Chapter 381: He Mingzhu Slips Away
Chapter 381: He Mingzhu Slips Away
After the media exposed He's Jewelry for fraud, the company's stock prices plummeted, leading to a trading halt. The government promptly dispatched officials to investigate the matter.
A week later, Lu Jiaxin received news that the He family mansion had been sealed off, forcing Li Xuanqi, He Mingzhu, and others to move out.
Zong Jinghua instructed, "They are only allowed to take their essential clothing. Nothing else must leave the premises."
Lu Jiaxin asked in surprise, "Not even He Mingzhu and He Yanyan's personal belongings?"
Zong Jinghua nodded, "Yes, everything in the mansion will be confiscated, including their possessions."
"What about the assets under their names?"
Zong Jinghua shook his head, "The bank will only confiscate assets under He Zhuliang and Li Xuanqi's names. The children's assets, like He Mingzhu's, are considered private property."
Lu Jiaxin nodded and didn't ask further questions. Having worked for so many years, He Mingzhu must have had savings and properties elsewhere, so they wouldn't be left destitute. Compared to many others, they were still better off.
The next evening, as Lu Jiaxin was reading in her room, Miao Na knocked on the door and announced that He Mingzhu wanted to see her. "If you don't want to meet her, I'll send her away."
"Have her wait in the living room."
Lu Jiaxin, who had been wearing her school uniform, changed into different clothes before heading downstairs. He Mingzhu looked haggard, and it was surprising that she hadn't collapsed under the weight of her family's misfortunes.
Seeing Lu Jiaxin's increasing radiance, He Mingzhu felt a sense of wonder. Many people say that fortunes can change in an instant, and in less than three years, their He family had swapped places with Lu Jiaxin.
Once Lu Jiaxin sat down, she asked, "Mingzhu, what brings you here?"
"I wanted to ask about Fourth Aunt. How is she doing now?"
Lu Jiaxin smiled coldly inwardly. It had been two months since her aunt moved to Si Jiucheng, and He Mingzhu was only asking about her now. However, knowing that Gu Xiuxiu cared for He Mingzhu, she replied, "The mansion over there is grand and beautiful, and there's a park nearby that she can visit daily. When she's lucid, she always takes a walk in the park."
"When will Fourth Aunt be back?"
Lu Jiaxin didn't know either. "She'll be back when the weather turns cool, probably in October. Why? Do you have something for her? If so, you can call her."
He Mingzhu shook her head. "It's nothing important. I just miss her. If it weren't for her reminder, I would still be trapped in this quagmire."
Lu Jiaxin looked puzzled.
"I'm planning to leave the country. I've booked a flight for the day after tomorrow."
Lu Jiaxin was bewildered by her statement. "You're the chairman of He's Jewelry and own 10% of the shares. Are you allowed to leave now?"
He Mingzhu explained, "The company is bankrupt. There's no need for a chairman anymore. As for the shares, I transferred them to my mother a long time ago in exchange for assets under her name. I promised to manage the company well and step down when my brother is released from prison so he can take over."
Hearing her narrative, Lu Jiaxin found it absurd. Such a large company was treated like a child's plaything by the He family, and in the end, it was the shareholders who suffered.
Lu Jiaxin's gaze turned cold. If she wasn't mistaken, He Mingzhu had probably liquidated all her assets and transferred the money overseas.
He Mingzhu looked at Lu Jiaxin and said, "Lu Jiaxin, the incriminating evidence that Gao Wen and Yun Cheng have—was it given to them by Fourth Aunt?"
Lu Jiaxin felt a chill in her heart at What Mingzhu's words, but her expression remained unchanged. "Why bring my great-aunt into this now? Your family's current situation is a result of your own actions."
He Mingzhu didn't deny it. "You're right. My father's actions and his lack of restraint have led to this. If he had treated my great-aunt well after acquiring her wealth, she wouldn't have been forced to hand over the evidence for her own protection."
Seeing that Lu Jiaxin remained silent, He Mingzhu let out a bitter laugh. "You probably don't know this, but my great-aunt had deep feelings for my grandfather. If my father hadn't gone too far, she wouldn't have taken such a step. Unfortunately, my father overestimated himself."
Lu Jiaxin didn't respond to her words. "Your father has harmed so many people. His current plight is well-deserved. Miss He, if you came here today to discuss these matters, then I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in your family's affairs."
He Mingzhu sighed. "The reason for my visit is to ask for my aunt's address. I plan to visit her in Si Jiucheng after some time has passed."
Instead of giving her the address, Lu Jiaxin wrote down the phone number of the Shichahai residence. "Out of curiosity, when you transferred the shares to your mother, did you already plan to leave Hong Kong?"
He Mingzhu sighed again. "When I was in university, my great-aunt advised me to find a man from a good family and with good character, and to marry him after graduation. But I didn't listen to her, and only later did I understand her wise intentions. Unfortunately, it was too late."
Lu Jiaxin could tell there was a story behind these words, but she had no interest in prying into others' privacy. "Don't dwell on the past. What's done is done, and we can't change it. All we can do is live each day to the fullest."
He Mingzhu smiled awkwardly. "Sometimes I truly feel that you don't seem like a girl in her teens."
Lu Jiaxin had a ready response. "After my near-death experience, I realized that nothing is more important than living life to the fullest. Parents, relatives, friends, and future partners—it all comes down to fate. If fate brings us together, we cherish it. If not, we accept it and move on."
He Mingzhu nodded. "You're absolutely right. We should look forward. Once I leave this place and go abroad, I'll start anew."
Free from her parents' control and no longer burdened by her siblings, she believed she would live a good life.
They chatted for a while longer, and then He Mingzhu took her leave. Before she departed, she shook Lu Jiaxin's hand. "It's your great-aunt's blessing to have such a wonderful great-granddaughter like you."
With Lu Jiaxin's protection, her great-aunt could enjoy her golden years in peace. As for the He family, they would soon part ways and might never reunite again.
And so, He Mingzhu left the country, without informing either Li Xuanqi or He Yanyan of her plans. She knew that if she told them, she wouldn't be able to leave.
Three days after He Mingzhu's departure, Li Xuanqi found a letter and a bank card in her drawer. The letter informed her that He Mingzhu had left and would not be returning. The bank card contained one million dollars, and the house was left for her to live in.
Upon reading the letter, Li Xuanqi immediately tried to call He Mingzhu, but the number was no longer in service. With the evidence the police had against her husband, he was sure to be sentenced to life in prison. Her two sons were gone, and her second son, fearing for his own safety, had fled the country with his family and cut off all contact. Now, her only remaining child, her daughter, had also left. How would she cope? What would become of her husband, still in prison? The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became, until she fainted from the stress.
(End of Chapter)
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