Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 73 Plastic Brotherhood

Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, the fragrance of gardenias mixed with a faint smell of dust wafted through Zhao Jie's villa in Jinhu Mountain Villa, which was about to be sealed off.

The eldest sister-in-law, dressed in a thin silk nightgown, trembled in the wind as she held onto the slightly faded brass door knocker.

A ray of morning light pierced through the morning mist, making the lingering bruises on her neck particularly striking, yet a faint smile of relief appeared on her pale face.

Footsteps sounded behind her, and the policewoman yawned as she unfolded her off-white knitted sweater.

"It's chilly in the morning, put this on."

This is the outfit the policewoman brought herself while on duty yesterday.

The elder sister-in-law lowered her eyes and chuckled softly, her hair brushing against the burn scar on her collarbone—a mark left by Zhao Jie with a cigar, now scabbed over into a dark red scar.

But the difference is that this time, the eldest sister-in-law no longer needs to hide it with her long hair.

"Here! Buy some hot food." The policewoman handed over five hundred yuan with a hint of pity in her eyes, her fingertips brushing against the marks on the woman's hand.

Seven days ago, when the National Security Special Police kicked open the iron door to the basement, she was found with her hands tied behind her back, curled up on a blood-stained Persian carpet.

Zhao Jie was in high spirits that day and almost killed her.

At this point, the eldest sister-in-law had been "imprisoned" in this luxuriously decorated villa, which resembled a gilded cage, for three whole years.

"Thank you, thank you!" The woman's voice was hoarse as she neatly folded the money and stuffed it into her faded canvas bag.

This was the only personal item she was allowed to take with her.

The moment she stepped out of the carved bronze door, sunlight pierced through the clouds and fell on her shoulders. She suddenly stopped and took a deep breath.

The gardenia branches in the yard are sprawling and crooked. Their once rich fragrance is now tinged with a hint of mist, yet it still stubbornly wafts into the nostrils.

After leaving the villa, the eldest sister-in-law walked slowly along the pebble sidewalk, curiously counting the newly sprouted sycamore trees on both sides. It turned out that the sycamore trees had already begun to sprout!
In the reflection of the lake on the covered bridge connecting the pedestrian walkway, her face, though pale and tired, with a band-aid on her forehead, revealed a genuine smile.

Freedom is something only those who have lost it truly know how precious it is.

Her back straightened little by little, and her mud-splattered canvas shoes stepped through the puddles, startling a few cute little sparrows that were taking a bath next door.

The nightmares that were locked in the gilded cage during the dark night are finally about to be completely dispelled by the morning sunlight.

Outside the wrought iron gate of Jinhu Villa, a Mercedes-Benz G500 with a coal province license plate kicked up a few fallen sycamore leaves, exhaled a puff of white exhaust in the morning light that created the Tyndall effect, and then came to a stop.

Brother Lu was slumped in the back seat, with "The Will to Power" upside down on his belly, which was stretched so tight that his suit was about to burst open, his snoring mixed with drool.

Brother Jiang pushed up his glasses and poked his beer belly with his fingertip: "Brother Lu! We're here!"

"Ah! We've arrived!" Brother Lu tossed the book behind him, his crocodile-skin shoes crunching over the fallen sycamore leaves that had fallen under the car door.

"Brother Jiang! I'm not bragging, but Zhao Jie and I have a life-or-death bond, back in Macau's Lisboa Casino..."

He got out of the car, patting his chest. His gold chain dazzled in the morning light. Before he could finish speaking, a sudden gust of wind choked him, and he coughed, spitting a mouthful of phlegm onto the ground.

Brother Jiang stared at the somewhat dilapidated villa complex and began to doubt the capabilities of that Mr. Zhao.

"Since you and General Manager Zhao are sworn brothers, why didn't you call ahead and have him come pick us up?"

"Damn it!" Brother Lu spat on the wrought iron railing: "I have to come in person to show my sincerity!"

As he turned around, he bumped into a beautiful woman wearing a beige cardigan walking out of a side door; the hem of her silk nightgown seemed to be stained with mud.

"Hey girl!" Brother Lu, with his protruding belly, greeted her with a friendly smile: "Excuse me, which building does Mr. Zhao Jie live in? I need to talk to him about a big business deal!"

The woman lowered her eyes and chuckled softly, her eyelashes casting shadows beneath her eyes: "I don't know you!"

Then, the strap of her canvas bag slipped off her shoulder. As she bent down to pick it up, Brother Lu seemed to catch a glimpse of the lingering scar on her wrist. The two passed each other, and the woman walked away.

Brother Jiang came over and tugged at Brother Lu's sleeve: "You really remember the house number?"

"Tear him away!" Brother Lu shoved him aside and swaggered towards the security booth: "I have his business card! It was last year."

He stopped abruptly, then rummaged around in his pockets, his face instantly turning a deep purplish-red.

The security guard chewed his gum and looked up, his gaze sweeping over the two men's gold watches and crocodile skin bags.

"Boss! What was your relationship with General Manager Zhao Jie again?"

"Sworn brothers!" Brother Lu slammed his hand on the guard booth glass, making it vibrate, the gold chain around his neck swaying slightly. "Genuine, no doubt about it!"

The security guard nodded, picked up the phone, pressed three specific buttons, and told Mr. Zhao Jie, Mr. Zhao's sworn brother, that he had arrived at the door.

Thirty seconds later, two police cars came to a stop at the entrance from the inside.

As Brother Lu watched the SWAT officers rush out of the car, his chubby face turned deathly pale. He raised his chubby hand, adorned with gold rings, and cried out, "It's a misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!"

"Zhao Jie's sworn brother, right?" The officer grabbed him by the back of the collar and tried to shove him into the police car. "I heard from the security guard that you and he have something going on at the Lisboa Casino, is that right?"

"That was just a coincidence!" Brother Lu struggled to kick off his leather shoes, his gold chain nearly falling off in the struggle. "I don't know him! I really don't know him!"

This at least proves that it's real gold, not the 999 gold-plated necklace that Brother Jiang sells on TV shopping channels, which can't be deformed even if you hit it with a big iron hammer.

Brother Jiang huddled cautiously beside the Mercedes, watching helplessly as Brother Lu was pinned to the ground and searched, his custom-made shirt soaked with cold sweat.
Look!
I told you bragging is risky, Brother Lu was careless!

"Officer! Officer!" As Brother Lu was being put into the police car, he continued to protest, "I'm innocent! I don't know Zhao Jie at all. We just exchanged business cards at the VIP room customer appreciation banquet at the Lisboa Casino!"

"Besides! Lu Laowu has always been a law-abiding citizen who has always been sworn enemies of evil. How could he possibly know a criminal like Zhao Jie!"

Old Jiang, standing nearby, was dumbfounded. "The police hadn't arrived yet, and that's not what you told me."

"Then why did you run away while claiming it was a misunderstanding as soon as you saw us?"

Uh... Lu Laowu slapped his thigh in frustration. These were all bad habits he had developed from going to the club!
From today onwards, I'm quitting the club. I'll let them come to my home from now on so they can better cultivate my good civic habits!
At this moment, the security guard looked at Brother Jiang again and whispered a few words to the police officer.

The police officer ran over and saluted Brother Jiang: "Comrade, please come in and cooperate with our investigation!"

Two special police officers vaguely surrounded Brother Jiang.

Brother Jiang was pragmatic and nodded to show he was willing to cooperate, so he was relaxed and wasn't forced to go to the police car; he walked up on his own.

Brother Lu and Brother Jiang, these two unfortunate brothers, exchanged a helpless glance.

"Old Jiang..."

"Hey buddy, do we know each other?"

"... "

Then the police car left.

The security guard chased after the police car, shouting, "Officer! Can you give our property management company a banner? I'll give you a 500 yuan raise!"

As the morning mist dissipated, the sound of police sirens drifted towards a beautiful woman waiting for a bus in the distance. She glanced at her curiously, then turned back.

By this time, she had changed into a clean long-sleeved shirt and straight-leg jeans, and her canvas bag contained all her belongings.

Inside was a box of rice noodle rolls she had just bought, warm and cozy; she hadn't tasted this flavor in a long time.

(End of this chapter)