From Broken Family to Life Winner: A Reborn Mother's Journey

”You’re just a reporter. Do you even keep your word?” Song Shengfu asked, seeking confirmation.

Su Li answered without a hint of hesitation, ”Of course I do. If we can resolve this over the phone, that’s a good thing.”

Song Shengfu didn’t answer.

Su Li waited a couple of seconds, glancing at Wu Sheng and then at Ling Zhen, who was a short distance away.

”Song Shengfu, can I come a little closer and see the children from outside the door? I need to confirm with my own eyes that they’re safe.”

”No way. Don’t even think about pulling any tricks,” Song Shengfu immediately refused.

”Let me put it this way, Song Shengfu. If you still want to live here peacefully with Xiao Hong, those children are your bargaining chips. You’re only safe if they’re safe.”

Song Shengfu snorted. ”As long as you cooperate, I won’t kill them.”

”No,” Su Li countered. ”That’s not how it works, Song Shengfu. These are pampered children. If they’re kept in a state of constant fear like this, they could get sick very quickly, maybe even die. They’ll be no use to you dead.”

This time, Song Shengfu didn’t answer right away. Su Li had hit a nerve. Three of the children were running high fevers, and Xiao Hong was frantic.

Seeing Song Shengfu’s silence, Su Li’s eyes lit up. She pressed her advantage. ”Have some of them gotten sick?”

”If someone is sick, it’s best they get some medicine. Do you have any at home?”

This time, Song Shengfu answered, ”No. And if I did, it’d be for pigs and chickens.”

’If Xiao Hong didn’t care so much about these students—threatening to kill herself if anything happened to them—he wouldn’t have to bother with them at all.’

’He’d already dealt with one, and Xiao Hong had nearly slammed her head against a wall... If he hadn’t threatened her with the other students, all his efforts would have been for nothing!’

The whole incident had a simple cause, just as Su Li had guessed: it was all because of their teacher, Xiao Hong.

Song Shengfu had unexpectedly met the kind and beautiful Xiao Hong, and from then on, he practically offered her the moon and the stars.

But Xiao Hong was a teacher—pretty, with a bright future. She was the kind of woman many men would vie for. Song Shengfu, with his circumstances and his disability, was not a suitable match by any measure.

Xiao Hong was kind and didn’t scorn Song Shengfu, but she was also a normal girl who wanted to find a good husband.

Unsurprisingly, Song Shengfu was rejected. But he refused to give up, pestering Xiao Hong until she finally got fed up and said some harsh things to him.

Around that time, she met a suitable prospect. Xiao Hong had already been to the movies with him twice, and the man had said he was going to come to her home to formally discuss marriage.

Song Shengfu heard this news. He went to find the man, only to be thoroughly humiliated.

Everything that followed was a natural progression. While Xiao Hong and the other man were in the middle of their marriage discussions, Song Shengfu decided to take her away, no matter the cost.

As it happened, that was the day Xiao Hong was taking her students on a spring field trip. By a strange twist of fate, all the students were swept up in it too.

To threaten the bus driver, Song Shengfu held one child hostage and forced them to obey, making them drive the bus all the way to his house.

When Su Li and the others had encountered them, the bus driver had been driving so erratically because of Song Shengfu’s threats.

Song Shengfu had chosen that day to make his move because a family nearby was hosting a banquet. Everyone had gone there, so no one was paying attention to his house.

Using the students’ safety as leverage, Song Shengfu hijacked Xiao Hong and the others, brought them to his house, and tied them all up.

Song Shengfu first used the students to get rid of the bus driver. Then he used the safety of the driver and the students to constantly threaten Xiao Hong, telling her he had accomplices, which kept her from making any rash moves.

Xiao Hong was thus brought under his control. With her hands and feet bound, she did everything she could to protect her students, compromising again and again.

She was a responsible and gentle teacher. The students already relied on and adored her. She protected them, and they, in turn, wanted to protect her.

As a result, Song Shengfu exploited their mutual desire to protect each other by holding them in separate locations.

Xiao Hong was hidden in the bedroom. Whenever someone came, he would shove her under the bed. Because Xiao Hong couldn’t see her students, she didn’t dare act out.

The students, meanwhile, were locked inside the chicken coop—the place he claimed was used for raising rabbits. They were all gagged. Even if they managed to make a muffled sound, it was drowned out by the squealing of pigs and clucking of chickens, making it impossible to hear.

Song Shengfu had thought his grand deception would allow him to be with Xiao Hong forever, but in the end, he was discovered.

When the police came the second time, Song Shengfu knew something was wrong. He immediately made preparations, leading to the current stalemate.

Song Shengfu couldn’t afford to ignore Su Li’s words.

’She’s right, isn’t she? If all these kids die, my human shields will be useless.’

Hearing his response, Su Li tried to negotiate again. ”Song Shengfu, how about you send out the sick ones first?”

Police Zhang and the others’ eyes lit up when they heard this, but Song Shengfu’s eyes widened. ”Impossible!” he shot back without thinking. ”You’re trying to pull another trick!”

”No, I’m not pulling any tricks. It’s just a suggestion, for everyone’s benefit. Think about it. These kids are already terrified and weak. If they’re kept with the sick ones, they might get infected.”

”Infections spread fast. They might all get sick. And forget infection—what if the ones who are sick now die from their illness? If they do, the other children will be scared to death.”

”And if anything happens to them, Xiao Hong will definitely not want to be with you...”

”Shut up! Stop talking!” Song Shengfu shouted as soon as he heard this.

”Okay, okay, I’ll stop. Just think about it,” Su Li agreed, making a hand signal to Wu Sheng, who was in the shadows.

He couldn’t understand the gestures, but he knew she was communicating.

’It looks like Wa Wa Lian and his team have successfully infiltrated.’

Wu Sheng saw Su Li look at him again and gave her a nod, signaling for her to continue.

Su Li knew she could let Song Shengfu think, but not for too long. So she spoke again.

”Song Shengfu, have you made up your mind?”

”Releasing anyone is impossible. You... you bring medicine in,” Song Shengfu said.

Su Li’s eyes lit up again. ”Medicine? We can start with medicine. But you’ll have to tell me their symptoms so we can get the right kind.”

”They just keep crying and have a fever,” Song Shengfu answered immediately.

Wu Sheng nodded at Su Li, telling her to agree.

Su Li replied at once, ”Okay, I’ll have them get the prescription filled. Wait a moment.”

Su Li deliberately spoke loud enough for him to hear her order someone to get the medicine. Just as she finished, one of the men Wu Sheng had left behind to protect her, who had been standing a short distance away, spoke to her in a low voice.

”Ma’am, the boss said to try and lure the suspect to the doorway. As long as he’s at the door, the boss can take him down.”

The brothers who had infiltrated couldn’t get close, but they had managed to relay information about the situation inside.

That Song Shengfu was on high alert. When he’d thrown out the other hostage earlier, he’d remembered to keep a hostage tied to his front, and he never relaxed his grip on the lighter.

Now, his back was constantly pressed against something, and he had the little foreign girl tied to his chest. He was being cunning, making it impossible for anyone to make a move.

After listening, Su Li nodded slightly and returned to her original position.