Xie Bingyan, with a determined look, turned to Xu Wanting. “Eldest, immediately notify the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth siblings to see who might have lost something. I want to know how much money Xu Mo has taken from the house.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Wanting felt even more desolate. She cleared her throat and said, “The third sibling mentioned losing a ring worth thirty thousand yuan. The fourth and others haven’t reported anything missing.”

“What about you?” Xie Bingyan asked, fixing her gaze on Xu Wanting.

Shaking her head, Xu Wanting replied, “I haven’t lost anything. Also, Mom, the missing ring from the third sibling can’t definitively be linked to Xu Mo. It might have been lost carelessly outside.”

“Damn it!”

“In addition, the police investigated Xu Mo yesterday! It seems he made quite a bit of money during these recent events!” Xu Wanting added after a moment of contemplation.

“How did he make money?” Xie Bingyan, frustrated by the lack of evidence, felt a mix of embarrassment and anger.

“He was reselling live shrimp and crabs at the market, reportedly bought before the storm hit at lower prices and sold for almost double the profit afterward! I estimate he made tens of thousands of yuan! Additionally, a few days ago, he and his friends hoarded bananas and longans. The police mentioned that the prices of bananas and longans doubled, and Xu Mo took advantage of the price difference to earn tens of thousands more!” Xu Wanting explained.

“What?”

Upon hearing this, both Xie Bingyan and Xu Deming were surprised. In their minds, Xu Mo had always been a failure. How could he make money? They never imagined he could outearn even their eldest daughter, Xu Wanting, or their second daughter, Xu Xuehui, let alone their youngest son, Xu Junzhe.

Could he really profit from reselling like that?

“This is the result of the police investigation! There is also some footage. During the storm days, he didn’t disappear but was actively running around to make money!” Xu Wanting patiently explained.

Xie Bingyan paused, then sneered, “No wonder he was so bold earlier! Daring to point a knife at your father and me! So he made money, feeling more confident now, thinking his wings are strong enough to fly solo!”

“Mom, this time Xu Mo might be serious! He may not intend to come back to our family!” Xu Wanting sniffled.

“If he doesn’t come back, where can he go? Making a few tens of thousands, he thinks he’s someone! Let me tell you, without our Xu family, he’s nothing!” Xie Bingyan seethed, gritting her teeth. “He’ll come back sooner or later, and this time, I will make sure he submits completely!”

“Wanting, do you happen to know anything else?” Xu Deming calmed down, furrowing his brow as he looked at Xu Wanting.

Xu Wanting glanced at her father, paused for a moment, then shook her head slightly. “I don’t have any other information.”

Xu Deming frowned, his subconscious telling him that Xu Wanting definitely knew something more but was choosing not to disclose it. For now, he decided not to press further.

“Oh, by the way! Where is Xu Mo living now? Did he rent a place?” Xie Bingyan suddenly remembered something.

Xu Wanting nodded, “He rented a place in the outskirts of the city!”

“Uncle Li, Uncle Li!” Xie Bingyan immediately called out to Uncle Li.

“Madam, are you calling for me?” Uncle Li approached.

Xie Bingyan exclaimed, “Take Xiao Li and go to the outskirts of the city immediately. Contact the police, find the house Xu Mo rented! I want him to have nowhere to stay!”

Upon hearing the instructions, Uncle Li appeared hesitant, glancing at Xu Deming for guidance.

Xu Deming also seemed uncertain.

Uncle Li spoke up hurriedly, “Madam, about Young Master Mo…” He hesitated for a moment, then continued, “Young Master Mo will be taking the college entrance exams in two months. If he has nowhere to stay, it might affect his exams. Wouldn’t that be regrettable?”

“He’s taking the college entrance exams? What can he possibly achieve? He’s just a good-for-nothing. What university could he possibly get into? I want him to regret this!” Xie Bingyan snapped.

Uncle Li glanced at Xu Deming, who remained silent, indicating his agreement with Xie Bingyan.

After pondering for a moment, Uncle Li sighed, “Master, Madam, Miss, you might not be aware of Young Master Mo’s grades. Actually… his academic performance is quite good. It’s not necessarily worse than Young Master Junzhe’s!”

“What?”

This revelation left the three of them in shock.

Xu Wanting quickly turned to Uncle Li, “Uncle Li, you know about Xu Mo’s grades?”

“Miss, after Young Master Mo entered high school, he worked hard in his studies, so his academic performance has always been excellent! At No. 27 High School, he’s one of the top students and ranks among the top two hundred in Xiahai City. It’s just that Master, Madam, and Miss didn’t inquire about it!” Uncle Li sighed as he explained.

Xu Wanting widened her eyes, finding it hard to believe.

“When did this happen?”

“Since he started high school,” Uncle Li continued.

Upon hearing this, Xu Wanting hurriedly dashed outside.

“Eldest daughter, where are you going?”

“I’m going to Xu Mo’s school to find out!” Xu Wanting’s breath was quick, unwilling to stay at home any longer. She immediately left and drove off.

Xie Bingyan and Xu Deming were equally surprised by Xu Mo’s academic performance. Xie Bingyan questioned, “Uncle Li, is what you said true? Xu Mo could rank among the top two hundred in Xiahai City?”

“His grades may have improved even more in the past month! If you don’t believe me, Madam and Master, you can go ask at No. 27 High School. Young Master Mo has always been performing well academically!” Uncle Li asserted.

“We’ll go and find out!” Xie Bingyan, in disbelief, promptly took Xu Deming out with her.

The driver quickly arrived, taking them to No. 27 High School. Xu Wanting had just arrived there and swiftly found the school’s principal.

“Xu Mo? Wasn’t he an orphan? What are your identities exactly? Why are you pretending to be his relatives?” The Principal at No. 27 High School looked at the three of them suspiciously.

Xie Bingyan replied, “Why don’t you mind your own business? I want to know about Xu Mo’s academic performance.”

“Xu Mo? He’s one of the most outstanding students at our school! However, to avoid disrupting his college entrance exams, we cannot disclose specific details!” The school leader spoke cautiously.

“What’s there to hide? Just a lousy academic record? Why keep it a secret?” Xie Bingyan snapped. “Or is there something unsavory behind this secrecy?”

“What’s there to hide? Who are you people, and why are you asking about his grades?”

“I am his mother!” Xie Bingyan retorted angrily.

The school leader was taken aback. “Xu Mo has parents? Wasn’t he always an orphan? He seemed to have grown up in an orphanage!”

Observing their extravagant attire, far from typical, the leader grew even more perplexed.

“You all are dressed so elegantly. Could you really be Xu Mo’s family? Don’t joke around! Xu Mo used to not even have warm clothes to wear; he could only wear the school uniform every day! It’s said he often went hungry, and teachers even invited him to their homes for meals, like Teacher Lin Chuyu, who frequently asked Xu Mo to join them for dinner!”

“He went to the teacher’s house for dinner?” Xu Wanting was astonished.

The school leader nodded, “Xu Mo is an excellent student with outstanding grades! However, he comes from a poor background, being an orphan. Upon hearing about his circumstances, the teachers at the school felt a great deal of empathy and invited him for meals. If you claim to be Xu Mo’s family and are dressed so elegantly, why didn’t you invite him for meals? Are you pretending to be his family?”

Xu Wanting, Xie Bingyan, and the others were left speechless, their faces showing extreme discomfort.