"Are you crazy?"
Liu Chunlan snatched his bottle away.
"I only said those things, but you actually went and did it?
"Doesn't a family always need someone to play good cop and someone to play bad cop?
"You treat her like a treasure. If I acted the same way you do, wouldn't she become the supreme ruler of this house?
"Son, this is your mother's life experience. It's wisdom.
"I don't actually hate her. On the contrary, I think quite highly of her.
"For all these years, she hasn't fought or competed for anything, nor has she talked back or argued with me.
"Besides, I've told you before, if you really divorce her, your next marriage will be your second.
"There's a shortage of women nowadays. It's hard enough to find a wife for a first marriage, let alone a second!
"With bride prices easily hitting hundreds of thousands, I'd have to be crazy to let you divorce and remarry!
"Hurry up and get on your feet. Go to the hospital and bring her back."
"How am I supposed to bring her back?"
Wang Hao threw his hands up in defeat.
"Tell me how. She's dead set on divorcing me right now.
"Look at Lin Jiajun—he'd rather take Keke to stay in a hotel than come home. What else can I say?"
Liu Chunlan slapped him on the back of the head.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Hurry up and go keep watch at the hospital. Don't give other men a chance to swoop in.
"And what about the child in her belly? If you get there too late, watch out or she might abort it again."
At the mention of the child, Wang Hao sobered up considerably.
Right, there was still the child.
A child that hadn't come easily. He absolutely could not let Lin Wanyi abort it.
If she wanted to leave, she had to give birth to the child first.
Right now?
Impossible.
He rushed to the hospital, only to find the ward completely empty.
He panicked. Had she left again?
Had she run away just like that?
He immediately checked the day's flights. Fortunately, the only flight had taken off long ago; Lin Wanyi couldn't have made it.
Trains were out of the question—tickets for the same day were impossible to buy.
The heavy stone in his heart lifted slightly.
At least they hadn't left town yet.
He called Lin Wanyi, but no one answered.
He called Lin Jiajun, and still, no one answered.
Finally, he called Wang Keke's smartwatch.
Her watch was set to answer automatically.
He heard Wang Keke's laughter, and then he heard Lin Wanyi saying:
"Thank you, Brother Liu, but such a high-end hotel is just too expensive.
"A chain hotel would be fine for us."
Then he heard Liu Renzhi's voice:
"Just stay here and don't worry. I can easily afford this small amount.
"Once everything is arranged, I'll go back to City A with you."
Back to City A? Wasn't that Lin Wanyi's hometown?
Wang Hao was going crazy with anxiety. He didn't know why Liu Renzhi was going back with Lin Wanyi.
Did he really have feelings for her?
No way.
Lin Wanyi was his wife. If she was his wife for a day, she was his wife for a lifetime.
She could only belong to him, Wang Hao.
Even if they divorced, that wouldn't change.
He couldn't let Lin Wanyi leave with Liu Renzhi. Absolutely not.
At this thought, he immediately opened his phone and tracked the GPS location of Wang Keke's smartwatch.
The Royal Court Hotel.
He gasped.
That really was the most luxurious hotel in the city.
He couldn't care less about that right now and immediately headed to the Royal Court Hotel.
He went to the front desk and asked, "Please check which room Lin Wanyi is staying in."
The receptionist looked up at him with a professional smile.
"I'm sorry, sir, but that is guest privacy. We cannot disclose that information."
"What privacy? She's my wife, and I'm her husband.
"How is that privacy?"
The receptionist kept her smile. "In that case, you can call her directly."
Left with no other choice, Wang Hao opened Keke's GPS tracker again, but the signal was gone.
Wang Keke's smartwatch had run out of battery.
He frantically called Lin Wanyi while getting on the elevator.
He searched floor by floor.
He knocked on every single door.
In the end, he didn't find Lin Wanyi; instead, security showed up.
Two security guards pinned him down as he struggled wildly:
"Let go of me! All of you, let go! I'm here looking for my wife.
"She's staying in your hotel."
The guards dragged him to the lobby, where he continued to yell:
"If you don't hand over my wife, I'll stay right here and never leave!"
The hotel manager approached him with a fake smile to persuade him:
"Sir, if you want to wait, please do so outside.
"Do not interfere with our business."
"Screw your business!"
Wang Hao was furious and cursed directly:
"My wife is about to sleep with another man, she's about to make a cuckold out of me, and you still won't hand her over?
"Believe it or not, I'll burn your damn hotel to the ground!"
The manager immediately called the police.
Meanwhile, upstairs in the presidential suite.
Liu Renzhi was asking Lin Wanyi:
"Wanyi, you've lived in Wang Family Village for quite a while. I'd like to ask you about something."
Lin Wanyi sat next to Lin Jiajun:
"Sure, Brother Liu, ask away. I will tell you everything I know."
Liu Renzhi immediately said:
"According to my investigations, the trafficking and selling of women is a very serious issue in Wang Family Village and the surrounding villages.
"Have you heard about this?"
Lin Wanyi hadn't expected him to ask about this. She was a bit surprised:
"Brother Liu, do you want to help them?"
Liu Renzhi nodded earnestly: "Yes. Over the past few days, I've learned too much from Siyue.
"I haven't been able to sleep at night. My heart aches whenever I think of those innocent girls.
"I also contacted the police outside the province, but they said that without victims coming forward to report it, it's difficult for them to enforce the law across jurisdictions.
"But I truly feel awful. Seeing Siyue makes me think of all the other girls who are still suffering.
"Wanyi, Jiajun, I have money. I've thought it over. The weather is clearing up now, and cars can drive into the village.
"I want to hire a group of bodyguards, go directly into the village, and take all those poor women away."
Lin Jiajun's blood boiled with excitement as he listened.
He couldn't even sit still: "That's great, Brother Liu! You have so much guts.
"This is exactly how a wealthy person should act.
"I'll go with you, Brother. I will definitely go with you.
"Let me tell you, the people here are sick in the head. They don't even cherish a properly married wife like my sister, let alone the ones who were kidnapped and trafficked here.
"And those so-called police officers in town, like that Zhang Qiang you met last time.
"They're all relatives. They might even be accomplices."
Liu Renzhi nodded at Lin Jiajun in appreciation, then turned to look at Lin Wanyi:
"You're a woman, and Wang Family Village is a place of heartbreak for you. I won't put you in a difficult position; you don't have to go with us this time.
"Just tell me which people you know of who have questionable origins.
"I will bring out as many as I can, otherwise, my chest feels incredibly tight.
"I really, truly haven't slept well in days."
Lin Wanyi suddenly thought of Zhao Pei.
Liu Dabing's wife, the one who had run away just a few days ago and was dragged back.
She was definitely the first one, and there was another one she knew of in the neighboring village.
As for the others, she usually kept to herself and ignored outside affairs, so she didn't know much.
But Liu Renzhi's words touched her.
He was right; there were still so many pitiful women, and they couldn't just walk away and leave them behind.
She had to do something before leaving.
Finally, she gritted her teeth and wrote down Liu Dabing's name first...
