Chapter 124: I Want to See My Brother
As Chen Jiarong was shoved into the police car, he remained relatively calm. As long as Director Chen still wanted his money, nothing would happen to him.
And if there was one thing he had no shortage of, it was money.
But as the police car drove on, unease began to tighten in his chest.
Something was wrong. This wasn’t the road to the Municipal Bureau!
His face instantly went stiff. “Whose people are you? Where’s Director Chen? Does he know about this?”
The man seated opposite him curled his lips into a mocking smile. “Brother Bao, is it? You’re in quite the mood to worry about Director Chen when you’re in this state yourself.”
The contempt in his tone when he mentioned Director Chen sent a chill through Chen Jiarong.
Had something happened to Director Chen?
How could that be possible?!
There was someone powerful backing Director Chen!
He frantically repeated to himself that it couldn’t be true. It absolutely couldn’t.
If Director Chen had fallen, then he was finished.
After all, nearly all the people lured and forcibly taken to his compound were Chinese nationals.
Fraud, murder, rape...
If any of those crimes came to light, the death penalty would be unavoidable.
Panic surged through him. Struggling wildly, he shouted, “I want to see a lawyer! I want to see a lawyer right now!”
He was immediately forced back down. “Don’t worry. That is your right. You’ll be allowed to request one.”
But the crimes he had committed were not something a few lawyers could smooth over. Han Xuan’s testimony and the financial records had all been officially filed.
And his compound was probably in an uproar by now.
Every crime he had committed, every single one, would be uncovered and brought into the open.
At the Liang residence, Liang Zheng sat on the sofa, listening to the report over the phone.
“Good. Interrogate him thoroughly. Make sure his crimes are nailed down beyond doubt.”
It could only be the death penalty. There was no other possibility.
A man like Brother Bao was extremely vindictive. Now that they had caught him, Liang Zheng would never give him the chance to get out again.
In another police car, Gu Chacha was pale as a sheet, trembling uncontrollably. “Why are you arresting me? I was being held hostage... I don’t know anything...”
She looked fragile and terrified, pitiful beyond measure.
Ordinary people might have softened toward her. But the people before her were law enforcement officers, and all she received was a cold, impersonal reply.
“Ms. Gu, you are implicated in criminal activities including money laundering and fraud. You will come with us for questioning...”
“No! You can’t!”
Gu Chacha shook her head in utter collapse. “I can’t be arrested! I have a performance tomorrow! I can’t have any negative publicity! I... I want to see my brother! I want to see my brother!”
She needed her brother to get her out, to bury everything she had done. She could not let all her efforts be destroyed in an instant!
“Ms. Gu, you may request a lawyer. However, during the investigation and prosecution process, visits from family members cannot be arranged.”
Those cold words pushed Gu Chacha over the edge. “No... I want to see my brother. I have to see my brother...”
But no amount of crying would help. This was not some competition where looking pitiful enough earned someone sympathy. Her tears won her not even the slightest softness.
By the time she was taken into the detention center and locked up, Gu Chacha’s heart had completely shattered.
She sat anxiously in the detention center until dawn. She wanted to see a lawyer. She wanted to find her brother.
At the very least, she could not go to prison.
The next day, she got her wish and met with a lawyer. But the news he brought was not what she wanted to hear.
The lawyer’s expression was unusually cold. “President Gu said that he warned you before—you must take responsibility for the choices you make.”
That conversation between the siblings had been her final chance to come clean.
At that time, Xiao Qian and the others had not yet made their move.
All she had needed to do was tell them about Brother Bao’s plan. Just say it.
By then, the arrangements that needed to be made had already been made. What Gu Jingchen wanted was to see where she stood.
But she had said nothing. She did not know about their preparations. In her heart, she truly wanted Huanhuan to die.
The conflict between her and Huanhuan had never warranted such a thing, yet she could be so cruel.
Gu Jingchen found it difficult to face Gu Chacha, the younger sister he had watched grow up.
He had always known that she was spoiled and willful, but he had never imagined she could be this ruthless.
He thought of Brother Bao’s original plan: to abduct Huanhuan and Meili and take them to the compound.
He did not dare imagine what kind of situation they would be in now if they had possessed passports.
So he could not help Chacha. He had to make her understand that some evil deeds could not be committed without consequence. Once she had done them, she had to pay the price.
“No, no... That’s not true!”
Gu Chacha shook her head hysterically. “I didn’t do anything bad. I didn’t do anything at all!”
Like a madwoman, she lunged at the table and stared at the lawyer, emphasizing every word. “Go tell my brother that I don’t know anything. I was forced into it. I really don’t know anything. I’m innocent!”
The lawyer said calmly, “President Gu asked me to ask you one question.”
A flicker of hope rose in Gu Chacha’s eyes. “Ask me! I’ll tell him anything!”
The lawyer fixed his gaze on her. “President Gu wants to know: did you know that Brother Bao planned to abduct Miss Huanhuan in Sava?”
Gu Chacha’s eyes darted away for an instant. Then she quickly shook her head. “I didn’t know. I didn’t know anything. He never told me about his affairs, really.”
She had no idea how obvious that moment of guilt had been.
The lawyer rose to his feet, his expression calm. “Miss Gu, you were only involved in assisting with money laundering. Your sentence will not exceed five years. President Gu wants you to reflect on your actions and live properly while you are inside. Five years will pass quickly.”
“No! You can’t! My brother would never treat me like this! You’re lying!”
Gu Chacha threw herself at him like a madwoman. “You’re Huanhuan’s lawyer, aren’t you? You want me dead, don’t you? I want to see my brother! I want to see my brother!”
Before she could reach the lawyer, she was immediately restrained with her arms twisted behind her back. “Don’t move!”
She lay sprawled across the table in utter disarray, but she no longer cared about anything else. Her eyes remained fixed on the lawyer.
“I want to see my brother! My brother would never treat me this way!”
The lawyer gave her a detached look. “Miss Gu, I was commissioned by President Gu to meet with you. What I have conveyed is also President Gu’s decision.”
With that, he pushed open the door and left, leaving Gu Chacha behind in complete collapse.
“No... I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t do anything. How could my brother abandon me? How could he...”
What she did not know was that while Gu Jingchen had given up on her, Gu Chengye and his wife had not.
It was not because they loved her so deeply. Rather, Old Mr. Gu cared greatly about appearances. Gu Chacha was his daughter—how could his daughter commit such crimes?
He had Jiang Yulan call all three children and order them to return home that day.
He sat rigidly on the sofa, waiting for them to come back.
“Old Gu, don’t be angry. It’s bad for your health.”
Jiang Yulan sat beside him, rubbing his back to soothe him.
Gu Chengye was consumed with fury. “How can I not be angry? Jingchen has become far too bold! Something this serious, and he didn’t even tell me a word! How could he send his own sister to prison? What will people think of our Gu family? What will they think of me?”
Jiang Yulan’s movements became even gentler. “We can have a proper talk with him when he gets back. Don’t make yourself ill with anger...”