Chapter 369 Xiong Mingde: Dead?

Chapter 369 Xiong Mingde: Dead?

?Wang Liang, a mix of respect and resignation on his face, shook his head with a bitter smile. "He wants someone to pick up his car from the Dongjiang airport and deliver it back to his place."

!!

The room fell silent, the gravity of the situation dawning on everyone.

The revered Patriarch of the Wang family, a figure of immense power and respect, being instructed to handle such menial tasks?

It was clear to all present that only someone of Zhang Wei's caliber could command such authority and have their wishes fulfilled without question.

The Wang family understood the importance of staying in Zhang Wei's good graces, and they would comply, no matter how small or large the request.

_______

Back In Shanxi Village!

"What's happening?" Xiong Rui stepped outside, her curiosity piqued by the unusual commotion echoing through the neighborhood.

"Who's making all that noise?" She called out, scanning the area for the source of the disturbance.

Nearby, Xiong Mei leaned casually against a metal pole, an apple in hand. She took a bite, savoring the crunch, before explaining, "It's the Li family. Their son-in-law came over yesterday and hasn't left yet. Someone recognized his car and got suspicious, called the police. Now, even though his car's still parked outside, their house is eerily empty. But there are clear signs of a struggle. The police are swarming the place, searching for clues." nove(l)bi(n.)com

!!

Xiong Rui's eyes widened in disbelief, struggling to process the flood of information. "So many things happened... Huh..."

Xiong Mei, her mind racing, quickly took out her phone to call for an ambulance. "We need help, now," she said, her voice steady but her hands shaking as she dialed the emergency number.

Half an hour later, the somber scene outside the Xiong family home spoke for itself.

An ambulance was parked at the front, its crew carefully wheeling out Xiong Mingde's body, which was draped in a stark, white sheet.

The patriarch's unexpected demise had cast a shadow over the household.

The neighborhood, already abuzz from the earlier commotion at the Li family's residence, was now rife with murmurs and whispers. People gathered in small groups, their faces etched with a mixture of curiosity and concern, speculating about the back-to-back incidents in their usually peaceful area.

Xiong Mei and Xiong Rui, accompanied by their distraught mother, watched in a state of numbed disbelief as the ambulance doors closed, taking away their father for the last time. The reality of their loss was settling in, heavy and unyielding.

Whispers and speculative glances from the neighbors felt intrusive, adding an extra layer of pain to their grief.

As the ambulance finally pulled away, hushed conversations filled the place, laced with a blend of superstition and speculation.

"Two tragedies in one day... It's a curse, I tell you," one neighbor whispered, eyeing the Xiong house with a mix of fear and morbid curiosity.

"Maybe it's retribution," another suggested in a low voice. "The spirits are displeased. First the Li family, now this... it's too much of a coincidence."

"I heard they were involved in some shady dealings," someone else chimed in, their voice tinged with a mix of rumor and half- truths. "Maybe it's karma catching up with them."

Xiong Rui, her emotions already frayed by grief and shock, overheard these whispers. Her face twisted in anger and pain, she suddenly turned towards the gossiping crowd. "Enough!" She yelled, her voice cracking with emotion. "Have you no respect for the living or the dead? Shame on all of you, spreading rumors at a time like this!"

In the corner, Xiong Mei stood silently, her face an unreadable mask. Her eyes, dark and intense, swept over the whispering neighbors.

Unlike her sister, she chose to remain quiet, her thoughts hidden behind a facade of calm. But the tension in her posture, the clenching of her fists, spoke volumes of the storm brewing within her.

The air around her seemed to grow colder, adding a silent, ominous weight to her silent observation.

Xiong Mei's face, a blend of grief and contemplation, suddenly shifted into an awkward smile as she attempted to compose herself. A solitary tear escaped her eye, trailing down her cheek. "C-Can't you be less obvious..." she muttered softly to the sky, her voice barely a whisper.