Chapter Thirty-Four: A Word to Awaken the Dreamer
Chapter Thirty-Four: A Word to Awaken the Dreamer
Chapter Thirty-Four: A Word to Awaken the Dreamer
Hearing his son's panicked question, Xiahou Nan had no choice but to tell the truth.
"Yes, he was taken away."
"I knew it, I knew it! I just felt a sudden panic for no reason. Dad, I almost died just now. A tanker truck suddenly came out from the side, grazed my car, crashed into a tree, and exploded."
When people are panicked, they tend to speak less.
Xia Chengping is usually very talkative, and the experience of danger just now made him even more talkative, with his logic somewhat chaotic, saying whatever came to mind.
"Xia Cheng'an brought a woman back before, and he suddenly went to the resort in my place."
"It was organized by my classmates, and they invited me."
“Someone from his boxing club suddenly caused trouble and came to break up the place. It was a woman. I called the police and handed her over. Dad, can you send someone to check if they can find any clues?”
"That woman was brought back by Xia Cheng'an. I only glanced at her. Was it him who did it?"
"Xia Cheng'an is just arrogant and always looks down on people. He must have been tricked this time."
...
After listening to his son finish his rambling, Xiahou Nan finally spoke up to comfort him.
“Son, listen to me, you are in great danger right now. Come back as soon as possible. Your mother and I are here.”
"You guys be careful too. These people are crazy and will stop at nothing. They'll definitely target you too."
"I'll be careful. I won't go back yet. I'm almost at Zhou Ran's place. Xia Cheng'an told me to go find him, and my older brother also said that Zhou Ran can be trusted for now because he has unique skills."
Xia Chengping took a deep breath and insisted on going to find Zhou Ran.
He trusted his elder brother and Xia Chengan's judgment.
After a month of getting to know him, he felt that Zhou Ran had changed; he seemed to have some mysterious abilities.
"Okay, be careful and call me when you arrive."
"Um."
Xia Chengping hung up the phone, held it tightly in his hand, and silently clenched it.
Even if he were stupid, he would know that they were being targeted.
It started with his older brother being tricked and taken away, then it was Xia Cheng'an, and then it was someone who wanted to run him over.
If he and Xia Cheng'an hadn't switched identities at the last minute, he probably would have been taken away before his elder brother.
He punched the seat. Why was his brain so useless? Why couldn't he think of a way to save the person?
"Fourth Young Master, we've arrived."
The driver reminded them that they had arrived at their destination. The bodyguards had already run over, surrounded the car, and looked around warily as they escorted Xia Chengping into the house.
Upon hearing the announcement that Xia Chengping had arrived, Zhou Ran washed her hands and dried them with a disposable towel as she came out of the room at the far end of the second floor.
He was wearing slippers and walking down the stairs.
He glanced lazily at Xia Chengping and immediately noticed his difference.
"Huh? What's wrong? Did something happen? You look strange!"
When Xia Chengping saw Zhou Ran appear, he felt a sense of relief for no apparent reason.
Even though the boy in front of him was more than a head shorter than him.
Even though the boy in front of him looked more than a year younger than him.
Even though the boy in front of me looks lazy and casual.
It still gave Xia Chengping a sense of reassurance, as if nothing could stump Zhou Ran.
There's an inexplicable sense of reliability about him.
Xia Chengping reached out and pulled the man to sit on the sofa, then poured out the whole story like beans spilling from a bamboo tube.
Zhou Ran raised an eyebrow after hearing this. "You want me to help you?"
"Yes, Xia Cheng'an and my elder brother both say you are extraordinary. Can you help me find my elder brother and the others?"
What kind of compensation are you offering?
Zhou Ran looked at Xia Chengping and didn't say it couldn't be done, but asked for payment first.
Anyone else would think Zhou Ran was kicking someone when they were down, and that her actions were despicable.
Xia Chengping, with his linear thinking and seemingly silly nature, actually breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhou Ran dared to ask for payment because she had a way to save people; her family wasn't short of money.
"You want quite a lot?"
How much can you give?
Zhou Ran didn't know the prices here, but given the Xia family's status, it shouldn't be cheap.
"I'll give you 50 million to save one person, and I also have two houses. I'll transfer them all to you."
Xia Chengping was incredibly generous. Besides his living expenses, he took out all the money he had saved over the years, and even took out all the properties under his name because he was still worried.
"I like your katana."
This is Xia Chengping's collection; he likes sports and weapons.
If guns weren't banned in China, he would have wanted to build an armory.
Now, as a last resort, they built a cold weapons arsenal.
That katana was his prized possession; he had spent a fortune to have someone find it for him.
I heard it's some kind of authentic samurai sword from a place where life is pretty good.
As spoils of war, it was collected, and later the prodigal son of that family collected it.
The items were sold, and Xia Chengping used his connections to buy them back.
The blade is sharp, and there's a metallic scraping sound when it's drawn from its sheath—it's really cool.
He often boasted to people about having such an amazing thing.
People around him envy him for having such a toy and want one too.
Zhou Ran wanted the knife partly out of curiosity and partly because she thought it could be used as a self-defense weapon.
"Okay, I'll give you the things after this is over."
"Okay, leave the rest to me."
Zhou Ran laughed. Dealing with straightforward people is so easy; there's no need for roundabout haggling.
Xia Chengping breathed a long sigh of relief when he heard him agree.
"Then what should we do? Where do we go to find them?"
Zhou Ran reached out her hand, "Give me the phone, call your dad."
"good."
Xia Chengping obediently dialed the number, then put it on speakerphone and handed it to Zhou Ran.
"You've arrived?"
With deep weariness, a steady baritone voice asked with concern.
"I've arrived. Zhou Ran said she was looking for you."
"Zhou Ran?"
"Yes, Mr. Xia."
"Thank you for taking care of my silly son."
Xiahou Nan remained polite and courteous to the child whose origins were questionable.
He's lived so long, he knows things that children don't.
I have also encountered some strange people and things.
He even had the privilege of participating in some events, and although he didn't know the truth, he learned to maintain a sense of awe.
He had heard about his eldest son's strange behavior, so he was aware of Zhou Ran's changes as well.
Compared to his eldest son's bold attempts to win him over, he was more inclined to a policy of non-interference.
If you get involved with strange people and things, and don't have the corresponding skills, the only outcome will be the destruction of your family and death.
He had met a wealthy man in the industry who had once gambled his entire family's resources to befriend that kind of person.
In the end, he gained considerable benefits, but after that capable person disappeared, he was schemed against by others who coveted the treasure.
In the end, his family was destroyed, and he was hunted down and his treasure stolen. Not a single member of his family survived.
Having witnessed such things before, he strongly opposed his son getting close to Zhou Ran.
To get involved in any event related to Zhou Ran.
He even suspected at one point that Zhou Ran was involved in the incident involving his eldest son and the others.
For the past ten or twenty years, no one had dared to target their family like this; their family's power ensured their safety.
How come her eldest son was arrested so soon after she started getting close to Zhou Ran?
They were also completely unaware of the motives of the people behind it all.
Maintaining her current politeness already shows that Xiahou Nan is quite rational.
“Hehe,” Zhou Ran laughed.
"It's a good thing it was your fourth son who came. If it were someone else, I wouldn't even bother with him. You smart people just think too much and are annoying."
Xiahou Nan was a smart man and understood the meaning behind those words.
Knowing that Zhou Ran had guessed his thoughts, he indirectly accused him of being petty.
Hearing this, Xiahou Nan wanted to get angry, but she was worried about her son's safety and forcibly stopped herself.
Xiahou Nan could hold back, but Zhou Ran had no intention of doing so.
“You old folks, you overthink things and hold your hands too tight. You think that settling things amicably will lead to peaceful coexistence? You're delusional. You're not ruthless enough, and you didn't clean up the mess properly. You should have some self-awareness. Stop blaming others and hurry up and resolve the issue, bring the person back…”
Zhou Ran scolded the person as if she were disciplining a child.
Now let's get to the main topic.
“You have a wide network of connections. If you want to rescue them as soon as possible, then act quickly and investigate the situation of foreign mercenaries.”
"You mean..."
Xiahou Nan grew angrier the more he listened. Who did Zhou Ran think he was, daring to lecture him?
He was the former head of the Zhou family, and even Zhou Ran's grandfather didn't dare to raise his voice in front of him.
They've really got some nerve.
Just as he was about to retort, he heard Zhou Ran suddenly switch to serious matters.
"mercenary?"
"Yes, these people's methods are not like those of assassins. Assassins are more efficient and do not leave survivors easily. These people's methods are more like those of mercenaries."
The methods were ruthless and the actions swift, yet some leeway was left. The goal was to capture as many prisoners as possible alive.
Like seeing the sun after the clouds have parted, Xiahou Nan's tangled mind finally found the thread.
He had a feeling that if he followed this line of inquiry, he should be able to find what he was looking for.
"This is forbidden territory for mercenaries. If they dare to come, the bounty must be high. A high bounty means high profits, and a lot of information will definitely leak out."
"While you're at it, check where the weapons are. Not everyone can own a sniper rifle. Look for those who seem suspicious."
"You mean carrying firearms when crossing borders? Only high-ranking bodyguards can do that."
Xiahou Nan wasn't stupid. If someone could bring a gun into the country, they either had a bodyguard or a powerful backer. These two conditions narrowed down the possibilities, making it easier to investigate.
"No, you need to be taught how to do it."
Zhou Ran sighed. Xia Chenggan is so smart, how come his father seems to be lacking in intelligence?
Looking at Xia Chengping, who was listening with his ears perked up like a husky, Zhou Ran nodded. It seems that stupidity is hereditary, and the one in front of her had inherited it well.
"Boss, keep going, keep going."
Xia Chengping thought that his breathing had disturbed the big boss's thinking, so after speaking, he covered his mouth and nose with a pillow.
Seeing that Xia Chengping was almost suffocating, Zhou Ran rolled her eyes and continued making the call.
"Investigating those who legally possess sniper rifles within the country requires a vested interest in them."
It would be too difficult to bring such a powerful gun from outside.
Using readily available guns from China is relatively simple.
Moreover, the fact that Xia Chenggan wasn't killed immediately and that the driver survived after being shot suggests that the arrival was rushed and the person wasn't familiar with the firearms.
A small mistake can lead to a huge difference; things that don't suit your needs can easily happen.
Xiahou Nan asked, "What kind of relationship of interest are you referring to?"
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