The final sentence struck like a fatal blow.
The female secretary’s face turned from pale to ashen, her body swaying slightly as her lips trembled, unable to utter a single word in response.
She couldn’t defend herself—could only shake her head repeatedly.
"No, I didn’t."
The handcuffed woman slowly, agonizingly slowly, turned her head, her gaze shifting from Lin Mo’s resolute face to her cousin’s bloodless one.
A storm was gathering in her eyes.
At that moment, Lin Mo turned to the old policeman.
"Officer, we’re free to go now, right?"
The old policeman sighed, waving his hand dismissively without a word.
What he really wanted to say was: Kid, just leave already. If you stay any longer, this station might get torn apart—who knows, even the backers behind that shrew might end up behind bars.
This guy’s heart must be pitch black if you dug it out.
Lawyer Xu glanced at Lin Mo and the others, giving a slight nod. "I won’t see you off then. Xiao Zeng is still inside—after all, he’s the only one who got hurt."
Chu Lintian nodded and turned to leave without hesitation.
Such was reality. Whether you were a CEO or some big shot, once you stepped in here, you had to follow the rules—at least on the surface.
As they exited the police station, faint roars and curses echoed from inside.
Lin Mo pulled out his phone, swiping across the screen to dial Xie Yuling directly.
The call connected almost instantly.
"Chu-jie and I are out. Everything’s fine," he said calmly, his voice betraying no emotion.
A soft rustling came from the other end, followed by Xie Yuling’s audible sigh of relief. "Good, that’s good."
Though she didn’t say it outright, the weight that had been pressing on her heart finally lifted.
Next came Auntie Zheng’s concerned inquiries, and Lin Mo could clearly hear Chu Miaomiao’s voice in the background.
Hearing Lin Mo’s reassurance, they all relaxed.
"Come on, I’ll drive you back."
Soon, the car stopped on the main road near the urban village.
"I won’t go up. As for Miaomiao, let her stay at Sister Yuan’s place tonight. That way, I won’t have to wake up early to take her tomorrow."
She stretched lazily, her movements casual yet accentuating her striking curves even under the loose casual wear.
But the weariness that flickered in her expression didn’t escape Lin Mo’s notice.
"Alright, I’ll let them know. By the way, if there’s anything at the company you can’t handle, remember to tell me."
Chu Lintian paused mid-motion before forcing a relaxed smile. "I know."
Lin Mo’s hand hovered on the car door. Suddenly, he turned back, his gaze settling on Chu Lintian’s face—calm yet piercing.
"Stop pretending."
No embellishments, just those simple words.
Chu Lintian’s smile stiffened, as if someone had abruptly peeled away a hardened shell. Her chest tightened without warning.
She averted her eyes, fingers tapping unconsciously on the steering wheel before murmuring after a beat,
"Yeah, I won’t. I’m not shouldering everything alone."
Only then did Lin Mo push the door open and step out.
Chu Lintian didn’t start the car immediately. She simply sat in silence, watching his figure cross through the dim glow of the streetlights until it vanished around the corner.
Then, finally, she let out a quiet breath and drove away.
Lin Mo had just reached the foot of his apartment building when his footsteps halted, and his brows furrowed.
A figure darted out from the shadows of the stairwell, standing rigidly with an expression brimming with urgency and anticipation.
"Why are you here again?" Lin Mo sighed in resignation.
Liu Zheng rubbed his hands together, wearing a look of helplessness and innocence. "I have no choice. If I don’t camp out here for you, how else am I supposed to contact the Northern Profound True Master?"
"Then at least tell me first—what exactly do you all want?" Lin Mo planted a hand on his hip, glaring at him irritably. "I can’t just let the True Master indulge your recklessness, can I?"
The word "recklessness" seemed to strike a nerve in Liu Zheng, who bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. His voice shot up an octave.
"Recklessness? How is this recklessness? This concerns the prosperity and stability of society—it’s a matter of utmost importance! We don’t need the True Master to intervene constantly, just once at the most critical moment. Just once!"
Lin Mo fell silent, raising an eyebrow as he studied Liu Zheng’s face, etched with righteous conviction. Finally, he shook his head, unable to harden his heart completely.
"Come upstairs. We’ll talk in detail."
At these words, Liu Zheng’s face instantly lit up, and he eagerly nodded before following.
Once they reached the upper floor, Lin Mo turned to Liu Zheng at the doorway. "Wait here for a moment. I’ll go up and be right back."
Lin Mo went upstairs just to check in and explain that Chu Miaomiao would be staying overnight.
When he came back down, Liu Zheng was still standing at the stairwell, not even attempting to use his little tools to pick the lock.
Lin Mo opened the door and stepped inside.
Liu Zheng’s eyes immediately landed on the tube amplifier placed in the center of the living room.
"Damn, you’re into audio equipment at such a young age?"
"My dad’s into it too," Lin Mo replied casually, not even bothering to pour Liu Zheng a glass of water before sitting down.
Left with no choice, Liu Zheng settled himself across from Lin Mo with deliberate ease.
"Truth is, this matter is serious. Are you sure you want to hear it?"
Lin Mo rolled his eyes. "If you were really that concerned, you wouldn’t have followed me up here. Cut the crap and just say it."
This kid was sharp—but also had zero tact!
Still, it was just as well. Liu Zheng decided to lay it out plainly.
First, he recounted the incident involving Xia Zhi at the safe house in Pengcheng.
Then, he summarized the situation.
"Someone within the Yanhuang Awakening covets Ning Qingcheng’s power—that little girl you and the True Master rescued last time. Just as the True Master said, her body harbors immense energy, and that’s what they’re after.
The problem is, we still don’t know why they want it or who’s pulling the strings behind the scenes."
Lin Mo tapped his fingers lightly against the table.
"You can’t seriously be suggesting the entire Yanhuang Awakening is rotten. If this Ning Qingcheng is such a hot potato, why don’t you just hand her over to the authorities?"
Liu Zheng gave a bitter laugh. "Easier said than done. In their eyes, we’re probably just ants they can crush with a flick of their fingers."
Lin Mo kept tapping the table.
"Doesn’t Yanhuang Awakening have anyone stronger? If the girl’s that important, hasn’t the higher-ups sent reinforcements?"
"They have, but we can’t be sure if they’re trustworthy. Honestly, I’d rather rely on you and the Northern Profound True Master."
It was clear Liu Zheng was a cautious man—maybe a little too cautious.
Even so, it seemed he still wanted to report the matter to the envoys sent by the higher-ups.
But he needed a guarantee—that was why he had come here.
He had come seeking assurance.
Lin Mo stroked his chin, remaining silent for a moment.

u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.

g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!

ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"

reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?