CHAPTER 46: CHAPTER 46: DEVASTATED

Lin Shaojun walked to the house’s foundation and noticed Lin Qin on the mountain nearby, constantly throwing stones downward. He squinted and asked, "Ah Qin, what are you doing with the stones? Are you planning to build a house with them?"

Lin Yi gestured towards the foundation and explained, "This is an island. They plan to raise the foundation by combining stones from the mountain with cement. We have collected quite a bit, almost enough to start, but my leg hasn’t healed completely. Wenjun and Ah Qin don’t know how to build houses, so we’ll need to find someone to help.

Lin Shaojun immediately patted his chest, "Just ask me! My dad and I work as laborers. Just let us know when you need help."

"That would be great! I really trust you guys!" Lin Yi was overjoyed.

Chen Wenjun was extremely grateful as well, helping Lin Shaojun hide his bicycle on the mountain and giving him two large fish as he personally rowed a boat to take him back.

Not only did Lin Shaojun solve the bicycle issue on this trip, but he also received two black fish weighing two to three pounds each and hummed a tune all the way home.

When he got home.

Lin Qingxiang’s eyes widened when he saw the fish, "What happened? How did you end up with fish?"

Lin Shaojun said mysteriously, "Dad! You’d never guess, Ah Qin’s man bought a deserted island. They’re planning to build a house on it! Uncle Yi said he’d hire us as laborers, and I agreed."

"What? Bought an island? What nonsense are you talking about? If those Dang people had money to buy an island, they’d have no problem finding a wife!" Lin Qingxiang’s wife, Huang Yuzhen, retorted.

Lin Shaojun got anxious, "Mom! I saw it with my own eyes! It’s real! Wenjun said it’s not safe to sell the bike now. If we’re caught, we couldn’t deny it. So, I hid the bike on the island. Even if the police come, we can confidently claim we know nothing and sell the bike when things calm down.

These two fish were given by Wenjun. Look, they casually handed us two large black fish worth several dollars!"

Huang Yuzhen looked at the fish, speechless but skeptical about Lin Shaojun’s words.

Lin Qingxiang reminded, "You all better keep this to yourselves. If anyone asks, say you don’t know anything, understand?"

Huang Yuzhen rolled her eyes, "You don’t need to tell me! Thinking about today makes me furious! All those vegetables rotted and could only feed the pigs! Liu Yongming must pay us fifty yuan!"

"Cough cough cough..." Lin Shaojun choked a bit, looking at his mother in shock, "Mom! Isn’t fifty yuan too harsh?"

The vegetables they grew likely weren’t worth fifty yuan.

Huang Yuzhen rolled her eyes at her son, "Harsh? What do you mean harsh? I worked so hard to grow those vegetables just to have them ruined! Is it about the money? It’s a matter of principle! If I don’t charge him more, that scoundrel will never learn! Anyway, the vegetables are ruined, and the price is up to me!"

Lin Shaojun was left speechless.

That evening, two police officers brought Liu Yongming over to pay compensation and apologize.

It seemed they had reached an understanding, and the two officers even helped Liu Yongming by smoothing things over.

Lin Qingxiang was displeased but ultimately accepted the money due to the officers’ presence, resolving the matter.

Liu Yongming left Shanglin Village with a sullen face, accompanied by the officers.

At the village entrance, the officers warned Liu Yongming again, "Today, someone spoke up for you, and given your cooperation, we’re letting it slide. We hope you’ll learn from this and turn over a new leaf."

"Exactly! Young people shouldn’t be so impulsive. You at least have a college degree; with a record of repeatedly visiting the police station, what future can you expect?"

Liu Yongming nodded perfunctorily with his head down.

The officers glanced at him before turning away.

Once they were gone, Liu Yongming kicked a roadside tree in frustration, cursing softly as he walked to where his bicycle was hidden.

He parted the grass and panicked at what he saw.

"Where’s my bicycle? Where’s my bicycle?"

He searched through the grass thoroughly, but there wasn’t a trace of the bike or even a tire, leaving him devastated as he ran from the spot, yelling in the direction the officers had left, "My bicycle was stolen! My bicycle was stolen..."

Midway, the two officers were stopped by the frantic Liu Yongming, who was in tears, forcing them to turn back and help him search.

The three of them, with two flashlights, scoured the area around the village entrance but found no sign of the bicycle.

The officers had no choice but to take Liu Yongming back to file a report.

One officer looked at him with some impatience, "Why did you leave the bicycle in the grass?"

Liu Yongming’s eyes shifty, "I was afraid it would get stolen, so I hid it there."

The officer smirked, "Looks like you had a backup plan, but ended up getting nothing! Now tell us, where exactly are we supposed to find your bike in the dark? By morning, it might be halfway across An City!"

Liu Yongming grew paler, crying bitterly, "Officer, you must help me find my bicycle! It must be those Shanglin Village people; they must have stolen it to sell. You have to help me!"

He hardly had any money left, having spent most of his internship savings and with over a hundred in external debt. If the bicycle was gone, he was truly finished!

Despite their teasing, the police took their duties seriously.

That night, they searched every known bicycle repair shop nearby, finding no one had come to sell a bike, and asked them to keep a lookout.

Early the next morning.

A few officers visited Shanglin Village, going door-to-door asking about the bicycle’s whereabouts.

The villagers claimed ignorance, unable to provide useful information, though someone mentioned seeing Lin Shaojun leave the village in the evening and return after dark.

The officers approached him for questioning.

Lin Shaojun remained calm, "Officer, you know that the destroyed vegetable plot belonged to Lin Yi. With such a big incident, wouldn’t I go to inform him? Look, Uncle Yi even gave me two large black fish yesterday!"

The officers examined the fish closely, confirming they came from Nanxi, and their expressions softened, "We’re just doing a routine investigation. If you don’t know anything, we’ll take our leave."

Lin Shaojun personally escorted them to the door.

The officers thoroughly searched Shanglin Village and, upon confirming that Liu Yongming’s bicycle was not there, could only return and have him wait for further news.

In a daze, Liu Yongming left the police station, wandering like a ghost towards the city hospital, stopped midway by Liu Yongguo.

"Yongming, where have you been? We’ve been looking for you all day... what’s wrong?"

Liu Yongguo stopped mid-sentence, noticing something off with Liu Yongming’s mental state, his face growing pale.

Liu Yongming broke down in Liu Yongguo’s arms, crying out, "My bicycle was stolen! I don’t want to live anymore!"