207 - I Don’t Want to Be Turned Into the Female Protagonist by the System
### Chapter 207: Wang Dahua In a high-end residential area in Shanxi. A plump woman dressed in luxurious attire angrily hurled a cup across the room, her voice echoing with fury, "Worthless fools, all of them!" After speaking, she irritably raked her fingers through her hair, the styled red waves resembling the tentacles of a wicked creature from the Ultraman series. This middle-aged woman was Wang Dahua. While her name might not be recognized locally, mention her as the wife of the wealthy mine owner Yang Daming, and her notoriety is more apparent. Known for her domineering reputation, Wang Dahua was troubled. Just yesterday, in her quest to increase production, she had ordered her workers to extract minerals despite the rain. Unexpectedly, the rainfall was too heavy, causing a minor collapse at the mining site. Although none of the workers faced life-threatening injuries, several were hurt, with two suffering severe fractures. The thought of the exorbitant medical bills and halted operations for the coming days gave Wang Dahua a headache. Moreover, she was now consumed with avoiding any report of workplace injuries to the labor bureau by these laborers. Presently, the agricultural workers on site had limited education and mistakenly believed a rural individual like them couldn't challenge a large company. They were unaware, however, that current laws are heavily in favor of protecting labor rights. But Wang Dahua wouldn't be kindly educating them. This was not the first time she had dealt with such incidents; she was already devising a strategy to pacify the workers. Just hold out for one year. Once the reporting period for workplace injuries expires, there’ll be no ties to the company. At that moment, her phone rang. It was a friend of her husband’s from Su City. Strangely, she had just spoken to Yang Daming yesterday, but today he was unreachable. Upon answering, Wang Dahua finally understood the situation. With each passing minute, her expression darkened. Her husband had attempted to intimidate someone by hiring thugs, but the thugs were caught before making contact and ended up implicating him instead. Furthermore, the officials he sought for help in resolving the issue ended up being arrested too. What in the world was happening? Although she was from Shanxi, Wang Dahua was aware of how cautious her husband was in such dealings. He had often resorted to threats against local mining farmers, so why did this tactic fail in Su City? Could it be a matter of insufficient bribes? That didn’t seem right either. The more she thought about it, the more determined Wang Dahua felt about heading to Su City. If Yang Daming didn’t return, she couldn’t manage the vast mining operations all by herself. Moreover, their son Yang Ming hadn’t even graduated college yet. A criminal record would certainly hinder his future prospects. After instructing some subordinates to appease the workers, she hurriedly booked a flight to Su City. Wang Dahua had seen a video of that young girl Su Qi dancing. She speculated that it had to have been the public outcry sparked by netizens that prompted the police to investigate, leading to her husband's arrest. It's not too late. The hearing is set for Wednesday, news from the phone call made her realize that if she could ruin Su Qi’s reputation in these few days, it might turn out beneficial. Thinking of the comments painting her as pure in the bullet screens, juxtaposed with the generous tips she received in the video, Wang Dahua mused. If she could sway opinions to brand Su Qi as materialistic and greedy, could she clear her son’s name? Perhaps they might even pin a false accusation on that girl. Although such charges would be minor compared to her own child's offenses, she envisioned the bold-faced girl undergoing a miserable experience. --- “Xiao Qi, time for dinner.” Lu Ran, observing her daughter, holding chopsticks and deep in thought over a bowl of rice, reminded her gently. "Hmm? Oh." Su Qi glanced at her mother, nodded, and then turned her attention back to the food. Seeing her daughter’s worried expression, Lu Ran understood it likely stemmed from news about her brother’s aid mission to Henan. This little girl was often too empathetic. However, she could relate, remembering how Su Qi had rushed home overnight upon hearing of Su Lujun’s illness. The girl had always been on the slim side, and if she continued to eat so little, she’d become skin and bones. Contemplating this, Lu Ran reassured her, “You don’t need to worry about your fifth brother. He’s in the armed police, mainly there to maintain order, so his safety isn’t a concern. With advanced technology and thorough precautionary measures, especially for units with pre-set combat targets like him, they are well-prepared." Lu Ran gently patted Su Qi's head. Hearing her mother's words and reasoning, Su Qi felt reassured. This was merely a precautionary deployment, after all. As she calmed down, Lu Ran shifted the conversation, turning on the TV, “Come on, let’s see your brother’s latest show, 'The Happy Heroes and Lovers'. The finale aired yesterday. He said you’d appear on TV as well. Let’s take a look!” Su Qi nodded slightly in embarrassment. The thought of seeing herself on TV, especially with her mom watching, made her feel a bit ashamed. Once the TV was on, Su Qi marveled at its numerous features, much like a computer’s Bilibili platform, allowing viewers to watch anything anytime, without bothersome ads, and even variety shows were neatly organized for browsing. Of course, that required a subscription. Having gone to university, it was her first time watching TV, as she usually relied on computers and smartphones. This made the experience surprisingly fresh. The larger screen was pleasingly comfortable for viewing. Lu Ran expertly navigated the remote and quickly found "The Happy Heroes and Lovers," starring Su Siyang, in the television drama section. On the promo screen, Su Siyang and Ouyang Nana were presented as a dashing couple in traditional costumes. As the 35th episode began, Su Qi was surprised to find herself able to understand the plot quite well. Watching her brother's composed demeanor in the drama reminded Su Qi of his aloofness during her days as a boy. Comparatively now, she considered Su Siyang to be somewhat two-faced. Nonetheless, the drama was visually captivating, filled with handsome men and beautiful women, offering a visual treat regardless of the storyline. Especially for an audience like Lu Ran’s, the 'mom-fan'. “Xiao Qi, doesn’t your brother look pretty cool here?” “And doesn’t this chancellor in the show look a bit like your dad?” Lu Ran playfully commented while watching, making it clear that she genuinely relished TV dramas. As the protagonists solidify their standing in the court and decide to retire from public life, the 35th episode reached its conclusion, introducing: Sixteen years later... The TV transitioned to a girl's soft voice. The view panned down to a quaint cabin hidden in a valley. It was summer, and the valley was brimming with blossoming peach trees. A gentle wind blew, causing peach petals to drift down from the branches, the scene gracefully leading into a courtyard. At that moment, a young girl clad in a green Hanfu, her slender sword in hand, danced into the frame like a sprite. Her movements were light, her figure graceful, each thrust and parry akin to a series of exquisite paintings.