Additional Inheritance - Chap 96
Chapter 96
Once Cao Hai left, Wen Xiaohui sat in a daze in the living room for a while.
He felt uneasy because of what Cao Hai had said and the way he said it, like he was holding something back.
What had Luo Yi wanted? Wen Xiaohui knew the answer, but it was clearly impossible now that Luo Yi was dead.
He was dead, but what would happen next? Would there be a funeral? Would they be able to find his body in the vast ocean? On several occasions, Wen Xiaohui had to stop himself from imagining the explosives tearing Luo Yi’s perfect face to shreds.
What had occurred during the final few minutes? Cao Hai confirmed that Chang Xing had perished, which must have meant that the man who boarded the boat was Chang Xing. Chang Xing had obviously terminated the program for the bomb since the amount of time between him leaving and the explosion had exceeded 100 seconds, so why had the bomb exploded? Why had he blown himself up?
It had been two months since the incident. Wen Xiaohui, who had gradually become more clear-headed, finally had the courage to think back to that day. He couldn’t stop his memories from flooding back despite being so terrified that his whole body shook and his internal organs twisted in pain. He imagined what might have happened on the boat after he left that day, and he thought about how he would never be able to see Luo Yi again – how did he look in his final moments? If Wen Xiaohui had never left, maybe Luo Yi wouldn’t have died.
He had sworn never to believe a single word of Luo Yi’s, but he still believed him in the end. He trusted Luo Yi to come home safely, and the last thing Luo Yi left behind for him was a lie.
Finally, he couldn’t bear to think about it any more. Even though he had thoughts running through his head that he might finally be able to grasp, he had reached his limit. His heart began to throb with pain, he found it difficult to breathe, and his body collapsed weakly onto the sofa.
Feng Yuehua came out, asking anxiously how he was.
Wen Xiaohui widened his eyes and stared at her. He felt indescribably guilty after seeing her look of anguish.
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Following Cao Hai’s visit, it took a week before Wen Xiaohui returned to a more normal state where he could eat properly. As a result, Feng Yuehua had her guard up against visitors and politely refused entry when Li Shuo came to visit. In the end, due to Li Shuo’s mild and gentle temperament and gentleman-like behaviour, she reluctantly let him in.
Wen Xiaohui’s expression was calm when he saw Li Shuo, like that day at the hospital, and he gently nodded.
Li Shuo observed him. “You look a lot better.”
“Thanks, Li-dage.”
Li Shuo let out a big sigh. “Are you able to talk to me?”
Li Shuo’s unburdened tone of voice made Wen Xiaohui feel somewhat upset and he forced himself to smile. “Don’t worry about me.”
“I don’t want to have to worry about you either. I respect your choice and want you to be happy, but I never would have thought…” Li Shuo hung his head.
“You’re such a nice guy.” Wen Xiaohui looked carefully at Li Shuo’s appearance – the man before his eyes used to be so familiar to him, but he felt distant now. Wen Xiaohui felt as though he was kilometres apart from everyone else, even if they were physically within reach. He recalled how Luo Yi said that Li Shuo was a good man while they were on the boat. Surprisingly, someone like Luo Yi could praise a love rival and utter his last words as if he were entrusting a lonely orphan to another’s care. It seemed he’d known for a while that he would…
A white light flashed in Wen Xiaohui’s brain.
Did Luo Yi really know that he was going to die? No, he was probably thinking too much. In such circumstances, even he wasn’t certain if he would make it back alive, so it wasn’t unusual for Luo Yi to make preparations in case he died.
“Xiaohui?” Li Shuo had called his name three times in a row, but he found Wen Xiaohui in a daze.
Wen Xiaohui finally came back to his senses. “Huh? What’s up?”
“Actually, there’s something important I need to tell you.”
“Please go ahead.”
“The police came to see you several times while you were in hospital. Do you recall?”
Wen Xiaohui frowned as he thought back. It might have happened, but his memory of it was very vague.
“They arrested Chang Xing’s henchmen and would like you to assist with their investigations, but your poor physical condition meant that they had to return empty-handed three times. They haven’t given up, and they need your statement to increase the likelihood of a conviction.”
Wen Xiaohui opened his mouth, but before he said anything, Feng Yuehua answered, “It’s not appropriate given Xiaohui’s current condition. Look at him…”
Li Shuo nodded. “The police officer in charge of this case is my friend. I was the first person to call the police that time you were kidnapped and persuaded the police not to disturb you and to give you some time. That’s why I’ve come to see you and chat to you about it first.”
Wen Xiaohui remained silent for a while. “They want me to testify.”
“That’s right, and I know it’s difficult for you. But you don’t want their sentences to be reduced or for them to be released because of insufficient evidence. They deserve to be punished.”
Wen Xiaohui nodded. “I’m not sure if I’ll be any help.”
“The prosecutor wants you to testify in court, but I think it’s better if you stay away from them. The hospital can verify that you’re not suitable to be in court due to your physical condition, but you can still help the police to gather evidence and provide a statement to them.”
Wen Xiaohui nodded again. “Sure.” If Chang Xing’s tumours weren’t completely eradicated, he would be unable to eat or rest in peace.
Li Shuo couldn’t stop himself from grabbing Wen Xiaohui’s hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. The heat transferred from the palm of his hand, giving Wen Xiaohui strength. Li Shuo said softly, “Let me know when you’re ready. They’re waiting for you.”
Wen Xiaohui drew a deep breath. “Let’s do it today.”
Li Shuo asked in astonishment, “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” Even if another ten or 100 days passed, he wouldn’t be any different.
Li Shuo exchanged a look with Feng Yuehua, and after getting a reluctant nod of approval, he made a phone call.
In less than half an hour, two police officers arrived.
Li Shuo and Feng Yuehua sat on either side of Wen Xiaohui, so that he had support on both his left and right hand sides. Wen Xiaohui tried to sit as upright as possible, in his attempt to portray the kind of man who would take responsibility for his words and not someone who had a mental disorder.
The police officers turned on the video camera and pointed it towards him. After a series of statements, they started to question Wen Xiaohui about everything that had happened in the three days after he’d been kidnapped to the point when he was rescued.
Wen Xiaohui twisted his fingers. He began to recount his experiences from after he fainted following the car crash to when he woke up locked in the warehouse at the abandoned port. He continued, recalling how he and Luo Yi were forced to sit on the weight sensors of the bomb.
It was Feng Yuehua and Li Shuo’s first time hearing this – their faces paled and found it difficult to breathe.
Most of Wen Xiaohui’s energy had been depleted by the time he got to this point, and his voice started to quiver when he covered the remaining content. His body followed and shook too, and his face turned as pale as a sheet.
Feng Yuehua said hurriedly, “My son’s too tired, you can continue questioning him another day.”
The police officer seemed a little disappointed and asked keenly, “Mr Wen, please try to recall what happened that day in more detail. Our evidence collection is progressing very slowly because we still haven’t recovered Luo Yi and Chang Xing’s bodies.”
Wen Xiaohui’s whole body shook. He looked up abruptly at the police officer. “What? They still haven’t…”
Li Shuo cleared his throat to remind the police officer to consider Wen Xiaohui’s state of mind.
The police officer furrowed his brows like he couldn’t ascertain how to respond. “Since the boat was blown to pieces, the people on board must be… We’ve recovered bodies and body parts, but we haven’t found Luo Yi and Chang Xing. However, eddies often form in this part of the sea, which led to the port being abandoned. It’s possible that they were caught up in the eddies after the explosion. Regardless, we still haven’t found their bodies, so it’s difficult to seek a conviction.”
Wen Xiaohui stared blankly at the police officers. A spark of hope was ignited in his heart, but the next second, he snuffed it out himself. He was afraid to hope, even just a tiny bit.
Li Shuo purposely changed the topic. “What about the Chang Xing’s men who were arrested previously? They weren’t involved in the kidnapping, but they helped Chang Xing commit lots of illegal activities. They also helped Chang Xing skip bail. Can you convict them soon?”
“Their cases will be going to court soon.” The police officer opened a document wallet and pointed to the photo. He asked Wen Xiaohui, “Do you recognise this person? He said that he knows you.”
Wen Xiaohui glanced at the photo and saw that it was the bodyguard who broke his nose. He knew him all too well. He nodded. “He threatened me before.”
“He’s going to get the bullet for what he’s done, so we won’t force you to press charges if you don’t want to.”
Suffering from a headache, Wen Xiaohui frowned and replied, “He told me before that Chang Xing made arrangements in the event of his death, which was why he was willing to sell his life for Chang Xing. Does he have any family?”
“Yes, they’re in Thailand and we’re monitoring them. Perhaps we can find Chang Xing’s overseas accounts if we follow this lead. Did he tell you anything else?”
“Nothing in particular.” Wen Xiaohui asked, “Has Chang Xing been plotting his escape for a while?”
The police officer nodded. “He has been on bail for six months and has always been well-behaved, reporting to the police station on time. We let our guard down. He might have been planning this since the day he was charged.”
Chang Xing was so well-prepared, so how did he end up as a victim of his own bomb? What happened on the boat that day? Even if Luo Yi tried to take Chang Xing down with him, how could Chang Xing have died so easily along with Luo Yi?
Furthermore, they were the only two people who hadn’t been found yet…
Wen Xiaohui felt a chill in his heart the more he thought about it. It might just be a coincidence if the police officer was right – they could have been caught up in the eddies. But what if that wasn’t the case? What if Luo Yi and Chang Xing…
Wen Xiaohui’s heart was pierced by a sharp pain and he doubled over. His complexion looked deathly pale.
Feng Yuehua said sternly, “My son’s feeling too tired, don’t force him!”
Li Shuo said apologetically, “Please allow Xiaohui to get some rest.”
The two police officers knew that they wouldn’t be able to get any answers today, so they left with their files.
Wen Xiaohui went back to his room with support. He lay down on the bed, eyes wide open and staring at the ceiling.
He should not have dwelled on the hypotheticals or the possible outcomes. In this world, it wasn’t necessarily despair that could crush someone; it was the glimmer of hope hidden amidst the despair. The miniscule star in the boundless sky was the brightest, but it could also kill a person without spilling a trace of blood.
