Jiao Yuyin and Lu Yu would visit the Jiao family's old house every weekend to attend family gatherings.
Jiao Yushen arranged for two people to keep watch at Lixiang Villa, and they had been doing so for three days.
Both Jiao Yuyin and Lu Yu were completely baffled by this. Logically speaking, investigating to the point of involving Tao Peng shouldn't have elicited such a strong reaction from Jiao Yushen.
Today is the weekend, and Lu Yu is eager to have lunch with Jiao Yushen, determined to get some clues out of him.
Lu Yu wore a white base layer paired with a camel-colored knit sweater.
Jiao Yuyin wore a gold camel-colored shirt paired with a camel-colored suit.
The couple's outfits, full of early autumn vibes, made Jiao Yuyin's expression relax a bit.
Before the two of them could even leave the house, the Jiao family called.
On the other end of the phone was Mi Yang's urgent voice: "Yu Yin, are you getting ready to leave? Hurry up and come to the old house, don't delay, there's something we need to discuss at home."
Mi Yang didn't go into details over the phone, only saying that they would talk in person.
Jiao Yuyin and Lu Yu, filled with doubts and unease, stepped into the old house.
The old-fashioned grandfather clock in the living room chimed, its sound muffled by the heavy roof, shattering the stagnant air within the old house.
Jiao Cheng's eyes dimmed, as if his energy had been suddenly drained.
"A safety accident occurred at Shifu Mining this morning, and it is very serious."
The old man's hoarse voice echoed in the living room like the tolling of a clock.
Lu Yu secretly rubbed his tiger teeth a couple of times, listening quietly to what would happen next.
"How serious is it?" Jiao Yuchen asked.
Although Jiao Cheng was in poor health, he remained clear-headed. As the head of the family, he remained calm and composed, speaking in a steady tone.
"A coal dust explosion buried 23 people, most of whom are probably dead. This is a major accident, and it will definitely be reported in the newspapers tomorrow. Shifu Mining might be thoroughly investigated tonight, and Jiaojia will also be investigated. We should all be prepared."
Jiao Yushen said with a gloomy face: "When the rescue operation is underway, there will definitely be reporters interviewing and reporting. Let the legal representative of Shih Fu Group come forward to handle it, at least to leave a good impression."
Jiao Cheng sighed, "The legal representative and the person in charge of the company's safety committee are the same person. He was on site when the accident happened. They said that initially the working face collapsed, but for some reason he brought people into the old working area. When the accident happened, he was buried in it. He's definitely gone."
"Shifu Mining, legal representative Tao Peng?" Jiao Yuchen glanced at Jiao Yushen.
Even though it was only for a moment, Lu Yu captured it precisely.
Jiao Yuchen's heartfelt words shocked Lu Yu.
[I had planned to deliberately leak the clues about Lao San's investigation into Tao Peng to Jiao Yushen, hoping to make Jiao Yushen target Lao San and force him to side with me. I never expected Jiao Yushen to be so ruthless.]
The seemingly harmonious Jiao family is actually shrouded in darkness...
Lu Yu sat next to Jiao Yuyin, her back stiff, and she felt fine beads of sweat seeping from her back.
Sitting on her other side was her second sister-in-law, Wang Hui. She was a shrewd and calculating person.
Fearing that her secret would be discovered, she dared not make any further moves, no matter how terrified she was, and she couldn't give Jiao Yuyin any hints.
Lu Yu glanced at Jiao Yuyin, whose lips tightened and whose brows furrowed in thought.
He listened quietly to the questions and answers in the living room, without uttering a single word.
Lu Yu knew that beneath that calm exterior lay a turbulent sea of emotions.
When Jiao Cheng mentioned Shifu Mining, Jiao Yuyin had a premonition that things were developing in a direction he could not control.
He felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, and the only small flame he had was a taro. But now he felt a sense of powerlessness, as if that small flame could be extinguished at any moment because of his weakness.
Jiao Cheng's voice interrupted their chaotic thoughts.
"Tao Peng is gone. Such a big thing needs someone to take responsibility. Hua Chang used to manage the mining industry, but after she passed away, I didn't figure out what to do, so it's been dragging on until now. I'll probably be summoned later, and nobody knows what will happen..."
As Jiao Cheng spoke, Jiao Yushen's sinister thoughts flowed into Lu Yu's ears.
Lu Yu felt a chill run down her spine; it was as if she had stumbled into an empty room filled with hideous masks…
Jiao Yuchen scoffed, "The Jiao family shouldn't have invested in Tao Peng in the first place. He's a complete idiot. If it weren't for my eldest brother's insistence, how could the Jiao family have become so deeply involved with someone like him?"
Jiao Yushen stood up abruptly and roared, "Second brother, are you saying this to make me take the blame so you can take the profits from the mining industry?!"
Jiao Hua'an pulled the agitated Jiao Yushen onto the sofa. "What's all the fuss about? If something goes wrong, what's the point of just arguing if you don't want to figure out how to solve it?"
Jiao Hua'an smoothed his bangs and said to Jiao Yuchen, "Second brother, nobody sees what's behind them. Complaining is useless. As long as the Jiao family is united, we can always find a way."
If you're smart, pick up where I left off and bring up the third brother.
In that instant, Lu Yu got goosebumps all over her body.
Jiao Yuchen's seemingly open mouth resembled a gaping maw of an abyss, ready to devour Jiao Yuyin at any moment.
This was the first time Lu Yu had directly confronted the bloody reality of human nature. A blade stabbed by a loved one could inflict the most gruesome wounds. The excruciating pain, like skin being peeled off and bones being ripped away, could numb the heart.
Lu Yu seems to be able to understand Jiao Yuyin's negativity and despondency.
Lu Yu just wanted to shut Jiao Yuchen up, so she subconsciously said something that would provoke conflict. "Nobody has eyes in the back of their head, but this isn't something that can be brushed aside with a single sentence."
Everyone turned to look at Lu Yu, including Jiao Yuyin.
A person who usually only listens to their own thoughts and rarely speaks, actually took the initiative to speak on such a big issue, and even spoke with a clear stance.
Jiao Hua'an clearly hadn't expected Lu Yu to pull this stunt. She had originally planned for the second son to push out the third son, so that she and Jiao Yushen would have nothing to do with each other.
Now that Lu Yu was speaking up for the second brother, she became the target of everyone's criticism.
Jiao Hua'an's smiling tiger face broke down for once, and he glared at Lu Yu and said, "You have no right to speak on this matter!"
Lu Yu just doesn't usually show her true colors; putting on airs and spouting nonsense are her forte.
"Why not...?"
Lu Yu's words were interrupted by Jiao Yuyin.
"I married her through proper channels, into the Jiao family. Don't I even have the right to speak?"
Jiao Yuyin's voice was cold, and for a moment no one dared to respond.
Jiao Yuchen gave Wang Hui a look.
In the midst of this game of strategy, the situation can change in an instant.
In a three-way struggle, with the arms and legs refusing to yield, the weakest little finger is easily sacrificed.
However, if the weaker party clearly states that it wants to confront the leader, then the second-in-command is the one who needs to absorb power the most, and naturally would be more than willing.
Wang Hui, quick-witted, immediately said, "No matter what, Xiaoyu is a legitimate daughter-in-law. Who has the right to criticize her? This old maid, instead of getting married, is here giving orders."
These words were incredibly blunt. The central topic, of course, was the term "old maid," leaving both Jiao Yushen and Meng Qin speechless for a moment.
Jiao Hua'an, struck at a sore spot, flew into a rage and finally tore off his long-held facade. "Your brother's company was built up with my dad's help, and you dare to lecture me like that?"
Wang Hui laughed, "Oh, so you know it's thanks to our dad, not you."
Wang Hui's witty and cheerful demeanor shattered Jiao Hua'an's last pretense.
Jiao Hua'an picked up a cup from the coffee table and was about to smash it at Wang Hui.
Mi Yang, who was closest to Jiao Hua'an, quickly stopped him. "What are you doing...?"
"Crack!"
The teacup shattered on the floor.
Jiao Cheng's hands trembled as he smashed the teacup.
"A sign of squandering wealth! A sign of squandering wealth..."
Before Jiao Cheng could finish speaking, he was so angry that he couldn't breathe and fainted.
There was arguing, people trying to smooth things over, people getting dizzy from anger, and people helping others up—it was all in complete chaos.
The Jiao family, fraught with danger, had lost all elegance and dignity; only their naked greed was exposed to the light of day.
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