I started by watching videos, and I chose 10,000 combat power.

Li Xiulan looked at the message sent by her daughter Luo Ying and smiled helplessly.

She handed her phone to Luo Fei beside her and whispered, "Check on your sister."

Luo Fei took the phone; message notifications on the screen kept flashing: "Mom, please reply to me!"

"Which sea are you on?"

"How many days are you going to stay?"

"Mom, I miss you."

He quickly scanned the words, which were written in a coquettish tone, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He then handed the phone back to his mother, took out his own phone, and rapidly typed on the screen: "When you're on vacation, I'll take you out to sea. You study hard at school."

Less than two seconds after the message was sent, Luo Ying's reply popped up: "Really?! Bro, you keep your word! Don't lie! I took a screenshot!"

The text was followed by a long string of excited emoticons. Luo Fei looked at his sister's childlike appearance, smiled and shook his head, put the phone back in his pocket, turned around and went back to the stern of the boat to continue tidying up the fishing gear.

The ship sailed smoothly on the boundless sea, the azure water churning up tiny waves on both sides of the ship, making a soft splashing sound.

Li Xiulan and Luo Weidong sat in the spacious cabin, one leisurely scrolling through her WeChat Moments, while the other leaned against the window, gazing absently at the sea.

Their phones kept beeping with message notifications, all from relatives and friends asking, "Where did you two go on vacation?"

"The sea view looks really nice!"

"Is the boat we're on big?"

Li Xiulan's fingers slowly slid across the screen, replying to each message one by one.

When she encountered typing problems, she would send a voice message, her voice filled with barely suppressed joy: "Yes, it was Xiaofei who brought us out. This ship is huge, fully equipped, and there's even a chef who cooks for us."

Listening to his wife's words, Luo Weidong couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "That old woman just loves to show off," but the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

He also secretly turned on his phone and sent his real-time location to several of his close friends.

On the location map, a conspicuous little red dot stands alone in a vast blue ocean, quite far from the coastline.

Before long, his old buddies replied: "Old Luo, you're something else! You went all the way there?"

"Be careful, you'd be lost if you fell into the sea this far away!"

Luo Weidong couldn't stop laughing as he read these teasing messages.

-

Lin Zongwei's home in Qingshan Town.

Yang Xue sat slumped on the sofa, clutching her phone tightly in her hand. On the screen were several messages and photos sent by her neighbor's relatives.

She looked at it several times, and the corners of her mouth, which had been slightly gloomy, slowly turned up, revealing a smug smile.

Lin Zongwei came out of the kitchen, carrying a steaming bowl of instant noodles. The rich aroma filled the small living room.

He noticed the unusual expression on his wife's face and curiously leaned closer to ask, "What's wrong? Why are you laughing so happily?"

Yang Xue held her phone up to his face, her tone tinged with a hint of smugness: "Look, that kid Luo Fei took his parents on a trip."

Lin Zongwei looked down at the screen, which displayed a message from a neighbor or relative. The message said that they had seen photos of Li Xiulan going out to sea posted on her WeChat Moments, in which Li Xiulan and Luo Weidong were smiling broadly.

After reading it, Lin Zongwei frowned immediately and muttered in dissatisfaction, "They really know how to enjoy themselves. They left us here and went out to play. It's infuriating."

Yang Xue put her phone away, leaned back into the sofa, her smile widening, and a calculating glint in her eyes.

"Don't you understand?"

She looked at Lin Zongwei, her tone carrying a hint of pride and certainty.

"Why did they suddenly go on vacation? It's because we hired reporters, and they got scared and wanted to hide away to avoid the limelight."

Lin Zongwei paused, his hand holding the instant noodles hovering in mid-air, a look of confusion on his face. He thought carefully about Yang Xue's words, his eyes gradually brightening, and he asked excitedly, "You mean... they're scared? We've cornered them?"

Yang Xue nodded vigorously, casually crossed her legs, and tapped her fingers lightly on her knees, feeling that everything was under her control: "Think about it, how arrogant they were before. They beat you up, kicked your mother out, and even someone like President Chen had to kneel down and not dare to say a word."

"Why? Isn't it just because they have some money and power? But we're hiring reporters to expose their dirty deeds and let everyone know their true colors. No matter how rich they are, can they silence everyone? Can they stop people from speaking out?"

As Lin Zongwei listened to his wife's analysis, the gloom on his face gradually dissipated, replaced by excitement and anticipation.

He put the instant noodles he was holding on the coffee table, sat down next to Yang Xue, and leaned closer, asking eagerly, "So what do we do next? Shouldn't we press our advantage?"

Yang Xue picked up her phone, quickly swiped a few times on the screen, opened a short video app, and typed "mediator" into the search bar.

A bunch of related videos immediately popped up on the screen, including clips from various mediation programs, mediators' personal accounts, and testimonies from many people seeking help. The colorful images were dazzling.

"Since the county reporters are afraid to take our case, let's find a mediator."

As Yang Xue scrolled through the screen, she said, "Haven't you seen those mediation programs? They specialize in mediating family conflicts and neighborhood disputes. They're most willing to handle cases like this, where a biological daughter doesn't acknowledge her mother and even kicks the elderly out of the house. It's also the most newsworthy. Besides, we're hiring mediators from out of town, so it has nothing to do with those people in the county. Even if they wanted to get involved, it wouldn't be their problem."

Lin Zongwei leaned closer to the screen and saw a middle-aged man in a suit sitting behind a table, opposite a couple who were arguing fiercely.

The man spoke with an upright air about things like "blood is thicker than water" and "filial piety is the most important of all virtues," which made the couple lower their heads and silently wipe away their tears.

Lin Zongwei nodded repeatedly, "This one is good. This one looks quite capable and eloquent."

Yang Xue didn't stop swiping her finger; she swiped down a few more times, and another video popped up.

The video shows a female mediator with short hair and black-rimmed glasses. She speaks clearly and concisely, mediating a conflict between a mother and daughter.

In the video, an elderly woman tearfully accused her daughter of neglecting her. After listening, the female mediator turned to the camera and said seriously, "No matter the reason, supporting one's parents is a legal obligation of children, and this is beyond question."

Yang Xue's finger stopped on the video, and her eyes lit up instantly.

"This is good. The female mediator is both assertive and reasonable, and she looks kind, making her easier to trust. She's the one."

She opened the video and watched it over and over again, carefully noting down the mediator's name and contact information.

Lin Zongwei was still somewhat worried and asked hesitantly, "Are mediators from out of town willing to travel all this way?"

Yang Xue rolled her eyes at him, looking confident: "What do you know? These mediators make a living this way. When conflicts come to them, they're eager to come; it's all fodder and traffic. Besides, we'll cover their travel expenses, food, and lodging—we'll arrange everything for them. Why wouldn't they come?"

Hearing her say that, Lin Zongwei thought it made a lot of sense and nodded repeatedly. He then asked eagerly, "So when should we contact her? Should we call her now?"

Yang Xue thought for a moment, put down her phone, picked up a glass of water from the coffee table, took a sip, and said unhurriedly, "No rush. Let's wait until they get back from their trip. Let them be smug for a few days and lower their guard. Once they've had their fun and are back, we'll bring a mediator to their door and catch them off guard, giving them no chance to react."

She put down her water glass, leaned back on the sofa, and slowly widened her smile, her eyes filled with a determined light.

"Then let's see how arrogant they can be."

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating her calculating and self-righteous face.