Chapter 50
The river breeze, carrying a damp, fishy smell, blew on Si Wan's face, and her knuckles turned white from gripping the railing.
The ship roared as it passed, and suddenly there was a sharp pain in his temples, as if a steel spike had pierced his brain.
Some unfamiliar fragments of memory surged in the severe pain.
"Curled in the dark trunk, I could hear the dull thud of the river water hitting the hull."
"The burning pain of the tape tearing my skin, the sweat mixed with the smell of tobacco seeping into the corners of the man's mouth as his rough palm covered his mouth and nose."
Suddenly, the sound of metal clashing pierced the chaos.
She saw her little fingers grasping the rusty chain, and the river water seeped in through the cracks, forming a dark red stream on the concrete ground.
The smell of disinfectant and the smell of rotten algae in the river breeze strangely overlapped, causing stomach cramps.
The moment the severe pain reached its peak, a dazzling white light exploded in the field of vision.
She seemed to see countless Si Wans screaming at the same time, the voices of six years old, twelve years old, and now twenty-two years old resonating wildly in her skull.
"Miss, are you okay? Miss! Miss!" The shouts of passers-by interrupted.
Si Wan snapped back to reality and found herself kneeling on the ground, with bits of rust embedded in the cracks of her fingernails.
"You seemed to be in pain just now. Do you want me to call an ambulance for you?"
Si Wan looked up at the person who was speaking. She was a middle-aged aunt, and she didn't know what had happened just now.
He gave a grateful smile: "I'm fine, thank you."
She stood up holding the railing, said nothing for a moment, and then walked towards Liu Ling.
"That woman asked me to put it in the trunk." Si Wan heard Liu Ling say as she sat in the passenger seat.
Si Wan had no objection, then raised her chin: "Get that up. You have less than ten minutes."
*
When various media rushed to Jiang'an Bridge, they found no trace of Dai Ke.
An hour later, Huading’s official website issued a statement to refute the rumors.
Serious Notice: The online reports of our employee, Ms. Dai Ke, being kidnapped and thrown off the Jiang'an Bridge have been determined to be fabricated by AI. We have reported this to the police.
Attachment: Dynamic picture of Dai Ke sleeping soundly in the hospital bed.
"Thank you for taking care of her today."
Si Wan emphasized the word "look after".
Liu Ling was concerned about the lack of staff at the kiln, so he asked, "Production suspended? If delivery cannot be made on time, there will be liquidated damages..."
"What do you think..." Si Wan interrupted him: "If the scandal of my Si family is not settled, will those people still buy it?"
However, the facts were just as Si Wan said. Huading's stock price had been falling all the way, with its market value evaporating by tens of billions and still continuing. Even Yu Liang was alarmed.
"No rush, I'm at the company."
In the president's office, Si Wan walked in and heard Yu Liang talking on the phone, probably talking to Yu Jinnian.
"Look at what your family has done!" Wen Qing ran towards Si Wan as soon as she saw her. Her angry expression didn't look like that of a lady at all.
The man with sharp mouth and fangs wanted to eat Si Wan on the spot.
"Wen Qing." Yu Liang shouted coldly.
Si Wan didn't move at all, but no matter what, the disaster in Huading was indeed caused by their Si family.
There was no red tape, just one sentence: "I will take care of it before the day after tomorrow. And let Huading's market value reach a new high."
"You're so arrogant!" Wen Qing's eyes popped out at Si Wan's overconfidence.
Yu Liang also frowned. He had watched Si Wan grow up, and he knew Si Wan's level very well.
So much so that what Si Wan said just now seemed to him to be just a face-saving measure. But he had always regarded Si Wan as his own child, so he did not mind Si Wan's outrageous words.
He spoke softly, "It's okay. Leave it to your uncle Yu. I've also sent people to investigate your father's case. The most urgent thing right now is for you to go back and comfort your mother."
Si Wan nodded: "Thank you, Uncle Yu, I'll go back now."
She didn't want to explain, feeling that even if she told him everything, Yuliang would not believe in her ability.
It would be better to just follow Yuliang's advice and leave.
The most urgent task?
The most urgent task is to find that female student, otherwise she will not be able to rest in peace even if she accompanies Gu Yiru for the rest of her life.
Si Wan entered the elevator and Wu ran in after her.
Si Wan looked at him: "Old Yu Dong is here, why don't you stay?"
"Dr. Yu has instructed that all departments of the company will fully cooperate with you." Wu Cong was so shocked when he received this order that he was speechless.
"Mr. Yu will arrive in Kyoto in the early morning, which is already the speed limit of the plane."
"I understand." Si Wan's mood remained unchanged. She stepped out of the elevator and told Wu Cong, "Have you found out the home address of that female student?"
Wu Cong: "Fishing village north of Beijing."
*
The dusk enveloped the entire fishing village like a piece of burlap soaked in sea water.
Those houses built against the mountainside look like shells gnawed by time, lying crookedly on the rocks.
The iron sheets of the roof clanged in the sea breeze, and a few rays of dim light leaked through the gaps, like the bloodshot eyes of an old fisherman.
Si Wan got out of the car. The unpleasant smell made her frown unconsciously: "Which one?"
Wu Cong pointed to the distance: "The one at the top."
The road was difficult to walk on, full of potholes and sticky, and Si Wan's face became increasingly ugly.
The fish drying yard by the dock was piled with blackened fishing nets, and the moonlight shone through the holes, letting in spots of light.
Three or two hunched figures were mending the net under the streetlights, and the plastic sheeting shed was rustling in the draft.
"Place your order early tomorrow, it's not available now."
One of the uncles thought Si Wan and Wu Cong were here to place an order, so he kindly reminded them.
"Visiting relatives." Si Wan responded without any expression and continued walking.
The roar of a diesel engine could be heard in the distance. It was a small boat returning from offshore operations. Several hurricane-proof lanterns were hung on the side of the boat, which was bobbing in the waves like candles that could go out at any time.
Walking up the stone steps, you will see makeshift shacks scattered here and there with old fishing nets and plastic bottles stuffed in the cracks of the walls.
The wooden door of a house creaked open, and a little girl with pigtails poked her head out, clutching half a hard steamed bun in her hand.
In the glass jar on the door lintel, fireflies flickered, acting like lanterns to illuminate the way ahead.
Foam boxes and broken tires were floating on the mudflats. The puddles left by the low tide reflected the fluorescent lights of several households' televisions that were still on, flickering in the night.
On the steepest edge of the cliff stood a crooked wooden building, its outer walls covered with newspaper scraps that gleamed white in the moonlight.
There was a piece of wire hanging from the second-floor window, with a 15-watt light bulb hanging from it, and tiny moths were floating in the halo of light.
An old man downstairs was repairing plastic sandals. At his feet was an enamel basin filled with rainwater. A few coins were sunk at the bottom of the basin, swaying gently with the tide.
"Is Wang Wenwen here?" Si Wan stood straight, the sea breeze blew open the front of her jacket, closed it, and then blew it open again.
The old woman put down her plastic sandals and stood up. Perhaps because the light was too dim, she took two steps closer to Si Wan before she could see her clearly. Then she took a step back cautiously: "Who are you and what do you want with my granddaughter?"
"Friends." Si Wan replied.
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