“Of course we’ll accept the death certificate if it was obtained through proper procedures. There’s no denying of such clear evidence,” the policeman beside him said.

  “But it’s definitely fake because I’m not dead yet!” Yue Pengcheng cried.

  “Then how will you prove that you’re not dead?” the policeman asked.

  “But…… the fact that I’m alive is the best proof there is! How else am I supposed to prove that I’m not dead?”


  “Then that’s your problem. We, the police can only follow the standard procedures of investigation.”


  “You’re the police. You should be investigating……”


  “The proof that they gave was real. Why should we investigate further?”


  “You–you—I know that you are all conspiring with Yue Tingfeng! You—”


  “Then go ahead and lodge a report!”
……

  Before they left, the police told Helan Mingde that his wife was a suspect now. She was not allowed to go anywhere while she was being treated; if she did, she would be considered a fugitive.

  All colors were drained out of Helan Mingde’s face. He nodded his head silently.

  The ambulance came just as the police went off. They took both Mrs. Helan and Helan Xiuse. Helan Mingde went with them too. Why should he stay back and hang around when he was already the butt of everyone’s jokes?

  It had been a lively charity auction. Now it was just simply a mess.

  Yue Tingfeng did not allow anyone to leave. He had his men blocking all the exits to the hall.

  =

  “Everyone clearly witnessed the sequence of tonight’s events,” he said, “I think you all know that Mrs. Helan got her partner to go along with her scheme, pretending to be my father and wanting to be part of my family……”


  “That’s right, that’s right. We understand everything. Mrs. Helan isn’t human. How could she do all of that? What a b*tch. Mrs. Yue trashed her well……”


  “Mrs. Yue did not trash her,” someone said immediately, “She dug her own grave.”


  The corners of Yue Tingfeng’s lips quirked upwards. “If that’s the case, all of you please take your phones out. We’ll let you go once we ensure that no photos, videos or audio recordings are in your phones. We wouldn’t want something that concerns the Yues’ reputation to leak out, would we?”


  Naturally, there were some who refused. The phone, to the modern person, was an extremely important item. Plenty of secrets were hidden within. Most married people do not even pick up their phones in front of their spouses whenever the phone rang, only doing so after they had excused themselves. How could they let someone else go through their phone?

  “This –this—Young Yue, this is too much. Can’t we just delete any associated media from our phones?

  “My apologies, but even a family who was close to ours could not be trusted. What more other people?” Yue Tingfeng was as insistent as usual.

  “Young Yue, you’re not the police. You have no right to search us. You’re violating our privacy like this.”


  “It’s all right. If you’re unwilling now, my men will wait till you’re willing to cooperate, then you can leave. Everyone, I’ll take my leave first. I need to send my mother back home to rest. She has suffered so much today.”


  The underlying message of Yue Tingfeng’s words was extremely clear, They could refuse to let their phones be checked. They just had to wait. They had to waste their time. No one could even think of leaving.

  Mrs. Yue immediately groaned as she pressed against her forehead. “Qingsi, I’ve got a headache and a heartache. Come help me.”


  Yan Qingsi quickly reached over and helped to support Mrs. Yue.

  “Yue Tingfeng, don’t think that you control everything just because the Yues have influence in Luo city!” someone yelled, “What you’re doing is against the law. We can lodge a report against you.”


  “Go ahead,” Yue Tingfeng said coolly, “I’m waiting.”