Chapter 125: Hello, Everyone, Jing Shu is My Sister

At that moment, a patrol car arrived, and its headlights lit up the dark villa area like it was daytime. The bright light blinded everyone, making them shield their eyes. Six people got out of the car and, seeing Secretary Zhang foaming at the mouth, asked, "What happened to Secretary Zhang?"

Secretary Zhang, still foaming at the mouth, began convulsing all over. Not long after, he collapsed on the ground. Niu Mou quickly held him up, showing a concerned expression.

"It looks like either heatstroke or a seizure. We’d better take him to the hospital," Niu Mou said as he performed all the necessary first-aid actions, including pressing the acupressure point between Secretary Zhang's nose and mouth and performing a standard chest compression for heart resuscitation.

If it weren’t for Secretary Zhang’s red face from being slapped repeatedly, Jing Shu would have thought Niu Mou was his son, given how hard he was working to save him.

The six people who had just arrived hesitated for a moment. "But Secretary Zhang told us to..."

"What's more important, Secretary Zhang’s life or the matter he assigned?" Niu Mou shot back.

"Fine. We’ll take Secretary Zhang to the hospital first. Let’s go!" Xiao Zhang gritted his teeth. He was afraid Secretary Zhang might die on the way, which would leave him to take the blame. However, if they didn’t take him to the hospital, the consequences would be even worse.

The group carried Secretary Zhang into the patrol car and left, leaving Su Guosheng standing there in shock. It took him a moment to realize that something felt off—why had all this happened so conveniently?

Yesterday, Su Mei Mei had been mysteriously stung by bees and was now lying in the hospital. They had struggled to get even a bit of disinfectant. And now today, his old classmate was suddenly foaming at the mouth?

With everyone gone, Niu Mou turned to Su Guosheng, grinning. "Anything else you'd like to add?"

Su Guosheng pointed angrily at Su Lanzhi, as if he was disappointed in her. "This is what your father raised you to be? A disgrace!" He then stormed off, got into his car, and drove away, regretting not framing Su Lanzhi earlier when there were people around.

Humans, after all, tend to think they could have handled things better after an argument, often rehearsing how they’d act next time.

Jing Shu squinted as she quietly released a dozen non-poisonous bees into Su Guosheng’s car, hoping to give him a surprise on his way home. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to kill the old man, but if both people died and an investigation found they were poisoned, it would be too risky for her. These weren’t nobodies—they were government officials. However, with different symptoms, no one would suspect the villa.

Jing Shu had also hidden a few bees soaked in strychnine in Secretary Zhang’s clothes. Killing him directly at the villa wouldn’t have been ideal. If he died on the way, it would be a perfect situation. Xiao Zhang had arrived at just the right time, almost as if to take the fall for her.

Jing Shu then quietly disposed of the bees that had stung them—or rather, her The Fat Chicken ate every last one, not leaving a trace behind. The Fat Chicken’s appetite had returned.

Yes, bees consist of a queen, drones, and worker bees. Only the queen and worker bees have stingers, but when a worker bee uses its stinger, it pulls out its internal organs, causing it to die shortly afterward. Jing Shu’s bees were a consumable resource, but thankfully, they reproduced quickly. The bees inside her space didn’t die, allowing her to maintain her supply.

Later that afternoon, news came from Niu Mou that Secretary Zhang had died on the way to the hospital. The official cause of death was heatstroke while inspecting a residential area. His body hadn’t even undergone an autopsy before Xiao Zhang cremated it.

Secretary Zhang’s death made it to the news. A public service announcement reminded everyone to stay indoors during the heat, using Secretary Zhang’s dedication as a warning. He had sacrificed himself for Wucheng, and a small memorial was held. His family received some food as part of the funeral rites, making it a bittersweet affair.

The next day, reporters came to interview Jing Shu, and she had no choice but to say a few words in front of the camera. "Secretary Zhang was very kind. He visited our home personally, setting an example for us, encouraging us to trust in the country and believe in the success of the artificial sun. All difficulties will pass. Secretary Zhang was a good man..."

Jing Shu’s interview aired on the June 22, 2023, news in Wucheng, and Wang Qiqi posted the clip in their neighborhood chat group.

However, there was a strange tension in the group.

The day Secretary Zhang died, Su Mei Mei had sent a slurred voice message to the group, saying, "Secretary Zhang will bring people to take down the corrupt family in the villa today. Then you'll all know who really committed the brutal murder of five residents."

"By 6 PM today, everyone must report to me with a voice message describing what they did all day. I won’t wait!"

With the pressure mounting, many people had begrudgingly started reporting to the welfare officer.

Some were thinking that the villa family was finally going to be taken down.

Others were just waiting to see how things would unfold.

But what happened?

No one knew for sure if Jing Shu had killed those five people, but the next day, when they saw the news, everyone was shocked. It was nothing like they had expected.

"Wasn’t Secretary Zhang supposed to arrest someone? How did he end up dying of heatstroke? Shouldn’t that have been something he could recover from? What really happened?"

And then, seeing Jing Shu praise Secretary Zhang, everyone felt a chill run down their spine.

Secretary Zhang, who had gone to arrest someone, was dead, while the person he was supposed to arrest was not only alive but publicly praising him. There had to be more to the story.

The entire neighborhood realized the villa family had serious connections—they were not to be messed with.

Most notably, Su Mei Mei, the welfare officer, hadn’t spoken in the group since that day.

Wang Cuihua sent a voice message: "Hey, are we still supposed to report today? It’s been awfully quiet."

Still, Su Mei Mei didn’t respond.

A few days later, Wang Qiqi kicked Su Mei Mei out of the group. People started asking what had happened. Hadn’t Su Mei Mei been acting all high and mighty? Why had she suddenly gone silent after Secretary Zhang’s death?

Wang Qiqi replied, "@everyone, I’d like to introduce the new welfare officer for our neighborhood. From now on, she’ll handle all community matters: @Wu Youai from 25th Block."

"Wait, she’s from our neighborhood too? She never said a word before. How is this person chosen?"

"Yeah, don’t we get a say in who represents us?"

Wang Qiqi clarified, "She was appointed by the development zone’s government. I’ll send out the new regulations for everyone to review. The welfare officer has the authority to directly file reports on people. Once reported, you’ll be blacklisted from all major supermarkets and won’t be able to buy water or food!"

The person who had been demanding a vote quickly shut up.

Wu Youai from the 25th Block then introduced herself: "Hello, everyone. I just wanted to clarify something. @Xiao Shu from the villa is my sister. I’ve heard that people were saying she was the one responsible for the murder of five residents. Let me clear this up—she wasn’t the killer. She was actually helping the police arrest the culprits. She received a reward of 300 virtual currency for her assistance, and the documents are all in order."

With that, a picture was posted in the group chat.

"Su Mei Mei, who maliciously spread false rumors, has been dismissed from her position, and the government will never rehire her! I urge all residents to approach these matters rationally."

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Author’s Note:

Thanks to "The Lonely City in the Rainy Night," "Liuli AMY," and "Cang Yue I Love You" for the rewards! If you haven't joined the fan group yet, the group number is at the end of the book's description.