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inpatient department.

In a hospital room, Jiang Lina had already settled her mother in, with Chen Dong and the others accompanying and helping her along the way.

"Don't worry, Mom is fine. She just bumped her head a few times." Looking at Jiang Lina's red eyes, Jiang's mother gently held her hand to comfort her.

"The doctor said I suffered a concussion and need to be hospitalized for observation," Jiang Lina said seriously.

"Okay, okay, I've moved in now."

Jiang's mother didn't insist on being discharged from the hospital. She looked at Chen Dong and the others, "Xiao Chen, Xiao Mo, and the other two should be Ning'er and Shan Shan, right?"

"Yes, Auntie." Han Ning'er and Jing Shanshan stepped forward and introduced themselves.

"I hear Lina talk about you every day. You're not only good at studying, but also beautiful. Thank you, Auntie." Mrs. Jiang's smile remained gentle.

Her gratitude was twofold: firstly, for all the help she had given them, and secondly, for the guidance and support of these top students, which gave her the confidence and possibility to pursue a bachelor's degree.

"My grades aren't very good. Shanshan is much better. She used to be number one in the city, and now she's number two," Han Ning'er said with a modest smile.

"I'm just average-looking, Sister Han is the real beauty." Jing Shanshan winked at Han Ning'er.

"Lina, let Auntie rest for a while."

After exchanging a few words, Chen Dong smiled and said...

"Okay, Mom, the doctor said you need to rest more. I'll take care of things at home." Jiang Lina tucked her mother in and then left the ward.

Chen Dong and the others didn't disturb her. They greeted Jiang's mother and left the ward one after another.

In the corridor, Liu Yumo pointed to Jiang Lina's wrist, which was wrapped in bandages, and asked with concern, "Is your hand okay?"

Jiang Lina shook her head. "It's nothing, just a small cut. It'll be fine after a bandage."

Han Ning'er took Jiang Lina's hand and examined it, her eyes filled with heartache. "Lina, what happened? I heard from Xiao Mo that someone broke into your house?"

Jiang Lina bit her lip, somewhat hesitant.

"Tell me, Lina, we're friends. Tell me what's wrong and we'll figure it out together." Jing Shanshan said with concern.

Jiang Lina glanced at the ward, her voice low, "It's my dad."

"Your dad?" Liu Yumo frowned immediately.

Jiang Lina sighed softly, tears welling up in her reddened eyes, but more than that, she felt anger. She gritted her teeth and said, "My dad is a gambler. He ruined the whole family. My stepmother used to tolerate it, but in the first semester of my junior year of high school, she couldn't take it anymore and took me away from that family."

It's no secret that Jiang Lina comes from a single-parent family, but no one expected that her parents separated in this way. It just goes to show that you shouldn't gamble.

Gambling is a boundless sea; one gamble can ruin everything.

"Does he owe a lot of gambling debts?" Chen Dong asked.

Jiang Lina glanced at Chen Dong, somewhat surprised that he had guessed. She then lowered her head slightly. "After their divorce, my mother and I depended on each other. He contacted us before, whether it was to remarry or to ask for money, but my mother and I were very firm in our stance. But this time..."

"He owes a lot of money, and the debt collectors have used all sorts of intimidation tactics to scare him, so he came to you again?" Chen Dong could basically guess what was going on.

"Yeah, he's a bastard. He didn't give us anything when we divorced, and after the divorce he still had the nerve to ask us for money. If we didn't give it to him, he would steal it. He not only stole all the valuables in the house, but he also pushed me and my mother several times, causing us to bleed from our heads, and he was still so at ease."

"He's a bastard, a beast!"

Jiang Lina's red eyes were filled with anger.

Her resentment towards the debt collectors was even greater than her hatred for her father!

Generally speaking, children should be filial to their parents and respect their elders, but how can Jiang Lina be expected to be filial and respectful for what that bastard has done over the years?

He gambled away his family fortune, causing his wife and children to break up. Even after the divorce, he continued to leech off his wife like a parasite. When he couldn't get any more, he would bring people to rob her, showing no concern for her or her children's lives.

This kind of person doesn't deserve to be a father!

"Call the police, Lina! These people have to pay the price!" Jing Shanshan was furious and shouted angrily at Jiang Lina to call the police.

"We've called the police before, but they've mostly tried to resolve it through negotiation and mediation, saying it's a civil dispute and doesn't meet the criteria for a criminal offense," Jiang Lina said helplessly.

She doesn't know much about the law, her mother doesn't have the money to hire a lawyer, and this is a crucial time for her in high school, so her mother probably doesn't want to distract her.

But that bastard is too shameless.

"Isn't this a criminal offense?"

Han Ning'er was a little angry. "Participating in gambling, burglary in broad daylight, and assaulting people—this is a criminal offense, not a civil dispute."

Her goal was to have the reporter find evidence of Wu Jie's crimes and personally send Wu Jie to jail, so she naturally knew more about the law.

"it's useless."

Jiang Lina looked helpless. "Before they left, they said it was about the division of property in my parents' divorce negotiations. They were there to help that bastard get back the property that belonged to him. Even if we cause a huge fuss, it's just a civil dispute."

"They're just trying to scare you because you don't understand the law," Han Ning'er snorted.

Jiang Lina remained silent.

She would be willing to call the police if she could, but previous attempts to do so were to no avail, and those people's words implied that they had deep connections and powerful backgrounds.

Those who work in this line of work have already taken care of the necessary relationships long ago.

"Call the police, otherwise this will never end." Han Ning'er's attitude was firm; condoning criminals would only harm herself.

They must pay a heavy price before they dare not continue.

But ultimately, they were too young and too idealistic.

After the police were called, there were no results from morning to afternoon except for a simple inquiry. They didn't even summon the group of people, let alone detain or arrest them.

Like a small pebble thrown into a lake, it creates faint ripples before returning to calm, without causing the slightest wave.

When asked, they always said there was a process involved, and that an investigation was underway.

This infuriated Han Ning'er.

At this point, Chen Dong could basically guess what was going on. If it were just three or five ordinary mice, the black cat and the white cat would just eat them according to the rules. But if there were some dogs holding umbrellas over the mice, the black cat and the white cat would turn a blind eye.

"Ning'er".

As evening fell, while having dinner outside the hospital, Chen Dong analyzed the situation for a very angry Han Ning'er.

"Does Dong-ge mean those guys are a gang, and someone is holding them back?" Han Ning'er was very clever and immediately guessed the situation.

Chen Dong nodded slightly.

They are most likely repeat offenders, especially active during the Spring Festival.

Qingjiang is just a small fourth- or fifth-tier city with a large number of migrant workers, which means that many people return home during the Spring Festival. These people earn money outside and come back to spend it.

If a gambler is set up by someone who is willing to let them win, the result will be like Jiang Lina's father.

This kind of gang, which is active year-round, is definitely deeply entrenched and difficult to deal with by just a few students.

After listening to Chen Dong's analysis, Han Ning'er's expression grew increasingly grim. In the end, she forgot about eating, picked up her phone, walked out of the restaurant, and dialed Wu Jie's number directly.

It was already evening. After completing her daytime visits and inspections, Wu Jie returned to her office to work on documents. Usually, she would ask her secretary to bring her a meal at this time, as she was too busy to waste time walking.

However, this hasn't happened in the last few days.

She wasn't too busy during the Spring Festival and was able to get off work early. Most importantly, her daughter was home these days, and although the three of them weren't exactly inseparable when she went home each night, at least they weren't as distant as before.

Her daughter would occasionally say a few words to her while they sat down at the table.

She really liked this feeling of gradually reducing the distance and eliminating the coldness, and she even smiled more often at work.

"Ring ring ring".

She was about to finish this last document and go home when her personal phone on the table suddenly vibrated. She glanced at it and saw the word "daughter" on the screen.

A smile involuntarily crept onto her lips as she quickly answered the phone, "Hello, Ning'er, Mom... I have one last document to finish, I'll be right back."

"Who cares if you come back or not?" Han Ning'er blurted out.

Wu Jie wasn't dazed or sad; instead, her smile became even brighter because her daughter's voice lacked its usual coldness and aloofness.

Instead, it has a touch of childishness.

Even so, she dared not call Han Ning'er "Mom" and always paid attention to the proper etiquette, addressing her as "I".

She was about to chat with her daughter when she suddenly heard her daughter's voice turn cold: "Secretary Wu, you are truly a good leader."

Wu Jie's heart trembled slightly. She had thought that her relationship with her daughter had eased a little, but she did not expect to hear that cold, distant, and sarcastic voice again.

I quickly recalled the events of the past few days, but it seemed I hadn't touched anything about my daughter.

Completely baffled, she cautiously asked, "What happened?"

"There's a high possibility that gambling rings are operating in Qingjiang City, which you govern..."

Han Ning'er spoke in an icy voice, recounting in detail the ordeal of Jiang Lina and her daughter, including Chen Dong's speculations, before finally saying, "You decide what to do."

in the office.

Wu Jie stared blankly at her phone, the water glass next to her still steaming, but now it was icy cold on her face.

It's normal for people in Sichuan and Chongqing to enjoy entertainment, but entertainment and gambling are completely different in nature. She gave work instructions to relevant departments before the Spring Festival.

We will strengthen the supervision of relevant cultural and entertainment venues in accordance with the law and resolutely crack down on illegal and criminal activities such as gambling during the Spring Festival.

Now her daughter is calling her directly.

Moreover, if what they said is true, the public security management of Qingjiang City will need to be thoroughly rectified.

She took a deep breath and dialed a number.

No unnecessary words, just one sentence.

"Send Director Gong to see me."

Her words were concise and to the point, and she was decisive and efficient. In particular, her calm yet steady and powerful voice made it clear to those who knew her what it meant.

……

"Dong-ge, you guys go back and rest first. I'll be fine on my own."

In the inpatient ward, Jiang Lina had just finished feeding her mother and forced a smile as she spoke to Chen Dong and the others.

Chen Dong and the others had been running around and busy all day, and she felt very grateful, but also a little guilty, because she could have done it all by herself.

She doesn't want anything else right now, she just wants her mother to be discharged from the hospital as soon as possible.

"Lina, don't be discouraged. We will definitely be able to defend our rights," Han Ning'er encouraged.

Jiang Lina was in low spirits and simply nodded casually.

"Brother Dong, Sister Han, Shanshan, you should go back first. I'll stay here with Lina." Liu Yumo glanced at Jiang Lina and said to Chen Dong and the others.

Despite their constant bickering, he and Jiang Lina are the ones who care the most when the other is in trouble, and today he was running around taking care of everything.

"Take good care of Lina and her daughter, and let us know if anything happens," Chen Dong said, patting Liu Yumo on the shoulder.

The hospital doesn't need that many people, and Liu Yumo is indeed closest to Jiang Lina. With him by Chen Dong's side at the hospital, Chen Dong can rest assured.

Han Ning'er and Jing Shanshan wanted to say something, but Chen Dong shook his head slightly, signaling them to come out.

"Is it so hard to get justice now?"

As she left the hospital, Jing Shanshan looked somewhat dejected.

According to the educational philosophy she received, bad people who do bad things must be punished, but after working on this matter for most of the day, it seems that there has been no progress at all.

"It's not about making things difficult, but about needing evidence. A judgment cannot be made based on one-sided statements," Chen Dong said calmly.

These words were meant for Han Ning'er.

He knew that Han Ning'er had told Wu Jie about this in the evening, and Wu Jie was a person who clearly distinguished between gratitude and resentment and would not let other factors interfere with her actions. Even if Han Ning'er told her herself, she would definitely investigate and confirm the facts.

All we need to do now is wait patiently.

"But..." Han Ning'er understood that Dan Jingshan didn't, and she felt that the outcome shouldn't be like this.

"Alright, go back and rest first. Come back to the hospital tomorrow for another check-up. I believe we'll have results by tomorrow at the latest," Chen Dong said with a gentle smile.

He could understand Jing Shanshan's feelings at that moment. High school students are still innocent and think that this matter is simple and clear and can be resolved on the spot.

Little did they know that the area outside the campus was far more complex.

But with Han Ning'er's help, this matter can definitely be resolved as quickly as possible.