Tell me what earlier?

Why was Big Brother so harsh?

Tang Ruojia felt wronged, but Tang Chunlei had no time to comfort her.

“Sister Xiaolan, do you know what’s going on?”

Xia Xiaolan stopped before entering and was blocked by Tang Chunlei. She could only look innocent: “To be honest, I just arrived at the station and don’t know the situation—”

“You’re lying! Yesterday you were talking with Tang Fujun and his wife. When I got closer, you all suddenly stopped talking!”

Tang Ruojia’s fair face flushed red, angered by Xia Xiaolan’s blatant lie.

Xia Xiaolan smiled:

“Yes, I am lying. That’s just how I am. I thought Sister Ruojia knew that already!”

“You—”

Tang Ruojia was too angry to speak.

Did Second Uncle know Xia Xiaolan’s true nature?

How could he allow such arrogance toward Tang family members?

But Xia Xiaolan didn’t bother arguing further and stepped into the police station.

Tang Ruojia and Tang Chunlei tried to follow but were stopped by police:

“Family members cannot interfere with the investigation!”

Tang Ruojia pointed at Xia Xiaolan’s retreating figure, “Then why can she go in?”

The police officer was bewildered, “She’s a witness, not a family member!”

What else would someone who reported human traffickers be, if not a witness?

As for Tang Hongen, he was the victim’s family member.

Though they shared the Tang surname, Tang Ruojia and Tang Chunlei were relatives of the suspect—how could they be allowed to roam freely in the police station? How naive!

Witness?

Tang Chunlei’s unease grew stronger.

Try as he might, he couldn’t figure out why the police had arrested his mother… Could it be victims from past persecution in Yunan seeking revenge? Impossible—even if those actions were wrong, nobody would file a case after more than ten years. There was nothing to report—back then, wrong things happened everywhere!

Besides, how old was Xia Xiaolan then? What kind of witness could she be?

Tang Chunlei desperately tried to reassure himself.

Tang Ruojia was both angry and anxious but helpless.

Borrowed influence was ultimately hollow.

She was essentially just a high school senior preparing for college entrance exams—what crisis management skills could she have?

Moreover, the person whose “influence” she wanted to borrow was unwilling to lend it. Tang Ruojia could fume all she wanted, but there was nothing she could do!

When Xia Xiaolan entered the station after her delay, Zhou Cheng was already speaking with Tang Hongen.

At this point, any discord between son-in-law and father-in-law had vanished—they were united in their desire to resolve this matter!

After Zhou Cheng finished, it was Officer Ma’s turn.

Officer Ma certainly knew Tang Hongen wasn’t an ordinary person.

However, only now did he learn that Tang Hongen was the Mayor of Pengcheng!

He didn’t think Liu Fen had chosen Tang Hongen over him out of vanity. The cunning Tang appeared harmless—how could a straightforward person like himself compete?

Ah, honest people always lose out.

Though only Ma Zhenxing considered himself honest—the criminals he’d caught probably wanted to curse him.

“According to Lu Datou’s confession, his buyer was from Jibei Province. We’ve sent people across provincial lines to make arrests. Following this chain, we should be able to catch everyone involved!”

But even Ma Zhenxing wasn’t sure how many trafficked women and children could be rescued.

The traffickers weren’t complete fools.

More confessions meant longer prison terms. As long as the police didn’t have all the information, they would say as little as possible!

Forget about rescuing others—even finding this case’s victim, Tang Youru… Ma Zhenxing thought the chances were slim!

But he couldn’t say this in front of Tang Youru’s family.

Tang Hongen didn’t demand any guarantees from Ma Zhenxing about finding her—he wasn’t that overbearing, coming to Beijing to direct a police station chief’s investigation.

He could only thank Ma Zhenxing!

Tang Hongen didn’t find it shameful to thank a former rival.

Finding his sister was most important, and Ma Zhenxing had truly been diligent in this case—why shouldn’t he thank him?

Tang Hongen had another request:

“May I see Shi Surong?”

“This… Shi Surong still hasn’t confessed.”

Ma Zhenxing was somewhat hesitant.

Tang Hongen understood: “Perhaps I could try.”

Of course, Shi Surong wouldn’t confess. She was a village woman, but not a simple one! She understood that once she admitted to selling Tang Youru, Tang Hongen would settle both old and new grudges with her—

Ma Zhenxing didn’t immediately agree, and Tang Hongen didn’t press. He asked to see Tang Fujun, which was allowed.

Tang Fujun’s wife was a witness, but Tang Fujun wasn’t!

Tang Fujun appeared before Tang Hongen with his son Tang Shengli, both ashamed and nervous.

“I… I…”

Tang Hongen looked at the father and son and asked about Tang Shengli’s age and education level.

“Twenty years old, finished junior high but didn’t get into vocational school. Studied one year of high school then quit, went back to farming!”

Not getting into vocational school was normal—if it were that easy, more people would have escaped farming life. Entering vocational school after junior high, with guaranteed job placement after graduation, was often better than continuing through high school to university. For many years, vocational school was the best option… Of course, Tang Shengli neither got into vocational school nor persisted through high school to try the narrow bridge of college entrance exams. His incomplete high school education left him somewhat stuck in between.

Tang Hongen already knew what Tang Fujun’s family wanted.

“What kind of job would you like?”

Could one choose their job?

Any formal job would be envied in the countryside. Poor rural men might remain bachelors, but urban workers were never heard of staying single… Tang Shengli dared not be picky, his heart pounding as he said he’d accept whatever Tang Hongen arranged.

Zhou Cheng said softly:

“Uncle Tang, let me handle this matter!”

Tang Hongen didn’t insist on handling it himself.

Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng showed filial piety by helping search for his sister, even traveling to the countryside. He certainly couldn’t let these two lose face, which was why he agreed to meet Tang Fujun and his son.

But heartfelt gratitude?

There was none.

If Tang Fujun’s family had told him this crucial information earlier, his sister might have suffered less, and might even have been found back then— Tang Hongen was clear about gratitude and grudges. While he didn’t resent Tang Fujun and his wife, he felt no heartfelt gratitude either. Like Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng, he treated this as a transaction.

One side provides information, the other provides compensation—fair and reasonable, perfectly justified.

After Tang Hongen met with Tang Fujun and his son, Ma Zhenxing made his decision, agreeing to let him meet with Shi Surong.

Seeing Tang Hongen about to leave, Tang Fujun couldn’t help but say:

“I’m sorry, I—”

Tang Hongen stopped, “You haven’t wronged me. You weren’t the ones who did evil.”

You just didn’t do good.

Could he blame them?

How many purely selfless good people exist in this world? Most are ordinary people, neither great villains nor great saints!

Now he was going to meet a truly evil person.

—His sister-in-law Shi Surong!