Chapter 175: My Companions Are My Family, Not Subordinates
Su Tao sent Meng Xiaobo along with Old Qi and the others, and in less than fifteen minutes, they returned carrying Meng Qian, who was tightly bound like a dumpling.
Meng Qian’s hair was a mess, her clothes were torn in several places, and her face was streaked with tears. Yet, she looked up at Su Tao with stubborn yet pleading eyes.
Su Tao sighed lightly and gestured for someone to untie her.
Meng Qian had clearly been beaten—her leg was slightly limp—but the moment she was freed, she threw herself at Su Tao’s feet, sobbing.
“Boss Su, I know you’re a good person. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have kept my father alive instead of killing him, and you wouldn’t have saved me. I have no way to repay you!”
Su Tao sighed, a little exasperated.
“I advise you to leave. I can’t agree to your request. Your father is one of Old Station’s people—letting him go would be a slap in the face to Panliu Mountain. It would make outsiders think we’re weak and that anyone can trample over us.”
Meng Qian wiped her face roughly, her expression as stubborn as a wildflower growing from a crack in the stone.
“Boss Su, I’ve thought it through these past few days, and I understand that my request puts you in a difficult position. I’ve given up on that hope.”
“But… can I at least see my father? I don’t have any other intentions. I just want him to see how Tan Yong treats his so-called loyal followers. Ten years, Boss Su! Would you treat someone who’s been loyal to you for ten years like this? Is Tan Yong’s heart made of stone?”
The bitterness and resentment had clearly been bottled up inside her for too long. She almost screamed the words, her voice hoarse, and fresh tears streamed down her face despite her earlier efforts to wipe them away.
Qi Yunlan and the others felt a pang of empathy.
They were all subordinates themselves. If their leader abandoned them like that, it would be utterly devastating.
But Su Tao simply shook her head. “My companions are my family, not my subordinates.”
They were never in a hierarchical relationship—it was a bond of survival in a chaotic world.
Qi Yunlan and the others suddenly felt a surge of emotion, their eyes growing misty.
Meng Qian froze for a moment, then began crying even harder.
“My father… he was just unlucky…”
As she sobbed, blood suddenly seeped from the corner of her mouth.
Su Tao’s expression changed. “Go call Chen Xi to take a look.”
Meng Qian was so overwhelmed with sorrow for her father that her tears flowed silently and endlessly.
Within ten minutes, Chen Xi came running with a trauma medical kit, still in her pajamas—clearly, she had already gone to bed but was woken up.
But with a life at stake, she showed no trace of drowsiness. She swiftly opened the kit and began preparing her equipment in an orderly manner.
Meng Qian kept insisting she was fine, but Chen Xi still took out a small flashlight to check her mouth.
The moment she looked inside, her expression changed.
“What happened to you? It looks like your lower mouth was slashed with something sharp!” Chen Xi exclaimed in shock.
As Meng Qian tried to explain, more blood trickled from her lips…
“I knew those two beasts wanted to assault me tonight, so I hid two razor blades in my mouth beforehand. As expected, when they broke into my tent, they tied me up and searched me, but of course, they found nothing and let their guard down. So I took the chance and… haha…”
She laughed, her eyes filled with both the satisfaction of revenge and the lingering fear of killing.
Everyone was shocked—no wonder Meng Qian, an ordinary girl with no abilities, had been able to kill two strong men with her bare hands.
Su Tao quickly said, “Stop talking. Chen Xi, stop the bleeding for her. Dapao, arrange for her to stay in the vacant staff dormitory at the back—the one Wu Zhen used to live in. We’ll discuss the rest tomorrow. Everyone’s worked hard, so go get some rest.”
After another ten minutes of settling things, Su Tao was ready to leave. However, Meng Qian, despite Chenxi’s protests, limped after her and said, “Boss Su, I’ll only stay for one night. Whether I get to see my father or not, I promise to leave by tomorrow afternoon. Panliu Mountain has shown me kindness, and I can’t cause any more trouble for you.”
Behind her, Chen Xi stomped her foot in frustration, “I just stopped your bleeding! Stop talking!”
Su Tao patted Meng Qian’s shoulder. “Rest well. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
By the time Su Tao finally returned to her room, it was nearly 2 AM.
Aunt Wu had already moved upstairs. She had originally planned to renovate the adjacent room for Jiang Yu tonight, but she was too exhausted now.
Tomorrow, then.
Sigh, tomorrow and tomorrow—there are always more tomorrows.
Just as she was drifting into sleep, Su Tao suddenly jolted awake.
Black Sesame hadn’t come home!
Checking the GPS tracker, she saw that the little traitor wasn’t even in Taoyang anymore—it had run off to a street in Dongyang, ten kilometers away.
Instantly wide awake, Su Tao was both furious and worried. She got dressed, grabbed Jiang Yu, and went out to search for the cat.
After searching until 4 AM, they finally found Black Sesame near a dilapidated building on a Dongyang street—playing with a mouse.
The little traitor had probably never seen a mouse before and was having the time of its life, completely forgetting about home.
Su Tao picked it up, and it even tried to bring the mouse home.
“No. Drop it before I lose my temper.”
Black Sesame immediately noticed the shift in her tone and obediently let go of the squeaking, squirming mouse. It even tried to lick her as a form of flattery.
Jiang Yu stepped in at the right moment, lifting Black Sesame by the scruff of its neck to keep it away from Su Tao.
Who knew if it had licked the mouse while playing with it?
Su Tao stormed home in anger. As punishment, she woke up White Sesame, who had been sleeping soundly, and gave it a can of wet food—forcing the hungry Black Sesame to watch its sibling eat.
White Sesame was so overjoyed by the unexpected feast that it teared up while eating.
By the time everything was settled, the sun had already risen. Black Sesame, clearly learning its lesson, didn’t scratch at the door when it was time to eat. Instead, it sat pitifully by the food cabinet, occasionally rubbing up against Lin Fangzhi and Jiang Yu.
The little traitor knew there was no use begging Su Tao, so it switched targets for sympathy.
Lin Fangzhi pretended not to see it, deliberately stepping away whenever it got close.
Jiang Yu simply vanished.
After only two hours of sleep, Su Tao was forced to wake up and head to Panliu Mountain to check on Meng Qian.
Ma Dapao sighed, “This girl looks delicate, but she’s got a spine of steel. Her mouth is torn up, her leg is broken, and she’s covered in bruises from being kicked—but not once did she complain about the pain. Even I, an old man, feel ashamed watching her.”
“I heard from Fire Snake that Mist is the same way. Like father, like daughter.”
Su Tao clicked her tongue. “Not crying out in pain doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. I’ll go see her.”
Chenxi had arrived early and was dressing Meng Qian’s wounds. Her exposed back was covered in bruises, with barely any uninjured skin.
As soon as Meng Qian saw Su Tao, she tried to get out of bed.
Su Tao stopped her. “Stay put. Chenxi has been working on you for half the morning—don’t go adding new injuries.”
Meng Qian looked deeply grateful. “Thank you, Boss Su, and Dr. Chen Xi.”
Su Tao said, “No need for thanks. I’ll take you to see your father later. If he’s willing to stay in Panliu Mountain, he’s welcome here. I’m not the type to hold grudges. If he wants to stay, he can bring you along too.”
Meng Qian was stunned. After a long moment, her lips trembled as she asked, “Boss Su, you’re willing to accept people from the enemy’s side?”
Su Tao replied calmly, “Tan Yong abandoned you all. You’re not his people anymore.”
