Stealing ML’s White Moonlight C02

Chapter 2

The news of the chairman of the Jialan Group and his family of three being hospitalized after a car accident spread throughout Green Nation within a day.

Far away in the imperial capital, Shen Zhongyuan almost lost his balance and fell off the sofa upon receiving news of his son’s accident. The old butler beside him quickly supported him, saying, “Master, don’t worry. We still don’t know the full situation. The young master is blessed with good fortune. I believe he, the young madam, and the little miss will be fine.”

No one could understand Shen Zhongyuan’s anxiety and distress. Fortunately, by the afternoon of the second day after surgery, Shen Jiashu and Gu Qinglan had regained consciousness.

Once the doctors finished examining them, Shen Lihuan was allowed to enter the hospital room to visit.

As soon as Shen Lihuan stepped into the room, Shen Jiashu and Gu Qinglan displayed expressions of relief, grateful to have survived. They had already learned of the driver’s death and couldn’t help but feel fortunate that they had reacted quickly, shielding their daughter and preventing her from getting hurt.

“Dad, Mom, how are you feeling? It must hurt a lot, right?”

Shen Lihuan’s eyes turned red as she looked at her parents, wrapped in casts and bandages.

“We’re fine, it doesn’t hurt. As long as you’re safe, we’re happy,” Gu Qinglan said, stroking her daughter’s face with her still-mobile left hand, her voice full of emotion.

“I wasn’t injured at all. Dad, Mom, don’t worry.”

Shen Lihuan held her mother’s hand, feeling her warmth before saying, “Dad, Mom, I suspect this wasn’t just an ordinary accident but a premeditated attack.”

If Shen Lihuan could think of it, how could Shen Jiashu—who was known in the business world as the “Cunning Fox”—not have considered it as well?

That large truck had driven straight at them without braking, accelerating instead. There was no attempt to conceal its intent. How could he believe it was just an unfortunate accident?

Gu Qinglan and Shen Jiashu shared the same thoughts. Their once-gentle expressions turned cold. “Who would want our entire family dead?”

“Whoever the mastermind is, if they dared to harm my family, I will break their hands and make them taste the same pain!”

Shen Jiashu’s handsome face was filled with a chilling fury.

No matter how sophisticated and refined he appeared to outsiders, he could never hide the inherent ruthlessness and cold-blooded nature of the Shen family.

Worried that his expression would scare his wife and daughter, Shen Jiashu quickly softened his gaze, speaking in a soothing tone as if coaxing a child, “Lihuan, leave this matter to me. You just focus on recovering. That will put me at ease.”

She didn’t need to think to know what methods her father would use. Since he didn’t want her involved, she would be a filial daughter and listen.

Shen Lihuan nodded, chatted with her parents for a while longer, and reluctantly returned to her own hospital room to avoid disturbing their rest.

According to the police investigation, the truck driver, Gao Qiang, was driving from Ning City to Lan City—a long journey. He had only slept three to four hours along the way before rushing to continue driving, making him an exhausted driver. This was why he had mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake.

When they investigated Gao Qiang’s personal information, they found his family situation was as he had claimed. He was in a desperate rush to transport goods to earn more money for his daughter’s leukemia treatment.

However, the law is unforgiving. No matter how poor or desperate he was, he had killed someone. Unless Chairman Shen was willing to petition the court to revoke his death sentence, reducing it to life imprisonment, Gao Qiang would have to face execution. If he behaved well in prison, he might have a chance at a sentence reduction and eventual release. Otherwise, his fate was sealed.

But then came an unexpected revelation.

During an asset investigation, the police discovered that Gao Qiang possessed a bank card with an unknown source. It contained 3 million Green Nation currency—exactly the amount needed for his daughter’s medical expenses.

Police Chief Huang felt his head swell. After years on the force, he knew better than to ignore his instincts. This accident was anything but simple.

A subordinate sent by Shen Jiashu spoke with an impassive expression, “We suspect Gao Qiang was hired to deliberately assassinate the chairman and his family. We hope Chief Huang will follow this lead. Our chairman has great confidence in your abilities.”

Chief Huang wasn’t offended by the cold attitude of the subordinate. He had dealt with this person many times before and knew his personality. Once the subordinate left, he could only grimace.

Whoever dared to target the chairman of Jialan Group was definitely not an ordinary person.

Did the high society elites have nothing better to do? Always scheming against each other and making life difficult for the police.

And yet, they couldn’t afford to show any displeasure. After all, in Green Nation, commerce reigned supreme. Entrepreneurs were the true powerhouses.

On the second day after waking up, Shen Jiashu received a call from the old master. To avoid agitating his elderly father’s already weakened heart, he didn’t enable the video function.

“Don’t worry, I won’t die. But we won’t be able to attend Big Brother’s funeral,” Shen Jiashu’s voice was slightly hoarse. “Back then, Big Brother spoiled me the most, and now I can’t even attend his funeral.”

Shen Zhongyuan remained silent on the other end of the call for a long time before finally speaking in a weary tone, “Jiashu, I’m already seventy years old. I’m getting old… Come back home.”

Shen Jiashu, a nearly forty-year-old man, suddenly found his eyes reddening.

…

The police followed the lead from the mysterious bank card, but all traces had been wiped clean. They couldn’t determine who had given Gao Qiang the card or who had deposited the money.

Gao Qiang refused to talk, repeatedly insisting that he knew nothing and that the crash was truly caused by fatigue. Whenever questioned about the money, he would go completely silent.

When the police interrogated his family, the old and young simply cried, claiming they knew nothing.

After a month of deadlock, the police still couldn’t break Gao Qiang’s silence.

Frustrated, Chief Huang reported to his superiors and decided to use force. The severity of Green Nation’s criminal laws was unimaginable to outsiders—once physical coercion was applied, even the dead could be made to speak.

Upon learning this, Gao Qiang turned pale. Trembling, he said to Chief Huang, “I’ll talk, but only if you bring in reporters. I’ll expose the mastermind behind this in front of the public. Otherwise, I won’t say another word, even if I die.”

Chief Huang scrutinized him for a long time. Gao Qiang remained expressionless and silent.

Figuring that even with reporters present, Gao Qiang couldn’t do much damage, Chief Huang consulted his subordinates and ultimately agreed to his request.

In Lan City, reporters were as numerous as the stars in the sky. Within a short time, dozens had gathered at the prison.

Two officers escorted Gao Qiang into a meeting room—originally used for police briefings—where the room was now packed with journalists.

After learning that there might be hidden truths behind Chairman Jialan’s car accident, the reporters became highly enthusiastic about the interview. The moment Gao Qiang entered, they turned on their cameras and began live streaming, bombarding him with questions.

The police officers had Gao Qiang sit in a chair and stepped back a few meters, waiting for the interview to end before taking him away.

Gao Qiang ignored the reporters’ questions, his face contorted in pain as he said, “Before I reveal the real culprit behind the scenes, please allow me to say a few words.”

Although they were eager to know the truth, the reporters suppressed their impatience and urged him to speak quickly.

Tears suddenly welled up in Gao Qiang’s eyes as he looked into the camera. “I was born into a single-parent household. My mother endured countless hardships to raise me, but she ended up paralyzed because we couldn’t afford treatment and could only lie in bed. I have no higher education, couldn’t find a good job, and when I finally got married and had a child, my daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. That’s leukemia! Without millions, you can’t even afford treatment.”

“I admit I was driving fatigued, but I was doing it for my family! If I didn’t work hard to earn money, my daughter would die. Do you understand? I’m a father! If I didn’t work hard to earn money, should I just sit back and watch my daughter die?”

Gao Qiang spoke with intense emotion, his face flushed red. “But no one gave my family a way to survive! The Shen family is rich and powerful, and they forced a poor man like me to die. I’ll die now, and I only hope Chairman Shen can show some mercy and spare my family.”

His words contained so much information that the reporters wanted to ask more questions, but before they could, Gao Qiang suddenly ran toward the wall.

The police officers rushed to stop him, but no one expected his determination to die to be so strong. He ran incredibly fast, and the wall was close. A terrifying “bang!” echoed as his head smashed against the wall, bursting open, blood splattering everywhere.

The audience watching the interview on television was instantly horrified by the scene, screaming in terror.

Shen Lihuan, who had also been watching the broadcast, saw Gao Qiang’s suicide. Her dark eyes deepened. It seemed that the mastermind behind this wanted not only to erase all witnesses but also to drag the Shen family down with them, ruining their reputation.

That same day, when the Shen family was discharged from the hospital and preparing to leave for the imperial capital, a group of enraged citizens gathered at the hospital entrance. Their faces were filled with anger as they held banners reading, “Shen Family, Apologize! Give the Poor Justice!” Nearby, many reporters with cameras were busy live-streaming the event.

Shen Jiashu and Gu Qinglan were still wearing casts that couldn’t be removed yet, so they sat in wheelchairs. Shen Lihuan pushed her mother’s wheelchair from behind, while her father’s was handled by their bodyguard. Seeing the scene before her, she felt an unsurprised sense of inevitability.

The moment the Shen family appeared, the crowd and reporters surged forward. The security guards and the Shen family’s bodyguards quickly formed a protective barrier around them.

“Shen Family, Apologize! Give the Poor Justice!”

Shen Jiashu’s face darkened completely. Until the mastermind behind this was found, he would not be able to sleep peacefully. And now, facing this ridiculous situation, his mood only worsened.

Gu Qinglan, always mild-tempered, couldn’t help but frown at this moment.

Shen Lihuan patted her mother’s hand reassuringly. “Dad, Mom, let me handle this.”

She then turned to the crowd, her sharp gaze scanning them as she raised her voice. “You want us to apologize? On what grounds?”

A young man at the front, his face flushing upon seeing a beautiful girl take charge, gritted his teeth and said, “Your Shen family forced Gao Qiang to his death! Don’t you need to apologize for that?”

Shen Lihuan looked at him as if he were an idiot. “We forced Gao Qiang to his death? How exactly did we do that?”

“Your Shen family has such a high status in the business world! You used your influence to pressure him into dying!”

As soon as those words were spoken, the crowd fell silent.

This was the reality of Green Nation. Entrepreneurs were the true privileged class. Everyone knew this unwritten rule. However, while it was an open secret, it had never reached the point where people dared to flaunt it publicly.

If Shen Lihuan admitted to this, it would only deepen the divide between the wealthy and ordinary citizens.

At that moment, everyone watching the live stream was eager to see how she would respond to the accusation.