practice
"You've been fidgeting all day, like you have needles stuck in your butt." Xu Jing sat on the sofa watching TV and saw Tao Guohua pacing back and forth a few times. Knowing he was worried about Tao Chu, she couldn't help but mock him.
"He should have disembarked yesterday, but his phone has been off the whole time. This kid, he doesn't even bother to let us know he's safe. It's so worrying!" Tao Guohua muttered.
Sui Liyong's secretary had asked several times, and he had barely managed to delay until today. If he didn't reply soon, he would really offend people!
Suddenly the doorbell rang. Before Xu Jing could get up, Tao Guohua had already rushed over to open the door.
"Chuchu!" Tao Guohua's voice was filled with joy. "Come in quickly! Why couldn't I reach you? Is your phone broken?"
Tao Chu watched as his brother eagerly took the suitcase, and simply hummed in response.
Upon entering the room, Tao Chu saw Xu Jing sitting on the sofa without saying a word, as if she hadn't seen him. So he simply turned around and said to Tao Guohua, "Dad, I have something to say to you."
Tao Guohua readily agreed, "Okay, okay," and followed her into the study, dragging his suitcase.
Xu Jing jumped up, staring at the marks left on the floor by the suitcase wheels: "I just mopped the floor this morning! One after another, they don't treat this place like home, coming and going as they please, making a mess of it!"
Tao Guohua had just put his suitcase down when he straightened up and saw Tao Chu frowning. He quickly said, "Ignore her, she's always nagging. Tell your dad how you're doing on the ship."
Tao Chu sat in the chair and looked at Tao Guohua, who was standing awkwardly with his hands clasped together.
She recalled her first day there, also in the study, when Tao Guohua plopped down in that chair, deciding whether she would stay or leave.
She sat there calmly, while he waited anxiously for her to speak.
Tao Guohua became even more anxious when he saw Tao Chu only shaking his head and not speaking: "What happened? Where's Xiao Shen? Didn't he come back with you?"
"Dad, please don't ask. I... I don't dare to say." Tao Chu turned her face away and lowered her head.
Tao Guohua's eyes lit up, and he quickly walked to Tao Chu's side.
He wanted to press for more information, but he suppressed his eagerness and patted his daughter's back first: "Sigh, I thought that with Xiao Shen by your side, Dad would feel more at ease. Seeing you so upset makes me feel bad too."
Seeing that Tao Chu still didn't speak, Tao Guohua walked to her side, bent down and turned her shoulder: "Now that you're back, don't be afraid. Tell Dad what you saw."
Tao Chu turned her head timidly to look at Tao Guohua: "They...they have guns and want to kill me."
Upon hearing the word "gun," Tao Guohua's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets with excitement, but he tried his best to suppress it, feigning surprise and worry: "What? They're so arrogant? Thank goodness you're back safe and sound, otherwise what would your father have done!"
Tao Chu remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
Sure enough, Tao Guohua's next question was: "How many guns do they have? Are you sure they're real guns?"
Tao Chu nodded: "One shot missed, otherwise I would have died on the ship."
Upon hearing his daughter's words, Tao Guohua's expression froze for a moment.
Looking at his daughter who had escaped death, he couldn't help but reach out and pat her head.
When he touched the top of her head, he seemed to realize that he almost never saw her again.
"Chuchu, Chuchu."
Tao Guohua couldn't say anything else, he just called out her name.
Tao Chu could sense that his concern was genuine, and suddenly her eyes stung with tears. She silently lowered her head.
This rare moment of warmth lasted only a brief half-minute before Tao Guohua heard a message notification on his phone and was immediately brought back to reality.
He cleared his throat and continued, "Chuchu, tell me what exactly happened."
Tao Chu downplayed the seriousness of the matter, only mentioning what he had seen at the casino and Li Yue's attempt to kill him with a gun. These few words alone were enough to stir Tao Guohua's emotions.
But he also caught a clue and pressed, "Then why were they willing to let you go?"
“Wen Yunsheng got their dirt on me, that’s why he saved me.” Tao Chu saw Tao Guohua and almost jumped up, then continued, “Dad, don’t be too happy yet. That’s dirt on Li Pengcheng and his gang, and it’s dirt on Wen Tao too. Wen Yunsheng would never give me the evidence.”
Tao Guohua, however, couldn't calm down: "Wen Tao and Li Pengcheng have fallen out, and Wen Tao's son still has evidence. This is fantastic news!"
As he took out his phone, he said to Tao Chu, "You take a rest first, I'll go make a call."
He rushed out the door in a few quick steps, as if he wanted to throw his slippers off.
After he left, Tao Chu took out his new phone and opened several newly downloaded videos.
The email address Wen Yunsheng sent was hers—she wasn't some omniscient strategist like Zhuge Liang, capable of making such meticulous preparations in advance.
The promise of sending emails at set times was just a way to intimidate Li Pengcheng and his son, who were unwilling to take any risks.
Now that this evidence is in her hands, it is both a lifesaver and a death sentence.
In terms of sheer scale, these measures are far from enough to completely eradicate Zhou Bingcheng's faction; at most, they will only entangle Li Pengcheng and his son in trouble.
If you don't use it until you're absolutely certain of success, you'll only expose that you have no other trump cards, and it's only a matter of time before you're silenced.
He could hand it over to Tao Guohua as a pledge of allegiance to Sui Liyong, thus becoming the most insignificant pawn.
Those at the very bottom of the power hierarchy can be easily discarded at the slightest sign of trouble.
If you're going to do it, be bait with a hook.
I can see it, but I dare not eat it.
The waves stirred up the fish, causing them to chase each other and creating turbulent waves.
Tao Guohua returned to his study excitedly and praised her highly: "The big boss said you are brave and resourceful, very good! However, you must find a way to get the evidence from Wen Yunsheng. Don't worry about the rest, Li Pengcheng and his son will have people keeping a close eye on them."
"But... Dad, I've completely offended them, and Jiang Lin is their territory. I'm afraid they won't let me off the hook."
"Don't worry, the big boss will protect you. Just stay home and relax..."
Fish bait placed in a box is meaningless; only when it hangs in the water and sways with the waves can it attract fish.
“Dad, this is what I’m thinking,” Tao Chu interrupted him. “I’m studying journalism. Could you ask someone higher up to help me get an internship at a media outlet? I’ll work from nine to five every day, and they won’t dare to touch me.”
Tao Guohua thought that made sense. After all, things had stabilized, and they were dealing with the news media again. Li Pengcheng and his group would have to think twice before taking action.
However, Tao Chu seemed to be avoiding Wen Yunsheng, so Tao Guohua seized the opportunity to negotiate: "If I have to swallow my pride and ask someone for you, you have to promise me that you'll also have to work hard with Wen Yunsheng, otherwise I won't be able to explain myself."
Seeing Tao Chu nod silently, Tao Guohua picked up his phone and went out to make another call.
After the New Year, Tao Chu successfully reported to the media center in Beibin District. She was initially worried that her mother's file would be verified after she filled out the form.
Unexpectedly, no one paid any attention to it. I don't know if it was because Sui Liyong had spoken to him or because he was just an intern.
In addition, since the section chief was a graduate of the Journalism Department of Jianglin University, Tao Chu only mentioned his grandmother's name, and the section chief said he would personally teach her.
Tao Chu often went out with him to cover news, leaving early and returning late. Xu Jing often complained and told Tao Guohua every few days that she should move to her grandmother's house.
With this internship, Tao Chu no longer needs to rely on Tao Guohua and the others to ensure her safety, unlike when she first returned to Jianglin.
But she knew that the current peace was only temporary, and she didn't dare to stay at her grandmother's place for long, so she simply found an apartment close to her workplace and moved out to live alone.
It was only a few hundred meters from Cen Le's house, which made it convenient for them to occasionally meet and discuss their next plans.
There has been no further news from "HP", and Shen Yingchang has not taken the initiative to contact Tao Chu. On the contrary, Li Yue often appears in Cen Le's live broadcast room and sends gifts.
However, because of Tao Chu's instructions, Cen Le dared not approach him again, only saying perfunctory words. Even when she heard that he was at a gathering, Cen Le made excuses not to go.
One evening, when Cen Le opened the door to get her takeout, the person carrying the takeout bag was Li Yue.
Seeing his smug smile, Cen Le's heart skipped a beat—she had invited Tao Chu over for a late-night snack, and Tao Chu had just messaged her saying he had already left.
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