CHAPTER 63: CHAPTER 62: COERCION AND ENTICEMENT

He Malu first snuck onto a collective farm’s tractor at the age of six and started driving professionally for others at sixteen. Over the years, whether it was a truck, a cargo vehicle, or a slick sedan, he had laid his hands on all sorts. He was known for good driving posture and solid skills, never having been in a major accident, a track record that followed him all the way to this Wednesday night.

"That day was Malu’s son’s birthday, and he had requested time off to go home early. That heartless Boss Han insisted on having goods delivered and badgered him several times. Seeing Malu kept making excuses, he drove himself to pick up the cargo. Who knew he would then run over someone. The front hood of that Korean-made flimsy car was completely flipped in the collision, and the people inside are still laid up in the hospital," a few of the guys from Sixth District Car Shop rolled out a severely damaged old-fashioned car, its headlights and radiator extensively wrecked.

"The boss was dumbfounded on the spot. When I got there, he was still shaking all over. Seeing him like this, I sent him home first, then returned to the scene and called everyone to help," He Malu sighed, the dishonesty of lying to the police ominously weighing on his heart.

"It’s infuriating," said the mechanic who had swung his fist at Su Ziceng’s car the other day. With another slam of his hand, the car immediately became a dumpling with a drooping corner, dented inwards.

"We had just arrived when a squad of police showed up, claiming we were responsible for the car crash and bluntly took Malu into custody, confiscating his documents. That black-hearted boss adamantly declared to the public that it was Malu who hit someone, saying he gave him some money out of many years of employer’s affection, as severance compensation. That sum of money, it’s not even close to cover the hospital fees and car repair costs. Think about it, how can you keep stifling this stress, how are sister-in-law and the kids at home going to survive?"

"Uncle, this can’t be left as it is," Su Ziceng looked at He Malu’s despondent face, long missing the cheerful air he had when he gave her a ride that day. Faced with such frustration, this honest man actually bore it all in silence, truly more patient than even Su Ziceng of the past.

"The boss had no other choice, he runs such a big Wine Shop, with so many people depending on him to make a living..." He Malu continued to weakly defend the black-hearted boss.

"That’s not the way to talk about it. When he fired you, did he ever consider whether you would live or die," Su Ziceng looked at the half-wrecked car left behind, and imagining the person in the hospital, she knew the injuries must be severe, "Have you ever thought about what you’ll use to compensate if the person in the hospital dies or becomes disabled?"

Su Ziceng is no stranger to cases where the rich crash their cars and have the drivers take the fall, it never seemed to be a big deal before – one gets paid, the other does the job. However, she had never seen a Wine Shop owner as heartless as this, someone who couldn’t care less and couldn’t bear to spend the money.

Listening, He Malu remembered the unfortunate soul lying in the hospital, still intubated. The money he had was already running low, and things were going downhill...

"In the worst-case scenario, you’re looking at jail time," like a bolt from the blue, He Malu jumped up in shock.

"Jail time?" Everyone from Sixth District was taken aback. The bunch from Sixth District Car Shop, most of whom could barely recognize a few characters and were of rugged disposition, had never anticipated the situation to escalate to such severity.

"Ziceng has an education; what she says is reliable. Once your life gets linked with the word ’jail’, it’s over," even the usually composed Boss Han was starting to panic.

He Malu was also frantically pacing on the spot. When he left the Wine Shop, both the boss and his wife were in tears, saying the boss didn’t have a driving license, and it’d be troublesome if that came out.

"It’s not just Uncle He, your entire family, both the old and the young, would be doomed," Su Ziceng chose some harsh words to speak, although she wasn’t wrong; the rich escape punishment, the poor go to jail, the world is just unfair, "Even involving your children’s future in schooling, job hunting, dating, they all get dragged down with you."

Back in high school, Su Ziceng had a classmate whose father got into trouble and bore the brunt of everyone’s mockery. The girl couldn’t stand it for long and dropped out of school, and Su Ziceng heard she didn’t end up well afterwards.

"No more talking," He Malu hugged his head, squatting on the ground, his legs trembling uncontrollably. The immense pressure he had been shouldering these past days had crushed the normally cheerful and stoic man, "Miss Su, I know you mean well, but it’s no use, someone like me, even if I go to the police station to change my statement, no one will believe me."