After the Real Young Miss Became My Canary - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: A Plan

At that time, state-owned enterprises for electricians and plumbers were sought-after jobs. The woman from across the hall heard the man’s words and fell silent. She smiled politely and closed her door.

The plumber impatiently kept knocking on the door. “F*ck you, open up.”

Because of the familiar voice, Song Zhi even looked through the peephole before opening the door.

A man in a blue jumpsuit with a toolbox hanging from his waist was standing at the door.

She didn’t know him, but the moment she saw him, her brow suddenly twitched violently.

She rarely had this feeling. The last time was when her mother died.

That day after school, she felt a sense of unease, and her brow kept twitching. The driver comforted her, saying it was just because she hadn’t seen her mother in a long time.

She thought he was right. She hadn’t seen her mother in over half a month, so it was normal to miss her.

Then she got home. As she was about to open the door, the ominous feeling reached its peak. She instinctively looked up.

A loud bang exploded in her ears. Blood and flesh were mixed and shattered on the ground.

Like an apple falling from a great height, her mother’s limbs were scattered on the ground.

The ominous feeling leaped into her heart. Song Zhi thought for a moment, then went back to the kitchen and asked Shen Ying, “Did you make an appointment with someone to fix something today?”

Shen Ying said, “Yes, the water meter has been running fast recently.”

She got a positive answer from Shen Ying, but the ominous feeling in her heart didn’t subside at all. She couldn’t find the reason.

The pounding on the door outside was like a death knell. Song Zhi strode to the door and flung it open.

The man outside looked up at her, a strange smile on his face. “F*ck you.”

The man was of medium height, but his face was full of fat, and his belly protruded from his torso like a four-month pregnant woman’s. The clothes, which were supposed to fit well, were tight on him. His height was also average. He was only slightly taller than Song Zhi when he stood in front of her.

The man was waiting for Song Zhi to move aside. Song Zhi stepped to the side, and the man walked leisurely inside, humming a song.

“!”

A flash of inspiration suddenly passed through Song Zhi’s mind. She immediately raised her hand to close the door.

The man was fast too. He suddenly pulled something out of his bag and slammed it toward Song Zhi’s head.

Just as the object was a centimeter away from her hair, Song Zhi tilted her head back, just barely dodging the incoming object.

The bag had already been thrown on the ground. The man held a large hammer in his hand, looking at her with a menacing smile, then rushed forward with the hammer.

Song Zhi slammed the door shut and turned around to dodge another swing from the man. As he raised his hand high to swing it down, she quickly went up the stairs a few steps.

The man chased after her relentlessly. Song Zhi held onto the railing, using it as a pivot point to jump down from above. The man ran directly into her.

Song Zhi suddenly kicked him in the shoulder. The immense force caused the hammer in the man’s hand to fly off.

As it flew, he endured the severe pain and threw it out. The hammer made a crisp sound as it rolled down the stairs.

Song Zhi then kicked the man’s waist and abdomen again.

A “dee-lee” sound, along with constantly changing red and blue lights, rang out downstairs.

The man, hearing the sound, immediately clutched his stomach and fell down. He grinned menacingly, “There are no surveillance cameras here. Let’s see what you’re going to do this time.”

Footsteps quickly came from downstairs. The man started to groan in pain. The rusty iron door was opened.

Shen Ying’s voice was cold. “What did you do to make someone lose their mind just by opening the door?”

“Police! Don’t move!”

Several voices rang out at the same time, but miraculously, the twitching in Song Zhi’s brow stopped. Her heart calmed down. She raised her hands and took a small step back.

The police officer immediately yelled, “Don’t move.”

Song Zhi stopped.

The police officer looked at the situation, had someone help the man up, and said to Song Zhi, “Someone reported that you assaulted them. Come with us.”

He put handcuffs on Song Zhi. Song Zhi raised her hands, showing her cooperation.

Before leaving, Song Zhi only had time to raise her eyebrow and smile at Shen Ying. She mouthed quietly to Shen Ying, “It’s okay.”

Shen Ying quickly pieced together the truth from the chaos. She watched as the group of people quickly walked out and had several ideas flash through her mind. Finally, she remembered the KTV. She yelled, “Police, I’m reporting this man for gambling.”

And so, Shen Ying was able to go with the police car.

The door across the hall opened, and the woman’s head poked out. The auntie said, “I told you. This woman is a jinx.”

The words were perfectly heard by Song Zhi, who was standing there. Song Zhi turned her head and gave them a light glance.

She was under their control, so the auntie was reckless. But the look she gave them, as if they were trash, startled the auntie.

She quickly pulled her head back in. After she recovered, she spat on the ground. “Ptooey! Look at you, so full of yourself.”

Shen Ying sat in the police station for two hours. People came and went in the police station, each holding files and rushing with a prisoner. She sat on the cold iron chair as if everyone had forgotten about her.

Until a police officer stood in front of her and said, “You can go now.”

Shen Ying said, “What about my friend?”

Police officer said, “Fighting. The circumstances are severe. She’s temporarily detained for ten days.”

Shen Ying said, “I want to bail her out.”

Police officer said, “You can’t. The victim won’t settle.”

Shen Ying said, “What about that KTV? Have you investigated it?”

“That’s the police’s business. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Shen Ying said, “I want to see her.”

The police officer said impatiently, “You can’t. Just go. No visitations are allowed right now.”

Shen Ying didn’t leave. No matter what the police officer said, she just said she wanted to go in and see her. In the end, the police officer didn’t bother with her anymore and let her sit in the lobby, going back to his own business.

But what else could she do? She realized she could do nothing but wait. If she cared a little less, she could have turned around and left. If she cared a little more, she could have cried and made a fuss in the police station. But she was neither of those, and she had no way of getting in.

In this moment, she became clearly aware again that she was nothing. She couldn’t do anything. She could only wait anxiously for the final verdict. Then she would be utterly helpless.

She didn’t like this feeling. It made her feel like a useless person who couldn’t do anything. Just like before, at the mercy of others, only able to receive a little pity from them.

But even if she had to wait, she wanted to wait in the closest place possible. Just like at the hospital, she was glad that she had always sat by the door.

She would be the first to hear the verdict.

Shen Ying sat in the lobby for a long time, so long that the people in the lobby gradually thinned out, so long that the police officer who had first spoken to her changed out of his uniform and was walking out. The place where Shen Ying was sitting was near the main door, which was the only way for everyone to exit. When he came out, he saw Shen Ying.

After looking around and seeing that no one was around, he sighed. “You should just go home. You won’t be able to get in even if you stay here.”

Shen Ying’s voice was soft. “Then what can I do to get in?”

She had been outside for too long. She had left in a hurry and wasn’t wearing enough clothes. Now, after being here for so long, there was no warmth left in her body.

The police officer said, “Only lawyers can get in. Can you hire one? Actually, the money you would use for a lawyer would be better used to pay the victim to settle. The evidence in this case is conclusive. Your friend made the first move, and the other party didn’t fight back at all. It’s considered assault.”

Shen Ying said, “Evidence? Where did the evidence come from?”

The police officer, seeing that she was still unwilling to give up, sighed and said directly, “I’m not supposed to tell you this, but your neighbor across the hall has already testified. And your friend doesn’t have any injuries on her. The results of the forensic examination on the victim have come out. He has a fracture in his shoulder and a heavy blow to his waist and abdomen.”

Shen Ying said, “Thank you. I understand. Did he say how much he wants?”

The police officer made a slightly exaggerated hand gesture. “That’s what he said, but the specific amount will be decided after you negotiate. I’ll give you the victim’s phone number in a bit.”

Shen Ying said, “Okay.”

After getting the information she wanted and a way to break the current situation, Shen Ying naturally had no reason to stay there any longer.

After she went outside, she realized it was already completely dark. Luckily, this was within her area’s jurisdiction and not far from where they lived.

Just as the police officer said, it was better to raise money for compensation than to find a lawyer to go in and see her.

The 5,000 she had saved, plus the 2,000 from selling Song Zhi’s phone, and the salary the store owner was about to pay, was only 2,000.

The police officer had shown her a five, but she didn’t know how many zeros followed.

Thinking of this, she took out her phone and dialed the number she had just written down.

“Hello.”

The voice on the other end was rough.

Shen Ying was silent and didn’t speak.

This money was what she had saved to go abroad. It was her only way to escape this place. It was the breath she had been holding in her throat for so long, and she had lived until now purely for that breath. She had already lost one opportunity, and this was her last and only chance she could think of.

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but resent the person she had never met.

The person born at the very top of the pyramid—Song Zhi.

She was already born so well. She could already have everything in the world that everyone else wanted. Why did she have to compete with her for one spot? Why did she have to be made a fool of and humiliated, time and time again?

The man said impatiently, “F*ck, are you mute? Say something.”

Shen Ying let out a cold breath. “How much do you want?” The weather had really gotten cold quickly. In just two days, the temperature had dropped so much that you could see your breath.

No matter what, Song Zhi got into this mess because of her. She had to take responsibility.

“Oh, who is this? It’s you. Is this how you talk to me?”

Shen Ying said coldly, “I’m not familiar with her. Tell me or don’t. I’m too lazy to pay anyway.”

As she spoke, she unconsciously clenched the corner of her clothes.

If she truly didn’t care, she wouldn’t have said so much, and this phone call wouldn’t have even happened.

Luckily, the man didn’t notice. He snorted. He was probably afraid that Song Zhi would really turn and not care, because he had found out that the two of them had only known each other for a month.

The man’s lips met, and the words he spoke were chilling. “Fifty thousand. No negotiation.”

Fifty thousand. A state-owned enterprise worker’s monthly salary was only about 2,000. A pound of pork was only five yuan. Fifty thousand was the salary of a very well-off person for three years.

Shen Ying gritted her teeth and immediately hung up the phone.

This person was clearly trying to extort money. She wouldn’t plead with him. But was there really no other way out of this situation?

What was the real truth of the matter? She had to hear the truth from Song Zhi’s own mouth.

As soon as she put down the phone, a voice came from the side.

“Oh, pretty lady. What are you doing here so late at night?”

Support After the Real Young Miss Became My Canary