Chapter 48 The Old Man Makes His Move
As night deepened, Lu Jingyan personally handed over the account books and confessions that were enough to overturn Lu Wenbo's case to Old Master Lu.
The old man didn't sleep all night.
The next day, at the Lu family's old residence, in the main hall.
The mahogany armchairs, carved from rosewood, were filled with the elders of the Lu family, each with a solemn expression. The air was thick with the musty scent of sandalwood and the oppressive atmosphere of an impending storm.
Lu Wenbo stood in the center of the hall, dressed impeccably in a Zhongshan suit, but his face was etched with heart-wrenching sorrow. His eyes were red-rimmed, and his voice was hoarse as he addressed the old man at the head of the table, who was resting with his eyes closed, each word dripping with anguish.
“Father, uncles and aunts, I, Lu Wenbo, swear to God that I am more heartbroken than anyone else by Jingyan’s accident! He is my own nephew!”
He pounded his chest, looking as if he were heartbroken.
"It's all because of the Ye family! After their family fell from grace, they held a grudge and not only absconded with the funds I had prepared for my work unit's operations, but they also came up with this vicious scheme to smear me and sow discord between my uncle and me in the Lu family! I... I was truly blind to have trusted these heartless bastards!"
His performance was sincere and flawless.
The third uncle next to him took a sip of tea and slowly said, "Wenbo, that's true, but the rumors going around are not good for the reputation of our Lu family. I think we should stop investigating this matter."
Another elder, wearing reading glasses, chimed in, "Yes, brother. Family scandals shouldn't be aired in public. Jingyan isn't really in any real trouble, and Wenbo knows he was wrong. Let him find a way to make up for the money the Ye family took and apologize to Jingyan, then we can let it go. What grudges can we hold overnight among family members?"
"Yes, yes, behind closed doors, we're all family."
The clan elders chimed in with their own opinions, but the core message was the same: to smooth things over.
Preserving the Lu family's reputation is more important than anything else. As for the truth, or who almost died, that's irrelevant.
Hearing these words, Lu Wenbo felt a great weight lifted from his heart, but his face showed even more grief. He bowed deeply in Lu Jingyan's direction and said, "Jingyan, it was your second uncle's poor judgment that almost caused a disaster. Your second uncle is so sorry!"
Lu Jingyan sat at the lower end of the table, expressionless, neither saying yes nor no.
The only sounds in the main hall were the clan elders' murmurs of persuasion and Lu Wenbo's suppressed sobs.
The old man at the head of the table, Mr. Lu, kept his eyes closed and remained motionless, as if he were asleep.
Just when everyone thought he was going to acquiesce to this approach, the old man suddenly lifted his eyelids!
The sharp glint in his cloudy old eyes was as keen as a knife!
"Are you done talking?"
The old man's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a heavy hammer blow, striking everyone's heart hard.
The main hall fell silent instantly.
He took a file bag from the guard beside him and threw its contents at Lu Wenbo's face.
Photos and statements were scattered all over the floor.
"Don't wash your dirty linen in public?" Old Master Lu's voice boomed like a bell, causing dust to fall from the roof beams. "Murdering an active-duty military officer is also a family scandal?!"
"You misjudged people?" He pointed to the confession signed by the assassin "Gecko" on the ground.
"You don't recognize this person? He explained in detail how you sent him to the hospital to inject Jingyan with potassium chloride!"
"Is an apology all it takes?" The old man slammed his cane down heavily on the ground, causing a thin crack to appear in the bluestone paving stones.
"My Lu family's descendants almost died at your hands! You think you can just wipe that away with a flimsy 'sorry'?!"
Thunderous Fury!
The elders present were all trembling with fear, their hands holding teacups shaking, not daring to breathe. They then remembered that the man before them was not only the patriarch of the Lu family, but also a military legend who had fought his way through countless battles!
The color drained from Lu Wenbo's face in an instant. He looked at the confession on the ground, his legs went weak, and he almost couldn't stand up.
He never imagined that the "Gecko" who was known for never making a mistake would fall into Lu Jingyan's hands and even sell him out!
...
Tangdixuan, backyard.
The sun was shining brightly as Su Wantang brewed a pot of newly arrived Pu'er tea for Chief Chen.
Gao Jianjun strode in from outside, his voice low but filled with barely concealed excitement: "Sister-in-law! The old man is furious! In front of all the clan elders, he threw all the evidence in Lu Wenbo's face! That scene, good heavens, it was terrifying!"
Su Wantang picked up the teacup with her fingertips, her movements unchanged, and simply hummed in agreement.
It was as if everything was under my control.
She pushed a cup of amber-colored tea in front of Old Chen and said with a smile, "Old Chen, try this, it'll warm your stomach."
Old Chen took a sip and squinted his eyes in satisfaction: "Good tea! You always manage to get some good stuff, girl."
Su Wantang refilled his water, sighed seemingly unintentionally, and started chatting.
"No matter how good something is, there's always someone who might covet it. I recently heard something about my hometown in Shanghai, and it left me with a strange feeling."
"Oh? Tell me about it." Old Chen became interested.
"He also owned a factory, and his daughter married a capable man. But then, in order to climb the social ladder, that man turned around and got involved with the leader's daughter. He then plotted to frame his own wife, trying to kill her so that he could rightfully marry his new wife and become the son-in-law of a dragon."
Su Wantang spoke calmly, as if she were telling a gossip story.
"What era are we living in? There are still ungrateful bastards like Chen Shimei. He made his fortune by relying on his wife's family, and then he turned around and tried to kill them. If someone like that really gained power, what a disaster he would be."
Old Chen paused slightly in the hand holding the teacup.
He was a shrewd and experienced man, and he immediately understood the meaning behind Su Wantang's words.
He put down his teacup and gave Su Wantang a deep look: "This kind of person is indeed a menace! Once discovered, they must not be tolerated!"
...
The Lu family's old residence.
Lu Wenbo was still making a last-ditch effort. He threw himself at the old man's feet, hugged his legs, and cried, "Dad! I didn't! I was framed! It was Su Wantang! It must be that woman! She and Jingyan conspired to harm me!"
Just then, the heavy wooden door to the conference room was pushed open from the outside.
Two officers, dressed in crisp military uniforms and wearing armbands with the words "Military Law Department" on their arms, walked in expressionlessly.
The leading officer gave Old Master Lu a standard military salute.
Then, he took a document out of his briefcase, walked up to Lu Wenbo, whose face was ashen, and spoke in a voice as cold as ice.
"Comrade Lu Wenbo, you are suspected of serious disciplinary violations and are involved in multiple criminal cases. Now, please come with us."
Lu Wenbo froze, and the last trace of color drained from his face.
This also caused the elders who had just tried to smooth things over to have their backs instantly soaked with cold sweat.
The matter escalated to the point of involving the military court.
This is no longer just a "family scandal" for the Lu family, but a matter of national law and military discipline! Anyone who dares to plead for leniency is an accomplice!
Two officers, one on each side, lifted up Lu Wenbo, who was already limp, and dragged him outside.
When Lu Wenbo was dragged to the door, he suddenly turned around.
His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Lu Jingyan, the resentment in his gaze seeming to want to devour him alive.
But then, his gaze suddenly shifted, passing over Lu Jingyan and landing on the empty doorway behind him.
That venomous look was instantly replaced by a deeper, indescribable fear.
His lips moved silently, as if calling a name, but no sound came out.
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