After the young man left, the old man was very pleased, smiling at Tong Meng, "This Nan Zhu, it's the first time I've seen him so attentive to a girl."
Tong Meng smiled, "Grandpa, he's kind-hearted."
"Hahaha." The old man laughed heartily, "This kid is simple and honest. He's lived in Chongqing for so many years, yet he hasn't forgotten his kindness."
Tong Meng hummed. She wasn't as naive as the old man. In her eyes, anyone who approached her had an agenda, and Nan Zhu was no exception.
"Hahaha. Girl, my nephew is quite good. He's even bought a house around Tong Yuan Gate, and he's living quite comfortably."
Hearing the old man's praise, Tong Meng just smiled and said nothing more.
That night, Tong Meng tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. She had a feeling something was wrong, and her heart was filled with unease.
Suddenly, she sat up. Grandpa said Nan Zhu had been in Chongqing for many years. Then he wasn't some country bumpkin who had never seen the world. Why would he treat her so well?
Tong Meng suddenly remembered that she had been missing for so long, and the case of Tong Hua must have already led back to her.
According to Sixth Master's arrangement, she was likely the scapegoat. So, were there wanted posters with her face plastered all over the city now?
If that were the case, then Nan Zhu?
This was bad.
Tong Meng suddenly realized that the old man had said Nan Zhu had bought a house in Tong Yuan Gate. But she knew the area around Tong Yuan Gate very well; it was inhabited by either old Chongqing residents or the underlings of the Dao Ren.
If Nan Zhu had bought property in Tong Yuan Gate, did that mean he knew the Dao Ren?
Nan Zhu's invitation to go down the mountain together tomorrow might just be a delaying tactic. If she guessed correctly, he should be bringing people over now.
At this thought, Tong Meng lost all her sleepiness.
No, she had to leave.
If nothing else, if the Dao Ren were indeed coming, she didn't want to scare this grandpa and grandson.
After all, this was the only piece of pure land left in her heart.
Tong Meng didn't have many belongings. Before leaving, she took a deep look at the small house where the grandpa and grandson lived and quietly closed the courtyard gate.
But before she had gone far, a string of torches blocked her path.
"You?" Tong Meng recognized the leader; he had guarded her for several nights. If she hadn't pretended to have a stomachache, she would have been beheaded by now.
"You found me after all." Now Tong Meng believed she had been betrayed by that young man.
Tong Meng looked back behind her and unconsciously took a step back.
"Miss Tong." The man approached Tong Meng step by step with a sinister smile.
"Don't come any closer, or I'll die right in front of you." Tong Meng took out a small knife from her person. The knife was rusty; she had "borrowed" it from the grandpa and grandson's home.
"Hey, don't get too excited," the leader said, gesturing for Tong Meng to put down the knife.
"Let me go, and I have a lot of money at home. I can give you all my money." Tong Meng knew that escape was almost impossible. The only thing she could do now was to buy them off with money.
"Money?" As expected, the other party slowed down upon hearing this word.
"Yes, money. I have a lot, and I have a lot of jewelry and ornaments. I can give them all to you, as long as you let me go." Tong Meng seemed to see a glimmer of hope.
"Brother!" At this moment, another Dao Ren spoke.
Tong Meng, afraid that person would say something, quickly added, "As you know, I'm a police officer. I know the police are about to make a move against the Dao Ren and Sixth Master. Sixth Master can't protect the entire organization. Aren't you working for him for money? Well, I'm giving you money now. You should run before the police find you."
"Sixth Master is afraid of those police officers?" The leader scoffed. "But you're right. There are six of us brothers in total. If each of us gets 100,000, we'll let you go."
One hundred thousand each? That would be 600,000.
Tong Meng cursed inwardly. How could she have so much money?
"What? Don't have it?" As he spoke, the man took another step forward. "If you don't have it, don't blame us for turning hostile."
"Yes, yes, I definitely have it." Tong Meng spoke without thinking. "Not only do I have it, but my brother does too. Plus, my jewelry and ornaments can make up 600,000."
Facing the sudden appearance of the Dao Ren, Tong Meng forced herself to remain calm. The money was not important; the important thing was to survive this ordeal.
"Alright, we accept this deal, buddy." The leader of the Dao Ren agreed readily and promised to escort Tong Meng back to the city safely.
Tong Meng outwardly rejoiced, but inwardly, she was filled with trepidation.
After all, once she returned to the city, she would either seek police protection and be thrown in jail, or be found by Sixth Master's men and dumped in a desolate wilderness.
Both outcomes were unacceptable to her.
But now she was cornered by Sixth Master's men on the road. To survive, she had no choice but to return to the city.
...
It had been 24 hours.
Qiao Huali walked slowly out of the Municipal Bureau. Seeing the sunlight again, he took a deep breath, "Director Xie, these past two days have worn me out. I have no objections to taking a two-day break, do I?"
Xie Xi grit his teeth, "Take as long as you want. I'll approve any number of days you want to rest."
"Hahaha." Qiao Huali laughed heartily. "That won't do. These young ones are unreliable. They dare to bring people to the bureau without any evidence. I should rest for fewer days and return to take charge of the situation as soon as possible."
According to Qiao Huali's current rank, Xie Xi could not detain him for more than 24 hours without concrete evidence.
Therefore, he was quite smug at the moment.
Xie Xi pretended not to hear him and snorted coldly before leaving.
Hearing Qiao Huali enthusiastically greeting people as he passed, Xie Xi felt very displeased. He directly pushed open Ouyang Wen's office door, "Where is she? Haven't they brought her back yet?"
Ouyang Wen knew Qiao Huali had been released and understood why Xie Xi was angry. "Soon. Li Yang and his team are already heading over. Tong Meng won't escape this time."
...
Just as Ouyang Wen predicted, Tong Meng did not escape this time. On the way back to the city, the Dao Ren treated Tong Meng without restraint. At first, they only made vulgar jokes, but gradually, they began to touch her inappropriately.
Tong Meng initially scolded and stopped them, but after a slap from one of the Dao Ren, Tong Meng immediately softened.
"I am, after all, Sixth Master's woman. Think carefully." Tong Meng hoped to use Sixth Master's name to intimidate them. However, these men were not fazed. "You are just a woman who is about to be killed by Sixth Master."
Tong Meng was helpless and resentful in her heart, but there was nothing she could do. Just as the men were becoming more aggressive, Li Yang appeared with his team.
And standing beside Li Yang was the young man called Nan Zhu.
"You?" Seeing Nan Zhu, Tong Meng suddenly understood. He had gone to call the police, and the appearance of the Dao Ren was just a coincidence.
However, she was now very grateful that Nan Zhu had called the police.
She knew her life was saved, and her meager chastity was also preserved.
Compared to chastity, Tong Meng wisely chose the police over her life.
In her opinion, she had merely violated the regulations of the police force. Perhaps it would be a suspension, or worse, imprisonment. That was much better than losing her life.
So, Li Yang's appearance was like a life-saving straw. "They are Dao Ren, and they report directly to Sixth Master. Arrest them. They know more than I do."