41 "As always, hold him up when he falls"
It was difficult to sleep well because of something on his mind, so Tao Wanjia got up early the next day to go for a run.
She had a vague feeling that this would be a tough battle, and she had to keep up her mental and physical strength, ensuring she was always in top condition before she could spare any effort to fight. However, the weather suddenly changed, becoming overcast and drizzling, and she had to turn back in a hurry after less than two laps.
Downstairs in the residential complex, a large group of people gathered outside the gate.
They were the elderly people living in the shantytowns, their faces gloomy under their umbrellas. Each of them was standing still in the rain, carrying a basket full of vegetables.
Tao Wanjia was keenly aware of something, so he stopped and called He Yu to tell him not to come down yet, but it was too late. When the call was connected, the man just walked out from the access control area. Before he could open the umbrella in his hand, everyone threw things at him.
The incident happened suddenly, and Tao Wanjia hurried forward to stop He Yu behind him.
However, the people who gradually gathered around him became more and more emotional. Their usually kind faces became hateful as they stared at him and cursed at him.
"You're as ungrateful as your father!"
"Greed is unscrupulous!"
"Those are human lives! You and your son have sacrificed countless lives in Rongcheng! Are you going to repeat what happened back then?"
"Do you have any conscience? Are you worthy of the people of Rongcheng?"
The raindrops hit my body as if they were falling from the sky.
He Yu was stunned. The group of people standing at the bottom of the stairs made him much more sad than those media outlets that were making groundless accusations. These words hit him directly in the heart. He forgot to refute or ask them to drive them away. He stood stiffly aside and let all the rotten vegetable leaves be thrown at him.
A rat crossing the street is just like this.
He had indeed failed to keep his promise to these people. The wellness center hadn't been completed on time, and now this had happened again. He had never been good at making excuses, and even as a businessman, he couldn't learn the art of flattery. He was, by nature, pure and almost reckless. This path wasn't what he wanted, and certainly wasn't the most suitable one. He had persevered until now solely out of a sense of responsibility, but now, that responsibility had become his reason for "atonement."
The events of that year were still vivid in his mind, and the same thing happened to those people after the fire. When he ran back to the factory to find Tao Wanjia, they surrounded him and vented all the pain of losing their loved ones on them. The smoke was pungent, and his hand was also broken at that time.
Memories spread with the rain, and the hands hanging by his side began to tremble uncontrollably. It was a feeling of being on the verge of drowning. At this moment, He Yu could no longer see anyone except the faces that disgusted and hated him.
Tao Wanji grabbed his trembling hand and held up an umbrella to block the two of them.
"If you have anything to say, just talk about it!"
She spoke to stop him, and took advantage of the chaos to whisper in his ear and tell him to go through the underground garage first.
In the white mist of rain, He Yu saw that there were vegetable leaves hanging on Tao Wanjia's clothes, but her expression was obviously much calmer. It was not known whether it was due to her experience at work or her natural reaction speed, but in any case, she once again protected him behind her.
"I will give you an explanation, and please believe me." He Yu spoke in a deep voice and pulled down the umbrella cloth that was blocking her.
He looked at everyone and explained word by word, "The fire back then had nothing to do with my father, and it has nothing to do with me now. I will definitely do what I promised you."
He looked serious, but in reality, no matter what he said, these people wouldn't listen. They were simply expressing their anger, and the crowd gathered around them to express this same sentiment. Tao Wanjia couldn't bear to watch him being made a target, so he grabbed his clothes and dragged him back.
"I told Xiao Zhang to go directly to the basement to wait for you."
The two of them entered the elevator. Tao Wanjia didn't care whether he had told her about this or not. She just wanted to deal with the current situation first. The more he showed up, the more radical those people would become. It would be better to let him go first so that she could follow the clues to investigate.
She always felt that these old people were deliberately instigated.
"Do you remember the Vice President Sun I told you about that day?" He Yu held her hand tightly and took a tissue to wipe her stained clothes.
"He died on the construction site a few days ago. Now the matter has become a hot topic, and they all say it was me..."
"I know."
Tao Wanjia interrupted him before he finished speaking and looked at him intently.
"I came back because I saw the news in the tabloids about Rongcheng. I was worried about you."
Her voice was very soft. He Yu lowered his eyes. Even though it was already spring, he still felt cold all over, as if he had fallen into an ice cave and was powerless. The words those people had cursed at him were still echoing in his ears.
"I didn't mean to hide this from you, Jia Jia, do you believe me?"
Tao Wanjia grabbed his hand and supported him as he fell, as always.
"Of course I believe you."
She raised her hand to wipe the raindrops from his forehead. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. We still have the police. Once the investigation is completed and a notice is issued, those people will stop making such noises."
"Listen to me, go to the company and leave the people here to me."
"But them?"
"Don't worry, they just lost their composure for the moment. I'm very good at handling this kind of conflicting relationship."
He Yu stroked her fingers, realizing that he was being protected by her and felt a little complicated.
"Then be careful and tell me immediately if anything happens."
Tao Wanjia smiled at him and said, "Okay."
After the two of them got out of the elevator, Tao Wanjia sent him to his doorstep and was about to go back down, but when he turned around, he still hadn't let go.
"What's wrong?"
He Yu suddenly approached, his eyes bright with something else in them. Tao Wanji understood what he meant and tilted her head back to kiss his lips.
"childish."
He then smiled and watched her enter the elevator again.
The rain outside was getting heavier, but before Tao Wanjia could do anything to disperse the crowd, the group of elderly men and women who had gathered around them suddenly dispersed as if a party had just ended.
This further deepened her suspicion, so she went straight to the shantytown.
Tao Wanjia hadn't seen Old Lady Sun for several months since the Chinese New Year, so he went to the supermarket to buy some things before arriving.
The alley turned into mud after it rained, making it difficult to walk. She had no strength left when she went to knock on the door.
"Here I come."
The old lady's voice was still as loud as a bell, and she smiled when she saw it was her.
"When did you come back?"
The last time Tao Wanjia learned that he was being hunted, he sent her a text message saying that he had something to do and had to leave Rongcheng for a while. The old lady might have noticed her mysterious work, but she kept a tacit understanding and didn't ask anything. She replied to her, "Take care of yourself," and never bothered her again.
If she hadn't come today, the situation would probably have continued as before, but this wasn't estrangement, it was the way of making friends that the two of them had chosen as people with no ties in this world.
Knowing too much means too many ties, so it is better to know nothing.
Tao Wanjia was welcomed into the narrow but tidy living room. He put down the things in his hands and said, "I came back yesterday. I didn't have anything to do, so I came to see you."
Outside the window was the busy alleyway entrance. The group of elderly men and women who had just returned from their commotion had just returned. Tao Wanjia looked outside and saw Old Lady Sun taking some fruit out of the refrigerator.
"Just come, why bring anything with you? It seems strange."
"It's been a while since I last saw you. I'm sorry to be empty-handed."
Tao Wanjia smiled, but before she could figure out how to start the conversation, the person opposite her had already guessed the reason why she came.
"Ask anything you want to ask. I will tell you everything I know."
Tao Wanjia was stunned for a moment. Old Mrs. Sun took a fruit knife to help her peel the apple. The whole apple fell on the plate in front of her, and then she started talking about the shantytown.
After the steel plant fire, the factory director was sentenced for a major safety accident. After the factory was demolished, the people in the family buildings moved out, and the remaining elderly people were temporarily placed in the shantytowns. However, because the old city was undergoing renovation and the shantytowns were also to be demolished soon, the health care center could not be completed on time and the people had nowhere to go, so they naturally vented their anger on He Yu.
"If a person has been doing good things and has made promises, then no matter what the reason is, others will be dissatisfied if he can't continue." Old Mrs. Sun said earnestly.
Tao Wanjia recalled her previous grudge against He Yu and hesitated for a moment before asking, "Are you also dissatisfied with him?"
After all, all the things he gave her were thrown away.
"I just don't want others to pity me."
Old Mrs. Sun met her eyes. "I know it's not easy for him. Even though I don't go out, I see a lot of things on TV. He's been doing projects and investments these days, and people say it's to atone for his father's sins. But what does the steel mill have to do with him? Just because his father has a good relationship with the factory director, does he also have a hand in cutting corners?"
The old lady suddenly smiled, her face showing more wisdom than relief.
"You kids are all pretty dumb. To put it nicely, you're responsible, to put it bluntly, you're just stupid. A lot of people only believe in themselves, but that's their own dark side."
Tao Wanjia was inspired by these words and recalled the endless doubts he faced after conducting an investigation and publishing a report. This is how the world is. In an increasingly tightened public opinion environment, people are only willing to believe their own speculations. Even if they are rumors, many people will still flock to them as long as they can satisfy their current emotions.
In this era, things that incite people's emotions always have more traffic.
She was speechless for a moment, and then she heard Old Lady Sun continue speaking.
“The most important thing in life is to have a clear conscience.”
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