Chapter 248: Please Help Me
'No wonder they're living here,' Xiao Ye thought. 'So they bought the place together, probably waiting to split the demolition compensation.'
But who would sell a place they knew was slated for demolition?
Xiao Ye also noticed a few business cards scattered on the floor.
They were clearly from some construction company.
"You seized this place."
"Bullshit!"
At his words, one of the men instantly jumped to his feet.
Xiao Ye immediately knew he was right.
This wasn't just a clinic; it was connected to living quarters in the back.
By seizing it like this, they hadn't just put the owner out of business—they'd probably made them homeless, too.
Xiao Ye cracked his knuckles. "And you think you're in the right for taking it by force?"
The other three men got to their feet as well. "Fuck, yeah we took it! What are you gonna do about it?"
"You're not here for that old bitch, are you? Let me tell you, we've already taken this place, so don't even think about getting it back!"
The words had barely left his mouth.
BAM!
A massive fist slammed right into his face!
"Fuck, that hurts like hell!"
"You son of a bitch, you dare to hit me? You're fucking looking to die!"
「Two minutes later.」
The clinic was filled with a chorus of miserable screams.
Xiao Ye sat in a chair, looking down at the four men sprawled on the floor.
"Alright, you can talk now. And if I don't like what I hear, the beating continues!"
"I'll talk! This used to be a clinic run by a woman! After the demolition notice came, she was told to move out quickly."
"But who knew? The woman refused. She insisted on waiting until the very last minute to leave."
"We couldn't let one person hold up the whole process, so we drove her out, and then... we bought the place."
The man's voice trailed off toward the end, a clear sign of his guilty conscience.
'This "purchase" was likely a case of strong-arming,' Xiao Ye thought.
'In short, they were nothing but a bunch of thugs!'
Xiao Ye walked up and slapped him. The man took the hit without daring to say a word.
"Give me the woman's contact information... No, you contact her. Tell her to come over. Say she left something behind."
"Got it? Make it sound believable. Don't let her suspect that you're in trouble. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Yes, sir! We'll call right now!"
The man quickly pulled out his phone. They had constantly harassed the woman, so they still had her number. They'd even saved her contact name as "Old Bat Who Won't Die."
The phone rang and rang. After a long while, the call finally connected.
Xiao Ye couldn't do much about it. He was worried that a call from a stranger like him would scare her off.
It was better to have these guys make the call.
"You already bought the clinic, didn't you? What are you calling me for?"
"Shit!" To make it sound authentic, the man started swearing. "You old bat, I'm fucking calling you and you're giving me all this attitude!"
"Listen up! You still have some things here. If you don't come get them today, I'm throwing them all out. You hear me?"
"I won some money today and I'm feeling generous. Otherwise, you think I'd waste my time calling you?"
Lin Chuyue frowned slightly at his crude language.
Mu Xiang, however, looked on with great interest, apparently eager to learn a few things herself.
Though she was from the Taoist School, she had a naturally fiery personality and couldn't resist making a few sarcastic remarks about things she disapproved of.
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a voice finally replied, "Fine. I understand. I'll head over now."
After hanging up, the men looked at Xiao Ye obsequiously. "We made the call!"
Xiao Ye nodded. "Now, you're going to keep playing cards right here!"
The men exchanged glances. They didn't know what he was planning, but they still forced themselves to their feet, gritting their teeth against the pain as they started to play.
They were in no mood to play. Every one of them was in agony, but they had no choice but to endure.
All they could do now was hope that the "old bat" would get there soon.
An hour passed. Just as the men were soaked in a cold sweat...
...footsteps could finally be heard outside.
A moment later, a woman who looked to be in her fifties walked in.
She was a bit heavyset, but she had a kind and gentle face. Her clothes were plain, and her hair was tied back neatly. At a glance, you could tell she was just an ordinary citizen.
She had intended to ask where her things were, but she stopped short when she saw Xiao Ye and his companions.
Her pupils constricted the moment she laid eyes on Lin Chuyue, and her entire expression changed.
It was a look of shock mixed with excitement.
It was hard to decipher.
The woman quickly lowered her head to hide her expression. "I... I'm leaving!"
'This wasn't about picking up my things at all! It was a trap to get me here!'
The woman tried to leave quickly, but she'd only taken a few steps before her path was blocked.
"Ma'am, it seems you know us. Why the hurry to leave?"
"Why don't we have a nice chat about the past?"
The woman swallowed hard, forcing herself to appear calm. "I don't know what you want to talk about. I'm leaving right now!"
Lin Chuyue also stepped in front of her. "You know me. The way you looked at me just now... it wasn't normal."
"I've never met you before, but I can sense that you don't mean me any harm. Is that right? Please, tell me who you are."
"Where have you seen me before? Why do you recognize me?"
Lin Chuyue then took out the photo of her parents. "Do you recognize them?"
"If you answer me truthfully, not only will I let you leave, but I'll help you get this clinic back. I'll even give you a large sum of money!"
The woman opened her mouth, and though she didn't speak, her expression had clearly softened.
Lin Chuyue continued, "I have to find the people in this photograph. They're my father and mother."
"We've been separated for over twenty years. I know now that they're still alive, so I have to find them!"
"I'm begging you, please help me!"
Xiao Ye could tell from the woman's features that she was indeed a good, kind-hearted person, which was why he didn't stop Lin Chuyue from making her plea.
The woman's eyes reddened as she looked at Lin Chuyue. "The resemblance... it's uncanny!"
"I... I shouldn't be saying this, but... I just can't bear to see it anymore. Their lives have been so hard!"
Lin Chuyue grabbed the woman's shoulders excitedly. "When you say 'they,' you mean my parents, don't you!"
"Yes..."
"So that means... they really are still alive!"
Lin Chuyue was so overcome with emotion that she nearly fainted. Xiao Ye quickly steadied her before turning to the woman. "Who are you? What do you know? Tell us everything, one step at a time."
"I... I was a nanny for the Lin Family. I was responsible for taking care of the Young Master and Young Madam's daily needs."
"Miss, I knew the moment I saw you that you were the Young Master and Young Madam's child. You look so much like they did when they were young!"
"You have the Young Master's eyes, and the Young Madam's nose and mouth. Even your aura is just like theirs!"