Professor Xie, isn't this a case of forcing customers to buy products that don't match the

At 10 a.m., Xie Jing sat behind his desk, reviewing a draft of an ancient book restoration report.

The phone vibrated on the side, and the encrypted communication interface was brought up.

Xie Jing answered the call.

"Master of the family." Lin Zhou's voice came.

"Regarding Zhou Xu'an, whom you instructed to investigate last night, there have been unexpected findings during the background check."

"Speak," Xie Jing said, turning a page.

"Zhou Xu'an, whose original name was Xie Xu; his mother, Zhou Yun, was the second wife of Xie Wenbo, who was expelled from the clan twenty years ago."

"This morning, when I brought Mr. Shang to the police station, I had a brief encounter with his mother."

He finished his report and awaited instructions.

Xie Jing paused for a few seconds as he flipped through the papers.

A few seconds later, he spoke:

"understood."

"Everything shall be handled in accordance with the law."

Lin Zhou quickly responded, "Yes."

"Furthermore," Xie Jing added, as if suddenly remembering something, "if they encounter financial or resource difficulties regarding Shen Yan's mother's subsequent medical care, they can seek necessary and compliant support through... Qingguo's charitable projects. Let's make it natural and not specifically mention me."

"Understood. I will make proper arrangements to ensure that the procedures are legal and compliant, and that the assistance is delivered effectively."

Lin Zhou agreed.

He knew perfectly well that the head of the family's actions were not only out of concern for Shang Song's friend, but also a way to make amends to the paralyzed old man who had been innocently caught up in the trouble.

Xie Jing cut off communications.

Xie Jing remained in a reading posture for a long time without moving.

Only at a certain moment did he exhale a very long breath.

Then, he picked up his phone, opened WeChat, and tapped the only little orange cat.

He typed:

"Are you coming back? What would you like to eat for lunch?"

send.

He then placed his phone within easy reach and continued his review work.

Inside the police station, Shang Song sat at the reception desk, glancing inside from time to time, waiting for Xu Zhao and Shen Yan to finish giving their statements.

My phone rang in my pocket.

He took out his phone, saw Xie Jing's message, thought for a moment, and replied lecherously:

Can I eat Professor Xie's food?

At the top of the dialog box, it quickly displays "typing in progress".

But after a long while, no reply popped up.

Shang Song then sent another lewd message:

Can't it?

Xie Jing finally replied:

We'll talk about it when we get back.

Shang Song couldn't help but curl up his lips. He could imagine Xie Jing's ears turning red from his teasing, and how he would force himself to remain calm and reply.

He chuckled awkwardly twice and continued typing:

Xu Zhao and Shen Yan haven't come out yet; I don't know if they'll make it back for lunch. Also, don't keep looking at reports; it's bad for your eyes. Drink more water!

This time, Xie Jing replied very quickly.

Xie Jing: Hmm.

Xie Jing: I can drink.

Xie Jing: I'll wait for you to come back so we can have lunch.

Seeing Xie Jing's responsive manner, Shang Song's heart softened completely, and she quickly replied with her fingers:

Professor Xie is so obedient! [kiss][kiss]

Just when Shang Song thought Xie Jing wouldn't reply, Xie Jing's reply bubble popped up, containing only an emoji.

This is Xie Jing's first time using emojis.

They are two soft, cuddly kittens, and they kissed each other with a quick smack.

It was something Shang Song had sent to Xie Jing before.

Shang Song stared blankly at the replaying emoji, and after realizing what was happening, his finger instinctively pressed to take a screenshot.

Then, he replied with the same emoji.

He was holding his phone, his heart pounding, when he heard Xu Zhao's voice.

"Ode to Shang!"

Shang Song hurriedly looked up and saw Xu Zhao and Shen Yan walking towards him side by side. He asked, "Have you finished giving your statement?"

"It's done." Xu Zhao laughed, casually sitting down on the public chair next to him. "Thanks, brother. If you want braised pork knuckle in the future, just let me know, and I'll deliver it to your door no matter where you are."

Shang Song punched him lightly, "That's great!"

Shen Yan didn't sit down, but stood to the side. His lips moved, and finally he whispered, "...Thank you."

Seeing Shen Yan's expression, Shang Song felt a pang of sadness, but he still tried to sound relaxed, saying, "We're all friends, no need to thank me!"

"Oh right! Are you hungry? You've been up all night, what's the plan now? Should we eat first or go to the hospital to see Auntie?"

Shen Yan answered almost immediately, "I want to go to the hospital to see my mother first."

"I'll go with you." Xu Zhao stood up almost immediately, without hesitation, and naturally put his arm around Shen Yan.

Shen Yan looked at his tired expression, and he seemed to want to refuse, but in the end, he softened and said, "Okay."

Shang Song stood up. He completely understood Shen Yan's feelings. "Okay, let's go to the hospital now. The car is waiting outside."

The three of them walked out of the police station and were about to get into the car when Zhou Yun suddenly rushed out from the side.

"Shen Yan! You stop right there!!!"

Her makeup was already ruined by tears, and her beautiful eyes were bloodshot as she stared intently at Shen Yan, who was being protected by Xu Zhao.

She had already learned the whole story from Lawyer Liu.

She knew that Zhou Xu'an had committed a criminal case and would be prosecuted. Even if Shen Yan issued a letter of forgiveness, her son would not escape imprisonment. This was when she was most emotional.

"You despicable wretch! What has my son ever done to wrong you?! He provided for you, fed you, and paid for your mother's medical treatment! And this is how you repay him? By sending him to jail?! How could you be so heartless?!"

Shen Yan was so shocked by her sudden appearance and angry insults that his face turned pale. Those vile words and the past oppression made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

Xu Zhao stood firmly in front of Shen Yan, blocking his view: "Watch your mouth!"

"It was your son who committed crimes! Kidnapping, drugging, and illegal detention! Shen Yan is the victim! How dare you insult people here?!"

"Victim? What kind of victim is he?!" Zhou Yun didn't listen at all; perhaps she refused to accept this fact.

She needed an outlet for her anger, and Shen Yan was her go-to punching bag.

"If he hadn't seduced Xu'an, how could Xu'an have done those things?! It's all his fault! He bewitched my son and made him lose his mind!"

As she shouted, she tried to get around Xu Zhao and grab Shen Yan.

Hearing the commotion, police officers who came out of the police station quickly stepped forward, blocking the emotionally distraught Zhou Yun on either side, their tone stern:

"Ms. Zhou! Please calm down immediately! This is not a place for you to cause trouble! If you continue to openly insult and harass the victim, disrupting normal social order, we will take coercive measures against you! This is the second stern warning!"

Just as Zhou Yun was so angry at the police's warnings and obstruction that she lost control of her tears but dared not make a move, Shen Yan turned out from behind Xu Zhao.

He gently nudged Xu Zhao, who turned around, wanting to protect him again, but Shen Yan shook his head.

He met Zhou Yun's eyes, which always held a hint of suppressed weariness, as Zhou Yun burned with rage.

"Zhou Yun." He called her by her name for the first time, without honorifics or titles. "You always say I seduced your son and ruined him."

He took half a step forward, getting closer to Zhou Yun, "Do you know what your son said to me when he was drunk before?"

He said that he felt he would never be able to meet your expectations in his entire life.

Zhou Yun's crying was abruptly cut off. She stared at Shen Yan, trembling all over.

"He said he made millions on his first business venture and excitedly told you that, and you said it was just a small-scale operation, nothing special."

"Later, he made tens of millions, thinking you'd be happy. But you said, 'What's a little money?'"

As Shen Yan watched the color drain from Zhou Yun's face, he continued in that flat yet piercing tone:

"Later, Xushi Interactive earned hundreds of millions of yuan a year and became a well-known leader in the industry. He finally became the President Zhou that people talked about. But you were still not satisfied. You thought that the game industry he was in was not respectable and was shameful."

"But he didn't have any connections. Becoming President Zhou wasn't easy for him. He had to suppress others and even engage in illegal competition."

"Gradually, he realized that as long as he could achieve his goal, what did a little dirty trickery matter? It's just the law of the jungle. He felt that's how the world is: winner takes all, and rules are meant to be trampled on, because only in this way could he climb higher and reach your 'satisfaction.'"

"He's gotten to this point, breaking the law and ending up in jail. And you, as his mother..."

Shen Yan uttered his final words, one by one:

"Really, you bear absolutely no responsibility?"