Listening to these people’s discussions, Chen Lishu couldn't help but sigh inwardly, realizing that some people were indeed smarter.
Facing their chatter, An An’s mother appeared somewhat nonchalant. Her sole purpose for being there was to get the money. Once she had it, she would leave the country with her child and have no further dealings with this crowd.
She crawled forward, arriving beside Chen Lishu with a subservient demeanor that seemed as pitiful as could be. However, only Chen Lishu knew how much malice lay hidden beneath that pitiful facade.
An An’s mother then propped herself up, looking half-dead as she leaned onto Chen Lishu’s shoulder. In a voice only they could hear, she threatened, “Ms. Chen, my objective today is simple: to get the money that is rightfully mine. If you cooperate, I won’t pursue any responsibility and will leave your company in peace. You’re a smart boss, and I’m sure you know what’s more important.”
Chen Lishu's lips curled into a dismissive smile as she listened to An An’s mother’s threat, looking at her as if she were a clown putting on a self-directed play. “And what if I refuse?”
Refuse? An An’s mother’s gaze turned sinister as she stared intently at Chen Lishu’s face. Then, her foot slipped, and she lost her balance, falling backward uncontrollably.
Behind her was a flight of stairs. A direct fall like that could easily render someone senseless. Many people gasped in shock, and some even shouted:
“The boss of this sausage factory is too arrogant! She clearly doesn’t care about others’ lives, and now she dares to assault someone in public!”
“Exactly! I say this is a result of her plan failing, and she’s become enraged! We must not let this human trafficker go. Who wouldn’t want their child? It’s not your child this time, but what about next time?”
“We must report this to the police and have them handle this matter seriously. This vicious woman must not be let off easily!”
“…”
The show is over, and it’s about time to let her make her move! Chen Lishu met An An’s mother’s defiant gaze and, with a light chuckle, asked, “An An’s mother, do you really think everyone here is a fool to be toyed with by you? I made a new discovery at your home. Would you be interested in hearing about it?”
A discovery at her home? An An’s mother’s eyes flickered with panic at these words.
That couldn’t be right! The entrance to the cellar was quite hidden; even her neighbors, who had lived nearby for over a decade, had never discovered their cellar. Chen Lishu had only visited their home once. How could she have stumbled upon it so coincidentally?
Was she trying to trick her? An An’s mother bit her lower lip hard, clenched her fists, and then fearlessly raised her head to face Chen Lishu. “I don’t want to hear any more of your nonsense! Let’s not argue about today’s matter. We’ll call the police and let them handle it officially. I believe the law will give me a just resolution. Husband, let’s go!”
With that, An An’s mother painfully got up from the ground. She was eager to return home and find out if An An in the cellar had discovered anything suspicious. If the answer was yes, she would have to consider moving the child to a safer location! After all, pursuing responsibility could happen anytime. She hadn’t intended to get the compensation all at once; her original plan was to continuously trouble Chen Group until Chen Lishu, exasperated, handed over the compensation herself!
But how could Chen Lishu, who already had the evidence, let them leave so easily? She signaled to the bodyguards beside her, and soon, An An’s parents were surrounded.
“What are you trying to do? In front of so many people, are you going to arrest us and do something to us?”
A look of terror flashed across An An’s mother’s face. She tightly grabbed An An’s father’s hand, her eyes asking him what they should do next.
Faced with the current situation, An An’s father remained relatively calm. His face darkened, and he shouted at the crowd, “Everyone saw it! This is how the boss of Chen Group solves problems! If this company and this person had nothing wrong, why would she refuse to answer our questions and now try to restrict our movements?”
Hearing An An’s father’s words, the crowd turned their eyes towards Chen Lishu with schadenfreude and began pointing at her.
Seeing that An An’s father was about to incite the masses, Chen Lishu’s lips curved upward slightly. Tilting her head, she slowly said, “Don’t rush. Look behind you, see who has appeared?”
As soon as she spoke, everyone present turned around, looking behind them with curiosity. The person who appeared was Su Nian, holding the child who had been missing for several days—An An.
Upon seeing An An, An An’s mother’s eyes rolled back, and if not for An An’s father’s support, she would have already collapsed to the ground.
Chen Lishu’s expression turned cold, and an oppressive aura emanated from her. She sternly questioned, “An An’s mother, look who this is?”
Some with sharp eyes also recognized the child in Su Nian’s arms and then shouted excitedly, “Isn’t this the son they lost? I even saw him in a commercial on television!”
“Weren’t they saying he was missing? What’s going on now? Did Chen Group buckle under the threat and have a change of heart, preparing to release him?”
“It doesn’t seem like Chen Group is at fault. Didn’t you see the child’s mother’s pale face and the fear in her eyes? I think she’s the one who feels guilty.”
“…”
Chen Lishu looked at the guilty-looking woman and sneered, “Your actions have already constituted extortion. All related information and evidence have been handed over to the police. You will have to pay the price for your behavior.”
Upon hearing the words “police station,” the color drained from the mother’s face. Trembling, she crawled to Chen Lishu and said, “Ms. Chen, I was wrong, I know I was wrong! Can you please not send me to the police station? My child is still young and cannot be separated from his mother. You are so magnanimous, please don’t hold it against me. You are so wealthy, there’s no need to bicker with an ordinary person like me.”
Even at this point, the woman had not changed her ways. Chen Lishu expressionlessly pulled her clothes from the woman’s grasp and said, “Not only will I send you to the police station, but I will also pursue the losses caused by your defamation of the company during this period!”
With that, Chen Lishu turned to leave, intending to end this farce.
Seeing that even after her apology, Chen Lishu remained aggressive, An An’s mother’s eyes turned from coldness to malice. She quickly pulled a gleaming knife from her bag and lunged towards Chen Lishu’s heart.