Chapter 127: The Little Girl’s Plight (Part Two) (Third Update)

After about half an hour, Yang Hongliang had recounted the majority of the experiences concerning his daughter, Lucy, also known as Yang Nana.

The situation was roughly as follows: Yang Hongliang had actually divorced his wife, a citizen of the Ryan Federation, three years ago, a fact of which his daughter, Nana, was completely unaware. He had coaxed and deceived her into coming to France, where she had remained ever since. During this time, because she did not speak French and due to her skin color, she had been constantly bullied by other children at school. Although Yang was aware of this and had made some efforts to intervene, he had failed to secure a healthy environment for her. He had considered sending her back to the Ryan Federation, but feared that his ex-wife would entangle her, so out of selfishness, he kept her in France.

Yang believed the bullying was mainly due to the language barrier and assumed it would pass with time. Lacking deep affection for his daughter and preoccupied with his ranch business, he failed to notice that her situation at school had only worsened. Sometimes she would come home missing books, a sock, or a shoe; other times, she would return with bruises. Yang was heartbroken and had visited the school multiple times, even considering transferring her, but for various reasons, nothing ever changed.

Today was the worst incident yet. He had recently enrolled her in a tutoring class, and this was her first day. Yet, even there, she was bullied by girls her own age—her own classmates. Nana was reticent, and even then, she was targeted. Yang often wondered if there was something wrong with her personality, as he knew other Asian children who were not treated so poorly. Consequently, his tone when describing his daughter was consistently filled with a mix of pity and frustration.

Initially, he would get angry and scold the other children, but over time, that emotion had faded, replaced by scolding his own daughter and blaming her for her inability to change her temperament. This was the true reason the girl had become increasingly withdrawn and antisocial.

Listening to Yang’s account, Joanna grew increasingly dissatisfied. By the end, seeing that Yang’s tone was riddled with prejudice and complaints, she could no longer hold back and burst out, "Enough! Mr. Yang, I think we have heard enough about your daughter's situation; there is no need to continue."

She looked at the silent girl, who was being held by her colleague Sally, and said indignantly, "Mr. Yang, from my personal perspective, you are filled with too much complaint and prejudice toward your daughter. This is not what I wanted to hear. I believe you are not a qualified father at all, nor are you capable of raising your child well. Her predicament is largely your fault. To be honest, you are a complete jerk! Really!"

Seeing their boss angry, the surrounding staff looked embarrassed, though most wore expressions of schadenfreude toward Yang. Having gauged what kind of man he was, they naturally formed their own judgments.

Interrupted by the rebuke, Yang stood dazed, a look of guilt slowly dawning on his face. As a middle-aged man who was reasonably sensible, he could see his own faults upon reflection. "Yes, perhaps I am not a good father, but I don't think I am as terrible as you describe," he sighed. He looked at his daughter, who remained silent, and then lowered his head in utter defeat. His current wife simply watched, reaching out to hold his hand in comfort.

Seeing his wife and the baby in her arms, who was nearly stirred awake, Joanna took a deep breath to calm herself. She felt a deep sense of compassion for the girl, as her own childhood was difficult—her parents had divorced when she was a teenager, leading to a complete estrangement. A spirit of self-reliance was deeply embedded in her soul.

Looking at the girl now, and recalling the photo she had seen of her laughing on the back of a giant salamander, Joanna reached a conclusion: the girl’s personality was not as flawed as her father claimed; her withdrawal was merely a defensive reaction because she could not open up to others. She was a strong girl.

With this evaluation, Joanna made a decision. "Fine, I have no interest in your family affairs, but we have other plans for your daughter. I need to speak with her alone now. If you are dissatisfied, you are welcome to file a complaint against me later."

Without waiting for his response, she signaled Sally to take the girl outside. She strode out, leaving her team behind to keep an eye on Yang and prevent any potential outbursts. However, Yang did not move. He simply watched his daughter’s retreating back, then looked at the strangers in his home. Why would the Security Bureau be so concerned about his daughter? It didn't make sense.

As an adult and a successful businessman, he regained control of his emotions quickly. After recovering from his initial dejection, he picked up his phone to call the police right in front of these people, who seemed entirely unbothered. He didn't actually want to call the police; he just wanted to verify their identities.

His worries proved unnecessary. When he made the call, one of the agents took the phone and spoke to the police in a code Yang could not understand. When the police finally instructed Yang to cooperate, his last shred of doubt vanished.