soon as possible.
From what she understood, Xie Qining had instigated others to kidnap a woman and extort three million yuan in ransom from her family.
She found it unbelievable. Xie Qining wasn't short of money, so why would he kidnap a woman for ransom? Was it purely for fun?