UCS Chapter 66

The colleagues from the Criminal Investigation Brigade had never imagined that Gao Shi, who always drove a Santana to and from work, could drive so fast.

 

He turned on the sirens, and the police car cut through traffic like a sharp blade, weaving between vehicles like a fish in water.

 

The criminal police officer gripped his seatbelt and clutched the door handle desperately, feeling like he was getting a free roller coaster ride. Before his stomach could even start churning, they’d already arrived.

 

Gao Shi opened the door and got out first. He ran up the stairs two steps at a time, while the criminal police officer behind him glanced around quickly and realized this was a small two-story building.

 

Gao Shi knocked hard on the door twice, but no one came to open it. His expression changed, and he simply stepped back two paces, lifted his foot, and kicked the door hard. The door burst open.

 

The scene behind the door made both their heads buzz. On the sofa in the living room, Pipi’s dad was holding a belt and lashing down viciously. Pipi, who was pressed against his knees, had an unnatural flush on his face and his body looked limp, as if he’d already lost consciousness.

 

Pipi’s mom was screaming and lunging forward, trying to snatch Pipi back from Pipi’s dad, but women naturally don’t have the advantage in strength, especially when facing a drunk man.

 

Pipi’s mom was flung aside, her spine hitting hard against the hard glass of the living room table. She let out a muffled grunt but lunged forward again, roaring.

 

“Are you insane?! We can’t live like this! Stop it right now!”

 

She threw herself heavily over Pipi’s body, so that belt left another red, swollen welt across her back.

 

Pipi’s dad raised his hand to strike again, but the next second, his wrist was seized and twisted behind his back. He let out a pig-like scream, loosened his grip on Pipi, and Ying Bujie quickly and deftly snatched the child from his arms.

 

Gao Shi pressed Pipi’s dad hard to the ground. Seeing Gao Shi made him even more frenzied, and he cursed at Pipi’s mom, “You stinking whore, have you been having an affair with this man all along? First coming to lecture me, then taking Pipi to the hospital, and now you dare bring your lover to the door!”

 

Pipi’s mom was nearly unconscious from those two blows, but hearing Pipi’s dad’s voice, she still cursed back, “You dog of a man, are you stupid? Open your damn eyes and see who this really is!”

 

“I was the most beautiful flower for miles around when I was young. It’s bad enough I married you and haven’t had many good days, but now you’re hitting your wife and child—you’ve really gone too far!”

 

“You have the nerve to talk about me—don’t think I don’t know about your affair with that shameless little vixen!”

 

Pipi’s dad struggled, wanting to say more, but when he looked up, he saw the uniformed criminal police officer.

 

His muddled brain felt like someone had poured a cup of ice water on it. That drunken stupor disappeared instantly, and his skin touching the cold floor began to feel chilled.

 

He struggled a bit, was pressed hard to the ground, and by now his drunkenness had finally completely worn off. He pulled his mouth into an ingratiating smile, “Officer, this is all a misunderstanding.”

 

The criminal police officer’s face was dark as he put down his phone after calling 120, crouching down to check on Pipi’s mom and Pipi while scolding, “Misunderstanding? Ha! If we’d come any later, your son and wife would have died at your hands!”

 

“Look at your son! He’s probably running a fever of 39 degrees now! Not only did you two parents fail to notice, but you beat him up like this?!”

 

Gao Shi finally spoke his first words since entering, his voice heavy, “Even as parents, treating a child like this is illegal.”

 

Hearing this, both Pipi’s dad and mom scrambled to defend themselves, “You can’t say it like that—this is all family business. Which parents don’t hit their kids?”

 

Even Pipi’s mom, who had just been severely beaten by Pipi’s dad, defended him, “This thing between us is just a husband and wife fight—couples fight at the head of the bed and make up at the foot.”

 

Pipi’s dad chimed in agreement, “Right, right, this really shouldn’t have disturbed you. I don’t know which little brat called the police and made you take this extra trip.”

 

Pipi’s dad didn’t forget to show off his learning at this moment, “What I did this time was indeed wrong, and it’ll never happen again. I swear I’ll treat my wife and child well from now on. Oh, and I want to thank you two officers for coming to wake me up—I’ll send a banner of appreciation to your station later.”

 

Gao Shi watched him frantically defending himself. This pair of parents kept defending themselves the whole time, never once asking about Pipi—even though Pipi was running a high fever right now and had just been beaten.

 

Children are independent individuals, yet some parents always treat their children as their possessions.

 

He didn’t want to say anything more to them.

 

“Save your words for when you’re inside.”

 

The ambulance came quickly. Pipi was rushed to the hospital, while the criminal police took Pipi’s dad and mom to the station.

 

Before leaving, Gao Shi picked up the phone from under the sofa. It was still on the call screen.

 

By the time he was taken to the hospital, Pipi’s fever had reached nearly 40 degrees. Acute gastroenteritis had triggered an acute inflammatory reaction, combined with high fever from catching cold—the reaction was extremely severe. Even if Pipi’s dad hadn’t beaten Pipi tonight, with those parents who only cared about money, money, money, they probably wouldn’t have been able to get Pipi to the hospital in time anyway.

 

If Gao Shi and the others hadn’t come tonight, Pipi would probably have suffered some kind of permanent damage from this high fever.

 

Men have different strength than women. Pipi’s dad had great hand strength, and that wide belt left shocking bloody marks across Pipi’s narrow little body. In some places the skin was even split open, making a young nurse nearby tear up at the sight.

 

However, the most serious thing was that after getting drunk, Pipi’s dad didn’t know his own strength. In order to hold down Pipi who was trying to struggle, he actually broke one of Pipi’s ribs, and this rib nearly pierced into his lung.

 

The doctor looked at Pipi’s condition and said Pipi was incredibly lucky—he didn’t know which deity was protecting him, keeping Pipi’s temperature from rising any higher, otherwise he would have been burned deaf on the way to the hospital.

 

Gao Shi sat in the corridor, watching the people coming and going. A surge of rage was churning in his heart, this anger burning from the depths of his heart toward his limbs and bones.

 

A hand gently pressed on his forearm, transmitting a slight coolness through the fabric.

 

Gao Shi took a deep breath, looked toward Ying Bujie beside him, his tone softening slightly, “Was it you?”

 

Ying Bujie neither nodded nor shook his head, just blinked his eyes lightly.

 

Cool spiritual energy flowed into Gao Shi’s body. He knew that it was probably because Ying Bujie had intervened that Pipi wouldn’t have to live in a silent world in the future.

 

Actually, when he first saw the wounds on Pipi’s body, Gao Shi was angry but not extremely worried, because Pipi’s mom did have feelings for Pipi after all. She knew her limits—although she left marks on the child, she would never cause irreparable harm.

 

But despite all his calculations, he never could have imagined that the seemingly well-dressed Pipi’s dad would vent his anger on the child after things didn’t go his way.

 

“Daoist, it’s done.” He gently patted Ying Bujie’s hand that was resting on his arm, not noticing the slight stiffening of the person being touched.

 

This time, he would definitely send this pair of irresponsible parents to jail to sober up for a good while.

 

Pipi’s dad’s behavior was enough to have his guardianship rights stripped away. If Pipi was willing, he could have his guardian changed.

 

Pipi actually had quite a few relatives back in his hometown, but Pipi’s current situation was special. Having filmed countless commercials, he was a money tree—even his own parents couldn’t resist exploiting him, so what right did he have to expect those relatives to treat him like their own child?

 

So the best solution was actually to send a child who had both parents alive and relatives still around to a proper orphanage.

 

Heaven had given this child a cute and beautiful appearance and an obedient, sensible personality, but had simply forgotten to send him to parents who would love him. Thus all his good qualities became the original sin for his suffering in this world.

 

After who knows how long, Pipi was finally moved to a ward for observation. His little face had lost all color and was deathly pale, his lips white and cracked, like a porcelain doll about to shatter.

 

Looking at Pipi like this, Gao Shi always thought of Lele.

 

In the dream, Lele hadn’t been brought back to the Gao family by Gao Shi, so he began this lifetime of wandering and displacement.

 

Lele possessed even more incomprehensible beauty than Pipi. At the orphanage, he was adopted because of his beauty, but stepped right into a wolf’s den, nearly becoming a plaything in the hands of wealthy foreigners.

 

Purity, kindness, beauty, obedience, gentleness… these beautiful qualities that should exist naturally became their weaknesses under dark covetousness. Without sharp edges, they couldn’t protect themselves.

 

If that was the case, then he would become their sharp edge.

 

After Pipi recovered, he would send Pipi to an orphanage—the same orphanage that had taken in Lele in the dream. Whether in the dream or in reality, it was proven that the director and caregivers managing this orphanage were people who truly cared for the children. Therefore, Gao Shi had acquired this orphanage early on, and now it was several times larger than in the dream.

 

With the Gao family’s protection, Pipi and these children would grow up strong and healthy.

 

Gao Shi hired two caregivers to look after Pipi. He took one last look at Pipi, who was still unconscious, then strode outside.

 

During his investigation, he’d actually discovered something quite interesting.

 

The child stars who signed contracts with Wanxing Entertainment fell into two categories. The first were little child stars cultivated step by step by Wanxing Entertainment. Although they couldn’t be called hugely popular, anyone with eyes could see the enormous potential they possessed.

 

The other category consisted of little internet celebrities who had suddenly exploded in popularity online. Most of these children became famous through some video or photograph.

 

Before signing with Wanxing Entertainment, the little internet celebrities would occasionally take on a few commercials, but their family relationships didn’t change much. However, after signing contracts with Wanxing Entertainment, these little child stars began frequently filming commercials and appearing on shows.

 

The commercials and shows they did were mostly the kind where you could get money relatively quickly.

 

The longer they’d been part of the Wanxing Entertainment group, the more packed the children’s schedules became.

 

This phenomenon could be seen as the little child stars adapting to this frequent lifestyle of traveling between various studios and variety shows, or it could be seen as these families being blinded by money from this easier way of making money compared to before, unconsciously starting to arrange and plan more schedules for their children.

 

—That’s right, without exception, the agents for these children who went from little internet celebrities to little child stars were mostly their parents or relatives.

 

It could almost be confirmed that Wanxing Entertainment was using this method to exploit the potential in these children.

 

Or rather, Wanxing Entertainment never had any intention of treating these children as long-term cultivation targets. They were simply treating these children as a batch of disguised quick-turnover, fast-cash crops.

 

Through quick returns and high-income filming methods, they lured the parents of little child stars to have their children participate more in filming projects. The more commercials they filmed and shows they participated in, the higher their exposure and rising fame, so naturally the quality and quantity of endorsements and shows they received would improve.

 

And those families who, considering their children’s studies and health, tried to reduce their children’s schedules—most of these little internet celebrities gradually faded from people’s sight.

 

Gao Shi’s investigation results showed that the company would sometimes even redistribute resources originally meant for these children to those little child stars who were constantly running around.

 

It could be seen that once you boarded Wanxing Entertainment’s big ship, obtaining resources was like sailing against the current—if you don’t advance, you retreat.

 

Faced with temptation, it’s hard for anyone to grit their teeth and simply give up the allure right in front of them. In the entertainment industry’s big dye vat, no one can stay clean.

 

The final result was that these little child stars were squeezed step by step until they lost their commercial value, and even lost their physical health.

 

Whether it was Wanxing Entertainment’s inducement or the parents acting as agents who failed to stick to their original intentions, in the end it was still these children who got hurt.

 

The exploitation of child stars, the exploitation and even forced prostitution of artists under their banner, the tricks played in contracts—all these things piled up one by one into an enormous powder keg, and Pipi’s situation became the spark delivered into his hands.

 

The weather’s turned cold. The Li family should go bankrupt.

 

……………..

 

But at this moment, Li Mochen had no awareness whatsoever of being targeted. Under his full efforts, although he hadn’t managed to sign Gao Gusheng as he’d wished, Wanxing’s funds had already turned around, especially with his capable lieutenant She Tingxie making a comeback, winning back quite a bit of attention for Wanxing Entertainment.

 

“When basic needs are met, one thinks of lust”—this saying was indeed true.

 

Since Li Mochen had already escaped the company crisis, he couldn’t help but start thinking about that young man he hadn’t managed to bring under his banner.

 

Gao Gusheng.

 

Li Mochen’s finger lightly traced the corner of a photograph. The young man in the photo had clean, clear eyes full of youth and vitality. He was like an angel who had mistakenly entered the mortal world, yet also like one of the countless beings who belonged in this world from the start.

 

This clear sense of contradiction about him deeply attracted Li Mochen.

 

He dragged the video playing on his computer—this was the video of Gao Gusheng stepping forward to protect Sun Jun. His mask had been pulled down, the young man’s features exposed in the sunlight, his straight back like pine wood facing wind and frost, his entire being as beautiful as summer bubbles.

 

“Interesting. This is the first time I’ve seen this kind of boy.”

 

He simply stood up, and his secretary behind him quickly asked, “President, what are your next arrangements? Should I contact the driver?”

 

Li Mochen waved his hand, “No need, I’ll drive myself.”

 

He loosened his tie and walked toward the dressing room.

 

Little thing, we’ll be able to meet very soon.

 

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