Everyone was stunned.
“What? Su Chen is alive? I thought he was supposed to die. We even assumed he didn’t make it last night and were planning to storm the prison to break you out,” Xiao Zhao said, then suddenly paused.
It wasn’t just that they wanted to save Tang Er; the others faced much higher risks, even life or death situations… some things were better left unsaid.
You could tell just by their expressions.
“Luckily not!” Tang Er raised his eyebrows and spoke rapidly like a machine gun:
“You have no idea how strict the prison guards are. Director Jian personally leads the guards every day, calling roll one by one. Some people’s families have money and spent a fortune bribing the lower ranks to get a ‘white duck’—a scapegoat—to take their place and die for them. But they always get caught and get beaten badly.”
A sharp intake of breath.
This “white duck” scheme basically means sending a substitute prisoner to die in your place.
Usually, the authorities would turn a blind eye, since someone was suffering anyway, but even this was not allowed—shows how tight the control was.
“As for how Su Chen survived, I’m not entirely sure. Apparently, some kind of special medicine was used. You could say he’s just incredibly lucky,” Tang Er continued.
Incredibly lucky?
Xiao Zhao and the shopkeeper immediately thought of the countless street vendors who had been handing out items nonstop these past few days. Rough estimates put it at hundreds of thousands of people praying for Su Chen’s recovery.
No wonder he had such good fortune.
“Wait a minute,” the shopkeeper said thoughtfully, “This special medicine isn’t ordinary. If it were risk-free, Su Ning would have definitely used it for her cousin earlier. So last night, Su Chen must have been critically ill. Su Ning took a desperate gamble… that kind of medicine probably carries a risk of death. Tang, you were really lucky.”
Tang Er suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
Indeed.
If Su Chen had died, it wouldn’t just be a general pardon—it could have meant the extermination of his entire clan…
Speaking of which,
A “skeleton” spoke up, “Actually, the luckiest ones should be us. When we were caught, I never thought we’d survive. Who would have guessed that the people who came to arrest us got scared off, leaving us alone with no one asking or caring? We survived day after day on moldy bread and caught rainwater through broken tiles. Somehow, we lived until the day we were released.”
His eyes were full of gratitude, and the other “skeletons” felt the same.
Though they were ready to sacrifice themselves for justice,
Who really wants to die if they can survive?
“It’s also thanks to everyone’s perseverance,” the shopkeeper said, looking at the emaciated prisoners who were probably just a step away from starvation. Then he added:
“Before the Nanjing government realizes what’s going on, you need to move quickly—get out of Beiping as soon as possible.”
Everyone understood the gravity of the situation and nodded.
The shopkeeper sighed one last time, “That was pure luck again. Who would have thought Su Ning would actually dare to release you? The timing was just right to arrange everything. People say she’s lawless and arrogant, but now it’s clear—she just slapped the Nanjing government right in the face!”
……
That slap took the Nanjing government several days to truly feel.
First, that night passed.
The funeral procession in Beiping was eagerly anticipated, rushed and worked overtime—someone had even prepared early, placing orders and opening umbrellas. Yet, sigh, the rain never came.
Rumors began to spread that Su Chen hadn’t died after all, and that his condition was steadily improving.
Fake news, definitely fake.
Someone declared with certainty:
“He absolutely can’t survive. My second uncle’s third cousin’s younger brother had the same situation once—a small wound at first, and it was winter then. The wound wouldn’t heal, the flesh rotted and spread, getting worse and worse until it reached the intestines. In the end, he went to meet the King of Hell.”
No need for him to say more.
Though not everyone dared to utter the word “infection,” it appeared too frequently to ignore.
They might not have eaten pork, but they had definitely seen pigs running around.
Once infection set in, survival was nearly impossible.
They even came up with a pattern: this kind of thing happened less in winter, but as soon as the weather warmed up, you had to be careful—don’t get injured or anything.
Like why children born in May were considered unlucky.
There was a reason for that.
When it got hot, mothers were prone to infections. If the child survived but the mother died, wasn’t that just bad luck?
At first, no one believed the rumors—until someone noticed that the street vendors who usually delivered goods had vanished. They really were gone!
People went to ask around.
Just a few days ago, those who had been smiling now wore hard, cold expressions, narrowing their eyes and sneering:
“Why? Hah, you bunch of poor folks, enjoying a few days’ luck and still not satisfied, thinking you can hold on forever? Your shamelessness must be a reincarnation of bricks from under the city gate. If Big Boss Su were not alive to earn virtue, I’d slap you right now!”
Well, well.
Su Chen, who was supposed to be dead for sure, was actually alive.
“How could he still be alive… Could it be he borrowed our lives or something?”
“Your rotten life isn’t worth much. I think Miss Su must have hired some miracle doctor to drag him back from the King of Hell.”
“What kind of miracle doctor could do that? I heard that night, someone actually saw the ghostly messengers heading to the hospital to collect souls, but Miss Su bribed them with gold foil money and sacrificial offerings, forcing them to let him stay.”
“Don’t disbelieve it. Normally, no one can go from near death to alive overnight. Miss Su not only bribed the ghost messengers but also swapped the fates of her cousin and someone in the hospital. That’s why it worked so well. Otherwise, just ask around the hospital—you’ll find someone died.”
Smart people, of course, wouldn’t believe this.
After all,
Hospitals see deaths every day. Medical resources during the Republic era were poor. Su Ning was kind-hearted, but even worried about Su Chen’s injury, she wouldn’t have the arrogance to make the entire hospital revolve around him.
Besides, it wasn’t necessary.
So, the hospital still had other patients, and where there are patients, there are deaths.
Not to mention,
Among all the speculations, this story spread the widest and was discussed the most.
Ordinary folks chatted happily without worries, unaware of the brewing storm behind the scenes, where those who knew the truth trembled, fearing contamination.
Coincidentally, the sandstorm had stopped.
A heavy rain followed, washing the leaves on the streets until they gleamed with fresh green, and the air smelled sweet.
So, in these past two days,
Su Ning slept soundly and peacefully. When well-rested, her mood was better. So when the phone rang again from Nanjing, she answered.
Unexpectedly,
It wasn’t the usual Madame Kung on the other end, but a strange male voice, fierce and unpleasant in tone.
“Su Ning, do you know what you’ve done...”
Click.
The call ended.
Su Ning sipped her tea casually. She wasn’t a three-year-old child—of course, she knew exactly what she was doing.
A few seconds later.
The phone rang again. She picked up once more.
This time, the tone on the other end was even worse than before. Su Ning held the receiver a little farther away, wary of the electronic spit spraying onto her face, and then casually hung up.
Just drinking tea wasn’t enough.
Someone brought over an assortment of pastries and neatly sliced pieces of fruit. No matter where she was, once you had enough money, you could enjoy things that transcended time and place. For example, right now, she could eat southern fruits in Beiping.
And they were all carefully selected top-grade produce, not just blindly sweet.
They all tasted distinctly like “fruit.”
This call lasted almost a full minute. Su Ning slowly finished eating the watermelon, wiped her hands, yawned, and considered whether she should take a nap to catch some extra sleep.
This time, the voice on the other end was different.
Gentle, like a warm spring breeze, the caller first introduced their position, then congratulated Su Chen on narrowly escaping death’s door.
“...Speaking of which, your younger brother’s misfortune this time was partly due to a mistake on our government’s part. Director Zhao was so anxious to catch the communists that he was repeatedly criticized back in Nanjing. We wanted to bring him over to formally apologize and make amends to you and your brother, but—”
The voice took a sudden turn, dropping a few octaves in surprise:
“Director Zhao can’t be found. Maybe he felt too ashamed and quietly came to Beiping to apologize himself. So, we wanted to ask, Miss Su, is he with you?”
“If he is, please teach him a lesson for us.”
“Disobeying orders and abandoning his post—this could lead to a military tribunal with dire consequences!”
Now that’s what you call someone with skill.
Su Ning sighed.
Look at that—so smooth, even giving her an excuse. Even if Director Zhao got hurt, it didn’t matter—after all, the government was entrusting her to discipline him.
Too bad he’d be wasting his efforts.
…………
“Is that so?” Su Ning replied, indifferent. “I didn’t expect something like that. But you’re going to be disappointed. I’ve been busy trying to find a way to save my cousin, so I haven’t had the energy to pay attention to what’s going on outside. No one’s come to apologize.”
“But it’s fine—I’m not in a hurry.”
“Take your time finding him. I’m not planning to leave Beiping anytime soon. You can come apologize whenever you want.”
The voice on the other end choked up.
They were the ones who took him, so how were they supposed to find him?
The caller was even more direct: “There’s evidence that he headed north to Beiping. This side belongs to Miss Su, who’s known for her incredible resourcefulness. So we’re asking for your help in finding him.”
“I wouldn’t dare claim to be all-powerful, but finding someone is something I can do.”
The man’s heart leapt.
Then he heard—
“But these are chaotic times. One careless step and you could lose your life, just like my cousin nearly did, almost meeting the King of Hell... But don’t worry, there’s a saying: ‘If alive, you want to see the person; if dead, you want to see the body.’ No matter if he’s alive or dead, I will find him for you.”
At this, Su Ning raised an eyebrow.
That’s right—she didn’t know if the man was alive or dead. Smart people learn to let go. She had handed him over to Su Chen and would leave it at that.
The infection had been suppressed, but all the rotten flesh on the wound had to be scraped away.
Only then could new flesh grow.
It would be very painful.
Even with anesthesia, the pain was unbearable—one or two days wouldn’t be enough to fully deal with it.
So, Su Chen decided to keep the person around.
He called it a reward—at least that’s what he said.
Maybe it was a kind of delayed gratification, Su Ning thought indifferently.
She noticed the heavy breathing on the other end of the line, like the bubbling sound just before water boils. Once again, she hung up the phone, propping her chin on her hand and lazily yawning. Then she turned to look at Lin Sen, who had just walked in through the door.
“Is everything taken care of?”
“Yes.”
Assistant Lin nodded. “The newspapers and news outlets have been handled. The reports can go public at any time, and the materials have been secretly delivered to the right people.”
“That’s good.”
Su Ning felt her eyelids fluttering as if in a battle and soon fell into a deep sleep after returning to her bedroom.
…………
Meanwhile, while she was off dreaming with the Sandman,
on the other side,
just as someone was about to lose their temper, the call was abruptly cut off. The anger was forced down, turning their face red as they struggled to catch their breath.
“She hung up on you too?”
There were several people in the room, including the Kung couple. The one speaking—the same person who had just been hung up on by Su Ning multiple times—sneered:
“She even advised me to consider the bigger picture. Look at her attitude now. Just a mere businesswoman, and she thinks she’s some big shot. A nobody with wings, thinking she’s a phoenix.”
“Don’t speak so harshly,” Madame Kung frowned. “After all, there’s no concrete evidence in this matter. If you just arrest her outright, who would still believe in the government?”
But the man was unyielding.
“Evidence? What evidence do we need? Besides her, who else would have the motive?”
He glanced around at the others and snorted through his nose.
“Cut the crap. You’re all just fattened up by her money, watching the government get slapped in the face and still praising her. I don’t care—whether it’s oil or fertilizer—once we arrest her, she won’t be able to call the shots anymore.”
His eyes flickered restlessly.
A vast mountain of gold and silver seemed to appear in his mind. Despite his righteous tone,
the truth was,
he had accepted money from Su Ning too, and not a small amount. But he wasn’t satisfied.
No matter how much slipped through his fingers,
it couldn’t compare to taking it all at once. If Su Ning stayed abroad, it might be one thing, but she had the audacity to come back and give the government a reason to strike.
She was downright arrogant and foolish.
What he thought, others could easily imagine. Silence fell immediately.
Everyone was weighing the pros and cons.
“I think, for this matter, it’s best if we don’t get involved.”
Later, in the car, Madame Kung looked up at her husband, surprised to see him nodding in agreement. Noticing her gaze, Mr. Kung sighed helplessly:
“I’ve had some dirty dealings with Su Ning, but I have to admire her. A young woman who managed to hold onto such a huge fortune and live so boldly—it’s definitely not simple.”
“Exactly. Su Ning isn’t a fool.”
Madame Kung smiled.
“On the contrary, she’s a smart one. So if she dares to act like this, she must have the confidence to back it up.”
Besides,
if Su Ning really fell, those with status wouldn’t miss out on benefits either.
…………
Money moves hearts.
Some people are like bloodthirsty leeches, excitedly swarming the wound as soon as they find one. But Su Ning’s advantages weren’t handed out for free. The real big shots stood by and watched, staying out of the fray, while those who took action sharpened their knives with determination.
It wasn’t wise to make a big fuss over Su Ning.
Then someone remembered.
Isn’t there an army right outside Beiping City? Without hesitation, an order was issued.
“Enough.”
Huang Yu, growing impatient, turned to the person babbling in front of him and asked a completely unrelated question:
“If I remember correctly, you just arrived in Beiping?”
“Yes.”
Though he didn’t understand why he was being asked, he answered promptly, then added with a smile, “Come to think of it, you and I can be considered brothers in arms. I graduated from military academy earlier this year. Being so unfamiliar with this place, I’m grateful for your help.”
“So you’re not a local from Beiping, huh? That explains a lot,” Huang Yu muttered.
He stood up and casually patted the “junior brother” on the shoulder.
“Orders from above must be obeyed. Alright, consider this matter yours to handle.”
The junior brother was overjoyed.
This was a golden opportunity.
“By the way, Su Ning’s influence in Beiping is considerable. You’d better be fully prepared. Bring plenty of men. I won’t set any limits — take as many troops as you can persuade to go with you.”
Now he was even more grateful.
He hurriedly expressed his thanks and left, completely unaware that Huang Yu twitched the corners of his mouth, said nothing, and kicked his feet up on the table.
He covered his eyes with his military cap and went back to sleep.
The combination of promotion and wealth is a powerful motivator.
Before long, the troops were assembled.
The junior brother looked over the men with satisfaction. They were all in uniform, not ragged clothes. Most were young and in their prime, unlike soldiers elsewhere who were often fifty- or sixty-year-old men, children under ten, or gaunt, emaciated addicts.
He cleared his throat twice.
The noise instantly died down — discipline seemed decent.
Graduating from military academy, the junior brother naturally had some skills, at least in the art of rousing speeches. He hinted strongly at the benefits of capturing Su Ning.
That was Su Ning!
Who in the country didn’t know this man was a tycoon? Even a slight association meant hands dripping with grease — this kind of chance was rare and precious.
His excitement grew as he spoke.
But it soon became clear that the crowd’s reaction was lukewarm.
Then he realized that most of these rank-and-file soldiers probably didn’t even understand what he was saying. Why waste so much breath? Frowning, he waved his hand decisively.
“Fine. You just need to know this is a lucrative job. Everyone’s guaranteed at least two silver dollars. Now, who’s interested in joining me? Raise your hand.”
He raised his own hand first.
One second passed, then five, thirty, a whole minute.
Still, only he raised his hand.
Not a single one of his direct subordinates dared to volunteer.
He gritted his teeth. “Damn it! Are you deaf or stupid? Didn’t you hear me?”
“We heard you.”
Someone in the crowd called out in a hoarse voice, “We’re neither deaf nor stupid, but anyone who takes your word and goes after Miss Su is the real fool.”
“I heard you’re an outsider?”
“No wonder—someone from the countryside comes to beg in our Beiping, doesn’t know a single rule, and ends up this clueless. Look at his reputation; no one even bothered to warn him.”
The junior brother’s face turned pale, then flushed red.
He wanted to find out who was speaking, but all he met were mocking eyes, completely unafraid. Clenching his fists, he pointed at them and said,
“This is an order from Nanjing. As soldiers, we must obey!”
Someone burst out laughing.
“Bah! First let Nanjing cough up our overdue pay. Damn it, they owe us nearly half a year already.”
“You’re dreaming if you think you’ll get any silver coins. They won’t even supply us with food.”
“Without Miss Su, we’d starve to death!”
“That’s right. We men from Beiping have pride. We eat what Miss Su provides, drink what she offers, carry the weapons she gave us, wear the clothes she supplied. Even our families back home do odd jobs paid for by Miss Su’s rewards. No matter how good the deal, we can’t go against her!”
“Exactly.”
The junior brother finally understood.
This army had long been infiltrated by Su Ning, from top to bottom.
On the surface, it looked like the government’s.
But in reality, it was all under the Su name!
…………
The news reached Nanjing.
Outrage erupted.
The situation immediately froze in place. Meanwhile, a high-ranking military official stared skeptically at a vial carefully guarded inside a box and asked,
“Is this thing really that miraculous?”
