"What? One piece is missing?"
Lin Jie exclaimed in shock upon hearing this.
"Chen Xiao, should I call security again to help and dig around the site?"
Chen Xiao shook his head. "No need. They won't find it even if they dig again, because that piece of bone was clearly pried out deliberately. It won't be buried with the other bones."
"Then what do we do? Won't that infant fiend turn into a flying fiend?" Lin Jie asked worriedly.
Chen Xiao shook his head again. "No, because I've already found that piece of bone."
Hearing Chen Xiao say this, Lin Jie rolled her eyes. "Chen Xiao, can you stop scaring me, Sister Lin? Where is the bone?"
Before she could finish speaking, Chen Xiao said something that frightened her even more.
"That piece of bone is on you!"
Lin Jie yelped in fright and started jumping around.
"Where is it? Where is it?"
She thought the bone had accidentally gotten caught on her clothes and would fall off with a few jumps.
Chen Xiao said helplessly, "Sister Lin, calm down first. That piece of bone is... here with you."
As he spoke, Chen Xiao pointed to Lin Jie's chest.
Lin Jie froze slightly, then followed Chen Xiao's gaze and reached inside.
It was only because it was Chen Xiao; anyone else would have been treated as a pervert by Lin Jie.
After feeling around, Lin Jie's expression suddenly changed drastically.
"You're not talking about this, are you?"
Lin Jie fumbled and pulled out a white Buddha amulet from her chest.
Chen Xiao nodded. "That's right, it's this one."
Lin Jie immediately retorted, "No, Chen Xiao, you must have misjudged this time. This Buddha amulet is made of ivory, not human bone..."
Although she said this, Lin Jie felt her words were inexplicably lacking in confidence.
Chen Xiao sneered and asked, "Did you get this Buddha amulet yourself? Even if you did, can you be sure it's made of ivory?"
Lin Jie stammered, "I didn't go personally, but my assistant went to Southeast Asia to get it for me. She wouldn't lie to me!"
Chen Xiao pressed on aggressively, "And how can you be sure your assistant wouldn't lie to you?"
Lin Jie explained, "She's someone I've mentored from the start. She's very smart and ambitious. I trust her very much..."
Chen Xiao interrupted her directly. "Everything you've said doesn't prove she wouldn't betray you."
In an instant, Lin Jie felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
But she was still unwilling to accept it. "But, but..."
Finally, she managed to find an excuse. "Maybe she didn't know either? Maybe she was also being used?"
Chen Xiao shrugged. "Perhaps... but the best way to find out the answer is to have her come over and confront her. What do you think?"
Lin Jie pursed her lips, then seemingly made up her mind. "Okay, I'll call her over right now!"
The call connected, and Lin Jie spoke first.
"Xiao Ru, where are you?"
"Ms. Lin, I'm working overtime."
"I'm at Tianhai Yipin, and I have something to ask you. Come over."
"..."
Xiao Ru remained silent for a long time.
Lin Jie's tone grew heavier, and she asked again, "Xiao Ru, what's wrong? I have something important to talk to you about. Come over immediately!"
Xiao Ru stammered, "Uh, Ms. Lin... I, I'm not feeling well. Can we talk about it tomorrow?"
Lin Jie sighed and bluffed, "Forget it, Xiao Ru, don't lie to me. I know everything now."
From the other end came a long silence and heavy breathing.
At this moment, Lin Jie felt her heart clench into a knot.
Finally, Xiao Ru spoke.
Her tone shifted from cautiousness to a defiant, proud, and indifferent demeanor.
"Oh, so you know. So what if you know?"
"Lin Jie, that's right, I did it. I did it all! The things inside Tianhai Yipin were buried by my people, but that's what you deserve!"
Hearing these words, Lin Jie almost couldn't stand. "Why did you do this?"
Xiao Ru said coldly, "Why? You still have the nerve to ask me why? I want to ask you why!"
"Why is it that after Richard went into the mountains with you, I could no longer contact him? What did you do to him?"
Lin Jie felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. "What's your relationship with Richard?"
Xiao Ru sneered. "Oh, you still don't know my relationship with Richard? Don't you know everything already?"
"Let me tell you, we were together before you even knew him!"
"You're truly shameless. You're old, yet you're still thinking about young studs every day. Look at yourself, do you think you're worthy of him?"
Lin Jie's face turned green, and she shouted, "Enough, don't say any more!"
"No, I insist on saying it!" Xiao Ru said rebelliously.
"Today, I'll tell you everything. Richard told me to give you the human bone Buddha amulet, and he told me to bury the things in Tianhai Yipin!"
"Since it's come to this, I'm not afraid to tell you. If you had just held on for another half a month, he could have killed you. Then, all your assets would be ours... It's a pity, the plan failed at the last step!"
Lin Jie no longer wanted to listen. She had treated Xiao Ru like her own daughter.
To be honest, Xiao Ru's betrayal hurt her more than Richard's betrayal.
She asked in disbelief, "Why did you do this, Xiao Ru? Before I brought you out, you couldn't even afford to eat!"
Xiao Ru snorted coldly. "Blame yourself. You showed me a world I shouldn't have seen, and I'm no longer content with mediocrity. Why can't I have what you have?"
Human greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant.
This sentence was the most accurate description of Xiao Ru.
Lin Jie silently hung up the phone and slumped onto the sofa, dejected.
Li Ziqing had heard everything on the phone.
She walked over and silently hugged Lin Jie.
Lin Jie had been through too much these past two days.
Even if her nerves were made of steel, she probably couldn't handle such a series of blows.
Chen Xiao also looked helpless.
But this was probably karma.
Shi Ling had given Lin Jie too much, but Lin Jie was undeserving of it. Being coveted and envied by those around her was also within reason.
This trial was her destiny, and she couldn't escape it.
"Sister Lin, give me the last piece of bone, lest there be further complications."
Chen Xiao sympathized with Lin Jie, but he still had to continue with the task at hand.
Lin Jie tore off the bone hanging around her neck and handed it to Chen Xiao.
Chen Xiao had just taken the bone when, before he could place it on the skeleton.
However, at this moment, a change occurred.
The dark infant fiend suddenly moved...