“Why?” Shan Chengming asked, scratching his head.
“Mu Zhaozhao was telling the truth when she said she can build fighter jets.” At this point, Ruan Jingsheng was inclined to believe her.
Yuan Zeguang stroked his chin and said, “I can’t say for sure whether she can manufacture one, but the data she mentioned aligns with our future vision for third-generation fighter jets. Since she knows the details so thoroughly and speaks with such confidence, I believe locating her gives us a real shot at building a jet on par with second-generation models.”
He never underestimated the capabilities of the younger generation.
“Jingsheng, you must do everything in your power to help me find this young woman!” Yuan Zeguang instructed once more.
Ruan Jingsheng gave a firm salute. “Rest assured, Elder Yuan, I won’t let you down.”
The Mu Family Estate
Just as expected, Mu Shangyu had left Qi Ruobing and her daughter at the hospital, rushing back urgently to check if the eleven boxes of gold bars were still intact.
After verifying they were untouched, he buried them back into the ground. Although Mu Zhaozhao knew where the treasure was hidden, he wasn’t worried—she couldn’t possibly move such heavy crates under his nose.
Besides, in just two days, the truck he arranged would haul the treasure away. By then, no amount of throwing a tantrum would do Mu Zhaozhao any good.
Once the gold was reburied, Mu Shangyu drove straight off without even stepping inside the house.
Standing by the window, Mu Zhaozhao took in the entire scene. It seemed that uncovering where Mu Shangyu had transferred the rest of the family assets would require a longer-term plan.
A short while later, Qi Ruobing returned.
She was followed by a gray-haired old woman who grumbled non-stop:
“You ungrateful girl! We raised you, so you should be supporting your brothers so they can settle down and start their careers! Just because you married a rich man doesn’t mean you can leave us to rot! Dream on!”
She nagged Qi Ruobing all the way into the estate’s living room.
Qi Ruobing said helplessly, “Mom, Yunxing is injured and still in the hospital. Can we please not talk about this right now?”
Old Mrs. Qi threw a tantrum and shouted, “I don’t care! Your older brother is getting married soon, and I promised him a flat in Shanghai. Your younger brother needs two thousand yuan to secure a job, and he’ll need a flat when he marries, too. If you don’t hand over a hundred thousand yuan today, I’m not leaving!”
“Mom, do you even know how much a hundred thousand yuan is?! Ordinary families couldn’t earn that over generations. You’re driving me to my grave!” Qi Ruobing felt like crying.
She came from a rural background and only managed to stay in Shanghai after catching Mu Shangyu’s eye by chance. For all these years, Mu Shangyu had kept her at arm’s length and never granted her financial authority. When her family heard she married into money, they swarmed Shanghai like bloodsuckers. Any spare cash she had was quickly drained by them, leaving her with virtually nothing now.
Old Mrs. Qi put her hands on her hips, spitting as she yelled, “Are you an ordinary family? You live in a big house enjoying luxury, while you want your father, your two brothers, and me to starve on the streets? Let me tell you—if you dare refuse me the money, I’ll make a scene in the streets! I’ll make a scene at your workplace! I’ll let everyone see what a heartless monster you really are!”
Cornered by the barrage of abuse, Qi Ruobing was just about to agree to fetch some money when she suddenly remembered that Mu Zhaozhao had returned and might be home right now.
She cautiously glanced around. Seeing no sign of Mu Zhaozhao, she lowered her head and whispered to Old Mrs. Qi, “Mom, I’ll give you a box of gold bars. At midnight tonight, bring Dad and a cart to haul it away. Will that do?”
Since Mu Shangyu wouldn’t give her money, she would resort to stealth. She’d appease her family first; once she left for Hong Kong with Mu Shangyu, her leeching relatives wouldn’t be able to reach her anyway.
Old Mrs. Qi’s eyes lit up at the offer, and she nodded repeatedly. “Now that’s more like it.”
A box of gold bars was definitely worth more than a hundred thousand yuan—a very lucrative deal. Content with the arrangement, she trotted off happily.
Hiding in the shadows, Mu Zhaozhao overheard the entire conversation. A sneer curled her lips. Her opportunity had arrived.
Qi Ruobing brewed some lean pork porridge to bring to the hospital for Mu Yunxing’s recovery. She left the remaining half pot in the kitchen, intending to save it for Mu Shangyu later that night.
Noticing this, Mu Zhaozhao guessed Qi Ruobing’s intentions and sneeringly tampered with the porridge.
She then toured the kitchen by herself, digging out some pork tenderloin and various vegetables. Rolling up her sleeves, she began preparing a meal. In her past life, she disliked takeout and always cooked for herself, so preparing a meal was second nature to her.
In no time, she whipped up four dishes: Crispy Sweet and Sour Pork, Yuxiang Shredded Pork, Stir-fried Cabbage, and Sautéd Bok Choy.
Scooping out a bowl of white rice to go with the four dishes, she dug in with relish.
Life as a capitalist really was delightful. Even in an era marked by scarcity, being able to eat whatever one craved was pure bliss.
Mu Zhaozhao had made small portions of each dish, finishing every last bite. She wiped the corner of her mouth and let out a satisfied burp.
She then went out into the yard to get to work. Using a shovel, she dug up all eleven boxes, opened them one by one, and stowed all the gold bars into her portable spatial dimension.
Then, she gathered plenty of rocks nearby and packed them into the crates so the weight would feel unchanged.
With everything set, she headed upstairs for a nap, waiting for the evening’s show to begin.
As midnight approached, Qi Ruobing stealthily dressed herself and glanced at Mu Shangyu, who was sleeping like a dead log beside her.
It seemed the sleeping pills she slipped him had worked like a charm.
Emboldened, she slipped out of the bedroom and headed straight toward the spot in the yard where the gold was buried.
She mimicked a cat’s meow, and two figures immediately emerged from behind the gate—it was the elderly Qi couple.
“You wretched girl, where’s the gold you promised? Hurry up and get it out.”
Qi Ruobing pointed to the burial spot. “Right there. Dig it up, and you can take one box with you!”
Overjoyed, the old couple used their hands to scrape away the soil. Before long, they uncovered the crates.
Exchanging a glance, they loaded two boxes directly onto their pushcart without even opening them to check, preparing to make a run for it.
Panicking, Qi Ruobing grabbed Old Mrs. Qi’s sleeve. “Mom, you can’t take two boxes! If Shangyu finds out, I won’t be able to explain it!”
“Let go of me! Did we raise you for nothing? You have so much treasure and you try to brush us off with just one box? How heartless!” Old Mrs. Qi barked like a machine gun.
Having no choice, Qi Ruobing let go and allowed them to leave.
The couple had only moved a few meters when a furious voice boomed from behind:
“Qi Ruobing, what do you think you’re doing? Stealing family property?!”
At the sound of the voice, the Qi couple pushed the cart and bolted faster than rabbits.
Qi Ruobing turned around, her face deathly pale. Mu Shangyu was glaring at her with a sinister, menacing expression.