Stand-In Boyfriend Fu Zheng Ji

Chapter 489 The Extortion Case

Chapter 489 The Extortion Case
After some simple thought.

Clearly, given the old lady's social standing, it was impossible for her to forget this temporarily.

Then all that's left is to deliberately avoid mentioning her father.

But why didn't the old lady deliberately mention her father?
Think about it.

Zhang Ling can only think of one answer at the moment.

The old lady was probably her biological mother.

This family reunion was merely a prelude to better clarify their identities in the future.

This answer is quite outrageous.

It's absurd because she's more inclined to believe that her father said her mother had already passed away.

Now she has come to the absurd conclusion that her mother is alive and standing in front of her.

However, it makes perfect sense in the context of her current situation.

Otherwise, she would not be able to explain what the old lady had done to her.

To verify the absurd conclusions he had just drawn.

Zhang Ling subtly and overtly raised her doubts with the old lady.

But the old lady either simply smiled and didn't answer;
They might offer a perfunctory explanation, saying that they felt an urge to adopt Zhang Ling as their goddaughter the moment they first met.

Perhaps it was fate.

In order to better preserve this bond.

The old lady did not impulsively state her intentions directly at that time.

He was afraid of scaring Zhang Ling, whom he had just met.

That's why I've endured it for so long.

In other words, he came to Wuchuan specifically to recognize Zhang Ling.

Special trip!

When Zhang Ling heard this word, a warm feeling of emotion welled up from her heart.

There aren't many people in this world who would go out of their way for you.

Upon careful consideration, she was quite certain that she could count them on one hand.

Naturally, her feelings for the old lady deepened even further.

However, Zhang Ling, who is always rational, would never act on emotion and forget the unreasonableness of the old lady recognizing her daughter.

I also know that people like the old lady will only answer if they don't want to.

No matter how hard she tries, it's useless.

Zhang Ling cherished her mother-daughter relationship with the old lady very much.

I don't want my aggressive attitude to create a rift in the relationship that has just been established between the mother and daughter.

She has no intention of giving up this hard-won mother-daughter relationship for the time being.

never mind!

Zhang Ling firmly believed that if the old lady truly cared about the mother-daughter relationship between them...

I will definitely take the initiative to answer her questions at some appropriate time in the future.

The questioning was somewhat aggressive.

The atmosphere between the mother and daughter was slightly uncomfortable.

fortunately!

At this moment, Ning's mother reminded her that the general manager and Li Xi were at the door.

They asked the old lady if she wanted them to come in now.
The old lady glanced at Zhang Ling with a hint of joy before replying:
"Then let Li Xi in."

Just as Ning's mother was about to leave, she suddenly remembered something important and asked to confirm:
"Madam, shall we only allow Li Xi to come in?"

The old lady naturally understood Ning's mother's concerns.

So he responded with great dissatisfaction:

"What's the point of bringing in an old guy who can't wholeheartedly serve the group? If there weren't more suitable people to handle the group's miscellaneous affairs, I would have fired him long ago."

As she spoke, the old lady looked at Zhang Ling with eyes full of affection and said:
"Of course, if my Lingling is willing, the position of general manager of the group will be yours from now on."

Zhang Ling naturally understood the old lady's intentions.

This reflects dissatisfaction with the general manager for using the group's resources without considering the proper boundaries in serving the Li family's patriarch.

This is a disloyal act.

I doubt any high-ranking official would be magnanimous enough to tolerate it.

They also knew that the old lady wanted to use this opportunity to promote her.

A promotion is a good thing.

But Zhang Ling knew that such a good thing might not be a good thing for her.

It could easily lead to rumors that Zhang Lingde is unworthy of her position and only got promoted through connections.

Simply blaming her for having connections is one thing.

She was most unwilling to see anyone accuse the old lady of nepotism again.

That would only damage the old lady's reputation within the group.

Simply because they had just confirmed their mother-daughter relationship.

That means we're family now.

She didn't want to see her family members bear bad reputations.

Therefore, Zhang Ling made it very clear that she was unwilling to take over the position of general manager.

The attitude has just been stated.

Ning's mother then reappeared in the room with Li Xi.

Li Xi looked at Zhang Ling with disbelief.

For a moment, I even doubted that there was something wrong with my ears.

impossible!
Why would the old lady allow Zhang Ling to take over as the group's general manager?

Even more incredibly, Zhang Ling refused.

According to the information provided to her by her grandfather, the clan chief.

The group controlled by the old lady is enough to rival the Li family.

Moreover, the old lady controls more than one similar group.

Zhang Lingruo agreed to the old lady's request.

Then Zhang Ling is someone that Li Xi, a mere nobody, can afford to offend.

What puzzled her was why Zhang Ling refused.
Zhang Ling is stupid!

Only after confirming that Zhang Ling was mentally challenged did a relieved smile appear on Li Xi's face.

Then, like a sensible and well-behaved junior, he took the initiative to greet the old lady.

He greeted Zhang Ling in a more friendly manner.

That's because when Li Xi came in, he seemed to hear Zhang Ling calling the old lady "Mom".

Her first thought was that Zhang Ling had found her long-lost mother.

But then she remembered that Zhang Ling had said her mother died in childbirth when she was young.

Therefore, the old lady is definitely not Zhang Ling's biological mother.

Even if the old lady wasn't Zhang Ling's biological mother.

That's not someone Li Xi can afford to offend.

Think of this.

Li Xi regretted it!
Do I regret having gone to such lengths to walk in?
This person is just asking for trouble.

No, no.

Is it alright for her to turn around and leave now?
The thought had barely formed in my mind when I turned to head towards the door.

Unexpectedly, Ning's mother was watching her every move with a fierce aura.

It was as if he was unintentionally warning her.

If she doesn't stay here obediently...

Then the next second might just be like what's depicted in the movie.

In an instant, she became acutely aware of what death was.

It should be noted that although Li Xi had never personally experienced death.

However, many innocent people died at her hands.

Especially after seeing the desperate and helpless expressions on the faces of innocent people before they died.

No.

To be precise, she clearly sensed that an expression of despair and helplessness was hanging on her head.

Her body trembled as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

At this point, Ning's mother realized that she had scared and intimidated her enough.

So he deliberately put on a kind smile and asked with concern:

"Miss Li Xi, I've noticed you've been shivering ever since you came in. Are you feeling uncomfortable because the room's air conditioning is too cold? If not, I'll go get you a blanket right away." At a time like this, how could Li Xi dare to be so reckless as to ask for special treatment?
Besides, this wasn't her first time here.

The temperature here was no different from when she first came in.

So she tried not to offend the old lady too much.

So he quickly waved his hand and explained:

"No, no. I wasn't shivering because the room was too cold. It was because I suddenly found myself feeling as if I had seen a revered deity when I saw the old lady again."

Suppressing her mocking emotions, Ning's mother repeated "God" with some disbelief.

Li Xi said with a confident expression:

"Yes, I was just trembling with excitement. I was so excited that I actually saw a god."

Ning's mother deliberately gestured to remind Li Xi that she was looking in the wrong direction when she said those words.

The god she spoke of was not with her.

But in the opposite direction from which she was looking.

The lie has been exposed.

Li Xi did not feel embarrassed or ashamed because of this.

Instead, they continued to explain with unwavering conviction:
"That's right! Gods are called gods because mortals like me are not worthy to look directly at them. Just a fleeting glance was enough to severely shock my soul. I dare not do that now..."

Li Xi's absurd remarks were too much for Ning's mother to bear.

A "wait" interrupted Li Xi's next words.

During Li Xi's pause, he continued to remind him:

“Miss Li Xi, I must remind you, even if you are meeting a deity, to show sufficient respect, you should at least face the deity. Who turns their back when meeting a deity?”

The lie was once again ruthlessly exposed.

This left Li Xi feeling embarrassed and somewhat at a loss for what to do.

She was terrified that the old lady would be furious.

So he quickly bowed to the old lady and apologized.

She said that her actions were unintentional and that she had no intention of disrespecting the old lady.

Looking at Li Xi's apologetic expression.

The old lady smiled and looked at Zhang Ling beside her, saying:
"Lingling, you see this, don't you? This is Li Xi from the Li family of Wuchuan, who used to bully you countless times by taking advantage of his power."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ling looked at it more carefully for a couple more seconds before replying:

"Yes, Mom, I saw it."

This time, Li Xi heard Zhang Ling address the old lady as "Mom" more clearly.

An instinctive "Oh no!" escaped my lips.

If it weren't for Ning's mother appearing beside her and steadily supporting her...

Her body nearly collapsed to the ground, as if a deflated balloon had gone limp.

"Miss Li Xi, are you alright? Please make sure you stand still! Please don't fall. My matriarch may have a large and wealthy household, but she can't withstand you falling a few more times."

Ning's mother's words clearly had a strong teasing tone.

However, Li Xi refused to show the slightest displeasure.

She's not stupid!
If things go wrong, she might end up like those people she killed silently before, and she won't be able to leave this place unscathed.

So Li Xi could only force herself to smile and say, "It's okay."

Zhang Ling had never seen Li Xi so humble before.

It was indeed satisfying to say that I felt relieved.

But it wasn't exactly satisfying.

Because she is not like Li Xi, who has a perverted hobby of torturing people for entertainment.

This doesn't necessarily prove that Zhang Ling has a saintly heart.

The so-called "saintly mother" is nothing more than an unprincipled outpouring of sympathy.

Zhang Ling did not feel any sympathy for Li Xi.

The reason it didn't feel very satisfying was...

That's because Zhang Ling didn't want to become a second pervert like Li Xi.

Willing to hold onto that unique, kind heart that belongs to me.

Zhang Ling doesn't expect everyone in this world to stay true to themselves like she does.

I only hope that my kind heart will not be tainted by the filth of this world.

Pollution has caused them to lose themselves.

In the end, they all learned from Li Xi and began to torment others as a way to gratify their own emotions.

In other words, it's what's called "enjoyment".

It can indeed bring a wonderful and pleasant feeling for a short time.

What comes after that exhilaration?

After the initial euphoria, many who lose their way inevitably experience an endless emptiness and confusion, much like the harm caused by drugs.

Because pleasure can be addictive, just like drugs.

Addiction to conformity leads to becoming the second Li Xi.

Learn from Li Xi's tormenting manner and enjoy the feeling of 'pleasure'.

Only those who stay true to themselves are motivated to move toward their predetermined goals.

Closer to home.

The old lady was surprised to see that her simple scare of Li Xi had brought about an unexpected effect.

She was very disappointed in Li Xi, a ruthless person who was all bark and no bite.

I noticed that Zhang Ling seemed unhappy about the outcome of her punishment of Li Xi.

According to common sense, I think I haven't done enough.

So the old lady, intending to escalate the situation, coldly inquired:

"Your name is Li Xi, right?"

Li Xi was already quite frightened.

He stammered out a single "yes" with great difficulty, his voice trembling as if he were stuttering.

The old lady continued:
"I heard you have something important you want to tell me in person, right?"

Li Xi subconsciously uttered a single word, "Yes."

Suddenly, he realized that he couldn't afford to have a conflict with Zhang Ling right now.

So he quickly put on a nervous and scared look and said "no" several times.

The old lady's expression hardened as she pressed on with her question:

"From what you're saying, you were just messing with me after all that scheming you went through to ask to meet me?"

This time!
It was as if Ning's mother deliberately didn't have time to help Li Xi up.

Li Xi was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.

The old lady, with a hint of schadenfreude, asked with a worried expression:
"My God, Miss Li Xi, are you trying to extort some compensation from me by suddenly sitting on the ground on my turf?"

Upon realizing what was happening, Li Xi quickly said that she dared not.

He also excused himself by saying that he might have low blood sugar from hunger.

It should be fine after a little rest.

Upon hearing this, the old lady quickly had Ning's mother feed her a piece of candy.

She then asked Ning's mother to help Li Xi to a chair not far away to sit down.

However, with candy in her mouth, Li Xi, with Ning's mother's support, tried several times but failed to stand up successfully.

Ning's mother asked Li Xi, somewhat helplessly, whether he remembered or not.
Li Xi, somewhat helplessly, hurriedly swore that he really wanted to get up as soon as possible.

But I couldn't muster any strength in my legs.

To make matters worse, Li Xi inadvertently caught a glimpse of the old lady's sharp and suspicious gaze.

He thought to himself that if she couldn't stand up smoothly again...

I'm afraid I'll really be accused of extorting the old lady.

The old lady, almost like a drama queen, covered her chest with her hand.

He quickly called Zhang Ling, who was not far away, to his side.

She also explicitly stated that Li Xi's sudden collapse to the ground had frightened her so much that she experienced angina.

Li Xi suddenly realized, "It's over."

If not handled properly, the case could instantly turn from an extortion incident into a case of being extorted.

Correct!
Indeed, Li Xi did intend to take the opportunity to extort money from the old lady.

Then, taking advantage of the situation, they pretended to be generous and quickly escaped unscathed.

However, the current situation seems to be clearly out of her control.