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墨書 Inktalez
Cheng Shuping walked angrily through the Zhou family's courtyard, holding a stack of missing person notices, and stopped a maid to ask, "Where is your master?"
The maid quickly replied, "In Madam's room."
Cheng Shuping headed straight for Cheng Shuhua's room with the missing person notices in hand.
Zhou Junsheng was cleaning Cheng Shuhua's room when the door was suddenly pushed open by Cheng Shuping.
Zhou Junsheng asked Cheng Shuping, "What are you doing?"
"What am I doing? I want to ask you what you're doing!" Cheng Shuping retorted, throwing the large stack of missing person notices onto the floor—these were Zhou Junsheng's notices searching for his wife and daughter, with photos of them from seven years ago printed on top.
Zhou Junsheng bent down to pick up the notices. He said, "If they are really in Shanghai, they will definitely come looking for me after seeing these notices!"
Cheng Shuping was very agitated: "If they wanted to find you, they would have come long ago! What you're doing not only won't bring them back but will also put them in even more danger, do you understand?"
"Then tell me, if I don't do this, what else can I do? Should I just keep waiting? I've already waited seven years!"
"Don't you fear that your competitors will take advantage of this and find them first? Have you forgotten how your daughter was injected with poison seven years ago and forced you to continue your experiments? Do you know why the three of them ran away from home? You saw what that boy looked like yesterday; do you want your daughter to end up like that?"
Cheng Shuping's series of questions left Zhou Junsheng speechless.
Zhou Junsheng replied, "I hadn't thought that far, but this is the only way I can find them quickly!"
Indeed, these missing person notices had been posted all over Shanghai by Zhou Junsheng. They were plastered on telephone poles, walls, busy streets, and deserted alleys. Cheng Shuping's concerns were not unfounded. Guo Zhuanghuai saw these notices and tore one down to take back to Tao Pharmaceutical Building's laboratory to show Tao Gongjin.
Tao Gongjin looked at the notice in his hand and sneered coldly: "I think Zhou Junsheng has gone crazy missing his wife! It's been seven years; even if they returned to Shanghai, who knows what their daughters look like now? They might not even recognize each other!"
Guo Zhuanghuai stood in front of Tao Gongjin: "That's true! However, I do have a plan; I'm not sure if I should mention it."
"Go ahead!"
"We sent someone to inform the Zhou family that his daughter has been found..."
Guo Zhuanghuai whispered to Tao Gongjin. After listening, Tao Gongjin lay back in the rocking chair, deep in thought.
Guo Zhuanghuai continued, "If Zhou Junsheng is under our control, he will have to do whatever we say. By then, we won't have to worry about him refusing to help us with the 'biological' project development."
Tao Gongjin lay in the rocking chair, eyes closed, murmuring, "Zhou Junsheng being kidnapped is indeed a sensational event that would shake all of Shanghai. I need to think this through carefully."
Zhou Junsheng posted numerous missing person notices around Shanghai, which not only surprised Tao Gongjin and his associates but also made the situation for the Cheng Sisters and Cheng Shuhua even more delicate.
That morning, the Cheng Sisters brought the missing person notices home and showed them to their mother, Cheng Shuhua.
Cheng Yuwan said, "Mom, why don't we just acknowledge Dad?"
Cheng Shuhua expressed her concern, "If we do that, our enemies will come knocking immediately!"
Cheng Yuying added, "Even if we don't acknowledge him, as soon as you go out, someone will recognize you!"
Cheng Shuhua placed the missing person notice on the table. "I won't be going out. You two look completely different from seven years ago; no one will recognize you. Continue running the café, but be extra cautious. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have let him see that sachet."
"Mom..."
The Cheng Sisters clearly had differing opinions, but Cheng Shuhua was resolute. "That's settled! It's getting late; you both should head to the café now."
With that, Cheng Shuhua collected the missing person notices from the table and went into the back room.
...
In the Tao Pharmaceutical Building's laboratory, Tao Gongjin was alone. He paced back and forth in the lab, contemplating and hesitating. At that moment, the phone in the laboratory suddenly rang.
This call was made by Zhang Zhaolin, also known as Zhang Dashuai.
Zhang Dashuai had seen the missing person notices all over the Bund and specifically sought him out to discuss the matter.
In the Zhang family living room, Zhang Zhaolin calmly sipped his tea and said, "I've always heard that Zhou Junsheng is a sentimental man. His wife left home years ago, and he hasn't remarried or taken a concubine. He even spent a lot of time organizing his wife and daughter's bedroom, keeping everything inside just as it was seven years ago, spotless. It seems this rumor might be true."
Tao Gongjin scoffed, "Even if he misses his wife and daughter deeply, he wouldn't do something so foolish. It would stir up a storm in the city and become common knowledge."
Zhang Zhaolin asked Tao Gongjin, "As a businessman, don't you see an opportunity to make money here?"
Tao Gongjin didn't understand Zhang Zhaolin's meaning and asked, "An opportunity to make money?"
Zhang Zhaolin hinted, "Zhou Junsheng's daughter, Zhou Yuwan, was injected with a 'living' toxin. Besides that monster you have in your hands now, she is also a product of experimentation. Haven't you thought about being the first to find them and continue your research?"
"Of course I've thought about it! I've been thinking about it since seven years ago. It's just that with Zhou Junsheng's current situation, his wife and daughter will be even more cautious."
"If Zhou Junsheng were to encounter any danger, would they take the risk to come forward?"
Tao Gongjin suddenly understood Zhang Zhaolin's implication: "You mean... to kidnap Zhou Junsheng?"
Zhang Zhaolin asked in confusion, "Haven't you thought about it?"
Tao Gongjin replied cautiously, "This matter would cause quite a stir in the city; if things go wrong, our Tao Pharmaceutical's reputation could be ruined."
Zhang Zhaolin looked at Tao Gongjin disdainfully: "If people find out that you are snatching children, wouldn't that also ruin you?"
Tao Gongjin rested his chin on his hand and sat on the sofa deep in thought for a moment before finally realizing: "I understand! Zhang Dashuai, I will take care of this matter when I return."
That evening, a homeless man looked around furtively before approaching the Zhou family's door and knocking. He handed a letter to the butler Zhang Shun who came to answer the door. Zhang Shun then passed the letter on to Zhou Junsheng.
Zhou Junsheng opened the envelope and took out the letter. The contents read: "Tomorrow at noon twelve o'clock, at Sanlitang in the western suburbs. I have news about your wife and daughter. You give me money, and I will take you to see them."
At this moment, Cheng Shuping was sitting across from Zhou Junsheng.
Cheng Shuping asked Zhang Shun, "Who gave this letter?"
Zhang Shun stood in the middle of the hall and answered honestly, "It's a vagrant. Someone paid him to deliver it."
Cheng Shuping turned to Zhou Junsheng and said, "Junsheng Zhou, this source of information is not reliable; it's likely a scammer trying to take your money!"
Zhou Junsheng was resolute: "Even if it's a scammer, I still want to go. Don't worry, I'll bring more people; nothing will happen."
The next morning, Zhou Junsheng arrived at Sanlitang with four or five servants as promised. From a distance, he saw someone standing in the pavilion behind the artificial hill.
Zhou Junsheng continued walking towards the pavilion with his servants.
In the nearby bushes, a pair of eyes was watching the group. As Zhou Junsheng got closer to the pavilion, the person in the bushes quietly aimed a gun at Zhou Junsheng's servants.
Zhou Junsheng was walking forward when the person in the pavilion hurriedly walked out. Sensing something was wrong, Zhou Junsheng called for his group to stop, but it was already too late.
The person in the bushes opened fire on Zhou Junsheng's servants. With four or five shots fired, all the servants were taken down, leaving Zhou Junsheng unharmed.
Zhou Junsheng showed no panic. Calmly raising his hands, he said, "Friends hiding in the shadows, please come out!"
A masked person stepped out from the bushes, followed by another masked individual emerging from behind the pavilion.
One masked person said, "Zhou Junsheng, you are the chairman of Qilin Pharmaceutical. I heard your family has plenty of money, so I thought I'd borrow some!" He then turned to the other masked person and commanded, "Bind him!"
The two masked individuals pulled out ropes and approached Zhou Junsheng. Just as they were tying him up tightly, two darts whizzed through the air and struck both masked individuals in the forehead, causing them to fall instantly. A third masked person appeared before Zhou Junsheng.
The third masked person was Guo Zhuanghuai.
Guo Zhuanghuai muttered to himself, "I knew these two scoundrels were up to no good! Don't worry; I'm not after your money; I only want you!"
Guo Zhuanghuai took a sack from his waist and placed it over the head of Zhou Junsheng, who was tightly bound.
After the disappearance of Zhou Junsheng, Tao Ziwen, Wang Zhiyuan, and several police officers were investigating the scene at Sanlitang, along with several reporters taking photos.
Tao Ziwen turned over the body of a masked man and pulled out a dart with a thorned rose from his forehead.
Wang Zhiyuan said, "It's the thorned rose again!"
Tao Ziwen examined the dart closely and shook his head, saying, "It’s likely the same person who kidnapped the children!"
As the police were about to remove a body from the scene, one of Zhou Junsheng's servants suddenly groaned.
"Captain, there's a survivor!" The officer quickly called over Tao Ziwen and Wang Zhiyuan.
The groaning servant spoke weakly, "You... you need to save my master."
Tao Ziwen asked, "Who is your master?"
The servant replied, "My master... is the chairman of Qilin Pharmaceutical Company, Zhou... Zhou Junsheng..."
The reporters began to murmur among themselves.
"How did the chairman of Qilin Pharmaceutical end up here?"
"Exactly..."
Tao Ziwen continued to question the servant, "Do you know who kidnapped your master?"
The servant stammered, "A masked man... he was... he had a thorned rose!"
Upon hearing "thorned rose," the reporters quickly aimed their cameras at Tao Ziwen and the servant. Thus, a photo of Tao Ziwen questioning the servant at Sanlitang made it to the front page headline of the newspaper. Next to this photo was a bold headline reading, "Thorned Rose Strikes Again—Chairman of Qilin Pharmaceutical Kidnapped."
Cheng Shuping held the newspaper in his hand, and after reading it, he angrily slammed it down on the table. "I told him not to go, but he insisted! Now look, he's been kidnapped and it's made the headlines! I think the days of Qilin Pharmaceutical are numbered!"
Han Zhao was beside Cheng Shuping. He said to him, "Sir, don't you feel this is fate?"
Cheng Shuping was confused. "Fate? What do you mean?"
Han Zhao replied, "Zhou Junsheng's time is running out, but your fortune is still at its peak. If anything happens to Zhou Junsheng, you could take this opportunity to take over Qilin Pharmaceutical."
Cheng Shuping clearly found this suggestion distasteful. "Han Zhao, I understand what you're thinking. If you speak like this again, don't blame me for turning against you!"
Han Zhao felt it was unfair for Cheng Shuping. "I know you don't want to hear this, but over the years, haven't you been the one managing Qilin Pharmaceutical? What has Zhou Junsheng contributed besides taking a share of the profits? What new drugs has he developed? He has consumed a lot of the company's funds without achieving anything! In the eyes of the employees at the pharmaceutical company, you are already the de facto chairman; you just lack the title!"
Cheng Shuping pulled out a gun and pointed it at Han Zhao's head. They faced off for a moment before Cheng Shuping lowered the weapon.
Cheng Shuping said, "I know you're not afraid of death and dare to speak the truth to me. But you're only half right. From a distance, he is the founder of the pharmaceutical company. If he hadn't studied Western medicine abroad, I wouldn't have been able to establish this company with him, so naturally he deserves his share. On a personal level, he is my brother-in-law. Family matters should not be discussed in public; even if I am ruthless and have killed countless people outside, I cannot turn my gun on my own family!"
"But your sister has been separated from him for seven years!"
Cheng Shuping shot Han Zhao a fierce look. "This is our family matter; it's not your place to stir up trouble in front of me!"
Frustrated, Cheng Shuping stormed into the back room. Han Zhao changed from his earlier submissive demeanor to one that was sinister. "You treat him as family, but you've never treated me as one!"
Han Zhao turned and walked out of the living room.
...
Cheng Shuhua sat at home, frowning as she looked at the news report titled "Thorned Rose Strikes Again - Head of Qilin Pharmaceutical Kidnapped." The Cheng Sisters anxiously awaited Cheng Shuhua's decision.
Cheng Yuwan asked, "Mom, can't you really find out where Dad has been taken?"
Cheng Shuhua shook her head. "We still don't know who the kidnappers are or what their motives are; we can only wait for further developments."
Cheng Yuyao asked, "Could the person who kidnapped my dad be the same one who is abducting children?"
Cheng Shuhua replied, "If it were him, your dad wouldn't be in danger."
Cheng Yuwan inquired, "Why not?"
Cheng Shuhua explained, "The person abducting children is loyal to Dow Pharmaceuticals. His purpose in kidnapping your dad is to obtain the data from your dad's 'Biological Experiment' project from seven years ago."
Cheng Yuwan suggested, "Then let's sneak into the Dow Pharmaceuticals Building and rescue my dad!"
Cheng Shuhua shook his head, "They won't let your dad know their identity, nor will they keep him at the Dow Pharmaceuticals Building—they must have a more secret location. Our priority is to find out where that place is!"
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