Chapter 109: I’m 28 This Year!

On the other side, Jiang Yun had just ended a phone conversation. The caller was none other than Mr. Chen, the CEO of DouSha. The purpose of the call was straightforward: to inquire whether Jiang Yun had any intention of participating in operations. Jiang Yun made it clear that he had no plans to get involved in management but would exercise a bit of his small privileges. He also mentioned that he might bring one or two top DouSha streamers to live stream on Douyin.

Mr. Chen understood Jiang Yun’s motives—to annoy DouSha while asserting his ownership—and acknowledged that Jiang Yun held a grudge. He explicitly stated that they would not intervene. Although Mr. Chen guessed that these would be DouSha’s top streamers, compared to Jiang Yun’s shares, losing one or two streamers was insignificant. After all, DouSha still had several top streamers, and losing a couple was not a big deal, at least relative to Jiang Yun’s stake.

With a sigh of relief after hanging up, Jiang Yun felt remarkably uplifted. He had always been bothered by being pushed out of DouSha, but the many years of unfair treatment had taught him to endure silently, as he felt powerless. Now, finally able to get back at them, could he really hold back? If not for life’s pressures, how many would tolerate such injustices? Leaving DouSha for Douyin seemed carefree but was really a forced choice because he couldn’t compete with DouSha directly.

Moreover, having a top streamer like Dai Xiaomei, under contract with DouSha, live stream on Douyin served both to annoy some at DouSha and to send a clear message to others: Jiang Yun does not forget grievances.

With these thoughts, Jiang Yun started his car, whistling as he drove home. “Today’s a good day, everything’s going as I wish…”

Halfway through the drive, Jiang Yun suddenly spotted a small crowd gathered by the roadside. Instinctively, he hit the brakes. Curiosity got the better of him. He parked and hurried over to the crowd. Before he could get a clear view, a young girl’s shrill scream pierced the air:

“She’s not my mother! Uncle, save me! She really isn’t my mother!”

Jiang Yun furrowed his brows and looked toward the child. The girl, about seven or eight years old, wore a small backpack and was being pulled by another woman. The girl gripped a trash bin tightly with one hand; otherwise, she might have been dragged away. The woman tugged on the girl’s arm while apologizing to the bystanders: “Sorry everyone, my child is a bit unruly.”

Normally, Jiang Yun would have stepped forward to inquire, at least to verify the woman’s claim to be the child’s mother or otherwise call the police. But he hesitated.

Because the woman pulling the girl was Fang Siqi—still clad in that blue-and-white school uniform.

What on earth was going on?

Jiang Yun was bewildered by the scene. Was the police involved in child trafficking? He scanned the surroundings and realized this was the same place where he had encountered Fang Siqi yesterday. What was she doing staking out here? Was she watching over this little girl? Was the child a hidden criminal?

An odd image flashed through Jiang Yun’s mind: a child holding a gun.

“I’m 28 years old this year!” he muttered to himself. No, that didn’t fit.

Jiang Yun glanced peculiarly at the three other men watching nearby. He knew who Fang Siqi was, which was why he didn’t intervene or call the police. But did the others also know her identity? If they did, why were they not stopping her from pretending to be the child’s mother? If they didn’t, then here was a young woman in a school uniform, with a written plea on the ground for food and help, claiming to be the child’s mother while the child fiercely resisted. This looked exactly like a disguised beggar and trafficker.

Why weren’t they stepping in?

There were too many strange points. Jiang Yun decided to step back and watch quietly.

Suddenly, several people appeared from the roadside, rushing toward Jiang Yun and the others. Before he fully reacted, they were upon him. One grabbed Jiang Yun’s arm and tried to subdue him, targeting a previously injured spot.

Pain shot through Jiang Yun’s arm, and his mind jolted. “You dare lay hands on me? I just learned martial arts! Let me show you who’s toughest today!”

He twisted, delivered a side kick, then a palm strike. Following the man’s grip on his arm, Jiang Yun reversed the hold, bent his arm, and executed a back lock.

In an instant, the would-be assailant was subdued by Jiang Yun.

Others rushed to help their companion, but Jiang Yun didn’t relent; he squatted and kicked forward. Yet halfway through the move, Jiang Yun froze.

“Don’t move! Police! Hands on your head, squat down!”

A dark gun barrel was pointed at him as a stranger shouted fiercely.

Jiang Yun thought, “Uh-oh… I’m in trouble.”

Facing the deadly barrel, he dared not resist. He immediately released the man he had subdued, placed his hands on his head, and squatted down. The others nearby were also handcuffed one by one.

When it was Jiang Yun’s turn, Fang Siqi finally noticed him.

“Huh? Jiang Yun, what are you doing here?”

Jiang Yun looked at her with a hint of grievance. “I saw everyone gathered here and thought there’d be something interesting to watch, so I came over. Who knew as soon as I came, they started messing with me.”

Fang Siqi was speechless. “You really like watching trouble, don’t you?”

Jiang Yun retorted, “If there’s trouble, wouldn’t you watch it too?”

Fang Siqi opened her mouth… well, of course, she would watch.

A nearby police officer, overhearing their exchange, asked Fang Siqi, “Do you know him?”

Jiang Yun expected her to defend him, but instead, she raised an eyebrow and said, “Yes, but not well. We met yesterday. He’s a suspect—take him in for questioning.”

Jiang Yun was stunned.

He soon understood that he had inadvertently stumbled into a police operation. Being taken for questioning was reasonable procedure. Still, it felt incredibly frustrating—he was just there to watch the show!

With a click, handcuffs snapped onto Jiang Yun’s wrists.

Live streaming favorite: "Tears of a Dancing Girl," sung by the dazed Dai Xiaomei. Please remember to follow and support.