The funerals for the two individuals were scheduled to last for seven days. The primary responsibility for organizing the event fell on Yang Yun and her husband. Following local customs, they hired people to chant scriptures and perform opera, aiming for the liveliest atmosphere possible.
However, after only two or three days of festivity, on the evening of the third day of the funeral, as guests were listening to the opera, the sound of police sirens suddenly blared from outside.
Zhong Yan was taken away.
The people outside were abuzz with speculation. When the police car appeared, they all assumed it was there to apprehend Zhuo Ni. Rumors circulated that she had established a large company in the city and amassed considerable wealth. Her financial contributions to village infrastructure, such as building bridges and paving roads, seemed to support these claims, and the villagers were grateful.
Yet, some also harbored suspicions about the illicit origins of her money.
To their surprise, it was Zhong Yan who was being taken away.
Yang Yun, dressed in plain mourning clothes, watched her son get into the police car, her heart instantly sinking into panic. She found Zhuo Ni and asked what they should do next.
Zhuo Ni made two phone calls, then turned to her and said, "It's fine, let them continue."
Seeing Zhuo Ni's composure, Yang Yun gradually calmed down.
Zhuo Ni, however, was far from calm. She regretted being too lenient. Zhong Yan was too soft-hearted, and in some matters, softness could lead to ruin.
That evening, she left the Ran family's home. Instead of going to the police station immediately, she first visited the laboratory.
Access to the facility was temporarily restricted, but with her credentials, entry and exit were not an issue.
She found the person in charge whom she had assigned there and inquired about the entire incident. It turned out to be much as she had suspected.
At that time, Zhong Yan had already arranged for the individual to be sent away, and his subordinates had not disobeyed his orders. However, before that, the police had discovered irregularities at a beauty hospital. Following this lead, they had meticulously unraveled the entire affair.
Yang Yang indeed possessed some talent in research, but in other aspects, he was utterly clueless. Despite knowing such actions were illegal, he had used his real identity throughout the entire process, making him the first to be apprehended.
As the head of the laboratory, Zhong Yan was naturally required for questioning.
However, he was not the mastermind and had not even been aware of the situation before arranging for the person to be sent away. After routine questioning, he was soon released.
As he got into the car, he discovered Zhuo Ni was also there.
"Why are you here!"
"I was worried about you."
He appeared unconcerned, "I'm fine, it was just some routine questioning. About home..."
"They're looking after things, don't worry."
The car started moving. As the sunset descended outside the window, Zhong Yan turned to look at her and noticed something unusual in her gaze.
"I'm truly fine. I'll handle this matter properly. Don't worry, it won't implicate YL."
"You think I'm worried about being implicated?"
Zhong Yan hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "Of course not. I know you're worried about me. But I'm not a child anymore. I remember everything you've taught me, and I can handle these things."
As he spoke, his voice trailed off, becoming almost inaudible. He leaned closer and finally rested his entire weight on Zhuo Ni, his breathing slightly labored as if he were tired.
He was actually quite scared. He had experienced a smooth sailing life for over twenty years. As a recent university graduate, being suddenly taken away by the police was understandably unsettling.
But he knew he couldn't express his discomfort, as it would only cause worry.
Yet, she had seen through him.
Zhuo Ni gently patted his back, just as she used to when he was a child and would seek her comfort whenever he encountered difficulties. This gesture instantly brought back memories of his childhood.
This person was as gentle to him as ever.
"It's okay, you'll be fine."
"Thank you."
Zhuo Ni recalled that when they first met, he was always saying "thank you." Back then, she loved to tease him and disliked hearing those words the most, so she would often use them as an excuse to bully him.
She gently turned his face towards her and kissed his lips. "Verbal thanks are the most insincere."
Zhong Yan chuckled softly, "Ah Ni is right. Then how should I thank you?"
They had been engaged for over two years. They had already done everything that couples do. However, due to their frequent separations and meetings often revolving around "serious matters," their last intimate encounter was several months ago.
"What do you think?"
Zhong Yan seemed eager.
Unfortunately, the drive from the police station back home wasn't long. Zhuo Ni owned a large apartment in the city center, and it only took about half an hour to get there by car. This was insufficient time for anything significant to occur.
At most, it could ignite a spark.
For passionate lovers who hadn't seen each other in months, the effect was akin to never having been intimate before. Both situations represented a fire reignited, but the former had a stronger foundation and more experience, making them more adept at whatever they chose to do.
From the moment they entered the house, they made their way to the bedroom. The subsequent passionate scenes need not be elaborated upon. A great fire had engulfed the old wooden structure, burning fiercely and intensely, almost melting everything in its path.
Zhong Yan's fear and sadness were released through this intense physical intimacy. Only when he was skin to skin with this person could he achieve absolute security.
Even though he had no memory of it, this sense of security was undoubtedly greater than that within the womb.
He was enveloped in love and warmth, curled up beside her, holding one of her hands, as if floating in warm water, and slowly drifted into sleep.
—
Yang Yang, as one of the buyers, was sentenced to six years when the human trafficking ring was finally apprehended and brought to justice.
He was naturally unwilling to accept this. After his initial request for Zhong Yan to help him get out was refused, he attempted to shift the blame onto him. However, his words contradicted his previous testimony, and other evidence failed to implicate Zhong Yan, so his attempt was unsuccessful.
Zhong Yan did not rescue him, and Zhuo Ni wished he would rot in prison. His foolish actions not only landed him in jail but also tarnished the reputations of those associated with him. Those people wished to distance themselves from him as much as possible and were unlikely to offer any assistance.
Towards the end of the year, the laboratory officially announced its search for volunteers willing to participate in drug trials.
Participants in the trials would receive compensation. Regardless of the ultimate success of the trials, the participants would receive a substantial sum of money.
The laboratory had integrated the results from previous experiments with mice and other animals, using data to demonstrate the efficacy of certain drugs in treating specific diseases.
In the realm of genetic diseases, many conditions were incurable. Some families had never managed to cure a single person in their lifetime, and the overwhelming expenses could tear a perfectly functional family apart, leading to eventual ruin and loss.
Many people could not afford medication and could only wait for death.
Now, an opportunity was presented to them. Although the process might be painful, regardless of success, they would receive a sum of money to alleviate their family's burden.
Therefore, the number of applicants for the first round of trials was exceptionally high.