From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

He wasn't just trying to suppress my career; he was attacking my weaknesses!

He knew I owed Su Qing a huge favor, and he knew that this bracelet was Su Qing's lifeline.

So he directly undermined our efforts, secretly taking action to bankrupt the mortgage bank, forcing the owner to abscond, and completely cutting off all our hopes of redeeming the bracelet!

He wanted me to owe Su Qing forever, to live with guilt for the rest of my life!

It will forever hamper my ability to hold my head high, and I will forever be trapped by this shackle of social obligations!

If that's really the case, then I can only say I underestimated Fang Heng.

What a vicious tactic!

Previously, he targeted me, cut off my path to survival, schemed against me, and implicated the innocent Brother Luo, yet I was still able to endure and restrain myself.

But he shouldn't have touched Su Qing!

I can lose my career, my money, all the resources to turn things around; I can accept having nothing at all.

But I absolutely cannot accept that, because of me, Su Qing, who treated me so sincerely, lost the family heirloom that had been passed down for generations!

I gritted my teeth, veins bulging on my forehead, and the rage in my chest surged wildly.

Fang Heng is determined to drive me to the brink of despair!

"Lin Ye..."

Su Qing sensed something was off about my aura and gently tugged at my sleeve, her voice filled with fear:

"Don't blame yourself, really... Just like you said, we have to trust the police, we'll definitely find it."

She was clearly on the verge of tears, and she was the one who felt the most sorry and wronged, yet she was the one comforting me.

I was afraid I would blame myself, afraid I would be upset.

Seeing her red eyes and her forced composure, I felt extremely sad.

I took a deep breath, suppressed my surging anger, and ultimately didn't tell him my guess.

Since there's no evidence, if we really go there, she might be Fang Hengqian's mistress. I don't know what foolish things she might do.

I turned to look directly at Su Qing, my eyes filled with utmost seriousness, and spoke in a deep voice, word by word.

"Su Qing, remember this."

"Throughout my life, I, Lin Ye, have always acted with integrity and have never owed anyone a single penny."

"This bracelet was lost today because of me."

"No matter where it is moved, no matter how difficult the investigation is, no matter how long it takes, or how much it costs."

"I will do everything in my power to find it for you."

"I promise, I definitely will."

Su Qing stared at me blankly, her reddened eyes trembling slightly. After a long while, she gently nodded.

After the police completed the registration, they repeatedly told us to go back and wait for news, and that they would contact us as soon as there was any progress in recovering the stolen goods.

However, the euphemism in their words was already quite obvious.

The suspects fled across provinces, and the stolen goods circulated in a chaotic manner, making the probability of recovering valuable personal items extremely low.

Simply put, it's basically a no-go.

The two police officers packed up their statements and drove away.

After the noise subsided, only Su Qing and I remained at the door.

She lowered her head slightly, her shoulders tense, clearly in extreme pain, yet she stubbornly suppressed all her emotions.

I know her too well.

She was afraid that her breakdown would make me feel even more guilty.

So even if her heart was bleeding, she desperately suppressed her grievances and carried all the bitterness alone, which made people feel heartbroken.

I tossed the burnt-out cigarette butt from between my fingers, gently patted her drooping head, and whispered:

"Don't hold it in. If you feel bad, just cry it out. If you want to vent or yell, come at me."

These words seemed to shatter her last line of defense.

Su Qing suddenly looked up, her red eyes instantly bursting open, large tears rolling down her fair cheeks.

"That's the only thing my grandma left me... I've worn it since I was little, for over ten years..."

"I really regret it. I shouldn't have acted so impulsively. I shouldn't have mortgaged it to help you..."

"I'm not blaming you, Lin Ye, I don't blame you at all... I'm just heartbroken, heartbroken so much..."

She was incoherent and trembling with sobs.

Hearing her cry made me feel terrible.

Yes, she wasn't blaming me at all.

She blamed herself for being so useless, for failing to uphold the hopes left by her elders.

After she had vented her frustrations for a while, I said to her in a deep voice:

"Don't worry, I always keep my word. I'll do everything in my power to find this bracelet for you."

Regardless of whether Fang Heng was behind it or not, I will fight this to the bitter end.

I patiently and softly comforted her, gradually calming her agitated emotions.

After a long while, Su Qing slowly stopped crying.

She raised her hand and hastily wiped away the tears on her face, forcing a weak smile:

"Okay, I'm fine now. Crying won't solve anything. Let's just wait for the police to let us know."

Looking at her feigned strength, my hatred grew even stronger.

Fang Heng is too ruthless.

He never confronts me directly; he always resorts to underhanded tactics, targeting my weaknesses.

They ruined my career, disturbed my friends, and now they've even stolen what Su Qing cherishes most.

Step by step, it eroded all my confidence and crushed all the warmth around me.

He wanted to drive me to the brink of collapse, to force me to doubt myself, and to make me live my whole life in guilt and remorse.

After a moment of silence, I helped Su Qing to her feet and said in a deep voice, "Don't stand here in the wind. There's no point in staying here. Let's go."

At this moment, Su Qing nodded obediently and followed quietly beside me.

Instead of taking a taxi directly away, I led her around to a secluded side alley at the street corner.

After confirming that no one was around, I immediately took out my phone and dialed a number.

The call connected quickly, and a rough, steady male voice came through the receiver, tinged with surprise:

"Yezi? What a rare guest! What brings you to call me today?"

The person on the other end of the phone was Brother Dao, an old hand I met when I was wandering around Jiangzhou in my early years.

He specializes in handling all kinds of bad debts and private deals. He has extensive connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles, and is the only private force I can currently rely on.

Without any pleasantries, I got straight to the point: "Brother Dao, there's something I'd like to ask you to help me look up someone."

"Say it, what is it? As long as it's within my power, no problem." Dao Ge is a loyal and straightforward person.

"Fang Heng, the general manager of Xingyao Media, is the young master of the Fang Group."

Dao Ge on the other end of the phone paused noticeably: "Fang Heng? I know that young master. He's rich but petty. How did you end up clashing with him?"

It's a long story.

I sighed, then said, "Please investigate one thing for me: in the last two weeks, has he had any private contact with the owner of Hong Endian Pawnshop in South Asia? Tell me anything that shows any connection."

Dao Ge didn't say much, but immediately replied, "Okay, I'll contact you if I get any news."

"Okay, thank you for your help, Brother Dao."

"Why are you being so polite with me?"

Dao Ge paused, then deliberately reminded him, "But Ye Zi, let me add something: Fang Heng is ruthless and vicious. If you really clash with him, be very careful and don't suffer a great loss."

"I know, just help me check if they're in contact privately."

"Okay, that's all for now. I'll contact you again if I hear anything."

I responded and hung up the phone.