Chapter 11: Crushing the Scum
Zhao Bin quickly woke up, choked by the smoke. He hadn’t even figured out what was going on when a shrill scream rang out:
“Help! Somebody help! Zhao Bin is trying to burn me alive!”
Su He rushed to the door and flung it open.
The soundproofing in the tube-style apartment building was poor, so her loud scream immediately drew the attention of the elderly and night-shift workers who were home at the time. They all came running out.
Su He cried hysterically, “Grandpas, grandmas, uncles—please save me! Zhao Bin’s gone crazy! He tried to kill me and even set fire to the place!”
Many people rushed over, fearing the fire would spread and harm their own homes too.
None of them doubted Su He’s words—smoke was already billowing out from the apartment.
Fortunately, the kitchen and bathroom were nearby, so with buckets and basins, the crowd quickly extinguished the fire.
This was all part of Su He’s plan. When she first entered, she had taken note of the location of the kitchen and bathroom. Plus, she had learned from Su Yongshi that the textile factory operated in three shifts, so many households had people at home during the day.
Of course, even if her plan failed, she could always pull out a fire extinguisher from the Exchange Market System. There was no way she’d let the fire truly get out of control.
Zhao Bin glared at Su He with a cold, twisted expression: “You bitch! Did you set the fire? I think you’re tired of living!”
Su He shivered and shrank into the crowd, crying as she explained, “Please listen to me, everyone! My second uncle said he was introducing me to someone. But after I arrived at Zhao Bin’s house, he and his mom made up an excuse to send my uncle away.
I saw him put something into the soda, and when I confronted him, this beast tried to assault me!
When I lost all hope, he suddenly started twitching like a madman, then tried to burn the curtains and even stuck his hand into an outlet—got himself electrocuted! That’s how I managed to escape.”
Zhao Bin’s eyes turned bloodshot. “Bullshit! You shameless slut! You seduced me, and when I refused, you used a stun baton to knock me out—and you set the fire!”
A bearded man sneered, “A stun baton? Where would a rural girl get a stun baton from? And even if she had one, could she hide it that easily?
If you’re gonna smear someone, at least come up with something believable!
Sounds more like karma to me. You did something horrible to that other girl years ago and drove her mad. Now look at you—getting your just desserts!”
Su He quietly gave the man a mental thumbs-up. This guy’s solid—knows when to step up!
She added loudly, “That brother is right! Where would a country girl like me get a stun baton?
The truth is, Zhao Bin tried to threaten and bribe me. He said his dad was the deputy factory director, and his mom the accountant. They’d embezzled a ton of money—and even had a hidden stash behind their bed…”
Before she even finished speaking, someone had already rushed into Wei Qin and her husband’s room.
Soon, the hidden compartment was found—and everything inside was laid bare before the crowd.
Gasps echoed through the room. None of them had ever seen so much money in their lives!
Zhao Bin’s mind went blank. In a panic, he rushed forward to snatch the stash, but a few men held him down and pinned him to the ground.
Someone cursed, “I knew Zhao Shuguang was dirty! He controls the factory’s finances, and his wife handles the accounts—no wonder they raked it in!”
“Look at those dirty magazines, too—tch tch. No wonder they raised such a degenerate son. Like parents, like son. Rotten to the core!”
“This paper packet—that’s what he put in the soda, right? That poor girl from a few years ago was driven mad because of him. What a sin!”
“Good deeds bring rewards, bad deeds bring retribution. He ruined someone’s life and now he’s lost his mind. Serves him right!”
…
Zhao Bin screamed in rage and panic, “That bitch tased me! She set the fire! I’m not crazy—I’m not crazy!”
The more he insisted, the more everyone believed he was indeed insane.
Because… isn’t that what all crazy people say?
And really—if he wasn’t crazy, why would he tell his blind date about the secret stash behind his bed? That’d just be plain stupid.
At that moment, someone pushed through the crowd, covered in sweat. It was Su Yongshi.
“Xiao He, are you okay?!”
Su He blinked in surprise. He came back?
Judging by the time, he must’ve turned around as soon as he got to the factory.
Was it a guilty conscience? Or something else?
Before Su He could say anything, an elderly woman spat at the ground and scolded, “Pah! And you still have the face to ask?! Everyone knows what kind of scum Zhao Bin is! Yet you still introduced your own niece to that animal. Were you trying to push her into a pit of fire?!”
Su Yongshi’s face turned red with shame. “I… I really didn’t know he was that kind of person. If I had, I never would’ve introduced them.”
He felt incredibly wronged—he truly hadn’t known what Zhao Bin had done in the past!
Sure, he knew Zhao Bin was irresponsible, but with a well-off family, that didn’t seem like a huge issue…
Yes, he was selfish, but wasn’t it a good thing for his niece to marry into a powerful family?
He’d actually reached the gates of the textile factory earlier, but he couldn’t shake the memory of Su He’s clear, piercing gaze. And he kept hearing Old Su’s words from the night before:
“Old Two, you’ve always been the smartest of my kids. Your mother and I spoiled you the most. But if you ever do something truly heartless, I’ll be the first one to deal with you!”
That warning had rattled him to his core. His father was usually quiet, but when he got angry—he was terrifying.
Su Yongshi was now truly grateful to Old Su and the little conscience he had left. Otherwise, Su He’s next move would’ve made it impossible for him and his wife to ever show their faces at the textile factory again.
Seeing Su He silent and surrounded by murmuring onlookers, Su Yongshi exploded in anger—at Zhao Bin.
He rushed over and slapped Zhao Bin several times across the face. “You beast! I must’ve been blind to think you were decent! A heartless dog like you deserves to be chopped up and fed to the dogs!”
But Zhao Bin had already gone rogue. He laughed wickedly, “Oh please—you have the nerve to call me out? Weren’t you acting like a lapdog in front of my parents, practically throwing your niece at me?
If your wife were better looking, I bet you’d have offered her up too—”
