I Return From Hell

Chapter 143: Chapter 136: 2 Questions and 2 Answers, Xia Yu Takes the Blame

THUD.

Following Gao Weiguo’s ”suicide jump,” the troublemakers in front of the East Spirit Pharmaceutical Factory were all arrested.

They were suspected of being connected to Gao Weiguo’s death.

For a moment, it was chaos.

VROOM.

Meanwhile, Xia Yu and Hong She drove away.

Heading straight for Huayang City.

On the way, Xia Yu, who was in the passenger seat, answered another call.

”Hello.”

”It’s me.”

Zhao Guohui’s voice came through the line.

”I don’t know you.”

Xia Yu said calmly.

’Still playing games?’

”Whatever you say.”

Zhao Guohui paused, then said helplessly, ”The resources I mentioned last time have arrived. I’ll give them to Xie Shaokun and Little Nannan later. Also, the higher-ups want to ask you two things.”

”First, what does the country need to prepare in advance?”

”Second, can you tell us more basic information about the Mist Events?”

”You really have the wrong person.”

CLICK.

Xia Yu hung up.

Immediately, she switched to a different phone, paused in thought for a moment, then quickly typed out a text message.

’She hung up again?’

Zhao Guohui felt a sense of familiarity.

He remained calm and waited patiently.

Soon enough, a message arrived.

The first message: The Apocalypse is coming soon.

Seeing this, Zhao Guohui let out a heavy sigh of relief. After all, the fact that Xia Yu would tell him ”the Apocalypse is coming” meant she was hoping to deepen their cooperation.

This was a good sign.

But then, his brow furrowed.

’Apocalypse?’

’Just as I thought!’

’The situation is even more serious than I imagined!’

He didn’t press Xia Yu with questions like ’Why will the Apocalypse happen?’, ’What are the threats after it starts?’, or ’How can we prevent it?’.

He knew that if Xia Yu wanted to say more, she would.

’Since the Apocalypse is coming, there’s so much to prepare.’

Proposals from department heads in a recent video conference surfaced in Zhao Guohui’s mind: stockpiling food, stockpiling weapons, promoting nationwide fitness, mass conscription, increasing military spending, building large-scale shelters...

He continued reading.

The second message: That depends on the officials’ sincerity.

’Sincerity?’

’That’s one thing I don’t lack.’

He thought of a new resource the government had recently obtained. They didn’t know what it did and didn’t dare use it rashly. This was the perfect opportunity to ask if Xia Yu wanted it!

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

Just then, a knock came from the door.

”Who is it?”

Zhao Guohui asked.

”Zhao Group, it’s me.”

It was Qian Yihao’s voice.

”Come in.”

Zhao Guohui was all business.

The moment Qian Yihao pushed the door open, Zhao Guohui asked, ”What is it?”

”Gao Weiguo is dead.”

Qian Yihao saw Zhao Guohui’s anxious expression and knew he must have urgent matters to attend to, so he got straight to the point. ”Someone threw him off a building.”

”Gao Weiguo?”

Zhao Guohui frowned. ”From the Gao Family?”

”The person in charge of the Gao Family in Shunyang City,” Qian Yihao said. ”He sent men to kidnap Hong She’s mother. She was rescued, and then he was killed.”

’Hong She did it!’

”Who is Hong She?”

Zhao Guohui’s interest was piqued.

”He originally worked for Gao Weiguo.”

”Later...”

Qian Yihao lowered his voice. ”After the ’zoo’ incident, he was rescued by Xie Shaokun and hasn’t been seen since.”

’Xie Shaokun?!’

Zhao Guohui’s pupils contracted as he made a connection. ”Are you suggesting Hong She is one of *their* people?”

”That would explain why Gao Weiguo sent people to kidnap Hong She’s mother!”

”Gao Zhengting probably gave his tacit approval!”

”Let me guess... Gao Zhengting must have gotten word and now wants our help capturing Hong She, right?”

Qian Yihao nodded.

”You’re right, Zhao Group.”

He nodded and said, ”Ten minutes ago, Gao Zhengting contacted me personally. He said Hong She is a murderer and is likely on his way to Huayang City. He hopes we can apprehend him.”

”He didn’t say anything else.”

”I was curious, so I asked a friend to do some digging.”

”That’s how I found out there’s much more to this than meets the eye.”

’Your friend must be an insider in the Gao Family, right?’

’Otherwise, how could you find out such confidential information so clearly in such a short amount of time?’

Zhao Guohui glanced at Qian Yihao and said, ”Tell Gao Zhengting we will definitely cooperate with them. And then... you all just carry on with your own business.”

Qian Yihao understood instantly. He took his leave and departed.

...

...

「Unfinished Building.」

”Big Sister, I found the coin you hid!”

When Little Nannan saw Xia Yu get out of the car, she rushed over excitedly.

”Oh?”

”Little Nannan, you’re amazing.”

Xia Yu gave a faint smile and said, ”Next time, I’ll hide something different.”

”Okay!”

Little Nannan said with a smile.

Seeing Little Nannan’s sweet, carefree smile, Hong She was a little dazed. ’We just went through a life-or-death battle and killed so many monsters. How can a girl as young as Little Nannan have already moved on?’

’Or... is she already used to it?’

”Xie Shaokun, show them around.”

After sending them away, Xia Yu turned to Little Nannan and instructed, ”Keep an eye on Hong She and Hong She’s mother. Report anything unusual to me immediately.”

”Yes.”

Little Nannan’s expression grew serious, and she nodded in acknowledgment.

”Also, when you go for gun practice tomorrow, Zhao Guohui’s people will give you a Jade Box. Protect it and give it to me.”

Xia Yu instructed.

”Yes.”

Little Nannan affirmed again.

Although she didn’t know what it was, Yu had given her such a serious warning that she didn’t dare to be careless.

”Mm.”

Then, Xia Yu checked on the growth of Big Flower and Erhua before turning to leave.

’With Little Nannan here, I can get real-time updates on the situation. There won’t be any problems.’

’Besides, Xie Shaokun is here too.’

’Even if Hong She has other intentions, he can’t stir up any trouble. Still...’

’In about ten days, a Mist Event will give rise to a Puppet Heart.’

’Its effect isn’t as good as a Servant Spirit Species, but it’s enough to control one person.’

Xia Yu already had a plan in mind.

For now, she just hoped to get through the next ten-odd days peacefully, without any unexpected trouble.

As for the batch of Mist Events happening in a few days, she would have Xie Shaokun, Hong She, and the others participate in the ones with lower risk factors—ones suitable for training their superpowers and gaining combat experience.

As for her and Little Flower...

They had other plans.

「At an intersection.」

’It’s still early.’

’I’ll go check on the base first.’

Instead of rushing home, Xia Yu headed toward Xia Family Village, which she hadn’t visited in several days.

After entering the village, people started pointing and whispering about her.

She made a point to listen in:

”Have you noticed? When Xia Yu’s family had problems, Xia Hongchun’s family was doing great. But when people in Xia Hongchun’s family started dying one after another and their lives got worse and worse, Xia Yu started doing really well.”

”I didn’t even notice until you said it! It really seems that way!”

”I asked the fortune teller from the next village. He said their two families are cursed to oppose each other. When one family’s fortune is good, the other will be unlucky. The only way to break it is for one of the families to be completely wiped out.”

”What? That... Xia Hongchun’s entire family really is dead, and even Wang Chunxue’s family—the woman he married later—is dead too! Doesn’t that mean Xia Yu caused their deaths?”

...

Hearing this, Xia Yu couldn’t be bothered with these women. She stomped on the gas and sped away.

「Meanwhile.」

After Xie Shaokun finished showing Hong She and his mother around the unfinished building, he didn’t see Xia Yu and asked, ”Where’s Yu? Did she leave?”

”Yeah.”

Little Nannan nodded.

Xie Shaokun was about to say something else when his phone rang. He looked down, saw it was a call from ’Ziqi,’ and quickly ran off a short distance before answering.

”Ziqi, what’s up?”

”Do you have time right now? I’m not bothering you, am I?”

”Not at all, not at all.”

”Last time, you walked me home and even protected me in my living room all night. I slept so soundly, and I wasn’t scared even when I thought about those monsters in the middle of the night. I still haven’t thanked you properly.”

”It was nothing.”

”How about this, let me treat you to a meal again.”

”Huh? Didn’t you already treat me to a meal last time?”

”That was to thank you for saving me. This is different.”

”No, no, let me treat you. How can I keep letting a girl pay?”

”What’s wrong with being a girl? Does that mean girls get to eat and drink for free? You don’t want me to keep feeling indebted, do you?”

”Alright then, I’m on my way.”