Su Jianhong lowered his head and smoked in silence. When he heard his wife's question, he clenched his fists hard.
"I don't know either. We've asked everyone we can, but no one can help!"
"Why don't we go beg Liang Youde again? Maybe he'll take pity on us and let our son go?" Even now, Lin Xiu'e still held on to a sliver of hope that Liang Youde might show mercy.
Su Jianhong fell silent for a moment, then cursed bitterly.
"Xiu'e, that animal isn't even human. Begging him will only get us mocked—nothing else."
"Can't you see what he's like? He's deliberately trying to ruin Xiao Bai's future!"
"Wah... What are we going to do? Our son finally had a chance to make something of himself. He can't miss the college entrance exam because he's in custody!"
Lin Xiu'e knew her husband was right. It was just wishful thinking on her part, and now she burst into tears in her distress.
"It's all my fault for being useless!"
Seeing his wife like this, Su Jianhong slammed his fist against the concrete, hating himself for being powerless.
His despair only made Lin Xiu'e more worried. She hurriedly put her arms around him to comfort him.
The two sat there on the roadside curb. It was the height of summer in June, yet the breeze felt bitterly cold...
Ding-ding.
A ringtone came from Su Bai's backpack, bringing them back to their senses.
"It's Xiao Bai's phone!" Lin Xiu'e immediately opened the backpack to get it.
But when she saw the two dark red scrolls lying inside, her hand froze.
"Jianhong, look!" Lin Xiu'e cried in shock. Su Jianhong looked into the backpack and gaped.
"Ninjutsu Scrolls?! Why does Xiao Bai have these in his backpack?"
At the sight of the two priceless scrolls, the first thing the couple felt wasn't excitement, but fear...
Ding-ding.
The phone kept ringing, so Lin Xiu'e decided to answer it first.
"Hey, Su Bai, where the hell did you go? Hurry up and come eat!" Chang Rui's irritable voice came through as soon as the call connected.
Lin Xiu'e spoke softly. "Hello, young lady. Are you Su Bai's classmate?"
The person on the other end seemed to pause when she realized it wasn't Su Bai, then asked cautiously, "Y-you're Su Bai's mother?"
"Yes."
"Oh! I'm sorry, Auntie. I thought you were Su Bai. Please don't be mad!" Chang Rui hurriedly apologized.
Lin Xiu'e forced a smile. "It's okay. Xiao Bai isn't here right now, but I'll have him call you as soon as he gets back, okay?"
"He's not there? Auntie, could you help me find him? A friend and I are waiting to have dinner with him."
Dinner?
Lin Xiu'e gave a bitter laugh.
Her son was about to be taken into custody. How could he go have dinner with you?
She didn't want to spread the news, and she didn't know what her son's relationship with the girl on the phone was, so she answered vaguely. "Young lady, Su Bai's run into some trouble, so he probably can't have dinner with you. Don't wait for him."
Trouble?
The Monster BBQ Restaurant.
Chang Rui and Xia Xueqing stared at each other.
"Ask her what happened!" Xia Xueqing urged, looking worried.
Chang Rui nodded and asked Lin Xiu'e.
Lin Xiu'e held the phone, unsure what to do.
She didn't want to tell people about her son's predicament, but she was an honest, simple woman who couldn't lie. She could only look to Su Jianhong.
Su Jianhong thought it over, then nodded. "Tell the young lady. She might be our son's girlfriend."
"All right." Lin Xiu'e told Chang Rui the whole story.
On the other end of the call, Chang Rui exploded as soon as she heard.
I'm still waiting to thank Su Bai, and some fucking idiot sent him to the holding cell?!
Xia Xueqing's expression turned icy too. Su Bai had been fine that afternoon, and now he'd been arrested!
"How could anyone do that? Auntie, tell me where you are. I'll come get Su Bai out with you right now!"
"Your kindness means a lot, young lady, but this is a very complicated matter."
Lin Xiu'e didn't take Chang Rui's words seriously. She thought the girl was simply indignant on Su Bai's behalf.
Chang Rui insisted she wasn't joking. In the end, Lin Xiu'e couldn't fend off her questions any longer and told her where she was.
"I understand, Auntie. I'm coming to find you now. Don't worry, it's nothing serious!" Chang Rui hung up, then took Xia Xueqing, who had been waiting impatiently, and headed out!
Nothing serious?
On the roadside, Su Jianhong and Lin Xiu'e exchanged bewildered looks. Chang Rui's confidence had startled them.
Once Lin Xiu'e recovered, however, her face brightened. She looked at her husband hopefully.
"Jianhong, do you think Xiao Bai's classmate might really be able to get him out?"
"She didn't sound like she was joking, but would someone capable of that really be friends with our son?"
Su Jianhong dearly hoped Chang Rui wasn't joking. He and his wife were nearly out of hope, and it would be wonderful if she could really get their son out.
But he worried she was just acting on a childish impulse, making promises she couldn't keep.
Lin Xiu'e realized her husband had a point. How could someone that powerful know their son? Her excitement gave way to anxiety.
She knew she shouldn't pin her hopes on a student, but her worry for Su Bai still made her choose to believe...
The couple waited anxiously for about half an hour. At last, the one hope they had left arrived!
In the distance, Chang Rui came running over with Xia Xueqing, greeting them politely.
"Are you Su Bai's parents?"
"Yes, yes, we are." Lin Xiu'e rubbed her hands together nervously. "Young lady, is what you said true? Can you really help Xiao Bai?"
Before Chang Rui could answer, Su Jianhong's gaze fell on Xia Xueqing. After making sure his eyes weren't deceiving him, his face lit up with excitement.
"Xiu'e, our son's saved!"
He knew his wife was a simple country woman who paid no attention to the affairs of the ninja world.
But he was different. He knew about some of the important families, and he recognized Xia Xueqing at a glance!
She was a member of the Xia Family, the Byakugan Clan, one of Yang City's most powerful bloodline clans!
Now he fully believed Chang Rui. Getting someone out of the police station really was a trivial matter.
Although Su Jianhong had never had any dealings with the Xia Family, one of Yang City's leading families, he'd heard plenty of rumors.
They said the Xia Family was a terrifying force in Yang City, even more powerful than the Federal Government!
The clan was full of powerful members. Even the mayor of Yangcheng City had to show the Xia Family some respect, so resolving a minor scuffle for his son would be nothing.
"We're here to see Director Liu."
At the Yang City Police Department, Chang Rui brought Xia Xueqing and Su Bai's parents into the reception hall. Her opening words startled the young officer there.
"Young lady, what do you need our director for?"
The young officer didn't recognize Chang Rui, but he recognized Xia Xueqing's eyes.
Those Byakugan were the best proof of her identity as a member of the Xia Family. In Yang City, everyone knew them!
Chang Rui pursed her lips. "Don't ask. Just tell me where he is."
"On... the third floor, Room 301."
"Thanks."
Chang Rui turned back and smiled at Su Jianhong and Lin Xiu'e. "Uncle, Auntie, let's go up."
With that, she and Xia Xueqing led the anxious couple up to the third floor.
"Xiu'e, I think this girl Chang Rui comes from a very powerful family too. We've really met our benefactors today."
"Yes, she's a benefactor! We have to thank her properly!"
The couple watched Chang Rui walk ahead as if she were at home and quietly exchanged words. It was their first time in a place like this, and they didn't even dare speak loudly.
Walking ahead, Chang Rui heard their praise and felt pleased. She thought, Once I've earned Uncle and Auntie's favor, if Su Bai dares disobey me, I'll tell on him!
Before long, the four of them reached Director Liu's office. Chang Rui didn't even knock before pushing the door open.
"Who let you in... Uh, Miss Chang?"
A middle-aged man was sitting at his computer. He looked up as someone barged in and was about to shout, but the words died in his throat.
He was Liu Guang, the head of this local precinct. He usually held considerable authority, and this had never happened to him before.
Liu Guang plastered on a smile and hurried over to Chang Rui and Xia Xueqing, his manner utterly polite.
"What brings you to my office, Miss Chang?"
"And you must be from the Xia Family, right? I've long wanted to visit the Xia Family patriarch, but I've never had the chance. Haha."
Though Liu Guang was smiling, he was stunned inside.
One girl was the daughter of his superior's superior—the second most powerful figure in Yang City—and someone he made a point of currying favor with!
The other had an even more impressive background. She was the little princess of Yang City's powerful Xia Family! She was far beyond his reach, not someone he could even hope to flatter!
As for his talk of paying a visit? Liu Guang was just trying to make himself look important. He wasn't qualified to visit the Xia Family; his superior might have been.
Chang Rui smiled and got straight to the point.
"Uncle Liu, a friend of mine was taken into custody for fighting, but there were extenuating circumstances and some misunderstandings. I hope you can release him for now and investigate the matter later. Would that be possible?"
"Of course! Absolutely!" Liu Guang immediately agreed.
As if he could refuse! If he did, even his superior wouldn't let him off the hook. The daughter of Yang City's second-in-command had personally asked him!
"Good." Chang Rui smiled. "His name is Su Bai. He was brought in this afternoon. Let him go now."
"All right, all right. I'll release him right away!" Liu Guang nodded and reached for the phone on his desk, but then suddenly stopped, thinking, Oh no.
Su Bai? This is bad!
Seeing Chang Rui settle everything in just a few words, Su Jianhong and Lin Xiu'e were overjoyed.
"Miss Chang, thank you so much. We don't even know how to repay you!"
"Yes, I... I... I'll make sure Su Bai properly thanks you!"
The couple could barely get their words out. They were just too excited!
Chang Rui smiled smugly. "It's nothing, it's nothing. Don't mention it, Uncle and Auntie!"
"That's right. Sister Rui's family has a lot of influence. Something like this is nothing to her, so you don't need to thank her," Xia Xueqing said happily.
Chang Rui waited a moment, but Liu Guang still hadn't done anything. Her brows furrowed, and her smile vanished.
"Director Liu, what are you waiting for?"
"Well..." Cold sweat ran down Liu Guang's head. He hadn't expected Su Bai to know Chang Rui!
He'd already sent Su Bai away. It wasn't in accordance with Federal law, but he'd thought it was a simple favor, a way to do Liang Ji a favor.
Liang Ji was a well-known businessman in Yang City who had given him plenty of perks over the years.
And Su Bai was just some nobody from the bottom of society. Using him to get Liang Ji to owe him a favor had seemed like a windfall.
But now...
Before you continue