“Zhao Zhenhua is a permanent employee with a monthly salary of sixty-two yuan, which adds up to seven hundred forty-four yuan a year. That doesn’t even include various benefits, bonuses, and overtime pay.
A thousand yuan may sound like a lot, but it depends on what you compare it to.
If Zhao Zhenhua’s charges are proven, forget how many years he’d be sentenced to—his job would definitely be gone.”
Song Yumei curled her lips into a mocking smile.
But her intention to negotiate the price was also obvious.
Zhao Shengli thought Song Yumei was too greedy.
Su Mulan hadn’t suffered any real harm, yet she wasn’t satisfied with a free thousand yuan.
But when under someone else’s roof, you have to bow your head.
He forced a smile. “Yumei, we’re all old colleagues. Tell us, how much do you want? We’ll do our best to gather it.”
Song Yumei replied casually, “I don’t want to say it outright. I wouldn’t want people to say I’m extorting you if word gets out. It’s better to see how determined your family is to settle this.”
Her attitude had the Zhao family completely under her thumb.
Zhao Shengli had no choice but to keep raising the offer, from fifteen hundred to two thousand yuan, but Song Yumei remained as steady as Mount Tai, her expression unchanged, as if the compensation were only fifteen or twenty yuan.
Zhuang Chuntao couldn’t hold back any longer and growled, “Song Yumei, don’t be too greedy! If you push me too far, you won’t get anything!”
Song Yumei crossed her arms and smiled calmly. “Then I also won’t have a son in prison.”
That one sentence extinguished Zhuang Chuntao’s fire.
Zhao Shengli gritted his teeth and finally made a decision. “Yumei, as long as you let Zhenhua go, I’ll give his job to Mulan.”
As soon as he said it, Zhao Shengli felt as if his heart were bleeding.
Back when he worked to get his son into the factory, he spent money, effort, and favors. Only he knew how precious this job was.
But Su Mulan didn’t care for it at all.
Not only did she know the job would be worthless in a few years, but even if it were valuable, she could get it on her own.
In her previous life, just in October, the factory held a recruitment fair for employees’ children. She scored first place and successfully got hired.
Although she couldn’t remember the exact questions, she knew very well that the exam wasn’t about textbook knowledge. Instead, it focused on proposing reforms for the current situation at the garment factory.
Now, with decades more life experience, if she were to take the exam again, she’d only do better than before!
Su Mulan wasn’t tempted, but Song Yumei was starting to feel restless.
If her daughter didn’t retake the college entrance exam, she could go straight to work at the factory.
If her daughter did retake the exam, selling the job could fetch three or four thousand yuan, covering her tuition and living expenses for university.
But she had said she’d leave the decision to her daughter, so she didn’t speak, only turned to look at her.
Su Mulan stood up and opened the door. “You two, since you have no sincerity in negotiating, let’s not waste each other’s time. Take care, and I won’t see you out.”
Zhao Shengli, who had been acting submissive all evening, couldn’t hold back any longer.
His face darkened. “Mulan, I advise you not to push your luck. Coming to you is the simplest way, but it’s not the only way.
If you’re too greedy, be careful you end up with nothing at all.”
Su Mulan remained completely unmoved.
Zhao Shengli snorted coldly and left first.
Zhuang Chuntao swept her gaze over the two people in the room and sneered. “You’re destined to be poor for life!
I’ll make sure you know that even without you, I can still save my son.”
After the two left, Song Yumei felt somewhat nervous: “Mulan, that’s a job opportunity, are you really turning it down?
I heard the Zhao family has a relative working in the public security department. From what Zhao Shengli implied, they probably plan to seek help from that relative.”
Having been the Zhao family’s daughter-in-law for over thirty years, Su Mulan naturally knew about this matter.
That relative was named Zhang Zhigang, a distant cousin of Zhao Zhenhua’s father, a thoroughly corrupt official. In 2006, he was arrested, and the embezzled funds uncovered amounted to several hundred million yuan, along with over eighty properties and shops, plus various antiques and paintings reportedly worth over a hundred million as well.
But this high-ranking official, who would dominate the political scene over a decade later, was at this time merely a deputy division chief in the public security department. By the end of the year, he would be promoted to division chief, boarding the ship of a powerful figure, and only then would his official career begin to smooth out.
Earlier, she had deliberately given a glimmer of hope, prompting the Zhao family to actively raise their offer, only to refuse it. In truth, she also wanted to force Zhao Shengli to seek out Zhang Zhigang.
Since Zhang Zhigang was due for promotion at year-end, he surely had rivals.
And the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
As long as Zhang Zhigang intervened, there was a chance to crush this massive corrupt official ahead of time, and Zhao Zhenhua would remain unreachable.
If Zhang Zhigang didn’t intervene, Zhao Zhenhua would still be stuck, and she would lose nothing.
Su Mulan reassured her mother: “Mom, don’t worry. At this critical juncture, no one would dare to intervene lightly.
Zhao Zhenhua will surely face retribution!”
Seeing her daughter’s resolve, Song Yumei didn’t press further.
That night, Su Guoqiang didn’t return home. Neither mother nor daughter mentioned him, acting as if he didn’t exist in the household.
The next day, Song Yumei went to work as persuaded by Su Mulan.
Su Mulan went to the police station again, only to be told that the case had been transferred.
“The higher-ups said our station is short-staffed, so the case has been assigned to Qiyuan Police Station.”
After explaining the situation, Fang Chengzhi comforted Su Mulan: “Don’t worry. Zhao Zhenhua has already confessed, and the statements are complete. The next step is just following procedure. Zhao Zhenhua will definitely be sentenced.”
Su Mulan hadn’t expected Zhao Shengli to act so quickly—he likely went to seek Zhang Zhigang’s help right after leaving her home last night.
She didn’t idle either. Upon receiving this news, she immediately returned to the residential compound.
It was time to add more fuel to the fire. Even if Zhao Zhenhua were luckily rescued, he would still be like a rat scurrying across the street, despised by everyone!