Chapter 193: Once Overshadowed by Darkness and Imprisoned

Chapter 193: Once Overshadowed by Darkness, Now Imprisoned

However, this afternoon's interview also ended in failure.

After visiting several households, they all kept their doors tightly shut, and no matter how much Wen Jinye and Kong Shenlin talked outside, they did not respond.

Kong Shenlin had expected this refusal.

After all, the previous few times had all been like this.

The other party did not appear, did not open the door, and did not answer.

This cold treatment wasn't limited to reporters; even when developers sent people to negotiate, they were met with the same indifference.

Kong Shenlin sighed, "We were tasked with doing a special report on this topic, to delve into why the residents are refusing to move out and relocate. But we've been coming here more often than the developers' people trying to persuade them, and it's still the same. I guess this project is going to be canceled."

In fact, normally speaking, the main reason for refusing to relocate is that the money has not been paid in full.

If we were to talk about it further, it would be the deep affection the older generation has for this land and this house.

But no matter which reason it is, it doesn't make sense in the context of the present moment.

Wen Jin also found it strange; their behavior was definitely not an attempt to raise the price.

Instead, they seemed to avoid the visitors like the plague.

It's more like fear.

Fear of those you can't afford to offend?

I've been running back and forth between the construction site and the residential buildings all afternoon, and now the sun is almost setting.

As dusk approached and the air grew slightly cool, Kong Shenlin stopped a mobile stall and bought two cups of hot soy milk.

Wen Jin and I sat side by side on the steps of a building.

Actually, he was somewhat unwilling to accept it.

The straw was thrust in sharply, and Kong Shenlin gazed at the sky with a melancholy expression. "I always felt that they had something they couldn't say, but they were 100% skeptical of the conditions offered by the developer and of our visit. There must be something blocking or threatening us."

Wen Jin shared the same idea as Kong Shenlin.

Before I could even speak, I suddenly heard footsteps coming downstairs behind me.

Wen Jin subconsciously turned around and saw a homeowner taking their child downstairs for a walk.

Probably not expecting them to still be there, the homeowner's expression changed drastically. After looking at Wen Jin with suspicion, he was about to take the child back home.

But six- or seven-year-old children don't understand anything.

From the few words spoken by the parents, I know that Mom and Dad dislike this group of people.

The little girl threw the ice cream in her hand towards Wen Jinye, but because she didn't throw it hard enough, it fell and melted at Wen Jinye's feet.

The little girl broke free from her mother's hand, ran over, and said in a clear, angry voice, "Bad people! You're all bad people who will rob us! You're not allowed to touch my house!"

Wen Jin also exchanged a subtle glance with Kong Shenlin.

She slowly squatted down in front of the girl, bringing her eyes level.

A gentle voice, soothing and guiding, asked, "Little one, tell me, why do you think of me like that?"

"You're trying to take my house!"

"Yuyu! Stop talking!"

The girl's mother spoke with great emotion, her eyes brimming with fear and alarm.

She rushed over, pulled the child into her arms, and gave Wen Jinye a fierce warning:

"The child doesn't understand anything! You are not allowed to harm my child!"

But she was trembling.

Clearly, there must be some unspeakable reason behind this.

Kong Shenlin hadn't expected such a strong reaction from the other party, and cautiously asked, "Is there some misunderstanding? If you have such concerns, you can tell me. We are reporters from Jiangbei TV."

The woman sneered, "Reporters? What's so great about reporters? You're all in cahoots, all of you are criminal gangs!"

"You can fool us ordinary people once, but can you fool us a second time? You collude with each other, squandering our life savings on lavish lifestyles. Our lives are as insignificant as ants in your eyes!"

"I don't care who you are, don't come looking for us again. If you still refuse to let us live and insist on disrupting our peaceful lives, I'll just kill myself on the street. If this gets out of hand, no one will have a good time!"

As the woman spoke, she nearly broke down, tears streaming down her face.

The little girl was also frightened and started crying.

Through the woman's few words, Wen Jin and Kong Shenlin tacitly guessed that behind this matter, there might be something much larger and more complex involved.

What they call "organized crime".

And that invisible protective umbrella.

But now, they have no idea what thrilling things they have gone through.

This leads to a situation where once bitten by a snake, one becomes afraid of even a rope for ten years.

They maintained absolute suspicion and vigilance towards everyone.

Wen Jin also took out a tissue from his bag and gently handed it to the woman.

Now is not the right time to ask questions and explore.

She took out her press card, ID card, and business cards from her bag, her voice remaining as calm and low as possible.

"Don't cry. I'm really just an ordinary reporter. If you trust me, I can leave all my credentials here. Once you've calmed down, we can talk further. I'll do my best to expose this and help you."

The woman shook her head frantically, "No, forget about it, I won't say anything."

But in her tear-filled, red eyes, there was hatred and resentment.

She was simply desperate.

I am also afraid of experiencing the cruelty of being powerless and helpless in this society once again.

Wen Jin also understands everything.

"If some things are kept buried in your heart, they will not take root and sprout to see the light of day; instead, they will rot away day by day."

She knelt on the ground, her expression devout, her unhurried tone seemingly full of energy, with a strange calming and soothing effect.

“I don’t know what kind of harm you have suffered before. I’m sorry to bring up your sad stories, but bad people will not back down because we are afraid. On the contrary, they will become more and more arrogant, and more victims will appear.”

A flicker of struggle and wavering crossed the woman's eyes.

"Why should I believe you? I've reported it to the police and filed a lawsuit, but that bunch of scoundrels are in cahoots, weaving an airtight net that leaves ordinary people like us with no way to survive."

Thinking of those bloody and dark memories, the woman's voice trembled, and at one point her voice went so out of tune that Wen Jin almost couldn't recognize it.

“There were six of us in total. Five of us were seriously injured and are on the verge of death, and one of us is still paralyzed in bed. If I hadn’t run away quickly… the people in this area who refuse to move are all people who believe in me. We will never believe in this kind of public welfare project again.”

"Entrepreneurs who present themselves as beasts to the media, and officials who claim to benefit the people, are actually rotten to the core behind the scenes. Why should I trust you?"

"With the thirty-seven scars on my body, we were the same in the past, with gloom hanging over our heads and imprisoned in the streets."

The beatings and kicks from her uncle and aunt, the threats and harm from Tan Donglin—Wen Jin spent every single day in constant fear and extreme repression.

The scars on my waist and legs, left by benches, rolling pins, and broken glass, fade and lighten with time, but will never disappear.

Wen Jin also unbuttoned her shirt with trembling hands, revealing half of her shoulder blade.

A long, winding, and obvious scar runs across the top, a shocking sight.

"I lived under someone else's roof for ten years. No one could save me back then, so I just endured it all. In the end, this is the thickest scar on my shoulder."