126: Daqiang demands a huge sum of money for retirement; the three men's scheme is thwarted by everyone else.

At 3:00 PM on Wednesday, downstairs from the accounting firm where Zhu Li worked, a light rain had just passed, leaving the ground damp. Su Daqiang, wrapped in a newly changed waterproof coat, sat on the steps wailing loudly while holding a cardboard sign that read: 'Seeking Retirement Money from Former Daughter-in-law; Heartless Manager Refuses Filial Piety.' Zhu Li had just come downstairs—clutching her newly issued audit project bonus card (28,000 yuan after tax) and planning to deposit it in the bank—when she was caught right in the middle of this scene.

"Zhu Li! You've finally come down!" Seeing her, Su Daqiang immediately scrambled up and grabbed her wrist, his nails scratching her skin until it turned red. "These old bones of mine are failing, I need to save some retirement money for emergencies! You just got your bonus, give me twenty thousand. Mingzhe told you to be more understanding, and Mingcheng also said you should show some filial piety!"

Zhu Li frowned in pain from the grip and tried to shake him off, only to have her arm grabbed by Su Mingcheng from the side: "Zhu Li, Dad is right. Your salary is high now, what's twenty thousand to you? If you don't give it, I'll go to 'Shengtong Technology,' the company you're auditing, and make a scene! I'll say you took bribes from clients and ruin your project!"

Just as Su Mingcheng finished speaking, Zhu Li's mobile phone rang. It was a video call from Su Mingzhe. He was wearing a newly bought cashmere sweater, with a high-end American apartment in the background: "Zhu Li, Dad is getting old, just be more understanding. I have to pay property taxes recently and really can't spare any money. You cover for Dad first, and I'll pay you back later."

The three of them pulled and tugged, playing off each other and pushing Zhu Li until tears welled up in her eyes. More and more passersby gathered around, some taking out their phones to snap photos. In her desperation, Zhu Li pulled out her mobile phone and dialed Mr. Xie's number first, her voice trembling with a sob: "Mr. Xie, Su Daqiang is downstairs forcing me to give him twenty thousand yuan in retirement money. Su Mingcheng is threatening me, and Su Mingzhe is using moral kidnapping from afar. Please come and help me!"

"Don't panic, I'll be there in three minutes!" Xie Hui's voice came through the receiver—he had just finished helping Su Mingyu resolve a minor supplier issue at the Company Name. In his car was a cup of hot milk tea he had bought specifically for Zhu Li, knowing she received her bonus today. "Don't let them touch your bonus card, I'm almost there!"

Hanging up the phone, Zhu Li gritted her teeth and stuffed the bonus card into her inner pocket: "This money is what I earned through hard work, I won't give it to you!"

"You dare to resist?" Su Mingcheng reached out to search her pocket, but Zhu Li dodged him. "If you don't give the money today, we aren't leaving!"

Su Daqiang also sat down on the ground, slapping his thighs and crying: "No one cares about these old bones! My daughter-in-law won't give money, my son won't look after me, what's the point of living!"

Just then, Xie Hui's car pulled up to the curb. He walked over quickly, grabbed Su Mingcheng's wrist with his right hand, and gave it a gentle twist—using the force-deflecting technique from the Nine Yin Manual he learned in the condor heroes world. Su Mingcheng immediately let out a howl of pain and obediently let go.

"Su Mingcheng, I warned you last time: touch Zhu Li again and I'll cripple one of your hands. Did it go in one ear and out the other?" Xie Hui's tone was cold as ice, his gaze sweeping over the sign in Su Daqiang's hand. "Retirement money? I think you want it to pay off your gambling debts, don't you?"

Su Mingcheng's face instantly turned pale: "Don't talk nonsense! What gambling debts?"

"Whether you have them or not, one look at this will tell." Xie Hui pulled a collection notice out of his inner universe. The words 'Su Mingcheng owes 30,000 in gambling debt, to be paid within 3 days' were particularly glaring. "This was just delivered to the Su Family Old Residence by the casino this morning. Did you think no one knew?"

Su Daqiang hurriedly grabbed the collection notice and tore it up: "This is fake! Mingcheng stopped gambling a long time ago!"

"Fake?" Xie Hui took out his phone and played a recording—one he had made yesterday using 'Time Stop.' Su Daqiang, Su Mingzhe, and Su Mingcheng were at the Su Family Old Residence discussing: 'Zhu Li gets her bonus today. Dad, you go make a scene and say you want retirement money; Mingzhe, you persuade her remotely; Mingcheng, you threaten her. Once we get the money, pay off Mingcheng's gambling debt first, and Dad, you save the rest.' In the recording, Su Daqiang could even be heard saying, 'I'll just say my heart feels uncomfortable, she's soft-hearted and will definitely give in'; while Su Mingzhe said, 'I'll say I'm paying property taxes so she'll be too embarrassed to refuse.'

The moment the recording played, Su Daqiang's crying stopped instantly. Su Mingzhe quickly turned off his camera on the video call, and Su Mingcheng hung his head, not daring to speak. Looking at the phone, Zhu Li was shaking with rage: "You actually conspired to trick me out of my bonus! I will never give you another cent!"

"You have to give it even if you don't want to!" Su Mingcheng still tried to struggle, but Xie Hui pinned his shoulder, rendering him unable to move. "I'm telling you, Zhu Li's bonus was earned by her own ability; you have no right to it! Furthermore, I've already checked—Su Daqiang, you have fifty thousand yuan in retirement savings in your bank account that Mingyu gave you last year. You aren't short of money at all!"

Xie Hui took Su Daqiang's bank statement out of his briefcase, where the 'Balance: 50,000 Yuan' was clearly visible. Su Daqiang's face turned a purplish-red, his mouth hanging open without a word to say.

Just then, Wu Fei arrived with Xiao Mi—she had received a WeChat message from Zhu Li and, fearing something might happen, had quickly taken leave to come over. As soon as Xiao Mi saw Su Daqiang, she hid behind Wu Fei and whispered: "Mommy, Grandpa told Uncle (Su Mingcheng) yesterday that they were going to trick Auntie Zhu Li out of her money to pay gambling debts. Uncle said Grandpa has lots of money."

Xiao Mi's words were the final straw. The surrounding passersby finally understood: "So they were tricking her to pay off gambling debts! This family is too selfish!" "Accountant Zhu is so pitiful, call the police quickly!"

Su Daqiang could no longer bear the shame. He scrambled up, grabbed his sign, and ran into an alley. Su Mingcheng followed close behind, nearly tripping into a puddle as he ran. Su Mingzhe, meanwhile, hurriedly said "I have things to do" on the video call and hung up.

Watching their departing figures, Zhu Li breathed a sigh of relief. Grabbing Xie Hui's arm, she whispered: "Thank you, Mr. Xie. If it weren't for you, my bonus would definitely have been swindled away, and I would have been branded with a reputation for being unfilial."

"No need to be so polite with me." Xie Hui handed her the hot milk tea and pulled a small porcelain bottle from his inner universe. "This is a nine flower jade dew pill. You've just had a fright; taking one will calm your nerves. I've already spoken to your director. From now on, if Su Daqiang and the others come to cause trouble, the security guards will stop them downstairs and won't let them in."

Zhu Li took the milk tea and the porcelain bottle. The warmth spread from her fingertips to her heart, and her eyes grew a bit red: "I have to trouble you every time, I'm starting to feel embarrassed."

"We're friends, it's only right to help each other." Xie Hui smiled. "By the way, Mingyu just asked if you wanted to have dinner together tonight to celebrate your bonus."

Zhu Li nodded and followed Xie Hui to the car, with Wu Fei and Xiao Mi following suit. Xiao Mi tugged at the corner of Xie Hui's clothes and said softly: "Uncle, you were so amazing today! You scared away the bad Grandpa and the bad Uncle! Can I have dinner with you too?"

Xie Hui bent down to pick up Xiao Mi and said with a smile: "Of course you can. Whatever Xiao Mi wants to eat, Uncle will treat you."

That evening, Xie Hui booked a private restaurant with a cozy atmosphere. Warm yellow light spilled over the dining table. Xiao Mi sat next to Xie Hui, her face covered in strawberry cake as she ate. Su Mingyu placed a piece of sweet and sour pork rib in Xie Hui's bowl: "Thanks to you helping Zhu Li protect her bonus today, you should eat more of these ribs to nourish your body."

Zhu Li served Xie Hui a bowl of mushroom soup: "I specifically asked the chef to make this soup; it replenishes Qi and blood. You've been running around all day, you must be tired."

Wu Fei looked at the scene and said with a smile: "Xiao Mi told me today that she wants Uncle to be her 'superhero.' She said Uncle is even more capable than Daddy and can protect all of us."

Xie Hui raised his glass and said with a smile: "Come, let's have a toast! To never being bothered by the Su Family's messy affairs again, and to our lives getting better and better!"

"Cheers!" Four glasses clinked together. Xiao Mi also raised her juice box and followed along in her milky voice: "Cheers! To living a good life with Uncle, Mommy, and Aunties!"

When the gathering ended, Xie Hui drove each of them home. When he dropped Su Mingyu off at her building, she took a hand-woven keychain from her bag. It had a small 'Xie' character woven into it and was adorned with a small silver bell: "Mr. Xie, I learned how to weave this from an auntie downstairs over the weekend. Hang it on your car keys so they won't get lost easily. Thank you for always protecting me, Zhu Li, and Sister Wu."

Xie Hui took the keychain and gave it a light shake; the bell emitted a crisp sound. "I like it very much, thank you. No matter what happens in the future, I will always be here."

Su Mingyu's face instantly flushed. She turned and walked quickly into the apartment building, but after a few steps, she turned back and waved at Xie Hui. The light from the streetlamp fell on her face like a soft layer of sugar, exceptionally gentle.

On the drive home, Xie Hui touched his chest, feeling his inner universe—inside were today's recording, the collection notice, the bank statement, and that keychain with the bell. These weren't cold pieces of evidence; they were marks of his protection over the three female leads, and even more, proof of them slowly escaping the shadows of their original families and finding their own strength.

He knew that the three men of the Su Family might still be unwilling to give up and might still try various ways to cause trouble. But as long as he was there, no one would be able to disrupt their lives again, and no one would be able to make them suffer even a bit of grievance. As the night deepened, the car drove steadily under the streetlights, a smile remaining on Xie Hui's lips—the satisfying journey in the all is well world was still continuing. He had already begun to look forward to seeing these three women, who deserved to be treated well, completely shed all their burdens and bloom with their own most dazzling radiance. And he would always be their most solid support, accompanying them through every stretch of the road and welcoming every hopeful tomorrow.