Though Ma Xingmin and his associates extorted only corrupt officials, the wealthy, or adulterous women, this did not make Wang Zhuo readily forgive them. Firstly, they plundered the rich without aiding the poor, their sole aim being accumulation of wealth; secondly, they deceived and exploited the kindness of Xiao San'er; thirdly, they played the trick of fraudulent donation; and most importantly, they set their sights on Wang Zhuo himself.

Being sent to the Middle East as oil workers for a few years was already a relatively light punishment for them; at least they retained a large degree of personal freedom, and besides the hardship of the work, their dignity and human rights were not entirely stripped away. If they had fallen into the hands of the police, facing a fraud case involving nearly seven million yuan, compounded by charges of being part of a gang and committing multiple offenses, these boys would likely emerge from prison physically battered, their lives utterly ruined.

Compared to that fate, the punishment Wang Zhuo meted out was exceptionally lenient. After handing over Ma Xingmin and the other four, only Xiao San'er remained of the "Scam Six." "Parents deceased?

No household registration? Homeless?" Looking from Xiao San'er to Wang Zhuo, Fei Long chuckled wryly and said, "Little sister, you need to make your stories more believable.

That's too exaggerated; who would believe it?" "I'm really not lying to you," Xiao San'er pouted. Wang Zhuo said, "Let's leave here first.

We can talk while we walk." Gathering everything they needed, the three descended the stairs and got into Wang Zhuo's car. Fei Long eagerly volunteered to drive, while Wang Zhuo and Xiao San'er sat in the back.

Only after Xiao San'er briefly recounted her story did the other two grasp the tragic outline of her background. She was born into an ordinary family with deeply entrenched traditional values.

When her eldest sister was born, it coincided with the nationwide implementation of the One-Child Policy. Years later, her parents had her second sister and were financially ruined by the penalty, even losing their jobs.

When she was born, the relevant local authorities simply refused to register her household. Her mother died from excessive bleeding during a forced abortion when she was pregnant with her fourth child; her father, driven to desperation, died along with a related official.

Afterwards, Xiao San'er's eighty-year-old grandmother gave her two older sisters to relatives and raised Xiao San'er alone. "Those who wanted children preferred the younger ones, but because of my father, no one could get my household registration sorted out, so they took my sisters away," Xiao San'er explained with a melancholy sigh.

"Sometimes I still think, how wonderful it would have been if I were from Shaoyang, Hunan. Now I would surely have been sold to America.

Life might not be perfect, but at least I'd have a real ID card." "What's wrong with Shaoyang?" Fei Long asked curiously. "Don't you watch the news?" Xiao San'er explained, "There's a place in Shaoyang where the Family Planning Office snatched away children born over the quota, processed them as orphans, and offered them for overseas adoption.

They received three thousand US dollars per child." "Ah?" Fei Long was instantly astonished, then after a moment, he laughed in disbelief, "If you were sold to Angelina Jolie, you'd be the adopted daughter of a major movie star!" Xiao San'er shrugged helplessly, "Exactly. I was clearly born at the wrong time." Though she spoke those words, she didn't seem overly concerned.

It was clear that despite her young age, she had already weathered much harshness and despair, perhaps becoming numb or simply philosophical about certain matters. Fei Long offered comfort, "It's just a household registration.

Let Instructor Wang help you sort it out. Never mind your hometown; we can handle one in Jiangzhou too." "Really?" Xiao San'er's face lit up with surprise, and she turned to look at Wang Zhuo.

"It shouldn't be a big problem," Wang Zhuo shrugged with a slight smile. The car arrived at Fei Long's school.

The fatty had indeed managed to acquire the best laptop there, and he left squealing with delight, carrying it. On the ride over, Xiao San'er had already used a specialized program to wipe all data from that hard drive; Fei Long only needed to reinstall the operating system.

Wang Zhuo carried an internal scale of morality. He had no intention of returning the six-plus million yuan to its original owners.

Gifting the computer to Fei Long was a personal favor, unrelated to its origin. Some might call his actions immoral, but money supervised by him and donated to society would certainly yield a better return than if it were confiscated by the state.

It was like the sentiment Liu Bowen once shared for self-consolation: How can things always go as one wishes? Strive only to have a clear conscience.

Moving to the driver's seat, Wang Zhuo called Qi Fei, asking her to return to the residence immediately to meet them. "Instructor Wang, will she...

will she hit me?" Xiao San'er looked worried. Wang Zhuo started the car and, looking at her in the rearview mirror, asked with a faint smile, "Why aren't you afraid I'll hit you?" Xiao San'er replied earnestly, "I've read a lot of information about you.

I don't think you're the type of person who would hit a woman." Wang Zhuo paused, then chuckled, "I truly never have, but if I ran into a shrew, that might be a different story." "I will never be a shrew," Xiao San'er declared confidently, shaking a tiny fist. The two arrived at Qi Fei's place.

Wang Zhuo opened the door with his key. Xiao San'er stuck her tongue out playfully and walked in demurely.

Considering how much Xiao San'er likely knew about Wang Zhuo and Qi Fei's relationship—more than anyone else—Wang Zhuo made no attempt to hide the fact that he had a key. A short while later, Qi Fei returned.

She opened the door with her key and froze when she saw Xiao San'er sitting on the sofa. Closing the door, she asked hesitantly, "Wang Zhuo, who is this?" "The accomplice, brought her here for you to deal with," Wang Zhuo grinned, opening a can of cola and handing it to her.

"I don't understand what you mean," Qi Fei looked from him to Xiao San'er, failing entirely to connect it to the extortion incident. Xiao San'er very sensibly stood up, gave a deep bow, and then said sincerely, "Sister Qi Fei, I'm sorry.

I was part of the group that secretly photographed you." "Let her explain everything to you in detail; I'm going inside to get online," Wang Zhuo waved his hand and walked towards the bedroom. Wang Zhuo knew Qi Fei was easily embarrassed, and if he stayed nearby, she wouldn't be able to speak freely.

Before long, Xiao San'er had explained the whole backstory. Qi Fei felt a wave of relief, mixed with a touch of exasperation.

This little girl, who looked like a porcelain doll, was actually a technical genius, but her emotional intelligence was severely lacking—she had been completely fooled by a few poorly forged certificates. "You believed just these few scraps of paper?" Qi Fei scoffed, shaking the receipts and certificates.

"Then wait a moment, and I'll show you what genuine articles look like." She opened a filing cabinet next to the sofa and placed two thick photo albums and a box on the coffee table. The albums contained photos from their trip to the Southwest, including pictures with leaders from Liuhe County, local customs, records of school buildings, and photos of teachers and students receiving donations.

The box held authentic donation receipts, as well as commemorative banners and certificates of honor. Although Xiao San'er was a tech geek with limited worldly experience, she wasn't blind; upon seeing these items and comparing them to the fraudulent garbage Ma Xingmin had produced, the difference between real and fake was immediately obvious.

Scratching her head awkwardly, the young girl said with a bitter smile, "Sister Qi Fei, I was blind and failed to recognize true worth. I tried to rob the rich to help the poor, but I picked the wrong targets." Wang Zhuo emerged from the bedroom and said cheerfully, "You, with your looks, talking about robbing the rich to help the poor?

There's a saying: being sold out by someone and still helping them count the money—that describes you perfectly." Xiao San'er pouted, a little indignant but aware she had utterly embarrassed herself; arguing back was useless. "How did you learn your technical skills?" Qi Fei asked.

Xiao San'er replied, "After Grandma passed, I lived alone. The aunts and uncles next door would occasionally give me some money, which was enough to get by.

I spent my time reading the electronics books my dad left behind, and without realizing it, I learned." Wang Zhuo and Qi Fei exchanged a glance; they could only categorize the child as a genius. To self-teach complicated electronics from books—what else could she be?

Qi Fei then inquired, "And how did you end up getting involved with those people?" "Ma Xingmin was my neighbor. When he was in high school, he bought a computer and had many computer magazines and books.

I liked looking at them, so I visited often. Later, he didn't get into college and spent half a year studying at home.

Somehow, he came up with this idea, so I went with him to Jiangzhou." "...So that's how it was," Qi Fei nodded slowly. She had been furious earlier, but hearing that the five rascals were being sent to the Middle East as oil workers immediately cooled her temper.

As for the slightly dense Xiao San'er, she had clearly been manipulated, so Qi Fei truly couldn't remain angry with her. "By the way, what is your real name?" Wang Zhuo asked with a smile.

"We can't keep calling you Xiao San'er." "My name is Xiao San'er; it has been for fifteen years," Xiao San'er shrugged innocently. Noticing a hint of slyness in her eyes, Wang Zhuo didn't believe her and asked again, "Even if your parents didn't name you, didn't you ever pick one for yourself?" Xiao San'er gently swung her legs and said languidly, "I've thought about it.

Whoever can get me a real ID card, I'll let them name me. My old name wasn't nice, and besides, the law doesn't recognize it." Hearing this, Qi Fei's sympathy overflowed, and her voice softened considerably, "Then you must at least have a surname, right?" "What good is a surname?" Xiao San'er said somewhat defensively.

"I'm a woman; any children I have in the future won't take my surname. The day my father died, our family line ended.

What difference does my surname make?" This left Qi Fei troubled, and she looked up at Wang Zhuo, naturally waiting for the man to make the decision. "That's fine, let her have her way," Wang Zhuo laughed.

"As long as the character exists in the dictionary, she can pick any surname she wants. If it can't be typed on a computer, we'll have the Civil Affairs Bureau issue her a handwritten ID card." Just then, Wang Zhuo's phone vibrated.

He pulled it out; it was Wang Zhengdao, his father—the man who always hung around Jiangzhou but hadn't shown up for a while. The guy actually remembered he had a son?

Wang Zhuo pressed the answer button with a wry smile. "Son, I have some news for you," came the rich, magnetic, hearty voice of the middle-aged man.

"Your father has settled down in Jiangzhou and has officially moved his household registration here! From now on, you are the head of our household registration book.

Congratulations!" "Instructor Wang is the head of the household?" Xiao San'er overheard this from the side and her eyes immediately lit up. Ignoring that Wang Zhuo was still on the phone, she blurted out, "Then just adopt me!

I'll take your surname, Wang!"