Chapter 851: Father? Are You Worthy?
Translator: Azza
It was May 24th, less than two weeks before the junior high school examination. Chen Shi took Tao Yueyue out to relax over the weekend. The two went to a newly-opened pizzeria and ordered french fries, pizza, milkshakes and ice cream. Chen Shi said, "Although junk food isn’t good for you, one of its biggest benefits is relieving tension and anxiety."
Tao Yueyue said, "It's only a junior high school examination. Do you think I'm nervous?"
"You’ve been a bit absent-minded lately."
"How annoying, don't ask about a girl’s personal affairs…" Tao Yueyue glossed over the topic. "Did you and Sister Lin quarrel? Why haven't you been looking for her recently?"
"The last case has a lot of miscellaneous follow-up work that I can't help with, so I’ll keep you company at home."
Since Chu Wei's unexpected death, Chen Shi hadn't been to the bureau much, but he heard the rumor that the case was most likely connected with Lie Guoxiao. He heard that the third team and the second team were investigating together.
At this time, the pizzaria’s TV began to broadcast a piece of local news, and photos of a group of arrested suspects appeared on the screen. The news said that local entrepreneur Lie Guoxiao was suspected of being involved in a large-scale drug cultivation case, as well as multiple disappearances and murders. The police were launching a full investigation into him and his company.
"The Criminal Police Brigade and Triad Squad of the Long'an Public Security Bureau are offering a reward to the public for providing criminal clues and evidence regarding Lie Guoxiao. To provide clues, please call the hotline at the bottom of the screen…"
"Wow, Sister Lin seems to have appeared on the news." Tao Yueyue said.
"Really? I'll go back and watch it again later." Chen Shi thought that if the police were offering a reward for clues, it seemed that they were really starting to take action.
Lie Guoxiao seemed about to be finished. This incident had happened like a lightning bolt from the blue. Chen Shi was very curious about how Lin Qiupu and Lin Dongxue had found a breakthrough. He took out his cell phone, glanced at Tao Yueyue, and stuffed it back. Tao Yueyue noticed his small movements and said, "If you want to call, just call. You must be calling Sister Lin, right?"
"No, I will keep you company today and do nothing."
When he got home in the evening, Chen Shi called Lin Dongxue, inquired about her well-being and asked about the current situation. Lin Dongxue said that she was still in the bureau, and Chen Shi asked, "Do you want to charter a car, Miss Lin?"
"Okay, okay, I have good news to tell you."
"I'll be there soon."
When he drove the car to the Public Security Bureau, Lin Dongxue was standing at the entrance. Unusually, she was wearing a police uniform. Chen Shi asked, "Were you just in a meeting?"
"The meeting was in the morning. I came to work in a police uniform today."
"You look good in a police uniform."
"Is it the police uniform or the person that looks good?" Lin Dongxue got into the car and saw a paper bag next to him. Inside were a few pieces of pizza leftover from Chen Shi’s trip to the pizzeria. Lin Dongxue was famished, so she picked them up and started eating.
Chen Shi pretended to think it over and replied, "It must be the police uniform that looks good. I would be just as handsome in a police uniform."
"Haha, how insincere!" Lin Dongxue quickly ate a slice of pizza. "But Old Chen, if you want to wear a police uniform, it’s really easy."
"Okay, don't recruit me into the team. What is the good news?"
"Lie Guoxiao is about to be done for. We have evidence that he is connected with the drug cultivation case. " Lin Dongxue said seriously.
"I saw the news. Congratulations. This is probably the biggest case of the year, right? By the way, what evidence?"
Lin Dongxue hesitated. She hadn’t thought about how to say it. "I will tell you after I think about it."
"No worries."
"I now know what a torment it is to be hiding secrets, haii!"
"Are you full?"
"You want to treat me to a meal?"
"You’ve just been commended. You should be the one treating me, right?"
Lin Dongxue pouted. "I can treat you, but I get to choose what we’re going to eat."
"All right, I can accept grilled fish."
Lin Dongxue's cell phone rang. It was Lin Qiupu. He said, "Come to the nearby XX Hotel, Suite 302."
"Is something up?"
"Let’s talk after you come. Who are you with? Chen Shi?"
"Should he come too?"
"Sure, let him come too and be a witness."
Lin Dongxue was confused. What witness? However, she still asked Chen Shi to drive the car over there.
Lin Dongxue opened the door of the suite, and when she saw who was in the room, her expression suddenly became cold. Lie Guoxiao was sitting there. He had just been released on bail from the Public Security Bureau with the help of a lawyer and he was dressed in very plain clothes. He was also not holding that dragon head cane and looked just like a benevolent father.
Only him and Lin Qiupu were in the suite. There was tea on the table. Lin Qiupu hadn't touched his cup.
"Dongxue." Lie Guoxiao said with a smile.
"Do I know you well?" Lin Dongxue replied coldly.
"Could you please ask him to go out for a while?" Lie Guoxiao pointed to Chen Shi.
"No, Chen Shi, you just sit here." Lin Qiupu looked at Lie Guoxiao, "I know you won't accept it if we didn’t agree to this private meeting, but a gentleman shouldn’t do shameful deeds even when there is nobody around. The conversation between us must have a witness!"
Lie Guoxiao looked upset, reminded of the situation in the interrogation room that day. The interrogators had actually turned out to be a pair of his own flesh and blood, but they had treated him like an enemy.
Lie Guoxiao couldn't figure out whether it was because they had become police officers that they didn’t recognize him as family, or because they hated the fact that he had abandoned them.
He admitted that he wasn’t a competent father, but no matter what, blood is thicker than water. He is their father after all!
Seeing both sides’ attitudes, Chen Shi raised his eyebrows suspiciously. He didn't know what was going on, but decided not to say a word and stayed quietly next to them as a human tape recorder.
After he was seated, Lie Guoxiao glanced at Chen Shi unhappily, and finally made up his mind to speak, "I couldn't do anything about what happened back then. The enemy had found me. I had to… cough. You should understand. If I didn’t do that, our whole family’s lives would have been in danger. I did it to save our family…"
"In order to save yourself, you killed my mother!?" Lin Qiupu asked coldly.
"Ahem!" Lie Guoxiao glanced at Chen Shi again. The presence of this outsider made him very uncomfortable. "Qiupu…"
"Call me Officer Lin!"
"Why? I'm your father. You don't know what I’ve gone through over these years. It took me more than half of my life to achieve success that I could be proud of so that I could have the capital to reunite with you two again. I want to make up for what I have done in the past from now on and be a good father!" Lie Guoxiao wiped away his tears, took out two cards and put them on the table, "Qiupu, Dongxue, I haven’t been with you for more than 20 years. This is just a little compensation that I can come up with for you two. You must accept it and give your father a little bit of face!"
"Do you know what you’re doing? This is bribery!" Lin Qiupu said coldly.
"A father giving money to his son is called bribery?" Lie Guoxiao tried to squeeze out a smile, stacked the two cards together, and gave them to Chen Shi, "Comrade, I give this money to you, and the pin numbers are behind them."
Chen Shi showed a surprised expression, "Are there still such good things in this day and age?"
"Haha, this comrade is still sensible." Lie Guoxiao turned to Lin Qiupu, "Qiupu, I’m not here to bribe you today. I just want to talk about the fact that you are the captain of the criminal police, and I have a position and assets which are the envy of others. If we join hands, the entire Long'an will belong to us Lins. Having been in the underworld for decades made me understand the truth that no one can be trusted, except for fathers, sons and brothers. Blood relationships can't be blocked by anything!"
Lie Guoxiao showed an experienced smile.
Lin Qiupu restrained his anger and said, "Sister, let's go! I can't talk with this kind of person!"
"Aiya, listen to me…" Lie Guoxiao tried to urge them to stay.
Lin Dongxue wanted to vomit when she heard his hypocritical voice. She couldn't bear it anymore. She grabbed the teacup on the table, splashed the tea inside onto Lie Guoxiao's face and said, "Father? Are you worthy?"
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