Can a System Have Bad Intentions? - Chapter 139

Hearing Lu Tang’s name mentioned by the innkeeper, Zhou Jing’s dead heart began to pound wildly.

Licking his dry, cracked lips, his voice trembled.

“I… I don’t know. He was wronged too. If he got out, maybe… maybe I can get out too.”

His once lifeless eyes now showed a cautious hope for life and the future, his fingers gripping the wooden bars tightly.

Seeing him like this, the innkeeper felt a pang of sorrow. He reached through the cell bars and lightly gripped Zhou Jing’s shoulder. “If you can get out, I’ll hold onto the inn for you. I won’t sell it.”

Zhou Jing shook his head.

The innkeeper, however, cut him off, “If it weren’t for you, I would have drowned in the river long ago. I’m not good at running an inn. Without you these past years, the inn has been struggling. The reason I’ve held onto it is that I hoped you would come out and take it over.”

A person imprisoned for years, even if they are eventually exonerated and released, is often so out of touch with the world that they have forgotten how to survive.

They become strangers to society, and society to them.

Even if they try to reintegrate, will society truly accept them?

To most people, he would still be a convict.

With no background, no power, no status, who would care whether he was wrongfully convicted? Who would care about the injustices he suffered? Who would care that his original intent was to save someone?

Public opinion focuses only on what it wants to celebrate. As for the truth about the individuals involved, no one cares.

People revel in the injustices, the truths, the outcries against the authorities, but when the real truth emerges, they disperse.

You become nothing more than a topic of idle gossip, a passing sigh.

If it weren’t for Zhou Jing’s son getting married to someone of high status, and the innkeeper wanting to give him a better start, he wouldn’t consider selling the inn.

Of course, he still preferred to leave the inn for Zhou Jing.

This was his path to a new life.

If Zhou Jing hadn’t found him drowning and saved him, he would have been a ghost in the river long ago.

Zhou Jing’s rescue during that bitter winter almost cost him his life with a high fever for half a month.

“Don’t refuse me. If you get out, the inn will be your place to live and work. Besides, you just got out of prison, and it’s not a good time to meet Little Ye and his mother.”

Though he didn’t explain why Zhou Jing shouldn’t meet his family yet, Zhou Jing understood.

“Brother, thank you for taking care of them all these years. Whether I can get out is still uncertain. You should sell the inn, move to Yingyang, and open a small shop. Treat Little Ye as your own grandson and let him take care of you in your old age.”

Overwhelmed with mixed emotions, Zhou Jing found it hard to bear. After saying this, he waved his hand, “Don’t visit me anymore. Just live well. Go on, do what you need to do. Leave.”

Fearful he might break down, Zhou Jing pushed the innkeeper away and moved to sit against the wall, saying nothing more.

Understanding Zhou Jing’s character, the innkeeper sighed, leaving the food behind, “Eat something. Maybe you’ll be out in a day or two. Also…”

He hesitated.

He wanted to say that Boss Dou’s friend visited the inn a few days ago, and that Xie Chengnian and Xie Yu had stayed there. There was some commotion that night, and the young master who bought the inn was there too.

He had discreetly found out that Xie Chengnian had disappeared, taken somewhere unknown, but Xie Yu was with the young master, apparently as friends.

Unlike the rest of the Xie family, Xie Yu was different, indicating the young master could be trusted.

Perhaps Zhou Jing could really be released.

Holding onto this hope, he didn’t say it, fearing that if Zhou Jing’s hopes were crushed, he might fall ill in prison.

Boss Dou, given the task by Lu Tang to investigate the Prosperity Inn, casually mentioned it to Du Zhongming, who then informed Qin Mo.

Qin Mo, reading a letter from the capital, set it down and lightly furrowed his brow, “What’s the location of the Prosperity Inn?”

Du Zhongming replied, “For a regular inn, the location is a bit remote. But for a boutique, high-end route, it’s perfect. It’s quiet and charming, near the back lake. With good decoration, it can be a unique spot in Yuhang.”

Qin Mo pondered. The Qiao Family Inns catered to both mid-range and high-end clients. He wondered if the little fool could think of such things.

“Find a chance to remind him.”

Du Zhongming’s look was complex, “If he opens an inn, it would be a competitor to ours. We also have a high-end section.”

Qin Mo met his gaze, “If his inn doesn’t succeed, I might have to make you give yours to him.”

Du Zhongming:!

“I’ll go remind him now. If he needs anything, I’m at his beck and call to ensure it’s ready in three days!”

While it wasn’t feasible to open in three days, as the Qiao Family Inns had a unique style that couldn’t be quickly replicated, Du Zhongming was determined to help.

After finalizing the sale with the Prosperity Inn’s owner, Lu Tang tasked Yuan Bao with sourcing suitable materials around Yuhang.

She and Du Zhongming shared similar ideas, or perhaps even more ambitious ones. She aimed for more than just a high-end inn.

With Du Zhongming’s enthusiastic help, from beds to luxurious quilts, from cups and bowls to chefs and staff, everything fell into place smoothly.

Initially, Xu Shen and Liang Cheng worried that Xie Jin’s father might cause trouble, but they didn’t see any of the Xie family.

Even Xie Yu was rarely seen, buried in his books, enjoying his solitude.

During the inn’s renovation, Lu Tang provided systematic training for the kitchen staff, so when the inn was ready, they could start immediately.

Now, all that was missing were an accountant and a manager.

Du Zhongming recommended several people, but Lu Tang turned them down. On the fourth day of the renovation, news of Huang Yunsheng’s arrival in Yuhang reached Lu Tang. That afternoon, she brought a food box to the jail.

Since the visit from the innkeeper, Zhou Jing had been anxiously awaiting any news. Seeing Lu Tang suddenly appear, he stared at her, unable to speak.

Lu Tang saw the red veins in Zhou Jing’s eyes and handed the food box through the bars.

“I’m here to discuss something.”

Lu Tang squatted at the cell door.

“I’ve taken over the Prosperity Inn where you used to work. It’s now part of the Qiao Family Inns.”

Zhou Jing stared at Lu Tang, his heart pounding.

Lu Tang continued gently, “When you get out, I want you to manage it for me. Will you?”

Zhou Jing’s eyes widened, and tears began to fall, not just a trickle, but in large, rolling drops.

Getting out?

Was it possible?