Chapter 221: Master Gu Collapses
Gu Hua rushed anxiously into the gloomy police station, his eyes swiftly scanning the sparse lobby until they landed on a tall, well-dressed man.
"Mr. Shi!" Gu Hua called in relief as he strode over to clasp hands with his family’s long time legal counsel. "Have they said anything about my father? Did you meet with him already?"
The rueful lawyer shook his head, gesturing Gu Hua to sit beside him. "Not yet, I’m afraid. They rebuffed my requests for a preliminary consultation pending the interrogation wrap up."
He regarded Gu Hua solemnly. "I must caution restraint until we can fully assess the case against your father. These charges...they aim to make an example out of someone prominent. Any careless statements could exacerbate Master Gu’s position."
Gu Hua dropped his head into his hands despairingly. "But my father is innocent! This disaster wasn’t his doing. Surely we can combat these outrageous accusations?"
Mr. Shi sighed through his nostrils, eyes downcast. "If proof indeed establishes willful negligence, I regret no defense may suffice to spare him the worst repercussions." He hesitated before advising gently, "We should prepare other contingencies as well..."
The reality of what the family now faced hit Gu Hua forcefully as their lawyer’s words trailed off ominously. Gripping the bench tightly, he muttered a fervent prayer under his breath that his formidable sire could somehow withstand and outmaneuver this most dangerous storm on their horizon...
As Gu Hua and their attorney awaited anxiously for some word, sudden brisk footsteps and shuffling heralded a new arrival. A uniformed captain bearing a stern countenance joined the uneasy pair, sparing only the briefest of greetings before consulting his notes.
"You are here on behalf of the detainee Mr Gu?? I have questions regarding video evidence currently circulating in which he instructs a construction site manager called Pang to ’order the cheapest cement blend, no exceptions’."
The captain glanced up sharply from his clipboard. "This appears to directly implicate your father in criminal negligence resulting in the hospitalization of over 30 workers in a collapse due to substandard foundation materials. How do you advise your client respond to this apparently damning conversation captured on film just weeks before the incident?"
Gu Hua blanched, shooting Mr. Shi a desperate look. They were indeed all too aware of the video that had gone viral online - the spark igniting public outrage and their family’s besieged state ever since.
Mr. Shi held the captain’s probing stare. "My client maintains his innocence of deliberate endangerment. That excerpt requires greater context about the full discussion..."
But internally, the lawyer’s heart sank knowing not even his considerable legal prowess could wholly refute such unambiguous orders emerging from Master Gu’s own lips...
The captain gave a brief nod. "They’ll soon face this evidence directly under questioning. I suggest advising full cooperation and honesty." With that, he departed back to the restricted detainment wing, leaving the lawyer and scion alone with their mounting dread.
As they awaited anxiously for the captain’s return, Gu Hua could scarcely sit still, pacing the dingy hallway while firing questions at their solemn attorney.
"Why are they treating my father like some violent convict? He’s an honorable businessman, not a petty criminal!"
Before Mr. Shi could tactfully reply, the metal door down the corridor swung open abruptly. Both men wheeled around as the captain emerged, Master Gu shuffling slowly between two officers.
Gu Hua leapt to his feet. "Father!" he cried, taking in his sire’s uncharacteristic dishevelment with dismay. The formidable mogul who ruled Shanghai trade and construction for decades now appeared small and overcome, uniform exchanged for a nondescript jumper.
As they unlocked the consultation room door, Master Gu briefly met his son and lawyer’s grave faces. Dark circles ringed his vacant eyes, hair askew from raking hands. All his formidable strength seemed to have leeched away somewhere inside that harsh interrogation box.
Once secured inside, Master Gu sank into the chair as if carrying incredible weight. Before Gu Hua could utter anything further, Mr. Shi leaned forward intently, searching the shattered man’s countenance. In a low voice, he asked the question sealing their fates:
"What did you tell them in there?"
Master Gu slowly raised his head to meet his lawyer’s scrutinizing gaze, though his own eyes remained haunted and defeated. After a prolonged pause, he finally spoke hoarsely.
"They...they have me dead to rights, old friend. That damnable footage is authentic - I let impatience and greed cloud sound judgment when approving contractors."
He held up a hand weakly to stem his son’s immediate protest. "Let me finish, boy. I confessed the truth of it all...no point denying what the world has already witnessed with their own eyes."
Mr. Shi blanched but maintained professional poise. "Even so, extenuating factors may mitigate sentencing. We can emphasize your past philanthropic initiatives and model employment practices-"
But Master Gu merely laughed bitterly. "At this stage, I rather doubt any judge would be persuaded to leniency based on a few scholarships sponsored in the company’s name decades ago. My concern now is sparing the family further disgrace."
He grasped Gu Hua’s hands with sudden intensity. "You must step up and salvage our legacy! I taught you to lead - now is the time to prove you have the backbone when it matters most..."
Emotion shone in the old mogul’s eyes as he regarded his only heir with newfound desperation and hope...
Master Gu’s voice trembled with concern as he asked, "Have you told Gu Liang about my arrest?"
Gu Hua hesitated, his expression troubled. "I tried calling her, Dad, but her phone was answered by her fiancé, Shan Zitong," he explained. "He told us that Gu Liang had been sent to a mental hospital two days ago after exhibiting some strange behavior."
Master Gu’s heart sank like a stone, the weight of the news pressing down on him like a heavy burden. "Sent to a mental hospital?" he echoed, his voice barely above a whisper, disbelief etched in every line of his face.
Gu Hua nodded solemnly, mirroring his father’s distress. "Yes, Dad. Shan Zitong said she’d been having nightmares and acting out, and then she chased a maid with a knife."
The room seemed to spin around Master Gu as he struggled to comprehend the shock of Gu Liang’s situation. His daughter, confined in a mental hospital? It felt like a nightmare come to life, a cruel twist of fate that left him reeling with anguish.
"How could this happen?" Master Gu’s voice cracked with emotion, his hands trembling with a mix of fear and despair. "What did they do to her?"
Gu Hua shook his head helplessly, his own heart heavy with guilt and worry. "I don’t know, Dad," he confessed, his voice choked with emotion. "But we have to find out. We have to bring Gu Liang back home where she belongs."
Master Gu’s fists clenched at his sides, his resolve hardening with determination. Despite the uncertainty and fear, one thing was clear: he would stop at nothing to rescue his daughter from the darkness that had consumed her.
As Master Gu’s panic intensified, his breaths quickened into shallow gasps, his chest tightening with an overwhelming sense of dread. Suddenly, his vision blurred, and the room spun out of control. With a strangled cry, he collapsed onto the unforgiving floor, his body convulsing with violent seizures.
Gu Hua’s heart lurched with terror at the sight of his father’s sudden collapse. Without a moment’s hesitation, he and Mr. Shi rushed to Master Gu’s side, their hands shaking as they frantically dialed for help.
As Master Gu’s breaths grew shallower and his body convulsed with seizures, Gu Hua and Mr. Shi sprung into action, their frantic voices echoing through the sterile walls of the police station.
"Call for medical assistance immediately!" Gu Hua’s voice echoed with urgency as he motioned for Mr. Shi to dial emergency services.
Mr. Shi’s fingers trembled as he dialed the emergency number, his heart pounding with fear as he relayed their location and the dire situation unfolding before them.
Within moments, the sound of sirens pierced the air as an ambulance screeched to a halt outside the police station. Paramedics rushed into the room, their trained eyes assessing Master Gu’s condition with practiced efficiency.
Gu Hua stood frozen, his heart heavy with fear as he watched the paramedics work tirelessly to stabilize his father. Time seemed to blur as they loaded Master Gu onto a stretcher and rushed him out of the room, the urgency of the situation leaving no room for hesitation.
As the ambulance sped away into the night, Gu Hua and Mr. Shi exchanged worried glances, their minds consumed with concern for Master Gu’s well-being. They knew that the road ahead would be fraught with uncertainty, but they were determined to stand strong in the face of adversity, united in their unwavering support for their family.
