Sheng Zexi frowned.
Because he took something from them?
Sheng Zexi considered himself far from a saint, but he would never stoop to petty theft.
When had he ever stolen from others?
And to such an extreme that they would try to kill his child?
As Sheng Zexi pondered, a sudden realization flashed through his mind, bringing clarity.
He remembered now.
He had indeed taken—no, seized—something that belonged to others.
And that thing was of great importance to them!
It was that night, those dozen or so large crates in the sea!
If one insisted that he had stolen the contents of those crates, it wouldn’t be entirely inaccurate.
After all, he was the first to discover them.
Moreover, the items inside—whether military supplies or gold bars—were of immense value.
So!
Were these people… from R Country?
Even if not R Country nationals, they were likely spies recruited by R Country!
If that were truly the case, then this was no longer just a private family matter.
He had to report it—immediately.
There was no time to waste.
With the current severe weather, there was no telling what else these people might do.
He had to inform his superiors as soon as possible so they could take precautions.
Sheng Zexi handed some money and ration coupons to Xingxing and Yueyue. “Stay here in the hospital with Amber and watch over Mom and your little brother. Don’t go anywhere with strangers, understand?”
“Dad has urgent business and must leave now.”
“If you get hungry, go to the hospital cafeteria to buy food, okay?”
Not only that, Sheng Zexi glanced at Lin Shu, who stood quietly nearby, her gaze fixed on Yueyue.
He had heard about Lin Shu from Gu Jianing.
Now, Lin Shu was also his family’s benefactor.
Sheng Zexi instructed Xingxing and Yueyue to keep an eye on Lin Shu and ensure she didn’t wander off.
As for how to repay Lin Shu, that would have to wait until things settled down.
“Dad, we understand,” the children replied.
Amber nodded as well.
Amber had come to the hospital with Sister Zhao.
Sister Zhao was now keeping watch over Goudan, while Amber stayed by Gu Jianing’s side.
Truthfully, Amber felt guilty.
After all, while the master of the house was away on a mission, and her sister was hospitalized giving birth, they had entrusted Xingxing and Yueyue to her care.
But she had failed, deceived by cunning humans.
Xingxing and Yueyue had nearly come to harm.
Thankfully, they were safe—otherwise, Amber would never have forgiven herself.
Now, she was even more determined to stand guard over her sister, Xingxing, Yueyue, and Tuantuan, protecting them at all costs.
Without further delay, Sheng Zexi left after giving his instructions.
Xingxing and Yueyue were indeed hungry.
So they went to the hospital cafeteria and bought several portions of food.
Since they were children with small appetites, the two of them could share one portion.
They also bought one for Lin Shu.
Later, they found out which ward Goudan was in and brought a portion to Auntie Zhao as well.
Auntie Zhao’s eyes reddened with relief when she saw them unharmed.
Thank goodness Xingxing and Yueyue were safe—otherwise, Huijuan would have been consumed by guilt for the rest of her life.
“Auntie Zhao, don’t cry. Dad said Brother Goudan will wake up soon,” Yueyue comforted her.
“Brother Goudan was implicated by us.”
Zhao Goudan was indeed implicated by them.
If Brother Goudan hadn’t gone out with them, he wouldn’t have been thrown into the sea, drugged, and left unconscious in the hospital.
Huijuan shook her head. “It’s not your fault. Goudan did what he should have done.”
Honestly, when she saw her eldest son soaked and unconscious, Huijuan had been terrified.
Fortunately, the doctor said Goudan was not in critical condition—just sedated and in need of an IV.
However, since he had been drenched for a while, there was a risk of catching a cold.
The biggest concern was that he might develop a fever later, so Huijuan was told to monitor him closely.
If his temperature spiked, she had to notify the doctor immediately.
Though Huijuan didn’t know exactly how this had happened, she understood her son’s temperament well.
He was an honest, kind-hearted boy with a strong sense of responsibility.
“By the way, Xingxing, Yueyue, can you tell Auntie what happened after I left?”
“Mm.”
Xingxing and Yueyue recounted the events again, though they carefully omitted certain details.
After hearing their story, Huijuan was horrified.
She hadn’t realized the three children had actually been thrown into the sea—only to be rescued later.
Huijuan didn’t notice that Xingxing and Yueyue’s clothes were still dry; she assumed Gu Jianing or Sheng Zexi had changed them immediately.
The ordeal sounded terrifying, but the outcome could have been much worse.
At least all three children were safe now.
Huijuan didn’t blame Xingxing and Yueyue at all.
She knew that in her absence, her eldest son would naturally worry about them and want to protect them.
That was just the kind of person he was.
As for the children being tricked…
Even she, an adult, had been fooled—how could she expect the kids to do better?
Eventually, Xingxing and Yueyue left a portion of food for Huijuan and returned to Gu Jianing’s ward.
They found their mother still asleep.
Quietly, they sat in a corner with Lin Shu and Amber, eating their meal.
After everything they’d been through, they were truly hungry.
Meanwhile, Sheng Zexi left the hospital and went straight to report to his superior, Chen Han.
“It seems our defenses still have gaps if they managed to infiltrate like this. By the way, are the children and Dr. Gu alright?” Chen Han asked.
“For now, yes.”
“Actually, there’s something I need to discuss with you…” Chen Han then briefed him on Old Man Chen’s case.
Old Man Chen had already been interrogated, and some information had been extracted.
He admitted that someone had paid him to spread rumors and prevent him from moving away.
“As for who exactly hired him… he claims not to know.”
“What do you think?”
Sheng Zexi fell silent, considering carefully before responding, “I suspect the reason these people acted so brazenly is that they had inside help.”
“Inside help?”
Meaning someone had been collaborating with them?
What kind of decent person would work with suspected R Country agents?
Anyone who did would undoubtedly be no different from a traitor or a spy.
There was another thought Sheng Zexi kept to himself.
He suspected that the collaborators might be within the military.
Even worse, his mind immediately went to Lin Chushi and his father.
But he quickly suppressed the thought.
He couldn’t let personal grudges lead him to accuse the Lin family of treason without evidence.
Some things required solid proof.
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