Chapter 56 Interrogation
Not long after Yang Ning left, Pu Manli came out from the inner room.
Xie Sheng followed silently behind her. When they reached the door, Pu Manli raised her hand to stop him. "Just leave me here. I'll go back by myself."
"......"
Xie Sheng hesitated, wanting to speak but then stopped, and moved forward.
“Don’t see me off,” Pu Manli stopped him. “Let me calm down… and think about what I’m saying again.”
After saying that, she gave him a deep look and then turned and left.
The door was closed with a dull thud.
The world inside the door was quiet and silent, shrouded in boundless darkness.
Xie Sheng stood motionless, as if frozen in place.
Pu Xia hugged him from behind, her voice soft and low, "Brother..."
Xie Sheng didn't turn around, but lowered his head and placed his hand on the hand that was wrapped around his waist.
After a long while, he finally spoke.
"...It's alright, don't worry."
...
After the incident was exposed that day, nothing happened. The unusual calm made Pu Xia even more nervous.
A sense of impending storm lingered in Pu Xia's mind.
Sure enough, a week later, just as she had expected, Yang Ning began to take action.
Several bars operated by Xie Sheng were shut down one after another, and the hotel he had just taken over was also forced to suspend operations for rectification due to some complaints.
Everything happened so quickly and in such a concentrated manner that it's hard to imagine any other reason other than that someone was targeting them.
Li Ke traveled around trying to manage relationships, but he couldn't get through to any of them or find a reason for it.
In his view, even if it was targeted, it was somewhat inexplicable.
In contrast, Xie Sheng, contrary to his usual silence, handled all matters inside and outside without complaint. Even the atmosphere around him became tense, and his already deep facial features became even colder and harder.
When they came out after another round of investigation, Li Ke couldn't hold back any longer. Instead of immediately lighting the car, he looked through the rearview mirror at Xie Sheng, who was looking down and seemingly lost in thought, and asked, "Mr. Xie, have you offended someone?"
Xie Sheng raised his eyes, his gaze cold and weary. He remained silent, his resistance evident.
Knowing how difficult it was to persuade him, Li Ke directly brought up Pu Xia, saying, "Then I'll go ask Miss Pu."
Sure enough, Xie Sheng's expression changed instantly.
His gaze sharpened instantly, and his tone carried a warning, "Li Ke."
“These days, hundreds of people in the company are in a state of panic. They are all waiting for the problem to be resolved smoothly so that they can continue to work with peace of mind. Mr. Xie, when it comes to company issues, you are not just an individual, you are also the boss,” Li Ke said without any hesitation.
Xie Sheng stared at him coldly, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.
A moment later, he revealed a cold smile and said provocatively, "Fine, then I'll tell you everything."
The bright sun, high in the sky, is about to reach its highest point of the day. The sunlight is so intense it's almost blinding, but it doesn't feel warm against the skin.
There weren't many people on the road at that moment, and the side streets were unusually quiet, with only the smell of smoke permeating the surroundings.
After learning the truth, Li Ke showed no change in expression.
Surprisingly, he wasn't too surprised.
But his usually fast-paced brain briefly went on strike. His fingers tapped the steering wheel unconsciously, and after a moment, he finally spoke, "If it's Miss Pu's mother, then everything makes sense. Mr. Xie, we are no match for her."
“What if things get really bad?” Xie Sheng took another drag of his cigarette and continued, “First, settle the employees in place, have the finance department do the accounting for the money that should be paid, and arrange compensation for those who want to leave.”
His tone was calm, but it carried an undeniable firmness.
He's determined to hold on, no matter what.
Normally, Li Ke would advise him to avoid conflict and consider the bigger picture. But since this matter involved emotions, things couldn't be so rational.
Logically speaking, he was almost ten years older than them and should have offered some advice. But after spending time together, he understood better than anyone the unbreakable bond between Xie Sheng and Pu Xia.
He sighed silently and started the car.
......
Xie Sheng was getting busier and busier, and Pu Xia could hear the weariness in his voice over the phone, but whenever she asked, Xie Sheng would say, "It's nothing."
It's definitely not nothing.
Pu Xia knew perfectly well what was going on, but she didn't press him further. She thought she should trust him.
But when this inner anxiety and the mock exam came together, she unsurprisingly fell ill.
In her last English exam, she finished her essay in a daze, handed it in hastily without checking it, and prepared to go home to the provincial capital to rest.
It was nearly April, and Pu Xia was sweating profusely as he walked in the sunlight.
Just then, her phone rang, and her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
After the call connected, Li Ke's voice came from the other end, "Miss Pu, have you finished your exam?"
"You just came out of the exam room, did something happen?"
Pu Xia keenly sensed the unusual nature of what followed the phone call.
"...Mr. Xie has been taken away and is currently being interrogated."
Pu Xia's hand holding the phone suddenly went limp, and she quickly steadied herself with her other hand. "Where are you now? I'll come right away."
...When Pu Xia arrived at the police station, it was already evening.
The first thing she saw after getting out of the car was Li Ke, who was making a phone call at the door.
His brows furrowed, a cigarette between his fingers, his coat draped over his arm, and a look of irritation appeared on his usually calm and composed face.
“Money is not a problem… I know, but it’s really hard to say… Okay, then please think of a way…” Li Ke turned around and saw Pu Xia walking over, and immediately stopped talking, “I have something to do, I’ll contact you later.”
After hanging up the phone, Li Ke walked up to Pu Xia, took her schoolbag, and said, "I'm sorry, Miss Pu, I can't leave you here, so I couldn't pick you up."
"Nothing, where's my brother? How is he?" She grabbed Li Ke's sleeve and asked anxiously.
Her face was pale, and her once delicate lips were now white, making her look like a fragile porcelain doll.
"Still inside."
"Did they say when he'll be released? Why are they detaining him? Have they hired a lawyer?" Pu Xia asked anxiously, her voice trembling slightly.
Li Ke gripped her shoulder, looked into her eyes, and said, "Miss Pu, you need to calm down. Look at me, calm down. Mr. Xie needs you right now."
Xie Sheng needs her.
Pu Xia's previously confused and scattered gaze gradually focused.
She patted her face, trying to calm herself down, "Brother Li Ke, tell me everything that happened."
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