Chapter 1679 — Yu Xiaoke's Secret Worries, Part Two

"I..." Old Director had hit the mark, and Yu Xiaoke was instantly flustered.

"Heh heh, was it Wei Zhao?" the old director asked with a smile. "Lately, he hasn't come by at all?"

"It's not him..." Yu Xiaoke shook her head. Wei Zhao had helped her several times, true, but she had never felt that heart-fluttering pull toward him that the male thief stirred in her. Besides, Wei Zhao was thoroughly annoying—he'd even called her a third-rate fighter, the nerve of him!

"Oh? Not him? Then it's..." The old director had not finished speaking when someone hurried into the room...

"Director, Manager Li from Qibing Real Estate Development is here. He says he wants to discuss the relocation of our orphanage with you..." Xiao Ken came in and said to the orphanage's old director.

"Oh? Why are they back again?" The old director frowned. He hadn't expected that after a short quiet spell, Qibing Real Estate would come knocking again. "Xiaoke, you rest for now. Xiao Ken and I will go take a look!"

"Director, do you want me to come along?" Hearing that Qibing Real Estate had sent people, Yu Xiaoke felt a twinge of worry. The last time, that so-called Young Master Bing had made wild threats—if the orphanage refused to relocate, he would make trouble for them!

"It wouldn't do any good even if you came!" The old director waved his hand. "Your strength is too meager. If they mean to use force, going would be useless; and if they mean to negotiate politely, you'd have no say anyway. Better to rest—this stretch has been tiring enough for you."

"All right then..." Yu Xiaoke didn't push it. The old director was telling the truth, after all; she wasn't much of a negotiator, and if she went and said something she shouldn't, souring both sides, that would be worse.

The old director and Xiao Ken left Yu Xiaoke's room. With nothing better to do, she turned on the television at random. Just as she was about to change the channel, a news bulletin cut in: "This is the Songshan City news flash. We interrupt our programming with an important bulletin: under the heavy hand of our city's police, the Husband-and-Wife Tomb-Robbing Gang, the James Tomb-Robbing Group, the Old Black Tomb-Robbing Gang... and several other tomb-robbing gangs have been wiped out in a single sweep. They are currently held at the XX detention center. This case will go to public trial tomorrow at the XX City Court; the offenders will be transferred to the XX City detention center tonight... Due to the large number of suspects, the XX road section will be temporarily closed at ten tonight for half an hour. Drivers are advised to avoid that period or take a detour..."

Yu Xiaoke did not take in a single word after that. One sentence alone had registered clearly: the Husband-and-Wife Tomb-Robbing Gang had been wiped out! Did that mean the male thief had been caught too? She didn't know whether some internal rift had arisen among the tomb robbers—why else would so many gangs be captured all at once...

But whatever the reason, Yu Xiaoke didn't care. What she cared about was the male thief—the male thief had actually been caught? And tomorrow he would be sent to court for trial?

Yu Xiaoke leapt to her feet and paced the room in a frantic circle! If it really came to trial, then given the crimes the male thief had committed and the total sum of what he had stolen, a life sentence—or even death—was entirely possible. How could she stand by and watch the man she loved go to his death?

But what could Yu Xiaoke do? She could only watch the news and fret, and she didn't even know whom to ask! The first person she thought of was Qiu Lingshan, but the two of them had never gotten along. What if she learned nothing and got herself arrested into the bargain? That would be an even worse loss.

What to do, what to do?

Storm the execution ground! The scene that so often appeared in TV dramas leapt suddenly into Yu Xiaoke's mind! The very thought gave her a fright.

Yet once the idea took hold, Yu Xiaoke could not suppress the urge to carry it out—because she had no other choice!

Yes, the decision and the deed were terribly dangerous; she might well die with no place to be buried. But Yu Xiaoke did not regret it! If not for the male thief, she would have died long ago. Now he had been caught and would likely be sentenced to death—and Yu Xiaoke thought: since we could not be together in life, then let us be together in death!

Love always makes people impulsive. Impulse may be the devil, but Yu Xiaoke could not restrain the urge to act! Yet if she died, what would become of the orphanage's children? At this thought, Yu Xiaoke hesitated again.

She loved the male thief and wanted to throw all caution to the wind for love. But behind her stood the orphanage's children—an invisible mission and responsibility that forced her, before doing this thing, to think of those children's future.

On one side, love and loyalty; on the other, the orphanage's children. For the first time, Yu Xiaoke found herself caught between a rock and a hard place. She had never loved anyone before; all her heart had gone to the orphanage's children. But this time, in the tomb, a shadow named the male thief had taken root in her heart.

Yet if she simply ignored the male thief's peril, Yu Xiaoke might feel guilty for the rest of her life!

Then she remembered what the old director had said: the money she had earned from tomb raiding, deposited in the bank, was enough to cover the orphanage's future expenses. At that, Yu Xiaoke breathed a small sigh of relief and set her heart at ease. Xiao Ken had grown up too—she could leave the orphanage's affairs in his hands, couldn't she?

There would be no need for risky ventures anymore; all he had to do was look after the little ones. And that way, Yu Xiaoke could leave with a quiet heart—even if she died, she would have no worries left behind.

With that, Yu Xiaoke made up her mind. She would have a talk with Xiao Ken in a little while, hand things over to him, and then set her grand plan in motion!

Li Cihua's visit to the orphanage this time was mainly meant to intimidate them into moving out on their own initiative. But the old director was firm: move they could, but only in exchange for a ready-built, usable orphanage. A bare plot of land was absolutely out of the question!

The orphanage was not a real estate company—what use was a plot of land alone? So the negotiations went very badly, and on his way out, Li Cihua left a parting threat: "Old Director, I advise you to accept our company's proposal. Otherwise, heh heh—don't end up drawing water with a bamboo basket, losing even this offer in the end!"

The old director said nothing, keeping silent at Li Cihua's words. Though he nominally possessed Yellow-rank strength, severe internal injuries meant he could not even bring out half his true level.

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