Qin Auntie, Save Me [Rebirth] 111

Chapter 111

Both winter and summer were difficult seasons for the elderly and the frail. Although Grandfather Qin was well cared for, his old war injuries, despite all the care and attention, were taking their toll.

“Cough, cough, Xiao Zhang, bring me some water.”

Qin Yun Song, just as he reached his father’s door, heard the coughing from inside. He quickly entered and saw Nurse Zhang helping his father catch his breath.

“Dad, are you feeling unwell?”

His father’s head was tilted back slightly, his mouth open as he struggled to breathe. This had become more frequent lately, and he knew his own condition wasn’t good.

“It’s nothing, just a little tightness in my chest.”

Grandfather Qin’s tone was dismissive, and Nurse Zhang explained, “It’s been warm these past few days, he’s feeling a little short of breath.”

Qin Yun Song asked Nurse Zhang to get some water while he helped his father regulate his breathing.

“Dad, summer is approaching, you have to be more careful.”

As he said this, he took the glass of water from Nurse Zhang and helped his father drink.

After Grandfather Qin had recovered and his breathing stabilized, Qin Yun Song dismissed Nurse Zhang. He had barely slept last night, still struggling with how to tell his father.

Grandfather Qin, seeing his troubled expression, frowned slightly.

“Any progress with… the previous matter?”

Qin Yun Song nodded, “Yes, we received confirmation yesterday.”

Grandfather Qin’s tone carried a hint of reproach, “You knew yesterday, and you’re only telling me now?”

Qin Yun Song hadn’t even said anything yet, and his father had already guessed his purpose for coming. Grandfather Qin was aware of the pressure and the challenges the family was facing, and Qin Yun Song had repeatedly assured him he could handle it, so he had waited patiently for the final outcome.

Qin Yun Song, in front of his father, still retained the slightly deferential demeanor of his youth, lacking the usual authority of his position in Kyoto.

“Actually, Rongrong and I had our suspicions initially, but we weren’t certain, we received confirmation yesterday, but I didn’t know how to tell you.”

Grandfather Qin, seeing his hesitation, his reluctance to speak, guessed the reason.

“Who is this important figure? Are you afraid of offending them, or simply lacking the courage to act?”

Qin Yun Song gritted his teeth and decided to tell him everything. Delaying this would only worsen the situation. The investigation team’s preliminary report was ready, and if he didn’t intervene soon, Qin Qianrou would be officially reprimanded,

the Qin family had the power to protect her, but this shouldn’t be her fate, they weren’t ones for seeking fame or fortune, but they were also not ones to back down.

Grandfather Qin listened silently, his expression unchanging. Qin Yun Song couldn’t decipher his thoughts, especially after he mentioned that last name, his father’s chest had visibly heaved several times.

“Dad, if it’s inconvenient for you to handle this, I can go to Kyoto and…”

Grandfather Qin raised his hand, interrupting him. “You’re currently under scrutiny, going to Kyoto would be like walking into a trap. If you had the ability to deal with him, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

Grandfather Qin’s words were true. Someone of his own father’s generation, someone who had held a higher position for much longer, someone with immense influence in Kyoto, Qin Yun Song was indeed no match for him.

“Make the arrangements, I’m going to Kyoto.”

“Dad!”

Both Qin Yun Song and Wen Yirong had wanted Grandfather Qin to contact his old acquaintances in Kyoto, to ask for their help, they hadn’t expected him to go himself, not to mention the arduous journey, he hadn’t set foot in Kyoto for many years.

“What are you waiting for? The situation is urgent, and you’re wasting time here!”

Although old and frail, Grandfather Qin’s stern demeanor still carried hints of his wartime authority and decisiveness.

Qin Yun Song immediately left to make the necessary arrangements. But he was worried and wanted to accompany his father.

“You stay here, guard our base in Hai City.”

Qin Yun Song’s brow furrowed. “Dad, your health…”

Grandfather Qin drew a deep breath, his tone impatient, “I’m old, but I’m not so decrepit that I can’t even walk or talk, Hai City is our territory, we need someone here.”

Qin Yun Song was speechless, he was usually the one giving orders, delegating tasks, now, rendered silent by his father’s words, he knew there was no arguing with Grandfather Qin when he was like this.

“Stop rambling, everyone has their own responsibilities, since I’ve decided to go to Kyoto, I have my own plans.”

If Grandfather Qin hadn’t chosen to retire, his influence in Kyoto wouldn’t be any less than “that person’s.” If it weren’t for his decision to step down, “that person” might not have risen so quickly,

they were comrades, their achievements comparable, their ages similar, with every opportunity, a silent competition between them, and Grandfather Qin, his personality more composed, his abilities more outstanding, had risen through the ranks more quickly,

but he had chosen to retire at his peak, stepping aside when he felt he could no longer contribute effectively, giving the opportunity to someone more suitable, and for years afterwards, he had truly distanced himself from Kyoto, enjoying his retirement.

**

The investigation was nearing its end, the preliminary report ready, and with instructions from Kyoto, Qin Qianrou’s fate was subtly hinted at, although not explicitly stated, it wasn’t promising.

Li Wan, upon learning this, was furious and repeatedly confronted the station directors, to her surprise, the station director, who had been so cautious and risk-averse before, said he would try to intercede on Qin Qianrou’s behalf.

“Station Director, why are you…?” Among the station’s leadership, besides Deputy Director Ding, Li Wan had thought the new station director was the least likely to support Qin Qianrou.

They had repeatedly bothered him regarding the He Chao program.

The new station director, surnamed Liu, usually addressed as Director Liu, wasn’t familiar with television production, and behind his back, some had nicknamed him “Director Flow,” implying that everything passed through him without any real action.

Director Liu’s expression was calm. “I’m still relatively new to the station, unfamiliar with many people and the specifics of your work, I’ve mostly been following established procedures.”

Director Liu’s tone was slightly formal and official, but not condescending or insincere, and Li Wan, not knowing him very well, couldn’t guess what he was about to say.

“Your passion and dedication to journalism have moved me, I admire it, although I don’t have much experience in this field, I know what true dedication looks like, and it’s… what you’ve shown me.”

Li Wan was surprised, she hadn’t expected to hear this from Director Liu.

“I’ll try my best to reason with the investigation team, but it’s probably just delaying the inevitable. I know you and Qin Qianrou both have… connections, and I’m just trying to buy you some time.”

Director Liu’s words were vague, but his intentions clear, and Li Wan, almost speechless with gratitude, she had been preparing herself for a long and difficult battle,

“Don’t worry about other matters at the station, just focus on your work, until the official announcement, you’re both still valuable members of our team.”

Li Wan relayed Director Liu’s words to Qin Qianrou, and they both fell silent,

then Li Wan suddenly chuckled, “Qianrou, I’ve realized this investigation isn’t entirely a bad thing, at least it’s shown us that there are still people who understand and support us.”

Qin Qianrou held the phone in one hand, her other hand held by Shen Yiqiu, or rather, her fingers intertwined with Shen Yiqiu’s, a subtle yet close connection.

The investigation team had caused quite a stir in Meng City. Dongsheng Group, however, had been unusually quiet, even withdrawing their regular advertising, keeping an incredibly low profile, Shao Qidong, wanting to take advantage of the chaos to accelerate the transfer of his assets, using Qin Qianrou’s investigation as a distraction, this was also why he had secretly provided Li Wan with information on He Chao,

he needed a diversion, otherwise, with those two women watching him so closely, he wouldn’t be able to move his assets out of Meng City,

Zhuo Cheng, having obtained another batch of commercially available surveillance equipment from his contacts in the US, it was commonly used on Wall Street, those supposedly invaluable business secrets often captured by these inconspicuous devices,

the more he learned from Shao Qidong, the more he realized the dangerous situation he was in, he couldn’t climb out of this pit alone, and he wouldn’t let Shao Qidong escape with all that money,

he might not be as cunning as Shao Qidong when it came to underhanded tactics, but he wasn’t stupid either. Zhuo Cheng, taking a gamble, had bugged everything he could, all of Shao Qidong’s belongings,

he wanted to gather irrefutable evidence of his crimes, 24/7, he had prepared two escape routes for himself, firstly, using the evidence to blackmail Shao Qidong, to secure his own safety and disappear overseas, secondly, reporting Shao Qidong to the authorities, confessing his own involvement in exchange for leniency, starting anew in his own country, living an honest life.

Neither of these options was ideal, but he had no other choice.

Walking with wolves, he was prepared for mutual destruction.

Shao Qidong’s overseas operations were progressing smoothly, with Deputy Governor Xu’s help, many of the complicated procedures had been expedited, “expedited” meaning not only faster approvals, but also minimal scrutiny, no one questioning the legitimacy of his dealings.

Shao Qidong called Zhuo Cheng in, inquired about the progress of their recent projects, and praised him lavishly, as usual.

“We still need to speed things up, make everyone work a little harder. We have to seize the overseas market before our competitors. I’m very optimistic about your abilities, and after this project is completed, I’ll nominate you for a promotion, to join the board of directors.”

Zhuo Cheng scoffed inwardly, Promotion? You’re just eager to have me replace you, to take the fall.

He was haunted by the memory of Shao Qidong and Deputy Governor Xu’s cold and calculating conversation that night, a constant reminder that he had to act quickly, before Shao Qidong discarded him.

“Thank you for your trust, Mr. Shao, but I need more authority, there are some documents I need to handle directly.”

Shao Qidong, seeing Zhuo Cheng’s eagerness, assuming he was simply grateful for his mentorship, agreed to his request.

**

The investigation officially concluded, and the investigation team informed the television station that Qin Qianrou’s fate was pending final approval from higher authorities. Director Liu, unable to get a clear answer from the investigation team, had personally visited both the city and provincial governments,

to his surprise, the officials’ responses had been vague and noncommittal, and he sensed something else at play.

Returning to the station, he called Li Wan to his office.

“Xiao Li, who exactly have you offended? They’re determined to ruin you.”

Li Wan shrugged, “Director Liu, if I knew, would I be sitting here so calmly?”

Director Liu sighed heavily, the situation more serious than he had thought.

But he was also a stubborn man, the more difficult the situation, the more determined he became,

“Then don’t you have any other options? I’ve bought you some time, haven’t you done anything?”

Li Wan’s lips moved, but she didn’t speak.

Grandfather Qin had gone to Kyoto, but there had been no news yet, everyone was waiting for his instructions, the week Director Liu had bought them was precious, but it wasn’t enough.

“I can’t just stand by and watch two young women being bullied like this, in my station, I have a responsibility to protect you.”

Director Liu’s sudden display of righteousness surprised Li Wan, it seemed even station directors had a different side,

with Qin Qianrou’s situation showing no signs of improvement, those who had initially been gloating quietly now openly celebrated, even predicting her downfall. They didn’t dare to confront her directly, but they hid behind their keyboards, launching vicious attacks online,

rumors about the renowned reporter’s “lifestyle,” exposés about the power struggles within Meng City Television, some even claiming she had deliberately caused He Chao’s death to create a sensational news story,

all directed at Qin Qianrou, and those associated with her were also affected, Rong Fei, as a well-known psychologist, was even questioned online for seemingly ignoring her friend’s mental health issues, was it because of her incompetence, or was she simply biased?

Rong Fei, however, didn’t remain silent. She pinned a response to these accusations on both her studio’s official Weibo account and her personal account,

[*Based on my years of professional experience, true love can exist between people of the same gender, it’s a natural choice, not a mental illness, psychological factors might influence one’s sexual orientation, but that doesn’t mean same-sex relationships are inherently unhealthy.

Furthermore, I personally respect and support my friend’s choices in her personal life, and knowing her as I do, I’m certain she’s mentally and emotionally healthy.*]

Rong Fei, as a psychologist, was quite well-known in Meng City, and her public statement was a direct rebuttal to those keyboard warriors hiding in the shadows,

although there were still some scattered attacks and harassment after her response, they were no longer as organized or influential.

Wen Shao Ze had been traveling between Hai City and Meng City lately, he was relatively free, but he had also been troubled, he had unexpectedly received a call from Yuan Qi, something he hadn’t thought would ever happen.

“I haven’t been able to help much with Qianrou’s matter, and Xiao Qiu keeps telling me not to worry, but I can’t just stand by and watch you struggle, just let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

Yuan Qi’s straightforwardness, stating his purpose directly, made Wen Shao Ze put aside his own anxieties, their focus now on resolving Qin Qianrou’s situation.

“Qianrou will be grateful for your support, we’re just waiting for Grandfather’s instructions now, we’re basically prepared.”

Hearing this, Yuan Qi’s expression softened, he took out a piece of paper with a list of names and numbers from his bag,

“These are people I met during my travels, some of them I’m quite close to, I’ve compiled a list of those who might be able to help, if you need anything, just call them and mention my name.”

Wen Shao Ze took the paper, slightly stunned, then heard Yuan Qi say, “I should give this to Xiao Qiu, but she’s still a little… naive when it comes to these things, so I’ll have to trouble you with this.”

Wen Shao Ze carefully put the paper away, “I’ll thank you on behalf of Qianrou.”

**

Grandfather Qin, arriving in Kyoto, didn’t immediately go see his old comrade, but instead went to visit his former superior, who wasn’t that much older than him, those who had survived those times were all heroes. Their former leader, only five years older than them, a seasoned veteran when they had first met,

“Xiao Qin, it’s been a while, you still remember this old man?”

Grandfather Qin sent him holiday greetings every year, but with his declining health, their conversations were always brief, seeing his former subordinate now, the old leader, lying in his hospital bed, was delighted,

“Leader, I’m here to… ask you for a favor.”

The seventy-year-old man, before his almost eighty-year-old leader, seemed to have reverted to his younger, more naive self, a fresh recruit, filled with hope despite the dangers of war, those years flashing before his eyes.