Interrogation, Better the Other Guy Dies Than Me Heading West... Terminal Illness Exposed

“Smack, smack, smack——”

“God damn it, so you’re the one who bullied our Young Mistress, huh?!”

The Dormitory Aunt, twin nunchucks in hand, laid into the shady logistics company boss who was tied to a stone pillar, ten brutal strikes in a row. His mouth was gagged, so all he could do was whimper.

The tears came from pure pain.

As everyone knows, for certain reasons, anyone who manages to run a logistics company in Dragon Country—especially an early-stage one—is no pushover. They’ve got connections, muscle, and money in all the right places. This boss never imagined that after all these years, he’d still hit a wall this hard.

He’d been at home, just enjoying the company of a freshly-hired model, when a bunch of burly men barged in. Without a word, they pulled out a photo and compared it to his face.

Once confirmed, they beat him senseless. When he passed out, they doused him with water. When he woke up, they beat him again.

Finally, they dragged him to this abandoned factory, tied him to a stone pillar, and kept the beating coming.

From start to finish, he had no clue who he’d pissed off.

All he knew was that this time, he was probably done for. He recognized his attackers—they weren’t just anyone. They were from the Du family, the biggest local power in Dahai City, the boss of his boss!

He’d already written his last will and testament in his head.

But seriously... could someone tell him when exactly he’d offended some Young Mistress?

I’m innocent!!!

How could he, a nobody, even come close to the Young Mistress of the Du family?

Are you kidding me? At least let me die knowing why! I didn’t even know a small fry like me could offend the future Young Mistress of the Du family!

The Black-hearted Logistics Company Boss felt more wronged than Dou E herself—snow in August... I’m innocent!!!

Once again, he blacked out. The Du family thugs, not missing a beat, splashed another bucket of cold water on him to force him back online.

“I know the rules, I’ve got no complaints. But please, harm my family, not me... can you at least let me die knowing what I did? I have no idea when I offended the Young Mistress. Is there some misunderstanding here?”

“Misunderstanding? Misunderstanding my ass! Look at this! This is what you did!” The Dormitory Aunt spat in his face.

“Smack! Smack! Smack!”

A few more heavy slaps across the face, leaving red handprints.

It knocked the fog right out of the boss’s head.

Finally, he saw the first useful piece of information. He saw why he was being beaten—a photo was shoved in front of him. A photo of Ye Cheng, spitting out blood.

If it had been any other nobody, the boss would never have remembered him. But Ye Cheng was special—a “Human Forklift,” a one-man army who could do the work of ten people. His biggest quirks: he liked stealing electricity and ate like a horse…

Wait... this guy is the Young Mistress of the Du family?

Are you fucking kidding me? Who would’ve thought the Du family’s Young Mistress would come work under the table at my factory?

If you’d told me that, I would’ve handed you the whole damn place. Consider it a tribute to the Du family...

Bro, no—Dad, you’ve really screwed me over here!

With a clear look at Ye Cheng’s face, the Black-hearted Logistics Company Boss burst into tears, two rivers streaming down.

“I swear, boss, I’m innocent! I remember this guy—great health, eats a lot. After he coughed up blood that day, I fully covered his medical bills. He never came back after that. I did everything by the book! I never withheld his wages! Boss, you gotta believe me!!!”

He was screaming at the top of his lungs, swearing on his life that he’d never been this honest in all his years.

Because he was genuinely terrified. If he’d shorted Ye Cheng’s pay, Ye Cheng might have paid him a little farewell visit—or, worse, shown up at his kid’s school to say hi.

Other people wouldn’t dare, but Ye Cheng? You never knew.

He’d seen his share of the dark side. Ye Cheng was definitely not ordinary—just the fact that he was a Human Forklift said it all!

With a guy like that, he wouldn’t dare pull anything even if he had ten more guts. This was a lawful society now, not the chaotic old days. Nobody went for gangland-style exploitation anymore.

Just squeezing people dry would get you crushed by the law. These days, everyone used a different code word…

He honestly looked like a good boss—at most, he was just a little “delayed on payments.”

The Du family had already led the charge, reformed, changed their ways. The people under them weren’t idiots—how could they not see the writing on the wall?

Sure, the change was slow, but it was happening! Give a guy a chance, boss!!!

His survival instinct was cranked to max, showing he clearly knew exactly what the Du family was capable of. Being buried alive as a “ginseng root” was already a mercy—he was petrified of something worse.

For the Du family crew, this was child’s play.

The Dormitory Aunt raised an eyebrow. “So, what—I’m supposed to thank you for giving our Young Mistress a job?”

“Uh… no, no. It was an honor for the Young Mistress to work at my place. I mean—she did me a favor, but I was too blind to recognize her status. If she’d just told me who she was, I would’ve handed her the factory outright!”

That wasn’t a lie. A factory was nothing—he had plenty more. Giving one up as a tribute to the Du family wasn’t shameful at all.

And especially since she was the Young Mistress of the Du family.

Who would’ve thought a nobody kid would turn out to be the Young Mistress of the Du family?

Dude, why didn’t you just say something? You were treating your big brother like some clueless sucker!

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The Dormitory Aunt hit him with another flurry of combos, spittle flying everywhere. His eyes glazed over, life flashing before him.

“It’s all your fault! You made the Young Mistress do such heavy work! If she hadn’t coughed blood, none of this would’ve happened! Keep hitting!”

The Black-hearted Logistics Company Boss: “???”

Hey, wait…

“Mmmph—mmm!” His mouth was gagged again, and what followed was pure chaos—a dozen thugs took turns handing out punishment.

And the cycle repeated: beat him unconscious, wake him up, beat him again…

No matter what, it was all his fault. Their Young Mistress could do no wrong!

It’s all your fault!!!

Not far away, Da Congming watched the boss get beaten to a pulp, trembling like a quail. He remembered what Dongfang Zhixia had said to him yesterday.

So... it was real.

What came after was even worse.

A photo was placed on the table. Ye Cheng was raising an eyebrow at the camera, looking like a cheeky scoundrel.

“Do you know this person?” Shen Qinghan asked.

History was a giant loop. Yesterday, Dongfang Zhixia had asked the same question, and Da Congming had said no.

But now...

“Yes, I know him! Miss Shen, I know him!”

“Young Master Ye Cheng, right? We’re tight! He even came to see me for a check-up before—said I was handsome and he really admired me!”

Whether true or not, he slapped every positive label on himself. He’d figured it out—Ye Cheng was someone big, and the only way to survive was to suck up as hard as possible.

"So someone came looking for you before me?" Shen Qinghan's face was calm, but her eyes seemed to pierce straight through a person's soul.

Da Congming's expression turned hesitant. He recalled the confidentiality agreement he had signed with Dongfang Zhixia earlier—by all rights, he shouldn't say anything...

But in that brief moment of hesitation, the Du family's men had already climbed up the stairs, both hands landing on Da Congming's shoulders, ready to drag him off for a "nice little chat" in the back.

Da Congming's face twisted in terror: "There was! There was!"

"Is it this person?" Shen Qinghan tossed out another photograph.

It was the ID photo Dongfang Zhixia had taken when she was registered with the student council. After squinting at it for a moment, Da Congming nodded: "Yes, that's her, Young Mistress, that's her—she came to see me before too."

"She asked about Young Master Ye Cheng's matters as well, but I didn't tell her back then. She didn't seem like a good person—I felt she was going to do something very dangerous to Young Master Ye Cheng. I only realized it now, and I've been waiting just for you, Young Mistress!"

That shameless flattery made the Dormitory Aunt, who was busy beating the stuffing out of the Black-hearted Logistics Company Boss not far away, furrow her brow.

Damn, this guy could suck up even harder than she could?

Looked like she'd have to show off a move or two later and make sure he knew the consequences of trying to steal points with their young mistress's impression!

"Speak. Tell me everything you know, and you can leave." Shen Qinghan nodded.

Hearing those words, Da Congming almost burst into tears and hastily unloaded everything he knew. What the previous president hadn't managed to get, the Young Mistress had gotten it all!

Things like Ye Cheng being diagnosed with a rare terminal illness, and how Ye Cheng never returned for treatment afterward, leading to the medical file being unconfirmed and eventually having to be erased...

The further he went, the uglier Shen Qinghan's expression became. Da Congming didn't dare stop, forced to keep going, spinning it in a more positive direction.

Otherwise... he wasn't going to walk out of here alive today.

"Young Mistress, it might just be a misdiagnosis! Young Master Ye Cheng hasn't had a follow-up visit yet. Misdiagnosis is actually pretty common—there's a strong chance Young Master Ye Cheng was just overworked..."

Da Congming's words hit the crucial point, reviving Shen Qinghan, whose expression had been dim.

Overworked?

As for why Ye Cheng had collapsed and needed treatment in the first place... the finger of blame once again pointed at the Black-hearted Logistics Company Boss, tied up and getting beaten not far away.

Black-hearted Logistics Company Boss: "..."

You son of a bitch... you quack doctor, you're trying to set me up!!!

Dammit!!!

The Dormitory Aunt had basically been just about done, but that one sentence from Da Congming got her hands itching all over again—she was fired up!

Death to those who deserve it, not to the one who doesn't!

"Slap slap slap!"

"Bang bang bang!"

Nunchucks, steel pipes, open-handed smacks... whatever was on hand all came down at once, and the Black-hearted Logistics Company Boss "blissfully" began yet another round of his life flashing before his eyes.

The little glutton was full now, all right.

"I still have a backup of Young Master Ye Cheng's medical diagnosis report from back then. If you don't mind, Young Mistress, I'll go back right now and transfer it over. Anything else you need this humble one to do, I'll give it my all!"

The worse the beating the Black-hearted Logistics Company Boss took, the faster Da Congming's speech became—terrified that if he slowed down even a little, he'd never get another chance to open his mouth.

Before long, the Du family's men brought over a laptop, and Da Congming started working, handing over the diagnosis report on Ye Cheng he'd prepared earlier... good thing he'd kept a backup plan and started collecting anything related to Ye Cheng as soon as he got back.

By the time Da Congming walked out of the factory again, it was already dark outside.

His eyes brimmed with tears standing there.

"Man, it's never easy... I got out alive... waaaaah..." Da Congming sobbed as he sprinted back home, packed his things overnight, and never came back—crying like a child who was hundreds of months old.

Great Sea City was way too dangerous. He was going to go develop the northwest like he'd dreamed of doing in his youth.

In simple terms... head west and never come back in this lifetime.

There was no way he'd ever run into this kind of nonsense again!

Ye Cheng, is it? I've got your number now, dammit... waaaaah...

I don't dare take revenge on you in this life, but in the next... I'm definitely drawing little circles and cursing you out!

To stay hidden and keep from being noticed, Da Congming fled via a path that was deliberately low-profile. He didn't choose normal routes like high-speed rail or planes—instead, he picked a miserable, unlicensed black-market long-distance bus.

The kind that couldn't be traced back to anything.

Very conveniently... he even ended up taking the exact same evacuation route as Ye Cheng...

Heading west!