I Return From Hell

Chapter 142: Chapter 135: I Want to Drink Sprite, Brother Snake’s Ruthlessness

A few moments later.

Gao Zhengting’s breathing grew heavier and more forceful. Finally, he shot to his feet. A mixture of shock and joy was on his face, and the way he looked at Ai Cao had completely changed!

A phrase popped into his head:

’This girl is a real treasure!’

”You... you... you’re a Spiritual Ability User!!!”

His voice was trembling.

Discovering a Spiritual Ability User and recruiting them to the nation’s side—this was a major accomplishment!

A *very* big accomplishment.

He had been demoted for disobeying orders and forcibly attempting to capture Xie Shaokun, which had nearly cost the nation a ”partner” and caused ”immense losses.”

And that wasn’t the end of it.

Any future promotions would be hindered by this incident. It was written in black and white in his file. Unless he achieved something extraordinary, he could only hope to minimize its impact.

And right now, this was something extraordinary!

”Here, have some tea.”

”This is the finest Longjing.”

Gao Zhengting’s attitude had done a complete one-eighty as he spoke.

”I... I don’t drink tea.”

”Do you have any Sprite?”

Ai Cao, a little unnerved by Gao Zhengting’s sudden change in demeanor, asked timidly.

She was, however, starting to realize that this ”superpower” business was a very big deal.

”Sprite?”

”Someone!”

Gao Zhengting shouted to someone outside the door, ”Buy a case of Sprite.”

”Ah? Oh... you don’t have to buy so many. One bottle is fine,”

Ai Cao said, quickly waving her hands.

”It’s no problem.”

”I’ll keep them in the fridge. That way, you can have one whenever you visit.”

Gao Zhengting was the very picture of accommodation. ”Do you have any other requests? Ask for anything. If it’s within my power, I’ll do everything I can to help you.”

”Thank you,”

Ai Cao said. ”I was wondering, sir, if you’ve found the body of a baby boy?”

”A baby boy? You mean the one you were holding during the Mist Event?”

Gao Zhengting was perplexed.

”Yes.”

”His body should be on the patch of land in the middle of the pond,”

Ai Cao said.

”Oh, I know about him.”

Realization dawned on Gao Zhengting’s face. He asked, ”Was he a relative of yours?”

Ai Cao shook her head. ”No. He was just so pitiful. I wanted to find him and bury him with my own hands.”

Sharp as he was, Gao Zhengting realized there had to be a story behind this. Connecting it to the fact that Ai Cao had refused to join Xie Shaokun’s group due to a ”clash of ideals,” he instantly had a theory.

”I can ask about his whereabouts for you, but... I remember he died a pretty horrible death.”

”His whole body was pierced by metal shards, and the fall made him bleed from every orifice.”

”Sigh.”

”That woman you wouldn’t name... she’s truly cruel.”

He sighed, his voice growing more indignant as he spoke. ”To not even lift a finger to help such a small child... You were right not to join them.”

Ai Cao fell silent.

Gao Zhengting noticed the pained expression on her face. Her fists were clenched so tightly that her emotions were clearly unstable.

’Just as I thought!’

’Did I guess right?’

”It’s alright.”

”Once you join the government, you’ll receive systematic training. Your combat potential will be fully unlocked, and then you’ll be able to save thousands of ordinary people.”

”You won’t have to feel as helpless as you did this time,”

Gao Zhengting said.

He didn’t mention the woman again. He understood the principle that going too far was as bad as not going far enough.

”Yes.”

Ai Cao nodded emphatically.

”Wait here for a moment.”

”I’ll go ask about it myself.”

Gao Zhengting stood up and excused himself.

「Twenty minutes later.」

”He’s already been cremated?”

”Yes.”

”That’s good, too.”

Ai Cao seemed as if a weight had been lifted from her mind.

Gao Zhengting’s eyes flickered. He recalled the autopsy report he had just read: the baby boy hadn’t died from the metal shards, nor from the fall. The true cause of death was a branch that had constricted and burst his heart.

Without a careful examination, it would be difficult to discover the real cause of death; one would simply assume he died from the metal shards or the fall.

He had already given orders to silence everyone involved, erase all traces, and even had the baby boy cremated immediately, not even waiting for the father to come and identify the body.

In short, Ai Cao must never find out about this!

「East Spirit Pharmaceutical Factory.」

”Cheng Zanyu, get your ass out here!”

”If you don’t give us an explanation today, we’re not leaving!”

”Give me back my job! Give me back my job!”

...

A crowd was roaring in front of the main gate.

The area was packed with people.

VROOOM.

After Xia Yu and Hong She arrived, they found a spot without any surveillance cameras to park.

”Do you know what’s going on?”

Xia Yu asked, looking at the protesting crowd.

Daring to cause a scene at one of the Gao Family’s factories... These people were either very brave or their fundamental interests had been threatened.

”I’ll go ask around.”

Hong She was just about to get out of the car when two people passed by, their conversation drifting over. ”Sigh, don’t even get me started. I’ve really seen it all today.”

”The deputy factory manager, Cheng Zanyu, was in charge of developing a new drug. But who would’ve thought that just one month into R&D, the company’s performance would tank, leading to massive layoffs! The new drug project was getting shut down, and the employees on the project were going to be laid off. But firing them directly would require severance pay. So... Cheng Zanyu tricked the entire team into ’job hopping’ to Shanyun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. He told them he had already made arrangements and that their salaries would increase by thirty percent. Trusting him after so many years, most of them agreed. A few people were hesitant, but Cheng Zanyu appealed to their emotions and reasoned with them until they finally agreed too. But who would’ve guessed? After they all resigned, Cheng Zanyu became unreachable. The entire group that quit was now unemployed, without a single cent of compensation. Fucking hell, it was a zero-cost layoff. That’s some next-level shit.”

”Holy shit! The mind games are insane! Bro, we should just go back to the countryside and farm. The schemes in this city are too much.”

Xia Yu: ”...”

Hong She: ”...”

What does it mean to be unscrupulous?

*This* is what it means to be unscrupulous!

”Let’s go.”

Xia Yu pushed open the car door and got out.

”Mom, you wait for me in the car.”

To prevent Brother Dog from waking up and threatening his mother, Hong She dragged him out of the car and tossed him into a deserted ditch.

Brother Dog’s body was bound tightly and his mouth was gagged. Even if he woke up, he wouldn’t be able to escape anytime soon.

The commotion at the factory gate drew the attention of many people inside, giving Xia Yu and Hong She the perfect opportunity to sneak in unnoticed.

In just over ten minutes,

the two of them found Gao Weiguo standing in an elevated position, observing the situation at the gate.

”Yu, what are you going to do with him?”

Hong She asked, eager for action.

”What are you thinking?”

Xia Yu asked.

”Me...?”

A crazed glint flashed in Hong She’s eyes. ”He dared to kidnap my mom,” he said grimly. ”Shouldn’t we just kill him?”

Xia Yu reminded him, ”Murder is against the law.”

Hong She retorted, ”Yu, society is about to collapse anyway, right?”

Xia Yu nodded. ”Soon. The Apocalypse will arrive, and the social order will be rebuilt from scratch.”

”Heh heh.”

A grim smile spread across Hong She’s lips. ”The Apocalypse is coming. You think I’m still afraid of breaking the law?”

His mother was his bottom line.

Anyone who crossed it had to die!