"Having fun body-surfing?" An Jing asked loudly, amused.
Before he could even choke on water, the man begged, "Please, pull me up! I'll talk, I'll tell you everything!"
An Jing immediately ordered the boat to stop. Tian Yi asked no questions, his gaze fixed coldly on the shadows of sharks swimming on the sea's surface.
As soon as the boat halted, the man desperately clung to the stern's edge, gasping for air.
"Speak," An Jing demanded. "Where did you take the little boy?"
The man dared not lie again. "I sold him. I know a group that specializes in taking children. They anchor a boat by the shore every so often, buy many children, and then sail them to an island."
"Where is the island?" An Jing continued to question.
"I don't know the exact location... I really don't, I'm not lying!" the man panted. "But I heard it's a deserted island."
"What do they do with the children on that island?" An Jing asked again.
The man shivered as he spoke, "What else? They exploit them as child labor, resell them to those who need children, sell the older ones for organs, and send the older girls out for clients... Anyway, these people make a lot of money buying and selling children."
Tian Yi and An Jing's expressions remained unchanged, but they inwardly shivered, hoping Xiao Xingxing and Xiaoxiao were safe.
Seeing that nothing more could be extracted, Tian Yi said calmly, "Throw down a piece of bloody meat and keep sailing."
"I'm not lying, I've told you everything!" The man couldn't believe his ears and pleaded desperately.
Tian Yi turned away coldly, unwilling to look at such a person any longer.
An Jing followed his instructions, ordering a piece of bloody pork to be thrown into the sea. The boat resumed its journey.
Soon, sharks surfaced, swimming towards the man.
An Jing no longer looked at the sea, turning his back.
Such a wicked person, if allowed to live, would only continue to harm others. Disposing of him in the open sea was most appropriate.
With two screams, the man was torn to shreds by the swarming sharks...
Tian Yi ordered the yacht to return to shore. They had to find that deserted island as quickly as possible; this clue meant they had to keep searching.
Susu waited daily for news from Tian Yi. Upon learning that Xiao Xingxing had been abducted to a deserted island, she wished she could go find him herself.
But Tian Yi still told her to stay home and wait for his good news.
She could only trust Tian Yi. With his careful planning, finding Xiao Xingxing was getting closer and closer.
...
Upon returning to Lan City, Sasha embraced Feng Rou and they wept together.
While they both seemed to be grieving for Xie Qining, Sasha was actually worried that Zhan Jiayi's unborn child would take away her son's inheritance.
After their tears subsided, Xie Huibing, who was nearby, advised them not to be too sad.
Sasha stopped crying and agreed with Feng Rou that they would visit Xie Qining in prison together later.
Feng Rou also calmed down, knowing that crying any further was useless.
Sasha wanted to ask about Zhan Jiayi, but seeing Xie Huibing present, she hesitated to speak.
Feng Rou noticed her thoughts and said, "It's alright, Huibing is on my side. She also doesn't want her father to have illegitimate children."
Xie Huibing spoke up for Sasha, saying, "If that bastard is born, what status will Jiejie have in the future?"
"Second Sister, thank you for still thinking of us," Sasha said, feeling that with another person helping her, she had gained an ally. "Let's think of a way together. Many hands make light work. We will definitely be able to bring Dad back home. What good can come from a mistress outside?"
"That's right," Feng Rou agreed. "Those women are only after the old man's money and the Xie family's assets."
Xie Huibing chimed in, "Exactly, exactly."
Sasha asked calmly, "Mom, Second Sister, do you know anything about that woman's background?"
Feng Rou replied, "She's a university student, I think. She was hired through the group's public recruitment and became the old man's assistant."
"Mom, I don't think this woman is that simple," Sasha said disbelievingly. "A female student with no connections or background, hired through recruitment, how could she become Dad's assistant so quickly?"
"Who knows what sorcery she used," Xie Huibing said disdainfully. "I've seen that woman. She looks like a temptress."
Sasha continued, "Second Sister, such a woman must have some tricks up her sleeve. But the fact that she could get into the group and become an assistant means there's something more behind it. I need to investigate her thoroughly again."
Feng Rou slapped her thigh. "That's right, why didn't I think of that? I believed everything the old man said, I was too foolish."
Sasha had an idea. "Mom, Second Sister, don't worry yet. Wait until I find out more before we figure out how to deal with her. She's still a few months away from giving birth, right?"
Xie Huibing replied, "I asked at the hospital where she had her previous check-ups. Calculating the time, the child in her womb is only six months old now."
"Then we still have time. We won't let that woman succeed," Sasha stated.
Feng Rou felt a lot more at ease. "Sasha, you're the one with the ideas. With you here, I feel reassured."
"Yes, yes," Xie Huibing echoed, but she was thinking that her status in her mother's heart was not as good as her sister-in-law's.
She felt that Jiejie was indeed a grandson of the Xie family, but her mother should still be wary of this daughter-in-law from another family.
However, she couldn't say much now. She would remind her mother when the opportunity arose.
...
Xie Huibing returned to her in-laws' home. As soon as she entered, she saw her parents-in-law discussing something.
She overheard her mother-in-law saying, "This matter requires her to go back and ask her maternal family for help."
"You know as well as I do that she doesn't have much standing in the Xie family..."
Just then, a servant saw her and approached, saying, "Young Madam, you're back."
The servant's voice interrupted her parents-in-law's conversation.
Her mother-in-law glanced towards the door and said, "You're back. Did you visit your maternal home today?"
"My sister-in-law returned from abroad. I accompanied my mother and sat with her for a while," Xie Huibing said after changing her shoes and walking over to them.
Her mother-in-law asked with concern, "Has your brother's matter been resolved? Is there no more hope?"
Xie Huibing shook her head. "The second appeal upheld the original verdict. My mother is devastated."
Her mother-in-law sighed sympathetically.
Her father-in-law pointed to an empty spot on the sofa. "You just got back, sit down for a while."
Xie Huibing sat down as instructed and asked, "Dad, Mom, what were you just talking about? Is something wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing," her father-in-law said, waving his hand with a smile.
Her mother-in-law gave her husband a sideways glance and said to Xie Huibing, "Don't listen to your father. The company is in big trouble now, and only your maternal family can help."
Xie Huibing paused and asked, "What big trouble? Cheng Yi told me the company had some minor issues before, weren't they already resolved?"
"Resolved? Just look at these documents, and you'll know," her mother-in-law said, pulling out some files from under the sofa and handing them to her.