Transmigrated Into a Scummy Alpha Who Stole the Male Lead's Mermaid Fiancée - Chapter 58

The Prime Minister regained consciousness and recounted the events he had experienced to everyone. His voice was aged, pausing for a long while after each sentence. Sometimes, when a sentence was slightly longer, he spoke so slowly that it became difficult to understand. At such times, his secretary had no choice but to interpret the Prime Minister’s words. Despite this, no one present dared to interrupt the elderly Prime Minister.

“These two ladies are friends of my son, Zhang Jun,” the old gentleman said with a friendly smile. “They saved me. We… should express… our gratitude to them.”

Lan Xing, though extremely anxious, still performed a graceful princess curtsy and said, “We only did what we should. More importantly, the most urgent matter now is to interrogate the two assassins and uncover the mastermind behind this assassination attempt.”

The old Prime Minister nodded slightly, and a senior government official said, “Regarding this, we will certainly get to the bottom of it. Please rest assured, Your Excellency and Your Highness.”

Lan Xing remained uneasy, but she did not know how to argue her case. It was Yu Ke who spoke up: “I would like to personally interrogate the two assassins, just to be safe.”

A federal investigator from Datianxi immediately retorted, “To be safe from what? Are you questioning our competence?”

“Exactly, I am questioning you,” Yu Ke sneered. “A group of people who couldn’t even protect the Prime Minister, nearly allowing assassins to succeed right under your noses, how could your competence not be doubted?”

The investigator fell silent, and another senior official nearby said, “Very well. With Princess Ferrari assisting in the investigation, this matter will surely be resolved satisfactorily. I believe the Prime Minister agrees with this decision, am I right?”

The Prime Minister nodded.

However, the interrogation did not go smoothly. Despite employing various methods, Yu Ke failed to extract any useful information from the two assassins.

Yu Ke was racked with a splitting headache, and Lan Xing comforted her, saying, “Deputy Li will surely come up with a solution. Besides, the assassins have already been captured, sooner or later, they will talk.”

Yu Ke did not have high expectations for Li Jian’an, but it later turned out that his performance far exceeded her expectations.

When Li Jian’an received Yu Ke’s message, an idea had already formed in his mind. Sitting on the sofa in the Rum family’s living room, he composed himself, took a sip of black tea, and tossed aside the documents Ivan had given him.

Ivan asked in surprise, “Have you finished reading them?”

“I’m not going to read them,” Li Jian’an said, crossing his legs and placing his clasped hands calmly on his knees. “Mr. Ivan, I regret to inform you that I cannot fulfill our agreement.”

Hearing this, Ivan’s expression shifted slightly, and he began to grow restless.

He had received the news at the same time, the assassination attempt in Gana had failed.

Ivan’s face remained expressionless, but his hand on the coffee table tapped intermittently against the surface, producing an irritating sound.

Li Jian’an noticed it.

He had studied psychology in the past and had practiced negotiation techniques before coming here. He had repeatedly rehearsed his demeanor in front of a mirror, striving to appear unflustered and leaving no openings for his opponent.

All of this proved extremely useful, especially now, as Li Jian’an gradually gained the upper hand and began to put on an even more confident front.

The only information available so far was that the assassination had failed. As for whether the assassins had revealed the Rum family’s involvement, Ivan could not be sure.

But judging by Li Jian’an’s expression, he seemed quite confident.

Li Jian’an stood up and paced around the room a few steps before saying to Ivan, “Thank you for your hospitality, but I think you have other matters to worry about now. It would be more appropriate for me to take Hepburn and leave.”

“Other matters?” Ivan said anxiously. “You’re my only guest right now.”

“Oh, is that so?” Li Jian’an retorted. “Could it be that the future of the Rum family is less important than a girl like Hepburn?”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“The assassin you sent has confessed,” Li Jian’an said firmly. “Ivan, what awaits you and your family now is imprisonment. The Jingba pirates are unreliable, they betrayed you. I imagine you must be regretting this deeply now.”

This was a classic bluff, and it drained the color from Ivan’s face. Trembling, he said, “What are you talking about?”

“I’ve said enough,” Li Jian’an stared at Ivan with an air of complete assurance. “Ivan Rum, your days of ease are over.”

Ivan’s lips moved, still in disbelief, and he whispered, “They’ve already confessed?”

Li Jian’an smiled faintly and turned to signal to Hepburn.

Hepburn was in the Rum family’s library, happily chatting with the butler. Her cheerful nature had her laughing heartily several times at the butler’s jokes.

Li Jian’an would never allow such innocence to be tainted. He silently vowed to protect these children.

He had once felt the same way about Xiao Nan, swearing to protect her with his life. Now, his hopes rested on this group of children, and he seemed even more resolute.

When it was time to leave, Hepburn was still reluctant to go.

Ivan Rum forced a smile and said, “You’re welcome to come and play anytime. This is your home.”

Hugging her hamster plush toy, Hepburn nodded understandingly and said politely, “Thank you, Brother Ivan.”

Ivan’s Adam’s apple bobbed, visibly moved. “Hepburn, I may have had other intentions toward you, but I have to admit, you’re truly adorable. I genuinely see you as a sister.”

These words made Li Jian’an want to vomit. If he truly saw her as a sister, how could he have wanted Hepburn to donate her heart?

But Hepburn fell for it completely. She walked up and gave Ivan a hug, saying in her sweet, childish voice, “I know!”

Ivan’s eyes reddened as he crouched down and embraced little Hepburn. Then, he let out a long sigh, pushed her away, and threw the directive document at Li Jian’an, shouting, “Get out of here! Leave now, before I change my mind!”

Li Jian’an picked up the document, scooped Hepburn into his arms, and ran outside. Just then, a taxi happened to pass by. They got in and headed straight for the airport.

On the way, Hepburn buried her face in Li Jian’an’s chest and cried bitterly.

“Ivan Rum is a scumbag. He wanted to use your heart to save Miss Laysa,” Li Jian’an comforted her. “Don’t be fooled by his words. He’s not a good person at all. If he truly saw you as a sister, he would never have targeted your organs.”

Hepburn cried for a while, wiping her tears as she said, “I think… he wasn’t wrong…”

Li Jian’an didn’t understand her words, so Hepburn repeated, “He wasn’t wrong. My heart, my organs, they were all given to me by Miss Laysa. I should save her…”

Who would have thought such words could come from a little girl?

Li Jian’an was utterly shocked. Placing his hands on Hepburn’s slender shoulders, he spoke to her in a serious tone: “Hepburn, I absolutely forbid you from having such thoughts!”

“Your genes come from Miss Laysa, and you share an inseparable connection with the Rum family. But you are you, and Laysa is Laysa, you are two completely different individuals. You have your own life to live and should never sacrifice yourself for anyone unless you genuinely love someone, and that person loves you in return and is willing to accept your sacrifice.” Li Jian’an paused briefly. “But in reality, anyone who truly loves you would never accept your sacrifice. Anyone who tells you to offer yourself up is not a good person. Do you understand?”

Hepburn stopped crying, and Li Jian’an suddenly realized something.

The children at the orphanage might have been subjected to improper education. Someone with ulterior motives had been promoting the spirit of self-sacrifice to them while never emphasizing their human rights. He had to investigate and uncover the truth of what was happening.

News of the Prime Minister’s rescue spread rapidly. Photos of Princess Lan Xing, dressed in a nurse’s uniform and bustling about the hospital, made the front page of Datianxi headlines. Her angelic face appeared on the large screens in the city center of Gana.

“What an unexpected outcome,” some politicians remarked in their statements. “This is a friendly signal, representing the further strengthening of friendship between Datianxi and Panda. I propose awarding the Peace Medal to Princess Lan Xing.”

“People will remember this day, a mermaid princess from Panda risked her life to save our esteemed Prime Minister. Let us all extend our blessings to this princess far from her homeland.”

“…”

On the second day of the interrogation, the two assassins still refused to say anything. Rumors circulated that the assassination attempt was orchestrated by the All-Free organization, but no members of any related group came forward to claim responsibility.

On the third day, the government received an anonymous letter demanding a high ransom for the release of the two assassins.

The Hongxi government responded by demanding that the other party publicly admit to the assassination plot, expose the mastermind behind it, and provide corresponding evidence. If these conditions were met, the two assassins could be returned safely.

This was Yu Ke’s idea. Simultaneously, she proposed an immediate lockdown of the airspace to prevent traitors from fleeing to escape punishment.

Sure enough, police officers arrested the Rum family at the airport, including Cabinet Minister Staney Rum, his wife Mrs. Rum, and their son Ivan Rum.

With the Rum family arrested, the Jingba pirates no longer hesitated. They directly implicated Staney Rum and admitted to his previous framing of the Prime Minister’s son, Zhang Jun.

The matter was finally settled.

Yu Ke returned to the Princess ship, inspecting the engines and other components in preparation for the next voyage.

Inside the cabin, a celebration cake and beer were already prepared, ready to welcome their new crew members.