Qiao Xia sat listlessly in the hall, staring intently at Zhao Yuncheng.
"You..." Zhao Yuncheng raised his head to speak, but a woman sat down next to him, looking at Qiao Xia across from him expressionlessly.
Qiao Xia greeted him warmly, "Shuoyu, long time no see. So many years have passed, and you're still cleaning up after your good-for-nothing brother."
Shen Shuoyu was dressed in a gray trench coat and high heels, looking very neat and tidy.
The moment their eyes met, tears welled up in her eyes. "He's my brother. It's one thing for you two to bicker, but how could you hit him?"
Qiao Xia impatiently picked at her ear and clapped her hands. Qiao Zhaoxing then cooperated by placing the black leather suitcase on the table.
"Can 3 million be settled?"
Shen Shuoyu glanced at the box, then suddenly looked up, shocked, and said, "You gouged out his eyes?"
Qiao Xia looked puzzled. "Am I that cruel?"
“Your family is bankrupt, and you’re still willing to spend so much money.” Shen Shuoyu stroked the RMB, his eyes gleaming as he stretched out his hand. “Add another 3 million, and I’ll gouge his eyes out for you.”
Qiao Zhaoxing looked at his daughter with admiration. He hadn't understood why Qiao Xia suddenly asked him to go to the cash shop before, but now he did.
Qiao Xia scoffed, "You only have one older brother."
"So we have to add..."
Zhao Yuncheng slammed his fist on the table, gritting his teeth, and said, "Do you even know where you are? If you want to discuss illegal and criminal matters, at least find somewhere else!"
Qiao Xia made a zipper-like gesture to her lips.
Shen Shuoyu pushed up his glasses. "I heard you bought back the Qiao family's old house?"
Qiao Xia crossed her arms and looked at her warily. "What do you want to do?"
Shen Shuoyu raised his eyes and said expressionlessly, "Back then, the Qiao family auctioned off not only the house, but also a batch of antiques and calligraphy and paintings."
I'll pay double.
"It's a pleasure doing business with you." Shen Shuoyu quickly shook her hand, afraid that she might change her mind.
Qiao Xia watched her retreating figure and asked in confusion, "Weren't you here to bail out your brother?"
Shen Shuoyu, carrying a black leather suitcase, said, "Money is more important than him. Do you need me to pass on a message? Apart from me, those people probably don't know you're back yet."
Qiao Xia ignored her and looked at Zhao Yuncheng, "The victim's family has agreed to a settlement, can I leave now?"
Zhao Yuncheng gestured for him to proceed.
Stepping out of the police station, Qiao Xia received a call from the saleswoman, who apologized, explaining that due to the holiday, they couldn't find any cleaning staff and would have to wait until all the paperwork was completed before they could move in.
Qiao Xia stretched her neck. "It's okay, I'm a professional cleaner."
"Ah...ah?" An eerie silence fell on the other end of the phone.
Qiao Zhaoxing asked cautiously, "Xia Bao, can we go back to the old house tomorrow?"
"What happened?"
Qiao Zhaoxing said shyly, "I'm not with your mother, and I'm afraid she'll be scared."
Qiao Xia was caught off guard by this display of affection and twitched her lips speechlessly.
Qiao Zhaoxing continued, "The brothers at the gate took good care of me. Now that I've decided to leave, I thought I should at least tell them."
Qiao Xia nodded in agreement and returned to their 20-square-meter room. Tang Xining shared the same opinion, "Yes, although my employer is unreliable, the child is innocent. We should make sure things are settled before we leave."
Qiao Xia once again marveled at her father's good fortune. Before the bankruptcy, it was one thing, but after the bankruptcy, she endured exploitation from her boss and exclusion from her colleagues every day at the company.
My mom was always busy at her employer's house, but my dad, whose colleague was like a dog, would sit there all day with just a walkie-talkie and a pot of tea.
Seeing that they weren't in a hurry, Qiao Xia naturally wasn't in a rush to move in either.
Since her house was full of scrap stones and there was nowhere to stand, Qiao Xia went out to fool around without any guilt.
When Xiaorou saw her, she immediately ran to her side. "Sister Qiao, the private room has been reserved for you. About yesterday... I thought you wouldn't come again."
"With you here, how could I bear not to come?" Qiao Xia blurted out the excuse without noticing Xiao Rou's flushed cheeks.
As Xiao Rou led her to the private room, she introduced, "After listening to your suggestion last time, I lodged a serious protest with the boss. The boss has decided to raise the standards for selecting people and give them proper on-the-job training."
Xiao Rou's expression was as serious as an upright and outspoken imperial censor, which amused Qiao Xia. "I just want to relax today, I don't need to find anyone..."
Xiao Rou interrupted, "I understand! I specifically told Xiaomian that he would come to find you in a little while. Look, he's already here..."
The boy's face was gloomy, and the oversized suit made his chest and abdomen vaguely visible, adding an inexplicable and indescribable meaning.
He skillfully took Qiao Xia's hand and placed it on his face, then slid it down his throat and down, but his eyes were dull and lifeless.
Feeling the firmness of the boy's chest, Qiao Xia's fingers recoiled as if on fire, and she quickly withdrew her hand. "Wait, wait..."
Qiao Xia tugged at Xiao Rou's sleeve for help, but Xiao Rou misunderstood her intention.
"I've bothered you here, haven't I? I'll leave now."
As soon as she finished speaking, Qiao Xia watched as Jiang Xiaomian bit her lip, her face turning deathly pale in an instant, but her hand was already on the suit button.
"Enough!" Qiao Xia stopped the farce in time and pulled Xiao Rou back.
"Are you even running a legitimate business?"
Xiao Rou looked completely innocent and said, "Sister, what aspect are you referring to? Doesn't everyone in our line of work dabble in something bordering on that?"
Qiao Xia was so angry she was practically fuming. "You can't just find me a minor! What kind of education is this?"
"Underage?" Xiaorou was stunned.
Jiang Xiaomian raised her eyes, shaking her head with tears welling up in her eyes.
Qiao Xia turned her head away in disdain, "You're always so busy, working two extra jobs even though you're in high school."
Although Jiang Xiaomian is only 16 years old, she has grown to 1.85 meters tall. Coupled with her mature clothing style, it is hard to tell her actual age at first glance.
Qiao Xia knew this because she had seen him in her father's duty room and at the internet celebrity company.
Jiang Xiaomian looked at Xiaorou, her eyes full of pleading, "Will you tell the boss about this?"
Xiao Rou hesitated and looked at Qiao Xia. The big customer had already discovered it. Besides, if a place like theirs hired a minor, and they were discovered, the whole store might have to go in. It was neither morally nor logically her to keep the person there.
Seeing her hesitation, Jiang Xiaomian knelt down before Qiao Xia without hesitation, "Please, don't tell anyone else, I can't lose this job."
"Stop, stop, stop! Get up now."
Jiang Xiaomian's story is very cliché: a sick mother, a gambling father, a bloodsucking company, and a broken man.
Ultimately, it all comes down to a lack of money, and that's exactly what Qiao Xia has in abundance right now!
"System, how much money do I have left?"
[A negative 320 million.]
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