At 8 p.m., a weary Lu Dongliang returned to his residence. After waiting in the study for over half an hour, Qiu Zhiheng came to report, "Master, our men have brought back over twenty people and locked them in the Dungeon. Six were caught transporting Phonographs on the road, and the rest are Coachmen. These Coachmen claim they helped transport Phonographs last night and today."
Lu Dongliang nodded. "Go and interrogate them first. Let me know immediately if you find any clues."
Li Banfeng was very close, and so was the Mysterious Red Life Lotus. Lu Dongliang felt that if he reached out just a little further, he could touch them.
「Qiu Zhiheng headed to the Dungeon.」
After a full day of dealing with the major families, Lu Dongliang was exhausted. He had planned to rest for a while, but then a manager came to report, "Master, Miss He from the He Family is here."
"Which Miss He?" Lu Dongliang asked impatiently.
The manager replied, "He Haiqin’s older sister, He Yuxiu."
Lu Dongliang picked up his yellow tweed overcoat, gave it a shake, and draped it over his shoulders with an air of annoyance.
He was deeply displeased, but he couldn’t let it show. Lu Dongliang had clawed his way up over many years; the more critical the juncture, the better he could maintain his composure.
Upon arriving in the hall and seeing He Yuxiu standing with two attendants facing the staircase, Lu Dongliang greeted her with a smile, "Sister Xiu, what brings you here? If you’d given me some notice, I would have gone to your residence to escort you personally."
"Oh, you’d escort me? Am I that important?" He Yuxiu scoffed. "Master Lu, you’re a man of considerable standing in Puluo State. When you make a promise, it’s supposed to be set in stone. Your word should mean something, shouldn’t it? My nephew has been lying in the hospital for months. You’ve been saying you’ll give us an explanation. When is this explanation finally coming?"
Lu Dongliang hurriedly stepped forward to appease her. "Sister Xiu, I’m anxious about this matter too, but the thing is, Xiao Lan only just returned..."
"Only just returned?" He Yuxiu scoffed. "How come I heard she’s been back for several months?"
Lu Dongliang remained silent.
Seeing that Lu Dongliang wasn’t speaking, He Yuxiu lit a cigarette. "Boss Lu, let’s be upfront. I’m here today to take Lu Xiaolan away. If you agree, we can let bygones be bygones. If not, then I’m afraid I won’t be leaving."
He Yuxiu sat directly on the sofa, waiting for Lu Dongliang’s response.
Lu Dongliang quickly ordered the servant, Mother Wu, to prepare some tea.
He sat opposite He Yuxiu and explained, "There are still many unresolved issues concerning Xiao Lan. Yes, she was wrong to injure Jia Qing, and she deserves to be disciplined. I would certainly not be lenient in such matters. But this is a matter of life and death. Shouldn’t we at least let the child explain herself clearly?"
He Yuxiu flicked her cigarette ash. "Fine. Tell me, what exactly hasn’t been clarified? Let’s see if I find it unclear too."
Lu Dongliang laughed. "There’s a lot to it. Where should I even begin?"
He Yuxiu also laughed. "You don’t know where to start? Shall I help you? First, where did Lu Xiaolan return from?"
"From the Outside Provinces. There was a train derailment, and Xiao Lan was seriously injured. You should know about this."
"Stop feeding me that nonsense! I’ve already investigated thoroughly. Lu Xiaolan escaped from my He Family Mansion!"
Lu Dongliang remained silent. He took out a cigarette and placed it between his lips.
He wasn’t a heavy smoker, but he was in a particularly foul mood at that moment.
In recent years, in his dealings with the major families, it was always him calling the shots.
Today, however, he found himself somewhat on the back foot.
He Yuxiu smiled. "Let me ask you something else. Are you looking for Li Banfeng?"
Lu Dongliang did not deny it. "I am looking for him because Xiao Lan told me that Li Banfeng took something very important."
He Yuxiu pressed further, "You’re talking about the Mysterious Red Life Lotus that Jia Qing found, aren’t you?"
Lu Dongliang’s eyes twitched.
Over these past few months, the He and Lu families had clashed repeatedly, but the conflict had always centered on He Jiaqing’s injury.
Both families had deliberately avoided discussing the Mysterious Red Life Lotus. Neither wanted to publicize the existence of such a precious treasure and attract the covetous attention of other families.
But today, He Yuxiu had laid it all out in the open.
This matter required Lu Dongliang’s careful consideration.
"Speak up! Are you looking for the Mysterious Red Life Lotus or not?" He Yuxiu pressed relentlessly.
Lu Dongliang decided to stall for time. "I have no intention of searching for the Red Lotus. I know it’s the treasure Jia Qing found. My only aim is to find Li Banfeng and clear up the misunderstanding between our families."
"More nonsense!" He Yuxiu snuffed out her cigarette. "Li Banfeng is long dead. He died at Lu Xiaolan’s hands, and she took the Red Lotus. The Red Lotus is already in your possession, and yet you still stand there playing coy with me!"
Lu Dongliang frowned. "Sister Xiu, where did you hear this? We’ve both been around the block a few times; you can’t believe every rumor you hear on the street."
He Yuxiu scoffed. "Street rumors? If I believed street rumors, I’d have torn your house down long ago! Your daughter Lu Xiaolan was trapped in our He Family Old House, nearly starved to death. She tricked Li Banfeng into getting the Red Lotus and then lured him to the old house to rescue her. But they had a dispute over how to split the spoils, and Lu Xiaolan killed Li Banfeng right there in the old house!"