PB - Chapter 66
Chapter 66
It was already eleven at night when Gu Mingyi emerged from the bar. Flushed from the alcohol, he loosened his collar, and the cold wind that rushed into his clothes brought a moment of pleasant relief. For the past few days, he had been carousing with Jin Zhiyu, subtly trying to sound out Jin Zhihuan’s thoughts. He had come to agree with Qi Simiao’s assessment: Jin Zhihuan was indeed arrogant, conceited, and indecisive.
He stumbled home, drunk, and was startled by Gu Yong’s voice the moment he walked in. “Where have you been messing around until this time of night?” Gu Yong scolded.
Gu Mingyi walked over to the sofa. It was clear Gu Yong had been waiting for him specifically. “Dad, you scared me to death,” he said as he sat down. “I just finished a social engagement with Jin Zhihuan.”
“Jin Zhihuan?” Gu Yong was skeptical. “You’ve been leaving early and coming back late for over half a month. Has it all been with him?”
Gu Mingyi had always been a man without his own ideas, and with Qi Simiao still refusing to reveal her specific plans, his heart was in a state of tormented suspense with no outlet. He glanced at Gu Yong several times, wanting to speak but hesitating. Gu Yong knew he had something to say but didn't dare, so he pressed him impatiently, “If you have something to say, just say it.”
Gu Mingyi recounted his recent dealings with Qi Simiao and Jin Zhihuan. Gu Yong fell into deep thought. He had been the president of Rongfang for over a decade, only to be exiled to the board of directors by a young woman he had watched grow up. Then he’d had to sell off his shares to pay his son’s gambling debts. Now, his assets had shrunk, and he was already hollowed out on the inside.
He looked at Gu Mingyi with a complex expression. Though they were father and son, their beginnings were different. Gu Mingyi was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, whereas he had relied on his own intelligence and ruthless tactics in his youth to suppress Gu Feng and seize the presidency.
Seeing his father remain silent for a long time, Gu Mingyi asked tentatively, “Dad, what do you think?”
“It’s a good idea.” Gu Yong had his own plans. “With Jin Zhihuan, just do as Qi Simiao says,” he said in a low voice. “As for Gu Jianchu, we’ll handle her ourselves.”
Gu Mingyi was pleasantly surprised. “You mean?”
“You need to keep clear records of the money Jin Zhihuan gives you. With him involved, that old master of the Jin family won’t make a fuss even if something goes wrong, all to protect his eldest grandson.” A cold smile appeared on Gu Yong’s face. “As for Gu Jianchu, use Qi Simiao to get her under control first.”
“So you mean we deal with Qiao Qi and Gu Jianchu at the same time?”
“You’re finally using your brain,” Gu Yong said, glaring at him. “You’re not as capable as Gu Jianchu, and you’re not as ruthless as Qi Simiao. If I had known you’d be this useless, I would have had a daughter instead.”
“Dad, this isn’t the time to blame me. So how do you want to deal with them both?”
“I’ll give you a phone number. For the right price, he’ll do anything for you.” Gu Yong cursed irritably, “Useless thing, being led around by a woman. Remember, from now on, you report everything to me first.” He glanced at the weariness on his son’s face, and his tone finally softened. “Go get some rest.”
Lying in bed, Gu Mingyi tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep well. The next day, he called the number Gu Yong had given him and found the man. His name was Lao He. On the phone, the man gave nothing away upon hearing his identity, only insisting they talk in person. When Gu Mingyi finally met Lao He, he understood his father’s intentions. The salt Gu Yong had eaten in his life had made him far more ruthless.
Lao He was a dark-skinned man with a buzz cut and a broad face. His eyes held a fierce look. A tiger was tattooed from his shoulder to his bicep—it wasn’t refined, even a bit ugly, and it seemed to bare its fangs and claws whenever he moved. He poured tea for Gu Mingyi, his face like a smiling mask. His movements were slow and methodical, belying his appearance. “Young Master Gu,” he asked, “who is it you want us to invite for you?”
Gu Mingyi didn’t touch the teacup. “There are two people I need you to invite. I’m not sure how you negotiate your prices.”
Lao He laughed loudly. “That depends on what kind of people they are. As you know, Young Master Gu, different people mean different risks, so the price will naturally be higher or lower.”
“Qiao Qi of Ruifeng and Gu Jianchu of Rongfang.”
Lao He paused for a moment, not expecting him to name two such difficult targets right off the bat. “Those two are a bit tricky.” He saw Gu Mingyi’s disdain for the tea but his smile didn’t falter. He took a sip himself and said lightly, “Thirty million per person.” Sixty million was no small sum, and Gu Mingyi fell silent. Lao He added, “A one-third deposit, and I’ll also need your help, Young Master Gu.”
The whole point of hiring someone was to keep himself completely out of it. But sixty million was a huge amount for him right now. Gu Yong had taught him to use Jin Zhihuan, telling him not to spend a single cent of his own money. He immediately shot back, “What do you mean?”
Lao He explained with a smile, “Young Master Gu, these are two living, breathing people. We don’t have the guts to just snatch them off the street.” Seeing Gu Mingyi still hesitating, he added, “Young Master Gu, I suggest you go back and think it over. My brothers and I need to earn money, but we also need to be alive to spend it. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Right in front of Lao He, Gu Mingyi called Gu Yong and reported the price. Gu Yong said, “Put Lao He on the phone.”
Lao He took the phone, his tone extremely polite. “Master Gu,” he said quickly, “I really can’t go any lower on this price. You know who the targets are. After this job, my brothers and I will have to move. Setting up in a new place costs a lot of money.”
Gu Yong laughed on the other end. “I’m not calling to haggle over such a small amount. I’m calling to remind you that once you take the money, you’d better do the job right.”
“Of course. As soon as the deposit is in, you can rest assured.” Lao He handed the phone back and waited for the call to end before saying to Gu Mingyi, “For security reasons, Young Master Gu, we only accept cash. I hope you understand.”
“Twenty million in cash?” Gu Mingyi’s expression soured with annoyance. “What a hassle.”
Lao He maintained his smile. “Please understand, Young Master Gu.”
After leaving, Gu Mingyi went straight to Jin Zhihuan. He had to make Jin Zhihuan willingly cough up the sixty million. Jin Zhihuan hated Qiao Qi to the bone and naturally wanted her gone as soon as possible, but he had his worries. Gu Mingyi had already figured him out and reassured him repeatedly, “Brother Jin, trust me. The person I found is absolutely reliable. You just provide the money and don’t have to show your face.”
As long as he didn’t have to get involved himself, he was willing to pay. “Can you guarantee that?”
People were all the same, wanting reward without effort. Jin Zhihuan was afraid of getting himself into trouble but still wanted the benefits. Gu Mingyi, of course, had the same plan; both were scheming against the other. “Brother Jin, I’ve heard recently that Ruifeng’s future chairman will be changing soon. It doesn’t take a genius to guess who it will be.”
Jin Zhihuan slammed his hand on the table and roared, “Do you think I need you to tell me that? Go back for now. I’ll have someone send you the money. You’d better do a beautiful job and clean up your own mess.”
Gu Mingyi sneered. “Alright, Brother Jin, let’s both stop pretending. We’re brothers on the same boat with a common goal. Once this is done, we won’t have to see each other again. I’ll go back and wait for you to deliver the money.”
Gu Mingyi had been so busy with his own affairs the past two days that he had barely contacted Qi Simiao. Sensing something was off, she called him, asking bluntly, “Young Master Gu, are you backing out?”
This time, Gu Mingyi had a plan. “I’m not backing out,” he said. “I just think you’re moving too slowly, so I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Qi Simiao, you’re quite amusing. You talk about Jin Zhihuan being timid, but aren’t you the same? The most impressive thing about you is probably when you’re boasting to me. I have things to do, so I’m hanging up.”
That evening, a frantic Qi Simiao rushed to the bar to find Gu Mingyi. “What are you really going to do?”
Gu Mingyi poured her a drink and whispered in her ear, “I’m planning to find a few people to invite Gu Jianchu to a deserted place to discuss some things.”
“You’re going to kidnap Jianchu?”
“Jianchu? How intimate.” Gu Mingyi gave Qi Simiao a sidelong smile. He took a sip of his drink, piquing her curiosity. “Miaomiao, kidnapping is illegal. I said I’m inviting her.”
“Then how are you going to invite her?”
“That depends on whether you can think of a convenient and perfect way.”
Qi Simiao smiled. “Gu Mingyi, you’ve gotten smarter lately.”
Gu Mingyi clinked his glass against hers, producing a crisp sound. “Miaomiao, Jin Zhihuan is footing the bill, so we’ll both be in the clear. And I promise you, Gu Jianchu will be yours.”
Gu Mingyi was full of himself these past few days. He returned home one night reeking of alcohol, his delight written all over his face. Gu Yong shot him a glance and scolded, “You can’t keep your composure. Even if I get Rongfang back, it’ll be useless in your hands.”
Gu Mingyi was drunk and giddy from having played Jin Zhihuan and Qi Simiao for fools. He got carried away and retorted, “Dad, you’re still hale and hearty. If you really can’t stand the sight of me, hurry up and have another child. Maybe you’ll get a daughter this time.”
Gu Yong was so furious he threw his teacup. “You’re trying to kill me with anger!”
Gu Mingyi ignored his father’s rage, tugged at the collar of his shirt, and went back to his bedroom. He thought to himself that in just a few more days, he would get back everything he had lost from Gu Jianchu, with interest.
Lao He and his men tailed Gu Jianchu and Qiao Qi for several days, only to discover that Gu Jianchu had bodyguards, and they were very well hidden. Fortunately, his experience allowed him to spot them in time. Qiao Qi, on the other hand, had no one with her, but her routine was so simple that there were no opportunities to make a move along her entire route. A kidnapping job like this meant you hit once and then lay low for a while. The client had paid for two people, so they had to get them both at once.
He called Gu Mingyi, his voice obsequious. “Young Master Gu, your sister is not an easy target.”
“What do you mean?”
“You didn’t tell me from the start that she had people with her.” He seized the opportunity to raise the price. “That thirty million won’t be enough.”
“How much more?”
“Another twenty million.”
Gu Mingyi was in no mood to haggle with him. “If there’s anything else you need, tell me all at once over the phone.”
“Smart, Young Master Gu.”
Qi Simiao had Jin Zhilan steal some of Qiao Qi’s personal belongings from the Jin family residence and gave them to Gu Mingyi, who in turn passed them to Lao He. Lao He smiled and said, “I’ll still need more of your cooperation, Young Master Gu.” To be successful without being obvious and to get away clean—at the end of the day, kidnapping was a technical skill.
Lao He’s men split into two groups and followed them for days without success. But then, an opportunity appeared. That morning, Gu Jianchu went to a branch office alone. After her meeting, she had just gotten into her car when a virtual number sent her a message.
She opened it. It was a video. In it, a woman was blindfolded and tied to a chair. The distance of the shot made the woman’s face blurry, but her voice and the clothes she was wearing were very similar to Qiao Qi’s. Gu Jianchu’s brow twitched; she had a bad feeling.
She called Qiao Qi, but a system voice informed her the call could not be connected. Instantly, her heart began to pound violently, and a chill spread through her. Suddenly, a knock on her car window made her jump. She looked up and saw it was company security.
The window rolled down. “President Gu,” the security guard said, “a package was just delivered.”
Gu Jianchu opened it. Inside was Qiao Qi’s watch. The next second, she started the car. The tires screeched against the pavement as the car practically shot onto the main road. She sped toward Ruifeng while continuing to call Qiao Qi. She tried three times in a row, still with no connection. Just as she was about to call Yao Qiu, another virtual number called her.
She answered coldly, “What do you want?”
“Drive east. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee Miss Qiao will remain unharmed.”
Gu Jianchu glanced in her rearview mirror and saw her bodyguards’ car following behind her. She considered for a few seconds, then wrenched the steering wheel and headed toward the eastern suburbs, where an abandoned factory provided a suitably secluded location.
The caller wasted no more words and quickly hung up. She redialed, not to Qiao Qi, but to the police. What she didn’t know was that Lao He’s car had been driving alongside her the whole time. The moment he hung up, he activated a signal jammer. Now, no matter who Gu Jianchu tried to call, the call wouldn’t go through. In her panic, she didn’t realize what the problem was.
As Gu Jianchu drove toward the eastern suburbs, she noticed a black sedan had been following her the entire way. She looked from her bodyguards’ car in the rearview mirror to her phone, which still had no signal, and instantly understood.
The scenery outside grew more and more desolate. Still some distance from the factory, Gu Jianchu calmed down and slowed her car. The bodyguards’ car slowed as well. Lao He saw her intent and guessed she had figured him out. He smiled and praised her, “This woman is pretty smart.” Then he barked into his walkie-talkie, “Lao San, make your move.”
Gu Jianchu saw in her rearview mirror as a truck appeared out of a side road and T-boned the bodyguards’ car. The driver had floored the accelerator, and the impact was immense, sending the bodyguards’ car flipping over completely. Before she had time to react, the black sedan that had been following her suddenly accelerated and crashed into the front of her car. Lao He was a professional, swift and efficient. In less than three minutes, she was dragged out and shoved into the black car.
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