Chapter 113 Could she already be...?

The late autumn night was desolate, cold, and bleak.

The Maybach sped to the Yili Printing Factory in the northern suburbs, executed a clean and swift drift, kicking up dust, and came to a steady stop outside the factory.

Fu Chenzhou opened the car door and got out. The cold wind made his black trench coat flutter, his short black hair was blown wildly in the wind, and his handsome face, which was as dazzling as daylight, showed no expression.

Xing Zhen stared intently at the man's sharp and clear profile, devoid of emotion, yet sending chills down Xing Zhen's spine.

Mr. Fu is like that.

The angrier you are, the more taciturn you become, and the calmer you are.

The ocean, too, is like this when it is brewing a storm—it remains silent.

At this moment, Fu Chenzhou's men arrived one after another, faster than the police, and surrounded the entire abandoned factory like an iron barrel.

The group searched the entire building from top to bottom, almost to the point of flattening it, but they couldn't find any trace of Jiang Shiyuan.

"Mr. Fu! We've looked, but it's not there!"

"Neither in the outer areas!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Fu, the person couldn't be found. Please punish me!"

With each "no" he heard, Fu Chenzhou's heart sank a little further, and his eyes grew colder.

"President Fu!"

Xing Zhen rushed to the man, covered in sweat. "I found some bloodstains and ropes binding us in the basement."

That blood...it must be Miss Jiang's! Could she already be...?

"Won't."

Fu Chenzhou interrupted him coldly, as if afraid that his words would come true, "If it were as you think, what you have discovered now would not only be Jiang Shiyuan's blood."

Her location has been exposed; the kidnappers must have moved her.

Xing Zhen was frantic with worry. "Why would someone kidnap Miss Jiang? How could someone as good as Miss Jiang have any enemies?!"

"They may not have come for her."

Fu Chenzhou's gaze was as cold as a blade. "Every minute of delay increases the danger. We must pinpoint the kidnappers' location immediately."

Xing Zhen immediately responded, "Okay, I'll call the police right away!"

"Reporting to the police is too slow; use the dark web for tracking."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Fu Chenzhou picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"Mr. Fu, what are your instructions?" the man on the other end asked respectfully.

"Hack into Beijing's traffic surveillance system and find someone for me."

The man exuded an intimidating aura, his words like thunder: "I'll give you a maximum of ten minutes!"

...

The Platinum Auction concluded successfully at the Beijing Convention and Exhibition Center.

Xie Jinghuai's outstanding performance kept the auction's popularity high even after it ended.

The trending topics on Weibo were also quite interesting:

#Xie Jinghuai gave Lin Zhixin a 200 million gift as a token of their love#

#Xie Jinghuai and Lin Zhixin go public with their relationship#

Xie Jinghuai stared at the chaotic trending topics on Weibo, anger welling up in his eyes:

"Take all these trending topics down!"

Han Xu was both angry and helpless. "I've already asked the public relations department to handle it, but even if the trending topic is removed, it won't stop netizens from gossiping."

Furthermore, some marketing accounts have already reported that you spent lavishly on Ms. Lin, and described your relationship with Ms. Lin in a very ambiguous way. The readership is almost reaching a million.

Xie Jinghuai raised an eyebrow and said, "What marketing account? Shut it down!"

“Blocking up his store won’t do any good; other media outlets have also reposted it.”

Han Xu was at his wit's end. "Besides, his article only stated the facts; he didn't fabricate or spread rumors. You have no legitimate reason to do this!"

Previously, he didn't care about or pay attention to these gossip and rumors about him and Lin Zhixin.

He always adhered to the principle that the innocent should remain innocent. He believed that if one is upright, one has nothing to fear. No matter what others say, he knew that he and Zhixin were innocent.

But this time, it was clearly too much.

The overwhelming news, trending topics, and photos portrayed him and Lin Zhixin as a perfect couple, with Lin Zhixin becoming the love of his life.

The more it's spread, the more bizarre it becomes; the more it's explained, the worse it gets.

“Brother Jinghuai!” Lin Zhixin and the Lin couple walked up to him with smiles on their faces.

Xie Jinghuai had no choice but to temporarily suppress his agitation and give a faint smile:

“Zhixin”.

"Mr. Xie, thank you so much for bidding on such an expensive gift for Xinxin. We really don't know how to thank you enough!"

Liu Nianrou smiled obsequiously, her face glowing, "It's a blessing for the Lin family that Zhixin is being taken care of by you!"

Lin Chengchou glanced at his beloved wife, feeling a little uncomfortable.

In his heart, his wife was perfect in every way: gentle, obedient, sensible, a great cook, and always looking up at him with adoration, satisfying his chauvinistic vanity and ego. She was far better than Jiang Shiyuan's mother.

But there's one thing: his demeanor always has a kind of petty, unrefined air about him.

She used to be timid and insecure, which he found charming and aroused his strong protective instincts. He tried every means to marry her and give her a proper status.

Now, she is the rightful Mrs. Lin, but she still lacks the air of a noblewoman. Especially in front of Xie Jinghuai, her groveling is too obvious, far less elegant and poised than Xinxin.

In this respect, she was truly inferior to Jiang Shiyuan's mother, whose humble origins were ingrained in her very being.

Xie Jinghuai's expression remained indifferent. "Madam Lin, you flatter me. I gave it to Zhixin because she liked it; it's not particularly valuable."

"Chairman Xie has already taken great care of Xin Xin. If our Lin family accepts such a generous gift, it might cause outsiders to gossip."

Unexpectedly, Lin Chengchou politely declined Xie Jinghuai's generous gift, looking troubled. "My daughter is not married yet, and there are constant rumors circulating outside. I'm sure you've heard about them, Mr. Xie. Xinxin is my most beloved daughter, and as her father, I have to think more about her. I hope you understand, Mr. Xie."

Lin Zhixin was initially very unhappy, but after thinking about it, she understood what her father meant.

This was a strategic retreat, a way to avoid being looked down upon while simultaneously testing Xie Jinghuai's attitude towards her.

Han Xu was filled with resentment.

Lin Zhixin is your most beloved daughter, so what about your wife? They are both your own flesh and blood, how can you be so biased!

"Don't worry, Zhixin is a very important person to me. I won't let outsiders spread rumors about Zhixin, and her reputation will not be affected in any way."

Xie Jinghuai's phoenix eyes were deep and calm. "As for the gift, since I said I would give it to Zhixin, I must give it to her. There is no reason to take it back."

"Then... thank you very much, Mr. Xie." Having said that, Lin Chengchou had no choice but to accept the thanks.

Lin Zhixin said in a soft voice, "Brother Jinghuai, it's not too late yet. Our family has prepared a banquet. Why don't you come and have a seat?"

"No."

Xie Jinghuai felt a strange tightness in his chest, and feeling it would be impolite to refuse like that, he added, "I have something to do tonight, I'll definitely do it another day."

After saying that, he and Han Xu left first.

"Brother Cheng, see? I told you so! President Xie really cares about our Xin Xin!"

Liu Nianrou poked the man's ribs with her elbow, complaining, "You shouldn't have let Xiaoyuan marry into the Xie family in the first place. President Xie neither cared about her nor looked down on her. As a result, you were not respected by President Xie and wasted five years of Xinxin's youth."

This time, we, as husband and wife, must be of one mind and do everything in our power to ensure Xinxin marries President Xie. If Xinxin becomes Mrs. Xie, our company will be well on its way to going public!

Lin Chengchou nodded in deep agreement.

...

Xie Jinghuai had just returned to Guanlan Garden and hadn't even caught his breath when an unfamiliar number called.

He never answers calls from unknown numbers, so he didn't answer the first time.

But the other party persisted. He loosened his tie, and with a stern face, accepted the answer:

Hello, who is this?

"Xie Jinghuai, it's me, Ye Yu!"

Xie Jinghuai was taken aback for a moment, then sneered: "Has Attorney Ye recovered from his injuries? Are you calling me because you don't have enough money for medical bills?"

"Is A-Yuan at your house?" Ye Yu didn't have time for banter and asked directly.

The man instantly became displeased. "Is it appropriate for you to ask me about my wife's whereabouts?"

"I don't have time for your nonsense right now. I'm just asking you, is A-Yuan with you now or not?!"

Xie Jinghuai's heart clenched instantly, but his expression remained indifferent:

"No."

“I’m right in front of her house right now. Her car isn’t here, and the lights aren’t on. She’s obviously not home.”

Ye Yu was on the other end of the line, seemingly outside, and sounded extremely anxious, "I've called her countless times, but her phone is always off, I can't get through at all! A-Yuan is out of contact!"