Mr. Lu was visiting the Li Family’s courtyard house for the first time. He did not rush to speak, first taking a brief look around before chatting with Li Huai Ren, "Not bad, you know how to enjoy life!"
Mr. Li waved his hands with a smile and said, "I’m old, can’t live in those houses with stairs anymore, this flat layout is comfortable."
Mr. Lu smiled and nodded, "Indeed, when I retire, I’ll find a courtyard house to live in too. We can play chess together in our spare time."
Mr. Li chuckled, "That’d be great!"
It was only then that they entered the house. Li Xianglu had already prepared and served tea, placing a covered bowl in front of each person. Mr. Lu took a sip before smiling and said, "Mr. Li, you’re living like a deity here, even the tea is better than what we usually drink."
Mr. Li smiled and did not respond; the high-quality tea wasn’t his own doing—it was Ah Yin’s perfectionist nature that wanted the best in everything. She was the one who collected the finest tea leaves and stored them in a small freezer.
After drinking half a bowl of tea, Mr. Lu spoke up, "You’re fully aware of the matter now, aren’t you?"
Li Huai Ren nodded and said, "Yes, these kids, they think the world outside is too simple."
Mr. Lu sighed, "Indeed, they thought they could muddle through this, which might have been fine in other cases. But this time it involves Mr. Deng—how can they be so reckless in their statements? It seems we haven’t taught them well."
Mr. Li also sighed, "Yes, Xiangxiang is too bold."
The younger generation seated in a row all bowed their heads, with Iro’s eyes visibly swollen. Lu Anna was making eye signals to Li Xianglu from the side.
Both exchanged eye contact with a slight shake of their heads, their faces helpless, indicating that the matter was already exposed by the family once they got home.
At this point, Mr. Lu suggested, "Given this, let’s standardize a statement, expecting that the state security may come for an inquiry tomorrow."
Mr. Li nodded, "Alright. Do you have any suggestions?"
Mr. Lu shook his head, "I don’t have any ideas, but I think we can utilize what the kids mentioned earlier with some modifications. I also looked into the previous investigation. It’s clear that Iro was being used by someone."
Mr. Li nodded, "Alright, let’s say Iro was initially unaware and was exploited by the scheming Jiang Xinhua, only realizing something was wrong during further interactions."
The two began discussing, while the younger ones sitting behind looked confused, thinking if it was really okay for their grandfather and father to casually discuss such matters as if no one else were present.
Eventually, the two set a plan. Of course, the part where Iro was involved in bringing in an explosive package had to be omitted, as it was not discovered, nor did the surveillance reveal it. If they confessed to that, the overall nature of the case would change, and so would the nature of Iro’s involvement.
By the time everything was discussed, it was past 10 PM, and the Lu Family members all left.
Qin Xi glanced at his wristwatch, still wearing the same Longines model as Li Xianglu, and informed Mr. Li that they would be going out and would probably return between 1 and 2 AM.
Mr. Li frowned at their late outing, but Su Yan shook her head, advising him not to intervene and reminding them to lock the door from the outside for easy return.
Li Xianglu swapped her outfit for trousers and a shirt, carrying a backpack as she and Qin Xi left the house.
Qin Xi didn’t let her ride a bicycle and just walked with her. It was only upon reaching the street that they spotted a black sedan parked under a streetlight.
Qin Xi checked the license plate then pulled Li Xianglu into the back seat of the car. On the way, Li Xianglu was curious about their destination, but Qin Xi only replied that she would know upon arrival, without speaking to the driver.
The car traveled extensively, feeling bumpy after more than an hour, indicating they had reached an area without streetlights, likely in the mountains—a good spot indeed, as any potential explosion would be easy to conceal here.
Finally, the car stopped in a flat, abandoned area. The driver turned the vehicle around immediately. Qin Xi led Li Xianglu out. It was a flat terrain under the moonlight, set in a valley surrounded by old bungalows, seemingly uninhabited.
Qin Xi led her into a room, turned on the lights, revealing only a table in the middle.
Qin Xi walked towards a curtained room, saying, "Lao Qi, we’re here."