Chapter Eighteen: Secret Sabotage
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After hanging up, I said, “Well, An’an, have you made up your mind?”
I was staring at the computer and did not hear her say anything for quite some time. When I turned around, I saw An Mingshan wolfing down the food on the table, her mouth stuffed full, without even looking at me.
I turned back to the computer, then produced a flash drive from my pocket as if by magic. After formatting it, I made a backup copy. I removed my own flash drive and continued looking through the materials.
A while later, I heard An Mingshan retching. I turned around and saw her vomiting onto the floor, while much of the food on the table remained untouched.
I shut down the computer, hurried over to her, and patted her back. “Why are you eating so fast? It’s not as if anyone’s going to fight you for it.”
But when I saw her vomiting water, I hurriedly said, “Hey! Stop throwing up! You’ll become dehydrated if you keep going!”
An Mingshan looked up at me and said weakly, “This is just my fate. I can’t handle a feast. Urgh…”
She vomited again after saying this.
“How did you end up this sick? No, we need to get you to the hospital for an examination. Stop vomiting and let’s go to the hospital right away.” I glanced at the food on the table. It was all seafood. Then I continued, “What exactly did you eat?”
“Just the things on the table, and a cup of blue drink. It was bitter as hell and tasted awful.”
“Where is it?”
An Mingshan pointed toward the table. I saw two cups. One still contained some residue, while the other was full. I picked one up and smelled it, then dipped a finger into it and tasted a little.
“Copper sulfate pentahydrate?”
“What?”
“Blue vitriol, or copper sulfate pentahydrate. It induces vomiting. Come on, we’re going to the hospital!”
Four-thirty in the afternoon, a certain People’s Hospital in Imperial Capital City.
After examination, it was determined that An Mingshan had vomited because she had drunk the diluted copper sulfate solution. She then underwent gastric lavage, which finally eased her symptoms. Afterward, we returned to the council.
The council, Personnel Department.
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After I wore her down with endless persuasion, An Mingshan signed the contract, though reluctantly. Although she had joined, she was only a nominal member and held no actual authority.
At that moment, Lin Xiaoxiao arrived. Seeing us, she said, “You’re something else, kid. You actually managed to handle such a difficult woman! Tell me how you did it so I can learn from you.”
“An’an is the sort who responds to kindness but not force. If you try to strong-arm her, she’ll only resist even more and won’t listen to you at all. I reasoned with her and appealed to her emotions. I exhausted every kind word before she finally agreed to listen to me. It was nothing special—just a small case. By the way, Sister Lin, who delivered the drinks today?”
“I don’t know. Why are you asking?”
“That was copper sulfate. An’an has just come back from having her stomach pumped.”
Lin Xiaoxiao was startled when she heard this. I could tell that expression had not been feigned.
“I’ll look into it for you,” Lin Xiaoxiao said.
Just then, my phone rang. After answering it and speaking with the person on the other end, I said, “Fatty called. He wants the two of us to go back there.”
“All right. You two go back. I’ll notify you as soon as I hear anything.”
I bought two plane tickets and returned to Chengyang City with An Mingshan.
Two days later, a little after five in the afternoon, outside Suiyi Residence.
I opened the door and discovered that it was unlocked. My heart tightened.
“An’an, call Fatty Liu right away!”
Seeing the tension on my face, An Mingshan realized that something bad had happened. She took out her phone and called Liu Shan. Her voice was faint and hoarse; she had probably shouted herself hoarse at the time.
About five minutes later, Liu Shan arrived. I pointed at the door.
“What’s going on here?”
“It’s just an open door. What’s there to make such a fuss about? …Why am I feeling a little dizzy?”
“Me too…” An Mingshan collapsed to the floor as soon as she finished speaking.
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I sniffed the air and began to feel dizzy as well. Slowing my breathing, I said, “Damn it! It’s gas. Get out, quickly!”
After saying this, I shut the door and ran over to An Mingshan. Liu Shan was far more capable than I was. He rushed over, opened the window, and came back without showing the slightest sign of distress.
“Damn it! I nearly lost my life for you, and you’re off here enjoying yourself in a house of pleasure!”
“Calm down. Let me tell you something: the two of us already lost our lives once at the council…”
I was still speaking when An Mingshan woke up. She slowly sat up.
“Help me up.”
I carefully helped her to her feet.
“How do you feel now?”
“Dizzy.”
“Stay here and breathe deeply. Fatty and I will go inside and take a look.”
I was just about to enter the house when I saw Liu Shan take two boxes out of the trunk.
“Open them and put them on. It’ll be safer.”
I took the boxes and opened them. Inside were gas masks. I was speechless.
After putting them on, we entered the house.
Reader Questions and Answers
Question: Author, what are your favorite foods and drinks?
Answer: I enjoy steak, hamburgers, pizza, seafood, braised meat, fried eggs, red-braised pork, red-braised ribs, shredded pork in Beijing sauce, sizzling squid, meat skewers, and all kinds of other meat dishes. However, I hate eating vegetables of any kind. As for drinks, I like honey pomelo tea, jasmine milk tea, soda water, soft drinks, black tea, green tea, Scream, and so on.
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