Zhang Liunian felt the touch on his face, his large hand reaching a place he couldn't let go of. His eyes, dim and deep, asked, "I can do better, do you want to try?"
"..." Jiang Qingqing looked at her husband's intense gaze and silently swallowed. "Let's eat!"
Her husband's desire to devour her was too terrifying, and she dared not respond, opting instead to change the subject.
Zhang Liunian, however, had no appetite for food. It was highly likely they would be sent on a business trip the next day, and they wouldn't be able to enjoy time together then. If they didn't seize the moment now, when would they?
"I don't want to eat, I want to eat you," Zhang Liunian suddenly stood up, scooped his wife into his arms, and headed towards the new house.
"I haven't eaten enough yet..." Jiang Qingqing found her passionate husband a bit overwhelming and tried to salvage the situation, but rough breaths brushed against her neck.
"I'll warm it up for you later. Let's eat something else first," Zhang Liunian pushed his wife onto the bed, then leaned down and kissed Jiang Qingqing's red lips.
Jiang Qingqing watched the handsome face before her eyes gradually enlarge. She then closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around her husband's neck, and responded to his kiss.
The temperature in the room gradually rose, clothes fell to the floor one by one, and alluring gasps began to fill the air, a beautiful symphony of human music slowly beginning.
A stark contrast to the bliss in this room, outside the department store not far away, ten figures in black clothes and black pants suddenly appeared.
These were the arsonists sent by Zhu Laosan, also tasked with causing trouble for Zhang Liunian.
Carrying gasoline and matches, they took advantage of the darkness and the absence of onlookers. Some doused the building with fuel, while others lit the fires. Within moments, the provincial department store was engulfed in flames.
The appearance of the flames instantly awakened the security guards sleeping near the main gate.
There were two guards on duty that night. One of them, Xiao Wang, was dozing off when he heard a commotion. He got up alone and walked out of the guardhouse. Taking a closer look, he was shocked to see a group of people setting fire to the department store. He immediately sobered up, raised his hand, and shouted, "You dare to set a fire here! You are all forbidden to move!"
Xiao Wang shouted and charged towards the arsonists. Hearing his voice, the ten men didn't run or flee. The leader pulled out a small knife, met Xiao Wang head-on, and stabbed him without a word.
"Each man to his own duty. Don't blame me if you die, only blame yourself for picking the wrong boss," the man who stabbed said, then dropped the knife and left with his men.
Stabbed, Xiao Wang clutched his stomach, trying to reach out and stop them, but before he could, his body slumped to the ground.
Just then, another security guard, alerted by the noise, rushed out and witnessed the scene. He immediately started shouting for help to fight the fire and rescue the injured.
The ten arsonists, hearing the shouts, paid no attention to the unfolding events and quickly disappeared into the night.
"What? The department store is on fire? And a security guard is injured?" At three in the morning, Zhang Liunian, having just finished his marital duties with his wife and about to rest, was startled by the news brought by Zhang Qian. He quickly got out of bed, ready to go out.
Jiang Qingqing also heard the news and felt worried. She reached out and pulled Zhang Liunian, saying, "Be careful."
"I will. You get some good rest," Zhang Liunian gave her a reassuring smile, then opened the door and left the new house with Zhang Qian.
When they arrived at the department store, the fire had already been extinguished. However, the outer walls were blackened and charred, a devastating sight.
Fortunately, the fire was discovered early and did not spread inside. Only the exterior walls were affected, and with a couple of days of repairs, it could reopen.
"Are you Comrade Zhang Liunian?" The police officers, alerted by the alarm, arrived to handle the situation. After understanding some of the events, they found Zhang Liunian, the owner of the department store.
"I am. Do you have any leads, officer?" Zhang Liunian looked at the burnt department store, a sense of nameless anger rising within him.
Who was targeting him? Was it Zhu Laosan? If not Zhu Laosan, then it must be someone from Tang Guo's side. He had offended both groups since arriving here.
"None yet. So, we wanted to ask if you have any enemies here, which would help us investigate the arsonists." The police, accompanied by a record keeper, asked diligently.
"Yesterday, Zhu Laosan brought people here to cause trouble. I believe you are aware of this. I think he is the most suspicious. Also, Tang Guo, didn't you arrest her yesterday and take her to the police station? After all, she was the former manager of the department store and has a motive for this crime. You can start your investigation with them." Zhang Liunian had gone to the police station yesterday. The purpose was to go through the judicial process and, second, to pretend to know that Tang Guo had been caught, thereby clearing himself.
Therefore, his questioning at this moment did not arouse their suspicion.
"We understand. We will notify you if there are any developments in the case." The police officers also recalled the recent events at the department store and thought that both Zhu Laosan and Tang Guo were indeed suspicious. However, investigating them would not be easy.
Tang Guo was at the police station, which was manageable. But Zhu Laosan was different. He completely disregarded them, the law enforcement officers, on a daily basis.
"I know. By the way, are there any developments in Tang Guo's case? Did she plead guilty yesterday? Did she admit to absconding with the department store's money?" Zhang Liunian stopped the departing officers and suddenly inquired about Tang Guo's case.
The police officer stopped, shook his head, and said, "No, she hasn't admitted to anything."
"..."
Seeing this, Zhang Liunian asked no further questions. He watched the police officers leave before attending to the department store's matters. After the repairs were arranged, he took Zhang Qian, grabbed some items, and headed to the clinic.
Learning that Xiao Wang had escaped life-threatening danger, Zhang Liunian felt a great weight lifted from his heart.
When he arrived at the hospital room, he found the injured guard's parents present, but the security guard himself was unconscious.
Zhang Liunian expressed his deep apologies to the parents. They said nothing, considering Zhang Liunian, who had provided their unaccomplished son with a job, to be an excellent person.
Now that their son was injured at work, and the employer was here to apologize immediately, it showed great sincerity.
"Let him recover properly. I will cover all his hospitalization expenses, including meals. And this is compensation for his work-related injury. It's not much, only fifty thousand. Please accept it!" Zhang Liunian, seeing that the parents were reasonable, placed fifty thousand cash by the bedside.
"No, no, no, we can't accept this." Upon hearing that not only hospitalization was free but also an additional fifty thousand, the parents were stunned by such a large sum.
In an era where even becoming a "ten-thousand-yuan household" was rare, their son receiving fifty thousand for a work-related injury left them overwhelmed.
"Please take it. Such a loyal and dedicated employee deserves a reward. This is what he has earned. Please keep it for him, and give it to him when he wakes up."
Zhang Liunian greatly admired employees who dared to confront evil forces directly. Fifty thousand was a very worthy investment.
Just then, Xiao Wang, lying on the bed, woke up. He had barely regained consciousness when he heard Zhang Liunian's touching words. He immediately felt as if he had found a kindred spirit. His eyes welled up, and his voice was hoarse.
"Thank you, boss."