Chapter 68 The man was like a mad wolf at this moment.
On the highway, private cars and large trucks whiz by from time to time, all focused on getting to their destinations, and no one pays any attention to them.
Without saying a word, Lu Tao bent down and grabbed Chen Jiashu's shoulder tightly: "Chen Jiashu, stop messing around, you can't escape."
As soon as the man opened his mouth, a strong smell of onions mixed with hot steam hit Chen Jiashu's face, making his stomach churn.
He quickly went through his memory and became even more certain that he had never seen this person before.
The gale-force winds of level five or six on the wasteland stiffened Chen Jiashu's face, his lips seemed frozen, and he moved slowly: "You kidnapped me simply to get money... I can't see or hear, I'm no threat to you."
He negotiated with them, emphasizing each word: "One million each, is that alright? You decide on the location, I'll have my family bring the money."
The astronomical figure of one million sparked a glint of greed and desire in the Army's eyes.
Can't you hear me?
Lu Tao found it amusing. Everyone knew Chen Jiashu was blind, so when did he become deaf?
What trick is he playing?
Lu Tao's fingers suddenly clenched and dug deep into Chen Jiashu's down jacket. He whispered in Chen Jiashu's ear, "We don't want money, I just want your life. After you kowtow to my brother, I'll send you to see him."
The unpleasant heat blew into Chen Jiashu's ear again. Chen Jiashu turned his head and looked at Lu Tao, asking, "Are you talking to me? If you agree, you can write on my palm."
He loosened his clenched fist, extended his hand, and faced upwards with his palm.
Lu Jun and Lu Tao exchanged glances, and when they saw Chen Jiashu's ashen lips trembling, they burst into laughter and laughed for a long time.
This cowardly demeanor is a stark contrast to the arrogant and domineering Chairman Chen who looked down on the lower classes in the news. They are like two completely different people. It's true that the rich are more afraid of death than the poor.
Lu Jun recalled how he had laughed at Chen Jiashu, a blind man in power, half a year ago, saying that he might just be a puppet. His second brother had also told them not to underestimate such a person.
Looking back now, I realize how cowardly I was.
Lu Tao, who had stopped laughing, released his grip on Chen Jiashu's shoulder and instead slipped his arm under Chen's arm to lift him up: "Don't waste time, take him back. You can watch over him in the carriage once he's on the train."
The army soldiers, understanding the situation, immediately stepped forward and roughly grabbed Chen Jiashu's other arm.
Suddenly, Chen Jiashu's two arms slipped away like eels.
Immediately afterwards, Lu Jun was struck hard in the chest. Because he was in a half-squatting position, he immediately fell flat on his back.
Before he could react, Chen Jiashu had already straddled him, clamping his arms tightly between his legs.
Lu Jun had barely caught a glimpse of that gloomy and ruthless face when his fist slammed heavily into Lu Jun's mouth.
He had barely cried out for help when a second punch landed, and the taste of blood instantly filled his mouth.
Lu Tao's expression changed drastically. He rushed forward and grabbed Chen Jiashu from behind, trying to pull him away from Lu Jun. But the man's vengeful nature was terrifying. His fists rained down on Lu Jun's face, drawing thick blood.
"Hold!"
Lu Tao swung his fist and punched Chen Jiashu hard in the left back, but the other man did not budge.
Lu Tao suddenly stood up, and with a fierce kick, struck Chen Jiashu in the side waist.
Unexpectedly, the man grabbed his calf and twisted him, causing Lu Tao to lose his balance and fall heavily to his side in the snow.
Chen Jiashu immediately climbed onto Lu Tao's body and slammed his bloodied fist into the other's chest. But Lu Tao intercepted the second punch, and the two then began to wrestle.
The army soldier, howling in pain, caught sight of a thick tree branch half-buried in the snow not far away.
He crawled over, grabbed a branch, endured the pain to get up, and rushed towards the two people rolling in the snow.
At this moment, Chen Jiashu regained the upper hand, grabbed Lu Tao's hands, and punched Lu Tao's face with his bulging left fist.
Lu Tao let out a wail, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. The tall and strong man was powerless to fight back.
In contrast, Chen Jiashu's face was completely unharmed. This man was like a mad wolf, killing anyone in sight. Lu Tao was horrified and gripped the branch in his hand tightly.
Who would have thought that a blind man could inspire such fear?
But seeing that his elder brother was about to be beaten to death, Lu Jun raised a tree branch, swung his arm in a wide arc, and aimed at the back of Chen Jiashu's head.
But just as he was about to strike, Lu Tao saw his movement and screamed:
"We can't let him die now! We can't shoot him in the head!"
Upon hearing the sound, Lu Jun's stick landed on Chen Jiashu's left shoulder.
The man let out a painful groan, and then collapsed to the ground like a tree that had been sawed down.
After the outburst, Chen Jiashu lost his strength and stopped resisting. He collapsed on the snow and let them drag him to the car and push him inside.
Once the door closed, all that remained before his eyes was a dim glimmer of light.
There is one more person.
Chen Jiashu could feel the breath, body temperature, and even the staring gaze of the person opposite him.
The fight was intense; he was indeed prepared to die at the last minute, and besides that, he was also testing the bottom line and identities of the two men.
Chen Jiashu made three judgments:
First, there were only two people who kidnapped him. The man he beat until he was unable to resist had arms like bamboo poles, was very thin, and not very strong. He was also easily nervous and scared, and his age was probably no more than twenty years old.
The other man was older and had a physical advantage, so he was ruthless, but he was also afraid of taking someone's life, or perhaps he was waiting for some opportunity.
Second, the two are probably not 'professional' kidnappers. Their movements were clumsy, and even when he was about to kill them, they still hesitated to act... It is very likely that they were seeking revenge, but it is currently impossible to determine whether they were doing it for someone else or for themselves.
Third, it was related to the group. Both men had a strong body odor and calluses on their hands, with the older one having thicker calluses, distributed on the second joint of the index finger and thumb, much like hands that hold scissors for years. This reminded him of the factory's packaging workshop, where they might have been treated unfairly and were taking it out on him.
In summary, Chen Jiashu is more inclined to believe it's a personal grudge; their decision not to let him die, or more precisely, not to let him die now, has another purpose.
Tired, Chen Jiashu endured the pain all over his body, slowly lay down on his side, and closed his eyelids.
After the vehicle had traveled for a while, the bumps became more severe, as if it were driving on a potholed road, much like the undulating, rocky mountain road he had traveled to the disaster area years ago.
Where are they taking him?
*
Qin Qiao received a call from the nanny at the police station, saying that the three children were crying at home because they hadn't come home for a day and a night. She had no choice but to go back first and calm the children down.
Qin Qiao chose to lie, telling them that her father had gone abroad on a business trip and wouldn't be back for a few days. As for herself, she said she would be quite busy with work during this period, but promised to take them to an amusement park after she finished.
The children believed her, wiped away their tears, and happily went back to their rooms.
Although Qin Qiao had submitted her resignation, she was still required to report to work before officially leaving the company. Today, she requested three days off to handle personal matters. Her superiors did not make things difficult for her and granted her leave directly.
Qin Qiao sat in the living room for half an hour, her thoughts in turmoil. Several times, a wave of sadness welled up in her throat, and she couldn't sit still any longer. She sniffed, picked up her bag, and got up.
The sky was even more overcast than when she arrived, as if the world were shrouded in a giant pane of glass, the air thin, and her chest tightened with a sharp, aching pain. She hurried to the car, opened the door, climbed in, closed the door, and drove away.
After driving for more than ten minutes, the car stopped on the side of the riverside road. The hazard lights turned on, accompanied by a soft "click-click-click" sound from inside the car.
Qin Qiao took the letter from the glove box and unfolded it in her hand.
Qiao Qiao:
Seven years ago in the disaster area, when I found you and held your hand tightly, I told you that I would never let go of your hand in this lifetime.
You said, "I will never forgive you if it happens again." I always keep those words in mind, yet I break them time and time again.
Three years ago, during a company crisis, I presumptuously arranged everything for you and broke up with you. The moment I shoved the bank card I was supposed to give you as "compensation" into your hand, and you threw it back at me, I was actually a little happy.
This time, I did the same thing again.
I'm sorry, I know you'll be very angry... I always make mistakes even when I know they're wrong.
The night you moved out, I stood in the living room for a long time. Your high heels were gone from the shoe cabinet, the hair tie you casually tossed aside was no longer on the coffee table, and even the sound of "Jiashu" was gone. At that moment, I felt a great sense of panic.
I'm sorry. I've hurt you again and let Mom down.
This letter is not just an apology, but also a plea to stay. Qiaoqiao, if you are willing to listen, Zhu Ao will tell you the whole story. If not... I will respect your choice.
Jia Shu
February 9, 2015
Tears streamed down her face, staining the letter and blurring the words.
During his year and a half in prison, Jia Shu waited for her reply but never received one, so he assumed that her choice was to never see him again. After his release, he discovered that she had blocked him on all social media, realizing that she really wanted to erase him from her life.
This was not just an end for him, but a complete rejection of him as a person. Even so, he still came to Jiang City to beg her for another chance.
However, he never expected Yang Shuhua to scheme against him. At that time, what rationality could he have? That's why he was so distraught and speechless when he saw her, and why he did such an extreme thing afterward.
After surviving a near-self-destructive ordeal, he clung to the 'possibility' of her return.
even though……
Six years later, even though he mistakenly believed she had a child with someone else, he still loved her and was still forgiving her... He kept taking the blame and begging for her forgiveness... But clearly, he was the one who was abandoned first...
It wasn't until he discovered that the six years of missed opportunities stemmed from Yang Shuhua's "elimination plan" against him that Jia Shu realized how deeply he could hate her. Six years that could never be recovered, his dignity trampled upon—how could Jia Shu not hate her? Yet… because of her, his hatred was never complete…
Qin Qiao slumped over the steering wheel, her back trembling violently, and her sobs, which started intermittently, turned into loud wailing that she could no longer stop.
Jia Shu, where are you?
I was really wrong.
...
The wind on the sea reached force seven or eight, howling like the howl of a wild beast, or a long and painful wail, mixed with the deafening roar of waves crashing against the cliffs.
Zhu Ao gazed at the horizon where the sea met the sky, the sea breeze constantly lifting the hem of his clothes and the ends of his hair. He reached out and adjusted his glasses, which had been blown askew.
My thoughts drifted back to that late night. The moon was pale and the stars were few. The orange streetlights cast shadows on the riverside path, and a few empty beer cans lay scattered at my feet, shrinking into small black shadows in the light.
"Wait...wait until we're awesome! The first thing I'll do is get the biggest private jet ever! Like a Boeing 747!"
Zhang Shuang opened a can of beer, took a big gulp, wiped his mouth haphazardly, and continued with boundless enthusiasm: "When the time comes, our 'Jiashu Electric Appliances' flag will be planted all over the world! New York, Paris, Tokyo... let those foreigners see what a giant ship from the East really looks like!"
Chen Jiashu glanced at Zhang Shuang, a smile playing on his lips, and raised his chin to look into the distance.
Zhu Ao then turned his gaze to the 36-story building under construction on the opposite bank of the river.
"See that building over there?" He pointed, and the two looked in the direction he was pointing. "When it's completed, that huge glass curtain wall won't have the logos of some Fortune Global 500 or China Top 100 company."
Chen Jiashu, who had been listening quietly, slowly turned his head at this moment. His deep black eyes rippled as if a pebble had been dropped into them. He extended the hand holding the beer can: "Come on, let's clink glasses."
The beer cans collided with a "bang," splashing beer everywhere, and then the three of them burst into laughter.
After a while, Chen Jiashu raised his hand and wiped the wine stains from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. His features were particularly distinct in the dim light, and two flames seemed to be burning deep in his eyes, quiet yet showing a fierce power.
He turned to the unfinished building, his jawline taut like a bow:
Her magnetic, bright, and highly distinctive voice pierced the river breeze and carried far into the distance.
"We must build our own 'Enterprise'!!"
"From now on, in this sea of commerce, we will only look at our own chart!"
At that time, the three young men, fueled by alcohol, ambitiously envisioned their future.
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Author's note: The timeline is fictional.
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