bookcurios Chapter 970 Lin Peishan is forced to return to Macau
Chapter 970 Lin Peishan is forced to return to Macau
"Damn it, I have a feeling someone's watching me." Ouyang Bao cursed, perhaps out of professional instinct, and shouted into the room, "Third brother, fourth brother, go out and keep an eye on things, don't let any strangers get close."
Two lean men immediately came out of the door. Wu Mingqiang quickly ran back, tiptoeing to avoid making a sound. The pebbles under his feet hurt his soles, but he dared not slow down.
He went around to the back of the arcade, where there was a low-lying shantytown. He crouched down and squeezed into an abandoned woodshed, peeking out through the cracks in the wooden planks. He saw the two men dividing up the tasks: one guarding the front door, the other going around to the back door, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, his waist bulging as if he were carrying weapons.
The attic window was on the back of the arcade, covered with a layer of yellowed paper. A figure could be vaguely seen moving inside, presumably Chen Zhongyu struggling. Wu Mingqiang counted the windows—the third one from the bottom up, the easternmost one. The corner of the paper was torn, making a rustling sound when the wind blew.
He squatted in the woodshed for nearly an hour until the sun began to set and the shadows in the alley were stretched long. Only then did he see Ouyang Bao leading his men out of the arcade. Before getting into the carriage, he deliberately looked back at the attic window, a sinister smile playing on his lips: "Take good care of Mr. Chen. I'll come to interrogate him tomorrow."
After the car sped away, Wu Mingqiang emerged from the woodshed, his shirt soaked with cold sweat and sticking to his body.
Wu Mingqiang waited a while longer, and the henchmen guarding the gate gradually relaxed after seeing their organization leave. Only then did he return to the corner, grab his bicycle, and ride away.
He didn't dare to delay and took a shortcut home, by which time it was already past dinner time.
Wu Mingqiang bought two steamed buns on the way and ate them while riding his bike. He didn't care that crumbs got all over him; he quickly changed his clothes and hurried towards the villa.
When they returned to the villa, they saw Gui'er sitting in the living room reading a newspaper. Although she was reading a newspaper, she was holding one in her hand and her eyes weren't even glancing at it. It was obvious that she was distracted. Wu Mingqiang was secretly pleased. He stuffed the last bite of his steamed bun into his mouth and mumbled, "Miss! Have you found Mr. Chen?"
Gui'er was fidgeting in the living room when she heard Wu Mingqiang say that Chen Zhongyu had been found. She was overjoyed and quickly asked, "What about Professor Xu?"
Wu Mingqiang paused for a moment, he had been so focused on finding Chen Zhongyu, but after a moment's recollection, he said, "Strange, we didn't see any other detainees at the place where Mr. Xu was being held."
Gui'er was somewhat disappointed. She hadn't expected Ouyang Bao to be so cunning. The two of them were even being held in separate cells. If she gathered her classmates to protest, what if Ouyang Bao harmed Professor Xu and secretly silenced him?
Gui'er frowned, her fingertips tapping lightly on the coffee table: "They're holding them separately, obviously to prevent us from rescuing them all at once. Brother Wu, send two capable men to take turns watching that arcade building. Make sure they don't move Mr. Chen. Also, find out where Professor Xu is. Even if it costs more money to pull strings, find out where he's being hidden so we can rescue him together. Otherwise, we might miss one and Ouyang Bao could use him as leverage."
Wu Mingqiang nodded emphatically: "I'll make the arrangements right away. Have A Si and A Cheng keep an eye on him, and I'll personally track Ouyang Bao to find out where Professor Xu is being held."
The next morning, Gui'er walked into the classroom with a heavy heart. As soon as she sat down, Lin Peishan approached her, her face pale and her eyes swollen and red like walnuts. "Gui'er, something happened..." Her voice trembled, and her hand holding the textbook shook uncontrollably. "Yesterday evening, Ouyang Bao brought some people to my house."
Gui'er's heart tightened: "What was he doing at your house?"
“He said he suspected I was in cahoots with Brother Chen, and even showed me photos of me at Xinmin Bookstore, saying he wanted to take me back to the police station for questioning.” Lin Peishan’s tears fell. “My parents intervened and quickly had someone bring him five gold bars. They apologized repeatedly, saying I was young and naive and had been cheated. Only then did he give up.”
She sniffed, her voice choked with emotion: "My father scolded me, saying I was making trouble out of nothing, always participating in student movements, and almost dragging the whole family down with me. He said Ouyang Bao was greedy and insatiable, and that if he took the gold bars this time, who knows what he'd want next time. He told me to go back to Macau immediately to avoid trouble and come back after this storm has passed."
Gui'er's heart sank: "Now? I found Brother Chen's detention location yesterday."
"Really?" Lin Peishan wiped away her tears, her eyes filled with surprise, but then dimmed again. "But how can we save her? And my family's bodyguards are already waiting at the school gate. I secretly ran over to tell you." She grasped Gui'er's hand, her fingertips icy cold.
Gui'er sighed and said, "Ouyang Bao was detained privately, not in a police station cell. And we don't know where Professor Xu is being held yet. I'm having people search for him as quickly as possible."
Then, in a low voice, she told her the location of the arcade. A glimmer of light flashed in Lin Peishan's eyes, but then dimmed again: "But I... I can't help." She bit her lip, and tears welled up again. "My father wouldn't even let me leave the room. If I hadn't threatened to kill myself, I wouldn't have been able to come to school today."
Just then, two men in black Zhongshan suits peeked out of the classroom. Lin Peishan froze, glanced outside, and hurriedly said, "The bodyguards are here to urge us. Gui'er, you must be careful. Ouyang Bao didn't catch me, and he might take his anger out on you. I'm leaving Brother Chen and Professor Xu to you. I'm sorry, I should have taken some of the blame. I really hate my incompetence."
Gui'er had originally planned to use the Lin family's connections to see if she could get Lin's father to intervene. Perhaps she could use the foreign connection to pressure Ouyang Bao. But now it seems the businessman is very shrewd; he quickly withdraws as soon as something happens.
She could only comfort Lin Peishan: "Don't worry, I'll think of a way. I will definitely rescue them both."
Gui'er was absent-minded all day. When school finally ended, she arrived at the school gate but didn't see her family's car.
Was the pawnshop too busy and Acheng couldn't leave? Gui'er waited for a while, thinking that she might as well call a rickshaw to go back. She took a few steps forward, but suddenly found that it seemed like a gaze was following her.
When Gui'er realized she was being followed, she felt a little panicked. She glanced at the crowd around her, figuring her attackers probably wouldn't dare to harm her openly. So she slowly headed towards the rickshaw pullers. She planned to hire two rickshaw pullers, one to give her a ride and the other to act as her bodyguard. That should be a bit safer. She then reached into her bag. Ever since Chen Zhongyu's accident, she had been carrying a miniature pistol just in case.