CHAPTER 54

After subduing Murong Danfeng in a few moves, Li Xia asked someone to find a rope to tie her up. The gas station staff asked, “Should we call the police?”

“She’s a suspect on the run. The police should know about this. Forget it. I’ll drive to the police station.”

She originally wanted to drive back to the airport but then decided to go to the nearest police station. She tied the woman up and threw her in the back seat, then drove all the way to the local police station.

Coming here, there is naturally a set of procedures, and soon they contacted Shanghai. Shen Haiyang heard her voice on the phone and finally put down his hanging heart.

“Are you hurt?”

“No, I am fine.”

“That’s good. You wait for me there, there, there, and I’ll drive to find you.”

“Be careful on the road.”

“Um.”

The case was transferred to the Provincial Public Security Bureau, and the female police officer, who had met Li Xia before, took Murong Danfeng away. “Comrade Li Xia, you helped us solve the case of smuggling cultural relics this time. I will recommend you for the credit.”

Li Xia waved her hand and said, “It’s okay; it’s my duty as a citizen.”

The policewoman saluted her and said, “I’ll go first. I will report your deeds truthfully.”

~~~~~~~~~
Li Xia took a shower and had a meal before Shen Haiyang came and dressed herself up. He must have been scared when she suddenly disappeared, so she wanted him to see her like this to comfort him.

Shen Haiyang drove several hours to pick her up, and the couple took the highway from here and returned to the provincial capital. Li Xia wanted to take over his driving, but he refused.

“Angry?”

“No.” Shen Haiyang sighed and hugged her tightly. “It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have told you about the great principles of family, country, and the world. You are so brave to help the police catch the suspect. I think it’s normal for me to do this, but I’m really scared when you do it.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. She’s not a vicious murderer.”

Li Xia fell silent at this point. Even rabbits bite when they are angry, let alone criminals who are at the end of their rope. She wanted to help the police, but she forgot that she was not a professional at all.

“I will never make this mistake again next time. I will put some self-defense items in my bag and tie them up after I subdue them, and I won’t let them go no matter what.”

Shen Haiyang was really scared this time, but he also knew that if it weren’t for his wife, the things would have been taken away, and the couple would have continued to beat the risk of escape.

She has made contributions to the motherland. Although something went wrong, how can professionals guarantee that there will be no mistakes? Taking a deep breath to digest the negative emotions caused by worry, he reached out and hugged his wife tightly.

“I’ll find a way to get you some special self-defense moves and a spray, so you can be prepared when you’re alone outside.”

Shen Haiyang said no more, thinking about what to buy for her to protect herself. Not to mention this incident, even if she was alone outside, it would be good to carry it with her. It was nonsense to say that he was worried because she couldn’t stay at home and not go out.

“But we agreed that you should not interfere easily in matters that do not endanger you.”

“I know. This time I knew Murong Danfeng, and I discovered that she might be up to something. If I didn’t know her, I wouldn’t know what she was doing, so I wouldn’t easily interfere. If I got in the way of the public security personnel, I would be doing more harm than good.”

Li Xia smiled and said, “Then I’ll drive…”

Shen Haiyang touched her head and let her sit in the passenger seat. “I’m in good health now. I’m relieved that you’re safe. There’s no problem with driving. Just sit down and rest.”

“Then I’ll rest.”

“Okay.”

As the car started, Shen Haiyang noticed that his wife was stealing glances at him. The man was very tactful and asked directly without her asking, “Do you want to ask how many years Murong Danfeng will be sentenced this time?”

Li Xia’s eyes lit up, up, up, and she nodded slightly. It was she who caught Murong Danfeng. It was her first time participating in such a thing. She finally caught the person without any danger. Maybe she could implicate the person behind the scenes through the couple.

“This is a national treasure. Both the font and the content have great research value. They took away several pieces right after they were unearthed. They were almost taken out of the country.”

“So, how long will the sentence be? Tell me in secret. I won’t tell anyone.”

“This is a gang. The sentence will depend on what they did in the gang. I estimate that Murong Danfeng will get at least five years.”

No matter what, it’s good that the criminals have been caught. Her husband works in the procuratorate, and under his influence, she has a strong sense of justice. She didn’t think much about her own safety when she encountered it but only thought about not letting the suspect run away. Murong Danfeng was in charge of contacting the resellers, so she must know a lot.

“The people of the Murong family are really bold.”

Shen Haiyang has been a relative of Murong’s family for many years, so he has some understanding of them. “Benefits: their family members are very profit-oriented. If you don’t have the idea that a gentleman loves money but earns it in a proper way, you will be swallowed up by money little by little, and you will be lucky enough to get rich, and then your greed will be getting bigger and bigger.”

“Murong Danfeng cried and said she regretted it. That’s bullshit. If she hadn’t been caught, she wouldn’t have regretted it.”

Shen Haiyang laughed. “Well, she regrets being arrested, not that she shouldn’t have done something illegal.”

The couple drove all the way back to the provincial capital and did not tell their family about these things on the way, so as not to worry them. Soon they received a call from the United States, and the two children had been arranged by the old man’s good friend.

The underage children were settled, and the grandfather was relieved. The weather was fine this weekend, and the old man was in a good mood in the afternoon and said he would treat everyone to dinner in the evening.

“Sichuan hotpot. I remember that our children love it.”

Shen Hui was very considerate of his grandfather: “Let’s have the mutton, sesame paste, chives, fermented bean curd, and some chopped green onions and coriander for grandpa.”

The old man smiled and said, “Okay, give me more coriander.”

Huihua and Yiyi smiled and agreed with their brother: “So, should we go out to eat this northern mutton hotpot or eat it at home? Make more dipping sauce, and Grandpa can eat whatever he likes.”

Qin Mu said on the side, “Then eat at home. I’ll go buy some groceries.”

The old man waved his hand to stop her: “Don’t bother; I’ll take them out to eat. We don’t have a soup base at home, and the atmosphere is not like outside.”

“Fine.”

The family drove to eat, and the aunt at home went home early from getting off work, and Qin Mu went with them. Thanks to her careful care of the old man over the years, she would be invited to such occasions.

Two cars drove to the restaurant. They didn’t order any wine in the private room, but the drinks and dishes that were ordered were definitely enough to cover the cost of the private room. They wanted the best quality lamb from the Inner Mongolian grasslands. There was a big copper hot pot in the middle, and the atmosphere was very good.

“Let’s cook the mutton first. That way, the soup will be rich, and the vegetables and vermicelli will be more fragrant later.”

Everyone in the family eats meat, so Qin Mu tells everyone out of habit. When the fat mutton changes color after being put into the pot, it can be taken out, put into the dipping bowl, and handed to the old man.

“Be careful with the heat.”

“Mm, it tastes good.”

Hotpot is a dish that can cater to everyone’s preferences. There are so many dishes that you can always find your favorite. Today, the restaurant imported some large shrimp, and Li Xia ordered two pounds. She also ordered a portion of the fish balls they made themselves.

After the mutton, she added prawns and fish balls. After tasting the fish balls, she found that they were very much to her liking. Huihua and Qin Mu also liked it, so she ordered two more. She and Shen Haiyang sat near the door so that they could take care of everyone. If they saw something that everyone liked, they would immediately order more.

When the conversation was almost over, Qin Mu went to the bathroom and came back to tell Li Xia that she had run into someone she knew. “We almost had a fight, but when I turned around, I realized it was someone I knew.”

“Friends?”

“No. A young girl was washing her hands and splashing water everywhere, and she splashed it on my face. I got angry and turned around to ask her to apologize, but then I found out that we were investors together and had met before.”

“Investment? I haven’t heard you mention that.”

“We are just small fry; we can’t compare with you.”

“Pay attention to the safety of funds and clarify the investment projects.”

Qin Mu was unwilling to elaborate, and Li Xia could not ask more questions, so she kindly reminded her that after all, it was someone else’s business, and they were not happy to say so, so she should not ask too much. If she asked too much, it would seem like she was showing off her ability, which would disgust people.

“Well, the boss said it’s safe, and you can make a lot of money.”

When she said this, Li Xia immediately had a bad feeling. Pyramid schemes and illegal fundraising—it was only the early 1990s; had they already emerged? Or was she overthinking it?

In her previous life, she had also encountered pyramid selling in the county town. She bought a swing machine that was said to be good for exercising. Then you get into a group, and the more recruits you have, the more commissions you get.

A pyramid scheme is a business model that earns primarily by enrolling others in the scheme; however, rather than earning income (or providing returns on investments) by selling legitimate products to end consumers, it mainly earns by recruiting new members with the promise of payments (or services). As recruiting multiplies, the process quickly becomes increasingly difficult until it is impossible, and most members are unable to profit; as such, pyramid schemes are unsustainable and often illegal.

She didn’t know it was illegal at the time; she just thought that if she became the last in line, she would only invest the money and not make any money. If she recruited friends and relatives to be in the scheme, scheme, scheme, and if they became the last in line, she would be cheating them, so she didn’t do it.

“Mom, we are full; let’s go downstairs to pay the bill.”

“Oh, OK.” I’ll talk to her when I get home. Our two families are so close that I can’t just watch her fall into this trap. At least I’ll do my best to talk to her. If she doesn’t listen, there’s nothing I can do. do. do. ~ Li Xia thought.

The group went downstairs to pay the bill. A young couple at the corner of the first floor saw them and stood up. The girl came over and looked at Qin Mu, and the man spoke to Li Xia.

“Aunt, did you guys come here to eat too?”

Li Xia turned around and saw her nephew and smiled, “Yeah. You’re here to eat here too, alone?”

“No, I came with my girlfriend.”

The quick-talker had finished speaking, and he turned around and pulled the girl over. “This is my girlfriend, Xue Qin. Qinqin, come and say hello. This is my aunt, the one I mentioned to you.”

“Hello, aunt.”

His aunt is a well-known entrepreneur in the province. She is an advanced person and a pioneer in getting rich. Xue Qin is the object of her worship, and she wants to get to know this outstanding woman. She didn’t expect to meet her here. And the lady who invested with her seemed to know her, and they were very close.

“Hello.”

The girl smiled and took the opportunity to speak: “I know Sister Qin…”

Li Xia pointed around with a smile and said, “This is not the place to talk.”

The girl smiled even brighter: “Then can I visit you at your home? We can talk in person.”

“next time.”

“That’s good. Take care, little aunt. I’ll visit you another day.”

After Li Xia and her group left, her nephew Li Xuedong waved goodbye to his elders and boasted to his girlfriend, “I was right; wasn’t my aunt really amazing?”

Xue Qin smiled like a flower. “Let’s go tomorrow, okay?”

“I have to go to work tomorrow. I’ll go with you the day after tomorrow.”

As for Li Xia, she kept shaking her head at her nephew on the way home. Since she came to the city, he has been dazzled by all the flowers. He has dated several girls, all of whom are fashionable. She is not saying that being fashionable is bad; she just thinks her nephew is not worthy of her. The two of them standing together are obviously not a good match, and it is unclear what the girl wants to do by being with him.

“How old is Xuedong this year?” After parking the car and getting out, Shen Haiyang started chatting.

“Twenty-seven. People his age in the countryside are already fathers, but he still can’t settle down. My eldest brother and his wife are so worried.”

“Didn’t you say before that he was interested in a girl in the workshop? Why did he change his mind again?”

“He is spoiled for choice.”

As they were talking, they opened the door and entered the yard. Qin Mu helped the old man back to the backyard while Li Xia and the others fetched water to wash up. After a while, someone shouted that it was her third brother who had arrived.

“Xia, are you home?”

“Yes, I just got back.”

The third brother came in after opening the door. Li Xia and the third brother sat on the sofa. He told her about some work matters, and after that, the two siblings sat there chatting and talked about their childhood.

“Sewing machines were so popular back then. There was only one in our village in the 1970s. Now they are rarely used at home.”

“Yes, your third sister-in-law is diligent in cleaning, but she is rarely using it. Nowadays, clothes are bought ready-made.”

Yiyi was outside, gossiping with his sister and brother and talking to them in a low voice. “Looking back, do you think we will be like our mom and uncle when we are this age?”

Shen Hui nodded. “It’s very likely. You’d better deliver on what you promised to give me; otherwise, I’ll bring it up every time I see you.”

“Brother, you are so stingy. You won’t be as stingy as our father, will you?”

“So you plan to delay it until more than 20 years later, when I will be as broad-minded as our father and not care about it, and then you can default on your debt.”

“Shen Ruyi, you promised to buy me a hairpin.”

When Huihua also followed her brother and teased him on purpose, she said, You little bastard, we are the older brothers and sisters at home, and you are the younger brother.

“I will buy it. I’m saving money.”

Yiyi had a bitter face. He didn’t have a penny to spend on half a year’s pocket money. Forget it. Forget it. That sister is really pitiful. For a single-parent family, this is really adding insult to injury. He doesn’t have to spend it. All this is a matter of life and death for that sister’s family.

Huihua and Shen Hui were teasing him on purpose. They knew he was helping a classmate, so how could they embarrass him? They just took the opportunity to tease him. Usually, when the brat was saving money, they would buy him food and daily necessities.

The children went to watch TV. “Shanghai Family” was a popular TV series this year, and they liked it very much. The two boys didn’t like it very much, so they went to watch the old black-and-white TV these days.

Before the TV show started, the two brothers looked at each other and decided to go find their mother. Yiyi and Shen Hui entered the living room, where his father was reading a magazine.

“Looking for Mom?”

The two brothers nodded and said one by one, “We have something important to ask our mother.”

“Mom has something to say to Aunt Qin Mu. Please sit and wait. She should be back soon.”

Li Xia hadn’t come back yet, so he moved closer to his son and imitated his mysterious look. “What’s the big deal about looking for Mom? Why don’t you talk to Dad first?”

“There’s a set of commercials aired during prime time, shot by this year’s popular star, Lin.” The brat deliberately kept it a secret, and Shen Haiyang guessed it after thinking about it: “Electronic commercials?”

“Yes. The products of the joint venture. Rice cookers, electric heaters, and microwave ovens completely overlap with my mother’s factory. They have invested so much money; if my mother didn’t advertise on TV, who would buy her products? Now people talk about brands; it’s different from before.”

Li Xia came in and patted him lightly. “Your mother’s products are also branded.”

“What’s the point if no one knows?” He said quickly and patted himself: “I was wrong; I was just a little anxious. But now everyone is talking about famous brands. What is a famous brand? Ordinary people think that a famous brand is one that everyone knows. Just like us children, when we talk about sports shoes, we think of Adidas and other brands that everyone knows. Under the same conditions, we will definitely buy the brand we know.”

The two sons have a keen sense of business. They thought of their mother’s factory when they saw a TV commercial. Maybe she always said that they would be in charge of the factory in the future, so they started to pay attention to the development of electronics before they even reached adulthood.

“Mom,” Shen Hui said, “we both feel that your previous advertising was not strong enough. Is it because the factory is short on funds that you didn’t hire celebrities or put a large number of ads on major TV stations?”

“There are factors in this regard.”

Yiyi gritted his teeth. “Even if we have to borrow money, I think we have to do this advertisement. It’s no longer the era where good wine needs no bush. If you don’t advertise, others won’t know about your products at all.”

Shen Hui added, “You need to find a big star. Nowadays, everyone is watching TV, and those big stars are very popular. If the price is the same, the good things recommended by the big stars in the advertisements will definitely be the first choice.”

Don’t mention it; this kind of thinking is really in line with the current trend. Li Xia also understands this principle. The era of fierce competition has arrived, and the eight immortals will show their magical powers.

“Got it. Mom will consider it.”

The next day at work, the first thing to be discussed at the meeting was this issue. Everyone also watched TV and realized this. They had previously placed advertisements, but now that the Japanese capital was coming in with great force and trying to squeeze them out, they naturally could not just sit there and wait for death.

Han Jun spoke first: “The price of TV’s prime time should be very high, plus how much would it cost if we wanted to invite big stars?? I have no objection to shooting commercials, but do we have that much money to invest?”

Xiao Liu knows the factory’s financial situation best, and his words are very sharp. “If we hire celebrities and put them on TV, we may not have enough funds.”

Most of the profits from the factory over the years have been used for development, and she used her personal expenses to buy a villa for the old man and two cars for the family. The car is a facade and cannot be saved, and the house is also prepared for demolition.

It is impossible for people to earn money without spending it. What is the meaning of earning money? When funds are tight, they go to collect the money owed to them. These guys really delay as long as they can. If you don’t chase them, they will think you have enough funds and don’t care. You can also find a business partner to borrow money from and treat it as an investment in the short term. Many people do this.

“Have the final payments of those dealers been paid?”

“No.”

“Han Jun, I’ve given this job to you. Hurry up and get the money back. We have a lot of expenses here, and we have to settle accounts with several machinery factories in Central China later. We have to hurry up and pay off the money owed to us.”

Han Jun nodded. “Okay, got it; I’ll contact them right away.”

She turned around and asked Fang Long, “How are you studying the drawings I gave you? Is it feasible?”

“It’s feasible. We just need to modify the exterior production line.”

“Then you can make a few samples first and let Han Jun find customers to sell them. Let’s see how effective they are.”

“OK.”