Chapter 372
Once they had walked far enough, Jiang Yexun lowered his head and looked seriously at Su Xiaoxiao. “There’s definitely something off about He Hongni. Stay away from her. Don’t underestimate children—when they’re malicious, they can outdo even adults.”
Su Xiaoxiao nodded. “I haven’t really interacted with her much these days. I originally thought she was equally distant from all of us, but after just now, it seems she doesn’t mind her brother or you.”
Jiang Yexun, not known for his patience, had only helped He Xingzhi find his sister out of brotherly duty. He didn’t have the habit of being affectionate towards other people’s sisters. So, even though his girlfriend had returned home recently, he hadn’t spoken to He Hongni at all. But earlier, when she approached him so sweetly, it had left him puzzled.
“Given that her adoptive parents raised her in a certain way, they must have subtly instilled some things in her since childhood. If He Hongni continues like this, even if she stays in the brigade, she could cause serious trouble later on.”
Su Xiaoxiao voiced her suspicions and concerns without holding back.
Jiang Yexun furrowed his brow tightly. After a few seconds, he looked down at the girl in his arms. “I’ll remind He Xingzhi later. But since she’s his biological sister, he’ll have to deal with it himself. You don’t need to get involved.”
“I’m not sure a man like him can change a young girl’s nature,” Su Xiaoxiao said tactfully, though she was certain He Xingzhi, with his carefree personality, wouldn’t be able to straighten He Hongni out.
Jiang Yexun, however, remained firm, shaking his head. “No matter how much you worry, you can’t interfere in this. If things turn out well, they’ll say thanks. If not, He Hongni might hold a grudge against you for life. And who’s to say whether she truly reforms or just puts on an act?”
“What about He Xingzhi?” Su Xiaoxiao asked, conflicted.
It wasn’t that she wanted to intervene with He Hongni’s affairs, but He Xingzhi had been loyal to Jiang Yexun for so long, and even in their past life had followed him in business, never harboring any ill intentions. The thought of pushing He Xingzhi away just because he had found his sister made Su Xiaoxiao feel a bit guilty, especially since he had been helping her father find evidence to clear his name recently.
“We’ll find him a good job in the city. When his sister grows up, I’ll also help her find one, and get them a home they’re happy with. Xingzhi’s been loyal to me for many years, and he’s helped a lot with this situation. We’ll spend a bit of money to ensure they live a stable life,” Jiang Yexun said in a slightly heavy tone. It was clear he wasn’t indifferent to He Xingzhi, and this plan wasn’t something he’d just come up with.
“Xingzhi has been great all these years. He’s helped a lot this time, too. We’ll ensure they have a steady future,” Jiang Yexun added when Su Xiaoxiao remained silent.
Su Xiaoxiao didn’t quite know how to feel. She wrapped her arms around Jiang Yexun’s strong waist and buried her face in his chest. “Your plan is already very considerate. I’m just worried you’ll regret it.”
“Regret what? Removing unstable factors is unavoidable,” Jiang Yexun said softly, kissing the top of her head to comfort her. Knowing that He Hongni had been trained by spies and had shown dislike toward his girlfriend, Jiang Yexun would never be foolish enough to keep her around.
Su Xiaoxiao understood his reasoning well. She even felt a small sense of relief, knowing he had already made these preparations.
—
While Su Xiaoxiao and Jiang Yexun dealt with a potential threat, Su Hongchen was still by the river, setting up a perimeter and waiting for some skilled swimmers to arrive. Someone handed him a cigarette, and as the smoke rose, they asked curiously, “Those people were that dumb? They just admitted to stealing the factory’s steel and dumping it in the river?”
“No, they didn’t say it outright. But their attitude made it clear that the steel was disposed of, not sold. My sister heard and immediately figured the river would be the safest place to hide it,” Su Hongchen said, smiling proudly.
The people around him gathered closer when they heard this. “Your sister again? If she’s right this time, too, she’s incredible! A natural for criminal investigation!” someone couldn’t help but praise.
The others, after thinking it over, nodded in agreement. “Exactly! Hongchen, your sister’s mind is so sharp. It’s a waste for her to be out in the countryside. Why not apply to have her specially recruited into the police force?”
Su Hongchen initially thought they were joking, but when he saw they were serious, he quickly declined. “No way! You haven’t seen how delicate she is. There’s no way she could be a police officer. And besides, I’m already in the military. My family can’t let my sister do a dangerous job, too.”
The group fell silent, understanding how dangerous it was for soldiers and sympathizing with the Su family’s desire to keep at least one child safe.
“It’s a shame! But with such a sharp mind, she’d be great at anything,” someone sighed.
Su Hongchen even nodded in agreement, looking particularly convinced.
In his eyes, his sister was the best at everything. Aside from manual labor, she could definitely excel at anything else.
However, his smug expression made the others grit their teeth in frustration.
It took a full half hour before they finally managed to bring in two comrades who were particularly skilled swimmers. Su Hongchen briefly explained the situation: they needed someone to dive to the bottom of the river to check if there were any tangled steel reinforcements below.
The two comrades nodded, fitted themselves with waterproof diving lights on their heads, and donned the necessary professional diving gear.
After a thorough inspection to ensure there were no issues, they plunged into the river.
At that moment, time seemed to pause. Su Hongchen checked his watch every single minute. While the others weren’t quite as obsessive, they still glanced at their watches every two to three minutes.
After more than ten minutes, the two divers finally surfaced.
Everyone rushed over, bombarding them with questions: “How was it? Were there any steel reinforcements down there?”
“Yes, a bundle,” both men nodded.
Excited, everyone’s eyes lit up. “It’s really here!”
“Unbelievable! Truly amazing!” They all marveled at Su Hongchen’s sister’s insight.
Everyone chattered excitedly before once again turning expectant eyes toward Su Hongchen. Their intense gazes made the hairs on his back stand on end.
Before he could open his mouth to refuse, the deputy director of the public security bureau spoke up:
“If you’re worried about your sister’s safety, I can promise that she will never be sent on dangerous tasks like field assignments or apprehending criminals.”
“Exactly! We have plenty of male comrades in the department for such risky work. How could we let a young woman take those risks?”
The others, surprised that the director was willing to compromise, quickly nodded in agreement.
However, Su Hongchen shook his head. “That still won’t do. My sister is already married, and she’ll be heading back to the Northeast with her husband.”
“You actually let your sister marry someone from the Northeast?” They exclaimed in disbelief, all eyes fixed on him.
Su Hongchen chuckled and shrugged. “My sister is incredibly independent, and she found herself an excellent partner. I’m sure the two of them will build a wonderful life together.”
After some light-hearted chatter, the group quickly shifted their focus to the task at hand: figuring out how to retrieve the steel evidence from the riverbed.
For a narrow river without any large boats, it was a daunting challenge.
Yet, after much effort and persistence, they finally managed to haul all the steel pieces onto the riverbank bit by bit.
Looking at the recovered materials, both the public security and national security officers grimaced as one of them remarked bitterly:
“These criminals not only commit atrocities but also waste such good steel! If execution bullets could be spared, these guys deserve to be shot until they’re riddled like a beehive!”