was wounded, and in the afternoon he called out for monthly passes but didn't receive a single one, which was disheartening. ........................

Under immense pressure, the influence of Huihai rapidly crumbled. After Wang Zhuo, Gan Lin, and Zhen Jin spent a second night at Haijiao Mountain Villa, Qin Xue's number two secretary, Xiao Wanjun, arrived.

"By procedure, these should have been kept as evidence, but Mayor Qin asked me to return them to their rightful owners as soon as possible, so I brought them over." He smiled, producing two transparent plastic sealed bags, inside which were Wang Zhuo's and Gan Lin's mobile phones, respectively. Gan Lin happily took hers and asked, "Can we call outside now?" Xiao Wanjun smiled and nodded, "Hurry and let your families know you're safe." The two of them turned on their phones, and immediately the sound of incoming messages flooded them, the phones vibrating relentlessly.

After a long while, the ringing finally subsided. Wang Zhuo started reading his messages, while Gan Lin directly called her mother.

"Mom, I'm fine. Are you at school?

I'll be back soon." After only a few sentences, the flood of grievances surged up again, and Gan Lin quickly dissolved into tears. Wang Zhuo stepped forward, placed a hand on her shoulder, and patted her gently in comfort, his own heart a confusing mix of emotions.

"This one is yours, isn't it?" Xiao Wanjun produced a set of car keys and jiggled them in his hand. Wang Zhuo burst out laughing when he saw them.

"I completely forgot about this! How did you end up with it?" "That's a long story," Xiao Wanjun replied with a smile.

"Yesterday, a middle-aged woman showed up at the 4S shop demanding to have your car painted white. When the shop saw it was a new car, they asked her to show the purchase documents, but she stammered that she hadn't brought them, looking quite uneasy." He paused before continuing, "The people at the 4S shop smelled a rat.

They checked the vehicle identification number and the engine number, and just like that, they found the owner's information. Then, to their immense delight, they called the police." "Called the police to arrest that woman?" Qin Siqing interjected from the side.

Xiao Wanjun laughed heartily and said, "The owner is Wang Zhuo. They thought they had stumbled upon a lead and called the police hoping to collect the hundred thousand yuan reward offered by law enforcement." Wang Zhuo was speechless, managing only a wry smile.

Although the warrant had been rescinded, some people certainly hadn't heard the news, and this 4S shop was a prime example. They must have assumed he had found an accomplice to modify the car for his escape.

"How did the police handle that woman?" Since the car was recovered, Wang Zhuo remembered he still owed someone a motorcycle; he had ditched it by the roadside after the incident with the police, and it was surely picked up by passersby long ago. "They gave her a warning and let her go.

If you want her contact information, I can send it to you via text later." Wang Zhuo nodded his approval. In any case, that motorcycle had proven extremely useful, and he felt he should express his gratitude.

"You have your own car?" Qin Siqing leaned closer, her eyes widening in surprise when she saw the keys. "An Audi Q7?

That must be very expensive." Wang Zhuo smiled and nodded. "I liked it, so I bought it." "I remember your family isn't wealthy?" Qin Siqing blinked in confusion.

Wang Zhuo spread his hands. "If you knew about jade gambling, I could tell you that I made quite a bit of money." "I know about jade gambling!

Grandpa likes it too," Qin Siqing rattled off. "But his luck is terrible; he lost tens of thousands and couldn't afford to play anymore." Wang Zhuo paused, then burst into laughter.

So, Old Master Qin had that hobby? He hadn't known that even after knowing him for a while.

This was understandable, though. Neither of them wore jade accessories, and they were both away from home.

If Qin Jingzhong had visited Wang Zhuo's house, he would have immediately seen a pile of rough stones. Conversely, if Wang Zhuo had visited Qin Jingzhong’s small building, he would have known how much the old man loved jade.

While there were no masterpieces, there were quite a few trinkets carved from "brick material." Xiao Wanjun, hearing Wang Zhuo’s comment, became visibly moved and couldn't help but ask, "Wang Zhuo, how much did you make from jade gambling?" Since they weren't outsiders, Wang Zhuo didn't mind telling them, and now he wasn't afraid of shocking Gan Lin either. "Uncle Xiao, do you know about that Imperial Green piece that was all the rage a while back?" "I don't know jade," Xiao Wanjun shook his head.

"I know!" Qin Siqing's eyes widened into perfect circles. She asked with astonishment, "Are you saying that the piece of jade in our city, valued at over thirty million, has something to do with you?" "I cut it myself," Wang Zhuo confirmed proudly.

"Brother Wang Zhuo, you're not lying to me, are you?" Qin Siqing looked doubtful. Wang Zhuo smiled and tossed the car key in the air.

"If I were lying to you, where would this thing have come from?" Xiao Wanjun inquired, "How much was the initial investment?" "I heard about it—wasn't it two thousand? Brother Wang Zhuo?" Qin Siqing scrutinized Wang Zhuo as if meeting him for the first time.

This man certainly had too many stories. Wang Zhuo smiled, nodding to her, then turned to Gan Lin with a smile.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth before. You don't blame me, do you?" Gan Lin smiled sweetly and shook her head; she had long known Wang Zhuo's true nature.

"Every time I see you, it's a new surprise," Xiao Wanjun sighed, gesturing towards Wang Zhuo. The first time they met, Wang Zhuo had pointed out Qin Jingzhong's liver disease.

The second time, at the hospital, even Qin Xue was extremely impressed with Wang Zhuo's composure. Today was the third meeting, and before this, he had already been stunned by Wang Zhuo's exploits.

Now, he heard that Wang Zhuo had earned over thirty million in the jade field. After the Red House was sealed, Qin Xue had paid a discreet visit.

As the mayor of the city, he naturally needed to assess the situation firsthand. Xiao Wanjun, as the number two secretary, spent his time serving the leader, so his presence was unavoidable.

On site, he overheard a world-class crime scene analysis expert telling Qin Xue that Wang Zhuo managing to escape with two women under those conditions was nothing short of miraculous. The metaphor wasn't entirely appropriate, but it perfectly illustrated Wang Zhuo's capability; even the expert couldn't find a more fitting term.

Not only that, but during an analysis meeting, when everyone saw the surveillance footage of Wang Zhuo shooting out a surveillance camera across the corridor with a single shot, only to appear minutes later in the goldfish tank area, even a colonel assisting with the anti-gang efforts couldn't help but clap his hands in approval, exclaiming on the spot that it was a terrible waste for such a talent not to become China's James Bond. James Bond?

Some of the older leaders present hadn't understood the reference. Only when the colonel explained did they realize—ah, the British secret agent 007.

Why didn't he just say so? As they departed from Haijiao Mountain Villa, Xiao Wanjun’s mind remained far from settled throughout the journey.

He was certain that given time, Wang Zhuo would be someone of great import. It seemed his plan to cultivate a good relationship with this young man had indeed been the right one.

…… The Audi pulled out of Haijiao Mountain Villa, leaving behind the quiet sanctuary and driving toward the bustling, complex metropolis. The scenery was the same, yet everything felt different, as if crossing into another world.

As he drove, Wang Zhuo turned his head to glance at the beauty in the passenger seat and asked with a slight laugh, "Does it still hurt?" Gan Lin blushed slightly, pouting, "Knowing it would hurt, you still took so long." "I said you could call out if it hurt," Wang Zhuo teased back. "You didn't call out, so I assumed you weren't in pain." "But, I..." Gan Lin wanted to say, Even if I didn't call out, surely you could hear my moans?

She thought about it and decided this was a topic best left unexplored, so she let it go. In any case, although it hurt, it was also quite pleasurable.

She decided to let him off this time. Young lovers tasting forbidden fruit truly become insatiable.

Seeing Gan Lin's shy inability to speak, Wang Zhuo felt another surge of desire, wishing he could pull over to a deserted spot immediately and do those intimate things. Unfortunately, her parents were waiting anxiously for her at the school; a car tryst would have to wait for another time.

The car reached the south gate of the school. The security guard, having received prior notice from his superiors, immediately opened the barrier, allowing the car with out-of-province plates to pass unimpeded onto the campus.

This action caused the drivers of private cars waiting outside to whisper and exchange curious glances, wondering whose distinguished vehicle enjoyed such preferential treatment. Under directions relayed over the phone, Gan Lin guided Wang Zhuo to the front of the General Affairs Building, where over twenty people were already standing by.

Before the car had fully stopped, they swarmed toward it. "Linlin, Mom missed you so much!" Mother and daughter clung to each other, weeping.

As soon as Wang Zhuo stepped out of the car, a middle-aged man rushed forward and gripped his hand tightly. The man’s eyes were moist with tears, his lips trembled, and he couldn't speak.

"This is Gan Lin's father, Gan Quan," explained a young man who looked like an academic. "You must be Wang Zhuo.

We’ve heard about your deeds; on behalf of the school, I want to thank you here first." The hand Wang Zhuo was shaking suddenly felt warmer. So this uncle, moved to speechlessness, was his future father-in-law?

He needed to treat this interaction seriously. "Uncle, it’s alright now, it’s all over," Wang Zhuo consoled Gan Quan, the idiom returning a perfect object to its owner almost escaping his lips, but he swallowed it back.

After all, he had no connection to anyone surnamed Zhao, and she hadn't truly been harmed, but she wasn't "perfect" anymore. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," Gan Quan finally managed to squeeze out, one word at a time after considerable effort.

Wang Zhuo nodded understandingly and even patted his future father-in-law’s shoulder, thinking that the old man was surprisingly easy to talk to. A moment later, Gan Quan regained his composure and started introducing everyone present to Wang Zhuo.

It was then Wang Zhuo realized that after the news of Gan Lin being wanted spread to the school, the Gan family had immediately driven a motorcade to Jiangzhou, bringing along all of Gan Lin's aunts and uncles. They had been fully prepared to fight the lawsuit to the end; they knew their own child, how could Gan Lin possibly be a criminal?

Nonsense! Luckily, just as they arrived at the school, they received the latest news of Gan Lin's exoneration.

Otherwise, they would have taken their lawsuit all the way to the flag-raising square. Besides this group of relatives, there were several school administrators: Gan Lin’s class advisor, political counselor, department head, and a vice principal.

Wang Zhuo found the situation almost laughable—it was the exact administrative setup he usually dealt with at school. Gan Quan introduced the relatives to Wang Zhuo one by one, leaving Wang Zhuo somewhat puzzled.

Did his future father-in-law already suspect the secret relationship between him and his daughter? They weren't even engaged yet, and he was already starting the family introductions?

When he was introduced to his future mother-in-law, she wiped her tears, released her daughter, and stepped forward to give Wang Zhuo a deep hug. Wang Zhuo finally understood the meaning of reaping what you sow and a dragon begets a dragon, a phoenix begets a phoenix, and a rat’s son knows how to dig a hole.

His future mother-in-law’s magnificent bosom pressed against his chest like two soft cushions, momentarily stealing his breath. He had only one thought: Gan Lin must be her mother's biological child; there was absolutely no mix-up.