After a wealthy woman went bankrupt, her live-in husband became her sugar daddy.

Chapter 268 I dare not resist

"Sister Li, get up first," I said softly, trying to pull her up from the ground. Her body was stiff, as if bound by some invisible force. Her eyes were still empty, as if her soul had already left her body.

“They said that if they contact you again, they will unplug my son’s ventilator…” Her voice was so low that it was almost inaudible, as if it were being squeezed out from deep in her throat. Her fingers gripped my sleeve tightly, her knuckles turning white, as if it were her only lifeline.

I helped her sit on a bench; her body was still trembling slightly. I knelt down, picked up the scattered lab reports, and scanned the data. The child's condition was clearly serious; all the indicators were far beyond the normal range. My fingers gently traced the paper, as if I could feel the despair hidden behind those cold numbers.

Before that, I had found out that there were a lot of counterfeit milk powder products, but people were buying real and fake ones together. Last time I wanted to get it tested, but Sister Li stopped me.

"Sister Li, don't worry, I'll help you," I said softly, trying to make my voice sound more firm. Her eyes remained vacant, as if she hadn't heard me at all.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from the end of the corridor. Xu Sisi came running up, panting, holding a payment slip in her hand, her face frighteningly pale.

"Sister Mo, Li's baby has been transferred to a private hospital!" Her voice trembled slightly, as if she had just experienced a nightmare. She handed me the payment slip, her fingers shaking slightly. "The hospitalization fee was prepaid by 300,000 yuan, and the remittance was made by an overseas shell company."

I took the payment slip and quickly scanned it. The figure of 300,000 was glaringly obvious and impossible to ignore, while the remitter's information raised even more suspicion. An offshore shell company—this kind of operation was clearly beyond the capabilities of an ordinary person. Several possible culprits flashed through my mind, but each one sent a chill down my spine.

"Prepare 200,000 yuan in cash," I heard myself say, my voice surprisingly calm. "Donate it to the pediatric intensive care unit in the name of the Consumer Association."

Xu Sisi paused for a moment, then nodded, turned, and quickly left. Her footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, gradually fading into the distance. I turned my gaze back to Li Yunma; her body was still trembling slightly, and her eyes remained vacant.

"Sister Li, don't worry, I'll find out what happened," I said softly, trying to reassure her. Her fingers were still tightly gripping my sleeve, as if it were her only support.

Just then, my phone vibrated. I took it out, and a new message appeared on the screen. It was from Gu Bai.

"Sis, look at this." Attached to the message was a photo, a screenshot from surveillance video. In the image, a man wearing a baseball cap was stuffing a brown paper bag into Li's mailbox. The man's cuffs were slightly rolled up, revealing a dark blue tattoo—a coiled python entwined with Roman numerals.

My pupils contracted slightly, and my finger slid across the screen, zooming in on the screenshot. The details of the tattoo were clearly visible; the python's scales were lifelike, and the Roman numerals stood out starkly in the dim light.

"The Jin family bodyguard's mark." Jiang Yichen's voice suddenly rang out behind me, carrying a hint of coldness. I turned around and saw him standing behind me, still radiating the chill from his trip back from the tax bureau. His eyes were stern, his gaze fixed on the screenshot on my phone.

“In last year’s anti-gang case files, three of the henchmen had the same tattoo.”

"Why are you here?"

“I was worried about your safety, so I rushed over, but I asked the old lady and she said you weren’t home.”

He continued, his voice low and calm. "It seems this matter is far more complicated than we imagined."

I nodded, a vague unease rising within me. The Jin family's influence in the area was deeply entrenched, extending from real estate to finance, and even into some shady gray areas. If this matter truly involved the Jin family, then Li Yunma and her child were likely already caught in a dangerous vortex.

“We need more evidence,” I said softly, turning my gaze back to Li, the pregnant woman. Her body was still trembling slightly, her eyes still vacant, as if she hadn’t heard our conversation at all.

“I will investigate the background of that private hospital,” Jiang Yichen said, his voice calm and firm.

"I will also have someone investigate that shell company overseas."

I slightly raised my head, my gaze fixed firmly on the pregnant woman, Li, my voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority: "Sister Li, I've uncovered some crucial clues. The Jin family's methods, and that bribed cleaning lady... Is there anything else you'd like to say?"

The pregnant woman's face turned deathly pale instantly. Her lips trembled, and her eyes were filled with fear and hesitation. Her fingers gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, as if this were the last shred of security she could grasp. Her breathing became rapid, her chest heaving violently, as if she had been forced to the edge of a cliff, about to fall at any moment.

"I...I..." Her voice seemed to be squeezed from deep in her throat, filled with suppressed pain. Her eyes darted around, sometimes looking at me, sometimes avoiding my gaze, as if weighing something. After a moment, she finally broke down, tears streaming down her face, her voice trembling with sobs: "I...I was forced! They threatened me, saying that if I didn't cooperate, they would harm my child...I had no choice, I really had no choice..."

Her voice grew softer and softer, until it was almost a murmur. Her body trembled slightly, like a withered leaf swaying in the wind, so fragile that it seemed as if it would shatter at the slightest touch. Her fingers unconsciously touched her lower abdomen, where her unborn child lay, her greatest vulnerability.

I looked at her, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside me. Her fear and helplessness were real, but that couldn't justify hurting others. I took a deep breath and softened my tone: "Sister Li, I know you have your reasons, but you must be honest now. Only then can we protect you and your child."

Tears streamed down her face, her voice choked with sobs: "I really didn't want to hurt anyone... but they... they're so horrible. They said if I didn't obey, they would make me and my child disappear forever... I... I can't resist..."

Her voice was filled with despair and helplessness, like a bird trapped in a cage, yearning for freedom but powerless to break free. Her eyes held a pleading look, as if begging for my understanding, or seeking a glimmer of hope.

I took a step closer, gently patted her shoulder, and said in a firm yet gentle tone, "Sister Li, you're not alone anymore. We will protect you and your child. But you must tell us everything. Only then can we truly resolve this issue."

Her body stiffened slightly, then, as if she had finally made up her mind, she nodded: "Okay... I'll tell you everything..."