Chapter 869: Awakening Before Dawn
The dawn over the harbor came earlier than usual today.
At first, the sea surface was only slightly grayish-white, and even the sky lost its gloomy blackness, becoming empty and pale. At the horizon, a thin beam of light first appeared on the sea surface.
The light was very distant and faint. Combined with the ships passing by and the helicopters soaring overhead, it was difficult to tell whether the white at the horizon was the color of the sky or an illusion created by something else on the sea.
Even the gently rippling seawater seemed to shimmer with glitter, and combined with the sea breeze, it created a truly refreshing experience.
On the Xiang Sheng, many of the passengers, who hadn't slept all night, took a deep breath when they looked up and saw the gray-white expanse outside the cabin, still reeling from the harrowing experience of the night.
It goes without saying that this journey will become an unforgettable memory for many people.
And the sea festivities, which hadn't even fully begun, had naturally come to a complete end.
The only reassuring thing was that when many people came out and stood on the deck, they found that a lot of uniformed coast guards had already gathered there, and even several police boats were drifting around the Xiang Sheng.
Of course, this sense of security only applies to a segment of the population.
Another group of people, upon seeing the coast guard officers who had officially boarded the ship, turned completely pale and their faces became ashen.
Those with guilty consciences already know their fate.
Bao Wenyin stood on the deck, looking at the coast guard walking directly towards him, his face filled with despair.
But when he turned to look at his father, Bao Xingsheng, the father who had always been gentle with him looked at him with disappointment, with the heartache of a father seeing his child go astray.
It was as if Bao Wenying deserved all of this.
As for the other members of the Bao family standing behind Bao Xingsheng, they dared not look at Bao Wenyin. Some even looked at him with resentment and disgust, as if he were a sinner who had ruined the Bao family's reputation, or some kind of filthy thing.
Even Bao Wenqi, who had been doing business with him and was very close to him, turned his head away to avoid his gaze, not daring to meet his eyes. His whole being was filled with guilt and a desire to stay away.
Only one person was standing next to Bao Xingsheng, carefully supporting Bao Xingsheng's arm, looking up at him with pity on his face.
—That spot used to belong to him, so who is this guy standing there now?
Bao Wenyin deduced from the slightly familiar features that the other person was his half-brother, but ironically, he pulled the other person's name from a corner of his mind at the last moment—Bao Wenyu.
Ah, right, that guy was also an illegitimate child, named Bao Wenyu.
Before this, his existence was as superfluous as his name; even when Bao Wenyin was recalling his brothers, he almost forgot who this person was.
However, this seemingly superfluous character suddenly rose to prominence and caught his father's eye.
He, who should have been the most natural heir to the Bao family, fell into the abyss overnight.
Everyone he knew looked at him with mockery, disgust, and smugness, except for that young man, his half-brother, who looked at him with pity.
This pity is not because he is a sinner about to be punished by law, but because he pities his son, who, having lost his value at this moment, has so easily become a discarded pawn.
Or perhaps, a long, long time ago, he was already a discarded pawn.
Unfortunately, he only understands this now.
However, he will definitely not be the first, nor will he be the last.
Bao Wenyin lowered his head, and then suddenly burst out laughing for some reason.
But when Bao Wenyu saw Bao Wenyin being handcuffed by the police, he suddenly woke up.
He suddenly realized that the "benefactor" and "life-changing event" he had encountered this time were not meant to help him advance further, gain more power in the Bao family, or win his father's favor, but rather to make him see clearly the Bao family as a cannibalistic cage of wealth.
Since he had lived an ordinary life for the first half of his life and had never really been involved in the affairs of the Bao family, why should he continue?
Does one have to rely on "father's approval" to prove their worth in life?
Bao Wenyu silently watched Bao Wenyin being taken away, then looked down at the hand that was supporting his father, and for some reason, slowly lowered it in the end.
Bao Xingsheng noticed that Bao Wenyu had stopped supporting his arm, and he turned around to look at Bao Wenyu with some surprise, as if he was surprised that the "reward" he had given him had been given up by him.
But soon, he was unable to ask any more questions.
As a police officer approached, he stood in front of Bao Xingsheng and said in a serious tone, "Mr. Bao, please cooperate with the investigation."
Not only Bao Xingsheng, but the Dong and He families received the same treatment. The surrounding family members immediately voiced their various opinions, expressing their loyalty to their families at this moment.
Bao Wenyu, however, turned his head to look in another direction—
The ray of light at the edge of the sky seemed to grow even brighter.
"Perhaps I should go and see other places."
Bao Wenyu thought.
-
Amid the chaotic scene, there were several other figures hurrying about.
"Hello, officers, has anyone seen Xiao He?"
Liu Rulan hurriedly grabbed one of the police officers and anxiously asked.
The officer paused, then looked closely at the person in front of him. He seemed to realize something, and his expression turned strange: "You're looking for Xiao He?"
"Yes, I am his agent."
As Liu Rulan spoke, her eyes reddened slightly: "He... just disappeared, and we can't contact him. Since you've already boarded the ship, does that mean you're also there—"
In the end, she found herself unable to continue.
The usually eloquent agent had never been so nervous, to the point of being incoherent.
It felt as if they could be struck down at any moment by news of the sky falling.
The officer seemed to sense the woman's near-breathlessness and quickly nodded, gently reassuring her, "Madam, don't worry, he's alright. I just saw them on the other deck; you should go check on them."
He then pointed in a direction.
So Liu Rulan quickly followed the police officer's directions and jogged over there.
On the deck, a group of people were chatting together.
How much do you know about what happened tonight?
"I don't know. We've been working together all along, haven't we? If you don't know, how would I?"
"Ah, that's right. If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn't have boarded the ship. There will definitely be a lot of gossip about it when we get back, and we'll inevitably be the subject of all sorts of gossip from various marketing accounts."
"Oh dear, this is really troublesome! This has nothing to do with us." Wu Chuyi sighed. "Fortunately, Brother Xiao organized a party, and many people in the industry are there. We can issue a joint statement, act as witnesses for each other, clarify the situation here, and try not to get involved with the other side in any way."
Liang Cheng also said, "I just don't know what the police are planning. I just saw many guests on the ship taking photos and recording videos. Most of us will have to be investigated after we get ashore. I just don't know if the news here will be suppressed."
Thinking of the victims who had just passed by, Xin Yiran couldn't help but clench her fists: "Although this kind of thing will get us into trouble, I still hope to expose it and let more people see the faces of these bastards."
Their evil deeds should be exposed!
Let everyone condemn and spit on him!
"Oh, right, Brother Xiao, weren't you with that young master from the Bao family tonight? Did he tell you what's going on here?"
As they continued chatting, for some reason, everyone's eyes turned to the young man standing in the center.
"Yeah! Brother Xiao, do you have any inside information? Could you give us a little bit of it?"
"Speaking of which, I haven't seen Brother Xiao much tonight! When their security came up to search us earlier, I was really nervous. I feel especially unsafe without Brother Xiao."
"Hey, believe it or not, me too!"
Everyone was talking at once, and the young man listened attentively as they shared their experiences, his expression calm, as if nothing had happened.
"Xiao He!"
At that moment, shouts came from afar.