Unbeknownst to the people of Pujiang, a massive cleanup operation began.

Fourteen large hideouts of criminals were raided, and 237 people were arrested.

During this process, Hei Zi and others were punished for multiple issues, including assaulting public officials and violating laws and regulations, and were sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Upon learning this news, Yan Kai stayed at home all day, afraid to go out, lest he be exposed and taken away.

However, it seems that the relevant departments have forgotten about his existence, and there has been no news of any action taken against him.

Yan Kai felt extremely fortunate, but his hatred for Hu Yuan was even stronger than before...

...

"Just like that, he's gone?" Looking at the completely transformed Hu Yuan, Murong Wan's eyes were as bright as autumn water.

"The matter is settled, so naturally we should head back," Hu Yuan replied with a smile.

"Didn't you say you wanted to show off your skills in Huangpu? Don't you feel regretful going back like this?" Murong Wan said with a half-smile.

Hu Yuan shook his head. "Now is not the time for me to show my skills. I will definitely come back to Pujiang, but not now..."

"Looking at your confident demeanor, I don't know what to say," Murong Wan said with a soft laugh.

"Then think it through carefully, and tell me properly when we meet again next time!"

Hu Yuan laughed heartily as he waved and got into the car.

"Remember to contact me when you get there!" Murong Wan couldn't help but shout as she watched Hu Yuan leave.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely contact you. After all, I still need your help, right?" Hu Yuan glanced back, a hint of teasing creeping into his voice.

"You really are..." Murong Wan wanted to say something more, but she suddenly found herself not knowing where to begin after opening her mouth.

The two days they spent together changed Murong Wan's impression of Hu Yuan several times.

He is knowledgeable, insightful, witty, and humorous. He may seem indifferent to things, but his actions are always quite meaningful.

Especially when interacting with me, he doesn't show any restraint because of my status or appearance. Instead, he acts like an old friend, relaxed and at ease, without any pretense.

All of this was something Murong Wan had longed for but had never encountered before.

So when Hu Yuan was about to leave, she suddenly realized that she felt a deep sense of reluctance in her heart.

But I'm not anyone to him, so I have no reason to force him to stay...

I just don't know if the two will still be so compatible when they meet again.

...

Jiangkou, a chemical processing plant.

"Wang Man, hasn't your man come back yet?"

An older sister who had previously handed over her family's treasury bonds to Wang Man was approaching her for the third time to inquire about Hu Yuan's situation.

Shaking her head helplessly, Wang Man said softly, "Sister Zhou, you've asked me twice today. If he comes back, I'll definitely tell you right away."

"Wang Man, don't blame Sister Zhou for urging you. I have no choice. The family urgently needs money, and your husband promised to bring it..." Sister Zhou's face was full of bitterness, and she looked helpless.

"How about this, can you give me the money first? I don't need the three hundred for my treasury bonds anymore, just give me two hundred, as long as I can exchange them for these next two days, everything is negotiable..."

After Sister Zhou said that, Wang Man was somewhat tempted.

When Hu Yuan left, he left her the five hundred yuan he had earned earlier.

When Sister Zhou said she could reduce the price by one hundred, she immediately had an idea.

If we can give a hundred less, then our family can earn an extra hundred...

But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she forcibly suppressed it.

Because she remembered that Hu Yuan had told her before he left that she must not settle accounts with anyone in advance under any circumstances, otherwise it would cause a chain reaction that she would not be able to handle.

Although she didn't know if the situation Hu Yuan described would occur, Wang Man forcibly suppressed her thoughts based on her blind trust in Hu Yuan.

"Sister Zhou, I'm so sorry, I don't have that much money on hand right now. Please wait another day; he'll probably be back in the next couple of days. Once he's back, we'll definitely send the money to you as soon as possible," Wang Man explained softly to Sister Zhou.

Sister Zhou is not an unreasonable person. She would not have come to Wang Man if her child hadn't been sick.

Seeing that her requests were fruitless, Sister Zhou could only shake her head and turn back to her post.

"So, Lao Zhou, did you get the money back?"

As soon as she returned to her post, some colleagues chased after her asking questions.

Sister Zhou shook her head dejectedly, "Wang Man said her man hasn't come back yet, and told me to wait a little longer..."

"I knew it! There's no such thing as a free lunch. These treasury bonds are hard to sell anyway, so why would Wang Man's man be willing to take them? I bet even if he comes back, he won't be able to get the money back!"

"Exactly, exactly! Wang Man's husband doesn't work for a bank, how could he possibly come up with the money? I heard that guy used to be a gambler and womanizer, a good-for-nothing, just a hoodlum! Expecting him to come up with any money is just nonsense!"

“Old Zhou, we advised you before not to give him the treasury bonds. Even if they can't be sold now, the government might buy them back later. If you give them to that guy now, you won't get a single penny back, right?”

The students in the same class took turns bombarding Sister Zhou with questions, as if giving the treasury bonds to Hu Yuan was some huge mistake.

The taciturn Sister Zhou remained silent throughout, but her heart was filled with sorrow.

By the time people left work in the afternoon, the news had spread throughout the factory.

Wang Man's man couldn't possibly get any money from the treasury bonds; he's just a petty thug...

Nobody knows what he did with those treasury bonds; everyone's been fooled by Wang Man's man...

Some people are skeptical of these rumors, but no one takes any action.

But some people couldn't resist and came to find Wang Man.

"Wang Man, we gave you the treasury bonds because we trusted you, and now you have to give us an explanation!"

"That's right! They all say your man can't redeem treasury bonds at all. You need to give us a definite answer on the situation."

The crowd surrounding Wang Man kept talking, leaving her unsure how to respond, only filled with worry and urgency.

“Mom…I’m scared…” Just then, Tuantuan, who went to work with Wang Man, clung tightly to her leg, her big, innocent eyes filled with fear and tension.

Wang Man immediately picked up Tuantuan, comforting her while looking helplessly at everyone.

"Wang Man, tell me what we should do!"

The relentless questioning from everyone left Wang Man feeling suffocated; she truly didn't know how to deal with them.

"What are you all doing! Gathered here all afternoon with nothing to do? Is there no work to be done?"

Just as Wang Man was at a loss for what to do, a crisp reprimand rang out from behind her.