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Chapter 19 - Xiao Mei (III)

Lawyer Chang continuously rattled while they were making their way towards the police station.

Earlier , they met at the coffee shop.

Xiong Zhi already texted Linfeng that she needed to do something without his company.

So after school, she went directly at their meeting place. She gave Lawyer Chang a cap, uniform and a box of food.

They looked like food deliverers.

Since Xiong Zhi sneaked out to the VIP floor, she discovered she had a liking to do these kind of things. So she was enthusiastic.

But Lawyer Chang was strongly against it.

However, they needed it. Xiong Zhi did not explain anything she just forced Lawyer Chang to wear it. In the end, after Lawyer Chang constant grumbling she gave up and reluctantly wear the uniform.

She still remembered Xiong Zhi\'s threatening words when she refused to wear it.

"If you don\'t wear it I will alert the CJ\'s." She said it while tapping her phone.

They reached the entrance and the scene before them shocked them both.

At the lobby, no vacant chair could be seen. They were all occupied by the reporters. Some with cameras, other writing at their notes, some were typing non-stop to their laptop, some were interviewing chiefs and officers, others were waiting and chatting.

Lawyer Chang immediately shut her mouth.

They made their way in the seas of people. No one stop them nor recognize them.

They enter the visiting area. In this place reporters were not allowed.

"You know even without this disguise they still cannot stop me. And they are reporters! People will know I represent Xiao Mei, then the Cj\'s cannot do anything about it." Lawyer Chang whisper-yelled at Xiong Zhi.

She was actually embarrassed. She now knew why Xiong Zhi wanted them to disguise. She was a known figure in the field of Law. Those reporters with sharp eyes would notice her and if she came in her usual black suit those people would swarm at her. It might even cause the CJ\'s to be guarded against her. Still, she was a proud woman. So she was trying to save her image towards Xiong Zhi.

Xiong Zhi furrowed her brows, a little annoyed. Her liking towards Lawyer Chang was diminishing a little. With impatience she said,

"Half of the people are from Cj\'s. They may also controlled the media to spread the news. If we want to publicize it we must do it in a trusted media."

"Still..." When lawyer Chang wanted to say something. Xiong Zhi rolled her eyes.

She could not believe that lawyer Chang was this childish.

Lawyer Chang saw the eye roll. She was more ashamed. She knew she acted like a child. But she was like this, a little panicky, and talkative if she was nervous. And she was nervous only by few things : including Xiao Mei.

She was nervous meeting Xiao Mei.

She let Xiao Mei suffered in this mess alone. What kind of best friend was she?!

She did not even know what happened to her and--

Then her eyes went wide.

"Oh turtle butt!"

(A/N : it was her own way of cursing. )

Xiong Zhi looked at Lawyer Chang impatiently.

\'What is it now?!\'

"I\'m worst...Granny...I forgot grandmother Ping!" Lawyer Chang said with panicked expression.

\'How could I forgot! Xiao Mei will never forgive me!\'

Lawyer Chang felt like crying.

Xiong Zhi saw many sides of Lawyer Chang today. So she ignored the crying face of Lawyer Chang.

They approached the police officer who were in charge for visiting.

At the window panel, Xiong Zhi placed the box in front of the officer and said.

"Mr. Officer, thank you for your hard work and keeping these criminals at bay. Without you, our country will be in mess. I\'m really grateful and really admire you. As my benefactor I want to give this to you. A token of appreciation from me."

Xiong Zhi used her new learned skill: sucking-up and giving \'gifts\'.

She pushed the box towards the officer.

At her side, Lawyer Chang stared at Xiong Zhi with an open mouth.

\'What the...! This is girl has sharper weapon than me!\'

Lawyer Chang planned earlier to threaten the officer to let them speak to Xiao Mei, because for sure, the CJ\'s would bribe these officers to not let others speak to Xiao Mei.

But she did not expect that Xiong Zhi would handle it first. It was a good approach. But let see if she succeed.

The officer was glad to hear compliments and accepted it with glee.

"Of course ! That is my dream since I was young. To serve the country and protect it from those bastards. To ensure you beautiful ladies will have a safe place to live with."

"I thank again the officer. Please accept this gift."

"Since you say so." The officer accepted the box and took a peek. He was shocked when he saw what was inside.

"Mr. Officer, this fan of yours was really in trouble. I really need your help." Xiong Zhi tried to sound pleading but the plain, monotone and cold voice still came out.

\'Maybe I should try voice lessons.\'

The officer ears perked up hearing her words.

"Of course! I will help you! Anything for you, lady." The officer answered happily.

The police officer could understand that the lady in front of him was bribing him. Since he was doing it for years. But only mild favors. Like extending the visiting time, handing food, medicine, ointments, books or any harmless objects to the prisoners from their family.

"We are visiting my cousin. We want to talk to her, Xiao Mei."

"Oh, okay. I just check which cell she---" the officer took out a record book while speaking but then stop abruptly.

On the record book, the name Xiao Mei was highlighted and had a note written beside it: Strictly No Visiting.

The officer was shocked for a moment and then looked at Xiong Zhi.

His eyes that was looking at them lost its mirth. It was serious with suspicion.

"I\'m sorry. I cannot help you in this matter. It is authorized by higher ups that Xiao Mei cannot be visited. "

Xiong Zhi quickly embraced the box. That box contained food and money.

"Is that so? Maybe I should give this to anyone then. I just need two minutes to talk to her. I need to tell her our grandmother is having a surgery. " the officer looked at the box with regret.

"But its fine, Mr. Officer. I will give this to anyone then who will not tell that we talked to my cousin and we will make sure it did not happen in his shift. We just wanted to tell the news about grandmother."

Xiong Zhi started to walked away.

"Wait! Just talk OK? Only two minutes. " the officer gave in and looked covertly at the box.

"Are you sure? We don\'t want to trouble you." Xiong Zhi said.

"No . its fine. No one know it happened to my shift OK?" The officer was a bit nervous. For sure his chief received a lot of bribe from someone big to prevent that Xiao Mei to received visitors. Since his chief received money, why not him? No one would know it was him anyway.

Accepting the bribe, he looked around to check if someone\'s nearby. Seeing no one, he opened the door and lead Xiong Zhi and Lawyer Chang to the prisoner\'s ward.

"I tell it to you, we are not allowed to let anyone in in this area. But if I let that cousin of yours to come out, we might get caught with no escape. If someone saw us you know what to say right?" The police officer said hurriedly while leading them. This was the first time that his part time- accepting small bribe- to be dangerous and maybe got himself fired.

But the offer was good, just two minutes talk, and all the money in the box would become his! Besides, their chief was the in wrong today. He was just helping these two pitiful ladies for their grandmother. Yup, he was doing it for good reason.

The officer reassured himself that he was not doing something bad.

They reached the prison ward and they looked for the cell where Xiao Mei was.

They arrived at the farthest cell.

Xiong Zhi peeked inside.

Inside the small cell, a woman with long black curly hair cuddled herself together in the corner of the bed.

Lawyer Chang gasped when she saw her best friend\'s vulnerable state.

"Mei..."

Hearing the familiar voice, the woman looked up and her teared-face, puffy eyeglasses, dark circles under the swollen eyes was exposed to the three of them.

Xiao Mei looked differently to what Xiong Zhi saw in T.V in her past lifetime.

Instead of a sharp, confident, smart-looking, and guarded Xiao Mei she had seen before, it was a broken Xiao Mei.

Her red swollen eyes looked at them. When she recognized Lawyer Chang, she quickly stand up and run stumbling towards them.

"Biv? Bi\'er!" Xiao Mei\'s tears flowed out continuously.

"Mei..." Lawyer Chang choked and small sobs came out of her.

They just held each other hands and called each other names.

When ten seconds passed, Xiong Zhi cut them off.

"We\'ve got two minutes only. Xiao Mei, I\'m Xiong Zhi." Then Xiong Zhi handed her card to Xiao Mei.

\'I H Z H I ?\'

Xiao Mei looked at the card then to Xiong Zhi and finally looked at Lawyer Chang. Her eyes were asking, \'who she is? Your friend?\'

Lawyer Chang understood the gaze of Xiao Mei. She raised her right brow. Seemingly asking, \'you don\'t know her?\'

Xiao Mei furrowed her brows trying to recall if she met Xiong Zhi before. However, she did not met her before. So she shook her head.

Lawyer Chang gaze turned sharp towards Xiong Zhi.

She let her guard down. It turned out this girl\'s identity was suspicious!

"Don\'t look at me like that." Seeing the questioning eyes of Xiao Mei and the suspicious gaze of Lawyer Chang, Xiong Zhi just rolled her eyes.

"I will not be here trying to get you out if I want you harm. I\'m here with a proposal."

Lawyer Chang raised her brow, Xiao Mei was stunned and the police officer was confused.

" I will help you to get out of here but with a deal." Xiong Zhi directly stated her goal.

"Wait. What kind of deal you are talking about? And you girl, who are still underage, what can you do in this situation? Do you think I will agree to your disguise earlier because I just want to? No , I was forced! Forced because CJ\'s is our enemy. And they\'re blocking everyone who tried to help Xiao Mei. Can\'t you see the difficulty of the situation? You are a child, and we\'re really thankful to you for reaching out to us about Xiao Mei\'s situation. But you better stop your jokes. You should not concern yourself with this matter anymore. It is a.d.u.l.ts problem." Lawyer Chang said in quick breath.

She really liked this Xiong Zhi. But this girl might be inflicted by CJ\'s. If they could frame up their loyal employee without batting an eye how about the teenager who want to go against them? They would surely destroy this girl\'s bright future.

Xiong Zhi heard this made her want to roll her eyes at them.

Could they finished her first?

"I know you do not believe in me. But Xiao Mei, you don\'t have any time. I visited your grandmother at the hospital yesterday and they needed your consent for her surgery."

"W-what happened?W-what surgery?" Xiao Mei could not believe what she was hearing. Her grandmother was healthy before she left. What happened?

Xiong Zhi took out her phone and let them see the picture of Xiao Ping\'s X-ray, results of test, and the last picture of Xiao Ping in the hospital bed. Only seconds passed and she put her phone away.

"Believe me now?" Xiong Zhi asked expressionless.

Both Lawyer Chang and the officer stared dumbfounded at Xiong Zhi. They had the same thought.

\'That\'s the most cruel way of delivering news....\'

(A/N : yup, but the most detailed and short one, no explanation needed. See, effortless. That\'s our Xiong Zhi )

"Grandma!" Xiao Mei couldn\'t control herself anymore, she cried while trying to reach Xiong Zhi\'s phone.

Even from a quick glance she? saw that her grandmother had a serious illness and needed surgery as soon as possible.

Xiao Mei blamed herself. Her grandmother took her when her parents died because of an accident leaving their ten year old child.

Since she became a.d.u.l.t her only wish was to give her grandmother a comfortable and luxurious life. She wanted to repay her love and care for her. When she was in prison all she could think was her grandmother. What if she heard the news? How heartbroken she would be? And now, seeing her grandmother in the hospital bed, suffering without her staying by her side, making Xiao Mei wanted to break out in prison no matter what.

"Don\'t worry. Her condition was stabilized but it can get worst. You need to get out of here and stayed by her side while she undergo surgery. You want that right? My proposal is you will work for my company if I get you out--"

"Have you heard what I\'ve said? CJ\'s is not easy to take on! You will get--" Lawyer Chang cut her off.

"Then tell me, if you handle the matter how long can you take out Xiao Mei here? " Xiong Zhi rebuked, she was losing her patience.

" I have everything planned. Huo Dian will hep us. But finding evidences against them might be difficult. I think at least a month. I will not let these case closed until Xiao Mei\'s innocence is proven."

Lawyer Chang answered with stern face.

Xiong Zhi turned to Xiao Mei.

"Can you tolerate for a month? Do you want to stay for a month here and longer? " Xiong Zhi asked her. Xiao Mei was horrified and shook her head. She doesn\'t want to stay here any longer! Her grandmother needed her!

"I talked to the doctor, he said grandmother Ping needed urgent surgery. By next week at least. Xiao Mei, the card that is on your hand is the company that I\'m about to build. I want you to be the Vice director of IHZHI. I will bring to you the contract and the details later after you got out. Lawyer Chang said she can take you out of here but she needed a month or maybe longer. But I guarantee you if you accept my deal I will get you out of here in a week. Not just that, I will make sure CJ\'s will not be seen standing anymore. How is it? It\'s worth a try right?"

The three people who heard her said this was shocked beyond their comprehension.

Lawyer Chang\'s mouth was opened in disbelief.

\'In. A. Week?!!?\'

Even Lawyer Chang did her best she could only confidently stated that she could do it in a month. However, a sixteen year old saying she could do it in a week did not sound possible!

Xiao Mei was beyond shocked to hear a girl in front of her wanted to create her own company and recruiting her to be her Vice director. And this girl seemed confident that she could prove her innocence. Not only that! She said she would do it in a week?! And make the CJ\'s bankrupt?! Even she who always saw good in people she could not believe what this sixteen year old was saying.

But looking carefully at the girl, Xiao Mei realized that the girl was serious and confident. Like she had everything in her hand. She just waiting to strike. The aura that Xiong Zhi emitted were too strong that Xiao Mei wanted to trust and believe in her.

The officer was shocked. Was it okay to listen to their conversation? He was witnessing conspiracy here! And wait....

\'I thought they were cousins!\'

Xiong Zhi stared at Xiao Mei waiting for her answer.

Xiao Mei looked at Xiong Zhi after making up her mind.

"Thank you for taking care of my grandmother. The fact that you even knew my grandmother\'s condition tells me how serious you are for this company of yours. Sure. I agree to your deal. I don\'t care how will you do it. But please let me get out of here. I need to be my grandmother\'s side. She is the only relative I have. I will never forgive myself if something happened to my grandma--"

"Xiao Mei--" Lawyer Chang wanted to intrude.

"And I\'m sure Bivia and Dian\'ge will help you. " Xiao Mei continued on.

"Bi\'er, she is my and my grandmother\'s benefactor. I know you were probably caught up with something this past week right? Xiong Zhi really helped me this time. Let\'s trust her. And she said it herself we will see the contract later once I get out. We can adjust the conditions then. I know you trust and like her also, if not, why accompany her here? If you really don\'t want to you can just go to me alone. I know you Biv." Xiao Mei said to Lawyer Chang.

Lawyer Chang sighed. She was also greatful to Xiong Zhi for helping granny. She was just worried. How could a sixteen year old girl could handle this matter? No matter what, she would do her best to help Xiao Mei.

Xiong Zhi corner lips curled up slightly. At last, a result came.

"Don\'t worry. I don\'t go back on my words. I\'ll definitely get you out. See you next week."

And like that Xiong Zhi strode off. Not even glancing back.

The three people who were left stared at her back.

Moment later, Lawyer Chang bid her goodbye to Xiao Mei and run after Xiong Zhi. Her clothes were still there. She would not go home like this.

Meanwhile the officer was staring at the box. He could not believe what he witnessed today.

\'I\'m not going to die right? They said people who knew many secrets be better dead. Because dead do not tell tales...huhuhu..so much for bribery. I won\'t do it anymore...\'

Then he opened the box, set aside the food and count the money. At least it was a good sum. At the bottom there was a note attached to it.

"I record the whole thing. You better not tell it to anyone, if you do, be prepared to become unemployed for the rest of your life. I hope we can work together in the future, Thanks"

\'Waaaahhhh....no future!!!\'

___________________________

Lawyer Chang was still in daze as she changed her outfit. She felt what happened earlier was like a dream. They just made a deal with a 16 year old girl and put Xiao Mei\'s life into her hands.

\'Is it really fine? No matter how I think about it is impossible.\'

But even it was impossible, like Xiao Mei she was also in desperate to help Xiao Mei out. She was desperate to even believe a kid.

\'But it concern Granny\'s life. It\'s a matter of life and death.\'

No matter how ilogical it was she had to put her fait and believe in Xiong Zhi. She hope Xiong Zhi had cards in her sleeve and bring miracles out.

"Lawyer Chang can I bother you to help a friend of mine?" Xiong Zhi said as she finished changing her clothes.

"Ah..?" Lawyer Chang was slow in response as she was still thinking the earlier matter.

"I have friend in prison. He was still waiting for his trial. It was just a light case. You can help him out by your name."

Lawyer Chang went back from being a strict lady.

"I don\'t help bad people."

"He is not a bad person. He was a victim. He was like Xiao Mei. His client wanted to s.e.x.u.a.lly harassed him. Now he is in prison." Xiong Zhi described Fang Dien\'s story in a hurried manner.

Lawyer Chang expression relaxed. She was ready to help if that was the case. Besides, that was Xiong Zhi who was asking, the girl whom she put her and Xiao Mei\'s faith to.

"Alright. I\'ll investigate first."

"Please do it before three days."

Lawyer Chang\'s mouth twitched. Why she felt like the favor was like a task given to her. Surprisingly though she was not irritated rather she felt it was natural for this little girl to command. Lawyer Chang had an inkling that this Xiong Zhi would be an ultimate boss in the future.

Oh how right she is.