Chapter 43 Life is Absurd, Might as Well Dream Big
Inside the interrogation room, Wu Shixiong was stunned. He looked at his parents in disbelief, his lips twitching, but he couldn't say a word.
What could he say? It was not Old Yang from the police station who made this request, nor was it Tang Baiqing, who had money and power. It was his biological parents who gave birth to him and raised him!
Mr. Wu no longer had his previous hot-headedness and the arrogance of being a parent. He lowered his head and his voice trembled: "...they will give money, one hundred thousand for one year in jail."
Wu Shixiong sat dumbfounded in the chair, stuttering: "Dad...Dad...I don't want to go to jail!"
Mr. Wu still lowered his head, his voice hoarse as he replied: "Son, you know our family's situation. I'm completely useless in this life, with no chance of turning my life around. But...we still have to live, don't we? We only have that one run-down house, but I have three sons. You're all grown up now, but what can I do to help you buy a house, get married, and have children?"
Wu Shixiong was speechless. He turned his head to look at his mother, but she was sobbing with her back turned to him.
"I asked Old Yang just now. You have intellectual disabilities, and the court will take that into account. They will give you a report on low intelligence testing, and you won't be in there for too long." Mr. Wu gritted his teeth and continued, "Stay for six or seven years, and we will get the money. You can come out and get married and have children. Your older brother and second brother won't forget about you...they will take care of you for the rest of your life."
"I...I won't do it!" Wu Shixiong couldn't get any help from his mother, so he could only grit his teeth and refuse his father's request.
Mr. Wu looked up at him and said, "If you don't do it, when will your older brother and second brother be able to get married? Are you going to let me break the family line?"
After a short silence, Mr. Wu stood up and knelt down with a thud in front of Wu Shixiong: "I'm begging you, please help your older brother and second brother, and help our family, okay?"
Wu Shixiong looked at his father kneeling in front of him and involuntarily turned his head. He didn't feel sorry for the other person, nor did he have any emotional response. All he felt was helplessness.
"Son, help your older brother and second brother." His mother, still crying, said one sentence with her back turned to him.
—---
Half an hour later, Mr. and Mrs. Wu left the interrogation room and talked with Mr. Tang for a long time in the car outside. The two even signed a simple agreement.
For Mr. Tang, reducing Wu Shixiong's sentence and operating the case was not a problem. He didn't need to deceive the Wu family because this matter could be resolved with money.
For Mr. Tang, as long as the case could be resolved quickly, someone could take the fall for his son, and it wouldn't be discovered again in the future, it would be the best result. As for the financial losses, that was not his main concern.
Outside the investigation building, after Su Tianyu and the others had finished breakfast, they once again requested to meet with Wu Shixiong through the duty officer, wanting to ask when he would be released. But to their surprise, the officer told them that Wu Shixiong was about to face prosecution.
This news left Su Tianyu confused. He didn't have as much influence as a police superintendent in Zhanan district, so he immediately contacted Yu Mingyuan to inquire about the situation.
Yu Mingyuan had been following the case closely and knew much more than Su Tianyu. He vaguely told him that Wu Shixiong might take the fall for Tang Baiqing, and that the two families had already met and discussed it.
Upon hearing this news, Su Tianyu was shocked and speechless. Although he had experienced many things and had seen the so-called warmth and coldness of human relationships in this era, he still felt repulsed and disgusted by this situation.
After communicating over the phone, Su Tianyu asked Yu Mingyuan to use his connections to arrange a meeting with Wu Shixiong, and he agreed immediately.
Before Wu Shixiong was transferred to the police station for detention, Su Tianyu met him in the interrogation room.
In the dimly lit room, Su Tianyu looked at Wu Shixiong in confusion and asked, "Why did you agree? Do you know what this means? It means your life could be ruined!"
"...My parents came," Wu Shixiong said in a hoarse voice, looking down.
"You can refuse them! You have your own life, and you don't have to listen to your family for everything!" Su Tianyu wasn't trying to act like a saint or a moral exemplar here. If it were an ordinary person's situation, he wouldn't even bother. But Wu Shixiong was different. After several months of getting to know each other, he felt like they were friends - the kind without any ulterior motives or benefits.
"Little...Little brother Yu... they... they raised me after all."
Su Tianyu fell silent.
"Life...life is full of things you can't control..." Wu Shixiong replied with his head still down. "...I...I can't show you the warehouse anymore, Little brother Yu."
Su Tianyu turned away, unsure of what to say.
The Wu family and Wu Shixiong agreed, and even Tang Baiqing's family was willing to pay. Everything was arranged perfectly and seamlessly. Su Tianyu couldn't say anything else. It was all meaningless.
The two fell silent for a moment, and Su Tianyu turned to Wu Shixiong and said, "I'll come back later and give you some money. Take care of yourself."
Wu Shixiong didn't respond, his gaze empty as he looked at the floor.
Su Tianyu pushed the door and left, unsure of what emotions he was feeling.
Outside the office building, Bai Hongbo furrowed his brows and asked, "What happened?"
"They reached a private agreement and Wu Shixiong took the fall," was the response.
"...Sigh, fucking bullshit!" Bai Hongbo cursed with a sigh. "But it's normal, that's just the way the world works. The three sisters of the Yu family live one way, the girls who work as hostesses live another way, and they don't mix with each other."
Bai Hongbo's words were like shit, foul and disgusting, but no one refuted him.
—---
In the early morning at around 9 o'clock, Wu Shixiong was transferred to the police station. This time, Old Yang personally took his statement, and his attitude was not as kind as before. He recounted the details of the case with a serious expression.
"You are the warehouse keeper on the third floor and have to stay there every night," Old Yang spoke slowly and clearly, taking a drag of his cigarette as he addressed Wu Shixiong. "Last night, when you had just returned, you saw the deceased Qu Ying go find Tang Baiqing to play cards. The two of them had a dispute over their relationship issues. You knew Tang Baiqing before, so you went downstairs to mediate. During the altercation, Qu Ying lost control of her emotions due to injecting a banned hallucinogenic drug, and she hit and kicked you. She used the hammer used to fix the ship's bolt to strike your back. You grabbed the hammer in self-defense and hit her in the head without any intention to kill her..."
Wu Shixiong listened without responding.
"My officers will take you to the police station hospital for a full-body examination. You need to tell the doctor about the injuries you sustained from Qu Ying's beating. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Old Yang asked ambiguously.
Wu Shixiong looked up at him.
"Cooperate with the doctor and report all your injuries," Old Yang reminded him again.
In another room, Tang Baiqing sat on a chair and spoke to the surveillance recorder, "Yes, Qu Ying hit me first, and then Wu Shixiong came down to mediate, and she started struggling with him. Because I spent a lot of money on Qu Ying, she may have been afraid of me, so... she took it out on the worker Wu Shixiong, and I was there pulling them apart the whole time..."
—---
That night, Tang Baiqing signed his confession and was released by the police station, awaiting his next interrogation.
It was 9:30 pm.
In the photographing room of the criminal suspect detention center at the police hospital, Wu Shixiong stood with a vacant stare.
"Take off your clothes," a police officer shouted.
Wu Shixiong heard the command and removed his shirt and pants, standing in front of the wall wearing only his boxers.
Under the bright light, Wu Shixiong stood straight, revealing countless wounds of different sizes all over his body. There were cigarette burns, long scars from belt whippings, and small wounds the size of fingernails.
The scars had varying degrees of darkness, some black, some brown, suggesting that they were not all caused at the same time.
The police officer was dumbfounded by the sight. "How did you get all these injuries?" he asked.
Wu Shixiong didn't respond.
"Pick up that ID card and take a photo," the police officer instructed.
Wu Shixiong picked up the card from the ground and held it expressionlessly under his chin.
The information on the card read:
Name: Wu Shixiong
Gender: Male
Hometown: Dragon City Zhanan District
Age: 19 years old
Charge: Suspected of murder
Inside the room, the camera flash lit up and then faded. Wu Shixiong stood motionless in front of the wall, his face devoid of any emotion.
—---
A week later, Tang Baiqing returned to his normal work routine. His father had already settled the matter with the victim's family, but the exact amount of money exchanged was unknown to outsiders.
On his first day back at work, Tang Baiqing was in a bad mood. He had just arrived at his office and was about to take a nap when the leader of the Zhanan district gang called him.
"Are you busy?" the gang leader asked.
"Not really. I'm at my office. What's up?" Tang Baiqing replied.
"Let's meet up."
"I'm not in the mood."
"Oh, I'm already outside your office. Come on out!" the gang leader insisted.
Zhanan District, Su Family Residence.
Sitting in a pavilion, Su Tianyu was chatting with his third sister when he received a call from Yu Mingyuan.
"Hello?"
"The case is over. We're ready to make a move."
"Good," Su Tianyu nodded.
Wu Shixiong had gone in, but it wouldn't affect any of their offshore business dealings. Besides Su Tianyu, Bai Hongbo, and a few others, nobody would pay attention to a mentally challenged small-time crook like Wu Shixiong.
—---
On a certain island, a man sat in a bar, speaking softly to another person. "My compensation and severance pay are almost here. I'll pay you guys back soon."
"Don't worry, it's all good," the other person chuckled and took a sip of his drink. "Hey, have you been in touch with Su Daken recently?"
Chapter 43 Life is Absurd, Might as Well Dream Big
Inside the interrogation room, Wu Shixiong was stunned. He looked at his parents in disbelief, his lips twitching, but he couldn't say a word.
What could he say? It was not Old Yang from the police station who made this request, nor was it Tang Baiqing, who had money and power. It was his biological parents who gave birth to him and raised him!
Mr. Wu no longer had his previous hot-headedness and the arrogance of being a parent. He lowered his head and his voice trembled: "...they will give money, one hundred thousand for one year in jail."
Wu Shixiong sat dumbfounded in the chair, stuttering: "Dad...Dad...I don't want to go to jail!"
Mr. Wu still lowered his head, his voice hoarse as he replied: "Son, you know our family's situation. I'm completely useless in this life, with no chance of turning my life around. But...we still have to live, don't we? We only have that one run-down house, but I have three sons. You're all grown up now, but what can I do to help you buy a house, get married, and have children?"
Wu Shixiong was speechless. He turned his head to look at his mother, but she was sobbing with her back turned to him.
"I asked Old Yang just now. You have intellectual disabilities, and the court will take that into account. They will give you a report on low intelligence testing, and you won't be in there for too long." Mr. Wu gritted his teeth and continued, "Stay for six or seven years, and we will get the money. You can come out and get married and have children. Your older brother and second brother won't forget about you...they will take care of you for the rest of your life."
"I...I won't do it!" Wu Shixiong couldn't get any help from his mother, so he could only grit his teeth and refuse his father's request.
Mr. Wu looked up at him and said, "If you don't do it, when will your older brother and second brother be able to get married? Are you going to let me break the family line?"
After a short silence, Mr. Wu stood up and knelt down with a thud in front of Wu Shixiong: "I'm begging you, please help your older brother and second brother, and help our family, okay?"
Wu Shixiong looked at his father kneeling in front of him and involuntarily turned his head. He didn't feel sorry for the other person, nor did he have any emotional response. All he felt was helplessness.
"Son, help your older brother and second brother." His mother, still crying, said one sentence with her back turned to him.
—---
Half an hour later, Mr. and Mrs. Wu left the interrogation room and talked with Mr. Tang for a long time in the car outside. The two even signed a simple agreement.
For Mr. Tang, reducing Wu Shixiong's sentence and operating the case was not a problem. He didn't need to deceive the Wu family because this matter could be resolved with money.
For Mr. Tang, as long as the case could be resolved quickly, someone could take the fall for his son, and it wouldn't be discovered again in the future, it would be the best result. As for the financial losses, that was not his main concern.
Outside the investigation building, after Su Tianyu and the others had finished breakfast, they once again requested to meet with Wu Shixiong through the duty officer, wanting to ask when he would be released. But to their surprise, the officer told them that Wu Shixiong was about to face prosecution.
This news left Su Tianyu confused. He didn't have as much influence as a police superintendent in Zhanan district, so he immediately contacted Yu Mingyuan to inquire about the situation.
Yu Mingyuan had been following the case closely and knew much more than Su Tianyu. He vaguely told him that Wu Shixiong might take the fall for Tang Baiqing, and that the two families had already met and discussed it.
Upon hearing this news, Su Tianyu was shocked and speechless. Although he had experienced many things and had seen the so-called warmth and coldness of human relationships in this era, he still felt repulsed and disgusted by this situation.
After communicating over the phone, Su Tianyu asked Yu Mingyuan to use his connections to arrange a meeting with Wu Shixiong, and he agreed immediately.
Before Wu Shixiong was transferred to the police station for detention, Su Tianyu met him in the interrogation room.
In the dimly lit room, Su Tianyu looked at Wu Shixiong in confusion and asked, "Why did you agree? Do you know what this means? It means your life could be ruined!"
"...My parents came," Wu Shixiong said in a hoarse voice, looking down.
"You can refuse them! You have your own life, and you don't have to listen to your family for everything!" Su Tianyu wasn't trying to act like a saint or a moral exemplar here. If it were an ordinary person's situation, he wouldn't even bother. But Wu Shixiong was different. After several months of getting to know each other, he felt like they were friends - the kind without any ulterior motives or benefits.
"Little...Little brother Yu... they... they raised me after all."
Su Tianyu fell silent.
"Life...life is full of things you can't control..." Wu Shixiong replied with his head still down. "...I...I can't show you the warehouse anymore, Little brother Yu."
Su Tianyu turned away, unsure of what to say.
The Wu family and Wu Shixiong agreed, and even Tang Baiqing's family was willing to pay. Everything was arranged perfectly and seamlessly. Su Tianyu couldn't say anything else. It was all meaningless.
The two fell silent for a moment, and Su Tianyu turned to Wu Shixiong and said, "I'll come back later and give you some money. Take care of yourself."
Wu Shixiong didn't respond, his gaze empty as he looked at the floor.
Su Tianyu pushed the door and left, unsure of what emotions he was feeling.
Outside the office building, Bai Hongbo furrowed his brows and asked, "What happened?"
"They reached a private agreement and Wu Shixiong took the fall," was the response.
"...Sigh, fucking bullshit!" Bai Hongbo cursed with a sigh. "But it's normal, that's just the way the world works. The three sisters of the Yu family live one way, the girls who work as hostesses live another way, and they don't mix with each other."
Bai Hongbo's words were like shit, foul and disgusting, but no one refuted him.
—---
In the early morning at around 9 o'clock, Wu Shixiong was transferred to the police station. This time, Old Yang personally took his statement, and his attitude was not as kind as before. He recounted the details of the case with a serious expression.
"You are the warehouse keeper on the third floor and have to stay there every night," Old Yang spoke slowly and clearly, taking a drag of his cigarette as he addressed Wu Shixiong. "Last night, when you had just returned, you saw the deceased Qu Ying go find Tang Baiqing to play cards. The two of them had a dispute over their relationship issues. You knew Tang Baiqing before, so you went downstairs to mediate. During the altercation, Qu Ying lost control of her emotions due to injecting a banned hallucinogenic drug, and she hit and kicked you. She used the hammer used to fix the ship's bolt to strike your back. You grabbed the hammer in self-defense and hit her in the head without any intention to kill her..."
Wu Shixiong listened without responding.
"My officers will take you to the police station hospital for a full-body examination. You need to tell the doctor about the injuries you sustained from Qu Ying's beating. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Old Yang asked ambiguously.
Wu Shixiong looked up at him.
"Cooperate with the doctor and report all your injuries," Old Yang reminded him again.
In another room, Tang Baiqing sat on a chair and spoke to the surveillance recorder, "Yes, Qu Ying hit me first, and then Wu Shixiong came down to mediate, and she started struggling with him. Because I spent a lot of money on Qu Ying, she may have been afraid of me, so... she took it out on the worker Wu Shixiong, and I was there pulling them apart the whole time..."
—---
That night, Tang Baiqing signed his confession and was released by the police station, awaiting his next interrogation.
It was 9:30 pm.
In the photographing room of the criminal suspect detention center at the police hospital, Wu Shixiong stood with a vacant stare.
"Take off your clothes," a police officer shouted.
Wu Shixiong heard the command and removed his shirt and pants, standing in front of the wall wearing only his boxers.
Under the bright light, Wu Shixiong stood straight, revealing countless wounds of different sizes all over his body. There were cigarette burns, long scars from belt whippings, and small wounds the size of fingernails.
The scars had varying degrees of darkness, some black, some brown, suggesting that they were not all caused at the same time.
The police officer was dumbfounded by the sight. "How did you get all these injuries?" he asked.
Wu Shixiong didn't respond.
"Pick up that ID card and take a photo," the police officer instructed.
Wu Shixiong picked up the card from the ground and held it expressionlessly under his chin.
The information on the card read:
Name: Wu Shixiong
Gender: Male
Hometown: Dragon City Zhanan District
Age: 19 years old
Charge: Suspected of murder
Inside the room, the camera flash lit up and then faded. Wu Shixiong stood motionless in front of the wall, his face devoid of any emotion.
—---
A week later, Tang Baiqing returned to his normal work routine. His father had already settled the matter with the victim's family, but the exact amount of money exchanged was unknown to outsiders.
On his first day back at work, Tang Baiqing was in a bad mood. He had just arrived at his office and was about to take a nap when the leader of the Zhanan district gang called him.
"Are you busy?" the gang leader asked.
"Not really. I'm at my office. What's up?" Tang Baiqing replied.
"Let's meet up."
"I'm not in the mood."
"Oh, I'm already outside your office. Come on out!" the gang leader insisted.
Zhanan District, Su Family Residence.
Sitting in a pavilion, Su Tianyu was chatting with his third sister when he received a call from Yu Mingyuan.
"Hello?"
"The case is over. We're ready to make a move."
"Good," Su Tianyu nodded.
Wu Shixiong had gone in, but it wouldn't affect any of their offshore business dealings. Besides Su Tianyu, Bai Hongbo, and a few others, nobody would pay attention to a mentally challenged small-time crook like Wu Shixiong.
—---
On a certain island, a man sat in a bar, speaking softly to another person. "My compensation and severance pay are almost here. I'll pay you guys back soon."
"Don't worry, it's all good," the other person chuckled and took a sip of his drink. "Hey, have you been in touch with Su Daken recently?"
