Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 256 Undercurrent
On Saturday evening, the He family villa was brightly lit and filled with the aroma of food.

Wang Cuiping and Yu Zecheng arrived early and were talking with the old lady and Mr. Chen.

He Yushui paced around the living room like a headless fly, occasionally running to the window to look out, both nervous and expectant.

The doorbell finally rang.

He Yushui practically rushed over to open the door.

Lin Guozheng, standing at the door, was dressed in a sharp dark suit, his hair neatly combed, and he was carrying a beautifully packaged fruit basket and a bottle of red wine.

He was very tall, with broad shoulders and a straight back. His brows exuded an air of righteousness and competence, and his eyes were bright and steady. When he saw He Yushui, a gentle smile appeared on his face, tinged with a hint of barely perceptible nervousness.

“Rainwater.” His voice was deep and pleasant.

"Come in quickly!" He Yushui pulled him, her face slightly flushed, and led him into the living room. "Brother, sister-in-law, Aunt Ping, Uncle Yu, Father, Mother, Madam, Grandfather, Guozheng is here."

Lin Guozheng immediately straightened his back, bowed slightly, and said respectfully but not servilely: "Mr. He, Mrs. He, Superintendent Wang, Mr. Yu, Uncle and Aunt, Madam, Mr. Chen, hello! I apologize for disturbing you, but this is a small token of my appreciation." He placed the fruit basket and wine aside.

Everyone was very satisfied; it was clear that they had done their homework and hadn't mistaken the person.

He Yuzhu's gaze was almost tangible, never leaving Lin Guozheng from the moment he entered the room.

This scrutinizing gaze is sharp and deep, carrying the oppressive feeling of someone who has long held a high position, as if trying to see through a person from the inside out.

Lin Guozheng felt the pressure of that gaze, but he did not flinch or panic. He simply met He Yuzhu's gaze with a clear and open look and nodded slightly: "Mr. He."

"Sit down." He Yuzhu pointed to the single chair opposite the sofa.

Lin Guozheng sat down as instructed, his back still straight, his hands naturally placed on his knees.

Wang Cuiping smiled and smoothed things over: "Guozheng, don't be so reserved, just make yourself at home. Zhuzi, don't keep such a stern face, you'll scare the child."

He Yuzhu ignored Aunt Ping and spoke directly, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable weight: "Inspector Lin, is the O-Division very busy?"

"Yes, Mr. He. We've been following several major cases recently, so it's been quite tense," Lin Guozheng replied clearly and concisely.

"Is it dangerous?"

"It's my duty." Lin Guozheng's answer was concise, yet resolute.

"I heard you work very hard on cases and have offended quite a few people?"

Lin Guozheng said calmly, "We must handle cases based on evidence and follow the rules. It's inevitable to offend people, but I have a clear conscience."

"A clear conscience?" He Yuzhu repeated, leaning forward slightly, his gaze sharpening. "My sister likes you, and as her older brother, I only ask one question: Are you confident you can protect her? Not now, but in the future. Given your position, there will be no shortage of people watching you, both openly and secretly, it's impossible to guard against them all. Do you have the awareness and ability to do so?"

The living room fell silent instantly. He Yushui's heart was in her throat as she nervously looked at Lin Guozheng.

Lin Guozheng met He Yuzhu's gaze without flinching; instead, his eyes grew even calmer and more resolute. "Mr. He, I know what Yushui's identity means. I, Lin Guozheng, am not someone who climbs the social ladder by currying favor. I chose this profession because I wanted to do something. I chose Yushui because I love her. I can't guarantee a peaceful future, but I can guarantee one thing: as long as I live, I will never let her be harmed because of me. My gun, my life, are her shield. This is my promise."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, resonating in the quiet living room with a weighty power. There were no grand pronouncements, only simple determination and a sense of responsibility.

He Yuzhu stared at him for a good ten seconds, his sharp gaze seemingly piercing his soul. The air in the living room seemed to freeze.

Finally, He Yuzhu's tightly clenched lips twitched almost imperceptibly, and he leaned back against the sofa.

"Remember what you said today." He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and didn't continue the topic. "Let's eat."

He Yushui breathed a long sigh of relief and secretly gave Lin Guozheng a bright smile.

Wang Cuiping and Yu Zecheng exchanged a smile.

Chen Lanxiang's anxiety subsided, and a genuine smile appeared on her face.

The atmosphere at the dinner table eased considerably. Although He Yuzhu didn't say much, he didn't deliberately make things difficult for her anymore.

Lin Guozheng's proper attitude, his willingness to answer every question, and his humility and arrogance gradually won the favor of the old lady and Mr. Chen.

Chen Lanxiang became more and more pleasing to the eye.

After dinner, He Yuzhu called Lin Guozheng to the terrace outside the study.

A cool night breeze blew, and in the distance, the lights of Victoria Harbour shone brightly.

"Is your mother unwell?" He Yuzhu offered him a cigarette.

Lin Guozheng waved his hand: "Thank you, Mr. He, but I don't smoke. Yes, my mother has a chronic rheumatism problem, and she feels unwell when the weather changes."

“Sham Shui Po is a noisy place, not good for recuperation. I have a small apartment in Kowloon Tong that’s just sitting empty anyway. It’s quieter and closer to the hospital. Let the old folks move there. It’s a small token of my appreciation as their future brother-in-law.” He Yuzhu’s tone was calm, but it was an arrangement that left no room for refusal.

Lin Guozheng paused for a moment, then shook his head, his tone sincere: "Mr. He, I appreciate your kindness. But my mother is used to living in the old neighborhood, and she would feel uncomfortable in a different environment. I have a stable income now, and I will try my best to make her more comfortable. As for the house... we really don't need it."

He Yuzhu glanced at him and didn't insist any further. "Whatever you want. If you encounter any really difficult problems at work, you can contact Orian, or come directly to me. I'm not trying to give you any special treatment, I just don't want Yushui to worry when someone tries to trip you up." He spoke frankly.

Lin Guozheng nodded solemnly: "I understand, thank you Mr. He. I will do things on my own and will not trouble you and Inspector An unless absolutely necessary."

"Okay." He Yuzhu patted his shoulder, the force neither too light nor too heavy. "Take good care of the rain."

"Definitely!" Lin Guozheng said firmly.

After watching Lin Guozheng leave the villa, He Yuzhu returned to the living room.

He Yushui immediately rushed over, hugged her brother's arm, and asked with bright, sparkling eyes, "Brother! What do you think of him?"

"How about what?"

"elder brother"

"I don't think what he is like is important; what's important is how he treats you. How he treats you?"

"Brother, I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going to find my sister-in-law." He Yushui said shyly and ran away.

Wednesday, before dinner.

In the study, He Yuzhu had just picked up a report on the progress of the second phase of the Tseung Kwan O oil depot when the phone suddenly rang, sounding particularly jarring in the quiet room.

"Hey!"

"Zhu Zi! It's me, your Aunt Ping! Something's happened! Lin Guozheng was just attacked on Nathan Road!"

He Yuzhu's heart sank, and his fingers gripping the microphone tightened instantly: "How is he? Where is Yushui?"

"Thank goodness! Guo Zheng is incredibly lucky! He had just come out of the convenience store with a soda when a van suddenly sped out from the roadside, and three men got out and opened fire without a word! Guo Zheng reacted extremely quickly, using the van as cover to return fire, wounding one of them, but taking a bullet to the shoulder himself, though it wasn't fatal! Yu Shui was waiting for him at the police station at the time, not at the scene! I've already sent someone to pick up Yu Shui, and Guo Zheng is being taken to the hospital now!"

"Which hospital?" He Yuzhu's voice was as cold as ice.

“Margaret! The Organized Crime and Triad Bureau and the Major Crimes Unit have already cordoned off the scene! These guys are ruthless, they're using Black Star (Type 54 pistols), they're clearly aiming to kill us!” Wang Cuiping’s voice was filled with anger and lingering fear.

"I'm coming right away." He Yuzhu slammed down the phone, his face expressionless, but the chill emanating from him made Xiaoman and Alang, who had just pushed the door open, instinctively stop in their tracks.

"Brother Zhu, what's wrong?"

“I’m going to Margaret Hospital. Lin Guozheng was ambushed and shot.” ​​He Yuzhu said succinctly, grabbed his coat and walked out, his steps quick and heavy.

Xiaoman's pupils contracted, and she immediately realized the seriousness of the situation: "Should we tell Rainwater?"

"She was at the police station before, but she should be there by now!"

"Oh, do you want me to go with you?"

"No need, just call Lao Bai and tell him to come to the hospital to find me."

"it is good."

The atmosphere outside the operating room at Princess Margaret Hospital was somber.

He Yushui's face was pale and her eyes were red and swollen. She was being held tightly by Wang Cuiping.

Orion, the commander of the West Kowloon Regional Headquarters, and several senior superintendents from West Kowloon were all present, and they all looked very grim.

Lin Guozheng is a rising star in their police force and has just been recognized by the He family as their future son-in-law. This is tantamount to slapping the entire police force, especially He Yuzhu, in the face!
He Yuzhu strode over, his powerful aura making everyone in the corridor feel oppressed.

"Brother!" He Yushui's tears welled up again when she saw her brother, and she threw herself into his arms. "Guozheng, he..."

"I know." He Yuzhu gently patted his sister's back, his deep voice carrying a reassuring strength. "It's alright, he's tough, he won't die. Aunt Ping, what's the situation?"

Wang Cuiping quickly said, "The bullet went through my left shoulder but didn't hit any vital organs. I lost a lot of blood, but the doctor said the surgery went smoothly and there's no danger to my life. I just need to rest for a while."

He Yuzhu nodded, then turned his gaze to Orian: "Orian, are your senior officers really in such danger, getting shot in the street?"

Orion's face was ashen, tinged with embarrassment and anger: "What? This is the first time I've encountered something like this since 1971. At first glance, it seems to be a professional assassin. Their actions were clean and efficient, and they were targeting Inspector Lin! One was killed on the spot, and the one who was wounded died on the way to the hospital! The last one escaped! The car was stolen, and the weapon was a Black Star from the black market. We can't trace its origin!"

"A professional assassin?" He Yuzhu sneered. "What earth-shattering case did an O-Team inspector handle that warranted a professional assassin to snipe him in the street? And why did it have to happen right after he confirmed his relationship with my sister?"

His words struck everyone like a hammer blow.

Everyone understood his subtext—this was no ordinary revenge killing or gang retaliation; it was a premeditated warning!

The target isn't Lin Guozheng, but the He family, which Lin Guozheng is approaching! It's a warning to everyone who wants to get close to the He family!

“We will find out who’s behind this,” Orion said.

"I hope you hurry," He Yuzhu said, the subtext being, "Don't give me a chance to make a move."

“Okay, take Miss He back first. We will send people to guard this place.” Orian understood, of course, because he saw Bai Yifeng.

"Then I'll wait for your message, Rain, let's go~"

"Brother, I'm not leaving. I want to stay here and take care of Guozheng."

"You're just causing trouble here. Come home with me."

“Rain, listen to your brother. We will take good care of Guozheng.”

"Aunt Ping."

“Yushui, come home with me. I don’t want to say it a third time,” He Yuzhu said. “Okay!” He Yushui replied, feeling wronged, then turned to Wang Cuiping and said, “Aunt Ping, you must take good care of Guozheng.”

"I understand. You can go back with your brother without worry."

After He Yuzhu and He Yushui left the hospital, He Yuzhu pushed He Yushui into the car before Bai Yifeng came over.

"boss!"

"Investigate!" He Yuzhu's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling intent. "I need to know who's behind this!"

"Should we use our hands?"

"Once we have the evidence, that's good. We're attracting a lot of attention now, so it's best if you don't make any moves."

"Yes, boss!" Bai Yifeng replied.

"Go ahead and get busy, I'm going home. The house must be a mess."

"Boss, let me take you home on the way."

"Do you think you can protect me?"

“Boss, you have a whole bunch of brothers and workers working for you right now,” Bai Yifeng insisted.

"Alright!" He Yuzhu conceded.

An hour later, at the He family villa.

With a stern face, He Yuzhu handed the still-shaken and sobbing He Yushui to his mother, Chen Lanxiang, to comfort her.

After listening to He Yuzhu's account, the atmosphere in the living room became heavy. Everyone was angry, but more than that, they were worried. Now they were targeting outsiders, but who knows if they would target the He family later?

"Zhu Zi, how about we keep everyone in the family from going out for a while?" He Daqing said.

"Alright, we'll talk about it after we've dealt with it."

"What about Yuxin?"

"Send a few more people to him over there. He's usually in his office, so there shouldn't be any major problems."

"Then I'll call Yuyao," He Daqing said, walking towards the phone.

Before He Daqing could even pick up the phone, it rang.

"Hey"

"Oh, wait a minute, Pillar, he's looking for you."

He Yuzhu answered the phone, and a voice on the other end, trembling with sobs, cried out: "Mr. He... Mr. He! This is Wu Shichang! Please, Mr. He, spare my life! My Yongjian... Yongjian's leg has been broken! Red paint has been splashed on our doorstep!"

Wu Shichang was the head of the Wu family who proposed marriage to He Yushui for his son!

He Yuzhu frowned: "Boss Wu, speak slowly! When did this happen? Who did it?"

“Just now! Around 10 p.m.! Several masked men stormed into my Deep Water Bay house, splashed paint, and called my family ‘toads trying to eat swan meat,’ even daring to propose marriage to your sister… and then… then they dragged Yongjian, who had just returned from a party, out and broke his leg! The doctor… the doctor said he might not recover well! They even threatened… that next time it won’t just be one leg! Mr. He! Please, for the sake of our past relationship, spare our family! Our Wu family absolutely did not mean to offend you in the slightest. That marriage proposal… was my son’s foolishness!” Wu Shichang’s voice trembled.

He Yuzhu's heart sank.

The Wu family got into trouble, and it was someone impersonating his subordinate who did it; that was a ruthless move.

"I understand, Mr. Wu." He Yuzhu's voice was icy cold. "Let your son recover in peace. I will give the Wu family an explanation for this matter. You should stay in a safe place for a few days. If you need security, just let me know."

"No need, we'll find a place ourselves." Wu Shichang on the other end was clearly terrified; he was afraid that the people He Yuzhu sent weren't security personnel.

After hanging up the phone, the atmosphere in the living room became even more oppressive.

"Zhu Zi, who exactly is targeting our family?" Old Master Chen asked.

"Grandpa, I'm still investigating. Right now, I just don't know if they're the same group of people."

"Oh, the bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow!" the old lady said.

"It's alright, madam. I'll go upstairs now to make a few phone calls."

"Go ahead, business is more important."

He Yuzhu dialed Shi Bin's number from the study.

"Shi Bin, it's me."

"Boss, what can I do for you?"

"The Wu family has been attacked. Go and find out who impersonated our people and did it. Once you find out, you can first find Lao Bai and see if it's the same group that attacked Lin Guozheng."

"The Wu family, the Wu family who came to your house to propose marriage?"

"Yes, Wu Shichang's family."

"What's the matter with Lin Guozheng?"

He Yuzhu gave a brief explanation, and Shi Bin replied, "I'll go check it out right now."

After hanging up the phone, He Yuzhu called A Lang, He Yuxin, Chen Sheng, Xu Damao and others, telling them to be careful when going out and to bring security guards. He Yuzhu did not tell the others the reason except for A Lang.

Just as He Yuzhu hung up the phone, another call came in.

"Brother, it's me, Da Mao."

"What's wrong so late? Is there some trouble at home?"

"No, no, it wasn't my home, it was a company matter. Just twenty minutes ago, a Mannings pharmacy and a 7-Eleven convenience store in North Point were also vandalized and robbed by a group of masked men! They were very professional; the damage was severe but no one was injured. They stole some cash and valuable medicines, and even left a note behind before leaving..."

"What did you write?"

The note read: 'Charging interest is like killing someone's parents; cutting off their livelihood is like murdering them.'

“Cutting off someone’s source of income…” He Yuzhu pondered these four words.

"Brother Zhu, should I go there myself?"

"You'd better stay home quietly. If anything happens to you, your parents and wife will come looking for us."

"Oh, then what should we do?"

"I'll have someone handle it."

"Okay, call me when you need me."

"Ah."

"du~du~du~"

“Ah Lang”.

"Boss, something's happened again?"

"How did you know?"

"This is happening one wave after another, I guess."

“Our pharmacy and convenience store in North Point were vandalized, and the thieves left a note saying that we cut off their source of income. Send someone to investigate who exactly we cut off their source of income!”

"North Point? Isn't that 'Yi Qun's' territory?"

"Don't jump to conclusions so quickly. Let's investigate and see what's going on."

"Okay, I'll do it right away."

The next day, He Yuzhu had just finished breakfast and was spending time with his family when the phone rang in the living room.

He Yuyan ran over and answered the phone.

"Big brother, it's for you."

"Have him call my study in five minutes."

"it is good."

Five minutes later, in He Yuzhu's study.

"Ring ring ring"

"Boss, I'm Shi Bin."

"How's the check going?"

"We've figured it out. Rotten Tooth confessed that he was paid to do it. The employer said it was to teach those arrogant toads who dared to harass Miss He a lesson on behalf of the Ho family. The money was transferred from an overseas account, the person didn't show up, and the middleman was a complete stranger. The trail went cold."

He Yuzhu's eyes were icy: "Overseas? Hmph, what a fine 'avenge for my anger' act. Where is Rotten Tooth Koma?"

"He's being held at the security company. The chain of evidence has been prepared and is ready to be handed over to the police at any time."

"Then send it to the police. Let them investigate this trivial matter."

"Yes, what about the Wu family?"

"Have someone send some tonics to the Wu family, explain the situation clearly, and let them decide how to sue. Also, tell them that we won't target our own clients."

"Yes, boss."

A short while later, He Yuzhu received another call from A Lang.

"Did you find it?" He Yuzhu asked.

(End of this chapter)