"Director Wang, what are you talking about? I don't understand?"
Under Wang Yu's intense, almost piercing gaze, Liu Lu's complexion turned a bit pale, and her eyes flickered with uncertainty.
"Hmph, you know what I mean."
Wang Yu snorted coldly, his tone not at all polite.
"Wang Yu, what are you guys up to? Why did the public security bureau take you away?"
Wu Lingling chimed in, asking with confusion, with Andre following behind her.
The commotion caused by the public security bureau members taking everyone away had been too significant not to be noticed by anyone.
Wu Lingling and Andre had learned the news but were unsure of the situation, so they hadn't acted rashly and had been waiting for Wang Yu and the others to return at the guesthouse.
Thus, upon seeing Wang Yu and the others back, they immediately approached to inquire.
"It's nothing major. You guys should go back and rest. I'll tell you more details later."
Wang Yu nodded at Wu Lingling and spoke softly.
Seeing his seemingly serious expression, Wu Lingling pondered. Being aware of the circumstances and people involved, she didn't press further and turned to leave cleanly.
Of course, before leaving, her gaze lingered on Wang Yu and Liu Lu for several moments.
"What big deal could it be? Isn't it just the usual stuff between men and women?"
Andre didn't say much either, mumbling to himself as he walked away. Then, as if remembering something, he specifically looked back at Wang Yu with a knowing, ambiguous look that all men understand.
He then spoke earnestly, "We're all men, take it easy. Trying to ride two boats at once is bound to capsize!"
After saying that, he swaggered away like a big bear.
I can't believe this...
Wang Yu was speechless. It was clear that this guy thought he was a scumbag, but heaven knew he had no such intentions!
However, seeing Andre's demeanor, Wang Yu figured it would be impossible to explain, and he had always been disinclined to explain his actions to others.
What did others' opinions matter regarding his own actions?
With this thought, he turned to look at Liu Lu beside him.
"Alright, everyone's gone now. Let's talk!"
"Director Wang, what do you want me to say?"
Liu Lu's eyes darted away, clearly intending to play dumb.
"Heh, you said your mother-in-law owes a huge debt to the Red Moon Dance Hall, right?"
Wang Yu asked, his eyes filled with amusement.
Truth be told, he rather admired Liu Lu. She was decisive and capable, which was evident from how the workers of the near-collapse steel plant still obeyed her.
She was also adaptable, able to be a dancer for a living and step up when necessary.
Under the oppression of Yang Song and her so-called unreasonable mother-in-law, she knew when to advance and retreat, understood the bigger picture, and didn't hold grudges. She was truly a rare talent.
This was why Wang Yu had been interested in spending the entire night dealing with her.
"Yes, that's right." Liu Lu sighed, her expression filled with immense sadness. "My husband, who ran away with debts, came back a few days ago, took all the money at home, and then had his mother borrow a large sum of money with me as the guarantor.
They both fled, leaving me and my daughter to fend for ourselves."
"Is that so? Such heartless and ungrateful people." Wang Yu shook his head, appearing somewhat perplexed. "Your husband actually abandoned his own daughter? Even a tiger doesn't eat its cubs."
"That's referring to a son, while I am the daughter. Ever since I gave birth to our daughter, my husband and mother-in-law have never looked at me kindly."
Liu Lu sighed mournfully, reaching out to stroke her daughter, who was clinging to her leg and staring at Wang Yu with wide eyes.
In those days, the preference for sons was still severe, and with the one-child policy recently implemented, many families had only one child.
For some traditional people, having a daughter meant the end of the family line, so their abandonment of the mother and daughter was not entirely difficult to understand.
"And then, under their pressure, you fled to the provincial capital to seek my help? And you came all the way here overnight?"
Wang Yu asked again, his expression a little strange.
"Yes, we specifically came overnight..." Liu Lu's words were cut short as she suddenly froze. She seemed to have realized something.
"Heh, it seems your cleverness has backfired." Wang Yu chuckled.
Given the terrible state of transportation back then, how did Liu Lu manage to get to the provincial capital overnight?
Did she take a high-speed train? Or hire a ride-sharing service?
Remember, Wang Yu and Wu Lingling had taken a four-hour bus ride to the provincial capital, and that bus only ran once a day, no exceptions. There was no possibility of overtime.
"Tell me, how did you get to the provincial capital overnight?" Wang Yu asked with a half-smile. "You didn't fly here, did you?"
"I..." Liu Lu was momentarily speechless, her expression shifting a few times before she suddenly knelt before Wang Yu.
"Uh, what are you doing?"
Wang Yu was taken aback and quickly stepped forward to help her up.
"Director Wang, I admit I've hidden some things from you, but I truly haven't lied about anything. I can only beg you for your help now!"
Liu Lu suddenly burst into tears, stubbornly refusing to get up.
As she cried, her daughter also started crying, staring at Wang Yu with wide, tear-filled eyes.
"Uh... don't worry, don't cry. Please stand up first and explain things clearly." Wang Yu looked embarrassed. If she kept crying like this, his reputation as a scumbag might truly be solidified.
What would Lingling think of him then? Huh, strange, why should I care what she thinks?
Pushing aside his inner musings, Wang Yu quickly helped Liu Lu up and gently reassured her.
"What exactly happened?"
"My mother-in-law indeed owes money to the owner of the Red Moon Dance Hall. And they were bribed by Yang Song, which is why they sent people to arrest me! It's also thanks to Boss Zhao that I was sent to the provincial capital overnight."
Liu Lu said in a low voice. Seeing Wang Yu's confused look, she added, "Boss Zhao is the leader of the Nine Dragons and One Phoenix gang on Changhe Street, the bald guy who came to collect the debt before."
"Oh, you mean him?" Wang Yu nodded with some understanding. He remembered him; he had tried to extort him before, and then Brother Hu had stepped in to resolve the matter.
Afterward, Wang Yu paid Liu Lu the 300 yuan gambling debt owed by her husband, and an additional 200 yuan as a tip. It seemed to be a happy ending.
However, that guy didn't look like a kind person who would suddenly help Liu Lu out of goodwill. Why would he voluntarily help Liu Lu?
Facing Wang Yu's questioning gaze, Liu Lu sighed and slowly explained, "He always envied Brother Hu for joining you and living a good life. So this time, he voluntarily helped me, arranging for someone to borrow a car and bring me to the provincial capital overnight. He also secretly leaked information about the Red Moon Dance Hall sending people to arrest me."
"Oh, so that's how it is."
Wang Yu understood. As fellow ruffians, it was clear that Boss Zhao envied Brother Hu's treatment under him, hence his voluntary assistance to Liu Lu, which could be considered a gesture of loyalty.
"But you said they were bribed by Yang Song? How did he get involved in this?"
Wang Yu felt a bit confused. Wasn't this guy under his control? How did he manage to stir up trouble again?
"You don't know. While you were away, Yang Song made contact with people from the islands and planned to secretly sell the steel plant to them! And at a very low price!"
Liu Lu stated.
The islands?
Wang Yu was stunned.