Chapter 76 In the Name of Charity, Beneath the Mask
The Shanghai business community has recently been thrown into turmoil, as if a depth charge had been dropped on them.
Suddenly, a Hong Kong businesswoman surnamed Bai appeared out of nowhere. She was incredibly wealthy.
He immediately declared that he would donate a large sum of money to charity in Shanghai.
The message, released through Du Kangnian at the Peace Hotel, carried significant weight. A flood of documents from welfare organizations poured onto Du Kangnian's desk.
At the Peace Hotel, Du Kangnian stood before Su Wantang, his eyes filled with barely suppressed excitement and admiration.
"Young Miss, that was a brilliant move!"
Su Wantang, or rather Bai Shu, was standing by the window, looking at the gray sky outside.
"Flies come because they smell it," she said calmly.
She turned around and her gaze fell on a document in Du Kangnian's hand.
"Let's make an appointment with Chunlei Children's Welfare Home."
Du Kangnian's heart skipped a beat, and he nodded, saying, "Yes!"
Chunlei Children's Welfare Home.
Located in the suburbs of Shanghai, the red brick building is surrounded by lush greenery, and the sign at the entrance is polished to a shine.
A brand-new Volga stopped in front of the welfare home, and Bai Shu got out of the car.
Her all-black suit skirt perfectly accentuated her tall and slender figure, and her long legs were faintly visible beneath the skirt as she walked.
Her long hair was neatly tied into a bun at the back of her head, with only a few strands hanging down by her ears, adding a touch of indescribable charm.
Zhou Yali, the director of the welfare home, was already waiting at the door.
The woman was in her early forties and a little overweight, but she insisted on squeezing herself into a small floral dress that was too tight around her body.
Her face was covered in a thick layer of powder, and when she smiled, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes could trap a mosquito, exuding an excessive enthusiasm.
"Oh! Mr. Bai! You've finally arrived! The entire hospital has been eagerly awaiting your arrival!"
Zhou Yali grasped Bai Zhu's hand tightly.
Bai Shu calmly withdrew his hand, a formulaic smile on his face: "Dean Zhou, you're too kind."
Her gaze passed over Zhou Yali and fell on the courtyard.
The yard wasn't big, but it was kept very clean. A dozen or so children, dressed in matching blue and white striped shirts, stood in two rows.
Strangely, these children showed no trace of the curiosity and innocence that children should have.
They stared at Bai Shu, this stranger, with numb eyes, even a hint of fear, like a group of puppets with pre-programmed routines.
Not a single child whispered among themselves, and not one dared to look up at her even once.
Paradise on Earth?
Bai Shu sneered inwardly; this place was more like hell than hell itself.
"Boss Bai, look how well-behaved and sensible our child is!"
Zhou Yali was still taking credit, her plump body blocking most of Bai Shu's view.
"She is quite sensible," Bai Shu replied casually, and stepped inside.
Zhou Yali went on and on about the glorious history of the welfare home, how many banners it had received, how many praises it had earned from leaders, and how many photos of the children's "innocent and carefree" smiling faces were hanging on the walls.
But Bai Shu's attention was entirely focused on the children who passed by her.
They were so quiet, it was frighteningly quiet.
Upon entering the kitchen, the aroma of food wafted through the air.
Halfway there, Bai Zhu suddenly clutched her stomach, her delicate brows furrowed, and her face paled instantly.
"Oh dear, this..." Zhou Yali was startled when she saw this. What if the God of Wealth had a problem with her?
"It's an old problem, probably from drinking something cold this morning," Bai Zhu said weakly.
"Dean Zhou, could I borrow a place to rest for a while?"
"Of course, of course! Come to my office right away!"
"No, I'll just lean against that storage room next door for a bit." Bai Shu pointed to the small hut next to the kitchen.
"I need to find a secluded place to catch my breath because of this problem."
Zhou Yali dared not disobey, but she ordered two staff members to stand guard at the door, while she herself wore a smiling face, appearing extremely concerned.
Bai Zhu walked into the storage room and closed the door behind her.
The moment the door lock clicked shut, all the weakness on her face vanished, replaced by a cold, calm demeanor.
With a thought, Su Wantang entered the Begonia Space.
Without a moment's delay, she quickly changed into a black outfit that she had prepared beforehand and wrapped her long hair in a black cloth.
Her entire demeanor instantly transformed from that of a shrewd businesswoman into that of a silent, sharp blade.
Su Wantang climbed out through a tiny window in the storage room and landed silently on the ground.
She used the Bagua Step to its fullest extent, avoiding everyone's gaze, and headed straight for the archives of the orphanage.
The locks in the archives were like toys to her.
A silver needle was inserted, and with a gentle flick, the lock cylinder clicked softly.
The room reeked of musty, stale air. Without wasting a second, Su Wantang opened the filing cabinet and quickly scanned the children's files.
She quickly discovered the problem.
Many children's medical examination reports state that they suffer from various rare blood diseases, such as aplastic anemia and thalassemia. However, in the photos, these children appear to be healthy and lively.
Even more suspiciously, these "sick" children have a "transfer record" every now and then.
Without exception, all the transfer addresses pointed to a private hospital in the suburbs of Shanghai that had been abandoned for many years.
Using living people to forge medical records!
Su Wantang stuffed several key files into her arms, turned and left the archives room, her destination: the warehouse.
The warehouse was filled with donated rice, flour, and cooking oil, and looked perfectly normal.
Su Wantang's gaze, however, was fixed on the wall at the very back of the warehouse.
She walked over and tapped her knuckles lightly on the wall.
"Thump, thump, thump..."
The sound is wrong.
One section is empty.
She found a seam in the wall, pried open a disguised brick, and revealed a hidden metal handle.
With a strong pull, accompanied by a dull screech, the entire wall slid to one side, and a chilling blast of air rushed out!
Behind the wall is a huge cold storage!
What was stored inside wasn't food at all, but rows of metal shelves, neatly arranged with bags of labeled blood plasma!
There were also several sophisticated medical instruments, similar to those used for blood separation and storage, that Su Wantang had only seen in later generations.
This is not a welfare home at all.
This is an underground blood bank disguised as an orphanage!
At the same time, in Beijing.
In a dimly lit interrogation room, Lu Jingyan sat behind a table.
The Lin Zihang standing before him was no longer the spirited young man he once was. He was so thin he was unrecognizable, and his eyes were unfocused, like a dog whose spine had been broken.
“Su Yuting…” Lu Jingyan’s voice was devoid of any warmth.
What else did she say to you?
Lin Zihang shuddered and stammered, "She...she's like a goddess, no, like a ghost...she always knows what's going to happen..."
“Once, my dad wanted to invest in a black market business, but she absolutely refused, saying that the goods would definitely be inspected within three days. My dad didn’t believe her, and as a result… he lost half of his family’s savings.”
"And...and she said things were about to change in Shanghai, and told me not to get entangled with that bitch surnamed Su, saying she wouldn't live long...and she told me to go to the Peace Hotel..."
Lin Zihang's words were incoherent, but Lu Jingyan's gaze grew colder and colder.
prophecy?
There are no prophecies in this world.
But that time when she caught her husband cheating at the Peace Hotel, her stepsister's eyes were filled with resentment, yet also with a hint of glee as if she were watching a show—something was off about her.
Something is very wrong.
Lu Jingyan stood up and said to Gao Jianjun behind him, "Send someone to that farm in the Northwest immediately."
"Investigate Su Yuting. Turn everything she's done since she was a child into an absolute mess, and find out everything about her and everyone she's ever met."
...
The door to the storeroom at the welfare home was open.
Bai Shu came out, her face still pale, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead. She looked like she had recovered, but she was still severely weakened.
"Boss Bai, are you alright?" Zhou Yali quickly came up to him, her face full of concern.
"It's alright, thank you Dean Zhou."
Bai Shu waved his hand and put on that commercial smile again.
“I’m very satisfied with what I saw today. Director Zhou manages the welfare home very well, and the children are adorable. I will have my assistant contact you about the donation as soon as possible.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yali felt relieved, and her face broke into a wide smile.
"Thank you so much, Boss Bai! You're a true saint!"
The two exchanged pleasantries at the door, shook hands, and said goodbye.
Just as he let go, Bai Shu stared into Zhou Yali's eyes, smiled seemingly unintentionally, and said softly:
"Dean Zhou has a very good complexion; he must take good care of himself."
The smile on Zhou Yali's face suddenly froze.
The fleeting panic deep in her eyes did not escape Bai Shu's notice.
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