Chapter Thirty-One: Today, Just Today

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers.

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At eight in the morning, Hua Shi'er took Da Kang and Lai Zi to the police station. They gave their statements, detailing every last bit of Boss Wang's illicit activities over the years.

Before arriving, the three of them had agreed to disclose everything they knew. Even the fragments of information or gossip they had overheard were relayed to the police. It was a "cast the net wide" approach; once the police had the leads, they would naturally investigate thoroughly, which would increase the chances of Boss Wang being convicted.

Furthermore, regarding Boss Wang's operations, those three were not the only ones helping with debt collection. With a great sense of "loyalty," Hua Shi'er exposed everyone else involved.

A chivalrous heart requires pulling up the weeds by the roots... er, I mean, it’s about sharing weal and woe together.

After the statements were recorded, Officer Yang yawned and told the three of them they could leave. He explained that they would proceed with evidence gathering and then arrange for arrests, adding that he would contact them by phone if anything else came up.

With Ma Qi and Boss Wang being arrested, Hua Shi'er was a key witness, and there would undoubtedly be more times they would need to trouble him.

Hua Shi'er smiled and said, "It's no trouble at all. I am irreconcilable with evil!"

Officer Yang laughed and retorted, "Stop with the grandstanding. You make it sound like your moral awareness is higher than ours!"

Hua Shi'er chuckled sheepishly. "Fighting crime is everyone's responsibility!"

Officer Yang nodded. "Just remember what you said yesterday. Stay out of trouble from now on. Even though you helped us this time, if you commit a crime later, I’ll still arrest you!"

He then pulled Hua Shi'er aside and whispered, "Little Wang mentioned you stayed in a presidential suite yesterday. Honestly, where did the money come from? Don't give me that nonsense about winning the lottery. If that money is illicit, you’d better confess now. I’ll count it as a surrender and can plead for leniency for you with the court."

Hua Shi'er found it amusing. *I did win the lottery, but I’m not telling you!*

Although Officer Yang was a criminal investigator and, based on the original plot, a man of integrity, Hua Shi'er wouldn't reveal his massive windfall. Wealth should not be flaunted, and he certainly wouldn't pin his safety on anyone else’s humanity.

He immediately pointed to Da Kang and Lai Zi standing nearby and said, "The three of us pooled our money to invest in stocks recently. We got lucky, and it’s been hitting the limit up for days!"

Officer Yang looked at him suspiciously. "Really?"

Hua Shi'er named the securities firm where he had opened the account and smiled, "To prove to the police that I’ve truly turned over a new leaf, I don’t mind you investigating!"

Officer Yang nodded. "Fine, I’ll take your word for it this time, but don't get cocky..."

Hua Shi'er interrupted with a smile, "The stock market involves risks, so one must be cautious. I know!"

Having had his line stolen, Officer Yang was both annoyed and amused, giving Hua Shi'er a pat. "As long as you know!"

As the three left the station, Officer Yang watched them go and muttered enviously, "Are stocks really that easy to profit from? How come I always lose money when I buy them!"

***

After leaving the police station, Hua Shi'er found a nearby cafe, bought drinks and desserts for Da Kang and Lai Zi, and began trading stocks on his laptop while sipping his coffee.

He sold the stocks that had hit the limit up yesterday and bought another set destined to hit the limit up today. *Sigh, life is as lonely as snow; making money is just this easy.*

He was still operating with the money shared by the three of them. As for his own thirty-plus million, he decided to open a separate account later to acquire Kweichow Moutai and Tencent stocks for long-term holding. Oh, and he needed to set aside some capital to acquire Bitcoin.

At this time, Moutai stock was hovering around 170 or 180. Ten years later, it would break the 2,000 mark, and that’s not even counting the dividends and bonus shares over that decade. Someone had calculated that in the twenty years since Moutai went public, it had increased over 400 times. Hua Shi'er wasn't looking for a hundred-fold return; he’d be satisfied with a few dozen times.

Tencent was even more of a powerhouse, just like Moutai.

As for Bitcoin, at this point in time, one Bitcoin had just broken the... one-dollar mark. Yes, you heard that right. The same Bitcoin that would rise to over 60,000 US dollars in 2021 was currently just breaking one dollar.

Hua Shi'er decided to acquire 50,000 to 100,000 coins. Even if he just laid back and did nothing, he would be a multi-billionaire in ten years.

*Oh my, just talking about it makes people jealous.* This was the benefit of being a transmigrator; making money felt like picking it up off the ground.

After finishing his trades, Hua Shi'er was dragged by Da Kang and Lai Zi to an internet cafe. The three of them played games together, and they even had boxed rice meals at the cafe for lunch. They played until the afternoon when Hua Shi'er’s phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID—it was Chen Nian.

Hua Shi'er was puzzled. It was only a little past two in the afternoon; school wasn't out yet. Why would Chen Nian be calling him?

Filled with doubt, he answered the phone. As soon as he connected, he heard Chen Nian’s sobbing voice on the other end:

"Where... where are you?"

Hua Shi'er couldn't sit still anymore. He stood up, logged out of the computer, and asked, "What’s wrong? Don't worry, just tell me what happened. I’ll come over. Where are you? Are you at school?"

He waved to Da Kang and the others and left the internet cafe. When he rushed to Yao Hong Academy, he saw Chen Nian standing at the school gate, eyes filled with tears, looking at him with a numb expression.

"What happened?" Hua Shi'er asked with concern as he approached.

Although he was asking, he already had an inkling of the answer. In this state, she had clearly been bullied by Wei Lai and her group again.

"You said you would protect me. You said you would help Hu Xiaodie get justice. When will you keep your promise? Wei Lai pushed me down the stairs today..."

Chen Nian’s voice was cold and trembling. It wasn't so much a question as it was a murmur to herself.

Hua Shi'er was slightly stunned. He had seen the movie and knew the plot point where Chen Nian was pushed down the stairs by Wei Lai’s gang, but he hadn't expected it to be today. It was his oversight; had he thought of it earlier, Chen Nian wouldn't have suffered this.

He immediately stepped forward. "Are you okay? Are you injured? Come on, I’m taking you to the hospital!"

He reached out to hold her hand and turned to hail a taxi.

***

"I’m not going!"

Chen Nian pulled her hand away from Hua Shi'er and stepped back. Her voice trembled as she asked with a glimmer of hope, "You said you would protect me and get justice for Hu Xiaodie. When..."

Hua Shi'er scratched his head. He had only promised yesterday and hadn't had time to act yet. Seeing that Chen Nian was clearly traumatized, he didn't make excuses but gave a resolute answer:

"Today. Today!"

Chen Nian’s body shuddered, and the tears in her eyes spilled over. She tried to walk toward him, but her legs gave way after a single step. She was about to fall when he caught her in his arms.

At that moment, looking at Hua Shi'er, Chen Nian felt a long-lost sense of security as she leaned into his embrace.

Hua Shi'er crouched down and pulled up Chen Nian’s pant leg. Her knees were covered in freshly applied gauze, smelling of alcohol and iodine. The gauze was slightly blood-stained; clearly, the school infirmary hadn't treated it properly.

Hua Shi'er hailed a taxi, carried Chen Nian into the backseat, and sat beside her, telling the driver to go to the nearest hospital.

In the treatment room, a nurse re-dressed the wounds on her knees and arms. Hua Shi'er helped her out to sit in the hallway.

Chen Nian said in a low voice, "I’ve thought about it. I’m going to call the police in a bit. I want to tell them the truth about Hu Xiaodie’s suicide..."

Hua Shi'er turned to look at her and asked calmly, "Do you think it will be useful? It was Hu Xiaodie’s own choice. I’m sure Wei Lai and the others will just say that Hu Xiaodie was mentally fragile. At most, they’ll get suspended from school; nothing else will happen."

Chen Nian was shocked and asked in disbelief, "How can that be? They pushed Hu Xiaodie to her death. Isn't that against the law?"

Hua Shi'er shrugged. "Do you understand the law? It wasn't Wei Lai and her friends who physically pushed Hu Xiaodie off the building. As for the bullying, school bullying isn't yet criminalized in our country. Maybe it will be in the future, but currently, there is no criminal law that can make them pay the price they deserve."

"Then what should I do?"

As soon as she asked, she remembered Hua Shi'er’s promise to seek justice for Hu Xiaodie. She grabbed his arm. "You have a way, don't you?"

Hua Shi'er gave her a reassuring smile and nodded slightly.

That night, in front of Yao Hong Academy, Hua Shi'er wore a hoodie, the hood pulled up to shadow his face. With a cigarette dangling from his mouth, he stood in the shade of a tree on the sidewalk across from the school, waiting quietly for his targets to appear.

Not long after, three girls walking together, laughing and chatting, came into his sight.