Early the next morning.
A furious roar suddenly rang out from the Su residence, and everyone was urgently summoned together.
Zhao Guoxiang’s face was livid, veins bulging on his forehead. His gaze swept over everyone as he demanded,
“Who went into my study yesterday?!”
The maid responsible for cleaning was a round-faced auntie. She waved her hands anxiously.
“Not me! Not me! My daughter-in-law just had a baby, so I took the day off to go home and help. I wasn’t even at the Su residence yesterday—how could I have stolen anything?”
The other servants exchanged looks, but no one stepped forward to admit anything.
“I think I saw someone go into the study. From the back… it looked a bit like the second miss.”
Nanny Zhang looked flustered. After speaking, she immediately lowered her head.
At that moment, Mu Lanxin and Zhao Yiyi came downstairs in silk pajamas, yawning.
Su Su followed behind them unhurriedly, casually glancing at Nanny Zhang.
Zhao Yiyi hurried downstairs, affectionately clinging to Zhao Guoxiang’s arm and acting coquettish.
“Dad, why did you call me down so early? I came back late last night—I’m still so sleepy.”
Smack—
Zhao Guoxiang slapped Zhao Yiyi across the face.
“Talk!”
“Where did you put the land deeds?!”
Zhao Yiyi was knocked to the ground by the slap, her head buzzing as she failed to react for a moment.
Land deeds? What land deeds?
Mu Lanxin was startled and screamed as she rushed forward to shield the stunned Zhao Yiyi.
“Guoxiang, what are you doing?!”
Family scandals shouldn’t be aired publicly. Zhao Guoxiang still had a shred of rationality left. After driving all the servants out, he pointed at them and roared angrily,
“Truly, an indulgent mother ruins her child! Stop covering for her!”
“Don’t think I don’t know—this unfilial girl secretly gambles with others, and you’ve been taking money from the house to cover her losses!”
“In the past, I could turn a blind eye, but this time she actually dared to steal all of the Su family’s land deeds!”
Land deeds?!
Zhao Yiyi’s eyes widened as she finally reacted. She crawled forward, clinging to Zhao Guoxiang’s leg and crying miserably.
“Dad, I didn’t take them! I really didn’t take the land deeds!!”
“I was with Zhao Yan’er the whole day yesterday—if you don’t believe me, you can ask her!”
Mu Lanxin also reacted and hurriedly pleaded,
“Guoxiang, that’s right, it definitely wasn’t Yiyi! She wouldn’t have the nerve!”
When she raised her head, she saw Su Su standing to the side.
Su Su’s lips curved upward, her gaze cold, provocative, and unfamiliar—like she was watching ants struggling on the brink of death.
Mu Lanxin’s heart jolted. She pointed at Su Su and screeched,
“It must be her!”
“She was the only one at home yesterday!”
Zhao Guoxiang turned to look at Su Su, his face dark. Remembering that Su Su had voluntarily signed yesterday, he forced himself to be patient and asked,
“Did you take the land deeds?”
Facing Zhao Guoxiang’s suspicious scrutiny, Su Su remained calm and smiled faintly.
“I took them.”
Zhao Guoxiang frowned deeply. “Why did you take the land deeds?!”
“Dad, I was originally planning to give you a surprise.”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to hand them over to the state? So yesterday I took the land deeds to the relevant department to register them.”
“Oh, right—they also said they’d come by today to discuss compensation and the handover.”
“You—”
Hearing this, blood rushed straight to Zhao Guoxiang’s head. His eyes turned bloodshot, the veins on his forehead bulging even more.
All his plans had fallen apart!
Right now, he only wanted to beat this ungrateful wretch to death!
Zhao Guoxiang immediately grabbed a thick wooden stick from the table and swung it violently at Su Su—
Bang—
Su Su dodged swiftly. The stick struck the marble dining table, producing a piercing sound.
Su Su glanced at the clock. Judging the timing to be just right, she turned and ran toward the door—just in time to bump into Section Chief Zhou, who had arrived with others.
“Section Chief Zhou, save me!”
Su Su hid behind Section Chief Zhou in terror, deliberately revealing her arm, which was covered in shocking bruises.
These were all specially applied with makeup the night before.
Section Chief Zhou’s expression turned stern when he saw them, and he immediately asked,
“What’s going on here?”
Before Su Su could answer, he saw Zhao Guoxiang chasing after her with a stick.
“You did this?”
“Do you know this is against the law?!”
Zhao Guoxiang hurriedly hid the stick behind his back and said stiffly,
“My daughter made a mistake—surely I, as her father, have to discipline her!”
Even so, you can’t beat her like that!
Section Chief Zhou was furious, but this was indeed a family matter and not entirely within his authority.
Su Su shook her head with reddened eyes.
“I don’t have a father like this!”
“Section Chief Zhou, supporting national construction is something my grandfather and mother have always done. That’s why yesterday I voluntarily registered the Su family’s factories and land deeds. You even praised me for having ideological awareness.”
“But after they found out, they joined forces to force me to sign a property transfer agreement and a severance-of-kinship document! They wanted to sell the factories and land deeds while they could, then flee to Hong Kong.”
“The train tickets are in the desk drawer!”
What?!
Section Chief Zhou’s expression grew even more serious. This was no longer just a family matter!
Since the assets had already been registered, they now belonged to the state. He had only come today to discuss compensation and handover details.
He immediately ordered his men to restrain Zhao Guoxiang and the other two.
He then had people search the study, where they indeed found the property transfer agreement and three one-way tickets to Hong Kong.
Section Chief Zhou immediately ordered that Zhao Guoxiang and the others be taken away for interrogation.
Zhao Guoxiang’s eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Su Su.
He finally understood why Su Su had voluntarily signed the property transfer agreement and severance document the night before—it had all been her trap.
“Su Su, you ungrateful wretch!”
“I’m your father—how could you do this to me?!”
Su Su’s expression remained unchanged.
“The severance document is already signed. You have nothing to do with me.”
Mu Lanxin and Zhao Yiyi were already so frightened they had gone limp, crying and begging nonstop.
“This was all Zhao Guoxiang’s idea! It really had nothing to do with us!”
After watching the three of them be taken away, Su Su sincerely thanked Section Chief Zhou.
“Section Chief Zhou, if you hadn’t arrived in time today, I probably wouldn’t be standing here talking to you.”
Section Chief Zhou felt a mix of emotions. He hadn’t expected that the pampered, willful capitalist heiress in others’ eyes actually lived such a life in private.
Feeling sorry for her, he reminded her,
“No need to thank me. If possible, you should leave Shanghai as soon as you can.”
Su Su knew he was warning her.
She smiled and nodded. “Section Chief Zhou, I’ll leave Shanghai as soon as possible. By the way, could you please send the factory dividends to this address?”
She handed him Uncle Wang’s address.
After seeing Section Chief Zhou off, Su Su dismissed all the servants, giving each of them a generous sum of money.
Over the next few days, Su Su finished packing all her belongings.
During that time, Section Chief Zhou also sent her word.
The police had already found witnesses confirming that Zhao Guoxiang had indeed intended to trade state assets illegally.
During the investigation, Mu Lanxin and her daughter, eager to extricate themselves, pushed all the blame onto Zhao Guoxiang, trying to claim ignorance.
Zhao Guoxiang didn’t let them off easily either, insisting that he had been incited and instigated by them.
Because of the severe impact, it had already been decided that all three would be sent down for reform.
At the same time, the handover of the Su family’s factories had been fully completed. From now on, dividends would be issued monthly and mailed to Uncle Wang at the address Su Su provided.
Su Su went to find Uncle Wang and explained the situation.
“How can this be allowed!” Uncle Wang refused urgently.
“Uncle Wang, after I leave this time, I don’t know when I’ll be able to come back. You and Nanny Zhang must take good care of your health. Consider this money my way of providing for you in my grandfather’s and mother’s stead.”
Uncle Wang’s eyes filled with tears, and Nanny Zhang stood nearby wiping her eyes quietly.
“Miss, don’t worry. I’ll definitely take good care of the Su family and wait for you to come back!”
Su Su nodded. After leaving Uncle Wang’s home, she took her luggage and hurried to the train station.
There was only one train from Shanghai to Heicheng. By the time she arrived, the station announcement had already begun.
Su Su quickly bought a ticket and entered the station.
Bidding farewell to Shanghai, she embarked on her journey to Heicheng…