“Did you hear?! Professor Liu has been reported.”

“Who said that?! When did it happen?!”

“Just recently, I heard it from someone too.”

“Professor Liu was reported too?! What is going on these days?”

“Exactly, it’s terrifying. Professor Su just got sent away, and now it’s Professor Liu’s turn.”

“How are we supposed to keep attending classes like this?! It’s making everyone anxious.”

“Yeah.”

“No one knows where Professor Su and his family were sent, and now it looks like Professor Liu won’t escape the same fate.”

“Who knows. Since the whole Su family got relocated, maybe the same will happen to Liu’s family?”

“I don’t think Professor Liu’s wife and children would be willing to go with him. Just wait and see—they might even cut ties with him.”

“Better for one person to suffer than for the whole family. At least the rest can keep their jobs and stay in the city. Everyone knows which choice to make.”

“Well, Professor Qiao and Miss Su still took their two kids with them when they followed Professor Su into relocation—not everyone’s like that.”

“Professor Qiao’s family has assets. Even if they cut ties, they probably couldn’t avoid it anyway.”

…

Professor Liu Mingliang had only been taken away for less than an hour when the residents of the university family compound heard the news.

People gathered and couldn’t help but sigh and whisper.

There was a general feeling of “when the rabbit dies, the fox grieves.”

But for those who were well-informed and knew some of Liu Mingliang’s past, they only thought: “Evil gets what it deserves. Sooner or later, retribution comes.”

In the Liu household, at the family compound:

Liu Mingliang’s wife, son, and daughter-in-law also got the news and hurried home in a panic.

“Mom, we have to cut ties with Dad. Otherwise, the whole family will be sent away.”

“Yeah, Mom, we can’t get sent down! I heard they make you work like crazy, you don’t get enough food, and the place you live in is worse than what animals get.”

“It’s better for one person to be sent away than the whole family. We can still send Dad money and supplies later. If we all get relocated, who will send us things?”

“Mom, we need to act fast. If our workplaces find out about this, they might fire us too.”

“I—I’ll listen to you. Let your dad go alone. We’ll send him more money and goods later.”

“Yes, Mom! Before they come searching the house, let’s quickly hide all the money and coupons.”

“Alright.”

…

They didn’t even hesitate for ten seconds.

Liu Mingliang’s wife, son, and daughter-in-law quickly reached an agreement.

First, they hid anything valuable in the house.

Then, they went straight to the newspaper to publish a notice cutting family ties.

After that, following her son’s advice, Liu Mingliang’s wife took their marriage certificate and rushed to the neighborhood committee to file for divorce.

Once the Liu family had everything sorted, they hurried off in all directions to get things done.

Their frantic rush left the other residents puzzled—no one could figure out what they were doing in such a panic.

Especially Sister Lu.

When she heard that Liu Mingliang had been reported, her first thought was: “Karma!”

She never expected that man would face such a day, and the retribution came so fast.

By noon, Liu Mingliang was already escorted back by members of the Red Armband team. His face was bruised and swollen, hair disheveled, one arm of his glasses broken.

Liu Mingliang’s expression was dark and twisted.

His eyes were bloodshot, he limped as he walked, and his clothes were dirty and torn in places.

“I won’t get divorced! I won’t! How dare you abandon me…”

“Shameless! How could you do this to me? You can’t treat me like this…”

He looked devastated, mumbling to himself all the way back to the doorstep.

No one dared to stand outside and watch.

Everyone hid quietly in their homes, peeking through deliberately opened windows to see what was happening outside.

When they saw Liu Mingliang’s state, the whole compound fell into another wave of sighs and silence.

Not long after, loud noises came from inside the Liu home.

In less than an hour, the Red Armbands left—empty-handed, with almost nothing taken.