Plunder-Chapter 298: Suicide

"Let’s not dwell on this matter anymore, it’s already in the past."

Zhou Jin’an stood up.

Although he wasn’t close to Mrs. Zhou, he understood his mother’s personality very well.

She had a magnifying glass in her heart, accustomed to magnifying her own sorrows.

At the same time, she also had a microscope, keenly investigating any trace of evidence until everything was crystal clear.

Upon leaving Mrs. Zhou’s hospital room, a hint of indignation crawled onto his face.

He waited until he reached the elevator before pulling out his phone and making a call.

"Bring him to see me."

He provided an address.

The elevator descended straight to the underground parking lot, where he drove himself to the wharf.

The car window was open, and the night wind rushed in desperately.

Zhou Jin’an’s stern face bore the deepness of the night.

"Director Zhou, Zheng Gang is over there."

Just as Zhou Jin’an arrived, his subordinate hurried over to report.

He got out of the car and headed straight for the fishing boat by the wharf.

Zheng Gang was on the fishing boat.

"Director Zhou."

Seated in his wheelchair, Zheng Gang looked up at Zhou Jin’an and greeted him with utmost respect.

Zhou Jin’an boarded the fishing boat and looked down at Zheng Gang from above.

"I’m sorry, but you must leave Rong City now. I’ll have someone arrange a place for you and someone to take care of you. Remember, without my permission, you are not allowed to come back."

Zheng Gang nodded, "Director Zhou, rest assured. I won’t return to Rong City, nor will I contact Caiyun and her daughter. I absolutely won’t cause any trouble for you."

Zhou Jin’an took out a card and handed it to Zheng Gang, "This is a small gesture from En’en and me."

Zheng Gang hastily refused, "I can’t accept this."

"I have wronged you, making you bear pain you should not have suffered, where do I have the face to ask anything of you? Please tell En’en that I am a useless father, and she should forget me."

His voice choked.

Zhou Jin’an remained silent, stuffing the card into Zheng Gang’s pocket.

"Go."

After he spoke, he leapt off the boat and went ashore.

The boat carrying Zheng Gang quickly left the wharf.

But what he didn’t know was, right after he left the wharf, someone secretly intercepted Zheng Gang’s boat.

...

"Madam, where are you going in the middle of the night?"

Aunt Liu asked with a nervous face.

Mrs. Zhou shot her a glance, "You are getting more and more nagging." Then, she quickened her pace.

At the hospital entrance, a car was already prepared, and as soon as Mrs. Zhou arrived, someone opened the car door for her.

"Madam, please."

The car headed straight for the wharf.

Zheng Gang, being incapacitated, had just left the wharf when someone on a speedboat intercepted him.

At this moment, the boat docked, and he still stood on the wharf, looking bewildered.

Not until Mrs. Zhou appeared did Zheng Gang suddenly realize what was happening.

"Zheng Gang, didn’t expect it, did you? We meet again."

Mrs. Zhou stepped towards him, each step exceptionally heavy.

Zheng Gang hung his head.

"Madam, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault, I am nothing."

Zheng Gang started hitting himself with his hand, slapping his own face repeatedly.

Mrs. Zhou drew closer but did not stop him.

Zheng Gang’s slaps resounded on his face, and Mrs. Zhou just watched him.

"Back then, I was so good to you, the Zhou family trusted you, valued you, and you conspired with outsiders against us. Do you know that because of your baseless accusation, my life has been ruined?"

Mrs. Zhou’s heart was filled with grievances that couldn’t be voiced, now transformed into endless accusations.

Zheng Gang bowed his head even lower, "Madam, I deserve to die, I deserve to die..."

He muttered the phrase over and over.

"Indeed, you deserve to die, but why are you still alive? If you were forced to do it back then, why did you continue to live meanly for more than twenty years? Zheng Gang, you scum, you don’t deserve to live."

Mrs. Zhou cursed angrily.

"Madam, what do you want me to do? As long as you can forgive me, I am willing to do anything."

Zheng Gang looked at Mrs. Zhou with red-rimmed eyes.

"Go and die!"

The three cold words squeezed through Mrs. Zhou’s teeth.

Zheng Gang was stunned, but quickly responded.

"Alright, I’ll die. If Madam can forgive me, my life is not a pity to lose."

Mrs. Zhou slowly turned around, "Aunt Liu, let’s go back."

She hunched her back, her lonely silhouette gradually receding.

"You mustn’t let Jin’an know about today’s incident, do you hear me?" Mrs. Zhou commanded.

Aunt Liu nodded, "Rest assured, I have arranged everything that should be taken care of, and I won’t slip up."

"By the way, madam, what about Zheng Gang? Should we...?"

Aunt Liu asked tentatively.

"Don’t dirty your hands. Let him come by himself."

Mrs. Zhou said gloomily.

"What if he refuses?" Aunt Liu raised another doubt.

"He wouldn’t dare."

Mrs. Zhou was very certain.

Early the next morning, Rong City’s morning news broadcasted a brief message about a drowning death.

It was indeed a very brief message, lasting only five seconds.

Qiao En was busy comforting a crying child and didn’t notice the news on the television at all.

Only Auntie Jiang, in the midst of her busyness, caught a glimpse of the TV, and her heart skipped a beat.

"Yayun, I’m going to prepare some hot water."

Auntie Jiang left with a basin in hand.

Qiao En had not yet told Zheng Gang about the birth of the child.

So, she dialed Zheng Gang’s number.

But the number was shown to be switched off.

Zheng Gang had no place to stay in Rong City; after leaving the hospital, he had been temporarily living in a hotel.

Auntie Jiang had visited there a few times.

Unable to reach him on the phone, she quickly hailed a cab to Zheng Gang’s hotel.

But the hotel owner told her that someone had picked up Zheng Gang the previous night.

Suddenly remembering something, Auntie Jiang hurriedly made her way to the hospital.

She ran into Zhou Jin’an by chance at the entrance of the lobby.

"Jin’an, was it you who sent him away?"

Auntie Jiang asked anxiously.

Zhou Jin’an did not intend to conceal anything; he nodded, "Mom, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you right away."

Auntie Jiang nodded slightly, "I know, I know you had to do it. Jin’an, it must have been hard for you. But with his condition, how could he live on his own?"

As she spoke, her eyes started to redden.

Zhou Jin’an checked his phone for a moment; he had sent Zheng Gang to Gu Yuan, and he had indeed taken Auntie Jiang into consideration.

He made a call, "Has he arrived?"

The person on the other end seemed puzzled, "Not yet, Director Zhou, we’ve been waiting until now, and he still hasn’t shown up."

Zhou Jin’an was about to make another call when he received a call from the police station.

"Mr. Zhou Jin’an, right? Do you know Zheng Gang? He drowned last night at Yungang Wharf..."

Suddenly, Zhou Jin’an felt as if a thunderclap had exploded in his brain.

He kept his distance from Auntie Jiang, but she was looking at him with eager eyes.

"Alright, I understand, I’ll be there immediately."

After hanging up the phone, he hurriedly left.

Auntie Jiang seemed to sense something, "Jin’an, has something happened to him?"

Zhou Jin’an exhaled slightly, "Mom, listen to me."

But this was not an easy matter to explain.

Zhou Jin’an was at a loss for words, so he had to speak frankly.

"I don’t know what happened, but the police just called to say he drowned."

Upon hearing this, Auntie Jiang nearly fainted.

"How could this happen? How could this happen?"

She couldn’t accept the reality.

Tears slid silently down her cheeks.

"Just a few days ago, he said he wanted to return to Gu Yuan with me to live a good life. How could he suddenly have drowned?"

"Mom, don’t worry, I will definitely investigate this thoroughly. Could you please go home first? As soon as I have clarity, I’ll tell you immediately."

"No, I’ll go with you."

Auntie Jiang insisted on going to the police station with Zhou Jin’an.

Later, they saw Zheng Gang’s body.

Underneath the white cloth, his body was slightly swollen. Auntie Jiang rushed over, pulled back the cloth, and began to weep loudly as she held Zheng Gang.

The investigation by the police was underway, and the preliminary results indicated it was a suicide.

But neither Zhou Jin’an nor Auntie Jiang believed that Zheng Gang would choose to end his life that way.

"Impossible, he definitely wouldn’t commit suicide."

Auntie Jiang flatly denied it.

But reality is more convincing than debate, and before he died by suicide, he had left a letter.

It was a suicide note written by his own hand, in which he confessed the evil deeds he had done and expressed his remorse towards Auntie Jiang and Qiao En.

Despite this, Auntie Jiang still refused to believe it.

"He wouldn’t choose suicide. He wouldn’t, I don’t believe it."