The first floor of the teahouse.
Song Lipeng, covered in blood, had regained consciousness by now, though his face was swollen and he couldn’t even open one eye. Fortunately, he had protected his head, so no fatal injuries had been sustained, and his life was not in danger.
Descending from the second floor, Lin Fan shook his head as he saw the disheveled brother and sister, knowing they had no idea that because of this incident, he had been drawn into a dark vortex.
"Boss, thank you for lending a hand!"
When Song Lili saw Lin Fan, she actually knelt on the ground with a thud, her frail body still trembling, blood from her brother on her, but she considered herself lucky to not have been injured since her brother had shielded her.
"That’s enough, the ones who saved you are them, you don’t need to thank me. Get up," Lin Fan urged, reaching out to help Song Lili, but she didn’t rise.
"Boss, I know you’re a good person, please help us."
Song Lili looked at Lin Fan with a tear-stained face.
"I’ve already helped, right? Now hurry and wash your face and leave."
Lin Fan looked helplessly at the stubborn Song Lili, still shaking and tearful.
"Boss, I can tell you’re an important figure, not afraid of Huo Ben’s lackeys. Please help my father seek justice; they died too unjustly."
Song Lili choked up, looking at Lin Fan.
"I know a little about your situation, and it’s true that it shouldn’t have happened, but your father also knew the dangers of going down the mine and still did it. He has to accept the consequences because high income comes with high risks. It has nothing to do with being wronged."
Lin Fan took a seat on a chair; he wanted to ensure his own safety for the time being, not get involved in this mess.
"Yes... everyone knows the black coal mine is prone to accidents, but my father didn’t die in a mine disaster; he was killed by someone!"
Song Lili’s words piqued Lin Fan’s curiosity, and though he knew curiosity killed the cat, he couldn’t help but listen more: "The gas explosion caused the tunnel to collapse, and at first, we thought they were all buried alive... But soon someone heard knocking sounds coming from the ventilation shaft leading down to the mine, and later we found out that the explosion had only destroyed the tunnel, and my father and over a dozen miners hadn’t died but were trapped in the mine three hundred meters below!"
"They weren’t dead? Then just rescue them!"
Lin Fan exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, we all thought we had dodged a bullet, but to our surprise, the mine owner didn’t attempt a rescue and even blocked the only air vent, sealing off the site and preventing us from getting close. So my father and the others didn’t die in a mine accident, they were killed by those people."
Kneeling on the ground, Song Lili sobbed and revealed the true facts, causing Lin Fan to frown deeply.
"They were alive, so why not rescue them?"
"Because it was too deep. If they wanted to rescue them quickly, private efforts wouldn’t be enough; they needed to report to the City and call in professional rescue teams!"
Song Lipeng interjected: "Once they start using heavy machinery, it would inevitably attract attention, so they’d rather let them die underground than cause other problems... They’re a group of cold-blooded murderers, letting over a dozen lives suffocate to death down there!!"
"Red Flag Town is indeed a Dragon Pond and Tiger Cave!"
After hearing this explanation, Lin Fan rubbed his head, realizing this was more complicated than he had initially thought. But as someone without any official orders, getting involved could put himself in jeopardy as well.
"Boss, I beg you, please help us. Someone as capable as you can surely seek justice for us. For the sake of those lost souls, please help us just this once."
Song Lili had witnessed how Lin Fan had scared off Heizi with just a few words. In Red Flag County, Heizi was a terrifying presence, so in her eyes, Lin Fan was the most formidable person she had ever met.
"Little sister, I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. After all, I’m new here and haven’t even settled in yet. Your issue is life-threatening, so I advise you not to stir things up. You’d better just endure it for now."
Lin Fan refused without hesitation.
"How can we endure this? That’s my father... My mother died early, and it was my father who raised us alone. Now that he’s died in vain... We’d even risk our own lives to seek justice for him!"
Song Lili wiped her tears and begged: "Please, help us. Isn’t this what any conscientious person should do?"
"Are you morally blackmailing me?"
After lighting a cigarette, Lin Fan took a deep puff and said, "You’re a local; you know who’s behind Huo Ben. Just for the so-called justice, should we risk the lives of innocent people? Why?"
"Because you’re a person with a conscience!"
Song Lili looked at Lin Fan with a determined face. His laughter was tinged with exasperation.
"My final piece of advice: there’s a chance if you’re alive, but if you die, you lose everything. Enduring now can bring the light of dawn; if you don’t want to die in the dark, you’d better find a place to hide where no one can find you!"
After rolling his eyes, Lin Fan said, "Da Xiaoshuang, kick them out!"