Reborn As Super Heiress

The emcee’s body was quickly removed, but the bloodstain on the stage remained, cordoned off by the police on the ground.

Shi Ronghe and Jiang Yindao also came rushing over upon hearing the news. Seeing the situation, Shi Ronghe’s face turned pale, his whole body trembling, as he vowed to bring those criminals to justice.

After Huo Sining and Gu Xu finished their statements, they also approached the stage area. Since both of them had military IDs, and because of their close relationship with Mr. Shi, the police did not hinder them.

Upon reaching the stage, Huo Sining’s first glance landed on the pile of shattered pieces of the ancient guqin on the stage.

"Old He, I’m truly sorry for this."

Seeing these fragments, Shi Ronghe’s face revealed even more guilt and embarrassment, a sense of unspeakable remorse welled up inside him.

Mr. He, the owner of the guqin, simply sat stupefied in front of the fragments, unable to react for a long time.

No one else knew how to offer comfort.

This guqin had fetched a price of 45 million in the recent auction, and now it was shattered like this. No one knew who would be accountable for this loss.

Could Changnan Porcelain Research Society possibly take the responsibility? Huo Sining did not think a public institution would shoulder such a blame, not to mention a research society couldn’t possibly afford such a sum.

But could the owner of the guqin just bear such a huge loss?

Huo Sining sighed softly in his heart.

Beside him, some police had already begun registering information about the guqin, but since Mr. He remained silent, Shi Ronghe had to step in and provide all the specific details and supplements about the guqin.

"This guqin is over a thousand years old, perfectly preserved. Old He is a guqin lover and has always cherished this guqin. However, he took the initiative to find me, willing to put it up for auction, and I assured him that nothing would go wrong."

"He fully trusted me, but I failed to keep my promise. I truly... as an old friend, I feel I’ve let him down."

Tears welled up in Shi Ronghe’s eyes. After a moment’s thought, he approached Mr. He and said, "Old He, the item is gone, but as your old buddy, I can’t break my word to you. I’ll compensate you the 45 million, even if I have to sell everything I own. I can’t let you bear this loss. Rest assured, the children’s matters, we won’t let their hopes be dashed."

These words finally drew a reaction from Mr. He, who turned to look at Shi Ronghe, suddenly calling out, "Rong He...," and once he started speaking, his pent-up anguish burst forth. The old man, who had reached the age of fifty or sixty, leaned into Mr. Shi’s arms, tears flowing freely.

"You know, this guqin has been with me for decades. If not for the children, I wouldn’t have been willing to bring it out... now it’s shattered like this, my heart aches..."

Mr. He cried while shouting hoarsely.

Tears also brimmed in Shi Ronghe’s eyes. He nodded and said, "I know, of course, I know, otherwise I wouldn’t have agreed to let you bring the guqin to this auction. I’m aware of the children’s situation; you’re a good headmaster, but you shouldn’t have to carry all this alone."

"I have no other way... I can’t harden my heart... When I see those children, I think of Zhou’er... I wish I could give him everything I have..."

The two old men held each other and cried, but no one mocked them. Everyone’s eyes showed pity and anger, filled with fury and hatred toward the two robbers.

Although the dialogue between Mr. Shi and Mr. He wasn’t extensive and left outsiders confused, Huo Sining vaguely picked up on something from it.

It seemed that Mr. He had auctioned this guqin not out of greed for money, but to help a group of children.

No one knew exactly what Mr. He did, but hearing Shi Ronghe call him a good headmaster, Huo Sining could roughly guess the old man’s identity.

Indeed, as if to confirm his suspicions, some who recognized Mr. He had already begun whispering among themselves.

"This Mr. He, named He Fuye, is a tone-deaf individual known in Changnan as an old artist. However, luck wasn’t on his side. He had a son late in life, bringing joy to the whole family, but his son died young. Later, his wife couldn’t bear the pain of losing their son, fell ill, and soon passed away, leaving Mr. He all alone."

"You’re talking about him? Now that you mention it, it rings a bell. You’re referring to Mr. He, the headmaster of Mingzhou Welfare Home. I’ve heard this gentleman personally funded the construction of the home, taking in abandoned and disabled children, providing them with living and educational conditions at no charge. Many people have talked about it—so it was him."

"Yes, indeed. This old headmaster is kind-hearted and treats the children well. I’ve even visited the welfare home myself. Those kids are cared for even better than children in regular families..."

Hearing these discussions, Huo Sining had understood the whole story, and he looked at this headmaster with growing respect.

Even after losing his own child prematurely, this elder did not wallow in despair. Instead, he transformed his love for his child into a greater love, aiding more children in need of care and protection. He even went as far as auctioning his beloved guqin. How could such selflessness not be admired?

The auction, primarily focused on modern artifacts, unexpectedly led to a robbery and murder due to a guqin. How could it not catch the attention of the police? Plus, many of the guests present were individuals of some standing and influence in their respective fields, prompting the police to act more swiftly than usual.

Two hours later, the recording of the guests’ statements and information registration was completed, and the police began analyzing and investigating the incident.

Due to the chaotic scene at the time, none of the guests noticed how exactly the guqin got shattered. Even Mr. He and Mr. Shi presumed that the thieves, upon hearing armed police outside declaring they were surrounded, fled in panic, unintentionally breaking the guqin.

Only Huo Sining clearly saw the process and details of the incident. With the Water-Repelling Pearl and the Heavenly Eye activated, while Huo Sining couldn’t achieve night vision, his eyesight at night was far better than an ordinary person. Thus, under those circumstances, only Huo Sining barely managed to witness what exactly happened on stage.