PB - Chapter 67

Chapter 67

Gu Mingyi visited Ruifeng just before noon and was brought in by Jin Zhihuan's secretary, who had been waiting for him downstairs, taking him directly up to the thirty-fourth floor, where Qiao Qi's office was. In his pocket was a small signal jammer given to him by Lao He. He couldn't be too far from Qiao Qi when using it; only by ensuring Qiao Qi's phone signal was also blocked could Lao He proceed smoothly on his end.

He used the pretext of discussing a project to linger in Qiao Qi's office, so the words that came out of his mouth were right on topic. “President Qiao, do you have any other questions about our project?”

Qiao Qi's voice was as soft and gentle as usual, but her tone was more impatient than before. “If Mr. Gu needs to discuss this in detail, I'll have Yao Qiu take you downstairs to see Director Jin.”

Gu Mingyi's behavior was unusually strange. His movements and tone of voice were too deliberate, and if one listened closely, his logic was muddled and lacked focus. Gu Mingyi himself was oblivious to this, but Qiao Qi, with her sharp and meticulous nature, caught every detail.

Gu Mingyi kept glancing at the time. According to their agreed-upon schedule, Lao He should have succeeded by now. Qiao Qi's dismissal was also quite direct, so he had no reason to linger and readily complied. “No need to trouble Secretary Yao. I can go downstairs and find the Young Master myself.” He stood up, feigned a glance at his watch, and put on an act. “We got so caught up in our conversation that I've delayed your lunch, President Qiao. Would you have time to grab a quick bite together?”

“There's no need to trouble yourself, Mr. Gu.”

Although Qiao Qi didn't reply, her refusal was perfectly clear. She raised her gaze slightly, her pupils dark. Though her face was placid, the look made Gu Mingyi's hair stand on end.

In truth, Qiao Qi had wanted to show Gu Mingyi out just a few sentences into his visit, but he had clearly come with a purpose, repeatedly ignoring her attitude with shameless persistence. She had tried to dismiss him several times to little effect, but this time, it seemed to work.

“Then I won't disturb you any longer, President Qiao. We'll arrange something next time.” For Gu Mingyi, his target from start to finish had only ever been Gu Jianchu. Qiao Qi was Jin Zhihuan's thorn in the side; it had little to do with him. Besides, he had already gotten the money from Jin Zhihuan. As for whether to kidnap Qiao Qi, Gu Yong had told him it was better to avoid extra trouble. Since Qiao Qi was unyielding and gave him no opportunity, he might as well save himself the trouble.

He glanced at the time again, a triumphant look on his face as he left. With him watching, Qiao Qi hadn't even had time to touch her phone. Since there was no bad news from Lao He's end, he must have succeeded. As for Jin Zhihuan upstairs, he couldn't be bothered. He got into the elevator and went straight to the first floor.

The office returned to its quiet state. Qiao Qi tried to get back to work, but she frowned slightly, unable to concentrate. A wave of indescribable unease washed over her. Gu Mingyi's unannounced visit had a clear purpose, and the only connection between Gu Mingyi and herself was Gu Jianchu. She immediately grabbed her phone and called Gu Jianchu. The call went to a mechanical, unanswered tone.

Just then, Yao Qiu walked in and said, “President Qiao, Director Ning said he couldn't get through to your phone.”

“Yao Qiu, call President Gu's secretary, Liu, and ask where she is.” Qiao Qi had no mind for Ning Song at that moment. She kept dialing Gu Jianchu's number. On the third try, Yao Qiu's voice came through. “Secretary Liu doesn't know where President Gu went either. President Qiao, has something happened to President Gu?”

A chill shot through her heart, as if the blood flowing from it had lost all its warmth, like a basin of ice water poured over her head in the dead of winter. She said quickly, “Tell security downstairs to stop Gu Mingyi.” As she spoke, she was already running out of the office. “Tell them to be quick. If he's already left, tell them to do whatever it takes to bring him back.”

Seeing the usually calm and composed President Qiao with such an anxious expression, Yao Qiu knew it was an emergency and quickly called downstairs as instructed. Gu Mingyi hadn't gotten far. The Ruifeng security department received the call and dispatched three cars in pursuit.

Yao Qiu followed Qiao Qi down to the garage to get a car. By now, Qiao Qi had given up on calling Gu Jianchu and instead dialed Gu Yong. When Gu Yong saw the caller ID, he guessed things hadn't gone smoothly. He switched phones and quickly called Lao He, telling him to be quick and clean about it.

Yao Qiu, who was driving, didn't dare say a word. She stayed in constant contact with Zhang, who was pursuing Gu Mingyi. Qiao Qi forced herself to calm down. She had expected Gu Yong not to answer, which only confirmed her suspicions. She asked Yao Qiu, “What's the situation with Zhang?”

“Zhang said it's hard to force him to stop on a major road.”

Qiao Qi closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her panic was hidden behind a veneer of calm. She dialed Gu Fanchu. The call connected, and Gu Fanchu asked uncertainly, “Miss Qiao, is there something you need?”

Qiao Qi said calmly, “Mr. Gu, Jianchu might be in trouble. As for whether to call the police, that's for the Gu family to decide.” She continued without pausing, “I'm currently pursuing Gu Mingyi. I'll notify you immediately if I have any news.”

“Thank you, Miss Qiao. I'll handle it right away.”

After hanging up, Gu Fanchu's heart pounded wildly. He called Secretary Liu and received the same news: Gu Jianchu had disappeared after leaving the branch office. Secretary Liu added, “I tried calling President Gu's bodyguards, but none of them are answering. I've tried them all.” Gu Fanchu held his breath, not daring to tell his parents, but he made a swift decision and called the police.

Reaching a stretch of road with less traffic, Zhang decisively accelerated and forced Gu Mingyi's car to a stop. Gu Mingyi didn't recognize the Ruifeng security guards and started cursing the moment he got out of the car. Following Qiao Qi's orders, Zhang moved forward and slammed him against the hood of the car. Causing a scene on the road would attract unwanted attention, so Zhang and the other two men quickly bundled him into their car.

Without needing Qiao Qi's command, Yao Qiu floored the accelerator. Although Gu Mingyi didn't know these people, he guessed his predicament was related to Gu Jianchu's kidnapping. His first reaction was that Lao He had double-crossed him, but when he saw Qiao Qi approaching through the car window, he grew even more flustered.

Zhang rolled down the window, and Qiao Qi asked, “Where is Jianchu?”

Gu Mingyi hastily denied it. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

Qiao Qi's gaze was dark as she scrutinized his expression. She said, “Get his phone.”

Zhang found Gu Mingyi's phone and handed it to her. Qiao Qi used it to call Gu Yong again. The moment the call connected, she said a single word: “Trade.”

They both knew exactly what she meant; any further denial would be pointless. A terrible chill crept into Gu Yong's heart. He asked, “Who is this?”

“Qiao Qi.”

Gu Yong cursed Gu Mingyi internally for being a useless fool, more of a hindrance than a help. But he couldn't just abandon him. He said, “We'll exchange addresses at the same time.”

After getting the address, Qiao Qi didn't hang up immediately. She got back into the car, her voice no longer its usual gentle softness but filled with an icy chill. She said, “Mr. Gu, if anything happens to Jianchu, then I can't guarantee Gu Mingyi's safety either.”

“You can rest assured on that point.” With the plot exposed, Gu Yong was already calculating how to extricate himself as quickly as possible.

Gu Jianchu was blindfolded, her hands tied behind her back, and shoved into a car. After the screech of tires on pavement, she was dragged out of the car and forced into a chair. Her limbs were rebound to the chair, the ropes digging in painfully.

The men who had brought her were talking in low voices in the distance. She vaguely heard Qiao Qi's name mentioned along with Gu Mingyi's. It turned out the group sent to kidnap Qiao Qi had reported back to Lao He, saying that Young Master Gu had changed his mind and only wanted one person captured. Since they had the money, getting paid for less work was a deal they were happy to take.

A few minutes later, footsteps approached, and Gu Jianchu's blindfold was finally removed. Before her eyes could adjust to the light, they widened in shock at the smiling face that suddenly appeared before her. The smiling face before her held a menacing air. She waited for him to speak first, using her peripheral vision to survey her surroundings. It was the office of an abandoned factory.

“They all say the Gu family's young lady is a beauty, and it's true.” Lao He pinched Gu Jianchu's chin with his rough fingertips, a lecherous grin on his face. “What a pity for you to die. Since you're going to die anyway, why not let me… take care of you first? It'll be worth it, even in death.”

Gu Jianchu asked, “How much are they paying you?” Lao He held up eight fingers in front of her. Gu Jianchu continued, “What about Qiao Qi? That video was fake. Was I your only target?”

“Of course, Miss Qiao was a target too. You're just a bit more important.” Lao He was, in fact, taken aback by Gu Jianchu's composure. He'd been around and knew the ropes; for a moment, he couldn't be sure if she had an ace up her sleeve. He said deliberately, “We weren't the ones who filmed that clip. We've only seen photos of President Qiao. How could we find someone who looks so much like her?”

Just as he finished speaking, his first call from Gu Yong came through, telling him to get rid of her quickly and without delay. Lao He guessed something had gone wrong and abandoned his lustful thoughts, deciding to finish the job quickly and make a run for it.

Gu Jianchu read the change in his expression and spoke faster. “Let me go, and I'll give you double the price.”

Lao He said, “Money is a good thing, but a man has to have principles in his work.”

He had his men drag Gu Jianchu out of the factory building, all the way to the edge of a lake in the eastern suburbs' deep forest. A dilapidated canoe rested on the shore. Gu Jianchu was roughly shoved onto the muddy ground. Lao He squatted down and tied weights to her ankles. Once the weights were secured, Lao He picked her up and tossed her into the boat. Then, the men slowly pushed the boat out onto the lake.

Gu Jianchu struggled secretly, but it was useless. The boat was leaking; it would sink on its own once it reached deep water. If that happened, she would sink to the bottom of this lake forever. Her only option was to raise the offer. “I'll give you five times the price if you just let me go.”

Five times the price did indeed make Lao He hesitate. But he had already been exposed. He might not live to spend the money even if he took it. So, his pushing motion paused for only a split second. Gu Jianchu saw his momentary wavering and added another chip to the pot. “And I'll guarantee your safety.”

Lao He didn't believe her, but his actions were interrupted by a second call from Gu Yong. When the call connected, Gu Yong said, “Get out of there, fast. Make a clean break.”

A chill went through Lao He. He knew this job was a bust, and he couldn't afford to get a murder charge for nothing. Fortunately, he had the deposit, which was enough to fund his escape. He put all his strength into pulling the boat back. Once it was barely back on the shore, he abandoned it and quickly left with his men to save their own skins.

Gu Jianchu didn't know what had just happened. The kidnappers fled quickly. Half of the boat was still in the water, and the lake was cold. Her limbs were numb from being tied, but her survival instinct drove her to squirm and crawl out of the boat. She was also afraid the kidnappers might return, and in her panic, she fumbled several times. The composure she had forced herself to maintain vanished without a trace. With nothing to hold onto, she fell right out of the broken boat.

When the police found Gu Jianchu, she was hiding behind a tree. Her face was injured, the blood mixed with dirt and caked dry. Her body was trembling slightly from the cold, but her eyes were calm as she looked at them.

In reality, Gu Jianchu was not as calm as the police thought. Being rescued allowed her racing heart to return to normal, but after a sigh of relief, she was engulfed by a wave of lingering fear, so much so that her answers to their questions were slower than usual. The police removed the plastic zip ties from her hands and feet. Her limbs were sore and weak, and she needed support to walk.

A few officers were helping her toward the police car, intending to let her warm up inside, when Gu Jianchu stopped, her gaze shifting at the sound of an approaching vehicle. Two black sedans were speeding toward them. They quickly came to a stop near the police cars. A door opened, and she saw Qiao Qi get out and run hurriedly toward her.

The sun was setting, and Qiao Qi was silhouetted against the light, her outline sharp and clear. Her long hair was disheveled, and her face showed an unconcealed anxiety and panic. Gu Jianchu's calmness was merely the numbness that follows terror. A breath of fear still lingered in her heart. But just now, at the sudden sight of Qiao Qi, it was as if she had woken from a dream. The danger was over. She was safe now.

Qiao Qi had been terrified the entire way here. Seeing her now, disheveled but otherwise unharmed, she felt a measure of relief. She just wanted to hold Gu Jianchu in her arms; only by feeling her warmth could her heart truly be at ease. She hugged her with instinctual force, holding on tightly.

After a long moment, she spoke, her voice strained. “How could you be so stupid.”

Gu Jianchu heard the muffled sound of her voice and wanted to say it was only because she was so worried about her that she'd fallen into their trap. But when she pulled back from Qiao Qi's shoulder, she saw that her eyes were red-rimmed, tears welling up. She quickly pulled her into another tight hug. “I may be stupid, but you're smart. Isn't it nice to have a chance to be the hero saving the damsel in distress?”

“Are you badly hurt?”

Qiao Qi calmed down and pulled away from Gu Jianchu. Her eyes meticulously scanned Gu Jianchu's filth-covered body, her gaze finally settling on the scrapes on her face. She asked, “Are you hurt anywhere else? We're going to the hospital.” She took Gu Jianchu's hand and turned, only then remembering Gu Fanchu standing a few steps away. She added, “Mr. Gu, I'm taking Jianchu to the hospital. I'll leave things here to you.”

Yao Qiu drove, and Gu Jianchu leaned against Qiao Qi. Breathing in the crisp scent of her perfume, the tension gave way to a sudden sense of security, and exhaustion instantly washed over her. She had a question. “How did the police get there so fast?”

“I made a trade with Gu Yong using Gu Mingyi.”

She asked again, “What about Gu Mingyi?”

Qiao Qi answered simply, “After I learned the police had confirmed your location, I had him taken somewhere else.”

Although Qiao Qi's tone was casual, her attitude was uncharacteristically firm. Gu Jianchu was surprised; she hadn't expected Qiao Qi to have such a backup plan. It seemed Qiao Qi didn't intend to let the matter drop, which also showed how important she was to her. She felt a little pleased and said with a hint of coquettishness, “I'm so tired.”

“Get some sleep. I'll wake you when we get to the hospital.”

Gu Jianchu was truly exhausted. The steady speed of the car and the comfort of Qiao Qi's embrace were reassuring, and in no time, she fell into a deep sleep. Qiao Qi's eyes were filled with her. After hesitating several times, she finally raised her fingertips to touch the scrapes on her face. She didn't dare press, pulling back after a light touch, her eyes full of heartache.

Fortunately, aside from some scrapes from the fall, Gu Jianchu had no serious injuries. Qiao Qi instructed Yao Qiu to return to Ruifeng first to handle the work she had missed, while she herself drove Gu Jianchu home to rest.

As soon as they got home, Gu Jianchu stripped off her mud-stained clothes and soaked in the bathtub. Qiao Qi took a shower in the guest room and then sat downstairs talking on the phone with Gu Fanchu. When she came out of the bedroom after her bath, she saw Qiao Qi sitting on the sofa, lost in thought.

She asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Qiao Qi lifted Ping An off her lap and set him on the sofa before getting up to meet her at the top of the stairs. She took her hand and led her to the dining table. “I had some food delivered.” She sat down across from her and said, “Your bodyguards… one is seriously injured and in a coma. The other two are awake, but they're not in good shape. Your brother said not to worry, he'll handle everything properly. He also said you should call home.”

Gu Jianchu took the phone Qiao Qi handed her; hers had been thrown away by the kidnappers long ago. The call connected, and as soon as Mrs. Gu recognized her voice, she burst into frantic sobs. She patiently comforted her mother over the phone. This time, Qiao Qi didn't excuse herself for the private call, but simply sat there quietly.

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