"Zuri, we can help," Farida said, but Zuri had already disappeared around the corner.
Azura patted Farida's shoulder. "Let's go."
Farida looked in the direction Zuri had gone. "Shouldn't we do something?"
Azura shook her head. "Don't worry. She'll be fine."
Azura was well aware of Zuri's fighting capabilities.
Zuri crossed the street and entered an alley, following their tracks deeper and deeper.
After about ten minutes, she reached a dead end. Around the corner, she heard the voices of a man and a woman.
As Zuri approached quietly, their conversation became clear.
"Third Brother, what do you want from me?" Dalia asked, trying to control her anger.
This question infuriated Jonah.
"What do I want? How can you even ask that? Why didn't you save my son back then? Have you forgotten how I helped you deceive everyone and secure your position in the Lin family?" Jonah's voice was filled with resentment.
"And now, when I need help to save my son, you avoid me."
"If the Lin family had stepped in, my son wouldn't be in prison, facing the death penalty. It's all your fault. How dare you ask what I want?"
Dalia, though frightened by Jonah's fury, kept her composure and spoke gently, "Third Brother, please calm down. I'm truly sorry about Xiao Yu, but there's nothing I can do. Aaron wants to divorce me because of this. If I get divorced, the Qin family will be finished."
Would Jonah believe this? No, he wouldn't.
This incident had made Jonah see the true faces of the Lin and Qin families. These so-called relatives were cold-hearted and merciless.
"Third Brother, if you need anything, just tell me. As long as I can do it, I will," Dalia said sincerely.
Dalia knew Jonah had come for money. Giving him money would solve the problem.
Jonah sneered. "Do you think I came here today for money?"
Isn't that the case? Dalia thought coldly.
"No, of course not. Even if you didn't ask, I would give you money. You are my brother, after all," she said softly.
Jonah's look of disdain made her feel like a stranger. "I don't want money. I want you to find a way to get my son out of prison."
"That's impossible. Third Brother, you're making things difficult for me."
Even the powerful Lin family couldn't interfere with the judiciary.
Dalia's face showed distress. "How about this? I'll give you some money to grease the right palms. This way, Damian can have a better life in prison."
"No need," Jonah coldly refused. "Just find a way to get my son out, or I will expose everything, including Zuri's secret."
"If Aaron finds out what you've done, do you think you can still be Mrs. Lin?"
Zuri, hiding around the corner, felt a chill.
Dalia's face turned ashen. "Brother, you're my brother. How can you do this to me?"
"Brother?" Jonah sneered. "When my son was in trouble, did you treat me like your brother? Did you consider me family as you watched him die?"
Jonah's voice grew louder, his face red and twisted with anger, his eyes filled with hatred as he stared at Dalia.
Dalia, terrified, tried to soothe him. "Brother, calm down. Don't be angry. I promise I'll find a way to get Damian out."
Jonah's anger subsided a little, but he still wasn't satisfied. "Remember your promise. If I find out you're lying, you know the consequences." He pointed a threatening finger at her.
"I'll do what I said."
Having achieved his goal, Jonah demanded more. "My wife and I are living miserably. I don't even have a job. As my sister, don't you think you should help?"
In the past, he wouldn't have dared to demand so much, still hoping for Dalia's support. But now he had nothing left to lose.
Dalia cursed inwardly but quickly opened her purse and took out all the cash. "This is all I have with me. If it's not enough, ask me for more later," she said sweetly.
Jonah handed her a note. "This is my bank account number. Transfer two million by tonight. If I don't see the money, you know what will happen."
Dalia was about to refuse but swallowed her words at his threat.
Zuri turned and left her hiding place.
As Jonah walked away, Dalia clenched the note in her hand. This was too much!
She had always paid him well when she needed his help. If not for her support, he would have been kicked out of the Qin family years ago.
She had covered up his embezzlement too. She had long since repaid any debt to him. She never imagined he would threaten her one day.
Furious and helpless, Dalia worried that Jonah might really have evidence of their past deeds. If Aaron found out, she was done for.
And if the family in the capital knew...
Dalia shivered with fear.
Meanwhile, Zuri followed Jonah to a run-down neighborhood. As he reached the entrance, Jonah stopped and looked back to see Zuri standing behind him, smiling.
Jonah's eyes flashed with surprise, quickly replaced by anger. "Why are you following me?"
"I heard everything," Zuri said directly.
Jonah laughed. "You want to know our secrets?"
"Yes," Zuri replied bluntly.
"Hahaha," Jonah laughed. "You ruined my son's life, and you think I'll tell you? Dream on." He turned to leave.
Zuri called after him. "She can't save your son, but I can."
Jonah paused but didn't turn back.
Zuri watched him go, her eyes deep with thought.
What had they done back then, and what role had she played?
She felt that the answers to the secrets haunting her for two lifetimes would come from him.
Leaving the neighborhood, Zuri took out her phone and called a private detective she had worked with many times. "Do you handle surveillance and tracking?"
The man on the other end replied coolly, "If the price is right, we can handle any job as long as it's legal."
"How much?"
"Since you're an old client, I'll give you a discount. Five thousand for half a month, eight thousand for a full month."
"Deal. I'll send the target's information to your email. Keep a close eye on him. I need to know his every move."
"No problem. You can count on us."
Zuri hung up and glanced back at the third floor. That secret was crucial.
Meanwhile, after parting ways with Jonah, Dalia was deeply troubled. She knew her brother too well. If she didn't act, he might really choose to destroy everything, dragging her down with him. She was the precious gem; he was just a shard of pottery. She couldn't afford to clash with him.
Dalia had no choice but to start pulling strings for Damian. However, the amount of money involved was enormous, and the public was watching closely. No one dared to take the risk.
After a week of efforts and continuous rejections, she was finally thrown out of a house along with the gifts she had brought. As she walked away, she heard the lady of the house mocking, "Bringing such a small gift and expecting my husband to break the law. What a joke. Does she think we're beggars?"
Standing outside, Dalia's face burned with humiliation. It was the first time she had been so insulted, and it was by someone as insignificant as a councilman's wife. She picked up the gifts, threw them in the trash, and retrieved the checks hidden inside.
Just as she stepped out of the elevator, Jonah called.
"What is it?" Dalia asked, holding back her anger.
"How's it going? When will my son be released?"
Dalia's anger erupted. "You keep pushing! Do you have any idea how serious your son's crime is? Do you think it's easy to get him out?"
"What do you mean? Are you giving up?" Jonah's anger matched hers. "Dalia, if you don't get my son out of prison, we'll go down together."
Dalia felt like smashing her phone, but she suppressed her anger for the sake of those secrets. "I'm sorry, that was my fault. Please give me more time. I promise I'll find a way to get Xiao Yu out."
After hanging up, Dalia's face remained dark with anger.
Ten days later, Dalia was still stalling, making Jonah wait.
Zuri, timing her move, called Jonah. "Mr. Qin, have you thought about my proposal?"
Jonah flatly refused, leaving no room for negotiation.
Zuri remained calm and patient. "Mr. Qin, if Dalia could get him out, you would have heard good news by now. But look, it's been over two weeks. If you cooperate with me, I promise you'll be reunited with your son within a month."
"Why should I trust a young girl like you?"
Hearing this, Zuri knew she had taken the first step. He was interested, beginning to waver.
"My identity must be known to your son by now. With my status, I can use the stock market to pull him out. Damian's fate is in your hands."
Jonah fell silent. He knew her capabilities but didn't trust her as a person.
After a long pause, Jonah finally spoke. "Let me think about it."
The call ended, and Zuri fiddled with her phone.
In Oceanic City's harbor district, workers were bustling about. Seven or eight excavators were working hard, supervised closely. The surrounding area was desolate, with this patch of land being the only lively spot.
One excavator operator took a sip of tea and wiped the sweat from his brow before resuming work. Suddenly, his machine hit something solid underground. He tried pressing the buttons, but the shovel wouldn't move.
He shouted, "Something's stuck down here!"
Workers gathered around, and the supervisor directed a few men. "You, go down and see what it is. Maybe we hit a big rock."
The selected workers jumped into the pit and carefully dug around the object. Soon, they uncovered something covered in mud.
"What is it?" someone above asked.
"Looks like a rock, a big one."
Two workers struggled to clear the mud, revealing a seemingly endless stone slab.
"This stone is huge," one exclaimed.
"It looks like a bluestone slab," another observed.
The workers above began to speculate. The supervisor, seeing the slow progress, called more men down. With a group of four or five, they finally uncovered the full extent of the stone.
"It's covered in writing," one of the workers shouted. "There are carvings all over it."
Everyone gathered to see the spectacle. The supervisor ordered the excavators to clear the surrounding soil. Soon, a small part of the underground structure was exposed.
"It's an ancient tomb!" someone exclaimed.
The site buzzed with excitement as everyone crowded around the pit.
"If the tombstone is this big, the tomb must be enormous."
"There must be a lot of antiques inside."
The workers exchanged looks, turning their eyes to the supervisor.
"What do we do now?" someone asked.
The supervisor, an old hand at this, had dealt with unearthing bones before, but this was his first ancient tomb. This wasn't Xi'an, where historical tombs were common. He pulled out his phone and made a call.
Twenty minutes later, Aaron received the news.
"What did you say?" Aaron asked, dizzy with shock.
Secretary Zhang repeated, "An ancient tomb was found at the harbor construction site. It seems to be a large one."
Aaron felt faint. "Director Lin," Zhang said, concerned.
If word got out about the tomb, the project would halt, costing thousands daily. He knew how slow archaeological digs were; they could take years.
"Aaron gritted his teeth. "Notify everyone to secure the site and keep this quiet."
Zhang hesitated. "Director Lin, if someone finds out, we can't cover it up."
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