Rebirth Counterattack with Space
Chapter 424 - 408: Ape Feces?

Chapter 424: Chapter 408: Ape Feces?

The family of three cried uncontrollably, and both Officer Xu and Officer Ke had red eyes.

Which family doesn’t have children? A child’s disappearance is like a bomb; in an instant, it can blast a family into disarray, tearing its very fabric, making a home no longer a home. If the child can be found, there’s relief, but if not, even if the family doesn’t fall apart at that moment, the bone-deep pain will shadow the parents for a lifetime.

No matter how many times one encounters such events, they still inevitably strike a chord.

After a while, the crying finally stopped.

Cao Xinyu helped Zhao Ziyin tidy up her clothing, and sure enough, she pulled out a shell-like jade box from her daughter’s pocket. The tears she had momentarily stopped began flowing again—her daughter had encountered a benefactor.

She opened the jade box, and inside was an ointment, the mere scent of which indicated its extraordinary nature. Moreover, having previously seen and owned several fine items herself due to moderate family wealth, she could tell at a glance that the jade of the box was lustrous and translucent, rich in water content, and even just the box alone was of considerable value.

When she noticed another jade box clutched tightly by her child, and inside it the exquisitely crafted White Jade Nine-Linked Rings, which clearly bore signs of frequent handling, she was stunned. Seeing that the quality of jade in these two items even surpassed that of the box containing the ointment, she was utterly dumbfounded.

"Yinyin, where did you get this Nine-Linked Rings from? You didn’t accidentally take someone else’s possession, did you?" Cao Xinyu held the items, her voice trembling as she asked. The ointment was one thing; the benefactor had clearly stated it was for the child. But she feared that this Nine-Linked Rings set, even more valuable, might have been taken without asking by her unknowing child.

"Brother gave it to me."

Zhao Ziyin treasured the item as she took it back, carefully closing the box and clutching it tightly in her hands. Remembering the extraordinarily kind lady who gave her drumsticks and chocolate, and the brother who, though he seemed fierce, treated her well and even coaxed her with toys, a sweet smile spread across her face.

Fearing Cao Xinyu wouldn’t believe her, she guarded the item closely and added solemnly, "The pretty auntie gave Yinyin chocolate and drumsticks to eat, and brother gave me this, saying not to cry, that just by holding and playing with it, I would feel happy."

"Yinyin, this item is too precious, we can’t keep it—we must return it to brother. Give it to mommy, so the police uncle who sent you back can return it to brother, okay?" In an instant, Cao Xinyu understood and was overflowing with gratitude towards that unknown family who had saved her child, a gratitude so immense she found it beyond words.

"No, brother gave it to me."

Zhao Ziyin’s reaction was immediate, like a spooked cat, her whole body going on the defensive as she protected the item with her hands to her chest. Soon, she realized and subconsciously shrank back, her eyes showing a tinge of fear and uncertainty.

She carefully watched Cao Xinyu, waiting to see if there were any signs of anger, and only when she saw none did she gently bite her teeth, looking pitifully at her mother with a voice full of pleading: "Mommy, it really was brother who gave it to me—"

Cao Xinyu’s heart broke seeing her child like this. With tears in her eyes, she turned her head away, her tone gentle yet steadfast as she coaxed: "Let’s return this to brother, and mommy promises, mommy will definitely buy you another Nine-Linked Rings just like this one, okay?"

"Don’t--it was given to me by my brother." Zhao Ziyin cried out loudly, probably realizing that she was about to lose possession of the item in her hand.

"Yinyin, be a good girl, listen." Cao Xinyu and Zhao Jia’an, even though they couldn’t bear to do so, couldn’t tell the child to keep such a precious gift, they could only console her, "Mom and Dad will definitely buy you one too."

"Just let the child keep it. Even if you ask me to take it back, I don’t have any way to return it to the family for you," Officer Xu said, finally speaking out as he couldn’t bear it any longer.

He had noticed the jade box early on, and the quality of the jade was clearly extraordinary, let alone the Nine-Linked Rings inside. Since it was a gift between children, he didn’t dare to presume to take it back himself—it might backfire and become a hot potato instead.

"But..." Cao Xinyu was visibly conflicted and hesitant. The child had just returned home from a great ordeal; how could she bear to let her be sad and disappointed again? Yet the item was truly too precious, and she knew that her promise to buy an identical one for her daughter was just a comforting lie; the value of that gift probably exceeded the sum of all that Zhao Jia’an had owned before.

"Stop with the ’buts’. Without instructions, I wouldn’t dare to take action on my own. If you insist on forcing me to do so, wouldn’t that be harming me instead?" Officer Xu waved his hand dismissively, joking that although the leader’s child only appeared to be seven or eight years old, a tiger doesn’t father a dog; with that stern, intimidating expression, he couldn’t treat him like a real kid. He absolutely didn’t have the courage to take back the "token of affection" the boy had personally given to the little girl—

Officer Xu shivered at the thought—it was as good as asking him to pluck whiskers from a tiger!

"If you really want to return it, you should do it yourselves. Who knows, maybe one day the child will remember your little girl and suddenly show up to play with her?"

Seeing that Zhao Ziyin stopped crying at his words, Officer Xu felt playful and joked: "Isn’t there a saying about fate bringing people together from a thousand miles apart? It might just be a token of affection. If I were to take it back, wouldn’t I become Fahai, a destroyer of love and marriages? No, no, I can’t do such a thing."

Zhao Jia’an and Cao Xinyu were left speechless by his words, until Zhao Jia’an finally chuckled dryly: "You are really funny."

"Haha, it’s hard to say really, after all, encountering ’ape dung’ is not an easy feat."

This time, not only Officer Xu made a joke, but Officer Ke from the local station also joined in the fun. Indeed, he took it to heart afterward and began to make an effort to foster a connection with Zhao Jia’an. After all, not everyone could have a daughter who receives the favor of such a distinguished person, right?

With both men interested, they naturally hit it off. Of course, that was to come later.

For the moment, looking at their little girl still vigilant like a scared bird, guarding against her own parents "stealing" her things, Zhao Jia’an and Cao Xinyu couldn’t laugh.

"Sweetheart, rest assured and keep the item. Mom and Dad won’t take it away without your permission. In the future, Dad will definitely make lots of money, and we can buy as many of those as you want." Zhao Jia’an and Cao Xinyu felt a profound heartache, especially unhappy. Especially upon seeing their daughter’s face light up in an instant, Zhao Jia’an felt all the more a surge of ambition stirring within him.