Chapter 85: Greediness.

Lu Li was still in the process of checking over his daughter and once he was satisfied a look of panic came over him again,

"Mingxi, where's your sister? Is she alright?"

"Qianyu and I left her at the hospital, she's having some tutoring lessons in chemistry with teacher Mu."

Relief came back to him. Then a light cough sounded out.

Lu Li looked up and saw the smile on Yang Mingchun's face.

"Ah! Mrs Yang! . . What a pleasant surprise."

"How do you do Mr Lu,"

"Father! . . You know Madam Yang?"

Lu Mingxi looked to her father than to Yang Mingchun,

Lu Li then explained that Yang Mingchun had helped him select some of the machines in the mini studio.

"I didn't know what I was looking for, Mrs Yang was very helpful, I was able to find the correct tools for your journey thanks to her."

Lu Mingxi was beyond surprised.

The three of them chatted for awhile and soon people of Véridique arrived with others from PIT.

PIT went about their duties and Liu Bing and her crew went about collecting interviews.

Those that had video of the event that took place were paid for the footage, and those that had any recordings of significance were also paid.

Liu Bing had fleshed out the entire narrative of events that had taken place. She was now in the process of collecting supplemental materials.

"It's amazing! Who knew a luxury brand had such a deep history with not only the military but also the country! They'll definitely have my support!"

"The dresses and the concept behind them are truly fantastic! To think that these people tried to steal the dream of a student! Shame on them all."

"I think it's all a publicity stunt! Everything seemed a little to far fetched to me! A master designer that's a student!? A Lieutenant General that owns a luxury brand!? Even if that's true, the conspiracy of four adults vs a student!? It has to be a stunt!"

"Thank you for you thoughts,"

Liu Bing says and the camera cut. She had conducted a lot of interviews since she arrived.

All of them varied from full on unconditional support to the conspiracy thinking suspicious minds.

Liu Bing looked around for another interesting person to talk with and she soon saw a familiar face, she had spotted Qin Qianyu.

She was amazed that she was surrounded by plenty powerful people.

Then her heart skipped a beat, she looked around and saw Ma Chen close by.

He had obviously seen Qin Qianyu but his role was as Liu Bing's protector and Qin Qianyu had asked him to more vigilant today.

Liu Bing couldn't shake that nagging feeling so she decided to approach Qin Qianyu for an interview and see what reaction Ma Chen would make.

"You bitch! It's all your damn fault!"

A disheveled man lunged towards Liu Bing with a knife.

Liu Bing panicked and closed her eyes tightly, then she felt an arm wrap around her waist and midsection as she was pulled backwards.

Ma Chen had quickly stepped in and disarmed the man. He was quickly brought under control with Ma Chen pinning the man down with a knee to the neck and knife out of reach.

"What the hell! Is there a full moon coming? Why are all the loons out today?"

Liu Bing was surprised at the soft voice that sounded out close to her ear. She opened her eyes to find herself almost face to face with a smiling Qin Qianyu.

She now realised that it was Qin Qianyu that had pulled her back and away from danger.

Qin Qianyu looked over Liu Bing and called out,

"Ma Chen, are you good?"

"I'm good!"

A few police officers rushed in and came to Ma Chen's aid and cuffed the manic man.

"You bitch! You traitorous harlot! You turned your back on all of us now that you've got a new job and that our station is going through troubles!"

The crowd and especially the ones that Liu Bing had interviewed were shocked, however, that didn't last long when they heard what came out next,

"Haha! Traitor? . . She turned her back on you? Hey dummy, it was all you guys that turned your backs on her and even fired her when she spoke up against the corruption at your dumb station! As for getting a new job, do you expect her not to eat? Not pay her bills? Do nothing to support her family? Why are you blaming a person your station fired, for something your station did!? I mean, seriously! How is an idiot like you even breathing!?"

" . . . "

Liu Bing looked towards Qin Qianyu with raised eyebrows. But Qin Qianyu wasn't done yet.

"Hey idiot! You come charging in here with a knife wanting to stab, hurt and maim another human as if you're 'justice incarnate', but tell me, where was your sense of justice when Miss Liu was unfairly fired and treated as a threat!? . . You're only like this now because of your higher ups! The decisions they made also implicated and affected her, but do you see Miss Liu running around like a lunatic blaming others or the world for what had happened to her while brandishing a knife? . . . "

" . . No! No you don't! That's because she went out and found herself a new job like any other hardworking person would, unlike you! From what I can see, It seems that you got your job purely from nepotism, yet you actually had the nerve to call her names! So pathetic."

Qin Qianyu nodded to the officers that she had finished her rant. Liu Bing was a little confused and surprised by the unexpected backup and retort Qin Qianyu gave the aggrieved man.

It was only because she didn't know that since she's a reporter for Véridique, she was now essentially one Qin Qianyu's people and she would defend them to the end.

"Miss Liu, my friends and I really enjoyed your newscast the other day,"

"Ah, you're welcome . . Miss ?"

"Oh I'm Qin Qianyu, I'm a good friend of Ma Chen's sister."

"Miss Qin, thank you for the save,"

Liu Bing added while still in Qin Qianyu's embrace. Qin Qianyu nodded and smiled.

Liu Bing felt a little weird, she was in heels yet she was still a head shorter than Qin Qianyu who was in sandals.

Qin Qianyu let go of Liu Bing and called out to Ma Chen,

"Ma Chen! I saved your girlfriend! You owe me lunch!"

"Sure! Are you hungry now?"

"Not today, I'm a little busy, but, do take your girlfriend out, she may still be a little shaken from today's event."

"Alright, I'll do it once we finish up here."

Liu Bing turned red from the sudden outburst Qin Qianyu made, what made it worse for her cheeks was that Ma Chen wasn't denying any of it.

Qin Qianyu walked away and Ma Chen came to Liu Bing's side,

"Miss Liu, are you alright? You're not to scared right?"

"Wh . . Who says . . I'm your girlfriend!? We only just met!"

" . . . "

Liu Bing stammered out. Ma Chen chuckled then added,

"Don't take the words of a 15 year old girl too seriously. I think all girls that age like to play matchmaker."

"Oh, . . Mhm,"

Liu Bing felt a bit down hearing his reply. But she was also secretly happy, because she found three pieces of new information now.

"Qin Qianyu is only 15, so there shouldn't be a chance of her and Ma Chen getting together."

"Ma Chen has a sister and he's also single. Hehe, who do I need to thank for all this good fortune!? I've a new job that pays well, and a single hunk following me around, hehehehe! Thank you ancestors for blessing me!"

Liu Bing thought to herself as she rearranged herself and her thoughts. Qin Qianyu was also having strange thoughts of her own,

"Hmmm, maybe I should open a dating site? I'm quite good at this! Haha, a single dog running a dating agency and site! I'll call it 'A bite so delicious!' And the logo would be a lone doggy! Hehe!"

Lu Mingxi came running up to Qin Qianyu in a fluster pulling her from her thoughts,

"You! . . Why'd you do that!? What if something happened to you!? How could I ever explain all this to Aunty and Uncle and even Wú Ling!?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm truly fine! . . See!"

Qin Qianyu says apologetically as she twirls on the spot. As she was twirling, she spotted Lu Li and he didn't look good right now.

He had a somber and bitter look on his face.

He had just seen Ji Yunhao who was looking at him with a pitiful expression on her face while sucking on her bottom lip.

"Hey, we may have to perform another rescue soon,"

Qin Qianyu added as she flicked her head towards Lu Li.

Lu Mingxi followed Qin Qianyu's line of sight and saw her father's look and soon what he was looking at.

"I'll be back,"

"Mhm, go do your thing."

Qin Qianyu says in response. Lu Mingxi walked briskly to her father and pulled him away. She didn't even cast a glance at Ji Yunhao.

"Father, I know you tried extremely hard to find that woman and convince her to come back home to us, yet, have you forgotten already?Do you remember what happened when you did find her? Because I do! . . You came back home with scratches on your face, your heart in pieces and your soul misplaced."

"Yo . . You knew? . . How?"

" . . . I . . I had followed you that day. At first I had blamed you for that woman leaving. I had thought she had caught you with a mistress. I had skipped school and seen you so I followed you to the slum. I wanted to see this mistress that you seemed to find more important than her. Then, then I saw and heard it all."

" . . . "

"We don't need her, . . Dad, . . You don't need her. She made the bed, let her sleep in it. It's time for us to check out and continue our own journey."

Lu Li looked to his daughter half proud, half scared. For his daughters, he really did try to mend things between Ji Yunhao and himself.

He was of the mind that his daughters needed their mother, but it was all for nought.

Ji Yunhao wasn't having any of it, she was well and truly intoxicated with the new life she was living with Jie Lin.

She was convinced that Lu Li was the evil rich guy she was forced to marry and Jie Lin was her true love, her soulmate that was stripped away from her by Lu Li, Jie Lin the underdog that would soon raise up to be a lion.

"We don't need her, . . Dad, . . You don't need her. She made the bed, let her sleep in it. It's time for us to check out!"

Lu Li nodded, he was still a little unsure of his feelings, he had spent close to 20 years with Ji Yunhao, but, he couldn't hold on to her.

But after hearing that his daughters designs had been stolen, plagiarised and even that it involved her mother, he coupled all that and what Lu Mingxi just said and thoroughly wiped any lingering feelings there were for Ji Yunhao from his heart.

"Wait! . . You've been skipping school!?"

"Ahh . . It was for a project . . Yeah! . . A very important school project."

Lu Mingxi nodded quickly and reassuringly added,

"I got top marks for it, and . . I'm sorry, I'm lying so you won't be hurt, but it's hurting me to lie to you! . . "

"Tsk, silly girl."

The pair's bonding was interrupted by an officer telling them that the four offenders will be arrested and that because the issue of the offences they have committed include the designs, this meant, that Lu Mingxi couldn't submit them for Ouxiang Up.

Lu Mingxi had a fair idea this would be the case and had been preparing herself for this outcome once she saw the police arrive.

Lu Li comforted his daughter the best he could and then pointed at her designs being worn by the models as he added,

"You came up with these, you'll definitely find sources of inspiration to complete something else and submit it in time, I have faith in your ability and in you. Don't take it to heart or take it too hard alright."

"Thanks dad, I won't give up because of them, I'll continue because of them. I'll show them that I won't have my dreams stolen from me no matter what."

"That's my Mingxi! . . Hehe, seems like you already have an idea forming."

"Mhm, nothing concrete yet, but it's only been a day since it came to me."

"I'm fine now dad, I've given my statement to the officers, so you should head back to your meeting, you don't want to leave them with a bad impression of you."

"Mhm, I thought I already did when I rushed out to come here. But when I explained why, they all came with me as support so this tells me that my partnership with them will go very smoothly."

Lu Li left with the people from Feng & Xiong, Xiong Jianguo bade farewell to Qin Qianyu and left with them.

Another scene broke out as Ji Yunhao rushed over towards Lu Li, she was swiftly taken down as she cried out his name.

However, Lu Li didn't turn back once and soon disappeared from sight.

Ji Yunhao was brought back to the others. Mr Hui soon learnt that the man she was rushing to was her ex husband, the girl, Lu Mingxi that had her designs stolen and used was also their daughter.

He only shook his head at the pitiful woman as he says to her,

"You had a talented daughter, a fantastic ex husband, but you gave up all of that up for this guy?"

Mr Hui motioned with his head to Jie Lin. Ji Yunhao pursed her lips then replied,

"Hmph! I was scammed and schemed against by Song Zhaoge and Jie Lin that same as you! The only difference is, Jie Lin went through my heart! What's your excuse?"

"That's true, I really was scammed by those two, but you're wrong on one point, listen when I say, that, you weren't scammed through your heart, but your greed. We both were."

" . . . "

"Your greed for something you never had but someone else did, him, he had what you really wanted, what you desired, and your family couldn't give. It's the same as me. I wanted to destroy my business rival so bad, that greed and need blinded me and now, I'm stuck in this mess."

Mr Hui turned to Song Zhaoge and sneered,

"You've broken the terms of our agreement, I'll be getting that money back thank you very much. Oh, and the compensation for breaking it too."

Song Zhaoge panicked for a bit. He reordered his thoughts and replied,

"This is all a misunderstanding, Mr Hui, this will all work out, we just need to have Miss Ji here have a word with her daughter, I'll even buy the designs from her there's no need to make it more difficult."

"Once this news gets out, who would still want to buy the dresses?"

" . . . "

"Besides, you still don't have a guarantee that she'd even sell to you, much less me! To think I was swayed by your words. I must be getting old."

"Mr Hui, trust me I'll find away! Hey you! You heard me right! Go tell your daughter to come here and let's discuss terms! Do it now!"

"Huh! . . Mr Song seems to think I'm employed by him!? . . I'm not, you don't pay me, in fact, all of my money went into reviving your damn textile company so that you and your dog here could start making those stolen dresses. The two of you are nothing but shitty con artists masquerading as humans."

" . . . "

"I'll be seeking damages from the both of you because of all of this, what I don't get back monetarily from the two of you, I'll see it paid back in years served, that I'll make sure of."

"As for my daughter! You can stay right the hell away from her, do you hear me!? Otherwise, I'll be going to prison for your murder and I'll be more than happy to serve that time."

Nothing more was said as the four of them were picked up and placed into waiting cars.

The investigation would start quickly but Qin Qianyu already heard the unfortunate news about Lu Mingxi's designs.

But she had no doubt whatsoever in her mind that Lu Mingxi would be able to pull it all off and she'll be right by her side when she does.