Gu Ling stood in front of the Meng family's gate, raised her hand and gently dusted off non-existent dust from her body, her movements carrying a touch of deliberate elegance.

She gave a cold look to the bodyguard beside her, who understood and nodded slightly, a hint of ruthlessness flashing across his face.

Liu Xiaoli was completely unaware of the danger that was about to befall her. She was squatting on the ground, frantically picking up the money scattered all over the ground with her hands, her eyes filled with greed and eagerness.

Her hair was a little messy, and she kept muttering, "So much money, it's all mine..."

Without warning, the bodyguard strode forward, a gloating smile on his face, and suddenly raised his foot, stomping heavily on Liu Xiaoli's back.

The dull thud was particularly jarring.

Liu Xiaoli let out a painful groan and collapsed to the ground.

"Is it your money? Why would you pick it up?"

Seeing that Liu Xiaoli was still tightly protecting the money in her arms, the bodyguard frowned, his eyes flashing with a fierce light. He exchanged a glance with his companion, and the two of them kicked Liu Xiaoli hard.

Liu Xiaoli was in so much pain that her face turned deathly pale, and large beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, but she still held onto the money in her arms tightly. It was the money she had managed to pick up with great difficulty; it was her lifeline.

"This is my money!"

Liu Xiaoli shouted hoarsely, "I've already told you where Meng Shuyun is! What more do you want! You heartless people! You promised to give me the money! That woman is too vicious; she even tries to take advantage of an old woman like me!"

Her voice, choked with sobs, echoed in the courtyard.

Liu Xiaoli screamed hysterically, her whole body curled up into a ball.

The bodyguards punched and kicked her, each blow delivered with brutal force. She coughed up blood and could even faintly hear the sound of bones cracking, but her hands gripped the money tightly like vises, refusing to let go.

"Hmph, you win."

The bodyguards, panting heavily, spat on her, their faces full of frustration. "I never expected to run into someone who'd rather die than give up money."

They complained and looked at each other helplessly. They had done this kind of thing many times before, thinking they could easily take the money away, but they never expected to be caught by this old woman. They were really unlucky.

Gu Ling and her group rushed to the train station. Relying on her superpowers, she always believed that there was no news she couldn't find out.

The train station was bustling with people, and the noise of people and train whistles mingled together.

Gu Ling, dressed in a fashionable dress and high heels, stood out from the crowd.

"What did you say! You just left this morning?"

Gu Ling's eyes widened, she gritted her teeth in anger, her pretty face flushed red, "So I was tricked by an old woman!"

She stomped her foot hard, the high heels making a crisp sound on the ground.

"Where did that old hag go? What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and buy a ticket!"

Looking at the bodyguards around her, Gu Ling felt like she was seeing a bunch of blockheads, and her anger flared up again. "They're really going to drive me crazy!"

"Miss, Old Madam Meng bought tickets for several places, but we can't find out which direction she's going," a bodyguard said cautiously, his voice barely audible.

Upon hearing this, Gu Ling was instantly enraged. With a "smack," she slammed her bag onto the ground and shouted, "Useless trash! Are you all just freeloaders? You can't even find an old lady. What use are you to me?"

Her chest heaved violently, and her eyes were filled with anger.

The bodyguards kept their heads down, not daring to breathe.

"Young Miss, which direction are we going now?" one of the bodyguards finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked, forcing himself to be brave.

Gu Ling was furious. Pointing at the bag on the ground, she ordered fiercely, "Kneel down and pick it up for me!"

Faced with such an unreasonable request, the bodyguard knelt down respectfully and presented the bag with trembling hands.

Gu Ling took out her mobile phone and dialed the Gu family's number in Beijing.

As soon as the call connected, she couldn't help but start complaining: "Mom, it's all your fault. I was completely fooled by an old woman. When I got there, she had already disappeared."

You know, Dad's really something. He can't even find reliable people to do things for him. Now I have to take the train, which is dirty and tiring. And now, look what happened—the person's disappeared.

"That old hag is so cunning. She bought tickets to four or five different places. I don't even know where to look for her anymore." Her voice was trembling with tears, and she was extremely aggrieved.

The woman on the other end of the phone gently reassured Gu Ling: "Don't worry, I'll ask your dad and call you back in a bit. Su Xiangnan is such a cunning person, his mother is naturally not easy to deal with either. We underestimated them."

Su Xiangnan hasn't found Gu Xue yet. If he does, as long as we control his family, we can easily manipulate them.

"You've worked so hard, Ling'er. When you come back, I'll have your dad buy you a car as compensation."

...

When the Meng family members came out of the train station, every face was etched with exhaustion.

The cramped space and noisy environment of a train ride can be exhausting, both physically and mentally.

Su Xiangyang rubbed his rumbling stomach and said weakly, "Mom, I'm hungry."

Xiaoli and Xiaojuan also looked dejected, but their eyes held a hint of expectation as they looked at Meng Shuyun.

Meng Shuyun straightened her aching back, rubbed her numb legs, and waved for a rickshaw.

She gave a place name, and then changed several rickshaws along the way, each pulled by a different person.

The three sisters, Su Xiumei, Su Xiulan, and Su Xiuju, were also exhausted, their steps faltering.

Su Xiuju couldn't help but ask, somewhat puzzled, "Mother, finding a place to eat shouldn't be difficult, right? I think that noodle shop across the street looks pretty good, why don't we go there to eat?" Her eyes were full of longing.

Meng Shuyun shook her head, her eyes scanning the surroundings warily. Her family of nine was too conspicuous and attention-grabbing.

"Eat some snacks to tide you over if you're hungry. We're not here in Guangzhou for tourism. Just bear with it a little longer, we'll be there soon." Her voice carried a hint of determination.

Deng Jiaqi was so hungry that she felt dizzy and weak in the knees, and her hand holding Meng Shuyun's hand trembled slightly.

"Mother, I know a place that's safe, where you can eat, and it's free." Her voice was weak.

All eyes immediately turned to Deng Jiaqi, filled with curiosity, wondering where she was talking about.

"Don't be ridiculous. This is Guangzhou, not Hong Kong. How would you know about a place like that?" Su Xiangyang couldn't help but say, his brows furrowed.

Meng Shuyun glared at Su Xiangyang and said sternly, "Is this how you usually talk to Jiaqi? If you can't speak properly, you can pretend to be mute."

Su Xiangyang pursed his lips and obediently shut his mouth. In any case, whatever he said was wrong in his mother's eyes.

“Then let’s do as Jiaqi says. You lead the way,” Meng Shuyun said.