Chapter 69: Ruthless Li Ying
At this time in Master Liu’s home, Li Ying was distracted; while cooking, she either put in the wrong amount of salt or forgot to add water.
Looking at the scorched rice, Master Liu sighed: “Forget it, let’s boil some noodles to eat.”
Li Ying did not argue back and silently took out the noodles; this time she cooked them properly.
But several public security officers took her and Master Liu away.
The little daughter who stayed behind was wailing loudly, along with the two bewildered sons.
On June 9, 1975, in the military compound, this noon was really too unsettled.
The Third Aunt-Grandmother, wanting to atone for her crimes, confessed a major matter: Liu Yu’s memory was correct—Li Ying had drowned Liu Yu’s mother.
The Third Aunt-Grandmother had seen it with her own eyes, then she went to find Li Ying and threatened her for benefits.
Li Ying said she had no money, so the two conspired to sell Liu Xia to a family in the mountains of the great northwest.
No matter how much money they got, it all went to the Third Aunt-Grandmother.
This was something no one had ever expected.
There were no military couple; they were all the Third Aunt-Grandmother’s accomplices.
In the afternoon, Lu Qiaoge and Director Hu were compiling information in the Security Department.
Who would have thought another even more shocking piece of news would come: Li Ying couldn’t withstand the interrogation; she confessed that not only had she killed Chai Xiaoyan, but also her first husband.
It was truly one wave not settled before another arose, finally alarming the factory director and the secretary.
The afternoon production meeting was halted.
Relevant personnel all went to the Security Department because Li Ying confessed that her first husband was a local special agent.
“…Wasn’t it right for me to kill him? He forged an identity and used my dad to enter the military factory; he also deceived me into having two children with him, sweet-talking me with vows of eternal love, but when exploiting me and my dad, he was ruthless.” Li Ying’s voice was full of hatred.
Section Chief Jia of the Security Department had been in a reconnaissance company in his early years; the file he held was about the research institute fire eleven years ago that led to the loss of important new engine design drawings.
The main core designer, that top power energy big shot in Dragon Country and even the whole world, that scientist wholly devoted to serving the motherland, had inhaled too much carbon monoxide while rescuing the information, resulting in intellectual decline; now he couldn’t even manage daily life, let alone research topics.
One of the suspects was still in prison, the other had committed suicide.
Director He had also fallen seriously ill because of it.
Who could have imagined, who could have imagined!
The interrogators were extremely shocked.
In the observation room outside listening in, including Lu Qiaoge, everyone was shocked beyond measure.
Oh my goodness, this is an extraordinary person.
After discovering her husband was a local special agent, she didn’t choose to report him but handled it herself.
Section Chief Jia suppressed his anger and asked: “Why didn’t you report him and let the organization handle it?”
Li Ying gave a cold smile: “If I reported him as a local special agent, my son’s life would be ruined, but if he died, it would be over, no one would know.”
“…How did he steal the design drawings?”
Li Ying said: “He deceived the potter’s wife; as for how, I’m not clear—you’ll have to ask the potter’s wife.”
Section Chief Jia suppressed his excitement and indignation, calmly asking: “What about the design drawings? Do you know where they are? Li Ying, if you confess honestly, we will certainly take good care of your three children.”
Li Ying was originally full of hatred, but upon hearing this, her whole body trembled; then tears flowed down her face.
After a long silence, she said: “That dead ghost put the design drawings in the bookshelf; I never dared to touch them or take them out, but I also didn’t destroy them. My life or death doesn’t matter—as long as you promise me you will take good care of my children. Otherwise, even if I die, I won’t tell you.”
Lu Qiaoge clenched her hand.
Oh my goodness, now it all connects.
The design drawings in that bookshelf at the scrap collection station came from this.
But there were still many doubts here; those mice said the potter’s wife did the bad thing out of her petty mind, so who sold the bookshelf to the scrap collection station?
Lu Qiaoge listened expressionlessly, but she knew the bookshelf could be turned in today.
Really unexpected.
Although everyone urgently wanted the design drawings, as they were the big shot’s lifelong effort, and even after eleven years, they were still equally valuable now.
But the more so, the less they could show it.
Otherwise, Li Ying’s conditions would multiply.
Among the people listening outside, Director He had now joined.
At this moment, her hand was tightly placed over her heart, her eyes fixed on Li Ying through the partition window.
Everything around her seemed unrelated to her.
Section Chief Jia sighed: “It’s been eleven years; are you sure the design drawings are still intact and nothing else happened to them?”
Li Ying was stunned for a moment, but her eyes flickered as she said: “As long as you promise to take care of my three children, I’ll tell you where the things are. The design drawings aren’t damaged; there’s a mechanism in the bookshelf, wrapped in that special moisture prevention packaging paper. Just over a week ago, I still saw the bookshelf sitting there intact.”
Old Jia had discussed the bottom line with the leaders in advance, but they couldn’t let the other side suspect; Li Ying was a woman, but her mental resilience was strong—she could be considered ruthless. If not for the Third Aunt-Grandmother’s capture, they might never have caught her even until her death.
Section Chief Jia coughed and seriously asked Li Ying: “To what extent do you want us to go?”
Li Ying thought for a long time before coldly saying: “If something happens to me, my eldest son definitely won’t continue as an apprentice worker. Old Liu is soft-eared and has no fatherly heart toward his children; he won’t treat the daughter I had with him well. No matter what situation he falls into, he will resent me and even take it out on my children. As long as you promise to send my three children away, let them live under assumed names—not seeking wealth or nobility, just safety and peace—I’ll immediately tell you where the design drawings are and how to get them out.”
Section Chief Jia pondered for a moment and said: “I’ll discuss it with the leaders.”
Section Chief Jia came out and looked at the several leaders outside.
Director Hao looked at Director He.
Director He’s voice trembled as he said: “Try to meet her demands as much as possible. The design drawings are really important—not mentioning those eight years, just these three years, we’ve spent countless efforts but still haven’t overcome the engine core part…”
Director He paused, took a deep breath, and continued: “Our current engines have insufficient power, high fuel consumption, and low efficiency; they can’t compare to foreign advanced technology at all.”
“Especially the turbine blade materials problem. Foreign engines can work for long periods under high temperature and pressure, but our materials can’t hold up—they deform or even break at the slightest issue.”
Director He said seriously: “Our independent research and development was about to succeed, but it was sabotaged by the local special agent. No matter what, we must get the design drawings.”
Director Hao and Secretary He had no objections; Qin Hengzhi nodded.
They could agree.
As for Director Hu and Lu Qiaoge, no one asked their opinions.
Actually, when the design drawings were brought up in the interrogation, Director Hu and Lu Qiaoge should have left.
