Qin Hengzhi's icy expression silenced Duan Xiaoxiang, who had been complaining of stomach pains.
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Lu Qiaoge felt that this was truly the terrifying "Cold-Faced Yama" of the military.
Qin Hengzhi asked again, "Elderly lady, I am giving you one last chance!"
Duan Xiaoxiang had already emerged from the bedroom, clutching her stomach, and was looking at Old Lady Zhao with anxiety.
Lu Qiaoge took a step forward and said, word by word, "Grandma Zhao, do not underestimate the strength of the 516 Military Factory. Is it really that hard to find a child? Representative Qin is giving you one last chance. If you don't take this seriously and end up implicating your bright-future son and grandson, you will regret it for the rest of your life!"
Old Lady Zhao had thought her age would allow her to suppress these young people, but she never expected that she would be the first one intimidated.
Her lips trembled, and she looked at Lu Qiaoge and Qin Hengzhi with eyes full of terror.
Should she admit it?
If she admitted it, it would become a family matter.
If she didn't admit it?
But the military representative was already here. If this truly alerted the factory, what if they actually found out?
This wasn't the countryside, nor was it an ordinary courtyard. This was the military industrial compound, the very place she took pride in.
But if she admitted it, would they really let it go?
No, even if they didn't pursue it, she wouldn't be able to hold her head up in the compound.
The only right thing to do was to stick to her denial.
Besides, she didn't even know where Third Great-Aunt had gone at this moment; how could they possibly find her? Once she went into some remote mountain valley in three or five days, no one would ever find her.
Just as Old Lady Zhao thought she had figured it out, Lu Qiaoge's expression revealed that she had seen through her.
Since she refused to repent, Lu Qiaoge had no other choice.
Without giving Old Lady Zhao a chance to throw a tantrum, Lu Qiaoge walked briskly toward the old woman's bedroom.
The air in the room froze for a moment, and Shao Le hurried after her.
Qin Hengzhi did not move, because he heard voices in the hallway.
Clearly, Zhao Qing had returned.
He naturally knew this man.
As Zhao Qing pushed open his front door in a state of extreme agitation and foul mood, he saw not only Representative Qin Hengzhi standing in the house, but also Lu Qiaoge lifting the pillow in his mother's bedroom, seeing the banknotes fluttering in the air.
So much money—when had his mother saved all this?
Old Lady Zhao looked at Lu Qiaoge in terror, but then anger surged in her heart. She screamed, "Get out! Get out! Who gave you permission to come into my room and rummage through my things? Get out, get out! Get out right now!"
Lu Qiaoge hurried out of the room and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I thought the child was hidden in your bedroom."
Zhao Qing ran a hand through his hair, feeling an instinctive, overwhelming irritability. Couldn't everyone just live peacefully?
He forcibly suppressed his emotions. In a sense, the Military Representative's office was a superior unit, so he greeted Qin Hengzhi politely.
But in his heart, he was utterly confused. Why was Qin Hengzhi in his house?
Before he could ask, Lu Qiaoge spoke up seriously, "Technician Zhao, you're back. We have something to tell you. Your daughter, Zhao Xiubo, has been kidnapped."
Zhao Qing knew about this; in fact, that was the reason he had returned.
He looked displeased at the silent Sun Qin. "Sun Qin, what exactly is going on? Isn't Zhaodi in school? How could she be kidnapped? And why did you bring these people to my house? Xiaoxiang is pregnant, and my mother is elderly; she can't handle your constant provocations."
Sun Qin suddenly raised her head and looked at Zhao Qing with eyes full of loathing.
If she had heard this before, she would have been devastated. Although she had only been working at the research institute for half a month, the atmosphere from top to bottom was one of positivity and self-reliance. Director He, in particular, had moved her deeply.
Seeing Zhao Qing's self-righteous behavior made Sun Qin feel nauseous.
She roared in anger, "Do you think I want to come to your Zhao house? Every time I pass your building, I feel disgusted. It would be best if we never met again for all eternity! I have done that, but what about you? Zhao Qing, you don't ask where the money under your mother's pillow came from, yet you have the audacity to question me? I'm telling you, Zhao Qing, if my daughter is fine, then fine. But if anything happens to her, I will make sure your Zhao family line ends with you!"
"And another thing, my daughter isn't named Zhaodi, her name is Zhao Xiubo. Do you hear me?" Sun Qin slammed the table, her face ashen.
When Duan Xiaoxiang tried to clutch her stomach, Sun Qin looked at her with a sinister gaze. "Duan Xiaoxiang, stop your little act! If your stomach hurts, it's because of your own sins. I don't care if you die of pain! And the thing in your womb isn't my damn child either! You deserve to die!"
Sun Qin was screaming as if she had lost her mind.
With bloodshot eyes, she thought: *If I'm not well, no one gets to live a good life.*
Seeing Sun Qin acting like a madwoman for the first time, Zhao Qing was startled and took several steps back. He then called out dryly, "Then hurry up and find the child! Why are we arguing here?"
Sun Qin gritted her teeth. "Someone saw your mother trick my daughter out of the house. I'm asking you right now—was it her?"
Seeing her son return, Old Lady Zhao suddenly felt she had a backbone to lean on. She rushed forward, wailing, "Ah Qing, I feel so unwell! Xiaoxiang has also been traumatized. Hurry, take us to the hospital!"
Lu Qiaoge blocked her. "Where did the money under your pillow come from?"
Old Lady Zhao pointed at Zhao Qing. "My son gave it to me."
Qin Hengzhi's voice was calm, betraying no emotion. "Zhao Qing!"
Zhao Qing looked at the pile of money. There must have been over a hundred yuan. It wasn't from him. He was under immense pressure; he had to support his mother and two nephews, and he had to provide nutrition for the one in Xiaoxiang's womb. In just the last half month, he had already spent over fifty yuan of his savings.
He had never given his mother any money.
Duan Xiaoxiang spoke in a gentle, coquettish voice, "Ah Qing, I know you gave this to your mother. I treated your mother like my own, so I won't be angry."
Zhao Qing froze for a moment, then said slowly, "I gave it to my mother. Why? Is there something wrong with this money?"
At that moment, the gray pigeon that Lu Qiaoge had been waiting for flew excitedly to a branch of the large elm tree opposite. *[Coo, coo, coo! A partner of mine has returned. It says Third Great-Aunt took Zhao Xiubo on a horse carriage heading toward the pig farm in the north of the city. The girl was stuffed into a basket and is still unconscious.]*
Lu Qiaoge walked quickly to Qin Hengzhi and looked at him intently. "We must go out of the city to find the child. What about these three?"
Qin Hengzhi turned and greeted Officer Li, who had just walked in. He gave a brief, concise summary and then gave Zhao Qing a meaningful look.
He said to Officer Li, "I suspect the origin of the money in the bedroom is unknown. Please investigate it. I am leaving the city now; we will regroup later."
Officer Li replied, "Don't worry, Representative Qin. I will investigate it thoroughly."
Qin Hengzhi glanced at Lu Qiaoge.
Shao Le immediately jogged to follow, while Lu Qiaoge pulled Sun Qin and walked briskly toward the exit.
Almost in the blink of an eye, the specially modified military jeep from the Military Representative's office roared out of District Three.
Zhao Qing suddenly felt a layer of cold sweat break out on his back.
An overwhelming sense of unease arose.