After Awakening, She Tore Apart Her Enemies and Joined the Army on an Island - Chapter 9

Just as she took out the safe, her sharp ears caught movement outside the window.

“Who’s there?”

She tossed the safe into her space and immediately looked out the window.

But the vast courtyard was quiet and still, with nothing there.

Had she been targeted again?

Su Meng thought this as she securely closed the doors and windows and entered the secret room.

In reality, she had entered her space.

Inside the safe was only a very abstract map, a few simple strokes sketching a building, along with artificial rockeries and a lotus pond.

She stroked her chin in thought for a moment, then immediately determined the destination.

At present, who knew how many people were watching her.

She needed to proceed with caution.

While a common man is innocent, possessing a treasure becomes his crime.

Clearly, someone had finally learned that she had retrieved the safe.

And like Zhong Cuilin, they also knew the secret inside the safe.

So why not create a decoy to confuse them?

Su Meng casually scribbled a few strokes on the abstract map with a pencil of the same color and sprinkled some Heartbreak Soul-Shattering Powder on it.

“Heh heh! I’ve left behind a treasure map. Let’s see who has the fate to claim it.”

She folded the map along the original creases, placed the safe in the secret room, and turned to leave.

When she opened the courtyard gate, she quickly glanced at the person hidden in the shadows and curled the corner of her mouth slightly.

Recalling the description in the book, after the Su family had fled, the Su Mansion was vandalized and turned into a desolate ruin overgrown with weeds.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Su Meng headed toward the neighborhood office.

At that time, the neighborhood office was quiet and deserted. Apart from a few people who remained at their posts, everyone else had gone to Wang Guangming’s house to watch the commotion.

Su Meng carried a bottle of Wuliangye liquor, knocked on the door of Wang Yaoguo, the director of the neighborhood office, and under his surprised gaze, stated her purpose.

“Director Wang, I’d like to rent the Su Mansion to your office for use. What do you think?”

The news that Shen Wuyang was an imposter of Su Mianzhi and possibly a murderer would soon spread.

The second branch of the family would undoubtedly feel justified in trying to seize the Su Mansion.

Su Meng, alone and unaided, had no desire to waste words with the second branch.

Moreover, her family was already at the forefront of this wave of “cutting off the capitalist tail.” Rather than letting the mansion be destroyed, it was better to rent it out.

She believed that renting it to the neighborhood office could prevent it from being vandalized by the “Tail-Cutting Committee.”

In fact, as described in the book, many years later, she might even be able to reclaim a fully intact courtyard.

This way, she could both preserve the Su family ancestral home and provide some comfort for her father.

Hearing this, Wang Yaoguo stood up in pleasant surprise. “Xiao Meng, have you thought it through?”

Su Meng nodded. “I’ve thought it through.”

Wang Yaoguo tapped his pen on the table twice and said seriously, “Can you make this decision? To be honest, our office is cramped and has long been unable to meet our needs. After the news came out, it wasn’t that no one suggested moving into your house, but your father and I were classmates, I naturally couldn’t be the first to do such an unprincipled thing. But given your family’s current situation… Xiao Meng, your decision is the right one.”

Su Meng smiled wryly and produced Su Mianzhi’s seal and the Su Mansion’s deed. “Director Wang, I’ve brought everything. Can we complete the procedures now?”

She wanted to finalize this before the official documents designating her family for “capitalist tail-cutting” were issued, to set her mind at ease.

Wang Yaoguo was very straightforward and asked with a smile, “How do you want to rent it? For how many years?”

Su Meng recalled what was written in the book: due to the Su family’s status as “red capitalists,” the Su Mansion was returned to Zhong Wanrou in the early 1980s.

“I’ll rent it for ten years. As for the annual rent, I’ll leave it entirely to Uncle Wang’s discretion.”

Wang Yaoguo’s smile deepened. “Then let’s go with the market rate, twenty-five a year. How does that sound?”

Seeing Su Meng nod, he promptly completed the paperwork and returned the original deed, the seal, and Su Meng’s passbook to her.

He even offered some well-meaning advice: “You must have heard the rumors, right? Once that happens, all your family’s assets will be confiscated, and you’ll be sent down for re-education. Xiao Meng, why don’t you volunteer to go to the countryside first? It’s better than being forcibly sent down.”

Su Meng had no desire to be sent for re-education, nor did she want to become an educated youth in the countryside.

She was determined to find a third way out.

“Uncle Wang, all that’s left of my family is that restaurant. Could you introduce me to someone? If there’s anyone who can ensure I’m neither sent for re-education nor to the countryside, I’m willing to give them the restaurant.”

Wealth was merely external.

But freedom was priceless. She needed enough time to search for her father and younger brother.

Wang Yaoguo’s eyes shifted, and an idea immediately formed in his mind.

If she didn’t want to be sent down or go to the countryside, there was still Zhong Wanrou, the one who was always active in social circles, constantly flaunting her status as the “eldest daughter of the Su family.”

Moreover, Su Meng was so sensible, willing to use the highly profitable Su family restaurant as a bargaining chip.

He admired her courage and boldness!

If only he had the ability and confidence to secure the Su family restaurant for himself, he would have taken it without hesitation.

“I do have someone in mind.”

What Su Meng didn’t expect was that the person Wang Yaoguo introduced was none other than Jiang Weimin, Hao Youli’s archrival.

Just that morning, she had slipped evidence of Hao Youli’s bribery, oppression of the common people, and embezzlement of public funds into his office.

She never imagined she’d be back in his office so soon.

After hearing Wang Yaoguo’s explanation, Jiang Weimin was so startled he nearly spat out his tea.

“Comrade Su, are you really sure about this? But your Su family is already on that list. Your restaurant is a hot potato.”

Su Meng remained neither subservient nor arrogant. “Comrade Jiang, my mind is made up. My only request is to utilize my skills to contribute to the nation’s development. Although the countryside has its merits, my expertise lies in machinery and drafting. I hope to shine in the industrial sector. As for the restaurant, I’d appreciate your help.”

She knew these old foxes would put on a show. They wanted the Su family restaurant but also wanted her to believe they were taking a risk to help her, making her feel grateful and compelled to hand over the restaurant willingly.

Jiang Weimin glanced at Su Meng, clasped his hands behind his back, and paced with a furrowed brow.

Wang Yaoguo sat to the side, silent, observing everything with detached calm.

Just as Su Meng counted down from ten to five in her mind, Jiang Weimin stopped, placed his hands on the table, and looked at her. “Alright! Here’s what we’ll do. You need to remove yourself from the Su family household register and establish your own independent household. That way, you won’t be implicated. Comrade Wang, as a street office representative, I’ll leave this matter to you.”

It was… settled!

The weight lifted from Su Meng’s heart. After completing the transfer procedures, she happily followed Wang Yaoguo to collect her freshly issued household register.

This time, she had her own household.

She was now the head of her own household.

She bowed sincerely and expressed her gratitude. “Thank you, Uncle Wang!”

No sooner had she stepped out of the office than she saw Aunt Wang rushing over, shouting loudly, “Su Meng, it’s terrible! Your family’s door is about to be smashed to pieces by your second grandfather’s family!”

Su Meng snorted coldly; she had known all along that the second branch of the family would stir up trouble.

Unhurriedly, she knocked on Wang Yaoguo’s office door once more. “Uncle Wang, my second grandfather’s family is trying to break down the door and seize the courtyard. What do you think?”

Wang Yaoguo pulled the rental contract out of his drawer and said casually, “Don’t panic! As long as they damage the gate, I have plenty of ways to deal with them.” With that, he dispatched someone to report the incident to the police station while rallying a few others. “You, and you all, come with me to check out our newly rented office.”

Aunt Wang, confused, tugged at Su Meng and whispered, “What do they mean by that?”

Su Meng blinked. “Auntie, just wait and see, there’s going to be quite a show.”

Aunt Wang, who had no job and spent her free time gossiping about the neighbors, was instantly intrigued by the promise of drama and promptly forgot all about Su Meng.

Just then, Su Meng spotted the little old lady who had tried to scam her the day before.