HPDBC Chapter 81 Admonition
Chapter 81 Admonition
As darkness fell completely, traffic on the suburban roads gradually thinned out.
The group originally planned to take Chen's mother back to her rented house first, but then they thought that it was not safe at night. Chen Shi's place had just been scouted by the kidnappers and was likely still exposed, which was too risky.
But sending her back to her hometown was even more impractical; the journey was too far, and Chen's mother couldn't withstand the ordeal late at night.
The fat man slapped his thigh and suggested, "Auntie, why don't you stay at my house tonight? Xiaomin cleans the guest rooms all the time, they're always spotless."
Chen's mother hesitated for a moment: "That wouldn't be good, it would be too much trouble for your wife."
"What's the trouble!" As long as his wife wasn't around, the fat man was incredibly arrogant. "What kind of relationship do I have with Xiao Shi? We grew up together, peeing and playing in the mud. His mother is my aunt. What's with the formalities!"
Chen Shi muttered under his breath, "Yes, but it's always you who pees, and me who gets covered in mud."
Everyone laughed, but the fat man ignored his complaints and waved his hand, saying, "Auntie, don't be so polite, it's settled then."
So the group drove back, dropped Chen's mother off at Fatty's house, and after settling her in, everyone planned to go home and rest. But Fatty's wife was unusually enthusiastic and stopped them from leaving.
"It's so late, you probably haven't eaten yet. Don't bother going back to cook. Just eat something at home and then leave."
The fat woman's cooking skills were superb, and she was exceptionally quick and efficient. Upon entering the kitchen, she immediately shut everyone out, not even allowing the fat man to help, saying with a smile that it was no sense to let guests help in the kitchen.
Chen's mother sat in the living room waiting for dinner. Watching her chubby sister-in-law bustling around, gentle and virtuous, she couldn't help but sigh, "Xiao Qiang seems carefree, but he's really lucky to have married such a virtuous and family-oriented wife."
Her first thought was of her son, hoping that Chen Shi would one day meet such a wonderful girl. Her thoughts drifted back to reality, and she glanced discreetly at Su Xiaohe, who was munching on snacks beside her, and sighed.
Putting aside these troubling thoughts, Chen's mother's curiosity resurfaced. From her kidnapping to her release, the whole ordeal had been shrouded in mystery, leaving her with a mountain of questions. She hadn't dared to ask in front of so many people earlier, but now that she finally had the chance, she leaned closer to Chen Shi: "Son, I've been wanting to ask, why did those kidnappers suddenly start fighting among themselves? And then, out of nowhere, they released me? What exactly happened?"
Chen Shi glanced discreetly at Sun Tiemei not far away, then lowered his voice and instructed, "This is the result of the team leader's secret intervention. Keep this to yourself, and don't tell anyone."
Having lived most of her life, Chen's mother was worldly-wise. She immediately understood the intricacies of the situation; it was highly likely that the bureau couldn't reveal themselves publicly, so they had used shady connections behind the scenes. Although it wasn't a violation of rules or a crime, such things would inevitably cause gossip if word got out. Little did she know that this whole affair was entirely Li Mo's own idea.
She didn't ask any more questions and silently kept this favor in her heart. So at the dinner table, Chen's mother was particularly attentive, twice taking the initiative to serve food to Sun Tiemei, being very polite.
"Team Leader Sun, eat more vegetables."
"Auntie, you don't need to be so polite, just call me Tie Mei."
Chen's mother readily agreed, "Tie Mei, I only came here to see Chen Shi, but I didn't expect to cause you so much trouble. What a mess this has become."
"You're too kind. We weren't really able to help in any substantial way."
"I understand, I understand," Chen's mother nodded repeatedly. She thought that Sun Tiemei was deliberately trying not to get involved with the mysterious man who had helped her, and that's why she was denying it.
The meal was lively and cheerful. After chatting for a while, Chen's mother became a little tired. After all, she was over fifty years old and had been tied up for several hours. She was exhausted both physically and mentally, so she washed up and went to rest early.
Fatty and his wife stayed in the kitchen to clean up the dishes. Seeing this, Chang Biao and Su Xiaohe got up to say goodbye and prepare to go home.
Sun Tiemei remained seated, not uttering a single word. Once only she and Chen Shi were left in the living room, Sun Tiemei gave Chen Shi a look, and the two of them got up in unison and went outside to the street.
The night air was cool, and Chen Shi regretted not wearing a coat.
"Chen Shi, Li Mo helped us this time. What are your thoughts?"
Chen Shi considered for a moment: "Team leader, I was thinking that since he genuinely helped us this time, will it be harder to take action against him or catch him next time we encounter him?"
Sun Tiemei nodded slightly; this was also her biggest concern. But Chen Shi shook his head: "But after carefully considering it, my thinking is a little different."
"Li Mo was able to find the kidnappers' location so quickly and knew their modus operandi so well, which is enough to prove that they used to be very close. But because of the kidnapping of my mother, the two sides fought each other directly. Four people were fighting against one person, and he ended up with three serious injuries. This has made them mortal enemies."
Sun Tiemei was taken aback upon hearing this, and gestured for him to continue.
"All along, the true nature of the underground community has only been our speculation. As for Li Mo's claim of factional divisions, that's just his personal opinion." Chen Shi's mind was exceptionally clear at this moment. "But this time, my mother's kidnapping has brought their internal conflicts into the open. The covert war has turned into an open battle, and the radicals and Li Mo have completely broken off relations. For us, this is definitely a good thing."
He paused, then voiced his boldest idea: "Team leader, I have a bold guess. If the radicals continue to pressure Li Mo and drive him to the brink, he might defect. If that happens, it would be incredibly helpful in dismantling the entire underground community."
Sun Tiemei shook her head upon hearing this: "You don't understand Li Mo. That person is too stubborn. Once he's made up his mind, not even ten oxen could pull him back."
"Being stubborn isn't necessarily a bad thing," Chen Shi continued. "I don't know why he left the Supernatural Abilities Bureau in the first place, or why he ended up on this path, but his actions today show that he still has his own bottom line. It's all about human effort."
"In the past, when I handled cases, my thinking was very simple: black and white. As long as someone committed a crime, they would be rounded up without any room for negotiation."
Sun Tiemei continued, "But judging from these past cases, if we were to deal with such a deeply entrenched and massive underground community, it would be fine if it were just me alone. But now we have you, and your families. A head-on confrontation is indeed problematic."
Chen Shi nodded: "So we need to make as many friends as possible so that we can have fewer enemies."
At this point, Chen Shi paused slightly: "Team leader, this is not just about dealing with the underground community, but I always feel that simply encircling and killing them can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause."
Sun Tiemei looked at him quietly, remaining silent for a long time. She had thought that after experiencing the life-or-death crisis of her mother's kidnapping, Chen Shi would harbor hatred and might become extreme in his actions. However, she did not expect that Chen Shi would instead calm down and become more insightful than herself.
After a long pause, Sun Tiemei finally answered seriously, "Do you know what your biggest change is?" Chen Shi shook his head.
“In the past, you always followed orders. Even when you had your own ideas, they were always within the established framework.” Sun Tiemei’s eyes were serious. “Now, you’ve started to see through the surface and grasp the essence.”
"But I must warn you," she suddenly said, her tone turning cold, "the idea is good, and the overall vision is sound, but the risks are extremely high."
"Li Mo is the kind of person who either doesn't take sides, or when he starts scheming, he's more ruthless than anyone else. You want to use his conflicts to break the deadlock, but if you're not careful, our Group 5, and even the entire Linchuan Special Abilities Bureau, will become pawns on his chessboard."
Chen Shi agreed with Sun Tiemei's judgment. Regardless of Li Mo's supernatural abilities and skills, what was most terrifying about him was that no one really knew what he wanted to do.
"Therefore, we just need to hold the line and quietly watch them fight amongst themselves. We shouldn't provoke trouble or try to make friends with them."
Sun Tiemei advised, "When the situation reaches that point, everything will fall into place naturally. If it doesn't, there's nothing we can do. As long as we handle the case impartially and have a clear conscience, that's enough."