Zhan Jingting tapped the table absently with his fingertips. "How much do you want?"
"Give me whatever amount the alliance is worth."
Zhan Jingting didn't hesitate for long, "I agree. When is the deal?"
"Once you have the money ready, the transaction can proceed."
“I can get that money anytime, but I have to make sure my mother is safe.”
“Your mother is absolutely safe, but Jingting, I want you to swear on Qiao Wanwan’s life that you will keep your promise and will never hold me accountable afterward.”
Zhan Jingting clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white. "You dare threaten me?"
Old Zhan laughed out loud, "Jing Ting, Jing Ting, you really value Qiao Wanwan the most, you don't even dare to swear on her, so how could I possibly believe you?"
Zhan Jingting closed his eyes briefly and said, "Okay, I swear on Wanwan's life that as long as my mother comes back safely, I will never cause trouble for you or your family, nor will I hinder their development."
"Alright." Old Zhan said, "Jingting, there are gods watching over you. You must have a sense of awe. Remember, this is about Qiao Wanwan's life. If you go back on your word, and there is retribution, you will regret it!"
"Enough talk, the money will be in place immediately. Get my mother back to Wutong Bay safely!"
No sooner had Zhan Jingting finished speaking than a frantic voice came from the other end of the phone, "It's terrible, Elder Zhan! Ruan Wanyi has disappeared!"
"What did you say?" Old Zhan exclaimed in surprise, "What's going on!"
"I don't know, he's just gone, and the people guarding him have disappeared too!"
"waste!"
Zhan Jingting suddenly stood up. "I've already promised you. You know the consequences if my mother can't come back!"
Old Zhan's voice trembled, "Jing Ting, don't panic, I'll go and find out what happened!"
Jiang Dong rushed back quickly to find out what was going on with Zhan Lao, and didn't return to Wutong Bay to report until evening.
"Master Zhan, according to Elder Zhan, it was his bodyguards who kidnapped Madam. Four men took Madam from Suzhou back to the capital and locked her in a villa in the suburbs, but they all disappeared."
"Those four people have also disappeared?"
"Yes, they vanished into thin air. Madam's phone was in our own car, while the four bodyguards' phones were left at the villa. We can't track them down at all."
Zhan Jingting frowned, deep in thought. "Go investigate Zhan Xiuwen."
"Master Zhan, do you suspect that Zhan Xiuwen intercepted the deal?"
"What Elder Zhan wants is very simple, and I have already agreed. Creating more trouble will not do him any good."
"What Master Zhan said is true. Old Master Zhan was indeed at his wit's end, which is why he resorted to this desperate measure. It was indeed the simplest thing for him to ask for money."
"Go check it out."
"yes."
Zhan Jingting leaned back on the sofa, feeling a splitting headache.
“Wanwan.” He looked at the girl lying on the bed. “Mom has disappeared. Over the years, although she has been nagging, she has rarely caused trouble.”
"She probably didn't want to cause me any trouble, so she kept to herself and rarely interacted with outsiders. This time, she left the capital rashly for our sake, which led to her being targeted."
"If anything were to happen to her, how could I ever forgive myself? You agree, right...?"
......
While investigating Zhan Xiuwen, Jiang Dong continued to search for Ruan Wanyi's whereabouts.
As the days went by, the people of Wutong Bay grew increasingly anxious.
"My aunt is such a kind and easygoing person, who would take her away? If they do take her away, then they should at least call to say what you want. This is just making us anxious."
Cheng Zaozao looked at Zhan Yin and said, "Don't say this in front of my brother-in-law, or he will be very anxious."
Zhan Yin curled his lip, "Which eye of yours saw my uncle anxious? He's very calm."
“Just because you can’t see him doesn’t mean he’s not worried about Madam Zhan. My brother-in-law is so good to my sister. How could a kind and righteous person not worry about his missing mother?” Cheng Zaozao said seriously. “I think my brother-in-law just doesn’t show his emotions. He’s more anxious than anyone else.”
"Tch, you talk like you know him so well. This is my uncle. Do you think I know him better than you do?"
"I'm not going to argue with you about this, it's pointless. The most important thing now is for Madam Zhan to return safely."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Jiang Dongbian hurriedly walked in from outside the door.
"Jiangdong, how is it?" Zhan Yin hurriedly stood up and stepped forward to ask, "Is there any news about your aunt?"
Jiang Dong shook his head. "No."
"You looked so pale, I thought something had happened."
“Something has indeed happened,” Jiang Dong said gravely. “The four bodyguards have been found.”
"Finding the bodyguard means finding my aunt-in-law, right? Where is she?"
"The bodies of four bodyguards were found in the river."
Zhan Yin's face turned pale. "What? All four of them are dead?"
“Yes.” Jiang Dong pointed to his forehead. “They were all shot here, one shot was fatal.”
"So ruthless?" Zhan Yin was shocked. "The capital city has a ban on guns, and there aren't many people who can kill with a gun."
“More importantly, this shot wasn’t fired at the head, but from at least five meters away. This marksmanship is not something an ordinary person can do,” Jiang Dong said. “Young Master Yin, I have to go and report to Master Zhan right away. This is no small matter.”
"Come on, I'll go with you!"
Upon hearing this, Zhan Jingting frowned immediately. "Such excellent marksmanship?"
"Yes, Master Zhan, the forensic doctor has already examined him. It was a single fatal shot. He was conscious before he died, which means he was facing the murderer and was shot to death with a single shot. His marksmanship is almost as good as yours."
Zhan Yin said anxiously, "Whether the killer is a good shot or not is not important. What's important is where is my aunt? Could she have already..."
Zhan Yin dared not continue speaking.
“Young Master Yin, that possibility is unlikely, because these four bodyguards were tied with stones and thrown into the river after they died. They had already sunk to the bottom of the river, but it just so happened that the river was being cleaned up these past few days, which is why they were discovered so quickly. All four of them were thrown into the river in the same spot, and Madam was not found in the river.”
"So, it's very likely that my aunt is still alive?"
Jiang Dong said, "At this point, it's already a good thing that no bodies have been found."
"Uncle, say something! Could this have been done by Old Zhan? Is he trying to create panic for you so he can ask for an exorbitant amount of money?"
Zhan Jingting glanced at him. "If he thought the money was too little, he would have offered a higher price long ago. There's no need for him to back out at the last minute. Besides, the longer this matter drags on, the more uncontrollable factors there will be. He won't do that."
"So, does this mean that someone else really took Auntie away and killed Elder Zhan's four bodyguards? Who was it? And what was their purpose?"
“I haven’t figured it out yet…” Zhan Jingting closed his eyes. “You guys go out first and continue the investigation. We can’t let our guard down for a second.”
"Don't worry, Master Zhan. Your men are searching day and night. They'll dig three feet into the ground in the capital to find Madam."
Zhan Yin looked at Zhan Jingting and asked, "Uncle, you don't look well. What are you thinking about?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
