Before Qiao Luwen could speak, Huo Jingnian took the initiative: “Your niece, whom you called to discuss matters, went missing on the way here and still hasn’t returned. And you can actually sleep?”
“Captain Huo, what are you saying? We only just went to bed ourselves. I thought she was playing tricks on us. It wasn’t until Zhilan came just now that we realized something might have happened. We wanted to help look, but we had no clue. Even now, lying in bed, I still haven’t slept,” Qiao Wanxia replied.
He never expected Huo Jingnian to show up. Didn’t people say Qiao Zhiwei forced him to marry her? That little girl Wanxia never got anything right.
Huo Jingnian gave him a sharp look. “Did you borrow the ransom money from Uncle and Aunt?”
Qiao Luwen froze for a moment, then nodded. “Yes.”
“From whom?”
“Uncle Chen,” Qiao Luwen answered, then carefully added, “Zhiwei and her sister both know him.”
Huo Jingnian said, “Call Uncle Chen here now.”
“It’s the middle of the night. Even a commander doesn’t have the right to wake ordinary people up at this hour,” Qiao Luwen said.
Although intimidated by Huo Jingnian, demanding something so domineering and unreasonable could still be reported.
Huo Jingnian nodded. “Then I’ll have no choice but to take this ransom letter to the police, prove she went missing in danger, and have them investigate.”
Hearing this, Qiao Luwen went pale. “If we report it, the kidnappers might harm them. My brother and sister-in-law would be in danger.”
“The kidnappers aren’t stupid enough to abduct a couple forced into debt with nowhere to turn. Even if they did, they wouldn’t make the most likely person to pay the ransom disappear for no reason.”
Qiao Luwen’s face turned even paler. When he looked up, he met Huo Jingnian’s dark, sharp eyes—eyes that seemed to see right through him.
Huo Jingnian took in Qiao Luwen’s expression and then said, word by word:
“So if he wants to harm them, let him do it. I’ve already had someone check the bank account on the ransom letter. I believe we’ll have results soon.”
Hearing this last sentence, Qiao Luwen’s legs went weak. Everyone knew the second generation of the Huo family only managed to stand on their own with the help of women and their father. He thought the third generation would be similar but Huo Jingnian was so sharp.
At this point, Qiao Zhiwen could only grit his teeth. “Then let’s report it to the police.”
Hearing this, Qiao Wanxia nearly cried. “Dad, it’s the middle of the night. Going to the police like this will attract attention. If people find out our cousin was missing all night, who knows how rumors will spread?”
Li Chunhong quickly agreed, “Yes, we should first think of a way to find her.”
They had tried to be clever, thinking that learning news of Qiao Luwu and his wife would make the sisters hand over the money willingly. But that stubborn Qiao Zhiwei had been running circles around them.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have ended up in He Gang’s hands.
Even worse, she had drawn Huo Jingnian into this.
Huo Jingnian, seeing their reactions, spoke more sternly: “Do you really want to take me in such big circles?”
“What do you mean?”
Seeing that Qiao Luwen still resisted, Huo Jingnian said to Qiao Zhilan, “Come with me to the police station.”
Qiao Luwen sank to the ground as he watched Huo Jingnian leave.
Li Chunhong grabbed Qiao Wanxia by the arm. “You little fool! You came back spouting nonsense without checking. You’re trying to get our whole family killed!”
Qiao Wanxia protested, “It’s not like that! You were all so anxious to save my brother. Who told him to hurt someone and have no money to compensate?”
Now, not only would her brother face jail time, but if Qiao Zhiwei appeared, the whole family could get implicated.
Li Chunhong told Qiao Luwen, “Return that money to the He family immediately.”
Qiao Luwen shook his head. “It’s useless. At this hour, He Gang has probably already succeeded.”
“You didn’t sign any receipt for his money, right?”
Hearing this, Qiao Luwen felt a glimmer of hope. “No.”
“That’s good. Just stick to that story. This isn’t your fault. My only worry is He Gang…” Li Chunhong felt a renewed pang of anxiety.
“He won’t succeed. I trust Qiao Zhiwei isn’t that stupid. She’s about to enter the Huo family. Even if He Gang succeeded, she’d just have to swallow it. And after so many years with Huo Jingchen, even if she’s lost her innocence, Huo Jingnian would think it’s Huo Jingchen, not her.”
The couple felt somewhat reassured by their reasoning.
“It’s this Huo Jingnian truly unpredictable,” Qiao Luwen said, still worried.
Li Chunhong gritted her teeth. “That shameless Qiao Zhiwei is even sharper than her father. If only she could disappear like he did.”
Qiao Luwen glared at her. “Enough. People have been searching for Luwu and his wife’s whereabouts recently. If Qiao Zhiwei goes missing, Old Master Huo will turn all of Kyoto upside down. And Huo Jingnian isn’t someone to be taken lightly.”
After leaving, Huo Jingnian quickly returned and slipped back into the courtyard. His senses were sharp; as he approached the house, he heard the discussion inside.
He found a window nearest the sound, held his breath, and listened to the fragmented conversation. Running the key points through his mind, he clenched his fists hard against the wall.
Qiao Zhilan had been waiting alone in the car for a long time. Huo Jingnian finally returned, his face terrifyingly grim. She couldn’t help asking, “Brother Jingnian, what did you hear?”
“I’ll take you home first, so your sister doesn’t return and miss you.”
“What did you hear?”
Huo Jingnian hesitated. “Nothing.”
Qiao Zhilan would surely rush in if she knew the truth. He didn’t have time to argue with this family or go to the police reporting a case takes time, and it’s the middle of the night. His priority now was to find He Gang.
“You’re going alone to report it?”
“I’ve sent people to find your sister first,” Huo Jingnian said.
Qiao Zhilan exhaled in relief. “Good.”
Huo Jingnian took her home, made a phone call, and went straight to the He residence.
He banged on He’s door so hard it rattled. He Gang’s mother opened it and saw a tall, imposing man, frightening even before he spoke, radiating the feeling of an impending storm.
Still, she mustered her courage. “It’s so late. Who are you?”
“I’m He Gang’s friend. Please wake him up. I have urgent matters to discuss with him.”
“Urgent?” She was stunned. At this hour, banging on the door indeed sounded urgent. “My son went out with friends tonight and hasn’t returned.”
Huo Jingnian’s heart skipped. “What friends?”
“Just his usual gang of buddies.”
“Where are they?”
Huo Jingnian’s tone made her feel colder, more like an enemy about to punish her son than a friend asking. Panicked, she stammered, “I… I don’t know.”
Huo Jingnian stared at her. “If you don’t want your son to spend the rest of his life in prison, tell me where he is right now.”
“Who are you?” Over the years, no one had ever spoken to her so arrogantly.
Soon, another car arrived, and a young man, equally tall and upright, hurried behind Huo Jingnian. “Captain Huo, we’ve arranged for people to search all nearby hotels and inns according to your instructions. We’ve checked all the places Miss Qiao might pass through.”
Hearing this, He Gang’s mother turned pale. “What has my son done?”