Restarting life by going to the countryside to support medical work

Chapter 604 Discussion
All five people present were involved in the business deal that Chen Xiangyang was doing.

The third son of the Chen family knew very well that the cooking oil he produced was of dubious origin, but they didn't care at all. They didn't care where it came from, as long as they could make money.

They were happy when they were making money, but now that Chen Laosan is in trouble, they should be feeling bad too.

To be honest, if their involvement in selling illegally obtained cooking oil constitutes receiving stolen goods, then it's not a big problem.

If they actively return the stolen goods, and their families help them find a way to avoid going to jail, they might not even have to go.

That's right, returning the stolen goods is easy, but their so-called sales channels will be completely exposed. They've been using these channels for much more than just this one thing.

Pulling up a radish brings out the mud; all the things they've done will surely be dug up, and at that point, it won't be something that can be easily resolved by the family alone.

To be honest, what they did and the crimes they committed didn't really warrant the death penalty.

Am I going to go to jail?
They had no desire to experience what it was like inside a prison cell.

After the man who spoke first finished speaking, one of the other four nodded: "That's right, you're right, there are indeed tall people who can hold up the sky when it falls, but have you ever thought about this question?"

"What?" the first man asked curiously.

"Could the tall guy you mentioned at the front be us?"

Why do you think it's us?

Meeting the puzzled looks of the others, the man who spoke last explained.

"Look, not counting Chen Laosan, he's already a prisoner, there's no way he can escape. And it's said he's also involved in a murder case or something. Anyway, judging from the news coming out, this guy is probably dead for good."

Personally, I think the reason why Old Man Chen was willing to send his youngest son to turn himself in was to muddy the waters.

Chen Laosan must know clues about the illegal and criminal things that many people have done, such as the few of us... What do you think, if he tells us all, will the police investigate or not?

I'm only talking about a few of us. Once Chen Laosan is in jail, he'll definitely confess to more. The Chen family's idea of ​​having Laosan turn himself in is probably that the law won't punish everyone. Of course, that's on the premise that he doesn't have a murder case. If he does have a murder case, nothing will work.

Back to us, I don't know if the others helped Chen Laosan dispose of stolen goods, but the rest of us did. In other words, we were the ones most deeply involved with Chen Laosan, so..."

At this point, he spread his hands and glanced at the others one by one, his meaning self-evident.

The others, including the one who had spoken first, fell silent.

The Chen family wanted to muddy the waters, and they should be able to achieve their goal, but the price was sacrificing several of them.

Moreover, is there really such a thing as the law not punishing the masses?

The group exchanged glances, each seeing a hint of doubt in the other's eyes.

If someone else were leading this case, they might believe that the principle of "the law doesn't punish everyone" could be effective, like what happened with the Municipal Supervisory Commission. But that person...

The thought of his impressive record when he worked at the Social Affairs Bureau sent chills down their spines.

That guy didn't even put the older generation in his eyes. If anyone dared to break the law, he would deal with them without hesitation, let alone these younger generations.

Of course, not all of the five people present had this concern, such as the one surnamed Meng.

"Aren't you all a little too afraid of Li Yancheng? I don't believe he would dare to deal with so many of us at the same time." As he spoke, the man surnamed Meng gestured around with his hand.

"Moreover, there might be more than just the five of us. Even if there are only the five of us, would he dare to wage war against all five of us at the same time by himself? Even if he has his father-in-law, even if his father-in-law is of a high rank, I don't believe he would dare to offend all five families at the same time."

As soon as he finished speaking, the other four looked at him as if he were an idiot, their eyes filled with the affection one would show for a child with intellectual disabilities.

One of them picked up his teacup, took a sip of water, put it down, and chuckled, saying, "Young Master Meng, are you really stupid or just pretending?"

"You... surnamed Han, just say what you want to say, stop being sarcastic."

The man surnamed Meng said somewhat angrily.

What he hated most were these people from Beijing, who always acted superior and looked down on people from other places like city dwellers looked down on country folk. If it weren't for the urgency of the situation, he would never have sat with them.

Seemingly sensing that the man surnamed Meng was somewhat annoyed, the person who spoke also put away the mocking expression on his face. Today, they had gathered here to resolve the matter; there is strength in numbers, not to create conflict.

"Old Meng, what I'm saying may not be pleasant to hear, but it's all true. You think that Director Li wouldn't dare to offend five families at the same time, but have you ever thought about whether your family... or your father, really wants to offend Director Li?"

Let me say something unpleasant to hear: among the five of us, who is the one whose family has been grooming for success? Aren't we all the ones who were abandoned? To offend a rising, promising, and well-connected young cadre for the sake of an abandoned son—I ask you, if you were in that situation, would you do the same?

These words left the man surnamed Meng speechless.

Yes, would his old man offend Deputy Director Li for the sake of his good-for-nothing son? And there's the Luo family, who are clearly more powerful.

meeting?
Haha, even he himself doesn't believe that answer.

If it's just a minor incident, his old man will definitely help him out; after all, he's a son of the Meng family.

No, his father didn't even need to get involved; his brother could have done it with just a phone call. But this time was different. His brother, who lived thousands of kilometers away, clearly couldn't handle it for him. As for his father…

He could imagine that if his old man knew about all the shady things he had done over the years, he would tie him up and send him to the police station immediately.

When his father was transferred to work in Beijing, he brought him along, precisely because he didn't want this good-for-nothing son to continue staying in the countryside and doing whatever he wanted in his name.

Actually, they were all wrong. They assumed that since the case was led by Li Yancheng, they would naturally have to deal with this deputy director, and that everything would be fine as long as they could handle him.

Actually, that's not the case. Chen Xiangyang's actions have no bottom line. He didn't just offend a particular person; he violated the law. His case is not something that Li Yancheng can simply let go of.

Even if no one else mentions it, and he really does show leniency, his father-in-law alone will find it hard to accept.

Even if the elders of these five people wanted to help them, it was now impossible.

They're still here figuring out how to escape; it's a joke.

The last thing this person said made the expressions of the other four people in the private room even more unpleasant than before.

Indeed, his blunt truth shattered everyone's illusions and exposed the scars in their hearts, leaving those scars laid bare in the air.

Abandoned son!

It's a harsh term, but it's also a fact they have to face.

They weren't abandoned at birth; their families gave them chances. It was their own fault for not being able to stand the strict requirements of organizational discipline, the constraints of going to work every day, and all those messy rules, that led them to give up.

Since they've given up, their families will naturally allocate resources to other children who can persevere. Over time, these kids will be left unattended.

But these people are also restless and crave their family's attention. So they try to find another way, like children, by constantly causing trouble outside.

In previous years, people didn't have much of a concept of money. But in the last two years, things have changed a bit. Money has become much more important, so these young men have started to focus all their attention on making money.

But the trouble they caused kept getting bigger and bigger, and finally, this time even their own families might not be able to handle it.

The atmosphere in the private room grew increasingly tense, and the youngest-looking person among the five couldn't help but stand up.

"Brothers, please continue your conversation. I have some things to take care of first." After saying that, he ignored the reactions of the others, walked straight over, opened the door to the private room, and left.

It wasn't until the door slowly closed that the other four people in the room came to their senses.

"Hey, this kid, he just leaves like that, we haven't even finished talking things over yet." "What can we possibly finish talking over? Alright, everyone go home and find your own mothers to figure things out." After saying this, another person stood up and left the private room.

Immediately afterward, the man surnamed Han also stood up. He left without saying a word.

In the blink of an eye, only two of the five people in the private room remained: one surnamed Meng and the other Xiao Bin.

Seeing that the other three had left, Xiao Bin smiled indifferently, reached out and picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of meat, and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Such a table full of good food and no one's eating it? I'll eat it. Food is hard-earned, we can't waste it. Young Master Meng, eat up, what are you standing there for?"

Seeing Xiao Bin's composed demeanor, a complex look flashed in Meng's eyes.

"Xiao Bin, I noticed you haven't said a word the whole time. Aren't you worried?"

"What's the use of worrying? That damn kid is all over the place, he should eat and drink as usual. He can't let himself starve to death because of that."

Xiao Bin looked completely indifferent, swinging his chopsticks around as he kept picking up dishes from the table and stuffing them into his mouth.

Meng was speechless. He didn't know what to say and could only stare blankly at Xiao Bin, who was stuffing himself with food.

After munching on a few more bites, Xiao Bin put down his chopsticks, picked up his teacup and took a sip of water. Then he looked up at the man surnamed Meng, whose expression was inscrutable, and said with a half-smile.

"Young Master Meng, is it really that serious? Didn't you just think that Director Li wouldn't dare offend all five of us at the same time? How come you've changed your tune now, not eating or drinking? What's wrong? Are you scared by Han Lao Er?"

Upon hearing this, the man surnamed Meng shook his head with a wry smile: "The waters in your capital city are too deep; I was indeed a little frightened."

“Our Beijing? Heh... You’re mistaken. I’m not from Beijing either. To be precise, the three who left weren’t from Beijing either. Han Lao Er was the first among us to arrive. His father came in 1950, he was born in 1955, and I arrived in 1960.”

At this point, he picked up his chopsticks, took some food, and put it in his mouth. Only after swallowing did he continue speaking.

"Actually, none of us are really from here. We all came after the liberation. If we're talking about old Beijingers, then that Deputy Director Li is the real deal. His mother was a genuine Manchu."

"Huh? That Deputy Director Li isn't Han Chinese?" The man surnamed Meng hadn't even noticed that his attention had been completely drawn away by what Xiao Bin was saying.

"No, no, no, Deputy Director Li is Han Chinese. His father is Han Chinese, but his mother is not."

Xiao Bin's father works in the foreign affairs department and is a deputy leader with full-time benefits. He knows a lot about things, and Li Yancheng's background is no longer a secret. They mentioned it when they were chatting at home, and Xiao Bin remembered it.

"I'm telling you this for no other reason than to tell you not to care about what Han Lao Er and his group say, and even less to care about their thoughts. Just be yourself. Also, don't try to change your accent. If you don't use the retroflex endings correctly, it sounds really awkward. Your Southern Mandarin sounds quite pleasant."

At this moment, Meng's face visibly turned much redder, but he felt inexplicably comfortable.

Just as he was about to say something, there was a knock on the door of the private room.

Hearing the knock, Xiao Bin hurriedly got up and went to open the door. After seeing who was outside, he smiled respectfully and said, "Brother-in-law, you've arrived."

"You've already gone to my wife to beg me to come over, how could I not come?"

The person who entered was none other than Luo Yang. He glared at Xiao Bin, who was all smiles, and stepped into the private room.

Xiao Bin's surname is Shen, and his given name is Shen Bin. He is the cousin of Luo Yang's wife, Sun Yiqing, and they are within the fifth degree of kinship, so their relationship is quite close.

When he realized there were only two people in the private room, and the other person looked vaguely familiar but he couldn't place his name, he turned to Xiao Bin with some surprise and said, "Your cousin told me there were a lot of people, how come there are only the two of you? You call two people a lot?"

"Brother-in-law, please have a seat." Shen Bin walked to the head of the round table, pulled out a chair, and invited Luo Yang to sit down. Then, while pouring him water, he explained, "There were originally five people in total, but the other three probably had something to do and left first."

When Shen Bin opened the door and called for his brother-in-law, the man surnamed Meng had already stood up. When he saw who it was, his pupils couldn't help but shrink.

He never expected that Shen Bin would actually invite this person over. No wonder he seemed so calm and unhurried just now.

Seeing that Shen Bin had invited this person over, he felt a glimmer of hope rekindled in his hopes for his future.

After pouring water for Luo Yang, Shen Bin pointed to the man surnamed Meng and introduced him, "Brother-in-law, his name is Meng Qingxiang."

"Meng?" Upon hearing this surname, Luo Yang immediately knew whose child this was and nodded gently: "Sit down, Xiao Meng, don't stand."

"Oh, thank you... thank you, Brother Luo."

After greeting Meng Qingxiang, Luo Yang turned to Shen Bin and asked, "So, what did you want to see me about?"

"Brother-in-law, there's something I'd like to ask you for help with."

Shen Bin took out a cigarette and handed it to Luo Yang, then lit it with a kerosene lighter. He then tossed one to the man surnamed Meng before finally lighting it for himself.

"What's the matter? I'm leaving in a couple of days. If this is too troublesome, you'd better find someone else."

"It's troublesome in some ways, but it's not particularly troublesome either. Brother-in-law, I won't lie to you, I've gotten myself into some trouble, and now our case is in Director Li's hands..."

"stop"

Upon hearing this, Luo Yang interrupted Shen Bin, looking at his wife's cousin with a face full of astonishment, and asked, "You've really made something of yourself now, haven't you? What serious crime have you committed that Yan Cheng is still in charge?"

It's no wonder he was surprised. Li Yancheng is now the deputy director of the municipal bureau. The cases he's in charge of must be serious.

"Uh……"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Shen Bin's face when he was asked the question. He chuckled awkwardly and explained, "Brother-in-law, let me tell you from the beginning. The case that Director Li was in charge of was actually committed by Chen San..."

"Chen San? You mean Chen Xiangtian's younger brother, what's his name again?"

Chen Xiangyang

"Yes, I've heard a bit about it these past couple of days. They say that kid has a murder case on his hands. What? You were involved too?"

"No, no, no," Shen Bin hurriedly waved his hand, "Brother-in-law, even if you gave me two lives, I wouldn't dare get involved in a murder case."

"Let me make this clear first, Xiaobin: if it's a murder case, then you don't need to say anything more, I definitely won't help."

"I'm really not your brother-in-law. Even if I were a complete scoundrel, I would never kill someone."

"Okay, then you go ahead, I'm listening."

"That's right. I didn't know that Chen San had a murder case on his hands. I only had some business dealings with him."

Hearing this, Luo Yang narrowed his eyes: "You sold him the oil?"

"Do you know what Chen San did wrong, brother-in-law?" Shen Bin smiled somewhat awkwardly. "That's right, I did take a lot of oil from him and sold it, and I made some money."

"Why are you still with him? You'd better tell me the truth."

"There's really nothing else. My relationship with Chen San is just this one thing."

No secrets stay hidden forever. After Chen Xiangtian personally took his younger brother to the Municipal Criminal Investigation Department on Saturday evening, news about what Chen San had done began to circulate in their circle.

The stories circulating are largely the same, detailing the things that guy did, including how he had people colluded to steal from the grain depot in Mengou, and how he had the men who did the dirty work for him killed.

In short, everyone in the industry now understands that if the rumors are true, this kid is definitely dead this time.

(End of this chapter)