CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 32 WU XIAOJUN’S BIG TROUBLE

That afternoon, after helping his cousin get settled, Sun Dasheng received a phone call.

"Brother-in-law, it’s an S.O.S.!"

The caller’s tone was urgent, but the form of address was what really caught Sun Dasheng’s attention. No one had ever called him that before. His ex-wife was an only child, as was he.

"Who is this? You must have the wrong number," Sun Dasheng replied.

"Da Sheng, it’s me, Xiaojun." Fearing he wouldn’t be remembered, the caller quickly added, "Wu Xiaoli’s brother, Wu Xiaojun."

"Oh! It’s you, Xiaojun. What’s up?"

With the reminder, he immediately recognized Wu Xiaojun’s voice. He had spoken so frantically before that Sun Dasheng hadn’t been able to place it.

"Da Sheng, can you come to Yujing Garden? I can’t explain it properly over the phone. Right now, you’re the only one who can save me."

"Alright! Wait there, I’ll be right over."

Sun Dasheng hung up, grabbed his car keys, and drove off.

Yujing Garden wasn’t far from his company. It was a villa district in the central ring where a single home could easily cost tens of millions. What could Wu Xiaojun possibly be doing there?

The mystery was soon solved. Wu Xiaojun, who was waiting for him at the main gate, greeted the security guard, then hopped into the passenger seat to guide him inside.

"My sister lives here. The house belongs to her former brother-in-law," Wu Xiaojun explained while giving directions.

"Former brother-in-law?" Sun Dasheng asked, confused. "Your sister got a divorce?"

He hadn’t seen any updates on Wu Xiaoli’s social media feed lately. Although the ice between them had thawed a bit since the auto show, they still barely communicated beyond a few meaningless greetings each day.

"No! But in my heart, Da Sheng, you’re my real brother-in-law. That Wang Jiadong is a worthless piece of trash who doesn’t deserve my sister."

Wu Xiaojun said it with such conviction that it even made the thick-skinned Sun Dasheng feel a little embarrassed.

This guy is quite a character. Maybe I should get him into the company to grind some experience for me? Unfortunately, the supporting role is gender-locked. I already tested it with my cousin, and the system’s radar didn’t pick him up at all.

"Tell me what’s going on," Sun Dasheng said as he pulled up to the villa but didn’t go in. He needed to understand the situation first.

Wu Xiaojun’s expression became a complicated, shifting mask of emotions. He finally let out a sigh.

"Here’s what happened," he began. "You met my girlfriend at the auto show, Zhao Fang—the fiancée I was about to marry. I took the money you lent my sister, bought a car in Zhao Fang’s name, and gave the rest to her parents as the betrothal gift. We even set the wedding date."

Still a devoted simp.

Sun Dasheng nodded. "That sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?"

"Everything was perfect before they got the money. But as soon as they had it, they completely turned on me. They said the wedding was off, and Zhao Fang just ghosted me," Wu Xiaojun said, his voice cracking as if he were about to cry.

"Then just ask for the money back," Sun Dasheng suggested. However, judging by the look on Wu Xiaojun’s face and his desperate plea for help earlier, he figured it wasn’t that simple.

And he was right.

Wu Xiaojun’s voice filled with anger. "They said if I insist on getting the money back, they’ll report me for raping their daughter and have me sent to jail. Shameless! We were completely consensual."

Sun Dasheng understood the situation now. "Can you prove it was consensual?" he asked, getting to the heart of the matter.

Wu Xiaojun’s face fell. "That bitch came prepared. She recorded audio that day and deliberately shouted ’no’ while we were in bed. I thought she was just being playful. How could I have known? And right after, she went to a hospital to have the ’evidence’ from the scene documented."

They really came prepared. Everything was planned out so meticulously. This is going to be tricky. No wonder he was crying for help on the phone.

"So what’s the situation now?" Sun Dasheng asked.

"They’re pushing their luck. They won’t return the betrothal money or the car, and now they’re demanding another million to make this go away," Wu Xiaojun said, his face a mask of despair.

In a situation like this, paying them off was really the only viable solution. If they actually took him to court, the outcome would very likely be the same.

"Then pay them," Sun Dasheng advised. "But you have to get the original recording and all the so-called evidence back. Otherwise, you’ll have endless trouble down the line."

Wu Xiaojun nodded. "They’ve probably run this scam before; they’re very skilled at it. They brought up what you said themselves—once they get the money, they swear they won’t pursue it any further. I guess they’re also afraid of pushing too hard and having someone end up dead. They’re in this business for the money, not to risk their lives."

Sun Dasheng was somewhat familiar with these types of marriage swindlers. It was an old racket that had been common in Shanghai City since the 1940s.

"Da Sheng, about the money..." Wu Xiaojun said, a rare look of embarrassment on his face. After all, he had just asked for money for his wedding, only to get swindled out of it, and now he was asking for more money to clean up the mess.

"Don’t worry about the money. I’ll cover it for you, on your sister’s behalf," Sun Dasheng said, patting his shoulder. "Are they all at your sister’s place now?"

Wu Xiaojun gave a sheepish smile. "If I hadn’t been cornered at home, I really wouldn’t have troubled you, Da Sheng."

"Alright. Let’s go."

He drove the car into the villa’s driveway. They got out and went inside. Two large vases stood in the entryway, and Sun Dasheng followed Wu Xiaojun past them.

In the living room, Zhao Fang’s family was sitting in the middle of the sofa as if they owned the place. The couple, who looked to be in their late forties or early fifties, had honest, simple-looking faces that were incredibly deceptive.

On a separate sofa sat Wu Xiaoli and beside her, a sickly-looking woman who was likely her mother.

"Oh-ho! Look what we have here. Has the decision-maker finally arrived?" the woman from the swindling couple began to say before the man cut her off.

"Everyone put your phones on the table. Then we can talk."

Wow! True professionals, just as I’d expect.

The others placed their phones on the coffee table. The man stared at Sun Dasheng, who just smiled, pulled his phone from his pocket, and put it down as well. Little did they know that the agile Sun Dasheng had already slipped a spare, recording phone into one of the vases by the door the moment he walked in.

"Let’s get this over with," the woman from the couple continued. "As soon as the money is in our hands, we promise there will be no more trouble. If we go back on our word, may we be struck by lightning."

Wu Xiaoli’s mother glanced at her daughter, her expression seeming to ask who this newcomer was and why he wasn’t her wonderful son-in-law.

Wu Xiaoli bit her lip, unsure how to respond. Seeing his sister’s predicament, Wu Xiaojun quickly jumped in with an explanation.

"Da Sheng is sister’s old college classmate and was one of her best friends back then. I met him when I used to visit her at school. He’s a great guy; he even bought me a birthday present once. He heard about the trouble I’m in and came to help me sort it out."

His mother accepted his words without a hint of doubt, and a smile immediately spread across her pale face. "So you’re Xiaoli’s classmate. I’m so sorry. This is the first time we’ve met, and instead of hosting you properly, we’re troubling you with our problems," she said apologetically as she started to get up.

"It’s no problem, Auntie," Sun Dasheng said, rushing over to help her sit back down. "Xiaojun is a good friend of mine, too. I couldn’t just stand by when a friend is in trouble. It’s a good thing I have the means to help out."

She had probably just gotten back from the hospital and hadn’t fully recovered yet.

"What’s with this touching family reunion? Can we just get this over with?" Zhao Fang snapped impatiently. The meek, compliant girl who had clung to Wu Xiaojun at the auto show was completely gone.

Women... as slippery as eels. Sun Dasheng mused.