Chapter 35: Brain Death for Him

Li Manjiang was terrified to the point of incontinence.

Qiu Shuyun was a taboo figure in the political circles of Taihe City. She and her late husband, General Zhou, were veterans and commanders of the major campaigns in the Northeast during those turbulent years. Out of a profound love for the land, they had remained in Ning Province to serve. General Zhou, having suffered severe injuries in the fires of war, passed away from illness while still relatively young. Qiu Shuyun, however, persisted in her leadership roles for over a decade, only fading from the public eye after her youngest son died unexpectedly in the war on the western frontier. She then retreated into domestic life, spending her days with her young grandson.

No one knew the true reason why she chose to settle in Taihe City, or why she had her eldest son, Zhou Guodong, and her adopted daughter, Zhou Guojuan—a girl she took in during the war—begin their careers there. Because General Zhou’s former comrades held important positions across the country, every year-end, legendary figures would arrive in Taihe City, either in person or by proxy, to pay their respects to Qiu Shuyun. For officials of Li Manjiang and Wang Yue’s rank, catching a glimpse of Qiu Shuyun from afar was the most they could hope for. They never imagined they would encounter her and her son, Zhou Guodong, at Li Qi’s home. Moreover, the intimate way Li Qi and Qiu Shuyun interacted suggested a close relationship. How was this possible?

Qiu Shuyun cast a faint glance at the group before turning to ask Zhou Guodong, "Who are these people?"

Zhou Guodong had a vague impression of Li Manjiang and his wife, having occasionally seen them at official meetings, but they were hardly figures of consequence. Knowing his mother disliked dealing with such people, he stepped forward immediately. "Why are you here? My mother has some matters to discuss with Li Qi. You should head back."

Zhou Guodong’s tone carried an unquestionable authority that made refusal impossible. Li Manjiang and Wang Yue exchanged a look and quickly left with Li Tianzhen and Li Miao in tow. Once they reached the street, they told their driver to take Li Miao back to his hometown first. Li Miao declared repeatedly that he wanted nothing more to do with Li Qi’s affairs; he was an old man who couldn't handle the turmoil and only wanted to live out his remaining days in peace. Wang Yue, in a foul mood, couldn't be bothered to respond.

The family of three got into Li Manjiang’s car, and since the driver was busy taking Li Miao away, Li Manjiang took the wheel. Wang Yue suddenly spoke up, "To save Tianyi, we have to resort to the final measure."

Li Manjiang was full of doubt. "Li Qi refuses to cooperate, and now he has connections with Elder Qiu. What other options do we have? You need to think carefully. Compared to Elder Qiu, our position is like an egg hitting a rock; it will end in disaster. You’ve made a lot of money over the years, but to someone at Elder Qiu’s level, money is just a number. They couldn't care less."

Wang Yue’s eyes grew increasingly cold. "Tianyi doesn't have much time left. Since Li Qi refuses to be sensible, he has only himself to blame. Don't involve yourself in this; you don't need to be part of it from start to finish. In a few days, a drunk driver will come to Niuxin Town and hit Li Qi. An ambulance will immediately rush him to the hospital, and the hospital will notify his older brother, Li Peng, right away. At that point, the doctors will tell Li Peng that Li Qi is brain-dead and that if he signs an organ donation agreement, he can receive twenty thousand yuan in compensation. Trust me, knowing Li Peng, he will definitely sign it. Once he signs, Li Qi’s kidney can be legally and legitimately transplanted into Tianyi. As for the aftermath, I will arrange everything with the driver; if we settle the compensation with his father, Li Mantang, there will be no jail time."

Wang Yue’s voice was devoid of emotion. Li Tianzhen, upon hearing this, was stunned for a moment before clapping in delight. "That’s wonderful! My dearest brother will be saved and won't have to stay in the hospital anymore. Mom, you’re brilliant—how did you come up with such a good plan? Let’s see what Li Qi has to be arrogant about now. Just because he has a cheap medal, he thinks he can look down on our family? Bah! He’s nothing. He even dared to scold me the other day—he deserves to die!"

Li Manjiang remained relatively rational. "Can it really be as simple as you say? Won't there be complications with the hospital?"

Having made her decision, Wang Yue felt completely relaxed. She stroked her husband’s arm and comforted him, "How do you think I know this process? We are certainly not the first to do this, and we won't be the last. If you want to blame anyone, blame Li Qi. We lowered ourselves, tried to negotiate with him, and offered him plenty of benefits. He wouldn't listen. Do you want to just stand by and watch him kill Tianyi? I can't do that! Tianyi is my only son; no matter what, I must ensure he lives a healthy life!"

Li Manjiang was silent for a long time. He said nothing more and started the car. His silence was an unspoken consent.

...

Back at Li Qi’s house, Li Qi introduced his father and eldest sister, Li Li, to Qiu Shuyun. Upon hearing that Zhou Guodong was a high-ranking city official, Li Li was so nervous she didn't know where to put her hands. Just then, the steamed buns she had been making were ready. She lifted the lid, picked up a hot bun, placed it in a small bowl, and handed it to Qiu Shuyun. "Grandma Qiu, it's noon, you must be hungry. Please, try one of my buns."

Zhou Guodong shook his head inwardly, thinking Li Li was tactless. His mother had a delicate stomach and was very particular about food. He reached out to take the bowl to save his mother the trouble, but to his surprise, Qiu Shuyun shook her head at him. She picked up the plump, white bun, blew on it gently, and took a bite.

As she took that bite, Qiu Shuyun’s expression shifted—from surprise to disbelief, and finally, her eyes turned slightly red. She looked at Li Li and asked, "Who taught you how to season the filling for these buns?"

"My mother. She taught me how to make them when I was little."

"What was your mother’s name?"

Qiu Shuyun’s voice was so urgent that it startled Li Li. Nervous, she clutched the hem of her shirt and looked to her father and Li Qi for help.

Li Qi stepped in front of his sister and said with a smile, "My mother’s name was Lu Yanmei. She passed away three years ago."

"Lu Yanmei... it really is her. How could she have passed away three years ago?"

As Li Qi’s words landed, not only did Qiu Shuyun’s expression change, but Zhou Guodong’s did as well. He first said to his mother, "Perhaps it’s a misunderstanding. Please, don't get worked up." He then asked Li Qi in a deep voice, "Do you have a photograph of your mother?"

"Yes, yes, it’s inside."

Qiu Shuyun hurried toward the house with the bowl still in her hand; for a moment, she moved with an agility that belied her age.

*Clatter!*

The bowl in Qiu Shuyun’s hand fell onto the table. Facing the portrait of Li Qi’s mother, her entire body trembled slightly. Suddenly, she turned and glared at Zhou Guodong. "Back then, I asked Guojuan to help me find the whereabouts of Lu Yanmei. She told me that through the Ministry of State Security and your Ministry of Public Security, they had cast a city-wide net and confirmed that Lu Yanmei had been dead for over a decade and left no children behind. You were involved in this, weren't you?"

Zhou Guodong’s face turned ashen. "I ordered my subordinates in the household registration office to fully cooperate with her investigation, and then I didn't ask any more questions. Later, she said she had the results, and I never verified them. I don't know what really happened with Guojuan. She lied to us? But what reason would she have to lie?"

A chilling light flashed in Qiu Shuyun’s eyes. "No wonder when Guoliang was alive, he told me many times that he didn't like Guojuan. But because Guojuan’s family died covering our team’s retreat, I felt indebted to her and raised her like a daughter. What kind of consideration could she have had to hide the fact from me that Lu Yanmei was still alive? Could it be, as Guoliang said, that she was always worried about someone appearing by my side who could replace her?"